#Sea monster yuri au

[greeb-theartist]

new au leak,,,

[jevilowo]

TEAM ASCENDED FORTRESS 2

An AU by me in which the mercs ascend to their ultimate forms

Oh God tumblr wrecked the quality-

More about the AU under the cut!

WOKE SCOUT: she started taking estrogen and instead of fixing her it made her worse. She gets into fights on twitter about neopronouns and has successfully cancelled everyone she doesn't like at least once. However, as cancel culture isn't real, this only lasted about three seconds for each. She managed to pull Ms Pauling also which is pretty cool.

SOLDIERSUNE MIKU: the ghost of Shakespearicles told him to dress as Miku and redo the salem witch trials. Only knowing one witch (Merasmus), he finished this quickly and now roams the country with Zhanna (who is now Zhannagane Miku after Mikus metal counterpart) spreading malice and wonder through the power of AMERICAN SONG COVERS. He uses a wig for the Miku effect, but is working on growing his hair out also.

MITOSIS: Pyro and Engie were shagging one time and they came so hard they did mitosis. Now theres 23 babey Pyros (count em) and Engineer is a single dad. There's a lot of Pyro Mitosis Lore™ in my head, but the basics are that they evolve into either humanoid, beastial, demonic or celestial Pyros eventually.

TAVISH, KING OF THE LOCH NESS: he did it he blew up that bloody sea monster and now he is king of Loch Ness. The self loathing has died down a lot which is great for him but his body is still a scrumpty distillery which is eh. Still, he has funky water powers and his partners Soldiersune and Zhannagane come to visit often.

KEEPER OF TIME AND SPACE GUY: Heavy was mad, he knew he'd been had so he shot at the sun with a gun. Instead of being a show off like that bitch Juno, he had a nice philosophical conversation and chess match with Time and impressed Time so much he was appointed as the guardian of Time and Time's partner, Space. His guns (the six angel thingies pictured) can turn into celestial weapons which helps in the protecting but people don't shoot at the sun so often so its a relaxing enough gig really.

GODDAMMIT ENGIE: after realising how much more efficient Gunslinger was than a lame ass human hand, Engie succumbed to his hubris and eventually replaced all his body parts with robot parts. Including his dick which led to the Mitosis Incident. Anyway. His chest is a dispenser which makes projects pretty convenient and he has a mini-sentry attached to each arm and leg, making him a walking weapon. This did not help with the god complex, but it helps with the single father thing.

THE INFERNAL DOCTOR: Medic kept attaching more souls to his own and selling them to Satan for power. Satan got so sick of this eventually he attempted to beat the shit out of Medic. By now Medic was slightly more powerful than Satan so this ended with Medic absorbing Satan's powers and basically taking his place. Somehow, his relationship with the guy who is now a celestial being was unaffected by this. If they really tried they could probably ascend even further. To godhood, perhaps. In any case, Medic becoming The Devil from The Bible did nothing for the god complex.

???: Sniper just kind of fucked off into the woods one day god knows what happened to him but Scout's convinced she saw him for like three seconds a week ago and "YOU GUYS HE HAD ANTLERS I SWEAR-"

RETIRED AND BECAME A FUNCTIONING MEMBER OF SOCIETY SPY: yeah. He's very happy with Scout's Mother (Maureen), and he's letting his roots grow out (his spy agency made him dye his hair black). He's even making an effort to be a good parent to Scout, bought her the trans flag ipad cover and everything, but she just keeps trying to cancel him. Maureen's sure they'll work it out between themselves eventually, but until then she has to keep finding more secure hiding places for the ipad (the best so far was the time she buried it under a tree a mile away, took Scout at least four hours to find and retrieve it that time)

There's also YURI MS PAULING, in which she pulled a whole polycule of beautiful women, but I'll cover her in another post.

Also TERFS DNI please. Woke Scout is just Scout being Scout (which is to say a bit stupid), and assuming all trans women are like that would be ridiculous. So fuck off.

[anonymocha]

ive been thinking abt re99 seafarer au eterbaunaa where eternity is a sea monster disguised as a merchant and kaalaa baunaa is a celestial navigator + diviner. they complicated yuri.

[bellamer]

I’m gonna try to list all the Sonic AUs both me and my friend have made and just some I’ve made by myself but I’m not going to go into complete detail on them if you want complete details on a certain one then fine but on this post you’re probably gonna get bits and pieces because there’s too many AU’s

Here we go:

Interview With a Vampire AU: Scourge and Shadow are basically Louis and Lestat and Cream is their adopted daughter

Queen of The Damned AU: Basically the same as the first AU but Scourge is a rock star facing a midlife crises after losing his husband and kid

Good Omens AU: Shadow and Sonic are basically Crowley and Aziraphale but instead of them giving the antichrist to someone else or whatever happened in that show I don’t remember, they kidnap the antichrist baby and raise him in secret.

Fem Shadow and Male Sonic kids AU: Sonic and Shadow have kids. That’s basically it. And Shadow is a girl. They have twins by the way. We had the thought of Fem Shadow thinking she’s infertile but sleeps with Sonic and he end up knocking her up with twins and it’s just humor

Fem Shadow and Male Scourge kids AU: Basically the same as the last one but they have three kids that are age spaced.

Wayne AU: Scourge and Amy basically being that show Wayne where they basically run off with each other.

Spy Family AU: Basically Spy Family with Sonic as Loid, Shadow as Yor and Tails as Anya

Buddy Daddies AU: Basically just Buddy Daddies with Sonic, Shadow and Tails

Gravitation AU; Basically the anime Gravitation with Shadow as a book writer and Sonic as a singer and they fall in love reluctantly

Serial Killer AU 1: Scourge and Sonic are brothers who are serial killers and Shadow and Amy are the detectives trying to figure out the murders while not noticing that the two guys they’re dating are the killers

Serial Killer AU 2: Sonic is a retired serial killer who has settled down and had a family with female shadow and she knows what he used to be but is alright being with him as long as he doesn’t start up again for the sake of their kids but newsflash he didn’t retire and is still secretly doing it

Female shadow and Sonic kids AU 2: Shadow is beloved to have died from childbirth but somebody drugged her in order to fake her death and turn her into basically the winter soldier and after years of grieving his wife Sonic sees a familiar face that shakes him to his core

Female shadow and Sonic kids AU 3 and 4: Where Shadow finds out she’s pregnant with Sonic’s kids and runs off. There’s scourgeamy in this too where Scourge gets Amy pregnant and leaves her because he’s scared of being a shit dad.

Female Shadow and Sonic kid AU 5: Sonic and Shadow’s son gets manipulated into being evil, that’s basically it

Royal AU 1: Prince Sonic is arranged to marry Princess Sally Acorn but instead falls in love with Shadow whose basically the towns village recluse witch

Royal AU 2: Same as Royal AU 1 but Prince Sonic is a yandere

Genderbent Yuri AU: Just good ol Shadow and Sonic being genderbent lesbians

Royal/Monster AU: Sonic is arranged to marry Sally and on his wedding day is kidnapped by female Shadow who’s a demon and falls in love with her instead

The Vampire Dies in No Time AU: Sonic is a vampire hunter who destroys Shadow’s house based on rumors of kidnapping kids and eating them so vampire Shadow moves in with him in his apartment as revenge

Our Flag Means Death AU: Sonic is a rich boy who decides to be a real pirate and set off to seas while meeting and falling in love with the notorious pirate Shadow who is honestly tired of being a pirate

Demon AU: Sonic characters are basically demon princes in hell, my friends OC was Pride, Shadow was Wrath, Scourge was Lust and I don’t remember who else was who but we had a world built and everything and it’s probably our more detailed AUs like this one actually has a lot to it with Tails being a fallen angel, Scourge falling in love with Angel Amy and just the caste system in general

Hero AU: Kinda based this off of Lego Monkie Kid but very loosely so Sonic runs a superhero team and falls in love with Shadow who’s the son of a villain. Basically based their dynamic off of Red Son and MK.

Bound AU: Basically the movie Bound with fem Shadow and fem Sonic. Just them being lesbians who happen to do crime.

Killer AU: Okay this one is actually our most detailed one that I can remember but there’s so much going on this one that it’s hard to explain but like Shadow is being haunted by Scourge no one can see him but him and something something he meets Shadow in a psychiatric ward and shadow can see ghosts and- it’s just a lot I might have to go over the notes on this one with my friend because we have so much like even Tails gets adopted by Sonic and Shadow in this one and there were weddings and kidnappings and it’s just a lot also Sonic has one eye in this au so there’s that too. Just a whole soap opera tbh.

This Day Aria AU: Basically that one My Little Pony Special but Shadow and Sonic are getting married and Sally uses a spell on Sonic to force him into falling in love with her and marrying her while cursing Shadow and sending him away. We had one with Scourge Amy and Fiona too.

Megamind AU: Where Sonic is Megamind Tails is Minion Knuckles is Metro Man, Shadow is Roxanne and Jet is Titan

Demon AU: Shadow is a demon Sonic summons and Sonic offers to feed him souls of criminals as long as Shadow agrees to help him keep the city safe or something I don’t know this one didn’t really get far

Another Serial Killer AU: Female Shadow is a black widow serial killer who marries men for their riches and then kills them before robbing them blind and then meets Sonic and plans to do the same to him but Sonic is actually nice to her and treats her like a person instead of a trophy so she has seconds thought before finally deciding to be happy with him

Vampire and Werewolf AU: Another one that’s one of me and my friends more detailed ones it’s basically Vampire Shadow falling in love with Werewolf Sonic even though their species hate each other, it’s a lot of lore and they even end up adopting Tails who’s a half breed so like it’s a lot to this one that I’m not getting into right here

Corpse Bride AU: Where Shadow is Victoria and Sonic is Victor and Amy is Emily but there’s a happy ending and Amy ends up with Scourge in the end so yeah

James and The Giant Peach AU: It’s exactly what it sounds like James and The Giant Peach with Sonic characters

Pirates of The Caribbean AU: Basically Pirates of The Caribbean AU with Sonic characters don’t ask me who was who because I don’t remember the movie

Parents AU: Sonic and Shadow adopt Tails thinking his parents are out of the picture but they’re not they’re just negligent and accuse Sonic and Shadow of kidnapping their son. This was just a silly one.

Brainwashed Evil Shadow AU: Another one that’s a simple concept that basically turned into a bunch of rambling but it’s exactly what it sounds like

Evil Sonic AU: Sonic basically turns into a justice lords dictator thinking that he’s protecting everyone when he’s really just hurting everyone. This one has a lot of lore to it too and has a secondary au with his and shadows kids and him basically brainwashing their kids into thinking he’s good when he’s keeping shadow prisoner in her own home

And this isn’t even all of them. I still have to scroll through another list so stay tuned for part 2

Tagging @jennrypan because most of these are both of our nonsense ramblings that we only understand

[ryutarotakedown]

(i'm cross-posting my yuri shipping olympics pieces from dreamwidth so. have a susahao modern AU in these trying times?)

Prompt (from @transathenacykes): The dramatic de-masking of a superhero, and their loved one finding out who they are.

Haori hesitated, hovering above the other person's face. "I… Ryutaro, I'd like to take your mask off. To treat the burn wounds."

She'd expected resistance, expected words of protest. Most superheroes she'd treated had come around in the end, and the ones who didn't she acquiesced to. Haori firmly believed that all medical assistance had to be done with consent, after all. It would be fine if Ryutaro insisted on keeping his mask.

She didn't expect Ryutaro to make a sound like he was wounded. On the examination table he curled in on himself, turning away from Haori, as though her words had burned him more than the fire he'd run into.

"It's fine if you don't want to," Haori placated, "I understand—"

Ryutaro shook his head quickly. "That's not it." And oh — they were the first words he'd spoken since Haori had dragged him to her makeshift clinic, silent and trembling. Ryutaro didn't have his usual voice, Haori realized. He had a higher register, a more lilting way of speech, that she could detect even under the layers of rough disuse. He must have been disguising it with that vocal technology that had fallen off during the rescue.

It was a familiar voice. Someone she'd heard on the news? No, that didn't seem right…

"I need you to not — you can't be scared off, okay, Haori?" Was that fear? But why would a hero of Japan be afraid of some medical intern? "Please," Ryutaro said. "Don't — you have to promise."

