#Platonic Rift World

[foone]

It will always be funny to me to have "the elemental plane of X", where X is absolutely not an element. Like "The elemental plane of bunny" from my magical-magician-post.

Because sure, I can imagine the idea that there's worlds that are just full of fire/water/air/earth, and this is somehow Natural and Vital to the continued existence of the world. Why not? The universe/multiverse might as well work that way.

But the idea that there's an entire dimension that's just the platonic ideal of CHEESE? Hilarious. S tier worldbuilding. More. Tell me about the inhabitants of the Elemental Plane of Swords. Hell*, get weird with it. Who says it had to be nouns for objects?

What's going on in the Elemental Plane of Treachery? The Elemental Plane of Chicago. The Elemental Plane of Language. The Elemental Plane of Next Thursday. The Elemental Plane of Yearning.

And if you can explain how any of these are needed to keep the world spinning, all the better.

I meant that metaphorically but for all I know, in your setting the reason the world spins is because of an open rift to the Elemental Plane of Rotation.

* better known as the Elemental Plane of Punishment, of course.

[radiantinvocation]

may I request a PLATONIC hurt/comfort elder faerie x little child! reader who is an outsider and not a faerie? Like as a baby, reader was found abandoned and injured alone in Beast-Yeast near the faerie kingdom, and was taken in by the faeries Reader would grow to be a cute little kid, an absolute kind-hearted sweetheart and at that time the events of beast-yeast chapter 1 and 2 occur with the beasts being released and Elder faerie being attacked by SMC... and since reader is so young and just a little kid, they dont understand what is going on and they are scared and traumatized- too young to have to see all of this Could elder faerie comfort reader through all of this? We all need fatherly hugs from him sigh...

Elder Faerie + Child! Reader

Tags: platonic dynamics (found family)!!! angst with comfort sprinkled in (whoops), no beta we die like yk who

“O, mighty silver tree.

Watch over us from above

And protect the peace and chaos from the world…?”

“No no- that's not right.” You let out a frustrated sigh.

“And protect the peace and balance of this world of chaos.” Elder Faerie corrects you with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Recognizing his voice, you spun around to face him. He gently ruffled your hair as he seemed to reminisce about something.

It felt like yesterday that you were just an infant small enough to fit in his arms. Out of everyone in the faerie kingdom, he was the one closest to you.

When Silverbell found you, an ordinary cookie infant abandoned in the outskirts of the faerie kingdom, he immediately took you to Elder Faerie. His majesty being the gentle soul he is, took you in without much of a question. He’d raise and protect you as if you were his own child.

He was abruptly snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of your voice.

“Elder Faerie sir! What are you doing here? You should be resting right now shouldn’t you?” You asked worryingly. You were aware something was up for the last couple of days, but you were shielded away from the truth. You’re just a child and Elder Faerie just couldn’t bear to tell you of a possible impending disaster.

“My dear child, you shouldn’t be near the silver tree right now. It’s for your safety.” He states gently.

He took your hand into his own as he glanced at the rift in the silver tree. The rift is progressively getting wider… At this rate it’ll only be about time before the beasts escape and spew havoc if he doesn’t act soon. As much as he is the ruler of the faerie kingdom and guardian of the silver tree, he was also your caretaker. He simply couldn't fathom failing to protect you and the kingdom.

Before you could question why Elder Faerie wanted you away from the tree, Mercurial Knight and Silverbell made their way to where both you and Elder Faerie are.

“Your majesty, you called?” Silverbell started before quickly being distracted by your presence. For a moment he smiled and waved at you and naturally you waved back at the adorable looking faerie.

Elder Faerie smiled at the exchange while Mercurial Knight only nodded at you and Silverbell’s antics before giving his majesty his undivided attention.

“Yes I have. Silverbell, I trust that you can look after the young one while I handle some affairs.” Elder Faerie asked while giving Silverbell a knowing look.

“Oh…! Yes! Yes I can, your majesty.” Silverbell replied as he went to pick you up. Since you weren’t a faerie you obviously lacked wings like the rest of the citizens in the faerie kingdom so Silverbell preferred picking you up for easier travel.

Silverbell gave his majesty a nod before departing with you in his arms. Elder Faerie watched as you two left and waited for you and Silverbell to be a good distance away before resuming his talk with Mercurial Knight.

“As for you Mercurial Knight, let us go find the others. We only have limited time left before things can get worse.” Elder Faerie continued.

“Understood your majesty.”

-

“Ah..! That scroll is a little tough for you to read, is it not?” Silverbell asked alarmingly. Most if not all scrolls in the library were written in music notes, so he questioned if his majesty taught you how to understand the notes. Thinking about it, he probably did.

You continued on attempting to decipher the scrolls even asking Silverbell for help when you got stuck. Looking up every once in a while, you noticed that there weren't as many faeries around as there usually are. It was eerily quiet.

Getting up from your spot on the floor you turned to a shelf to put back the scroll to pick up a new one. Spotting one on a high shelf you stood on your tiptoes, only to lose your balance and fall to the ground at the sound of a shriek.

“THE SEAL…!”

As if on queue the ground shook as more screams seemed to come from the direction of the silver tree. Silverbell immediately was at your side trying to haul you up quickly.

“The rift in the silver tree must've opened…!” The faerie next to you said in a distressed tone.

The rift? Is that what that was the entire time? Your mind was trying to process what was going on yet your mind kept going back to one specific thing. Or should you say a specific cookie.

“Elder Faerie…!” Finding your balance you immediately tried to find the exit of the library. You had to find your caretaker–Make sure he's ok!

Not wasting any time, you ran out of the library. You could hear Silverbell attempting to get you to stop but it was futile. Kids surprisingly get quite far in such a short time apparently. Your little legs can only get you so far in such time but you'll make it!

Every corner you turned there was mass destruction. Deceit was spreading all over the kingdom and you watched as many faeries turned to embrace the chaos–turning into mere puppets of deceit.

Silverbell was hot on your trail desperately trying to catch up. He knew exactly where you were headed and he was worried. A child like you shouldn't be experiencing any of this. You can't see the state his majesty is in you just can't.

The silver tree was finally in your view. Looking frantically you looked around for a certain cookie. He had to be ok, he just had to.

Just as you set your eyes on who you were looking for, you could only look in fear as your view was obstructed by a beast.

“Ahhh fresh air! Feels nice to be out of that place!” The beast said as it seemed to stretch its arms.

You were frozen in place out of fear and were about to stumble backwards. Silverbell now at the scene as well was able to catch you before you fell. He also watched in fear as the beast took a look around the area.

“I see I have QUITE the audience today!”

“Let's see here who do we haveee…!”

“I already said hello to Pure Vanilla, that's one. Some… annoying looking cookies that makes five. Ah, two faeries! Seven! Oh and I CAN'T forget about Elder Faerie! Oh? A rather young cookie too..? Oh well, the more the merrier!”

Tensing up at the last part of the beast’s sentence, Elder Faerie looked back and spotted you–with Silverbell trying his best to comfort you.

Weighing his decisions, Elder Faerie turned his back on the beast and rushed to be by your side. He failed halfway to get to you as half of his energy was depleted to revive another's life.

“Your majesty!”

Seeing him fall to his knees horrified you and you ran to his side. Tears started to well up in your eyes as you took in the gravity of the situation. Seeing your caretaker struggle to keep himself up scared you.

As for Elder Faerie he was sorry. Sorry for you. Sorry that he couldn't do more in time to prevent the situation altogether.

Using what little strength he had in him he gathered you in his arms and let his wings wrap around you. It was his best attempt at trying to get you to look away from the sight of the beast.

“It'll all be alright dear. Don’t look at him. Look at me.” Elder Faerie said as he checked around your face and arms for any scratches.

Shadow Milk only grumbled at the sight. “Uh HELLOOO, main character still HERE. Cmon! No need to be so toothrottingly sweet right now.”

Elder Faerie grimaced at the shrill sound of the jester's voice. He had to get you away from the area. For what he was about to do, would send your mind spiraling. He’s sorry, but there is no other way. Not in his current state anyway.

He glanced at Shadow Milk then at you. Standing up with you in his arms, Elder Faerie approached Silverbell once more and passed you to him– not without leaving you with some words of comfort and farewell.

His last words to you? “It’ll be over before you know it, young one. Do not worry about me.” His voice faltered as he noticed a blue hyacinth flower on the ground. Plucking it off the ground he inspected it before handing it over to you.

“Rest up child, tomorrow is another day.” He smiled at you. Without even letting you make a sound of protest and he brought his hand over to cover your eyes. Silverbell watched curiously as his majesty put you to sleep.

“Your majesty! We cannot hold back the beast much longer!” Elder Faerie and Silverbell regarded Mercurial Knights' warning before facing each other again.

“Your majesty...” Silverbell started to tear up knowing the fate of his majesty.

Giving one final command to Silverbell, he instructed for you to be taken away to your chambers to rest. Silverbell obliged his command and promised to be back to help if time allowed it.

Elder Faerie thanked Silverbell before turning back to face Shadow Milk. The jester in question grinning from ear to ear ready to put on a show.

His majesty has no regrets but one. His only regret being he could not spend more time with you and watch you grow and walk the path you choose.

Note: Guhhh sorry for the wait anon! Had to brainstorm how to keep some canon story elements like him biting the dust while also trying to provide comfort. I'm a sucker for found family and Elder Faerie.

I hope I could bring justice to your request.

[shanklin]

Do Shellfish Stan and Fiddleford ever talk? In my mind Stan makes a conscious decision to ignore Fiddleford when he's around because they're not friends, like Mabel told him 3 years ago and also bc of resentment as he was the first one that caused a rift between him and Ford

Selfish Shellfish AU - Masterpost

Oh,

Stan and Fiddleford, Fiddleford and Stan!

The greatest relationship that never was. [Platonic or whatever you prefer, I don’t care]

Stan clearly loves robots in canon, still thinking about his little Footbot even 40 years later.

It always makes me think about what would’ve happened if someone saw Stan’s love for robots and decided to teach him. 

In fact, you know what? Shellfish Stan has the internet. What if he taught himself how to make simple robots. Entertaining youtube vids would do the trick.

And then shortly after arriving in Gravity Falls Stan sees Fiddleford around and immediately runs home to Ford.

“FORD! STANFORD! I found the coolest kid in the entire galaxy! We gotta befriend this guy!”

Stan tells Ford all about the kid building real robots. Big ones that move freely, shoot lasers and can even talk!

Ford is…not impressed. He was never particularly interested in Stan's obsession with robots and knows that Stan sometimes exaggerates. He also knows that as soon as the kid sees what a freak he is, the whole friendship thing will be off the table and Stan will be sad. Better to stay home and hang out with Grunkle Dipper instead! That’s more than enough for Ford. [Or so he tells himself]

Stan won’t take no for an answer.

[Mabel is standing in the background frowning and making a mental note to talk to Stan about not forcing Ford to do things he doesn’t wanna do.]

So Stan drags Ford to Fidds and Ford has to admit. He’s a little impressed after all. Very impressed actually. Woah EXTREMELY impressed. That’s some highly advanced tech!

Stan starts to introduce themselves, eager to get to know the guy and finally have someone to talk about robots with. Someone who understands their awesomeness! Maybe together they can finally convince Ford how cool robots really are!

Stan is cut off by Ford asking Fiddleford questions that Stan doesn’t understand and Fiddleford answers them excitedly. Soon they’re in their own world and there is no space for Stan to enter.

It’s Great Uncle Mason and Ford all over again, only somehow this time it's worse. 

It was supposed to be Stan and Fiddleford bonding over their shared interest. Together they would drag Ford out of the house so he wouldn't spend the entire summer at home hanging out with an old man.

Making an actual friend would make this the best summer ever! They've never made a friend before, but this was their one chance. Stan could feel it!

And just imagine all the pranks they could pull and trouble they could cause if they were a trio instead!

Stan looks at the Fords and hears them speak, but it might as well be different language.

Ford seems to be having fun though. He seems really interested in Fiddleford’s inventions.

Oh. 

It wasn’t that Ford thought robots were boring and stupid and that’s why he was never interested in Stan’s attempts.

It’s that Stan’s robots were boring and stupid.

Looking at Fiddleford’s inventions now, Stan can’t help but agree. 

His own attempts must’ve looked laughable to Ford. It’s a miracle his brother never made fun of him.

Stan knew, of course, that Fiddleford was smarter than him but he thought maybe he could teach Stan or at least help Stan a bit with his own Footbot project.

That's stupid. Stupid stupid stupid.

Fiddleford is much better than Stan. He's a genius like Ford. He wouldn't be interested in anything that Stan had to offer.

Stan flushes in embarrassment and runs back home claiming he forgot something.

Ford comes back hours later grinning from ear to ear and never asks why Stan stayed away. Stan is pretty sure Ford didn’t even notice.

By the time Stan gets another chance to talk to Fiddleford, he already learned some important lessons and knows he should let Ford have his own friends. He’s also too ashamed to show anyone, especially the coolest guy he’s ever met, his own pathetic inventions. 

[If this Stan ever gets his happy ending he and Fiddleford can sometimes be found building an army of increasingly more and more dangerous robots. Ask them what the army is for and they just end up cackling. Everyone is concerned but they can’t bring themselves to stop the boys. Stan seems to be having so much fun.]

[kurapikaspookie]

⋆˚࿔ itoshi brothers | platonic 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶⠀୨୧⠀︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶

≡;- ꒰ ° 00 - Prolouge꒱

────୨ৎ────

Your siblings were a confusing phenomenon - while being tied by their very blood, they appeared to be complete strangers, divided by the wall of soccer. The two prodigies were talented without a doubt - they rose above the tens of thousands of players who lacked their ability, and they were prideful about it.

And yet, for all their brilliance, their bond had been eroded by it.

Lukewarm. That's what they called them. The word hung in the air of the football field a little too much - a harsh reminder to all the players around them that their level was unreachable. People that couldn't keep up with their progress, people who couldn't replicate the amount of time and sweat they put into this game. Sometimes, you wondered if they ever looked past the victories and trophies, or the roar of the crowd when they delivered a goal. But, you knew if they were to consider gazing upon the world around soccer, they would only see emptiness. Soccer had been their life from the day they were able to read and write, and it hadn't changed.

But you could never agree with it.

To value soccer over education was one thing, to value family over it was another. That's why you couldn't understand the rift in their relationship - it was built over a mere game.

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ ° 01 - The car drive꒱

────୨ৎ────

The car sauntered through the road, its engine a quiet hum as the planet of the night bore its light down on you and your brothers. Out of the window, you could see pretty little raindrops falling from the night sky, some select few landing on the car window. It was so calm outside, opposing the tension that was apparent in your car. Neither of your brothers were saying a thing, an unspoken rule of silence falling over the atmosphere. You rested your head on the window, its coldness biting your cheek as you did so. You had to do something to break the silence, right? But Sae seemed to beat you to it.

"What music would you like, [Y/N]?" he asked, not even sparing a glance at Rin. He never did when the three of you were together. Sae's words were always reserved for you, the only neutral party in their silent war. You were driving towards your gymnastics competition, an event that was meant to showcase your talent and your passion, but with this unbearable tension, the mood was heading in the other direction.

"I don't mind, ask Rin." you said, trying to get them to talk to each other a little. Sae simply looked at you through the rearview mirror before turning back to the road.

"Rin?" he begrudgingly asked, his voice holding no emotion whatsoever. Rin, who was next to you, stayed silent for a few seconds before finally answering.

"I don't care." he muttered, turning towards the window instead, like he was trying to escape the conversation. They were still exchanging minimal words, their relationship strained even outside of football.

This wasn't great at all. Even when you tried to get them to say something—anything to each other—it never worked. Their relationship was already shattered, with almost no hope of reviving it.

"Just play [Fav song], please." you said, deciding to abandon your plan entirely. Sae tapped his phone, and the familiar melody filled the car. It did little to lift the mood, but at least it drowned out the silence.

It was a tiring thing, trying to fix their broken bond. In fact, you were already starting to feel a headache coming on, and you didn't know whether it was your endless training or the strain of trying to fix a relationship. Either way, it hurt, pounding in your head like an alarm.

You paused for a few seconds.

"How's football?" you asked, your voice carrying forceful lightness, the question aimed at no one in particular. Rin shifted slightly, his gaze sliding toward Sae, but his older brother remained focused on the road, giving nothing away.

"Everyone's lukewarm." Rin replied, the usual. You expected something like that to come out of his mouth—he managed to find everyone inferior. You sighed, almost giving up on the two of them completely.

"What about you, Sae?" you decided to ask, trying to get an answer out of your other brother.

Sae didn't answer immediately. His fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel, the only indication that he'd even heard you. Then, after a pause, his voice came, calm and measured.

"Just focused on what matters—rising above all these trashy player."

The response was as cold and clinical as you'd feared. No warmth, no engagement, just dismissal. You decided against urging them any further; it would be a futile attempt nonetheless.

As the three of you continued driving, you shifted your attention to the scenery outside. It was changing, hinting at your close range to your destination. You could now see a bustling, rich street nearby, filled with expensive-looking shops and too many people. This was the place where your prestigious Gymnastics Academy was located, the best one in Japan. It had to be; after all, Sae wouldn't let you go anywhere else. The car turned a corner as you arrived at a familiar building— the Academy

"We're here." Sae said, stopping the car in a parking lot. The building loomed tall and ominous above you, washing an unwelcoming feeling over you as you got your umbrella out. You were scared, yes, but you decided to push those feelings down as you grabbed your gymnastics uniform from the bottom of the car. Stepping out into the cool night air, you closed the door behind you and waited for your brothers. Sae was the first to follow, moving with his usual composed efficiency, while Rin trailed behind, his pace deliberate and unhurried.

The rhythmic patter of rain on your umbrella was the only sound accompanying your steps. The glow of the academy's lights reflected off the wet pavement, guiding your way. You glanced at your brothers—Sae walking ahead with his ever-calm demeanor, Rin beside you, his eyes fixed forward but distant.

The building's entrance grew closer, its bright doors a stark contrast to the gloom outside. With each step, the cold seemed to sharpen, and you were unsure about whether it was just the weather or the anticipation.

Inside, the space was sleek and modern, the polished floors reflecting the soft overhead lights. The faint hum of activity echoed through the lobby—gymnasts checking in, staff moving briskly, and the occasional laughter from a nearby group. It was a stark contrast to the oppressive stillness that had settled in the car.