"I promise," Haori said immediately. This had happened before, after all. Some vigilantes were ashamed of their true face, whether because of some perceived flaw with their appearance or because their everyday identity was well-known for other reasons. Haori was fairly good at keeping calm even in the most extreme scenarios by now.

But none of them had said her name like that. Like they… knew her somehow…

Wait.

"You're," Haori started, before falling silent as Ryutaro reached up to unclasp his mask —

And then there he was. There she was, staring back at her with those infinitely dark, familiar eyes.

Susato Mikotoba.

Her best friend.

"Su," Haori breathed.

Susato winced. That piercing gaze of hers fell from Haori's face to the floor. "I'm sorry for not telling you."

Haori’s mind was rapidly running through every time she had met Ryutaro. The hospital attack two months ago — pushing her into a supply closet and telling her to stay there, Murasame-san, don’t move before slipping back out into the fray. Later she would read about it in the newspaper — the first reported sighting of a new superhero, a silhouette wrapped in the classic Yuumei University cape who moved faster than a bolt of lightning, leaving his enemies unconscious with an impossibly fluid suplexing move. The media called it a Ryutaro Takedown.

And then the beach. That improbably swan-headed sea monster rising from the depths and fixing its gaze on her and Dr. Mikotoba, and she had frozen for half a second before Ryutaro was shoving them both out of the way. "Hao—Murasame-san, why are you here?" he'd said into her ear, a whisper that almost verged on panic.

"I, I thought Ms. Brett might have been up to something," she'd whispered back, watching in awe as electricity started to course on the surface of Ryutaro's gloves. He must have upgraded his suit in the time after the last attack…

Ryutaro sighed. "It looks like you were right. Don't let her see you, okay?" And before Haori could reply he was off, and soon the swan monster had been bound in a net and handed off to the authorities, and Ryutaro was gone.

The attacks had been growing in frequency lately, despite Minister Jigoku's reassurances. Haori didn't know how many times she'd seen a familiar silhouette darting past her in an alleyway and breathed easier. She had always known, somewhere in her irrational romantic heart, that Ryutaro would have her back.

And Susato…

Susato, who had grown more and more distant these past few weeks. Susato, who'd canceled every single movie night Haori tried to schedule, I'm really sorry, Haori-sama, something's come up — by the way, you still have that two-to-five shift at Father's hospital tomorrow, don't you? Susato who just yesterday had been sitting on the edge of Haori's bed and looking out the window while Haori demanded to know who had injured her knee so badly, because if she knew anything about her best friend it was that Su was never careless. Averting her gaze, the same way Ryutaro was doing on the examination table right now.

Because they were the same person.

Oh. Oh.

"I couldn't," Susato was saying, while Haori tried to claw her way out of her own stupor. "It would have put you and Father in danger, I wanted to tell you, Haori, I swear—"

"Susato," said Haori, and put her hand over the knee she knew she'd patched up yesterday. "It's okay."

Susato blinked. "It is?"

Haori fought down the hysterical scream that was building in her throat. "It's — we can talk about it later — your face, Su, I think you might have third-degree burns—"

Susato actually laughed at that. A short laugh laced with pain, but nonetheless. "I always wished I could have asked you about this mask. It's rather not up to safety regulations, is it?"

"I will make you a new one," Haori said fervently. "It's going to be so gallant and dashing and breathable, you'll sweep people off your feet every time, Su—" A thought occurred to her. "Wait, you're… still okay with me calling you Su, right?"

"Haori, I'll always be okay with you," said Susato, with that straight face she used whenever she delivered something absolutely devastating to Haori's heart.

"I, I, I mean! Would you want me to use, um, he/him for you?" Heat was rising to Haori's face. Now was not the appropriate time to be reminded of her embarrassing pseudo-crush on her best friend, God help her—

"Oh," Susato said in realization. "I, ah, this is not the time I expected to have this conversation — er. She or he are both fine. It's called being bigender, I don't know if you've heard of it…"

Haori hadn't, but that was okay. She would look it up later. "I can alternate if you want?" Relief flooded Susato's face, and he nodded before wincing again — oh God, right, the injuries — Haori took a deep breath. Medical mode time. "Okay, I'm going to get salve. Don't move."

She located the little jar of petroleum jelly quickly and dragged a stool over to the side of the table. "This might hurt," she warned, dipping a fingertip in.

"Can't possibly hurt more," Susato mumbled, before hissing through her teeth as Haori touched her cheek.

Haori went slowly, carefully. Probably more careful than she needed to be, but this was Susato. Haori distinctly remembered having told him yesterday to take it easy on that knee, and today Ryutaro had run directly into a burning building.

God, Haori had been so close to losing her — and she hadn't even realized —

Susato reached and took her hand.

Haori startled, looking down at him. Susato quirked a smile. "It's okay. You don't have to worry about me."

"I do," Haori murmured, focusing harder on applying the jelly. She wasn't sure what she would look like now, if she met Susato's eyes. "I really, really do."

"I'm not going to stop being Ryutaro," Susato said quietly. "It would be — a lot of work."

"Not if it's you," Haori shot back, faster than her brain could warn her not to, and her voice cracked. Oh no, was she going to cry? She was definitely going to later, but not now please not now. "You're my best friend, Su, I don't know what I'd do if I…"

"I know," Susato whispered. Her hand was so cold in Haori's. "I know."

Haori squeezed her eyes shut.

One day she would tell Susato. One day she would confess how beautiful she thought Susato looked lying in the light streaming in from the windows. One day, she would tell Susato everything.

But not today.

[fixhbones]

WIP GAME !!!!

Rules: In a new post, post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

(i was tagged by beloved mutual @pimpedoutgreenears )

i have 250+ wips so i’m going to break this down a LOT and not including many 💀

i’ll be tagging anyone who wants to join in, as well as: @cowardlybean , @scrunkle , @ctpalt, @cupofd1rt , @choofs (no pressure to anyone to do it lol)

this will be Long so it’s under the cut

MP100

-teruki moving

-fox curse serirei

-ritsu and that maid dress (calfhooves inspired me to finally start writing that one forever ago)

-shou and his family

-shou being invisible

-college ritshou

-fem ritshou

-shou unintentionally joining the kageyamas vacation

-i beat the shit out of reigen

-ritshou fake dating

-runaway

-multi-dimensional/universe shit

-hockey

-‘stray cat’ shou ; ‘house cat’ ritsu

-yuritshou again

-ritshou live together

-terumob transgender agenda (all girls school)

-fist fighting and kissing

-terumob furries

-unconventional love

-graffiti taggers ritshou

-sick fic pt2

-terumob and psychic powers

-lab baby shou PTSD

-shou star and tree metaphors

-ritsu melts

-shou like. dying

-reigen and shou funny familial relationship

-shou is bad at emotions and feelings

Bungo Stray Dogs

-lab baby escapee skk fic

-ranpoe angst

-ranpoe and eyelashes

-skk runaway

-skk and sea monsters

-summer camp

-highschool au

-skk highschool au version 2

-skk highschool au version 3

-chuuya and carnage

-mamas boy (chuuya and verlaine au)

-truth or dare (girl skk)

-ooc double black and humanity

-skk highschool au version 4

-dazai and The Horrors

-cryptids au

-halloween through the years

-summer camp au (again lol)

-ranpo and dazai pm au

-dazai gets braces

-ghostbuster au

-chuuya getting an education in the pm

-skk graffiti taggers au (again)

-girl scouts au

-kyousano and skk older sister + their younger brother

-wierd twist on a spider-man au

-teen skk + jealous dazai

-lonely summers

-chuuya “i’m back in the fucking building again” nakahara

-skk taking care of eachother

-skk yuri

-skk yuri and anatomy

-

MCYT/DSMP

-necromancer crimeboys version 1

- version 2

-crow crimeboys

-c!tommy 🤝 a pearl (mitski)

-lab baby c!tommy

-lab baby brothers c!crimeboys

-horror summer camp au

-accidently adopting a raccoon shapeshifter

-vigilante fic

-the forest is breathing

-unreliable narrator depressed wilbur

-pirate crimeboys

-the undead’s guide to feeling alive

-c!beeduo traditional enderian wedding

-night in the woods au (wilbur is mae)

-subway masks

-wilbur and tommy sons of the sun and moon respectively

-nasicaä crimeboys au

-crimeboys over the garden wall au

-cryptids au

-crimeboys binary stars

-chainsaw man au

-wilbur buries himself

-skater and rollerblader rivalry lmao

-los compensinos inspired 2

- horror fic 2

-cranboo time traveler au

-crimeboys cryptids au version 2?

-ode to a moon

IT

-losers club friends giving

-richie and bev dye hair

-losers college au (winter edition)

- summer camp au (it haunts me)

-loser adults are losers and have video calls

-reddie in eddie’s attic

-losers go trick or treating

-eddie takes care of richie

-richie and Big Dog

-bev accidental wingman of the century

-reddie romcon irony angst

-camcorder findings

-whale city 👍

-youtube video transcript

-pharmacy photo developing

-mama tozier being the best

-richie and stan’s kids

-mac n cheese

-mama tozier being the best again

-werewolf x witch

-loser kids

-violence

Persona 5

-hockey kid akechi

-magical girl au

-foster care

MISC

-life happenings (Night In The Woods)

-sunnflower runaway (Omori)

-bad ending 2.0 (Omori)

-sickfic (hirano to kagiura)

-langa being left handed (SK8)

-renga being dumbly in love (SK8)

-pearlina (splatoon)

[pdj-international]

Les nominés aux Game Awards 2023 ont été annoncés et le vote est ouvert. Alan Wake 2 et Baldur's Gate 3 ont été nominés dans plusieurs catégories pour les Game Awards 2023, avec huit nominations chacun, dont celui du Jeu de l'année. Parmi les autres nominés pour le jeu de l'année figurent Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Resident Evil 4 Remake et The Legend of Zelda : Tears of the Kingdom. Parmi les autres nominés multiples figurent Marvel's Spider-Man 2 dans sept catégories, de même que The Legend of Zelda : Tears of the Kingdom et Super Mario Bros. Wonder avec cinq nominations chacun. Vous pouvez voter pour vos jeux privilégiés, de même que pour les catégories de créateurs de contenu et liées à l'esport via le site officiel. L'événement annuel de fin d'année aura lieu le jeudi 7 décembre et vous pourrez le regarder depuis chez vous sur YouTube et Twitch, de même que sur d'autres grands réseaux sociaux. Il débute à 16h30 PT / 19h30 HE / 00h30 UK. Comme d'habitude, nous publierons le stream sur le site. De cette façon, vous pourrez le regarder avec nous. Nous vous présenterons aussi toutes les actualités de la série, de même qu'un aperçu des nouvelles bandes-annonces du jeu et de tout ce qui mérite d'être publié. La liste complète des nominés pour le jeu se trouve ci-dessous. Pour voir ce contenu, veuillez activer les cookies de ciblage. Gérer les paramètres des cookies Nominés aux Game Awards 2023 Jeu de l'année Alan Wake 2 Baldur's Gate 3 Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Resident Evil 4 Super Mario Bros. Wonder La Légende de Zelda : Les Larmes du Royaume Meilleure direction de jeu Alan Wake 2 Baldur's Gate 3 Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Super Mario Bros. Wonder La Légende de Zelda : Les Larmes du Royaume Meilleur récit Alan Wake 2 Baldur's Gate 3 Cyberpunk 2077 : Phantom Liberty Final Fantasy XVI Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Meilleure direction artistique Alan Wake 2 Hi-Fi Rush Lies of P Super Mario Bros. Wonder La Légende de Zelda : Tears of the Kingdom Meilleure partition et musique Alan Wake 2, compositeur Petri Alanko Baldur's Gate 3, compositeur Borislav Slavov Final Fantasy XVI, compositeur Masayoshi Soken Hi-Fi Rush, directeur audio Shuichi Kobori The Legend of Zelda : Tears of the Kingdom, composé par Nintendo Sound Team Meilleure conception audio Alan Wake 2 Dead Space Hi-Fi Rush Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Resident Evil 4 Meilleure efficacité Ben Starr, Final Fantasy 16 Cameron Monaghan, Star Wars Jedi : Survivant Idris Elba, Cyberpunk 2077 : Phantom Liberty Melanie Liburd, Alan Wake 2 Neil Newbon, Baldur's Gate 3 Yuri Lowenthal, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Innovation en matière d'accessibilité Diablo 4 Forza Motorsport Hi-Fi Rush Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Mortal Kombat 1 Street Fighter 6 Jeux pour l'impact Un espace pour les chants illimités de Sennaar Au revoir le volcan High Tchia Terra Nil Venba Meilleur jeu en cours Apex Legends Cyberpunk 2077 Final Fantasy 14 Fortnite Genshin Impact Meilleur support communautaire Baldur's Gate 3 Cyberpunk 2077 Destiny 2 Final Fantasy 14 No Man's Sky Meilleur jeu indépendant Cocoon Dave le plongeur Drague Viseur Sea of ​​Stars Meilleur premier jeu indépendant Cocoon Dredge Pizza Tower Viseur Venba Meilleur jeu mobile Final Fantasy 7 : Ever Crisis Honkai : Star Rail Hello Kitty Island Adventure Monster Hunter désormais Terra Nil Meilleur jeu VR/AR Gran Turismo 7 Humanity Horizon Call of the Mountain Resident Evil Village Synapse du mode VR Meilleur jeu d'action Armored Core 6 : Les Feux de Rubicon Dead Island 2 Ghostrunner 2 Hi-Fi Rush Remnant 2 Meilleur jeu d'action/aventure Alan Wake 2 Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Resident Evil 4 Star Wars Jedi : Survivant La Légende de Zelda : Les Larmes du Royaume Meilleur RPG Baldur's Gate 3 Final Fantasy 16 Les mensonges de P Mer d'étoiles Starfield Meilleur jeu de bataille Dieu du rock Mortal Kombat 1 Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Pocket Bravery Street Fighter 6 Meilleur jeu familial Disney Illusion Island Fêtards Pikmin 4 Sonic Superstars Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Meilleur jeu de simulation/stratégie Advance Wars 1+2 : Re-Boot Camp Cities : Skylines 2 Company of Heroes 3 Fire Emblem Engage Pikmin 4 Meilleurs sports/courses EA Sports FC 24 F1 23 Forza Motorsport Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 : Turbocompressé The Crew Motorfest Meilleur multijoueur Baldur's Gate 3 Diablo 4 Fêtards Street Fighter 6 Super Mario Bros. Wonder Meilleure adaptation Castlevania : Nocturne Gran Turismo Le dernier d'entre nous Le film Super Mario Bros. Twisted Metal Jeu le plus attendu Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Hades 2 Comme un dragon : richesse infinie Star Wars Outlaws Tekken 8 Meilleur jeu d'eSport Counter-Strike 2 Dota 2 League of Legends PUBG Mobile Valorant

[cafecliche]

I've been swimming a lot this week & reading your Summer of Mutual Pining posts. I think Victor would be the type to look more human in the pool: his perfect hair wilts, skin care routine washed off, etc. But Yuuri in the pool is akin to his Eros persona: no glasses, hair slicked back. I think this works well for both of them.

OH NO POOR VICTOR.

The night before they go to the beach Victor starts rethinking this plan. His nose starts to run in saltwater. His eyes get really red. And bringing goggles would officially be Too Far.

Chris is like. Let me let you in on a secret. NO ONE actually looks good coming out of the ocean.

Cue Yuuri Katsuki, dragging his hair back as he surfaces, water dripping down his chest like a goddamn photoshoot. He smiles and all Victor hears is Careless Whisper blasting at top volume. The only report Chris gets that day is an all-caps text reading INCORRECT.

Yuuri lends Victor his spare goggles. Victor is suffering.

[dearvitya]

YOI Fic Recs (Part 2)

Look through part 1 here!

Unsinkable (29k): Victor is a wealthy heir with a lonely soul. Yuuri is a poor dancer with a tender heart. The deck of the Titanic might be a very romantic place to meet your one true love, but it's not exactly a fortuitous one. [Titanic AU]

all the wrong turns (48k): After his disastrous Grand Prix Final, Katsuki Yuuri decides to try to be the first skater to land a quad axel in competition. It’s a secret from everyone, except the mysterious text correspondent who appeared in his phone contacts as “Poodle” following the Sochi GPF.

when pain is over, the remembrance of it often becomes pleasure (19k): Yuuri felt his body grow cold at the name; he had known a Mr. Nikiforov, once upon a time.

Five years after the implosion of their acquaintance, Mr. Viktor Nikiforov returns to —shire society, bringing in tow a young cousin. Mr. Katsuki must navigate these once-familiar waters without giving further offense, all while keeping his own heart firmly protected. [A Persuasion AU]

Love in Exile (99k): Once a well know ballet dancer in St. Petersburg, Victor Nikiforov finds himself exiled to Sakhalin Island as a political convict in 1881. As a man sentenced to katorga he will never return to European Russia or his life on the stage. Known as the "Edge of the World," his life on Sakhalin could not be further from the life he once knew. Strange circumstances lead his path to cross that of a young Japanese man, one of the very few still living on the island. Katsuki Yuuri leads a life of exile of a different kind, one that is largely self-imposed. Drawn to each other, despite their differences, something slowly begins to grow between them. When a narrowly avoided tragedy leaves them stranded together for a long, cold Sakhalin winter, they are challenged to face what their relationship really means, and what future it could possibly have.

Smooth Runs the Waters (3k): Inspector Yuuri Katsuki comes to Hillsborough Hall to investigate a murder most foul and its two primary suspects: newly widowed Victor Nikiforov and his younger brother Yuri Plisetsky. 

The Other Side of Sunset (325k): 1874, Wyoming Territory: Yuuri Katsuki Taylor has got his future planned…mostly. Learn how to manage his adoptive parents’ ranch, and inherit it when he’s older. Get married and have kids (someday – not now). And most of all, carry on riding his horse with Phichit and the other ranch hands on the open range and in the mountains. But when he meets Victor Nikiforov, the striking and talented new master horseman at the neighboring ranch – and is treated to a show of his Cossack-style trick riding – his world will never be the same again…

A tale of love, loss, grief, redemption, and second (and third) chances, set in the Old West. [Cowboys AU]

Like a River to the Sea (41k): Gifts from the gods can come in strange wrappings. They can also be mixed blessings, as Victor will discover in time.Living alone on the island of Fleves, near Athens, the last thing Victor expects as he combs the beach one morning is a peculiar treasure that appears seemingly from nowhere in the shape of a handsome young dark-haired man... [Greek mythology AU]

pick lilacs for the passing time (68k): A spark flares up inside him, the vestige of some part of himself he thought long buried now resurfacing to—what, haunt him? And then he realizes. I want to dance with him, Yuuri thinks.

In which the outlandish prodigy Victor Nikiforov hits Yuuri’s life like a whirlwind after he transfers to a prestigious ballet conservatory in Moscow, two grumpy teenagers learn to be friends, and Mila’s Straight Girl CrushTM might not be so straight after all.

for better, for worse (18k): Yakov quirks an eyebrow. “Vitya, we are not having some grand ceremony."

“It doesn’t have to be grand! But the registration office? Signing some papers? Where is the romance in that?”

or: The Trials and Tribulations of Viktor Nikiforov, Six-Time World Champion and Wedding Planner Extraordinaire.

in the woods somewhere (32k): One evening in late autumn, Yuuri goes out to collect firewood. He returns with a man instead. (Viktor, Yuuri, and the end of isolation.)

The Death of Koschei the Deathless (39k): They tell tale of heroes, of men that slay monsters, and defy fate itself. Yuuri Katsuki is no hero. He's just a failed wizard trying to keep his shop afloat. This is the story of how Yuuri Katsuki fell in love with Viktor Nikiforov, and in doing so conquered death.

For the Record (10k): FOR THE RECORD by Viktor Nikiforov 

What it takes to craft an Olympic Champion, and what it takes to be one.

Or: Viktor Nikiforov, sports journalist and retired figure skater, interviews Olympic Champion Yuuri Katsuki for an exclusive piece.

Happiness Writes White (37k): Yuuri falls asleep after his first day in St. Petersburg and wakes up in a strange hospital room. To his dismay, the last year of skating has all been a dream simulation designed to wake him from a long coma. Viktor Nikiforov is, in fact, not a figure skater at all, but the creator of the program, and this real world Viktor is nothing like the one he knows.

and you knew what it was (he is in love) (204k): Here's what's normal for Katsuki Yuuri: playing Quidditch, practicing spells, keeping to himself.

Here's what's not normal for Katsuki Yuuri: transferring to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in his fourth year and getting to know his idol, International Quidditch Star Viktor Nikiforov. 

But maybe there's a reason they say love is the greatest magic of all. [Harry Potter AU]

All Our Yesterdays (1M): York, England, 2120: Yuuri Katsuki is a dime-a-dozen techie, spending his days doing routine repairs at the university. He hangs out with his friend Phichit, goes for a drink, watches holograms. It’s an existence – but is it a life?

Crowood Castle, Yorkshire, 1392: As the son of a baron, Sir Victor Nikiforov makes judgements where lives hang in the balance. As a knight, he must sometimes end them. It’s what he was born to do – but what of the heavy burden on his soul? Death is all too commonplace, while life and love remain elusive.

When a brilliant scientist goes rogue, journeying to the Middle Ages with the world’s first time machine, Yuuri is stunned to be called on as the last hope of preventing her from changing history. After an abrupt departure, he lands at Crowood Castle disguised as an enemy of the Nikiforovs, Sir Justin le Savage – and will need to act the part if he is to survive. It’s a tall order for someone who can barely tell the back end of a horse from the front. But if Ailis, in her own disguise, discovers who he is, his mission will end in a blaze of laser-gun fire. He must not give his real identity away, even to the beguiling knight he’s falling in love with…

[aquaregina]

another mermaid melody AU involves the dark lovers gang, in which Izuru is the 'man behind the man' for Gaito and basically adopted him and the others (including sara) due to her strong hatred of humans. izuru is an exhausted mom of her seven dumbass kids.

YESSSSSS

OK OK OK so we are going off the rails here but I love this idea (and now I want to write a oneshot 😂😅) bare with me!

Staring off with, Izuru is not a fish-turned-mermaid I think instead I want her to be some sort of sea creature like Madam Taki and Auri. 🤔 I’m thinking due to the way her fin looks that she is a gulf signal blenny fish! I know she was created from a specific fish but I can’t remember what it is and I couldn’t find it on the wiki so…

I think that Izuru is from the eastern central Pacific Ocean (where the new fish I’m basing her on is located). Now I think that Izuru is probably in her twenties when she finds Sara (who I’m gonna assume is in her teens when she meets Taro?) so I think she’d be more of an older sister figure to her.

As for Gaito, I mention this in my fic, but I hate the whole twin thing. It doesn’t make any sense since Gaito is made to appear to be older than Kaito who is a teenager. So I’m thinking that he’s around seven when Izuru finds him (probably shortly before or after the whole wiping out of the Panthasala clan) and she is mother. Anyone who says otherwise will be by watery sea dragons.

She tries to find Gaito’s brother but become furious when she discovers that Aqua Regina gave him to humans. Her son is unconsolable and she wants to take him from the humans but surprisingly it’s Sara who stops her. She asserts that it would more traumatic to take him from them than for him to live with them.

Izuru relents but this only makes her hatred for humans grow.

As for Eriru, I think she’s the next one she picks up. I think that she finds Eriru caught in some fish nets and after that she kinda just stuck around. Izuru had a habit of finding children that are in desperate need of some guidance and in Eriru case, I think she’s the Dory of the group. I think Eiriu is going to be Leopard catshark sea creature in this AU (because of her ears and cat-like nature)

Maria is a sea angel (Clione limacina) that Izuru sound had run away from her home in colder region of the North Atlantic Ocean. Maria wasn’t receptive to Izuru and her mothering nature at first, or her brood of rambunctious children but she grew fond of them. She and Izuru bond over their control over waves and sea monsters.