At the desk, a young receptionist greeted you with a professional smile as you and your brothers headed over. "Good evening! Welcome to the Shibuya Gymnastics Academy! May I have your name?"

"[Y/N] Itoshi," you replied, leaning slightly forward. "I'm here for the 7:30 competition."

The receptionist typed quickly on her keyboard, her eyes scanning the screen before she nodded. "Ah, yes, we have you down. And these two?" She gestured politely toward Sae and Rin, her curiosity barely concealed.

"They're my brothers." you explained. You felt the need to clarify before the receptionist assumed they were anything else. "They're just here to accompany me."

"Of course." she replied, her smile never faltering. "The waiting area is on the third floor. You can take the elevator to your left. There's a lounge with a view of the rink."

You thanked her and turned toward the elevator, feeling Sae and Rin's presence behind you as you moved. The polished metal doors gleamed under the lights, and with a soft chime, they slid open. The three of you stepped inside, the confined space amplifying the weight of the unspoken words between your brothers.

The elevator doors closed as Rin clicked the button to the 3rd floor, the silence deafening.

"Where will you guys be sitting?" you asked, turning to your two brothers as they looked back at you.

"I'd like an elevated platform, it gives me a better view of the place." Sae responded, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Good idea. Will you two be sitting together?" you asked, hoping they wouldn't be sitting apart.

"I mean, there's no other choice." Rin answered, looking up at the ceiling as he did so, leaning back onto the wall.

These two could not be serious.

You looked at them in disbelief as they both completely dismissed your questions, practically ignoring you.

The elevator dinged softly as it reached the third floor. Sae stepped out first, his strides measured and confident. Rin followed without a word. You trailed behind them, adjusting the strap of your duffle bag over your shoulder as you tried to ignore the gnawing nervousness in your stomach. It felt more like nausea.

The waiting area was spacious, lined with plush chairs and framed by large windows that overlooked the stage below. Bright lights illuminated The Floor, where gymnasts were warming up. Coaches offered last-minute advice, and duos ran through their routines one final time.

"Let's head to the second floor," you suggested, gesturing toward the staircase to your right. "That's where the seating for spectators is."

Without a word, your brothers followed. Sae's calm gaze took in the surroundings, analyzing everything, while Rin kept his head down, letting his shoulders slump.

At the top of the stairs, you found the viewing area—a row of elevated seats overlooking The Floor. The second floor was quieter, offering a better view of the competition. Sae picked a seat toward the center, ensuring a prime vantage point. Rin slouched into the seat beside him, pulling out his earbuds only after Sae shot him a brief look.

"Good luck." Rin said to you as you hesitated near the staircase, his voice even but laced with a quiet sincerity that caught you off guard.

"Don't disappoint." Sae added.

"Thanks..." you said, looking at your two brothers for a moment. Sae was right—you couldn't mess up. This competition was your card into going worldwide, after all.

 ────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ ° 02 - The competition꒱

────୨ৎ────

You looked into the mirror, now dressed in your pretty gymnast dress. A professional did your makeup, giving you a glittery look. It made you look pretty, but it didn't manage to cover up the slightly sick look on your face.

It was almost time for you to go on The Floor and perform your act, and the anticipation was killing you. You stretched a little bit, doing some side-lunges to prepare yourself for the act. It was hard - probably the hardest there, but that was expected from the best gymnast in the Academy. You decided to make your way backstage, as your coach looked over at you and gave you a warm smile. You knew your brothers' seats, and you could already feel their indifferent, condemnatory glares. They were almost as judgmental of you as they were of each other.

But, you knew that unlike them, gymnastics was simply something you were good at. Yes, you put hours of work into it, but at the end of the day, gymnastics was just one of the many things you enjoyed. So, if you failed, you'd be devastated, but you had plenty of other choices.

You suddenly felt a little less sick.

"Up next, give it up for [Y/N] Itoshi!" The announcer called out, as you heard a round of polite applause. You sighed, clenching and unclenching your fists as you strutted onto the floor, holding your head high as you embodied the form of 'the best'.

Your music started playing as you tried to find your brother's faces in the crowd. You couldn't see them yet, but the reassurance that they were there comforted you. So you made your way to the corner of the mat, waiting for your song to play.

As the song began, you launched into your routine. You started with a switch leap, your legs slicing cleanly through the air before you dropped into a split, leaning forward gracefully. The crowd's murmur faded as your focus sharpened.

But then, the nausea returned. It sat low in your stomach, manageable, but noticeable.

You placed your hands on the floor, swinging one leg over the other to rise smoothly to your feet. Dancing across the mat, you showcased a blend of ballet elegance and gymnastic precision, each movement polished from hours of training. Yet with every sharp motion—every high kick, every head turn—the nausea grew. Your headache resurfaced, faint at first, but quickly intensifying, pounding with every beat of the music.

You pushed through. You had to.

Near the end of your routine, you sank gracefully to the floor, raising your arms overhead. From there, you rolled onto your back, using the momentum to spring into a handstand. Blood rushed to your head, and the headache surged—sharp and unbearable. Stars danced at the edges of your vision as you rolled to your feet.

It's fine.

Just one move left.

You stood at the edge of the mat, your breath coming in shallow gasps.

One move.

You sprinted forward, leaping into a handstand and initiating your triple backflip. The first rotation felt solid. But halfway through the second, blood rushed to your head, making pain explode in your skull, white-hot and blinding. Your body twisted awkwardly, your legs flailing as control slipped from your grasp.

And then, you hit the mat.

As you stayed there, your entire body aching from your awkward position, you finally caught sight of your brothers. Before your vision went blurry, you could see the lightly concealed shock on their faces. You could see Rin getting up from his seat; you could feel his panic. But he simply stood there. The crowd gasped, shocked murmurs reverberating around you as you finally rolled to your side.

The pain was excruciating, a searing agony that made you certain something was broken. Yet, it was the throbbing in your head, a relentless pounding, that overshadowed all else. The ache from hitting the floor merged with your headache from earlier to create a terrifying monster in your head. And all you could do was sit there - you didn't even have the energy to get up. As you slowly realised you were losing consciousness, all you could think of was the expressions on your brother's faces. It was the most emotion shown by them in years, and not for a good reason.

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ ° 03 - The hospital꒱

────୨ৎ────

The sound of voices filled your ears, irritating you. Pain shot through your head as you slowly opened your eyes, the light overhead making you squint.

"She's waking up! She's conscious." A female voice said, as you opened your eyes just barely. You were laying flat in what you recognized to be a hospital room, surrounded by medical staff. The female doctor was holding your head still, as you noticed a cervical collar around your neck. It was a hectic environment, with doctors walking around in swift, practiced motions, some talking to other people, some simply gathering equipment. Monitors beeped softly in the background, and equipment clinked as a paramedic sorted supplies. But amidst the commotion, two familiar figures stood frozen in the doorway.

Sae and Rin were standing there, staring at you with prominent worry. As they both met your gaze, Rin took a step forward, only for Sae's hand to stop him.

"Let them do their job." Sae muttered, just loud enough so you could strain to hear.

The sound of the paramedic's voice pulled your attention back to her. "What's your name, sweetheart?" She asked, her tone gentle yet focused. Her face came into view, blocking your sight of the doorway.

Confusion clouded your thoughts. A simple question—but the answer eluded you. "My... uh... I don't know... I don't know," you stammered, panic creeping into your voice.

The paramedic didn't seem fazed. "That's okay," she reassured you quickly. "Do you know where you are? What happened?"

"I... I don't know..." You replied, struggling to keep your focus in one place.

"Can you squeeze my finger?" The doctor asked, holding her finger out. For some reason, following the command was hard, you simply couldn't concentrate on her finger. You felt your consciousness slipping away again, your eyes slowly closing as you felt your body go limp.

"She's losing consciousness. It might be a moderate concussion..." her voice got clouded by your thoughts, as everything went black.

⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅

"[Y/N]?"

A familiar voice called out to you, as the sterile scent of antiseptic filled your nose. You felt sheets encase you warmly as you slowly opened your eyes again. The white lights on the overhead ceiling almost blinded you, making you squint.

You managed to turn your head, your eyes falling upon your brother - Rin. He was sitting in a chair next to you, sitting cross legged on the chair, his face not holding the usual indifference anymore.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, leaning forward, his voice quieter and gentler than usual

You paused, trying to collect your thoughts into one place. It took a moment to fully process his words; your mind feeling like an endless fog.

"Fine." You muttered, but you felt wildly different.

Rin sighed and shook his head. "You really had me scared. I don't know why you would try that move if you can't do it perfectly."

It took a long time for you to process his question, and even at that you still didn't fully grasp it. So you looked at him with a blank expression.

"What?" Your speech was slurred and unusually dragged out, something that didn't usually happen.

"Forget it." Rin waved his hand, leaning back. You were clearly still unwell in the head. "Do you remember anything?"

You tried to remember what happened, but you were unable to; the memories drifting away, leaving an empty pit in its absence.

"No."

"Okay."

Rin decided to remain silent for a while - he wanted to give you space, since you were still struggling to answer things. He simply leaned back, rewarding you with silence while his gaze found the floor. Rin had never known how to respond in emotional situations like this; it felt foreign to him, and he didn't even try. He simply did what he thought he would like, which was silence.

The two of you were sitting in silence for nearly 10 minutes by now, Rin's eyes stuck to the floor, your eyes on Rin. His face softened a little, as he realized he couldn't sit in silence forever. What good would that do?

The minutes ticked by. You lay there, your head still pounding, watching him. He hadn't moved, his eyes fixed on a spot on the tiled floor.

Eventually, Rin broke the silence, his voice quieter than before. "Is there anything you need? Anything you want?"

"I don't know." You responded.

"I'll grab you something to eat later." Rin said, deciding to take initiative. "Your favorite, [Fav food]."

You nod, realizing you had forgotten what your favorite food was.

Before you could respond, the door to your room opened quietly, and a nurse entered, carrying a clipboard. She offered Rin a polite smile before turning her attention to you.

"Good to see you awake," she said warmly. "How are you feeling? Any pain?"

"Head." You managed, the word barely above a whisper.

She nodded. "That's to be expected. You had a fall and suffered a moderate concussion. Do you feel nauseous at all? Any dizziness?"

"A little." you replied after a pause, your voice strained.

The nurse jotted something on her clipboard. "That's normal, but we'll keep monitoring you. It's important you rest and avoid overstimulation for now." She glanced at Rin. "Short visits only. She needs quiet."

Rin nodded solemnly, his gaze briefly flicking to you before settling on the nurse.

As she adjusted the IV line running into your arm, the nurse continued, "The doctor will check in with you soon, but for now, let us know if the headache worsens or if you feel disoriented again, alright?"

You gave a small nod, though the motion made your head throb.

Once the nurse left, Rin leaned forward again, resting his elbows on his knees. His face was unreadable, but his eyes betrayed his concern.

"Guess I'll keep this short, like she said," he muttered. "But... I'm not going anywhere yet."

You didn't respond, too drained to speak. But as your eyes closed again, you felt a fleeting sense of comfort knowing he was still there, his presence anchoring you to the moment.

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ ° 04 - Sae's visit꒱

────୨ৎ────

The ringing in your head still hasn't subsided yet, and the slow creak of the door as it opened wasn't helping. Rin had left to buy you some food, so you were alone as for now, trapped with the sterile, white walls and the oddly comfortable bed.

Until someone came in.

Sae's head popped through the door, managing to keep a nonchalant expression on his face even after the recent events. But, as he observed your state, his brows slowly deepened. He cared... even if he didn't show it in the most prominent ways.

"Yes? You can come in, you know." You say, sitting up. His frown of worry turned into one of annoyance, as he opened the door fully and started walking over to you.

"I know that already, just making sure you were awake." He said, pulling the chair next to you out, sitting in it.

"What are you here for, anyway?" you muttered, before turning your head back to the ceiling.

"I'm just checking up on you. That hit must've hurt." He rummaged into his bag - it was an expensive sports one, the type he was always carrying around no matter the situation.

"Here." He said, before retrieving [Fav drink] from his bag. You reveled at the sight, but you were too tired to show your gratitude. So you expressed it in words.

"Thanks."

A few minutes of awkward silence lingered between the two of you, as you ravishingly slurped down your drink. It was nice, of course, but it was disappointing to realize that your brothers couldn't express their worry in any other way.

Sae met your gaze, as he sighed, leaning forward.

"I might be leaving soon. To represent Spain in the Euro Cup." He dropped, his tone still too nonchalant for the information he just dropped on you. You sat up too quick, your head reeling and spinning from the impact, as you stared at him with widened eyes.

The two of you stared at each other, the awkward silence returning again.

Oh.

Oh.

Your stomach clenched, as your surprise turned to anger.

"And you just decided to tell me now?"

Sae didn't even stir under your hard gaze. He crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair, like he had all the time in the world to explain himself.

He didn't.

"I'm not asking for your permission." he deadpanned, his eyes lazily concentrated on the floor.

You stared at him, incredulous. "But that's not the point... Sae. You can't just drop this on me. Not after all of..." You looked around at your hospital room, the large space suddenly feeling confined and small. "This."

Sae's eyes flickered to the heart monitor beside your bed, the steady beeping a reminder of why you were here.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I didn't want to make things more complicated. You've got enough to deal with already."

"Complicated?" you repeated, your voice picking up it's pace as you slowly got more and more furious. "What's complicated is that you're always running off, Sae. You come back just long enough for us to think you care, and then you're gone again."

His jaw tightened, but he simply took a deep breath, his voice still as steady as ever. "It's not like I don't care. I just have other responsibilities."

"You mean football," you shot back, the bitterness in your voice impossible to hide. "Football first, family second."

Sae exhaled sharply, his frustration starting to show. "This isn't all about choosing football over you, and you know that."

"But what about us?" you demanded, your voice cracking. "What about Rin? Me? We're just supposed to sit here and watch you leave again?"

"Rin? He'll figure it out when I'm gone." He ran a hand through his hair, as he looked up at the hospital ceiling. "I'm leaving in a week. That's not going to change. But I'm here now. Isn't that enough?"

Sae paused for a moment, before he got up from his chair and swung his bag over his shoulder in a lazy motion. He stood still for a moment, his hand on his hip, blinking twice, his gaze on you, before sighing and turning around. Without another word, he headed towards the door, his footsteps quick as he reached for the door handle. But as he pulled it open, he froze.

Rin stood over him, plastic bags full of food in his hands as his eyebrows raised, then fell in obvious irritation.

Before either of them could speak, you broke the stillness, your voice firm despite the ache in your head.

"He's leaving again, Rin."

 ────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ ° 05 - Like him.꒱

────୨ৎ────

The two didn't move an inch at first, as if held in their places by an invisible force. But then, Rin walked over to you, his stance softer than usual - slumped shoulders, loose arms... his eyes now drawn to the floor. It was normal for him to avoid attention, but this didn't feel as simple as that.

"I don't care." Rin muttered, but his voice shook in a way that felt so foreign.

He placed the bags on the small bedside table, his hands lingering on them for a moment before he straightened.

Behind him, Sae stood by the door, his hand on his hip, his eyebrows furrowed, but his expression stayed calm.

"I'll... see you when I see you."

Sae didn't wait for a response, he walked out of the door, slamming it with uncharacteristic force. Quiet encased the large room as you stared at Rin. He hadn't moved. His bangs obscured his pale face, but you knew him well enough to distinguish the sounds of his soft crying. It was an almost inaudible sound, the only indicator being the way his shoulders twitched.

And the way he covered his face - with his hands or shirt or hair.

"Rin-"

"Don't." he shot back, almost aggressively, his gaze still on the floor. But despite that, the tremble in his words hinted at the stark opposite. "Just don't."

You stared at him, watching as his fingers tightened into fists and his chest heaved with a shallow breath. His usual indifference, the mask he always wore, was cracking right in front of you.

"I don't care," he repeated, his voice a little louder this time, almost desperate. He blinked hard, his lips twitching as though he was trying to stop them from trembling. "Like I said, I don't care."

"Rin..."

He slammed his fist against his knee, his head jerking up as his gaze finally met yours. His eyes were wide, red around the edges as though he was holding back tears with sheer willpower.

"How can he just—" His voice broke, and he swallowed hard, forcing the next words out through gritted teeth. "How can he just leave like it's nothing? Like we're nothing?" His voice quivered with raw anger, making him have to look away from you. He paused again, trying to re-gain his composure.

"I don't care." he muttered, quieter this time, as he leaned forward, holding his head in his arms. "Because if I do, it just... it doesn't matter. He'll leave anyway."

You didn't know what to say. Rin, the man that was always indifferent, was now replaced by the boy in front of you who was struggling to keep it together.

"I don't care."  But as the tears slipped down his cheeks, the words felt like a lie—a desperate, futile attempt to protect himself from a wound that had already cut too deep.

Your brothers.

Two parallel lines, always running alongside each other but never meeting, no matter how hard you tried to bring them together. The wall between them was made of steel and stone and soccer—a fortress that no amount of hope or effort could ever tear down.

So why did you keep trying?

Your brothers.

You looked over at Rin, as hot burning tears started to run down your own cheeks as well. You looked at the one brother that stayed, the one that has went through the same grueling experience of loosing someone that was never really there.

Your brother.

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ ° 06 - I hope you answer.꒱

────୨ৎ────

You woke up to the sound of soft snoring next to you.

Craning your neck to the side, you saw Rin sat on the chair next to you, his head resting on the edge of your bed. It was early in the morning - that was obvious from the soft glow of sunlight that peeked through the curtains. The ringing in your head had subsided, now simply becoming a low whisper in your head, ever so quiet. It wasn't like Rin to sleep so much - usually, he was up and ready early in the morning.

But you decided not to stir him. It was endearing to see him rest this peacefully, in a way.

You turned your head back to the ceiling, about to close your eyes before you saw a shadow loom outside your door. Your brows fell heavy over your eyes as you squinted, trying to make out what it was.

"Hello?" you called out, the noise seemingly making the shadow disappear. You tilted your head, your curiosity getting the better of you as you slowly swung your legs over the bed.

Your bare feet hit the cold, marble floor as your hospital gown fell past your knees. Walking was unusually hard, but you slowly made your way to the door, the handle feeling just as cold as the floor under your feet.

Creak.

The first thing that you saw was red hair and a turned back, heading out of the door.

"Sae?" You called out. You didn't feel pressured to stop his departure, but a gut feeling told you that you should. "Where are you going?"