Yuri is the one one she finds as a baby. She is a Deep Red Jellyfish that was separated from her pod by the ocean currents shortly after she was born. It’s actually Sara who finds her and insists that they take her in. Izuru is smitten with this little jelly and so are the rest of the them, as the baby of the group she is doted upon by her siblings.

And finally the Black Beauty Sisters, whom I am going to make anglerfish, specifically the Bufoceratias wedli. They have two anglers with two lures on its back, isn’t that neat? I think it fits their whole microphone tail thing they have going on. Anywho, I think these two come in last as teenagers when the family is well established (Sara and Gaito are adults, Maria and Eriru are teenagers, and Yuri is a tween). They’re looking to form a sea band (lol) because they’re teenagers (I’m thinking SheShe is 16 and Mimi is 13) and of course Maria and Eriru would be on board. And in true little sister fashion Yuri would want to join. And then before SheShe and Mimi know it they’re a part of Izuru’s little family.

Izuru & Fam:

Izuru & Eriru

Maria & Yuri

SheShe & Mimi

Bonus under the cut! Because this got out of hand quick lol!

Starting with Mikeru, I’m swapping him out from being an ancient clone to being half sea creature half panthasala. His mother was a panthasala woman and his father was a flying fish sea creature. So he’ll still have winds but they’re more ray-like than angel.

Next is Lady Bat, who instead of a being made of a bunch of bats, they’re a bat fish sea creature. They got kicked out by their family (because I headcanon Lady Bat as being non-binary) and Michel takes them in and never looks back. That is his child and no one will say otherwise.

Next is Lady Bat, who instead of a being made of a bunch of bats, they’re a bat fish sea creature. They got kicked out by their family (because I headcanon Lady Bat as being non-binary) and Michel takes them in and never looks back. That is his child and no one will say otherwise.

The next one is lanhua, whom he took from an aquarium. She was unhappy with her life and well how was Michel to allow her to suffer? As for Alala, she is a rosy-scales fairy-wrasse that just kinda showed up one day and Micheal was like 🤷‍♂️ ur my child now lol

The next one is lanhua, whom he took from an aquarium. She was unhappy with her life and well how was Michel to allow her to suffer? As for Alala, she is a rosy-scales fairy-wrasse that just kinda showed up one day and Micheal was like 🤷‍♂️ ur my child now lol

Micheal/Mikeru & Lady Bat

Lanhua & Alala

[lambicpentametre]

i just Tore through reading the grishaverse books (shadow and bone all the way to king of scars; i haven’t gotten my hands on rule of wolves yet) after finishing shadow and bone on netflix, and of course (of course!) it was enough to distract me from either of the two fics i’m supposed to be working on right now and actual schoolwork. so! :/ sorry to those of you who might be hoping for more elle alle voir content, this is decidedly Not that. whoops. 

be warned: spoilers for the shadow and bone trilogy and nikolai’s duology are ahead!

INTRO: this is a king of scars/ruin and rising AU wherein alina performed her “miracle” on the fold but then... disappeared. mal, unfortunately, is dead, and so is the darkling; his body was burned on a funeral pyre as in the book, but alina’s body was never recovered. all they found of sankta alina was the fetter of the sea whip’s scales in pieces. morozova’s colllar (and alina herself) were nowhere to be seen. instead, alina was subsumed into the phantom fold body and soul when she killed the darkling just like elizaveta stealing the darkling’s corpse and she’s been living in the fold for the past three years with the rest of the saints, most of whom scoff at her “sainthood” and belittle her whenever they get the chance (looking at you, elizaveta). i do like to imagine that eventually, alina and juris have a tentatively okay relationship, somewhere between alina’s relationship with botkin and her relationship with zoya by the end of siege and storm, i.e., i am going to hit you but only because i like you and i want you to get better at fighting but i can’t tell you that to your face so instead i will show you with this super awesome punch i learned, isn’t that cool? 

SET-UP: like sankta lizabeta and sankt juris, alina has also been performing miracles, specifically at keramzin and at her altar in the fold, showering the people in meteor showers every day at noon, bright falling stars that you could see even at the highest point of the sun. nikolai and zoya (and yuri) still make their pilgrimage to the various places that claim miracles on their way to the rosewood, and at keramzin they witness sankta alina’s miracle of light. of course, it only makes nikolai think of another night he watched the stars fall from the heavens with alina, and when he finally pays homage to the saint who saved him and his country, he’s blinded by a star heading straight for him. when the light finally disappears and nikolai lowers his hands from his eyes, he’s shocked to find he’s holding something he’d thought he’d never see again: the lantsov emerald, last seen in the possession of one alina starkov. this only lights an even brighter fire under nikolai’s ass to get to the fold, wherein he, zoya, and yuri are taken by the saints into the phantom fold. 

so with that super long intro/set-up, here’s a scene i wrote of alina and nikolai’s reunion, set right after nikolai et al. arrive in the fold. 

Nikolai watched nervously as Juris led Zoya away, leaving him alone with a woman he’d thought long dead.

“She’ll be okay,” Alina said, watching as he fiddled with the dirt-stained cuff of his jacket. “If Zoya can survive Baghra and the Darkling, Juris will be a piece of cake.”

“It’s not Zoya I worry for,” Nikolai said, thankful for the reprieve she offered him. “My general is a capable woman. I fear for Sankt Juris’ life.”

Alina smiled wistfully. “It’s nothing but a half-life we live here. A facsimile of existence.” She wrapped her arms around herself, staring out across the empty sands of the phantom Fold. 

She looked so sad and alone in that moment, it was all Nikolai could do to not sweep her into his arms, steal Zoya away, and spirit them all out of this dreadful place, wherever they were.

“Saints, Alina,” he said after a moment. “I missed you.”

When Alina looked back at him, he could see the tears shining in her eyes, and before he knew what he was doing, he’d crossed the room and gathered her into a crushing hug. That was all it took for the dam to break, for the second he’d pulled her to his chest, Alina began sobbing with a grief he could barely imagine. He held them both up as she trembled, petting her bone-white hair. 

As she finally quieted down and her cries subsided, Nikolai tucked her head under his chin and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. Alina took a deep breath, and he found himself following her. 

“I’m sorry it took me so long to find you,” he whispered. “If I’d known—” 

Alina turned in his arms, staring up at him. “You couldn’t have predicted this would happen. None of us knew what to expect. But you came when I called, and you’re here now, and we’ll get out of this together, us and Zoya and that twig of a priest you dragged with you,” she said, disdain for Yuri evident in her voice.

“With Sol Koroleva and Zoya so firmly against him, I’m not sure I’d want to bet on Yuri right now,” he laughed.

Alina pouted but then straighted up in his arms. “Well, when Zoya and I agree on something, we’re usually right.” 

Nikolai reluctantly let Alina go. The inherent warmth of the Sun Saint felt enough to banish the demon for a moment, and as soon as she stepped away he could feel the monster rising to the surface, as if to follow her. Like calls to like, didn’t the Grisha say? He could never be sure who it was, himself or the monster, but one of them grabbed her hand, and when she looked at him again, it felt like the sun breaking through the clouds after a violent storm.

“Nikolai?” she asked, worry perched on her brow.

“I… have something for you,” he said lamely. And though he did, the truth of it was he didn’t want her to leave him alone with the monster just yet. So he tugged her arm until she was standing before him and with his free hand reached into his pocket for the object that had sat there since he’d received it.

Slowly, gently, he pulled out the Lantsov Emerald and watched Alina’s face light up with recognition.

“Of course, it was already one of the flashiest pieces in the Lantsov collection, but now it’s been blessed by the Sun Saint herself,” Nikolai teased. “So I’m not sure I should give it back to you just yet, since you seem so intent on losing it.”

Alina was holding her breath. “I wasn’t sure it would work,” she said finally. “I didn’t know if it would— if I could—” 

Nikolai clasped their hands together. “Anything worth doing—”

“—starts with a bad idea,” Alina finished with a sad smile. 

“I love it when you quote me.”

She stared at the ring. “I was so afraid,” she began. “That it wouldn’t work, that you’d finally come all this way to see me and I’d fail. But it was the only way I knew to show you it was really me, that I was still here.

“To give it up, to give it back… It was the only thing I had left, and it felt like if I’d lost it—” 

Then I had lost you. 

Nikolai didn’t need to hear the words fall from her lips to know them. 

Alina looked away, but Nikolai brought their hands up to his lips and pressed a light kiss to her fingers to make her look at him again. 

“I kept it safe for you,” he said softly.

[shans-fic-recs]

Viktuuri Fic Recs

Hey y'all!! Thank yous to everyone who's looking at my shit, be it the main blog or this one. I have come forth to deliver you viktuuri recs this time!

⭐ Favourites are marked with stars⭐

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Ship : Viktor Nikiforov/Katsuki Yuuri

Fandom : Yuri On Ice!!!

▶️Fics

•  a glide in your step : Ah,Yuuri thinks as his skatestouch down on the ice, and even as Yuuko watches him it’s the weight of Viktor’s eyes he feels on his shoulder blades,I’m not ready to let this go.  

•  A Monster’s Harmony ⭐: Yuri has noticed it already, a long time ago. Viktor...is just such a presence inside his mind, inside his head, wherever he goes, a part of Viktor is always there with him... But now, that Viktor is his coach, keeping the two separated becomes so difficult. Viktor is his coach, of course, his idol, the man he admires like no one else. But Yuri is also a human. With human weaknesses and desires. Smut.

Absolutely one of my faves, the characterisation is beautiful and so so human.

•  and I feel life (for the very first time) ⭐⭐: In which Victor helps Yuuri with his skating, but Yuuri helps Victor find himself again.

•  Aniki : Yurio loses his phone and Yuuri helps him find it only to discover something supremely adorable. Super sweet. Background Viktuuri, kinda.

•  astronomy in reverse ⭐⭐⭐: yuuko mistakenly thinks viktor and yuuri are dating, yuuri tells viktor about it, and viktor wonders how much clearer he has to be.

•  Born To Make History : Sometimes Yuuri found it easy to wake up, glance to his side and see his beautiful husband laying right beside him, then simply move on and go about his day.

•  Five Kisses : Victor likes kissing Yuuri and Yuuri is frustratingly dense.  

•  gays on ink: an epic love story ⭐⭐: "W-where are we meeting, then?”

“I could just go to your house, Yuuri,” Victor offers, polite, because he’s perfect like that.

•  Hold Me Tight : Five Times Victor Hugs Yuuri, and the One Time He Doesn't.

•  i’m the desert, you're the shining sea ⭐⭐: Viktor Nikiforov has been performing for as long as he can remember.  

•  yuri the aggressive wingman ⭐: Yuri is done with Victor's shit. And he's done with Yuuri's too, fuck him. He's so done.

•  The fic where Yuri Plisetsky is grossed out by adults : Where Yurio realises that Yuuri is in love with Viktor and decides to help the idiot.

•  Take My Hand - Take My Whole Life Too ⭐⭐: Victor Nikiforov thinks he knows just who has their thoughts scrawled so carelessly on the back of his hand. He can only pray he is right. Soulmate AU.

•  stay young (go dancing) ⭐⭐: the one where yu-topia onsen caters a celebration party for viktor nikiforov's fifth world championship win, and viktor takes interest in the super hot waiter.

•  Seeing in Color : Viktuuri soulmate AU where you see colours when you meet your soulmate.

•  Praise Please ⭐⭐⭐: Viktor is a good coach. Strict, talented.

But Viktor is kind. He gives praise like a waterfall, overflowing and loud and it makes Yuuri drown.

Legit one of my all time faves. Praise kink.

•  Masquerade : (WIP) Viktuuri mafia AU that i literally can't put into words without giving spoilers. But it's ongoing. Read at your own risk!!

More to come! Stay tuned!♥️

Do tell me if any of the links don't open or are faulty, etc.

Last Updated : 23/07/2018

Feel free to send me your own recs and I'll include them in the list! Loves!!♥️♥️

[yukipri]

Mermaid World-Building Post 01

for YURI UNDER ICE: a Yuri on Ice mermaid AU

HEY so here’s my first long-ass world-building post for this AU! I did a lot of over-thinking while deciding how I wanted to depict mermaids for this particular AU and WHY, and how that goes into potential future plot ^ ^;

So a lot of rambling ahead, including some sketches of fish ladies to provide some visuals ^ ^

~~

This world-building post is for my YURI UNDER ICE Mermaid AU. Pilot chapter of the comic HERE!

~~

PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, EDIT, TRANSLATE, OR OTHERWISE USE MY ART. More detailed rules available on my Rules & FAQ Post.

~~

MORE OF MY YOI ART HERE.

~~

ONWARDS UNDER CUT!!!

VVVVVV

Well, well where to start? There was a lot of Thinking involved in how I wanted to portray mermaids in this particular AU. A lot of it may never even actually come up in the story, and others will hint at the directions I wanted to take it, but either way, here's a brain dump that I'll try to keep as organized as I can! ^ ^;

The mermaids in this AU draw heavy inspiration from the mermaids/sirens in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, including the concept art by Aaron McBride. Other inspirations include Orenchi no Furo Jijou (comedy manga/anime about a guy with a mermaid living in his tub) and The Shape of Water. (wow could I have chosen three more different inspiration base medias.. >.>;;;;) A lot of the rest of it was just me coming to my own conclusions about things.

The most basic of basics

There are tons of species of mermaids/mer that are as varied as the fish in the sea, and some of them are intelligent and social and interact with each other, others not so much. The following is just about the one particular species of mermaid that is the focus of this AU, henceforth just referred to as "mermaids," but be aware there are plenty of other kinds in this universe ^ ^

Mermaids, also referred to as sirens, are a species of highly intelligent, humanoid, aquatic, fish-like magical creatures. They are capable of using a variety of magic, the most crucial of which is adaptable shape shifting. Mermaids are predators, and will eat pretty much anything in the water, but also need to hunt and consume humans for their souls, which sustain their magic. Their humanoid and oftentimes feminine appearance evolved for the sole purpose of allowing them to better hunt humans.

Mermaids are also extremely social and live in groups called pods, usually made up mostly of their blood-related sisters. Pods have many specialized roles within them, and coordinating with sisters is crucial to efficient hunting and ensuring the safety of the pod. A legitimate pod always has at least three sisters, and a witch. Solo mermaids or groups of mermaids that lack a witch are considered rogue, and are potentially dangerous to other mermaids.

Mermaids must necessarily interact frequently with humans (in order to hunt them), but they also must protect their existence from humans. Mermaid pods follow basic guidelines meant to protect their species as a whole. While mermaid sisters usually remain within their own pod, communication and cooperation with other pods is also common and important, and legitimate pods may sometimes be called upon to help each other or control rogue mermaids.

Evolutionary Background and Feeding Habits

Our modern mermaids' ancestors were more just monsters of the deep, barely humanoid, but they still hungered for the richness of human souls.

After following ships to harbors, they saw the (primarily male) seamen beelining to prostitutes and other women on land, and thought Hey! we should try that!

They found that human men are stupidly gullible and easy to lure towards the water when they look even vaguely like human women. And thus they evolved and refined their craft to more efficiently lure straight men.

While mermaids are genderless, due to their social mimicry, most mermaids look and act more like women when in more humanoid forms and hence refer to their own species as "mermaids," and in human languages that have pronouns, often default to feminine. Despite using feminine pronouns, they consider it gender neutral when applied to themselves.

In terms of souls, women and other genders of humans aren't really that different from men, but many mermaids consider women subjects to learn from, sometimes even friends, and may abstain from eating them or find their flavor unappetizing. Some unusual mermaids may develop a taste for women specifically, often lesbians, or even change their mannerisms to specifically lure straight women or gay men. There is nothing that physiologically prevents mermaids from eating other genders of humans, and the preference for men is largely cultural and habitual.

Mermaids themselves rarely if ever feel sexual attraction (more on this later), which is all the more reason they consider seducing/sexually attracting their prey one of the most convenient forms of hunting. As intelligent and very human-like creatures, they can bond emotionally with humans as easily as they can with their own kind, which usually puts them off from eating them. Humans who are drawn by superficial physical appearance alone are ideal prey.

Mermaids are magical creatures who function outside of many laws of nature, so long as they can sustain that magic. Their particular magic is fueled by human souls. They can sustain themselves physically off of fish and other food (not that they don't eat human bodies....waste not LOL), but require a semi-constant intake of souls to retain their magical characteristics. These characteristics include the use of magic (including shifting and water manipulation), longevity, and ironically enough, even intelligence and humanity.

Mermaids are warned of the Dangers of Humanity from infancy. The more human souls they consume, the more powerful they become, yet also more human. When that humanity leads to wanting to get too close to humans, possibly even entering their society, and sometimes even becoming unable to see humans as a source of food, everything backfires.

Mermaids who do not eat human souls gradually lose their ability to shift along with most of their physical humanoid features. Their intelligence also fades, and eventually they warp into rabid monsters of the deep, much like their ancestors, and will attack and eat anything. Living in pods can help anchor mermaids and keep everyone sustained, and rogue mermaids face much greater risk of going "feral." Feral mermaids are dangerous not just to humans but their entire species, often acting recklessly and without fear of exposure, and other mermaids must organize to put them down. 

(feral mermaid/mermaid ancestor)

On mermaid magic

Shifting and mermaid physiology

Mermaids can use a variety of magic, but the most essential to this species is shape shifting. Shape shifting helps mermaids adapt to various aquatic environments and assists them while hunting.

The vast majority of mermaids, with the exception of witches and queens, can control various kinds of limited partial shifts which they can combine and phase between at will.

Upper body shifting

(feat. Yurio)

Mermaids always have a humanoid upper body, but how "human" they appear can change drastically. They can look almost indistinguishable from real humans (so long as they hide their tails), which is a necessity when hunting and luring humans. But in their more comfortable forms beneath water and when communicating with just each other, they often have more fish-like qualities.

Mermaids can shift their upper bodies (and only upper bodies) to look almost entirely human. The crucial giveaway is that mermaids lack nipples and navels (they're not mammal), and as such they usually use clothing or their long hair to hide the appropriate parts.

There's no evolutionary reason for mermaids to have breasts beyond looking like human women to hunt, so they don't actually have natural breasts, but rather flexible "blubber" that they can move from their tails to their chest area, in however amount they happen to want. When prioritizing swimming power, they'll usually shove their "breasts" back into their tails to reduce water resistance and provide more tail insulation.

Despite looking human, mermaids are very much NOT. Even while in human form, their senses are far sharper, and they are also incomparably stronger. Mermaids may also feel physically cooler to touch, and may feel a bit slimy and smell faintly of fish.

Some traits that mermaids may have when in their more natural forms include: Slit reflective eyes, second eyelids, multiple rows of razor sharp teeth, scales partially across body, pointed ears that can grow spines/fines, gills on neck and ribs, webbing between fingers and upper arms/torso, back spines/fins, retractable claws, and decorative drifting fins. All of these features can grow more exaggerated, or fade to completely to look more human at will.

The many fins on the upper body serve both practical and decorative purposes. Practical uses include helping control swimming direction or serving as breaks, and also flaring to look more intimidating. They can also be used to visually communicate with other mermaids, both as signals and warnings.

Mermaids in general are very vain, and beyond their use in hunting, are very particular about their physical appearances. Mermaid fins and scale colors are crucial to their personal identity, and many mermaids like showing off long, decorative fins when they're in a situation that can allow it.

Mermaids can shift between multiple respiratory systems, more human-like lungs that can breathe air, and neck and rib gills. Their choice of respiratory system is usually subconscious, and will depend on their current shifted form, their environment, and their activity. When hunting with bodies above water/moving through dirty water, mermaids may prefer to use human lungs and avoid filtering water. When swimming quickly in open water, mermaids will often use their shark-like gills which take in oxygen with their movement through water. Their neck gills can filter water even they're not actively swimming. Their gills are capable of filtering both fresh and salt water, but long exposure to extremely dirty water can make them sick.

Mermaid hair is also unique, and is somewhere in between whiskers and pseudo tentacles. They have slight nerves, and can be controlled to an extent, though default just has them swaying in the water. Mermaids subconsciously use hair to feel their surroundings, especially when visibility is poor, and also use them to check the proximity of their sisters when sleeping so they don't drift away. Twining hair together with their sisters can also reassure them. Hair can also be used as nets to trap small prey, or may even assist in blinding/choking larger prey. They can also flare out like fins to make the mermaid more intimidating.

*Not shown: Mermaids can also unhinge their jaws/expand their throats to consume larger prey, such as humans. This is a temporary shift, and when not actively using it, mermaids prefer more human-like jaw structure, as default unhinged jaws are a visual sign of feral mermaids.

Lower body shifting

Mermaids have three main tail forms they can take, and anything in between.

Open water:

(feat. Otabek)

(fins flared for steering)

(extent of flexibility; useless flopping on land)

In their open water form, mermaids have a more rigid spine, very little vestigial hips, not much waist, and no buttocks, everything is about being sleek. Their spines and necks in their upper bodies also have more limited movement, the assumption being that there's enough open space for them to turn their entire bodies to look around. Most of the body's blubber is packed into the tail to support it, and as such most mermaids have little to no breast blubber while in this form. Their dorsal and other fins are also shorter and stiffer than in other forms, getting rid of most of the decorative floof to act as more practical steering devices. Arms are mostly held at the sides while swimming, but they can open and the webbing beneath them used to help slow or direct movement. Mermaids prefer using their shark gills on their ribs to breathe in open water.

This body is most "dolphin-like," tail beating in an up-down movement. It's the fastest form by far at swimming, and also has the most swimming endurance. On the flip side, this form is almost entirely graceless and vulnerable on land and water that is too shallow to provide space to kick. Mermaids stuck in this form on land are basically beached dolphins who can't roll onto their backs and can only flop and wriggle. The least human-like, mermaids use this form when traveling and in open waters, but avoid it when hunting or cruising along coasts.

Shallow water:

(feat. Seung-Gil)

(side-to-side swimming; mobility on land)

In this form, mermaids have incredibly flexible spines that can twist and snake through water, much like eels or sea snakes. While they can twist in all directions, swimming tail movement in this form is usually side-to-side, or circling. Their tails tend to be longer than the more powerful tapered shape of the open water form. They can have slightly more humanoid bodies, including a hint of hips and waist. They may shift between respiratory systems, as this form allows the upper body to rear up to peek above water while keeping the lower body swimming.

While not as fast as the open water form, this form can still pack decent speed. Ideal for maneuvering through caves that require lots of twisting, or in more shallow water or narrow rivers with limited space as it doesn't require much space to propel itself forward. It can also move through water without causing much rippling, and is therefore well suited for situations that require stealth. This form is also surprisingly agile on land, capable of moving like a snake or coiling up things and gripping with enough strength to climb.

Human-like:

(feat. Chris)

(knees, curviness, and Butts)

This form is the one most often depicted by human media and is the most human-like, with clearly defined and bendable knees, hips, and and a butt. The "thigh" and "lower leg" proportions are much longer than in human legs, but still vaguely reminiscent of them. While still faster than any human swimmer, it is by far the least graceful form in the water, movement considerably hindered by the less than ideal shape.

Still, this form is useful for getting closer to humans and is therefore often used while hunting. This is the only form where mermaids have a "butt" and can sit (*iconic mermaid sitting on rock form*) and take on other more convincingly human postures. Some mermaids like this form while resting against physical things like rocks. Because this form isn't particularly fast or practical for swimming anyway, mermaids like letting out their most decorative drapey fins while in it. Their fins will overall be much softer and more flexible than in other forms, allowing them to sit and lie on them without discomfort.

While better than the open water form, this form isn't particularly graceful on land, as much as you'd expect from a human with bound legs.

It's no surprise that a lot of human media depicts mermaids looking like this despite how impractical it is; most mermaid sightings are of them in this form.

Completely human with legs:

Most mermaids are incapable of naturally shifting their lower body to a completely human form with legs without help, but can do it with assistance.

The pod witch can provide various temporary spells and charms. Most pods have one reusable physical charm made by the witch that can allow one mermaid to change their tail to human legs at will. The witch can manually put spells on other mermaids to give them temporary legs. Mermaids can also obtain legs through a kiss from their queen (more on this in Kiss magic).