Sae paused, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"The gym." He responded, turning his head to you.

"Do you do this often? Spy on me, and then leave?" You asked, holding the door frame for support. This action didn't evade Sae's observant eyes, as he turned his body fully.

"You should go back to rest."

You frowned at the way he evaded the question, but he was right. Movement was making the soft whisper of a headache become much louder. But you stayed put, shaking your head indignantly.

"Do you need help, getting back to bed?" Sae asked, but before you could he walked over, sighing like you were a chore. He picked you up, one arm over your legs and the other supporting your back as he walked back into the hospital room. You didn't decide to protest, you knew better than further agitate the ache in your head. It had finally left you alone for once.

Sae placed you lightly on the bed next to Rin, so quiet that it didn't even wake Rin up. He looked at you again, before pulling down his sleeve to check his smartwatch

"It's 5:00 AM. You're not usually awake at this time." Sae stated, pulling his sleeve back up.

"I normally wake up earlier for training." you replied, a little offended that he didn't know.

He gave a slight shake of his head, like you'd missed the point. "No, I meant here. At the hospital."

You blinked at him, caught off guard. How did he know that? Your waking hours here had been a blur—something you hadn't exactly kept track of. The idea that he had noticed, let alone enough to comment on, made you pause.

"How often do you come?" you asked, tilting your head.

Sae didn't answer right away, and when he did, it was with the same practiced neutrality he wore like armor. "When I can."

That wasn't much of an answer, but it was more than you expected from him. You studied his expression for a moment, trying to piece together how often 'when I can' really was. More than you thought, clearly.

You shifted in the hospital bed, turning to face him fully. He met your gaze, but, as usual, said nothing further. Sae wasn't the type to fill silences without a reason.

"So," you ventured, breaking the stillness, "since you're going back to Spain soon, what's it like there?"

His posture eased slightly, though his voice remained as matter-of-fact as ever. "It's warm."

You raised an eyebrow. "That's all? Warm?"

He nodded.

Fair enough, you supposed. "What about your friends there?" you asked, hoping to keep the conversation going.

"I don't have any." he said curtly, as if stating a fact about the weather.

You nodded, not really sure what to say to that.

"Right."

The quiet crept back in, heavier now, so you busied yourself by fiddling with your fingers. Conversation wasn't going to come easily with Sae—but then again, you doubted it ever did.

But, you decided to perform one last attempt at salvaging the conversation. He was leaving soon, anyway, so it was better to use all the conversations you could ring out of him.

"Why is that? If you don't mind me asking." You continued.

Sae paused, his gaze going all over the place - the ceiling, the floor, the wall behind you. It seemed he was keen on avoiding the question. But under your persistent gaze, he finally gave up.

Sae left a long pause, as if finding his words. "They're not friendly. Not friendly to... people that aren't like them." He responded, his voice trailing off at the end of his sentence.

"What do you mean by that?" You asked, your voice dropping pitched as you shuffled forward.

He let out a long exhale, like the weight of the answer was too much to carry. "Figure it out yourself," he muttered. His tone wasn't sharp—if anything, it sounded resigned, like he was telling you the only answer he could manage.

Before you could respond, he turned on his heel, heading for the door with hurried steps.

"Sae, don't give me that answer." You called out, sitting up, but he kept walking. "Sae? Sae come back."

He hesitated for a moment, his hand gripping the door handle. For a brief second, you thought he might say something. But the moment passed, and the door clicked shut—quiet, but with a finality that felt heavier than any slam.

You stared at the empty doorway, fists curling in your lap. Why did he always do this? Shut you out just when you felt like you were getting close? You thought about chasing him down, but the ache in your legs—and the one in your chest—kept you rooted to the spot.

You looked over at Rin, but his body was more tense then you remembered, his shoulders raised and his hands balled into a fist over his forehead. You raised an eyebrow.

"Rin?"

No answer.

"Rin."

"Yeah?"

Your eyes widened as his eyelids rose. He raised his head abruptly, a guilty look on his face as he blinked twice. He tried to wear a neutral expression to cover his guilt, but the way his fingers fidgeted in his lap betrayed him. You couldn't blame him for eavesdropping - it was only human to be curious in something, more so when Sae was involved. So you simply sighed, falling back into your bed.

"I like to think that he cares." Rin spoke up.

You turned your head to look at him, startled by the admission. For a moment, you didn't know what to say.

"Me too," you said softly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of your lips. It wasn't much, but in the quiet that followed, it felt like the two of you understood each other better than ever before.

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ ° 07 - Fixed꒱

────୨ৎ────

Day by day you started getting better. It started with the ability to do simple tasks: running, jumping, even doing a few odd exercises here and there. The hurting in your head had reduced, sometimes not even noticeable, mirroring the aching in your limbs that had well departed.

Rin spent most of his time by your bedside, even managing to get his own little bed beside yours. Sae stayed a shadow outside your door, never coming any closer to coming in. Sometimes you'd see his shadow in the middle of the night, or even in the day – late at afternoon. But he didn't even make a sound, simply looming outside there like an unwanted guest.

Soon enough, you were dispatched from the hospital to your great delight, and as you stood outside it, the rain falling off your umbrella under blaring lights from shops, you savoured the fresh air again. It was a reward for enduring all this.

Rin walked up to the space beside you, silent for a few moments before he turned to you.

"Do you want to go to the shops, maybe get some food?" He asked. "It's your favourite thing to do."

You stayed silent for a few moments, your head turned to the sky.

"Of course I do." You answered, digging your hand into your bag to search for money you didn't have.

"It's fine – I'll pay." Rin observed, seeming to notice your lack of money. "I'll reward you since you're just out of hospital, but this is the last time."

Your eyebrow twitched into a slight frown, and you hoped he was only joking.

"I'll make sure to spend all your money."

"You better not."

But you started walking forwards instead, towards one of your favourite shops. You had been craving some clothes recently, and this was the perfect time to quench that thirst. The store's name cast it's white light down on you, the smell of rain disappearing as you entered the bustling boutique, Rin not too far behind you. You were overwhelmed by the amount of voguish clothes around you, each one brimming with expensive materials and trendy styling. You knew you had just walked into a fashion heaven, and you couldn't wait to spend all your money. Or Rin's.

You picked up a white tank top with red print at the top, and turned to Rin. He took one look at it and shook his head.

"No." He stated.

"Why not?"

"It looks horrible."

You raised your eyebrows at his bluntness, but you decided to put the thing down anyway. Since it was his money you were spending, it was at least courteous to take his opinion into consideration, but you were debating stopping that whole ordeal entirely. You picked up various other clothes, but Rin simply shook his head and shoved his hands into his pockets again.

"You're taking too long." He muttered as he turned down yet another clothing option.

"That's because you keep turning down all my options."

"They're all ugly, that's why." He added, before looking over at an atrocious pair of black jeans. "These ones are ok."

You looked back at him in confusion. To that, you didn't know whether to burst out laughing or scowl in disgust. So you simply stared at him, hoping he was joking.

But he started back with a blank expression, like you were the crazy one.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, it looks functional."

You would never be comfortable wearing that. You made a mental note to never trust your brothers' fashion senses. Or, at least his.

"I'll come back to it." You mused, deciding not to hurt his feelings by turning away and picking up another light pink shirt. To that he finally gave a small shrug, indicating that it was at least an acceptable option. You sighed of relief, tempted to get something else, but you too wanted to eat something. It seemed your dreams of going on a shopping spree was crushed by your moody brother, but you could at least eat without him saying a thing. So your steps were quick as you reached the till, placing the shirt on it.

"That would be 14,000 yen." The older lady at the till said.

Rin almost threw up next to you, turning towards you with a confused expression on his face.

"What? You said you'd give me a treat." You mused.

"Not when that treat is 72 pounds."

You gave him an innocent shrug.

"Go get another one." He said, turning away.

"What, why? This is the only one you like."

"I never said I liked it."

"Well it's obviously better than the other ones, since you didn't actually turn it down."

"There's better.. cheaper  options."

"Well I want this one."

"I'm not buying that for you."

"But I just came out of hospital and I'm sad and I'm tired. This would really cheer me up."

He paused, as his shoulders dropped, before he retrieved his credit card and reluctantly paid for the shirt, you trying to hold in a giggle from next to him. As the card went through (to his great disdain), you smiled and thanked him. He didn't say anything.

"I'm still really thankful, you know." You mentioned as the two of you were exiting the shop, consumed in the rain once again as you retrieved your umbrella. "It's a really nice top, and it won't go to waste. You see, if I wear it for 72 days, that's one pound for every day, so it'll practically cost nothing."

"That's definitely not how it works." He responded, already looking annoyed.

"It is. Trust me, you'd have practically spent nothing."

"So if I pay £90 for a piece of fish and then eat it over 90 days, I won't get salmonella?"

"Well, you'd have it for free."

"But I'd have salmonella. And then I'd have to pay for the hospital bill." Rin rolled his eyes.

"But if you stay at the hospital for the amount you paid for the hospital bill it won't cost anything." You said, confident you were right. "And it will be worth it because you get to sleep."

"I can sleep at home for free."

"You don't do much of that."

"I'd rather sleep and be healthy than sleep and be sick."

You sighed in a gesture of 'giving up', as you turned to a expensive looking restaurant. The frame of it's name was plaited in shining gold, the water running down it shimmering of moonlight. There were various different plants cascading down the sides of it in an amalgamate of red, green and purple. The smell of food overrun that of the rainwater – a mix of exotic ones you could not name. The opened, glass doors revealed a bustling restaurant with a dark theme; dark, purple, marble floors, dimmed lights, and various shades of gold on things like painting frames or bottom plates. Rin didn't seem to like the sight of it as much, but the two of you entered nonetheless, a skip in your step.

⋆˙⟡˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ ୨୧

"The bill is 19,000 yen."

Rin bristled, then looked over at you again, stuffed with food that was long gone. You had definitely had a feast, eating a variety of different foods to your great delight. Rin hardly ate anything, on the other hand. So when the bill came, he was very clearly annoyed.

But he knew there was no turning back. You had managed to convince him not to check the price of anything, and it had most definitely worked. That was apparent when he retrieved his card again. And it was definitely a good sight.

After that, he didn't stay for much longer.

"Come on, [Y/N], let's leave."

You nodded and headed out alongside him, a laughable contrast between your gleeful attitude and his annoyed one. The two of you walked in silence to the bus stop under your separate umbrellas, since the rain hadn't diminished since.

The bus screeched to a stop in front of you both, its headlights cutting through the rain. Rin tapped his card without a word, though the glare he shot you afterward was loud enough.

"You really need to carry money," he muttered as you walked in behind him.

"Why?" you asked innocently, trailing after him down the aisle. "You're doing such a great job at it."

"That wasn't a compliment." he deadpanned, collapsing into the seat near the back.

The soft rumble of the engine filled the space as the bus pulled away from the curb, the windows quickly fogging up from the cold rain outside. You pressed your head to the cool glass, eyes following the streaks of city lights as they blurred past in patches of gold and red.

"I'm surprised you didn't make me wash dishes after that bill," you mused, eyes still on the drenched streets outside.

"You should've," Rin said flatly. "Might've actually taught you something."

A grin tugged at your lips. "Next time, I'll bring a calculator. Promise."

"If there's a next time." he grumbled.

Despite the sharpness of his words, you knew better—he didn't say no.

Silence crept back over the two of you, comfortable despite the storm raging outside. The bus rocked gently as it cut through the empty streets. You glanced at Rin out of the corner of your eye. His head tilted back against the seat, eyes half-closed in that familiar expression—tired, annoyed, but somehow steady.

"Thanks for tonight. I had fun."

He let out a soft exhale, somewhere between a sigh and a laugh. "I should've left you at the hospital."

But he didn't. And that said enough.

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ ° 08 - The Shining꒱

────୨ৎ────

You burst through the door of your house, the orange kitchen light illuminating the small living room. The only sound was the creak of the door, the emptiness caused by the absence of your parents. They were long gone to another country because of your father's work.

You strolled into the room, reveling in the fact it was a Thursday. By tradition, it was the day you and Rin would watch a movie, that movie always being handpicked by you. But this time, you decided you wanted to see what your brother watched, so as the two of you plopped down on the sofa, the TV turning on as the smell of vegetables, air freshener and warmth wafted into your nose, you decided to hand the remote to your brother.

He paused, raising an eyebrow before logging into the TV and going on the broadcasting app.

"Should we finish Attack on Titan? It's pretty good." he asked, flicking towards it.

"You should pick this time. Pick something new... and exciting."

To that, he paused and stared blankly forward. But then, he nodded.

"Well, I was planning to re-watch my favorite movie anyway." he muttered.

He flicked to a movie called 'The Shining', its tags containing 'horror' and such. You weren't exactly light-heated, but the age rating did worry you.

"Very age appropriate." You left a snarky comment, to which Rin gave a hefty sigh. But he turned it on nonetheless.

It started off suspenseful, but not particularly scary. But as the movie went on, you found yourself hugging your legs as Rin draped a heavy arm over your shoulder.

About halfway through the movie, at a particularly tense scene where Danny encounters the Grady twins, Rin suddenly bristled and got up, his face slightly trying to hide a smile.

"I'm going to go get popcorn, you can continue without me." He said, before heading over to the kitchen and opening the door.

You didn't say anything, simply sitting there as you waited for him to come back. But time passed, and the scene simply got more terrifying.

Rin finally returned, but just when the scene ended, with a stifled smirk on his face.

"Did I miss anything?"

You didn't respond, simply leaning against his shoulder as he sat down.

The movie went on, and it only got even more scary. At another scene, you screamed alongside the woman as a knife dug through the wall, a piercing scream that made Rin wince and push you off.

"God damn, it's not that scary..." he said, holding his hands to his ears.

You simply stared back at the TV, burying your face into your legs to drown out the movie. You then got up, you had enough of this.

"I'm going to bed."

"You're just scared, you coward."

"How do you even watch this shit?"

"It's interesting."

You simply stormed up the stairs, huffing as you threw the bathroom door open, washing your face and changing into comfortable night clothes. But you doubted you could fall back asleep after that, so you read your favorite book to help you get your mind off the movie. The TV still went off downstairs, Rin was undoubtedly still watching it, and you didn't think he was going to stop any time soon.

As you settled into bed, pulling the sheets over your body, you sighed and sleep caught you early.

⋆˙⟡˚₊‧꒰11:34PM - 9:56AM꒱‧₊˚

As morning finally broke through the haze of restless sleep, you slowly opened your eyes to the soft glow of daylight sneaking through the curtains. The house was quiet now—, just the gentle hum of the refrigerator and the distant sound of traffic awakening outside. You swung your legs over the edge of the bed and let your feet meet the cool, hardwood floor.

With a determined sigh, you made your way down the narrow hallway and descended the stairs more briskly than usual. The sound of the TV going off met your ears, and as you went down the last step, you were met by a hilarious sight.

Rin was still in front of the TV, he'd probably stayed up all night watching movies, but he had one bare foot against the table in front of the sofa, and the other on the ground. He held a pillow, which he threw at the TV in an angry motion, the pillow bouncing off it and landing on the ground. He looked quite mad at the TV - or the characters in it. But he seemed to sense your gaze, as he turned his head to look at you, before rubbing the back of his neck and looking down, sitting back in the sofa. You burst into laughter, to which Rin's shoulders rose.

"What could possibly have you so mad?" You said, peering at the television.

"I'm not -"

"Don't even try to deny it." You interrupted, as you sauntered over to the kitchen. It was a warm, sunny day, and the smell of vegetables seemed to have went. You debated making something actually good or just a quick snack. You chose the latter, opening the drawer and getting out some toast. That was when you felt the table shaking, caused by Rin's phone ringing next to you.

"Who is it?" Rin called out.

You didn't know, as the number wasn't even saved, like all the numbers on Rin's phone. Somehow he managed to remember all of them.

"It's an unkown number-"

"Block the number."

But you decided to pick up, pressing the call button as you held the phone up to your ear.

"Rin! You finally picked up, took you long enough." The voice of a teenage boy spoke from the other side of the phone. "Have you thought about it yet?"

You didn't respond for a few seconds.

"Sorry, it's not Rin on the phone. I'm his sister, [Y/N]."

You saw Rin sit up and turn to you, before his face contorted in surprise.

The person on the other side of the phone was silent for a minute, before finally responding.

"Oh, I think he's told us something about you. I'm Isagi, by the way, and we were trying to convince him to go on an outing with some people at Blue Lock. Maybe you would be better at that." The boy on the other side said, his voice turning jollier. But Rin had already gotten up, stalking over to you.

"Really? That sounds so fun, we'll definitely be coming!" You smiled, looking at Rin smugly as his face turned to one of anger.

"That's great! Well, we'll be meeting at 3:00, I'll send you to detail-" That's when Rin grabbed the phone, and before you could react he cut off.

"What was that for!?" You protested.

"I should be asking you that! What were you thinking just picking up the call?"

"I was definitely thinking straight, I had no idea you were ignoring your friends."

"I have better things to do than hang out with some nobodies."

"That's not true, they're trying to be nice!"

"I don't need anyone to be nice to me, it makes me sick."

"That's not healthy at all! That's it, we're going."

"No we're not."

"Yes we are."

"No we're not." Rin's voice raised a little but so did yours.

"Yes we are."

"Go by yourself."

"No, you're coming with me."

"I'm not."

You sighed, looking down and leaning against the table. Rin stared back at you, but his tightened brows relaxed a little.

"You really should, you know. Sae said he doesn't have any friends, but I think you're better than that."

Rin's brows tightened again, but not in annoyance.

"Fine then. But don't expect me to enjoy it."

You instinctively jumped up and wrapped your arms around him in joy. He tensed at first, but he gave you a light pat on the back in return.

"You will, trust me."

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ °09 - Teammates꒱

────୨ৎ────

The night came and went, and soon enough you were getting ready to meet Rin's friends. It was relishing to see that one of your brothers actually had friends, even if Rin only called them 'teammates' (or more often 'half-baked' or 'lukewarm'). You brushed your [H/C] hair in front of the mirror, before taking a look at the time.

1:02

You sighed and opened your door, before knocking on your brothers'. He didn't answer, but you could hear video game music coming from inside.

"Rin, if we don't leave now we're gonna be late." You sighed. Something told you that was what he wanted.

"Alright." Was all of his response.

You sighed and headed down the stairs, slipping your shoes on as a way to try and shift the energy to make him hurry up.

⋆˙⟡˚₊‧꒰01:02PM – 01:07PM꒱‧₊˚

That's it. You'd had enough.

You stormed upstairs, your feet making each stair creak a little. You pulled the door open, Rin jumping in his seat before you grab a fistful of his hair.

"What are you doing!?" he exclaimed, as you managed to drag him out of his seat, albeit a struggle.

"You agreed to go to their meeting place, what is this?"

"I never said I wanted to go!"

"Okay, but you agreed to. So let's get on the train, you've been ready for ages."

He sighed and stood up, dusting himself off.

"Look. You've got my clothes dirty." He muttered

"You just hoovered the floor."

"Still, germs."

"For God's sake, can we go?"

You walked out of the door, heading downstairs and waiting on Rin. He came down eventually, an annoyed expression on his face. You hadn't seen that expression in a long time, even though he wore it like a medal.

The two of you walked out of the door and into the sunny streets. A pang of guilt hit you as you frowned, but the familiar, green road calmed you. The stroll was fairly peaceful, the only sound being that of trees rustling, the sound of children in the park as you passed by, and birds chirping.

But that was before the two of you descended into the underground train station. It was filled with noise from various things: a female voice from the PA speaker talking in Japanese, various different conversations that faded in and out of the background, shouts and explanations from tour guides in English, the whole lot. Thankfully, your train arrived quick enough, and as you and Rin found chairs, you already felt tired.

On the brink of sleep, your mind blurry, you decide to let out a few last sleepy sentences.

"Hey, Rin."

"What?"

"I'm sorry for pulling your hair. I was just so happy that you made friends, and I wanted to meet them."

Silence.

"I don't need you to look out for me."

But you were already drifting asleep. As your mind fogged over, you managed to catch one last thing.

"But thank you, anyway."

⋆˙⟡˚₊‧꒰01:42PM – 02:30PM꒱‧₊˚

"We're here, [Y/N]." a soft voice spoke from above you. But as you stayed put, the voice got louder and harsher, as Rin lightly started pushing you off him. "We're going to be left behind if we don't leave, get up already."

You finally got up, looking around you. Indeed, the train was nearly vacant. So you quickly got up, Rin leading you out of the train door.

As the two of you exited the subway, you were almost blinded by the hot afternoon lights of Shibuya. You held a hand to your forehead, as the smell of bakery, lychee and mild sweat filled your nose. People bustled past you, large grey buildings held giant billboards that advertised skincare brands, underneath being various shops: clothing, food, cosmetics, essentials, and a bowling alley.

"Where did they send the location? Can't find it." Rin murmured, getting out his phone.

"There! 'Love You Bowling Alley'." You exclaimed, pointing in the direction of it.

"We're pretty early." Rin said.

"Better early than late." You responded

"Better late than never." He rebutted, as the two of you headed over.

When you finally entered, you saw a group of boys standing around an arcade game. They were around Rin's age.

It seemed like the people in Blue Lock liked to be early.

"Yo, Rin. I thought you'd ditch us last minute!" A blue-haired boy held up a hand and walked over, to which Rin wafted away and walked forward. But Isagi didn't mind.

"And you're his sister, huh?" he raised an eyebrow. "So, you actually talked him into it?"

"Sure did. You muttered, before following behind Rin. There were 3 other boys  there already: A short boy with yellow hightlights and big, gleeful eyes, a white haired boy with a green strand off his bangs, and a tall boy with thick eyebrows and spiky, dark-purple hair that matched his purple eyes.

They all reacted differently to you, the yellow-haired one gave you a big wave, the green-haired one shoved his hands into his pockets and raised his eyebrows in a form of greeting, while the purle-haired shot you a calm smile and bowed slightly.

"That's Bachira," Isagi walked up behind you while Rin found a wall to lean against. "And there's Karasu and Otoya."

He pointed to them, each of them waving in turn.

You frowned as Rin put in some wired earbuds, but your attention was soon averted as you felt warm hands on yours. It was Bachira, who had managed to travel the distance between you in a matter of seconds. He was shaking your hand like it was some kind of Olympic sport.

"You're Rin's sister, right?" He said, big eyes staring into yours. "Do you also glare people into submission?"

"Is he this sour at home? Blink twice if you need to be rescued." Otoya chimed in. "You know, if you get too stressed you might get wrinkles. We won't want those all over your pretty face."

"Well... he's not that bad. He does all the cleaning." You replied.

Otoya gave an almost disgusted look.

Bachira seemed occupied with looking at the arcade games, sauntering over to the place. "Mario Kart... cool."

"An arcade game does seem fun." Isagi muttered, before turning to the rest of you. "What do you all think? Should we play?"

Rin didn't respond, occupied with his phone. Karasu gave a curt nod, and smiled respectfully. Otoya gave two thumbs up, before heading to where Bachira was sitting in front of the screen. He was enthusiastically 'playing' the game, even though no coins had been inserted, and the actual thing on the screen was very obviously a pre-made video.

"God, the game is not even turned on." Otoya said, lazily getting out his wallet. But just as he was about to do so, Karasu slipped a coin in himself, the game starting as Bachira smiled.

"You move criminally slowly." Karasu smirked at Otoya, who rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"Outta my way, peasants! King Bachira's coming through!" Bachira shouted at the other players in the game, before his own slipped on a banana and dropped from 5th to 19th.

"You're doing amazingly." Otoya gave a slow clap.

"19th!?" Isagi said, smiling jokingly. "I mean... "

By the end, he had come dead last, to the disappointment of the others. But it had definitely passed time, because through the door came a purple-haired, thick eyebrowed boy, who was carrying a white-haired boy on his back while he played a game on his controller.

"Reo! Nagi!" Isagi waved them over.

"Hey, Isagi, long time no see." Reo said evenly. "Bowling, huh? Great choice."

"Don't get too excited, we're not starting for 6 minutes." Otoya walked up behind Isagi. "Just relax and play arcade games with us."

So Reo walked up to them, until Nagi suddenly pointed to the Pacman game.

"Mmm... looks easy. I'll play." He said, before getting down and walking over anyway, like a toddler taking their first steps.

Karasu walked over, smirking and inserting a coin.

"You're so lazy, it's mediocre." He said, stepping back.

"Effort's a pain."  Nagi replied, as the game started up.

And then, in the most Nagi way possible, he breezed through the game like it was nothing. His fingers moved lazily over the controls, barely putting in effort, his face in a lazy deadpan look, yet the little yellow dot on the screen never missed a beat.

"Is there anything you're not good at?" Isagi muttered, the score board increasing at an abnormal speed.

Karasu crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Yeah. Putting in actual effort."

Just as Nagi was about to clear another level, the entrance door swung open again.

"Oh, they're all here already." The automatic doors slowly slid apart, revealing two imposing figures. The first one was a guy with long, pink-red hair tied into a side braid, and right behind him, like a damn tank, was a tall, red-eyed boy with long black hair that almost touched his shoulders.

"You guys live way too close to each other." Isagi said, raising an eyebrow. "You come together every time."

"We literally do, dumbass," Barou scoffed. "I don't see the point in taking separate routes when we're both heading to the same place."

Bachira glanced at the group. "So, what are we doing now? Let's hurry up so I can crush you all!"

"Talk big after you win, pretty boy." Otoya grinned.

Nagi let out a long sigh, finally acknowledging the new arrivals. "Ugh. You guys are so loud..." He turned back to the game. "Lemme just finish this."

Barou rolled his eyes and walked toward the counter. "Eugh. Games for children."

Karasu snickered. "Yeah? Then what's that on your phone, King? Candy Crush?"

"Shut the hell up."

⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅

The dim, neon lights of the bowling alley illuminated the lanes. The distinct smell of fried food hung in the air, almost as loud as the sound of pins knocking over.

Rin finally peeled himself off the wall, hands stuffed into his pockets as he trailed behind the others. He made no effort to engage, but at least he was moving now. That was a start.

Reo was the first to stride ahead, scanning the available lanes before clapping his hands together. "Alright! We're taking lanes five and six. Let's get set up."

"Damn, took you long enough to find a spot." Barou muttered, adjusting the sleeves of his hoodie before marching toward the counter to collect his shoes. "This better not be a waste of time."

"Oh no, the King might actually have to socialize." Otoya teased, snickering as he elbowed Chigiri, who rolled his eyes in return.

Barou shot him a glare. "You better watch your mouth before your head becomes a bowling ball."

Bachira, already lacing up his shoes, grinned. "I wanna see that. Sounds like fun."

Meanwhile, Nagi had made a beeline for the seating area and plopped down with a sigh, looking utterly drained. "Bowling is a pain." he mumbled, leaning against the ball return machine.

"You haven't even played yet!" Reo shot back, tossing a pair of bowling shoes at him. "You should put those on."

Nagi caught them without looking, sighing dramatically. "I actually don't wanna do this."

Chigiri, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke, sighing, his voice quiet and reserved. "I haven't done bowling in a long time. But I think I'll still be alright."

Isagi let out a small laugh as he punched in everyone's names on the screen. "Alright, let's see if any of us actually know what we're doing."

Rin didn't even bother to sit with them, seeming content with leaning against the railing a few feet away. He wasn't going to say anything. Not to them. Not tonight.

Still, he stayed.

Reo enthusiastically volunteered to go first, grabbing a ball and rolling his shoulders, still confident under the scrutinising, judgemental glares of the other blue lock boys. With a smooth motion, he sent it down the lane. A clean hit, nine pins toppled over.

"Damn, almost a strike." Isagi commented.

"Almost isn't good enough," Reo smirked, lining up for his spare. He flicked the ball with precision, knocking down the last pin. "And that's how you do it."

Barou scoffed. "Move aside. Let me show you what real power looks like."

He purposefully picked the heaviest ball out of all of them, before cracking his neck like he was about to fight and sending it down the lane. It slammed into the pins with an earth-shaking crash, sending each last one down.

"Pathetic," Barou sneered. "That's the bare minimum."

Chigiri rolled his eyes, before grabbing his own ball. He took a graceful shot, the ball gliding down the lane in a straight line before crashing into the pins.

Strike.

But he didn't boast about it. Instead, he simply silently walked back into place, his expression a solemn, calm one.

"Not bad, princess." Karasu drawled. He sauntered up, rolled his ball, and somehow managed to send it careening into the gutter.

He blinked, then shrugged. "That was on purpose."

"Bullshit." Barou said.

Bachira was already grabbing his ball. "My turn! Let's see if I can make the ball do a flip!"

"That's not how bowling works." Barou groaned.

"You're no fun."

As the game played itself out, the group settled into a rhythm of taunts, laughter, and respect for those who managed to actually play well.

You stepped up for your turn, gripping the bowling ball tightly as you lined up your shot. With a smooth motion, you released it, watching as it rolled down the lane, curving ever so slightly before knocking down almost all the pins.

"Nearly a strike!" Isagi cheered.

"Just one more left, [Y/N]." Bachira grinned, rocking back on his heels.

Feeling confident, you grabbed another ball, determined to clean up the spare. You took a step forward, aimed carefully, and—

Your foot slipped.

Before you could even process what was happening, you were already toppling forward, flailing slightly as you lost your balance. The ball barely made it down the lane, and you ended up sprawled across the polished floor.

For a moment, there was silence. Then—

Laughter erupted.

Bachira was practically howling, clutching his stomach. "Pfft—That was amazing!" he cackled. "Style points for the landing!"

Otoya was leaning against the ball return, smirking. "That was the most entertaining thing I've seen all day."

Even Chigiri chuckled, though he quickly covered his mouth with his hand to stifle it.

But Karasu was suddenly standing above you, holding out a hand for you to take. "You alright? That seemed like a bad fall."

You were surprised by the concern in his expression and the quiet way he approached the situation. Without hesitation, you took his hand, grateful for the unexpected kindness.

"Well, thanks," you said, feeling a wave of warmth from the genuine gesture.

Once you were standing, Karasu gave you a nod, his eyes glancing around at the others briefly. There was no mockery or condescension in his manner.

He simply gave a small, comforting smile. "Glad you're okay."

You nodded and smiled, before turning to the rest of the Blue Lock boys.

"So that was funny?" you said, brushing yourself off, talking to the rest of the boys. "Fine. I challenge every one of you to a showdown."

"If you want to embarrass yourself further, be my guest." Barou scoffed, cracking his knuckles.

With that, the game became something else entirely—a full-blown competition, each player now determined to outdo the others.

You took a deep breath, shaking off the laughter ringing in your ears. With determination burning in your eyes, you grabbed another ball, ignoring the amused glances exchanged between the boys.

"I hope you are all watching."

With a steady movement, you sent the ball down the lane. It curved slightly, heading straight for the remaining pins. The others leaned in, watching closely as the ball neared its target—

Spare.

"Ha!" you turned around, victorious. "It's a spare."

Bachira clapped dramatically. "Wow, so cool! You totally redeemed yourself."

"I don't think that is unredeemable." Barou cut in.

⋆˙⟡˚₊‧꒰03:27PM – 04:10PM꒱‧₊˚

Standing outside the bowling alley, the sun hanging bright at the top of the sky, you smiled at your win. You had managed to have a comeback – coming 1st out of all the boys, to their great displeasement.

Underneath you in ranking was Barou, Chigiri, Reo, Nagi, Otoya, Isagi, Karasu and Bachira. Barou was beyond pissed at the fact he had merely missed the first place stand, and that was shown by the way he clenched his fists outside the door, his jaw set.

"You look so mad, Barou." You pointed out. "Somehow even more mad than usual."

"Shut up. First place is meaningless in a sport this stupid."

"This is real sore-looser behavior."

"Stop making shit up, I'm not a sore-looser."

"Of course you're not." You laughed, walking forwards while Bachira turned around and pointed to a café just in front of the Bowling Alley.

"Eat! Eat! We should eat!" He exclaimed, bouncing up and down.

"That serves, I'm starved." Nagi muttered, now on Reo's back again.

"From what? I don't see you wasting much energy." Chigiri muttered.

"Eat! Eat! Eat!" Bachira's chant cut above all of theirs, his hands balled into raising and falling fists.

"I agree, I'm also hungry." You said, leading the way across a busy road. The boys followed, Bachira running up in front of you and jumping excitedly in the air. Rin hung at the back of the group, drawn to his phone with his earbuds in.

Reo ran with Bachira, Nagi still on his back, as he made a beckoning gesture. "Well, I'm not waiting either."

"Race you!!" Bachira said, before zooming off. Reo looked confused for a minute, but eventually took up the challenge, his legs working to sprint off fast. Bachira crashed into the door, swinging it open. But his legs flew up, flailing for a moment before he fell face first, Reo pointing and hysteric with laughter.

⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅

"JUST PASS THE SAUCE ALREADY!" Barou lunged forward at a teasing Bachira, who stuck a tongue out and yanked his hand back.

You were sitting at a large table with the rest of the boys, and as the food finally arrived a chaotic scene played out in front of you.

"Stop talking, I can't eat with so much noise." Karasu groaned, as Otoya laughed.

"I don't think that's their problem."

With a small shake of the table, Barou finally snatched the sauce from Bachira, who sighed and crossed his arms.

"Boo, you're no fun." He said.

You were peacefully eating you [Fav food] in between Rin and a wall, Rin peacefully eating his chazuke, seeming quite content with just that.

"Is this your group of friends?" You asked.

"They're just teammates." He responded, deadpan.

"For real? Well, it wouldn't be a shame if they were friends, y'know. They seem fun."

"I WON!!" Reo exclaimed, as Otoya shrugged and sighed, his hand balled into a fist over an open palm. Reo reached for the entire bowl of prawns on the spinning platform.

"I lost on purpose so you wouldn't feel bad." Otoya smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

"Aren't ninjas meant to be good at rock paper scissors?" Isagi mused.

"What does that have to do with anything."

You turned back to Rin, smiling. "They're a little funny if you pick the right moments."

Rin shook his head, but you knew that face. It was the face he put on when he was stifling a smile. "They're really not."

You reached for another bite of your food, watching the chaos unfold around you with an entertained smirk. Bachira was still pouting about Barou taking the sauce, Karasu was balancing a chopstick on his finger like it was some kind of sacred art, and Chigiri looked about two seconds away from launching his bowl at someone's head.

Rin, on the other hand, was eating his chazuke in complete silence, his focus entirely on his meal. You took a moment to observe him—the way he deliberately ignored the noise, the slight furrow of his brow like he was actively choosing not to acknowledge the disaster surrounding him.

Then, a thought hit you. A dumb one.

You leaned in slightly, voice dead serious.

"Rin."

"What?"

You cleared your throat, your voice going as deep as possible, you even ran a hand through your hair to look just like him.

"Is this what you call football? Seems like trash to me."

Rin looked away, covering his mouth with a balled fist as his mouth twitched. You didn't expect to make him laugh in the slightest, but when you heard a snicker, you know you couldn't stop.

"You are all playing at school-level shit."

That really got him, his head flew back as he started laughing, the entire table going silent, staring. A rare smile appeared on his face – as he seemed to be having a fit of laughter.

"Oh my god, it wasn't that funny!" But you couldn't help but laugh as well, laying your head on the table.

"I didn't think he could do that." You heard Chigiri's voice above you.

"OH MY GOD—" Isagi wheezed, gripping his stomach.

"That's way too good—" Karasu wiped fake tears from his eyes.

"Woah. We need to take a picture – this is, like, a really rare sight." Otoya.

"It's like finding a rare animal in the wild."

"Stop laughing, idiot! We might have to kick you out of the 'emotionally constipated' club." Otoya.

Chigiri simply observed the entire thing silently, his face seeming indifferent.

But Rin couldn't stop. He leaned against you as he carried on laughing hysterically.

"Someone get a doctor—he might be having a stroke." Karasu said.

"This is amazing! We actually got him to laugh!" Bachira was now standing up.

Chigiri pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sit down, Bachira. It wasn't us; it was her."

"In any case, this is a good luck charm!" Reo said, now chuckling himself. "Let him have a good laugh – it's not like he does it often."

So the two of you managed to have fits of laughter for a good 20 seconds, before Rin finally got a hold of himself.

"I don't know why I'm laughing; it wasn't even funny." Rin sighed, his smile still there.

"Me neither! I guess I'm really a comedian. I should sign up." You chuckled.

"You should, so I can come and throw tomatoes at you when you're performing."

And there was another fit of laughter.