Obtaining legs is different from all other lower body shifts because it essentially turns the mermaid actually human. They will have nipples and a navel, unlike in their humanoid body + tail appearances. Their ability to use magic may be limited until they return to mermaid form, though some mermaids become adept at using their magic even while human.

Because mermaids have no gender, and no X or Y chromosomes, the appearance of their human bodies is random. Meaning, mermaids in human form are equally likely to appear feminine/masculine/sometimes something in between, and that this may not be the same the next time they achieve full human shift. Most mermaids are not in human form often enough to have much preference beyond aesthetic.

All mermaid legs will automatically dissolve into tails when in bodies of water, but the threshold of what counts as "a body of water" may differ between individuals. Some mermaids' full human shifts may be able to remain even while in bathtubs or standing on ice rinks, while others will dissolve when stepping in a puddle.The exception to mermaids shifting to human is the queen, who can return to her original human form by simply shedding her tail. (more on this later)

Other kinds of magic

Water control - Mermaids have have limited control over water, and can use it to help propel them, or create small vortexes to help capture or confuse prey. Mermaids can also control the temperature of the water immediately around them, which helps keep them comfortable, but can also be used to create ice, steam, or fog. The amount of control and range of various water magic varies between individuals.

Bubbles - Mermaids can also create sturdy "bubbles," the membranes of which don't pop until the mermaid wills it to. Bubbles can be useful as storage for items they'd like to keep dry or separated from open water, and as temporary holding cells for humans or other oxygen-breathing creatures. They can also be used to contain and limit the movement of their young.

Healing tears - Mermaid tears also have limited healing abilities, the potency of which varies greatly between individuals.

Telepathy - Mermaids can also use limited telepathy and project memories and thoughts directly at other mermaids. The connection is stronger and more complex ideas transfer more crisply to members of their own pod. Mermaids use telepathy in combination with a variety of clicks/whale-like calls as their primary language.

Witch magic - The exception to all mermaid magic will always be witches, who are not only disproportionately stronger at other kinds of magic, but can also use spells and charms to protect and strengthen her pod. Just the presence of the witch being in the pod strengthens the magic of all of her sisters. Rogue mermaids can rarely use any water control or bubble magic, and their telepathy skills are also poor. The one thing the witch cannot do is give herself legs, which she can only obtain through a kiss from her queen.

The Kiss - There is a myth that a kiss from a mermaid can keep a man from drowning. Mermaids have the ability to grant a human the ability to breathe under water (opening gills in their necks) for 24 hours by willingly kissing them. This magic is primarily used on prospective queens to introduce them to living underwater with the pod before anything is made permanent.

Upon becoming queen, the queen herself also gains the kiss ability, but in reverse: a kiss from a queen can grant mermaids 24 hours in human form without the use of charms or spells from the witch. The kiss also applies to the witch herself.

(more on queens and witches in Mermaid World Building Part 02, pod social roles)

~~

~~

Aaaand that's part 1! It got too long so I had to break it up ^ ^;SO YEAH, I think you can probably see where some of this is heading, especially in conjunction to the Chapter 2 synopsis~! (on Patreon only!)

While I honestly don't remember much of the movie other than the mermaid bits, I really loved a lot of how Pirates did their mermaids. I think it makes a lot of sense that creatures who are known to almost universally look like beautiful women who seduce men...probably want to eat them LOL. It also makes sense that in order to do the seducing, they can look more human and less threatening, but that the illusion dissolves when it's no longer needed. While not exactly the same, if you haven't seen the film, here's a clip that sorta gives you the gist:

I also love a lot of the concept work that went into the film, such as THIS. I love how beautiful and ethereal yet also super creepy they look :D While not identical, a lot of the drifty fins are inspired by this and the mermaids that ended up in the film, and the over boob fins are definitely inspired by this, I just like how they look and feel they have a lot of potential flaring up over their shoulders ^ ^

There's a ton of amazing and creative depictions of mermaids out there, especially in May, and not a lot of it is necessarily meant to anatomically make sense, which is totally fine! I just like thinking about it ^ ^; I wanted to give plausible explanations for mermaids being fast up-down swimmers like dolphins (most fish are side to side), but can also have more flexible tails that don't really seem to have dolphin-like bones (see pg 2 Yurio of the pilot chapter lol), and of course the Knees that usually bother me quite a bit, but there's so much of it and also mermaids sitting on rocks to call out to sailors makes sense?? So in the end I was like EH how about they can do it all??? I hope my excessive detailing of their physiology seems justified ^ ^;

Part of the shifting is also, let's be honest, setting up convenient in-world excuses for the artist ^ ^;;; Explicitly stating that they're shifters lets me be inconsistent, or draw fancy fins only when space allows it, or skip them entirely if I'm feeling lazy LMAO Also while I DO think fish not having nipples/natural breasts makes sense, this is also admittedly artist convenience at not having to put awkward censors or risk having to tag nsfw on public posts ^ ^;

In terms of their magic, most of it came up while imagining their social interactions/how I want the plot to go with them and Yuuri. The water control stuff will be fun when they get to participating in skating with Yuuri. The magical tears and kiss are also from Pirates, though heavily reinterpreted.

Another reason for all the magic is that well, while I do really love stories about mermaids that kind of take a more, what-if-they-were-real-animals perspective (for example, Animal Planet's Mermaids documentary), for this particular AU, I wanted to go all out and just say there is MAGIC. I'll be talking a bit about mermaid tech in the next world building post bc intelligent humanoid creatures living in the modern age MUST have some kind of technology, but they use it in conjunction with magic that works completely outside of what makes sense.

The reason why I made all the round about explanations about Eating Human Souls instead of just eating human flesh is that well, any smart creature has to have SOME legitimate excuse for going after the most pain-in-the-ass, most likely to jump straight to genocide species as their main form of food, right? If you just want meat, eat something that won't flip out and has the means to methodically wipe out your entire kind. And well, a lot of mythological creatures want to eat people, and I figured that something intangible like Souls is a good enough excuse.

Not to be particularly philosophical, and not to say that other creatures don't have "souls" whatever this thing is, but I guess more the "essence of what makes humans humans"?? I'll talk in the next world building post of how mermaids consume and utilize human memories and emotions as well. idk, I'm feeling this out as I go too ahahaha ^ ^;

Aaaand hopefully the next part will go up soon! Part 2 (already posted on Patreon!) will introduce mermaid social roles! The part after that will specifically point out what all the YOI charas do (yep, their pod is the entire skating cast including Mila and Sara but minus Yuuri!). And also reproduction and merbabies bc yeah that's a thing LMAO

[timahina]

Metamorphoses (3)

It was meant to be simple. Yuri was never meant to fall in love and Serena was never meant to gaze on his face but alas, hardships had followed on the union of passion and soul.

Eros and Psyche AU

Pairing: Yuri/Serena

1 | 2

AO3

“Woe to the Gods!”

“Princess Serena was gobbled up by a sea monster!”

“I heard the very wind swept her away!”

“The earth split open and stole her away!”

“Didn’t she just get married?”

“To a monster though!”

“So young! So beautiful!”

“She died much too young!”

“So beneath her too.”

“Perhaps Serena shed her human skin and returned to Olympus!”

“Ah – then she was Goddess Ray!”

“No one else could be so beautiful!”

“Praise the Goddess!”

“Praise Ray!”

.

.

.

.

.

Ray couldn’t help but be giddy when the gossip had reached her ears regarding the wretched mortal and her tragic demise. All those wept in mourning for being denied the beauty of the fair princess before they went crawling back to her once-abandoned temples. Though Ray still felt some irritation regarding how they still considered that mortal and her one and the same. But she had to cut her losses somewhere. In due time, they’d return to her. For now, she sat upon a comfy cushion and plucked the rose petals from the one that Yuri had brought her into her tea.

A gift, he called it.

A lush red rose, and Ray smiled grimly for a moment; imagining him plucking and bringing her sacred flower was such a vile act that she wondered if her child was being sore on purpose. She expected him to come in a moment’s notice and spin tales of his deed, describing in great details the actions he had taken and perhaps even act out all he had done and saw. But no, instead he just arrived with a single rose and telling her it was done – treating her request as though it was nothing but a chore. He wasn’t as bombastic as she thought. Even if he originally wasn’t enthusiastic about such a task, she expected him to be much more uplifting than he was right now. Was there something on his mind? “Darling Yuri, I don’t believe you’re well today.” Maybe he ate something that disagreed with him?

“Huh?” His face contorted, confused by his mother’s misplaced worry and where it even came from. “I’m not ill, Mother. Aren’t I allowed to have quiet days?” Quiet indeed. There were many thoughts going through his mind, a prominent one being that he was hiding a rather important development in his life from her. Yuri wanted to talk about the night he spent with Serena. Talk about how he had a wife now. Ask how he was supposed to treat her. How he could gain her love and penetrate every thought in her mind without diving his arrow into her heart.

But he couldn’t, not without admitting he’d betrayed her. So silence was the only way to go and in return, the guilt had flooded him. It was best to avoid her gaze. Keeping his eyes downcast and dull was how to get through this meeting. For once, being near his mother was a chore.

“Hm, I suppose so…” Ray took a sip, carefully eyeing her son. Yuri was off – not nearly as animated as he could’ve been. She couldn’t help but feel concern for her son and what truly ailed him. Maybe asking him about the deed itself would make him talk. “Tell me, what manner of beast did she fall for?”

He remembered what he planned for her and he supposed the rumor was a winged serpent, that’s what she was led to believe. That’s what he heard. But saying that aloud to Ray would make her want to know more and there was only so much he could say. He merely shrugged. “... I dunno, one that reeked of waste. I turned away lest I woulda gagged right then and there.” Yuri explained with a cunning smile, feeling relief in a sense as Ray broke into laughter. Lyrical and pleasing to his ears, he endured her presence. Even as she started thanking and praising him, running her hands through his hair and urging him to lay his head on her lap, to be a good boy.

And normally, he lived for those moments and his mother’s sincere praise and her undivided attention. It relaxed him to spend time with her; he adored his mother.

But right now, it wasn’t what he wanted. What he wanted was to know how Serena was doing. His mind wandered to how his mortal wife had spent her morning in his home and imagined how she woke, imagine what it must’ve been like to see such an event. He wanted to watch the sun’s rays rouse her and his caress on her smooth skin to awaken her. To listen to her sighs of contentment turn to those embarrassed moans of the night previous. For now, that was a fantasy he needed to lock away.

Though it was a nice thought.

He wondered what she did look like in the morning, how disheveled her hair was and barely awake. It shouldn’t be a pleasing thought to wonder what this mortal girl looked like in private at her least attractive time. Yuri had seen her lost and pathetic, pleading in prayer and did not find her beauty as appealing as the starving masses. But last night, when her legs were open and her body bare before him - she was begging, unhinged and he found that a stunning sight.

But of course, she’d be alluring in the midst of sex. In the morning hours though?

He smirked; Serena would probably toss another knick-knack to his head for teasing her sloppiness. And he’d return in kind by pulling her forward and threaten to punish her for striking him. Nothing cruel… perhaps a simple game of denying her pleasure – maybe slightly cruel, but playful.

“Child, what are you thinking of?” Ray asked as her nails raked through his hair. “I’ve never seen you so relaxed.”

He was torn away from his fantasy and remembered where he was; not in his sacred grove and laying with his wife, but instead in his mother’s home. Her touch wasn’t as comfortable. Her nails were strange. Yuri whined as he gathered himself and scratched the back of his head in discomfort, standing up.

Serena also stroked his hair.

Her nails were different.

“... forgive me, Mother. I have business today.” He needed to get out and just… ponder for a bit.

Yuri ignored his mother’s confusion, her questions and ordering him to return and speak to her. He was being strange, he knew that. But it couldn’t be helped. The damned arrow and its effects had worked into his heart and made him burn. But this wasn’t a heated lust.

Was it normal for him to… want this girl in such a way that didn’t require making love? And another thing, why was he finding it difficult to think violently toward her?

He did it with ease before… well, ease before they turned into sexually charged fantasies which weren’t something he was used to. Yuri had never wondered about what his arrows did to people or how they acted; what was normal and how much of this was because of Serena and what was the arrow itself? And would this wear off? Were his days numbered in wanting her?