⋆˙⟡˚₊‧꒰04:35PM – 04:57PM꒱‧₊˚

You waved the boys off as you left the restaurant, the rest of them still bubbly and chatting. It was a sad sight to have to leave, but you couldn't miss your train, so you and Rin descended the stairs.

Rin walked beside you, hands in his pockets, his posture relaxed but silent. The chaotic energy from dinner still lingered in the back of your mind, but now, with just the two of you, everything felt calmer.

You stole a glance at him. He was staring straight ahead, his usual deadpan expression back in place, like the laughter from earlier had never happened.

But you knew better.

"Rin."

He sighed, already bracing himself. "God, not another joke."

You chuckled, shaking your head. "No, I just wanted to say... I'm glad you laughed."

Rin didn't respond immediately. He just kept walking, the gentle sound of your steps filling the brief silence.

"You have a nice laugh, you know," you continued.

His head tilted slightly—barely noticeable, but enough for you to catch it.

"...I do?"

You hummed in confirmation. "Mhm. It makes me so happy when you do laugh."

Another silence, but this time, it wasn't heavy. If anything, it felt... warm. Familiar.

Rin exhaled through his nose, almost like a quiet laugh. "...Well. Thanks. You too."

The two of you stepped onto the station platform just as your train arrived. The night stretched ahead, peaceful and steady, but something about this moment—this rare, quiet moment with Rin—made it feel like home.

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ °10 - Ruined opportunities꒱

────୨ৎ────

"We're sorry to say that you did not win the competition due to the failed flip, but you did place high, and the judges were very amazed."

Silence followed, before you simply cut off, sighing. You didn't expect to win the gymnastics competition anyway, but the fact that it was now blatantly said hurt a little. You put down the phone, deciding to look out of the window of your room as you sulked on your chair.

You weren't devastated, but it wasn't a good thing either. Of course, there was a competition next year, with the same promises to go worldwide, but you had been preparing for so long.

You sighed again, as something wet suddenly ran down your cheeks.

You didn't understand why you were crying at all. You supposed it was the let down of something that you never thought was going to happen in the first place. You were about to wipe your tears away and sign up for next year's competition early, when you heard a knock on the door.

"Don't come in." You said, but your voice wavered.

There was silence for a few seconds, as Rin's voice finally rose. "Are you crying?"

You couldn't answer – you decided you didn't want to give one. You simply held your head in your hands, trying to wipe away new coming tears. You didn't understand yourself – why you were feeling so defeated suddenly. But as new, unrelated thoughts travelled into your mind, the tears only stung.

You heard the door open slowly, making your head jerk up, before fast footsteps ran up to you.

"[Y/N]? You're crying." Rin muttered, crouching down next to you. He held a worried, confused look, his eyebrows upturned. His mouth moved like he was trying to say something, but no words arrived. You knew your brothers weren't good at comforting people in the slightest, so you simply let silence rest between the two of you. You rested your head in your hands again.

You feel a warm hand on your back, rubbing it. But no words. You could only imagine that Rin was also confused, and stressed for what to say, but him just being there was enough.

Eventually you managed to calm yourself, raising your head.

"Are you... alright?" Rin asked.

"Mhm. I'm fine. I don't even know why I'm crying." You chuckled weakly and leaned back. Rin simply stared at you and sat on your bed, his eyes bigger and more sparkly than usual. He stayed with you for a bit, staring sometimes, his eyes on the floor the others. He knew that you weren't fine, but like always, he simply allowed his presence to be a soother. That's how he comforted you, simply being there. It worked for you. That's exactly what you wanted.

Your thoughts wandered back. To the competition, to the hours you spent working for it, to your hopes and dreams of going worldwide, to sport in general, to football specifically...

To Sae.

That bastard. You suddenly felt yourself growing angry, so you simply got up.

"Thanks, Rin." You said as you walked out the door. Rin's head jerked up, his eyes going wide as they followed you to the door that closed shut. You decided you were going to practice in the normal place you would – the gymnastics academy's spare room.

It was a fairly far away so you decided you'd take the bus.  You simply slipped your shoes on and went. The clothes you were wearing were comfortable enough, so you didn't need to do much else. The stroll to the bus stop was quiet and peaceful, same with boarding the bus. You simply scanned your card in and followed to the back of the bus, sitting near the window and looking out of it woefully. It was a long bus journey.

When you got there, you stepped out of the bus, looking at the tall academy. You didn't know why the defeated feeling still resided in you, the feeling that made it impossible to smile. Emptiness, that was the best word for it.

As you entered, the cheery receptionist was about to greet you, but you cut her off instead.

"[Y/N] Itoshi." You stated, as the receptionist nodded and typed on the computer.

"All the rooms on the top floor are free." She said.

You knew that already. Of course, your favorite room was always free, as you had pretty much claimed it as your own.

You headed to the elevator and clicked the button. The door opened immediately, and you calmly entered, the elevator departing as the doors closed.

Ding.

The doors opened again, and you exited it, turning to and opening the first door on the left. But as it creaked open, you realized you weren't alone.

The first thing you saw was red hair and a gym bag.

"Sae? What are you doing here?"

He turned around, seemingly startled, his eyebrows raised, before they dropped.

"You're dismissed from hospital? That was quick." He said, ignoring your question.

"Yeah... but what are you doing here?" You responded. You're not about to let him brush away your questions again.

Sae's eyebrows twitched downward, an indicator that he did not enjoy his current predicament. He thought hard before answering. "I thought you may be here."

He looked away, as if embarrassed. It won't be unusual for him to feel that way – you knew his pride was almost boundless.

"I thought you'd left already."

Sae turned slightly, then fully toward you, eyes narrowed like he was... confused? No, you couldn't read his expression.

"I'm not going for another 2 damn weeks." He paused, his voice dropping. "You don't sound like you care much."

That comment caught you slightly off guard.

"What? I mean... you never sound like you care much about me either."

Sae froze, his body going visibly stiff. You didn't understand why he froze, but his head bowed down. He didn't say anything for a few hot seconds, before his voice came out smaller than before.

"I extended the date I would be flying back." Is all he said. But you gauged as much as you could from that sentence.

Reading between the lines, one could say he was trying to say he wanted to spend more time with you, in his own shitty way. He had never been a master at words, so reading between the lines was all you ever did with him. And those gaps told you he...

Cared?

"Why was that?" You said. You contemplated adding your next sentence, but before Sae could say anything, you blurted it out in the moment. "Don't you put football first?"

You saw Sae take a deep breath as you said that, freezing again. After a while he started gripping the strap of the gym bag he was holding, before suddenly putting it on the floor and rummaging through it. You knew what he was doing – he was distracting himself from the reality of this situation. He did this in difficult situations all the time, because he couldn't physically come to terms with himself. You hated it.

"I did it because... I needed to organize myself." He responded, his voice even smaller.

"Bullshit." Your voice raised, becoming more desperate. "You had been organizing for it weeks before hand. You're not tricking any-"

"Shut the fuck up." The words came out quiet, but loud in how cold they were. You paused in surprise. Sae never swore at you. But you had never swore at Sae either, to be honest.

Silence lingered for a second.

Then two.

Then four.

Then eight.

Then a minute had passed, and no one had said anything more, until you finally decided you would speak up.

"What do you mean by that?"

"It means..." His voice wavered a little, something completely foreign to you. "If you want to cut me off, then go ahead. It's not like I can blame you."

"I never said I wanted to cut you off Sae."

"And I tried to tell you that I feel the same but... you don't listen."

You froze too. "How was I supposed to listen to words you weren't saying?"

"I said it. Loud and clear, [Y/N]."

A lump appeared deep in your throat as he said those words, making you shake your own being, trying to understand the situation.

He was right.

But he was so wrong.

You had always had to read between the lines, but the words were there. They seemed in genuine, a sentence put together for pleasure. But did he mean it? Was he trying to say that he loved you?

But he left you. Or... he was going to. He did it many times. How could he expect you to believe him this time?

...

The Itoshi genes were strong, you supposed. You too were just like your brothers, unable to express anything important properly, jumping to the conclusion that you were being undermined, letting your pride get in the way of relationships.

It was a habit that you weren't aware of until now, it opened up the reason you cried when the call came in.

You hated loosing.

And that put you on the same level as your brothers.

Your emotions made you label Sae as a villain, as someone who left you and Rin. That much was true. But the sickening truth was that you too were pushing him away in the last weeks you two  had together, all when he had been trying to tell you that he loved you. You couldn't see him saying that because if you did, it would prove that he's not the villain you saw him as. It would prove you were wrong.

And as you came to terms with that, you finally saw him.

Sae.

Your brother.

Bad with words.

Good with balls.

Bad at understanding.

Good at loving.

Bad at making things work.

Good at trying.

Bad at relationships

Good at being a brother.

You walked forward, wallowing in your own broken pride. You were wrong. And you had to own up to that.

"I'm... sorry Sae." Your voice was but a squeak. You hated apologising.

Sae turned around slightly, just enough to hide his face. But he didn't respond.

"I think... I know you care, even if you're shit at showing it." You continued. Sae now turned his head the other direction, like he was trying to avoid your face.

"And I'm too prideful. I saw you as a horrible brother, and didn't convince myself otherwise. But you're not. You care, right?"

All you needed was an answer.

A definite one.

Sae bowed his head even more, as if contemplating.

"I... do."

That was more than what you needed. You ran up to him and jumped on him in an embrace, making you both fall onto the ground with a thump. Sae stayed put for a few seconds, before turning around. He looked shocked. But his face was finally in view.

And on it were watery eyes and dried tears.

You didn't expect him to cry. You had never seen him cry. Ever. So this was an unusual sight. He looked hurt, but hopeful. Sad, but relieved. At peace, some may call it. He looked up at you, before his expression went back to a stoic one, as he disguised wiping tears as rubbing his eyes.

"I don't understand why you did that."

"Because I'm happy you said that. I really am."

Sae looked at you again, a slightly annoyed expression on his face. But he sighed after, his arms swinging back and behind his head on the floor.

"You keep me up at night sometimes. All the time, [Y/N]." He muttered, a sentence that warmed your heart.

"What about... what about Rin?" You asked. Sae paused, his eyebrows falling as if he was thinking hard. He looked almost confused, at himself maybe? But then he closed his eyes.

"He's moody." He started.

A very strong start.

"He's fine at soccer. And then he's quiet. Determined, maybe. But he's my brother. And he used to admire me. So sometimes I feel like I may have been too harsh."

You nodded. You didn't know what to say now, the words evaded you. "He still admires you. You know, he got his favourite words from you."

"Which are?"

"Lukewarm. Half-baked."

Sae sighed and shook his head. "So he really does admire me that much."

You laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "He does."

It was only a warm, comfortable silence from then on. The two of you didn't say anything. You didn't need to.

Enough words had been said. Enough confirmations.

You understood yourself now. Sae too.

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ °11 - Family Reunion꒱

────୨ৎ────

You went home in the car with Sae, watching as the sun started to set back into the crevices of earth. On some eyes, it would look like you two had healed your relationship with one truthful chat. You wouldn't disagree. The relieved feeling you suddenly felt wouldn't either. Another comfortable silence rested in the car, not like the one that pierced the air in the drive toward your competition.

You arrived back at your parents' house, inside the lights turned on. You thought about how Rin would react to Sae coming over. It took too much convincing to make Sae even drive here.

"But Sae, you do need to repair your relationship with him. Even more than you needed to repair ours."

"Me coming over is going to make things worse."

"Things can't possibly get worse. He's hurt, Sae."

"... I'm not doing all the talking."

"That's fine."

A conversation you remember having with Sae, right before the two of you entered the car. You knew Rin would probably have a heart attack upon seeing him, but you also knew it was needed. The Itoshi Brothers were hurt, and you were determined to fix that. To make them look beyond soccer. To give them the gift of balancing personal life and work life.

"We're here." Sae said, staying in the car.

You stepped out of the car, closing the door softly and looking through the drivers window. But he didn't move. His fingers drummed lightly against the steering wheel, rhythmic but absentminded. The only sound in the silence.

"Sae?"

"Mhm. I'll be with you." He said, with a blank expression, his eyes staring into nothing.

You couldn't believe it. He was nervous. You knew he wasn't good at confrontation, but you didn't realize he was afraid of it.

"Sae, we both know that's not true."

Sae let out a controlled sigh, as he begrudgingly got out of the car, his hands in his pockets as he straightened his back.

You rung on the doorbell, before unlocking the door, but you weren't even able to get a word in before Rin descended down the stairs.

"What was the point of ringing the doorbell if you have the ke-" Rin called down the stairs, an annoyed undertone to his voice.

That was before he saw Sae.

He froze, his eyebrows raising, his eyes wide with surprise. They stared at each other for a second, both contemplating what to say. Rin even looked at you for an answer, one that you were unable to provide.

"What are you... doing here?" Rin finally said, his voice low.

"[Y/N] told me to come." Was Sae's answer.

"You guys have a lot to sort out, right? Now's the perfect time." You justified yourself.

Sae's eyebrows fell, Rin's jerked up in confusion. They clearly didn't know what to say, but you thought they should sort it out themselves, instead of turning to you for support when they couldn't come up with anything. So as Rin looked at you again, you looked away.

Silence lingered for a few seconds.

"I don't think there's anything that can be fixed." Rin's voice was low, and as you looked up he held an emotionless, almost angry expression. "He made the choice to leave, and it has nothing to do with me. But he's not going to come back like it's nothing. That's not going to work out."

Sae simply bowed his head and looked at the floor, hands in pockets like he was trying to occupy himself.

You knew that Sae could tear him apart with words if he wanted to. Call him an idiot, mediocre, trash. Maybe make Rin cry. But he didn't.

"I know that." Is all he said.

Rin's eyes widened in confusion, they went narrow as his brows slightly furrowed. Then his brows relaxed, his eyes going wider.

"And?"

"Nothing else."

"Is that seriously all you have to say?" Rin now looked pissed, offended, annoyed but most of all hurt, and confused.

Sae met his emotions with his indifferent one, his gaze still on the floor. "I don't understand what else you want me to say."

Rin's mouth opened on instinct, almost like he was going to argue back. But his mouth eventually shut. Truth was, he didn't know what he wanted Sae to say himself.

It didn't take a psychologist to see his expression turned to an almost sad one, before transforming into an angry one.

"I don't understand you, Sae." Rin started walking to the bottom of the stairs. "I don't get how you can be so indifferent. What do you even expect from me? I don't get it – it's not fair."

He paused at the bottom of the stairs, hand wrapped around the column, his gaze of the floor.

"What we had wasn't fake, right? We were best friends. You can't tell me that was all fake."

Sae didn't respond for a few seconds, his gaze still on the floor. But his hand were out of his pockets, and he was fiddling with the end of his sleeve, a nervous habit. You knew all too well he wasn't handling this predicament well either.

"What do you want to hear?" Sae asked. "Because it wasn't. It wasn't fake."

Rin looked up at Sae, another confused expression on his face. You could understand him – he probably didn't understand what Sae was saying. No one did, really.

"So what are you trying to tell me? That you don't love me anymore? That I did something wrong?" Rin stepped off the stairs fully, and walked slowly up to Sae, trying to look 'intimidating'. But Sae returned his gaze with cold indifference.

"I never said that." Sae said.

"You never say anything. How am I supposed to understand you?" Rin's fists clenched, as you saw him getting more and more angry, that anger born from confusion.

Sae looked downwards and sighed, his eyebrows narrowing. He kept silent for a few seconds, before he finally conjured up a response. "I say what I need to say, and nothing more."

Rin's eye twitched, as his breathing got heavier. You didn't take Rin as the emotional type, but right now he looked vulnerable. He kept blinking way too many times, as he shook his head. "No, you can't just leave it at that, Sae. It's a pathetic answer. What am I supposed to do with that?"

Sae's jaw flexed, as he looked up at the ceiling, as if he wanted to evade this conversation entirely. "That's not my fault."

But as he said that, he squeezed his eyes shut. The words itself felt wrong, almost strained. Rin looked at him in disbelief.

"I hate you." Rin said. "I hate you, and your shitty soccer, and your shitty attitude, and how you never make time for me, and how you-"

His voice wavered, as he suddenly paused. He covered his mouth with his arm, but he didn't obscure his wet eyes. Sae didn't look at him, simply keeping his gaze on the ceiling. He didn't say anything either, although it was obvious he knew Rin was crying. It was unusual to see both of your stoic brothers crying in one day. But Sae's was a cry of victory. This... well... you didn't know what this was.

You didn't know what to do. You thought, if they met each other, they might sort things out. But the opposite was proven. Things had just gotten worse. And if you didn't do something their relationship would turn irreparable.

You looked at Sae.

He didn't look at you. Instead, he averted his gaze even further to the right.

You looked at Rin.

He was covering his mouth, trying his hardest not to cry. He was failing.

"Rin..." You muttered, walking forwards.

He didn't respond, he simply aggressively wiped tears from his eyes.

"You know..." You paused. You didn't know if saying this would make things turn out worse or better, but you knew you didn't have a choice. "We were talking about you when I went to the gymnastics academy, Sae and I. And... Sae said that he feels like he may be too harsh on you sometimes."

You blurted out, walking even more forwards. You couldn't look at Sae in this moment, you could feel his glare on your back. You knew you were throwing your relationship with Sae out of the window if this went wrong, the one you had just built up again. But it was worth the risk.

"So, Rin, Sae does care about you. He's just not the best with his words, that's all." She muttered.

Rin looked at you, his eyelids drooped, his face expressionless, his eyes red with tears and the force of trying to rub them away.

You realized they both disguised wiping tears as rubbing eyes.

"What am I meant to do with that." Rin mumbled; his voice lower than before.

You didn't know yourself. You didn't have an answer. But you tried. For Sae, for Rin, for your family. For yourself.

"Just know he loves you, Rin. He just doesn't know how to say it."

Rin looked deep into your eyes, before looking down again. But suddenly, you heard footsteps behind you, and your head jerked around.

Sae was leaving. He had his car keys in his hand, and he was heading out of the door.

"Sae. Sae, what are you doing?" You said. You knew him too well, he wouldn't respond. So you ran up to him and grabbed him by the wrist. He turned slightly sideways, looking down at you with cold, expressionless eyes. You didn't need to look twice to know he didn't like what you did.

"Sae, you need to sort this out. You can't just leave every time you are confronted." You held on tighter.

"We agreed that I won't do all of the talking."

"What do you think I just did!? I tried to say the words you couldn't, but I can't do this forever."

Sae paused, then sighed, his hand dropping from the doorknob. He walked back into the room, shaking your hand off his wrist, and up to Rin. He stood in front of him for a few seconds, as Rin took a few steps back and tried covering his face with his arm.

But then, Sae put a hand on his shoulder. Rin stiffened, his hand slowly dropping. But his eyes held that hopeful sparkle in them again, they went big and wide, as he straightened up gain.

"She's right." Sae mumbled, patting Rin's shoulder before letting his arm drop. Then he suddenly turned around and headed for the door. This time, you let him go. Enough had been said. Or shown.

⋆˙⟡˚₊‧꒰06:13PM – 06:30PM꒱‧₊˚

"What else did he say?" Rin randomly blurted out, while the two of you were finishing Attack On Titan.

You hesitated, but you knew you couldn't lie to him.

"He said you were moody."

Rin sighed and bowed his head. "Of course he did. What else? Tell me everything."

You shook your head, but Rin's head snapped in your direction. "It is really that bad? Tell me."

"Determined. Quiet. Fine at soccer." You continued, sighing. You didn't want to add the final sentence, but Rin was way too pushy.

He looked down and nodded, a blank expression on his face. You couldn't tell what that was. Contemplation? Sadness? Indifference? For once, you couldn't read Rin's expression.

"He knows you admire him."

"Who said I admired him?"

"Come on, you can tell the truth to your own sister, you know."

Rin looked away and nodded, going back to watching Attack On Titan. But he eventually added something. "So what if I admire him? He's a good soccer player."

"It's not just that. Rin, you literally copy almost everything he does."

Rin's head snapped to your direction again, his eyes wide with anger. "No I don't!"

"You talk like him, you act like him, you got into soccer just because of him. You've even started to listen to his favourite song."

Rin was about to say something, but he furrowed his brows. His eye twitched, but he sighed and faced forwards again. "It's a good song."

"Mhm." You responded, leaning your head on Rin's shoulder.

...

They really were similar.

────୨ৎ────

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶⠀୨୧⠀︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶

{I'm trying to work out how to post the 12th chapter, but it says smth about 1000 blocks 😭😭}

[pastasuccubus]

I've come to realize that my favorite follower mods are ones that are made with entirely platonic relationships with the player character as the main priority. Romance, if any, can be any priority from third and below, but first and second priority should definitely be friendship and story.

I wanna see Inigo meet the girl of his dreams and fall in love, like he often alludes to wanting, and visit him in his future home in the Rift.

I want to watch Lucien grow as a person out in the real world, maybe meet the person of his dreams--- if he's capable of feeling that way--- and flourish as a scholar.

Xelzaz has a kind heart, and I want to see what change he could bring if he truly became a Telvanni master, write letters back and forth, and when he eventually finds his sweetheart I want to attend his wedding.

I want to celebrate Remiel's achievements in engineering and history (I know she's romancible, but I only ever view her relationship with my Dragonborns as being purely platonic). I want to watch the goofy stuff she gets up to.

Serana out there, living her best life. Maybe she saves vampires from the thrall of Molag Bal, or she quietly researches ways to help people. Most of all, I wanna see this goth girl heal, it sounds like she never really caught a break.

I wanna see them THRIVE after all their suffering. As a treat.

[witchthewriter]

𝐃𝐚𝐞𝐦𝐲𝐫𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭'𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞

⤷ platonic, gender neutral, ambiguous race, and any size reader. Requests are open, thank you for reading!

a/n: thank you for the request anon!

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ | ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ ᴵᴵ

𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘: Interally, Viserys was very stunned that he was able to have five children with Alicent. Five new Targaryens to add to the family legacy. He was happy about that. But uneasy about how the relationship dynamics would work.

In an (awkward) attempt, Viserys gave his youngest to Daemon and Rhaenyra to raise. As a way for the two sides of his family to connect.

Doing this was both a hopeful gesture and a desperate gamble. He couldn't deny the tension that had long simmered between Alicent's children and Rhaenyra's. By entrusting his youngest—a vulnerable, unifying piece of his legacy—to Daemon and Rhaenyra, he hoped to bridge the rift before it grew insurmountable.

・You can expect the reaction Alicent had when Viserys told her what was going to happy.

・Even though she did not mind giving the child to someone else to raise, Daemon and Rhaenyra were not on her list.

・But she was able to calm herself.

・Rhaenyra and Daemon would ultimately ruin her - showing that Alicent wasn't a bad mother afterall!

・You had been given a dragon egg when you arrived on Dragonstone, it was warm, a swirling oval of pink, blue and purple. Golden accents hinting in the sunlight.

・You were so excited, you were obsessed with dragons, with your House and how everything came to be.

・You LOVED the conquorers Rhaenys & Visenya; and you believed they loved one another too.

・Despite his earlier dispute and nonchalance towards the idea, Daemon takes his role as surrogate father very seriously. Moreso than anyone expected him to.

・Rhaenyra was torn. Torn because this child belonged to her once best friend who had snubbed her for years and now her father wants her to look after it.

・Soon though, she found herself softening toward you.

・He frequently calls you "little dragon" and takes you on dragon rides before you're old enough to handle a dragon on your own.

・Daemon is fiercely protective of the child and makes a point of teaching them about Targaryen history, perhaps even embellishing it to suit his own views.

・He wouldn't say anything, but Daemon secretly enjoys that raising the child annoys Alicent

・Rhaenyra takes on her role as mother quickly and easily. Love was confusing - because you were her little sibling. But she also has the love of a mother towards you.

・Rhaenyra teaches you about politics and ruling, determined to ensure you'll never feel caught between two worlds.

・Alicent is heartbroken to see one of her children sent away but forces herself to believe it’s for the greater good.

・Alicent writes letters to you constantly, but they don’t always reach their destination, thanks to Daemon’s interference.

・You're seen as a traitor by Alicent’s other children, especially Aegon and Aemond, who view the situation as a betrayal by Viserys.

・Helaena, ever the gentle girl, sends gifts and tries to maintain a relationship with you, even sneaking messages through servants.

・Daeron has no idea about you - only what Alicent writes in letters as he too was sent to Oldtown.

・Rhaenyra’s children are initially wary of the new addition, but eventually forms a bond with you, in their own way.

・You're bonded with a dragon at a very young age, one that reflects your mixed heritage.

・Daemon ensures the child learns how to ride and control their dragon, much to Alicent’s horror when she hears tales of their early flights. Alicent sees the dragons as abominations in the eyes of religion.

・When you visit King’s Landing, your presence causes a stir. Your siblings are hostile towards you (beside Helaena), while Rhaenyra’s children are overprotective.

・Obviously, Otto Hightower tries to use the child as a political tool, but Daemon’s fiery temper keeps him at bay. He sees you as his child. His baby.

・Over time, Viserys actually regrets his decision, seeing how it causes more tensions rather than diminishing them. Yet, he clings to the hope that his youngest child will one day unite the family.

・When you really start to grow into yourself and create your own opinions, you basically turn out as a mix of Daemon’s boldness and Rhaenyra’s sense of duty. This...is your Nurture. However, you're Nature is that you have great kindness. Just like Rhaenyra, Helaena and Viserys have.

・You do have a longing to be accepted by your biological siblings...

・Maybe, you have a moment with Daemon and tell him that ... so then he tells you to hop on Caraxes and the two of you will confront Aegon and Aemond...maybe even spy on them. Because Daemon knows they aren't people to want love from.

・As you grow older, you become a key player in the family’s drama, refusing to pick sides and instead working to carve out your own path.

・You may eventually become a mediator between the two factions, though not without significant personal cost.

[hugemilkshake]

Oh, I have an idea

Make a Shadow Milk cookie Yandere with the addition of HYPNOTISM.

Please 🙂

MMMMMM I was low-key going to do this like on my own but ya beat me to it but this will be structured like a normal yandere headcannon. But I did enjoy writing this it was fun :3

But I hope you enjoy your milkshake

Yandere Shadow Milk Cookie

Second part

-Romantic or Platonic insulation-

!TW! Under the cut there are themes like obsession, possessiveness, warping one’s reality and hypnosis

The Faerie Kingdom, it was a lovely sight to take in! All the faeries seemed really chill about you and your friends arrival

And you couldn’t help but marvel at the slivery tree that was right in the center of the Kingdom

The way the light shines on it was breathtaking, but little did you know, it’s history was not as pretty.

A dark evil was sealed into the tree eons ago.

Beasts. That’s all they will be. Beasts.

But you didn’t know that

You stood side by side with your friends as a rift in the once beautiful tree opened

A jester like character popped out of the tree like a Jack in the box.

The beast proclaimed that he was Shadow Milk Cookie, the world's finest playwright, poet, director, actor, clown and trickster

This situation was unsettling, this jester was able to snake his way into Pure Vanillas and the faeries minds, the same thing could happen to you…

You didn’t catch Shadow Milk Cookies attention at first

You were just a meaningless cookie, he was here for Pure Vanilla and Elder Faerie

But the way you were willing to help Elder Faerie seal him back up could be some what admirable

But what really caught his eye was how you put yourself in front of the young cookies in the face of danger

You were willing to put your life on the line for these cookies who are probably just dead weight

That’s something that could be used to his advantage

So once Elder Faerie Is out of the picture, he could finally start twisting your sweet little reality

But he wasn’t expecting to get an attachment to you in such a short amount of time

Now he could just make you into one of his shadow puppets and you’d obey his every wish and command with no problems

But that wouldn’t be fun would it?

You were walking with your friends when everything got dizzy

You swore you heard his laughter.

Everyone was worried, Pure Vanilla especially

“Y/N Cookie are you alright?”

No, no you weren’t fine

Pure Vanilla rested his hand on your shoulder

“Listen, when I’m around no one will hurt you”

His voice. It wasn’t his. It was Shadow Milk Cookies

You flinched away, everything was twisting and turning. You couldn’t tell what was real and what was fake

You… you needed space.

That was your mistake, you wondered away from the group… unprotected, unsuspecting.

Shadow Milk Cookie approached you, he told you lies, truths that were to good to believe.

You knew he was just toying with your mind, his offers were meant nothing to you, they were just empty promises.

When you refused his countless offers, he was annoyed. You could be a GOD compared to these… these FOOLS!

Shadow Milk Cookie didn’t want to have to do this but his deceitful nature was playing against his favor

He reached out and grabbed your face, forcing you to look at him, directly in his eyes

His eyes were so… hypnotic, you couldn’t look away…

You couldn’t look away…

Shadow Milk Cookies words were so… charming… you couldn’t help but think that your friends were in the wrong…

Well you thought that until you met back up with your friends… their voices pulled you out of that hypnotic trance

This ticked Shadow Milk Cookie off

You were supposed to listen to him, not any of those imbeciles

Well, Shadow Milk Cookie had to result to making you a shadow puppet, the easy way out

All you were now was a mindless puppet

How boring

You were by his side the whole time after that

He didn’t want your so called “friends” to take you away from him

Everything was PERFECT, he was free, he had a new best buddy by his side and all of the power he wanted at his fingertips!

Wlhat could go wrong?

White Lily Cookie… oh that CURSED LITTLE COOKIE

She sealed him back up…

SHE SEALED HIM BACK UP

Shadow Milk Cookie tried to take you with him, his strings were wrapped around you, desperately trying to pull you back into the tree with him

But your friends held you back, you didn’t get pulled into the tree

Shadow Milk Cookie looked at the inside of the seal, he was… devastated… not because he lost… but because he lost YOU

Shadow Milk sat there… unresponsive. Unmoving.

He was going to get you back.

Even if it meant destroying his fellow beasts in the process

[yanderes-galore]

Will you be willing to write a yandere concept for geto suguru from jjk with a sorcerer reader? I can't see him with a non-sorcerer reader.

Sure. He could technically be with either, but the dynamic is WAY different.

Yandere! Suguru Geto with Sorcerer! Darling

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Violence, Genocidal views, Condescending behavior, Blood, Murder, Attempted brainwashing, Kidnapping, Psychological warfare, Degrading behavior, Possessive behavior, Forced companionship/relationship.

Compared to regular humans, Geto is very polite and caring towards his fellow Sorcerers and Curse Users.

Safe to say that his obsession being a Sorcerer or Curse User is the most common obsession he'd have once he's a Curse User.

Even more so if you're someone he knew before defecting.

You don't necessarily have to believe in his cause, he could care less as long as he has you.

Geto would feel you both are the superior race compared to normal humans.

He'd probably view you as family in some way like he does his commanders.

I will say this though, Geto is really fake.

Manipulation and fake personas are something he uses to get others to trust him often.

He knows the values of Jujutsu Sorcerers.

You like to protect the weak, which is the reason he prefers Curse Users.

You have such naive views in his eyes.

He's tossed away such views years ago.

Poor you... trying to get in his way like the rest of the Sorcerers?

I imagine Geto has some respect for you but believes your allegiance is misplaced.

This may also work better if he knew you along with Gojo.

Maybe you three were friends up until the Star Plasma Vessel incident.

You no doubt sensed Geto's change in demeanor but he always hid it from you.

He cared for you in his own way, just like he did with Gojo.

But you were too oblivious to the truth in his eyes...

Don't you know the world would be better off if Curses didn't exist and people could live life without them?

If Geto told you of such a thought, you might even agree with him.

Until he started committing massacres.

To see your friend go down such a path is... tragic.

You stayed with Gojo, even if Geto tried to convince you to stop being so oblivious.

Such a rift left you on poor terms with the Curse User.

Oh, he still adores his beloved companion and friend...

He just hates that you decided to protect the monkeys rather than cull them.

It's a shame, really....

You have such potential.

Geto would probably not kill you for a couple reasons.

One, he most likely either knew you before or sees you as a possible student.

Two, he doesn't want to waste your potential.

Meaning Geto would focus on isolation and capture more than killing you.

If anything, he'd want to give you a chance at change.

You can help him break the cycle... you just need to learn how to kill non-sorcerers.

Due to how charismatic Geto is with people, he'd try and convert you by force.

Now, now, don't fight him.

Fighting him will only make things harder for yourself.

I can see Geto doing everything in his power to break you down.

I'm talking things like kidnapping, isolation, degradation, all sorts of things to mess with your head and break your resolve.

Geto may even kill non-sorcerers in front of you to show how weak they are, how you couldn't help them even if you tried just like he couldn't....

Geto would take pleasure in this, too.

If you just agreed with him, if you just listened...

You wouldn't have to go through this.

But, no, you want to be all innocent and righteous.

Fine, be that way, he'll make you see his way.

Geto would break you, making you used to all the bloodshed and whispering small words of propaganda and encouragement in your ear... then he'll make you his little puppet.

He's condescending, laughing when you shake at the blood covering your clothes and hands.

This is the real world, dear!

Why not help him remake it?

He stops being condescending and degrading when you break and listen to him.

At that point you're no longer a Sorcerer... you're a Curse User.

Part of Geto's family.

By this point he'd either treat you like a student/successor... or a lover in his cult.

He's so much nicer when he takes the fight out of you.

He plans to reform you, to bring back that fight against normal humans.

There's no need to cry... he'll comfort you once you transition over.

Sorcerer principles are so weak.

Once you drop them, Geto greets you with open arms.

If you're a student, he welcomes you as his newest successor... ready to be trained with a new mindset.

If you're someone he knew years ago, he greets his old friend with open arms.

He knew you'd eventually come to him.

You just needed some convincing.

Geto's possessive once he converts you by force.

His pet monkeys aren't allowed to touch you and you're never out of his sight.

You're important to him, which is ironic as this is the man who would shatter your mind just to keep you.

Your abilities are soon used for his motives.

Soon enough you're forced to depend on Geto.

He makes you feel like you need him with his words and manipulation.

Soon you'll forget all about being a Sorcerer.

Surely you realize Geto knows best and wants to see you improve, right?

Soon you won't even want to leave his arms ever again... trapped and lulled in by his venomous words.

[casuallyimagining]

Set Me Free || myg (teaser)

Summary: Tired of being told how to live his life and unsure of where he stands in the world, Yoongi--your soulmate--yearns to be free. When you give him what he wants, it causes a rift in your relationship that seems irreparable. 12 years later, you find him back in your life. Can you mend your relationship? Do you even want to? Word Count: TBD (at least 10k. unclear if this is a one-shot or not) Genre: friends to enemies to lovers, supernatural au, witch & familiar au, soulmate au, angst, fluff, more to be added Warnings: death of a parent (brief mention), drinking, soulmate breakup, more to be added

Notes: I don't really know when I might be posting this. I'm still in the process of writing it, but it feels about halfwayish done, and I'm excited about it, so I wanted to share!

teaser under the cut

“Maybe this way of life isn’t for everyone. Maybe not everyone wants their whole existence to be predetermined at birth. Maybe not everyone wants the universe to choose who they’re supposed to be with and how they’re supposed to live.”

His words stung, and until then, you weren’t quite sure why. Rejection. Not just of how you lived, and who he was, and how things had always been. But of you. Yoongi was your familiar, you were destined to be together in some way since you were toddlers and the bond gem first appeared. Not all witches and familiars were in romantic relationships–your parents were, sure, and Yoongi’s parents–but plenty of them had other partners, lives separate from each other. Platonic soulmates navigating the world together.

Until a few months before, you’d been content with that. There was no doubt you’d been best friends from the jump. You’d been practically inseparable through school. Then, months before, he’d kissed you at the winter market. Right there in the park, under the aurora. Before that, you hadn’t thought of him as any more than your best friend. But the kiss had unlocked something inside you. And now…

Now he wanted you gone. 

“You want to be free that badly?” By some miracle, your voice sounded positively venomous, even though you felt like you could crumble at any moment. “Fine.”

“Wh-”

The chain around your wrist snapped easily when you wrapped your fingers around it. The incantation meant to keep the bond gem safe became meaningless as soon as you wanted it gone. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d been without it around your wrist. You loved it, with its gem of swirling, inky black and navy blue. It reminded you so much of Yoongi, deep and calm and unwavering. 

Without a word, you tossed the bracelet to the ground. Yoongi’s eyes widened as it hit and the jewel cracked. For good measure, you stepped on it, crushed it into dust. There was a pitiful swirl of blue magic that puffed up from the dirt. When you moved your foot, there was nothing left of the bond gem or its chain.

“What the fuck?” Yoongi’s eyes were glassy when you finally looked at him. He looked almost as crushed as you felt. “What the fuck?”