None of those thoughts burned him as much as the all-consuming longing to be back in her arms and have her fingers in his hair again.

 ---

 Serena stirred in her sleep, feeling the softness of the sheets and the bedding and the pillows continuously lulling her to a warm sense of security. She could feel the warmth of the morning in the room and the sounds of nature outside going about. For as comforted as she felt and relaxed her mind and body were, there was something… something not quite right.

She tried to move, just slightly to her side and nearly hissed in discomfort, her eyes shooting open. There was a soreness she had never felt before between her legs and she clutched tighter onto the sheets, her cheeks gaining an angry and embarrassed blush as she remembered the root of the soreness. Her enthusiastic husband and his insistence in love-making. Speaking of which…

Serena sat up, scanning the rather lavish room for her nameless and faceless husband. She wanted a name for him, hell – a face to him. To know who he was and perhaps see what their relationship could be built upon. Their first night was promising – he was attentive, sweet, gentle even… incredibly strange, but she’d expect that from someone who was meant to be a winged serpent. The room was rather nice, now that she was able to see it in the full daylight.

Across from the bed was a small trunk with a fine dress and a note. Her eyes widened, and she eagerly wrapped the sheet around her as she stood up and made her way across the room to grab the note. It was from Husband.

Don’t be scared I’m not there, I have business to take care of. I’ll return later. Explore to your new home to your heart’s content.

If there’s anything you don’t approve of, let me know and I’ll change it right away.

Oh, enjoy your dress – I hope it fits. I had to guess your measurements based on what I saw.

… by the way, I enjoyed last night Serena.

Love, Husband

Serena bit her lip, giddily jumping in place and pressed the note to her chest. She’d see him later and they could start off their new life. And the first gift she was given from him was a long sapphire dress that was soft to her touch with yards of fabric. She was used to fine clothing, even with her parents but this was… this was a different sort of extravagant – meant to cement herself as mistress of the household.

Ah, if she mistress now – she needed to get acquainted to the wait staff. Maybe they would tell her where this place was, what the people of the region were like. Whether they were a coastal town, or one surrounded by wilderness. Maybe even tell her about Husband. Hell, a brief description would be more than adequate at this rate.

Serena dropped the sheet and dressed herself as fast as she could, amazed by how snug the dress really was and how elegant she looked. Her mother would’ve gawked and praised her for how grown-up she looked. She did her best with her hair, pulling it up with a simple knot of her yellow ribbon before deeming her appearance well enough as the Lady of the House. She took a deep breath and left the room.

The first thing that she noticed the moment she left the room was how ornate the halls looked and suddenly her attire made sense to her. An expensive outfit only made sense when the house itself was practically a treasury. She was weary to walk on the floor – it wasn’t a simple marble floor but mosaic with complicated and interesting floral designs. She bent down, her fingers stretching out to touch and was surprised by the shine being from jewels.

Jewels, she was walking on luxury.

The walls were silver, actual silver and led up to a hand-carved ceiling, all of which was held together by golden columns. This was beyond the point of extravagance, feeling like every detail here was based upon appearance rather than functionality. Only the highest quality and beauty laid before her. She remembered how last night, when Husband told her how he didn’t care about her beauty and she thought it most heart-felt sentiment.

Now she wondered something different. If she was meant to be another fixture or she lacked the luster of her surroundings.

And every room she entered was the same. Every ornate fixture was more lavish than the next and each door made her more curious about who her husband was. What did he do for a living? What kind of riches and power he possessed?

But also.

How was this place maintained?

Including how large and rich it was – Serena also noticed how quiet it was. In her exploration, she had yet to see another face, friendly or otherwise. No chattering or footsteps or sounds of any kind. No signs of life. She finally made it outside and just like the inside, the garden was also decorated with statues and fountains and flowers of all kinds. There were none of those strange purple flowers from the day previous that made her tired.

But the smell of roses flooded the air. Serena lifted her dress slightly, walking along the set path and examining all the different types of lush shrubbery before seeing a gazebo and finding something rather odd. There was a table and one place setting all arranged neatly. There was even food set for her.

Freshly poured wine and hot food and lush fruit.

Serena turned around, hoping to see a servant skulking or rushing behind an unseen corner of the garden. But no, nothing but the bushes and her ears only detecting the soft breeze. She slumped down onto the chair, frustration and confusion taking over. Why was she alone? And when would Husband return to her? Her anxiety wasn’t helped by the vast and quiet landscape she found herself in.

Instead, she ate in silence – taking small bites and sips, catching every little bit of movement in her peripheral vision and every tiny noise. She hadn’t realized how much louder everything was when only nature were her surroundings. No other such persons or animals or anything of the kind, almost as if she were abandoned.

It was almost like a dream.

Even after she left the table and wandered about the gardens, the grove, and the house itself; Serena couldn’t help but liken this to a dream where she was whisked to a faraway mansion whose master was a winged creature with a name and face unknown to her, occupied by no one else. In fact, had it not been for the very real soreness she felt – she would’ve still thought this to be a dream. After all, what else could she think of it as?

When will he come back?

She wanted to ask him questions. Who was he? What was he?

As the sun set higher in the sky and there was still no sign of Husband, Serena began to question if he could only arise during the night time hours. He said he’d be back later, that he had business to take care of. And perhaps there was truth in that statement. Her sisters had complained the same about their husbands and how they were often called away for nearly the whole day. But she hadn’t known what type of business this was – did it involve a trade of some kind?

She sighed.

… then again, there were animals that were nocturnal and perhaps that was the category he fit under. She grimaced at such a thought. A winged serpent, why was he called that?

“He’s a dick!”

Sora’s words rang in her head and now she was beginning to wonder whether that was meant to be playful or a sincere warning.

“This place is way too big…” She mumbled as she finally found the master bedroom again. At least, what she assumed was the master bedroom – it was the room she was brought to so it had to be. Where else would they sleep?

The bed had been neatly made and a small table with dinner for one; a meal just for her and her favorite dish on top of that. There had to be someone in this mansion!

But as much urgency as Serena felt to find someone, she also wanted to sit. Sit and eat and possibly wait for Husband to return. And the more she told herself to be patient, the angrier she got. The more she stabbed her food. The deeper her eyebrows furrowed, her jaw tightened, and she clenched her teeth from the sheer frustration she felt over how passive she forced herself to be.

He’d been gone all day and there were a number or excuses she could make up in her head for why this was happening but all she wanted was just someone else there. It was just like she never left home…

The sun was setting now. And she settled for watching the daylight ebb away and the hues of purple and pink and orange filled the sky. Maybe she would see another snake flying across her balcony and she would be carted away to another faceless being. Was this just her life then? Being shuffled because of strange signs fluttering across the sky?

She closed her eyes, trying to envision a face for her husband. A hopefully pleasant one but she had turned bitter and eager from the long and lonely day that she imagined the uneven smooth skin of that scar on his chest reaching upward toward his face, thinking of it as a large gash that encircled his body. Maybe his eyes were uneven and his nose crooked. Maybe he wanted the lights off because he thought she wouldn’t let him touch her if she saw him for what he was. And if so, a heavy sadness filled her heart. Perhaps she needed to make him understand…

Serena felt a sudden warmth against her back and a familiar touch on her face as a pair of hands covered her eyes.

“Guess who?” Her heart raced; he returned! She didn’t know how to react; relieved? Joyful? Angered? Annoyed? There were a myriad of thoughts rushing to her head from the day and none were as urgent as the feeling of longing increasing in her chest. It was overwhelming how his lips felt tender against the back of her neck, the soft caress made her lean forward and grip the bannister for support.

He was back.

He was there.

This wasn’t a dream.

She wasn’t alone.

He didn’t leave her.

Serena started to shake, the realization of how real this was hitting her at long last and tears sprang in her eyes, sobs building up in her throat. It was so pathetic, and she hated the sheer vulnerability.

She wanted to yell at him – scream at him for abandoning her on their first day together, leaving her without a name or face – nothing but vague words of a return and a pretty dress. There were too many words lodged in her throat. Words of anger and resentment and sorrow – too much all at once. And she only managed to speak one little phrase. “… I missed you.”

The next few moments were a repeat of the night before as she was whisked away inside, finding herself on her back and sprawled on the soft bed once more. But it was his passionate and heated kisses on her skin, whispering to her how he missed her. How he longed for this.

“I’ve thought only of you… all day, Serena.” His tone was deep and throaty – desperate and her heart throbbed as a familiar heat rushed between her legs. Her body felt feverish and ached, a different sort of pain weighted her as his fingers were pulling at the fastenings of her dress – much gentler this time around. There was no tearing of cloth on his end.

For her, on the other hand… Serena couldn’t get at his body fast enough. She wanted to be filled with him, every last bit of her to be overwhelmed. She didn’t want to think anymore – instead, wanting to be lost in the feeling of a lavish dream in the arms of someone who wanted her. Most importantly, Serena needed to remind herself this was no dream, but he was real.

“You came back.” She cried against him, pushing until she flipped their positions and she straddled him, her dress falling and draping over her hips. It was so dark, and she couldn’t see him, only feel the tips of his fingers digging and bruising her skin as he pushed himself up, nipping at her skin.

It was… slightly awkward. All Yuri had expected when he came back was to bed her again, a simple repeat of the night before. Not finding her nearly breaking down on top of him and her body shaking not from pleasure. This wasn’t right. “Eh… why are you crying?” His breathing was heavy, and his own body protested that he slowed to a stop. But he was confused. She should’ve been happy so why the tears? “Am I hurting you or…?”

Serena shook her head, merely allowing her fingers to comb through his hair to assure herself that he wasn’t a mere figment of her imagination, that he was really there. She wasn’t simply abandoned but he did in fact come back. “No… I’ve… I’ve just missed you. A lot.”

“… I was only gone for a little bit.”

“It was all day.”

The concept of time was lost to him. What was time to a deathless one? “My apologies, Serena. I would’ve thought you’d be occupied with exploring or something. You weren’t bored, were you?”

That’s what he thought, that she was just bored? Not that she was possibly losing her mind. “… I was lonely.”

“Well,” his fingers were gentle on her skin as he wrapped his arms around her waist and their bare chests pressed together. He could almost feel her heart and its rapid beating. “I’m here now, so none of that crying.” His lips were soft, and she relished in the gentle kisses in between his words.

Her mother had said that same thing and she turned away, her eyes solemn. “Because my face will turn all red and puffy?” And he wanted to keep the illusion a little while longer on how beautiful she was, not allow the veil to be lifted. He wouldn’t want to see her in an unattractive state – maybe that’s why he stayed away all day.

Yuri snorted. “I mean – sure, whatever but you’ll get a headache and that’s no fun. No wife of mine should suffer in that regard.”

Pain.

He was worried about pain.

Her in pain, specifically.

Serena could’ve laughed. Or cried. Maybe both if she were truthful. But she didn’t allow him to say anything more, not as she kissed him – hard, wantonly and he returned in kind with a more experienced touch.

Another night of tumbling in the sheets with their moans and gasps filling the room, the air becoming hot as Serena felt herself become lost in his embrace and Yuri sinking deeper into his madness. And when it was all said and done, she collapsed on top of her husband’s heaving chest with her face buried in the crook of his neck with her hair splayed out over her shoulders. He wanted to go on, he had the energy to and he was certain she did as well – but there were words to be had.

And Serena was to first to say them as she lifted her head and rested her chin on his chest. “So… where were you today? What kind of business calls my nameless husband for all hours of the day?”

“Oh, same old – just my day job and visiting family, specifically my mother.”

It was the most unspecific description and yet, Serena found herself enthralled, fascinated to his mundane events. “Oh? Tell me about them, I want to know.”

“I guess you could call me a hunter. In fact, I am the world’s greatest hunter and shot!”

“Bold words!” Serena laughed as she rose up slightly, pressing her lips against his. Playful and full of laughter, it was a series of quick kisses before he gripped her waist and reversed their positions. “I bet I can shoot better than you.”

His eyes brightened up and Serena could almost see a glow in the darkness, something energetic and enticing. “You can shoot?” Even his tone matched the giddiness.