“You’re free.” And this time, you couldn’t hide your sadness behind your anger. 

I am very curious to know your thoughts on this. I'm so fucking excited to post. stupid grad school is getting in the way of me being able to devote 100% of my time to it, but god I'm trying so hard to get it done.

[dewdropdinosaur]

The Whole Being Dead Thing

LUCIFER X READER (PLATONIC) Summary: Lucifer is your father and to say you have been distant the past 7 years would be an understatement. Being the sarcastic owner of a murder business doesn't exactly make the family reunion even more enjoyable. Warnings: Some cuss words and a gun --> Reader is similar to Blitz from Helluva Boss. Rating: PG-13 Can't remember who requested this but here you go!

In the bustling streets of Pentagram City, where sin and redemption intertwined in a chaotic dance, there lurked a figure shrouded in darkness. Y/N, the eldest daughter of Lucifer Morningstar, once roamed. Born into a lineage of darkness and power, she was destined for greatness—or so it seemed.The disappearance of her mother, Lilith, shattered the fragile bonds that tied Y/N to her family. Amidst the turmoil and whispers of betrayal, she made a choice that would alter her destiny forever. With a heart heavy with unresolved pain, Y/N turned her back on her kin and vanished into the shadows, leaving behind her legacy and her birthright.

Long had it been since Y/N departed from the opulent corridors of her father's domain. With her heart heavy and her resolve unyielding, Y/N ventured into the abyss of uncertainty, carving her path through the crimson-lit alleyways of Pentagram City.

In the shadows, she found her solace, her purpose. She became a legend whispered in hushed tones—a silent specter weaving through the fabric of the city, a master of the art of assassination. With meticulous precision and deadly grace, she built her empire, brick by blood-soaked brick, until her name became synonymous with fear itself. Starting her own business built on assassination both inside Hell and up on Earth, Y/N essentially ruled the criminal underworld of Hell. Her own kingdom, not given to her by birthright, but by hard work and a penchant for blowing shit up. 

Years passed, and Lucifer, the fallen angel turned proprietor of the infamous Hazbin Hotel, watched over his kingdom with a heavy heart. The absence of his daughter weighed upon him like an anchor, a constant reminder of the rift that had torn their family asunder. After the disappearance of his eldest, Lucifer then distanced himself from his youngest; believing himself the one to blame for everything leaving.  He missed his daughter, though he would never admit it openly. The pain of her absence lingered like a wound that refused to heal, a constant reminder of his failure as a father.

 However, as time wore on and Hazbin Hotel grew - Lucifer reintroduced himself into Charlie’s life and they became reconnected and virtually inseparable. Charlie, being the optimistic being that she was, decided that if one family reunion was going so well, another should follow. Drafting out a letter to her older sister in bright pink ink, the note was mailed and received. 

After weeks of debate, Y/N finally relented. Maybe seeing Charlie after all would be nice, just the two of them. Putting on her normal outfit: white tank top, black leather jacket, and black jeans along with combat boots; Y/N marched to the hotel. Knocking on the door, Y/N straightened her top. However, what greeted her was not her energetic sister but instead Lucifer, who stood with wide eyes. 

Time seemed to stand still as father and daughter locked eyes, a thousand unspoken words hanging heavy in the air between them. For a moment, the world faded away, leaving only the echo of their shared past and the weight of their estrangement.

Charlie, the ever-optimistic princess of Hell, stood beside Lucifer, her gaze shifting between the two with a mixture of curiosity and concern. Sensing the tension thickening in the air, she stepped forward, a beacon of warmth amidst the shadows.

"Y/N," Charlie finally spoke, voice high pitched as she reached to embrace her sister. "It's been too long."

Y/N's expression remained impassive, her mask of stoicism betraying no hint of the emotions that roiled within her. She nodded, acknowledging her words with a silent understanding.

Y/N's gaze was steely, her demeanor guarded as she faced the father she had long forsaken. The awkwardness between them was palpable, a tangible barrier separating them even as they stood mere feet apart.

"Y/N," Lucifer finally spoke, his voice a mix of longing and regret, "it's been... too long."

A flicker of emotion crossed Y/N's face—a fleeting vulnerability that was quickly masked behind a facade of indifference. “Hi, dad.” 

Lucifer shifted uncomfortably, sensing the palpable tension hanging in the air. "How have you been?"

Y/N's lips twisted into a bitter smirk. "Oh, you know, same old, same old. Just running a famous murder stick in the depths of Hell. How about you?"

Lucifer winced at the reminder of his daughter's chosen path, a pang of ick gnawing at his insides. "I've been... managing," he replied evasively, unable to meet her gaze.

“So after 7 years that is all you have to say to me? 'How have you been'?” 

“Well, I--is that a gun!?"

Sighing and tapping the glock strapped to her thigh, Y/N spoke “Yes, dad. it's a gun. Sheesh, for sin incarnate you really are such a downer. Get it? Downer, cause like you go down on people...oh whatever.

Charlie, you got a bartender in this place right? Cause I am gonna need a shitty drink if y'all are gonna be a tough crowd."

Charlie, sensing the awkwardness and unable to get sex jokes thickening, attempted to lighten the mood. "Well, uh, why don't we sit down and catch up? I'm sure there's plenty to talk about and yeah…we have a bartender.!"

Y/N's laugh was hollow, devoid of mirth, completely avoiding her father in favor for his sister. "Sure, why not? I've always wanted to hear about the latest happenings in the Hotel for lost souls. So tell me sis, how’s life been mhmm?” 

The reunion was awkward, fraught with the weight of unresolved grievances and unspoken apologies. Yet, amidst the awkwardness, there lingered a glimmer of hope—a flicker of light amidst the darkness that had shrouded their relationship for so long. Alcohol made Y/N much friendlier anyway.

[supermarine-silvally]

People rightfully talk about how devastating romantic solavellan is, but I think platonic solavellan can also be extremely devastating.

Like, my main Inquisitor was a Dalish rogue. She had no experience of magic, or the Fade, or anything like that before accidentally stumbling into the whole Corypheus ritual thing. Solas saved her life. He was by her side when she was confused and scared and trying to figure out what the hell had happened to her while all these humans were accusing her of a terrible crime she didn't commit. He helped her learn how to use the mark to seal the rifts; helped her understand what her new abilities were and that they were needed. When the humans began to call her the herald of a divine figure she didn't worship, Solas was the one person she could turn to when it all started to get a bit much (my Inquisitor was very much a Life of Brian-esque "I'm not the Herald of Andraste!" type). The conversation they have in the snow after everyone gathers together to sing "The Dawn Will Come" is such an important moment. Two elves, in the midst of a struggle fundamentally elven but that human beliefs had managed to co-opt.

Solas was her mentor. Her friend. Someone who opened her eyes to the vastness of the world; who complicated things she thought she understood. And she listened to him with an open mind and heart in turn. She was living proof that his unpleasant encounters with the Dalish were not universal. She had accepted her mortality, her lack of magic, because she knew no other way to be, and it probably broke his heart that he knew that HE was the one who had taken it from her. idk I'm just obsessed with all the dialogue that implies that the Inquisitor, through befriending Solas, changed a lot of his opinions about the modern world (modern elves especially), but that it wasn't enough to make him accept the world as it was in the end

idk man. platonic solavellan. really looking forward to seeing how it all plays out in veilguard.

[loki-is-my-kink-awakening]

Let’s say Viktor is ace. It doesn’t change anything about their love story except it’s Jayce who realises his feelings first.

Let me explain my thoughts.

After working closely together, Jayce falls for Viktor but when he learns he’s ace, he thinks they can never be.

Meanwhile, Viktor feels himself get closer emotionally to Jayce and thinks maybe he could see himself being physically close as well.

Only for Jayce to start seeing Mel, hurting Viktor. Everything he’s been told about his aceness seems true. He’s broken and can never be happy.

And so the division between them starts to fester, but Viktor can’t give up hope yet.

It’s only when Viktor is hurt that Jayce realises he can’t hide his feelings for Viktor. He pushes Mel away with his focus on healing Viktor. He doesn’t know if there can be anything with Viktor, but for the first time he wants to try.

When Viktor comes to and thinks Jayce is trying to fix his brokenness, it crushes him. He had hoped Jayce would see the real him—would love him for who he is, not in spite of it—and so he leaves, crushing Jayce in turn.

Viktor’s hurt turns to cold detachment and he seeks to perfect the world around him instead of healing his heart.

Jayce doesn’t understand, but he keeps on trying for Viktor until he learns Viktor is trying to perfect everything…and that’s not how Jayce sees him.

But Jayce still hasn’t learned the right way to approach Viktor about the growing rift between them until much later, after he’s experienced what it was like for Viktor (scrambling up from the bottom all his life).

Then he’s in the right frame of mind to hear from future Viktor and Jayce finally knows what to do. He shows Viktor that he loves him unconditionally—his disability, his aceness—no matter whether they are physical or not.

It’s enough for Viktor to open his scarified calcified heart and let Jayce’s love in.

Their love transcends everything and their two souls intertwine at the very heart of the universe, sustaining it, healing it, just like they have each other.

Disclaimer:

This is just a thought experiment. Don't hate on me. You're free to see them as only friends, queer platonic or romantic as I'm free to see them how I wish.

I'm ace but we are each unique, so I apologise if something I've said doesn't ring true for every ace person.

I'm not disabled and I'm hugely aware that's an important part of Viktor. I see both as playing into feeling broken that unconditional love heals.

[vampireimiko]

dms are being funky! so the plot-

(platonic family disabled sick reader

a platonic invincible (greyson) family where as the reader is the youngest and was born sick and spent their life in and out of hospitals nolan dotes on his youngest and mark tried to do anything for his younger sibling (just a bunch of angst)

i totally understand if you aren’t comfortable writing for disabled readers)

Disabled! Reader x (Platonic) Grayson Family

warnings, just angsty!!

note, i have never written for disabled readers before, so therefore if anything in this is insensitive or offensive, please let me know and i'll be sure to fix it :)

┊ ��� ｡˚ ° Growing up proved to be an endless cycle of hospital visits, medication schedules, and missed opportunities. Each passing day etched the realization deeper into your consciousness that you were different from your brother, Mark, whose growing Viltrumite powers starkly contrasted your fragile health. The longing to experience a fraction of normalcy gnawed at your core.

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° When Nolan found out you were born the way you were, he was scared. You would be considered weak in most people's eyes and instead of having two super powered viltrumite children, he had one. This obviously caused a rift in the relationship between you two, during your early stages of life.

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° It unfortunately took Nolan quite a while to see past your disability and see you for yourself, and once he did the relationship between the both of you got increasingly better. He spoiled you at any chance he got.

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° Nolan's unwavering devotion became both a solace and a burden. His constant attention, hovering like a protective shadow, amplified the weight of your condition. It felt suffocating, as if your illness was the centerpiece of every conversation, every plan made, and every fleeting moment of joy.

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° Mark's attempts to bridge the gap between your worlds often straddled a thin line between genuine care and frustrating pity. His earnest efforts, while commendable, served as a stark reminder of the divide between the robustness of his abilities and your confinement to a wheelchair.

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° Despite all of that, Mark still tried his very best to spend time with you. Taking you out on siblings dates, whether it be to dinner, the bookstore, or just somewhere you've been really dying to go. He'd try to do this about 3 times a month, if his life let him. Those moments, brief as they were, formed the cornerstone of your happiness.

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° Nolan tried his best with you. Spending time with you was very hard to do, considering he could be needed anywhere around the world at any given time. The time he did spend with you were often marked by a tinge of sadness, an attempt to compensate for the absence caused by his global and sometimes space responsibilities. Yet, even in those short moments, his love for you was palpable, his presence a reassurance of the unwavering bond despite the circumstances that kept him away.

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° As for Debbie, your mom, she made sure to be there for you through everything. Every single doctors appointment, staying up late for you during the most difficult nights, and offering her unconditional support and her shoulder for you whenever the days got too harsh on you. Her love was the sturdy foundation upon which you built your resilience.

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° Her sacrifices went unnoticed by many, yet her enduring love was felt in every tender embrace, in every whispered assurance, and in every sacrifice she made to ensure your comfort and well-being. Her quiet acts of love and selflessness formed the backbone of your journey, instilling within you a sense of hope and fortitude to face each new day.

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° Despite all of the challenges you faced, your whole family cared so deeply about you, each member contributing their unique love and support, forming an unshakable fortress of compassion and unwavering dedication around you.

additional note ! this is literal ass

𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

[nightxcreature]

See ya later. 👋

Summary: Reader and Team Freewill make their way to the apocalypse world and come face to face with someone they lost.

This is not based off of the post I made the other day, but it could technically be a tie in if I do a series.

pairing: Dean Winchester x Female!Reader; Platonic!Cas x Reader, Platonic!Sam x Reader, Daughter!reader

Warnings: 18+, Language (reader likes to swear because so do I), slight dirty talk at one point if you squint, dead people, angst, angry dad for like two seconds, Cas feeling guilty for knowing something before everyone else, readers a big ole bitch about Jack

word count: 2492 (I busted my assssssssss, bro.)

Requests are open. 💕

The echoes from Kelly’s screams reverberated off the mountains surrounding the little cabin on the lake, sending those cries of pain and fear right back to us as if mother nature herself knew that Kelly Kline was bringing the worst of the worst right to her front door. Sitting helplessly listening to her pained wails feels like we’ve got a front row seat to the end of the world. Mary had gone to keep her company when we first arrived, but nothing she’s done has given Kelly a distraction from the child trying to rip its way out of her womb. Castiel continues to try and convince us that this baby will bring peace, but something that’s half of the biggest bad in history has no way of knowing a damn thing about peace.

                Another scream fills the house, and we all flinch. I can’t stay in here any longer, lifting my head from hands I turn to Sam, “Did you guys check the wards on the house? If we can’t move Kelly and Lucifer is headed this way, then we need to make sure that they’re strong enough stop him.”

                “Uh, no. No, not yet.” He whispers quietly, “You wanna check them?”

                I nod slightly and stand, glancing in Deans direction and pointing toward the door, “Wanna come with me?”

                He doesn’t answer, just stands, grabs my hand, and pulls me toward the door. As he reaches for the doorknob, Cas tries to interject, but just a second too late.

                “Cas,” Dean starts gruffly, pointing toward what looks like a big golden tear in the middle of the air, “What the hell is that?”

                Cas sighs and follows us out the door, Sam close behind him, “It’s a tear in space and time.”

                “Uh, and that means?” Dean questions, moving down the stairs to get a closer look. I stay close behind keeping a firm grip on his hand to yank him away in case something comes barreling out at us…or he gets the stupid idea to jump in.

                Cas steps in front of us to face the rift before stoically responding, “It’s a doorway to another world.”

                “Another world?” Sam questions, coming to stand on Dean’s other side to study the rift himself.

                Dean scoffs and looks at Cas in confusion, “What like Narnia?”

                Cas slowly turns to speak, “No. No, in there it’s Earth but…but different. It’s a…a alternate reality.”

                “Like that time we got zapped to another world and you were Polish.” Dean says with a chuckle and quick look toward Sam.

                “And you were on a soap opera, ‘Eric’.” I pipe in earning a grin from Sam.

                “Right,” He says quickly, “Cas, how did this get here?”

                Cas, who seemed utterly confused at our banter, stares back into the rift before he speaks, “The child being born, his power it seems to be puncturing the fabric of our universe.”

                “As if things weren’t already hectic enough with the kid and his psycho daddy, let’s just add in a portal to the multiverse, to keep things interesting.” I mutter, earning a disapproving look from Sam, “What? Am I wrong? Who knows what could come out of that thing! Thanos?”

                “The Brain Gremlin?” Dean adds.

                “The Brundlefly!”

                Dean nods in agreement, “Good pick.”

                “What exactly is on the other side, Cas?” Sam asks cautiously.

                “You don’t want to know.” Cas replies solemnly, continuing to stare into the abyss.

                We each glance at each other in silent communication, agreeing that there’s no way we can let this thing stay here without knowing what could come out of it. With our world already experiencing potentially the biggest bad that it’s ever known, we don’t need to add another to the mix. Sam and Dean nod to each other before Dean speaks up, “Probably. But we need to.”

                And without another word, Cas touches the portal and we’re whisked into the unknown.

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

                Immediately we land in the middle of what looks like a war zone. Bodies impaled on spikes taller than trees surround us, those not being used as shishkabobs are thrown haphazardly throughout the maze of destruction. Bright orange fire balls raining down from above and lightning flashes of bright crimson are the only color to be found in this place.

                “Whoa.” Sam breathes.

                “Cas, what is this?” Dean asks as we survey the area around us.

                “As I said, it’s Earth. But this Earth is locked in eternal war between Heaven and Hell. There are armies of angels fighting hordes of demons, and the few humans that remain are caught in between.” Cas begins to walk ahead, being careful to avoid the dead around us.

                “Humans? You mean there are people that are still kickin’ here?” I question as we follow behind him, making sure to step exactly where he did…just in case.

                Sam stops, “How do you know that?” He asks Cas, confusion littering his features.

                “A friend told me.”

A guilty look crosses Cas’ face as he glances in my direction, but just as quickly it’s gone. I make a mental note to question him about that later and look to Dean as he starts to speak.

“Oh, good. Now you’re making friends? That’s…” Irritation begins to creep up his face and he shakes his head, “Alright, on a scale of one to ten, how bad is this?”

Sam scoffs as he moves to look around even further, “I don’t know. I gotta say a, uh, hole in reality leading to a bombed out apocalypse world? I’m gonna say eleven.”

“Sounds right.”

Cas smiles softly, “You don’t have to worry. The child, he opened this door, I know he’ll close it.”

I laugh dryly, giving Cas a pointed look, “Yeah, Lucifer’s son, right? You sure about that?”

“I have faith.”

“Really? In your unborn baby-god?” Dean sarcastically quips.

“Yes.” Cas’ stern reply isn’t as effective in ending the conversation as it usually is, it just pisses me off.

“Well, then, you’re a dumbass.” I snap, “Lucifer has literally taken everything from us. He’s possessed Sam, tried to kill Dean, tortured me for days after he got out of the cage, and killed you and my dad before taking Sam to Hell! If you think for one second that this demon baby is gonna save the world, you’ve lost your damn mind. Everything that comes from that sorry, good for nothing idijit is pain, death, and destruction. I’m sorry, Cas, but you’re wrong about this.”

Cas’ frown deepened as he stared at me, guilt appearing on his face once more, “I’m sorry about your dad.”

Confusion colors my features and I choke out a quiet, “What?”

“Your dad. I’m sorry that he died.”

 “That was years ago, and you both came back the same day. There’s nothing to apologize for.” The guilty look remains on Cas’ face as I speak, so I add, “Seriously, if you’re gonna apologize for anything it should be for is believing in the Devil Spawn.”

“No, not that time.” He says sternly, “I’m sorry about Dick. I’m sorry that you never got the chance to say goodbye. I know you wish that you had.”

“This has nothing to do with-“ I start to respond, but am suddenly cut off by Sam yelling to get our attention. Yanking my pistol out of its holster and snapping my head in the direction of Sam’s stare, I notice a strange figure slowly walking toward us. Its head covered in a checkered hood, scarves around its neck….and a bulky tan jacket that I would recognize anywhere….

“Hey! Hey! Hands in the air!” Dean yells, raising his gun and preparing to take a shot.

Cas throws up an arm and pushes Dean’s hand down, “No, don’t.”

He looks at me again, the guilt from earlier crossing his face once more and then he nods. I can feel tears pricking my eyes as I take a small step forward meeting the figure as they finally reach us. He doesn’t move to remove the hood, but I know him all the same.

“Don’t shoot me, Old Man.” I whisper as I raise a hand to touch the jacket on his frame, “You had one of these where I’m from, too. The scarves are a new addition though, don’t think I ever saw you in that.”

He chuckles, and I feel the tears start to fall as I hear the voice of my childhood for the first time in five years, “Yeah, they’re itchy as all hell, too.” He says as he removes the scarf covering his face, “I hate the damn things.”

“Bobby?” I hear Sam’s reaction behind me, and I can only imagine the shock on Dean’s face, but I can’t make myself look away for even a second, afraid that if I do, he’ll disappear. His face is dirty, and his hair looks longer under his hat, but he doesn’t look much different than he did in our world. The bags under his eyes are the same, though I’m sure for a much darker reason here than they were back home. He’s talking to Sam, and I can vaguely understand that he has no clue who they are. My eyes widen and I look back toward the boys panicked. What if he doesn’t know me? What if I don’t exist here? Or worse, what if I do and he doesn’t know that I’m not his kid?

“Bobby, it’s us. Sam and Dean Winchester.” Dean explains, pointing between the two of them.

“You say that like it’s supposed to mean something, but…naw.” Bobby replies curtly, and turns back to me, “You alright, ‘Pea?” he asks softly.

I snap my gaze up to his face again, “You know me?”

He gives me a small smile and puts his hand on my shoulder, “I’d know you in any world, Chickpea.”

The tears freely flow down my cheeks as I reach up to touch the hand he placed on my shoulder, “You died in my world. And I didn’t even get to say good-bye.”

He sighs and looks down, “You died here, a couple years ago actually. I thought I would’ve eaten a bullet by now, but I got too many people relying on me. And you’d kick my ass in the afterlife if I did.”

I can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of me at that and I shake my head, “Morbid old man.”

Dean clears his throat awkwardly and takes a step to stand beside me, “Listen, I know you two need this reunion, and I want you to have it. But maybe we could address a few of the other pressing matters first, you know?” He says, pointing toward the bodies next to us.

“What do you want to know?” Bobby asks.

We spend the next several minutes discussing the ins and outs of his world and ours, and compared to his, we live the high life. This is a world in which Sam and Dean Winchester never existed, therefore the Battle of the Brothers did occur, Michael whooped Lucifers fiery ass, and humanity was fucked because of it.

“Damn,” I mutter to Dean, “I was hoping there was another you running around here somewhere.”

He leans down and grins, “I thought you were thankful there was only one of me?”

I shrug and turn my head to whisper in his ear, “Maybe I would’ve liked to experience two.”

We both grin at each other, but before he can respond we’re interrupted by someone loudly clearing their throat.

“Is what I have to say not important to the two of you?” Bobby barks, causing Dean to stand up straight and step away from me, “That’s right boy, you stay at least three feet away from her while you’re in my world or I’ll have you by the balls.”

I stare at Dean blankly, blinking a few times, “You’re thirty-seven, what are you doing?”

He shuffles his feet and looks down, “Sorry, must be PTSD or something…Haven’t heard him yell at me like that in a while.”

Sam pats his back and chuckles, “It was good seeing you, Bobby. Hopefully this won’t be the last time.”

“We’ll see.” He responds gruffly, grabbing my arm as we turned to go, “I know you’re not my kid, but you look like my kid and you sound like my kid, so I love you. Please be safe out there.”

“I love you, too. And I’m pretty sure I need to worry about you being here more than you need to worry about me over there.” I say as I point back to the rift, “Thank you for not shooting me earlier. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you did.”

“If it was anybody else, I would have. You’re lucky that you’re you,” He says with a smile, “I hope I get to see you again soon, Kid.”

“Me too.” I fight back the tears forming in my eyes, I know what’s coming and even though I’ve spent every day regretting missing my dad’s final moments, I still don’t think I’m ready for good-bye, “What if we don’t say bye? Just see you later.”

He smiles and nods, “Can I hug you?”

“Absolutely.”

He wraps his arms around me, and I can’t stop myself from sobbing into his chest. We stay like for a few minutes until I feel the boys eyes on my back. I sit up and grin at him, “See you later, Old Man.”

His eyes glisten as he rests a hand on my cheek, “See you later, Chickpea. I love ya.”

“You too.” I reply as I turn and step through the portal.

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

Dean has his arm wrapped around my shoulders and kisses the top of my head, “You okay?” he asks, leaning away just enough to see my face.

“That’s a loaded question.” I say with a smile, “But I think I will be.”

 He pulls me close and rests his chin on my head as he sighs, “Good, cause we’ve got a lot of work to do. Mad Max World over there is gonna need to be taken care of.”

“Yeah, but we’ve got problems of our own to take care of first. He’ll be fine.” I state as I lean into him. Looking back toward the rift, I make eye contact with Cas who smiles awkwardly. I grin back and mouth, “Thank you.” To which he gives a little nod before turning to go inside to check on Kelly; Sam, Dean, and I tagging close behind.

“Oh, come on!” Dean exclaims as we come face to face with the King of Hell.

“Hello, Boys.” Crowley gives a little wave with his bandaged hand and smirks.

“Wait,” Sam starts, “How the hell did you-“

“I improvised. And lucky I did, it turns out I’m the answer to all your problems.” He says with a nod to the rift.

                Looks like ‘later’ is coming a lot sooner than planned.

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

A/N: I hope you enjoyed! And, I also hope it makes sense that Cas was feeling guilty about seeing Bobby first, I'm not sure how that comes across. I did this on microsoft word and just pasted it here so i hope it shows up ok. As always, I'm brushing the dust off my fanfic writing skills so please show mercy. lol

Tags: @lmhf1

[skzoologist]

Will you stay?

word count: ~1.8k

warnings: angst, hurt/comfort

summary: Old wounds are torn open, but Bae has someone by his side, always.

a/n: I am not back yet, I won't pretend I am. But I can offer this short fic, if anything.

Please let me know if I left a warning or anything out, I will add it in! Reblogs, likes and feedback are greatly appreciated!

!I don't condone anyone stealing my work and posting it anywhere without my permission, or feeding it to AI!

!This is just fiction, my interpretation of Stray Kids. By no means is this how they are and how they behave in real life!

·͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙·͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙

·͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙·͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙

Bae didn’t know what to feel.

In one moment he was just having a relatively good time, joking around with the others and watching as Minho was once again chasing around Hyunjin for whatever the weasel had said. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for them, the group loud and energetic even when they weren’t in front of the cameras. And he truly enjoyed that, even if he was the black sheep amongst them, with how quiet he usually was.

But then the next thing he knew, his sight grew slightly blurry, the softest of tremors running through his hands. He was holding his phone, feeling it vibrate in his pocket. So naturally, he fished it out of there, not wanting to miss out on anything possibly important.

The first row of the message in itself was enough to make his breath stop, even though it was only a few words that popped up in the notification.

Glancing around, he saw that everyone else was busy, nobody paying him any mind, thankfully. Bae was also glad that he’d decided to sit alone this time, not squished between two of his bandmates on the sofa. He loved them, he truly did, but because of their closely-knit friendship he knew that they would immediately notice if anything was off with him.

Thus, he unlocked his phone and opened the message with a simple flick of his thumb, eyes quickly reading over the several, long rows of words. With each sentence a weight was added onto Bae’s shoulders, his chest constricting painfully.

Why would he get this? And why now?

It had been long months since he had heard from the person who had sent him this message, someone who Bae had called a good friend of his in the past. The two had hit it off back when they had been trainees, finding solace in sharing their hardships and helping the other grow their skills. Friendly chatter had flowed easily between them whenever they’d met, so much so that Chan and the others constantly teased them of being long lost soulmates, even if only platonically.

And Bae would have agreed back then.

But suddenly, that connection started suffering, becoming strained between the two. It was inevitable to a certain extent, since his friend had failed to stay by Bae’s side, leaving the company and chasing after another dream. Still, they kept in touch, telling stories to each other over text or at a rare café visit. And while there had been a slight rift forming between the two friends, it was still easy to jump over, something Bae had tried to fix.

It was all useless, in the end.

That rift had merely grown in size, so much so that fixing it felt like throwing down buckets of water into the endless stomach of the abyss. It was greedy, swallowing up everything, no matter what he’d tried. Every text had only gotten a dry response, the conversations dying out quicker and quicker with each attempt.

And after a while, Bae had stopped.

It felt useless, chasing after somebody who didn’t even slow down so he could catch up. But Bae came to peace with it. It hurt, yes, seeing those ghost conversations still sit in his phone, but people come and go. Such was the way the world worked. Besides, he had 8 boys now to always have by his side, becoming his second family.

So why?

Why was a goodbye letter blinking up at him from his screen, completely unprompted and talking as if he was the one who’d left his friend?

Why?

The air felt heavy in his lungs, each intake a little harder to perform. His hand had automatically shut the device off it held, knowing that if he hadn’t placed it down, he would look even more obvious to the others. It was hard as it is to hide the tremors running through his body, memories he’d buried long ago resurfacing and tearing open old wounds. Those things happened long ago, each and every single one something he had tried his best to forget and never relive. It had already taken him so much effort to reach where he was these days, to not question every little thing, to believe in others and their words.

Yet everything felt like it was crumbling down, years worth of effort just turning into dust, mocking him to rebuild it all again.

He wasn’t sure he had it in himself to do so.

By the time he’d snapped back to reality, Felix was by his side, concern clearly written on the young boy’s face. Bae didn’t hesitate to plaster on a smile, hoping he would buy the fakeness of it.

“I’m fine Felix, don’t worry. Guess ‘m just a little tired from today’s practice.” - he muttered out, flashing a smile at the boy’s direction before standing up, excusing himself.

He couldn’t bear to be there anymore.

Not when those loathed voices were coming back, making him question if they would eventually leave him too, just like everyone else had done so in the past. Would they find him boring after a while, once his cold facade broke away, his loving yet scared self finally revealed to them?

He didn’t want to think about it.

The door closed with a soft click behind him, the lock shifting in place to ensure his solitude. A deep sigh left his chest as he leaned against the door, too exhausted to try and keep those loathsome thoughts at bay anymore. He didn’t have the energy for it, not when his limbs ached and joints screamed, not when his mind was already filled with worries about their next project and comeback.

This one thing was the last drop to break him, his body shaking as tears rolled down his cheeks, staining his clothes and skin. He was usually strong, always there to provide comfort for the others, but tonight, it felt impossible. As if a weight was crushing his whole existence, not allowing him to continue on his path, binding him in place like a chain secured to the depths of the ocean.

All he could do now was to sit there, face buried in his knees, hands tightly wrapped around his shaking form. A hiccup escaped through his lips, loud in the silence of his room. He tried his best to not let any sound escape him, to ride these emotions out alone, not wishing to disturb anyone, but it was useless. He could only pray that no one had heard him, that none of the boys chased after him.

His prayers were left unheard as a soft knock echoed through the space, the vibrations running down Bae’s back. He stilled, unable to even breathe from the shock, only hearing the shifting of clothes besides the loud drumming of his heart.

A few beats of silence passed before a sigh could be heard, yet there was no frustration behind it.

“Dal, baby, I know you’re in there. I can hear you. Please let me in, it hurts to know you’re hurting.” - pleaded Chan, voice so soft Bae couldn’t believe the man was talking to him.

No reply could be heard as Bae’s silent tears continued, shocking him when a loud thump could be felt from behind, the door gently rattling in place once.

“You don’t need to tell me what happened, or what’s wrong, just… know that I’m here, yeah? I’m always here if you need me, always have been. Or so I’d like to believe.” - Chan chuckled, his voice turning into a hushed whisper near the end.

Bae slowly wiped at his eyes, a soft sniffle letting Chan know the boy was still awake and listening.

“You know, I’ve always admired you. Even when we were just young trainees, hardly knowing each other. If someone had a hard day you tried your best to put your differences aside and lended them a shoulder. Even me, no matter how hard I was on you in our training.” - a soft sigh could be heard, one filled with mirth and memories.

Bae remembered those days clearly, being one of the first ones to join the group. He was standoffish and cold, often getting into arguments thanks to that. But at the end of the day, Chan always stuck to him, adamantly chipping away at the walls he had built up.

“I know you might not believe me, especially with how stubborn you are, but we care about you. We all do, me included. Your pain is our pain. And knowing that you’re on the other side of this door, suffering, it pains me. Please, Moonlight, let me in. I can’t bear to hear you cry any longer…” - the elder’s voice cracked at the end, filled to the brim with emotion and hurt.

Clothes shifted and the lock clicked, their leader not hesitating to tear the door open and scoop Bae into his arms. The younger clung to him desperately, hands looped around Chan’s neck, face buried in his chest. The waterworks never really stopped, silently flowing even while the older had been speaking.

The door slowly clicked shut, the two now laid on the soft sea of blankets and pillows.

For a while, Bae just laid there in Chan’s embrace, hiding away from the entire world in his hyung’s steady hold and gentle touches that nearly lulled him to sleep with each stroke over his hair and skin. But he couldn’t sleep, not yet, not when doubts continued plaquing his mind constantly, feeding his fears until they grew impossibly large.

A question left his lips, so quiet that not even Chan could make sense of it.

“What was it, baby? Could you repeat that for me?” - he asked, gently drawing Bae’s face away from his neck to look at him.

“You… you won’t leave me, right?”

Nothing could have prepared Chan for that question, his eyes widening in pure shock and disbelief.

It only took a second longer for his own eyes to water, those warm nebulas looking at Bae with such emotion that it nearly broke the boy.

“Of course not. I’m here to stay, now and forever.”

The two fell asleep in each others’ hold, Chan curled up around Bae as if he was trying to shield the boy from the entire world itself. And for once, Bae let himself be held, desperately clinging onto the other, as if he would disappear in the blink of an eye without any prior notice.

[bluemorningsoup]

Arcane and JayVik have me fucking apoplectic. (Arcane S2 spoilers below cut.)

At first I was like: oh, so they’re going to parallel Vi + Jinx somewhat, Science Bros instead of Violence Sis, brothers by choice rather than blood. But then there was what I call the Infidelity Sequence, in which Jayce’s love scene with Mel was juxtaposed against a dying Viktor in the most bizarre manner, like Jayce was cheating on Viktor—an absolute fucking choice—and other instances of Mel superimposed against Viktor.

So I thought: SURELY it can’t be a “bros before hoes” storyline in the year of Our Lord Faker 2024??? But then they gave us Sky “Fridged Woman” Young and Jayce said Viktor was like a brother to him, and I was like, WOW, they’re really giving us this storyline in this day and age; this should be illegal.

Then S2 Jayce started going on about how he realised his place was in the lab with Viktor. Which was like. Okay. I’m a scientist. Modern science is, in reality, a very lonely endeavour a lot of the time, even as it demands nearly all of your life. I, too, would kill to have someone who would do experiments alongside me, who would share every project and publication authorship with me. Don’t get me wrong: there are real-life scientists who do it together, but more often than not they can afford to do so because they’re fucking married to each other. So. I get it, but it did feel like Jayce was basically declaring he wanted Viktor as a life partner.

And then Act 3 Jayce and the animation doubled down on it. The shadows in the campfire morphing from Mel into Viktor. Jayce telling Mel that for some time, he had been confused about many things. He had finally decided on what he wanted and apparently it’s to get his “(lab???) partner” back. Man was consumed by it—had discarded all other ambitions and dreams and desires for this singular motivation, even as he blasted a hole in Viktor’s chest and declared his partner “died in this room”, driven by a logic the viewers weren’t initially privy to. Oh yeah, and there’s also the oddly erotic fight scene with an avatar of Viktor.

And then then the narrative tripled, quadrupled, fucking Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles-Neon Genesis Evangelion-Puella Magi Madoka Magica-ed on it. Who had been reading CLAMP in the writers’ room? Come the fuck out; I just want to talk. No, that’s not a shotgun in my hand; don’t worry about it. Transcendant Viktor choosing to stay by Jayce’s body after the end of everything. The storyboard placing the shot of Jayce kneeling face to face with his own corpse with Viktor’s voice line: “…fields of dreamless solitude.” Jayce deciding upon the singular defining desire of his life as wanting his partner back and promising to never let Viktor be alone. Jayce fulfilling that promise. Jayce drawing Viktor in even as his own body shook and trembled. Viktor’s gentle hand on Jayce’s arm. The forehead touch.

You sit there and watch as above ambitions, above desires, above suffering, above every other thing this universe has to offer—across all possibilities, across all timelines, two men choose one another.

And then the head writer of Arcane spoke about how they’re “just friends” and how “important” it is to portray platonic male relationship. My brother in Summoner’s Rift, as if any other emotional portrayal of male relationship in media is NOT about platonic male bonding. It’s fucking 2024, Faker won his 5th Worlds, and Jayce and Viktor are brothers who chose one another out of love, contrasting against Vi and Jinx who had to let go of one another out of love. BROS BEFORE HOES.

So I guess all I have to say is: Arcane JayVik are fucking awesome and they’ll leave you breathless like an ambiguous male-male relationship from a 2000 anime, but after all’s said and done, they’re from motherfucking League of motherfucking Legends.