She wrapped her arms around him, her fingers caressing his hair and nails lightly scratching and she felt him utter relax and melt atop of her. “… eh, I have once.” Once, when she was a child and she nearly hit her father’s knee. From then on, she was never allowed to hold anything with a pointed edge every again. But her husband didn’t need to know that. “You should take me out hunting with you, see how my skills compare to yours.”

It was a hilarious image to say the least. Serena in tow as he shot unsuspecting mortals and Gods with his poisonous arrows. Hell, even allowing her to draw his bow and unleash an arrow under his guidance was a vision he wanted to make true. Seeing her jump in glee and excitement from hitting her target and her eyes would be wide as she reveled in her success and he’d be too lost at such a sight to care about her proper form. “One day, we can do that.”

She beamed and gave him a quick kiss. “Alright, World’s Greatest Hunter is your title. Husband is your name…” He snickered and leaned down, nipping at her ear for her teasing as she pushed at him. “Oh! You visit your family?”

His jaw tightened but thankfully, his face was too low for her to see how tense he had become. “… sometimes, yea. You wouldn’t want to meet them.”

“Aren’t I supposed to?”

… shit!

“… Eh, I mean... I didn’t meet yours, so I guess we’re even on that front.” Yuri was hoping to remain cool even though inwardly, he was screaming and going into a mild panic – holding back a laughter of hysterics. Of course she’d ask about family!

He heard her pondering and humming, drawing patterns on his back with her nails. Every moment had become increasingly slower and stifling, yet her touch grounded him. The grandest of contradictions. “I guess… I bet yours celebrated your marriage. They carted me off like I was dying. ‘Poor Serena is marrying a winged serpent!’ they all cried…!” She felt around his back and felt nothing but smooth skin and furrowed her brows. There were no wings. And he was hardly serpent-like.

Yuri held back his laughter as much as he could. “Ahaha… celebrated isn’t what I’d call it. I actually think I’m the cause of pity.” Or at least he would be if they knew he married a mortal woman - pity Yuri who married the bane of his mother’s existence! “Marrying someone who is probably a better shot than me.” And Serena laughed, pushing at him till their positions switched and her mouth was on his in a lazy, drawn out kiss.

He could have whatever pity or spite they spat at him, this was comfort he felt beyond what he felt in the arms of his family.

 ---

 The days had begun to follow a routine.

Yuri would leave before Serena woke up to a gift by her side rather than her husband’s warm body and she spent the day wondering if this was the day that her husband would finally leave her before he returned at sunset. Lifting her into his arms where they spent the night making love.

Her anger always subsided in those moments because he was there. He was real and, in her arms, and it was the only company he’d given her. She wanted to be angry but, in those nights, the rage had calmed and instead succumbing to her desire for her unseen husband was easier, much more enjoyable. And afterwards, he’d try to talk to her. Try to get to know her.

But she could never shake that awkwardness how it was almost backwards.

“Could I get a pet here?”

Serena laid atop of her husband, her cheek resting on his shoulder as the tips of his fingers were stroking her arm. The sheet had long been abandoned and by now, any sort of shame she felt toward being naked was gone. It didn’t matter anyways – it was too dark. “A pet? No, too loud – too needy.”

“Eh, but you’re needy too.”

“Hm… but I am your husband, I’m supposed to be. And besides, I’m needy in a different way.” Yuri kissed the top of her head, laughing as she sat up slightly and slapped his shoulder for his words. He wasn’t about to fight her for that, it was very much well-deserved. “You’re not needy though, Serena. As much I’d like you to be…”

Maybe now she could ask him.

Every night, she had the opportunity.

And every night, it slipped through her fingers and fell onto the mosaic floor along with their clothes and her inhibitions. But she shouldn’t have to ask. Not for this simple gesture. “Actually…” Serena sat up completely and Yuri followed suit, missing her warmth but understanding the seriousness in her pause. “There is… one thing I’d like.”

His eyes widened, and his hand grasped hers, raising it to his lips as he kissed her knuckles. “Name it. Whatever you like, I’ll scour the earth to give it to you.” That’s what he wanted; her pleasure and happiness. He wanted to be the cause of it all and if there was something he could do to fulfill it, he would. “What would my dear Serena like?”

“… turn on the light.” His touch started off firm. Then loosened until he dropped her hand and retreated his own, turning his head away. That was the subject he’d been hoping to avoid and for a while, he’d been good at it… but alas, all good things must come to an end. “I just want to see your face.”

“No.”

His curt tone; it cut her deep in ways she hadn’t expected, and Serena dug her fingers into the bedding to try and steady herself. “If you think I’ll judge you, I won’t! I don’t care what you look like…”

“I said no.”

“Why?”

He couldn’t answer her that. Not in the traditional sense. He exhaled sharply through his nose as he swung his legs to the edge of the bed, with his back facing her as he gritted his teeth. “… I should’ve been honest but… you can’t ever see my face.” It was something Yuri knew he should’ve laid down this boundary their very first night and every night afterwards, but he’d been sinking deeper into her emerald eyes and taken in by her warm lips. “It’s for your safety.”

“Safety!” Serena repeated and sighed in frustration, swinging her legs over to the other side of the bed and grabbed her dress. She wanted to crawl out of her own skin and hide away in the darkest reaches of the earth. “The hell does that even mean?! What kind of lame, pathetic excuse…!” The irritation was eating away at her. Every night he had come to her and they’d tumble about on their bed – the only proof that she was loved and remembered even for each morning came the same thing. She’d be welcomed with a note and some new gift. And not a friendly face in sight.

Least of all, his.

She didn’t trust herself to remain in his presence, standing up from the bed – ready to leave the room before she was grabbed by her wrist and pulled downward. Her back hit the mattress and she hissed at the sudden impact, finding Husband on top of her and holding her down. “It means exactly that – you must trust me.”

“Hell no!” She tried to wriggle free, her arms and legs wriggling, and she heard him whine in pain. It was all the same. This arrangement of hers… it was no different. Everything was the same as before except now she had a bed to warm. Everything in this new home was beautiful to her senses and that’s what she was – meant to be the final finishing touch. “You can’t ask what you can’t deliver!”

“Ok – you’re being unreasonable. Anything I ask of you, I will do the same. I ask you trust me, love me and I shall-”

“You don’t love me!”

He huffed; now she was talking back in the most disrespectful way. Yuri couldn’t help but be irritated – he wasn’t used to being talked to in such a way. And for her to accuse him of not loving her… he didn’t know whether to be shocked or angered by such an accusation. And worse, neither were the dominant emotion coursing through him. No, as his eyes widened and his grip on her loosened, the only thing that could penetrate his burning flesh was… Yuri couldn’t describe this pain, but he was hurt.

He wanted to prove her wrong, to speak of his undying love – to tell her that he disobeyed his jealous mother to save her, went above and beyond his duty as a God to whisk her away to his home and watch over her. That he could’ve rained down flaming arrows to strike down her father upon hearing he nearly stuck her – that only her smile calmed him, that every moment he spent away from her was another moment he was unnerved and anxious.

All he felt for her was love. How could it be anything else?! What else would describe this madness that reached far beyond wanting her in his bed, that compelled him to speak so kindly to her, treat her as though she were divine and act like he was blessed upon a simple glance from her? What else was it if not love?

“… take that back.” It was all he could say for his throat had gone dry. There were no words describe the sheer about of anguish he felt from seeing her so upset and he hated himself for every last little bit of it. “Take it back right now, Serena!”

Serena, however, was far from done as she pushed him away – trying to get away from him the best she could. “You don’t love me.” She spat at him again, repeating it over and over as she watched his expression change from shock to a near rage. The way his lip furled, his jaw tightened and could almost see a twitch in his eye. “You’re not capable of love, even if you struck down by a poisonous arrow!”

The thoughts of strangling her as she slept; those had gone away after the second night with her. Yuri couldn’t even grasp the concept of bringing her pain, hence why this moment of watching her angry tears run down her cheeks brought him such sorrow.

A poisonous arrow… Yuri could’ve laughed. He never knew he was capable of love, not until such an event did in fact happen to him. And for certain, he couldn’t tell whether he regretted that fateful accident or not. “… and you? You think you’re so high and mighty, my dear? You’re just a mortal, what do you know of love?” Kind words were all he had whispered to her but right now, he was angry and wanted to speak freely – more of what was familiar.

Mortals were not capable of love – they only knew the shallowest of concepts of love and affection, confusing a passing fancy with a burning passion until they were sated. In fact, Yuri was half-tempted to do just that. To strike her down with one of his arrows and watch the obsession take over her very being – every thought consumed with touching him, her body trembling at his sight, her thighs soaked from his voice alone…

She would know what madness he felt and feel it tenfold. And then he’d have her trust. She would never question his love and loyalty; spending the rest of her days atoning for doubting him and cling to him and his wishes.

Yuri would know peace and Serena would be happy.

And that’s what he wanted, her happiness.

But…

The sight of her eyes widening and the soft gasp of disbelief she let out – it filled him with regret. “… forget I asked.” He muttered, gathering his clothes and dressing himself before flying out the window. In the distance, he saw the lights appear and wondered if Serena was happier now – rid of him for the night.

 ---

 Maybe it was a good thing; their first fight. All the other Gods and their consorts had arguments and fights on the daily, volatile enough to shake the very core of the earth and they seemed to get along fine at the end of the day. Their unions ultimately stronger due to the ferocity of the spat. He should celebrate this milestone! It was normal among across all his relations. Hi

But then why… why did his heart weigh so heavy?

This kind of thing was disgraceful, especially for a God of his status. He was the God of Lust – how could he have a hitch in his marriage? Love was his forte, his very being. Nothing should be going wrong. But something was off. No matter how many times he had her in the dead of night, make her reach ecstasy in his arm… Yuri never felt her suffering that same madness that infiltrated his heart and body.

He wanted help in some way. Advice on how to have some sort of functionality in his marriage. But the person who would have the best advice for what he wanted was his mother. If he went to her for advice, he might as well deliver Serena’s body to her temple and prepare for a violent lashing. The other Gods… they would laugh, and gossip and it would inevitably reach Ray and the same outcome would arise.

All in all, there was no refuge for him.

But… but there was one God he could think of.

One that would keep his secret thus and be helpful. But…

“Oh, brother dear! Where are you?!” Yuri exclaimed at the top of his lungs as he unveiled his wings, raising his bow upon sighting a loving couple. They were walking hand in hand, slow and cooing and sweet. It sickened him to his stomach – what a sight. It was almost too pure. Maybe… maybe if he gave the man a case of a wandering eye and disrupt the happiness that enveloped them.

A slight bitterness in his gut – why did they have no problems?

His fingers twitched, and the arrow was released. However, before the poisoned arrow could reach the mortal – another arrow of lead shot in its path and diverted it, causing it to strike a wall instead and dissipate from the loss of a target.

Found him…!

Yuri turned around and grinned, there he was! The owner of the second arrow stood atop another building and Yuri put away his bow, flying up to meet his fellow bowman. “You’re almost too easy to find, Yugo. Predictable as always – defender of pure love, never letting me have my fun!”

Yugo huffed, removing another arrow from his quiver and raising it – the arrow aimed right at his head. “Your idea of fun is a load of crap, fuck off already!”

He raised his hand over his chest and made a mock gasp, pretending to be offended by his brother’s words. “That’s not very loving, Mother and Father would be so disappointed at us not ge-”

“The hell you want? I got shit to do and don’t got the time to listen to you preaching at me.” Yugo interrupted him, his annoyance completely built up and practically overwhelming. It was always like this whenever he and Yuri were within arms reach of each other. But it wasn’t his fault – it was Yuri, always Yuri! The God of Lust held the most dangerous weapon in his hands and he wielded it like a children’s toy – how the hell was he the younger of the two?

Yuri raised his hand, touching the tip of the arrow with his finger and hissed in pain. Even the slightest prick sent a shooting jolt straight through. It was different than the burning sensation that his arrows caused – this one was pure pain. But then again, these arrows were one of vengeance, in defense of lovers while his were of desire. Different weapons for different outcomes. “You’re uh… you know a thing or two about happy couples, right?”

He had yet to put down his weapon and Yuri realized it was going to be incredibly difficult to hold a conversation with him this way. A great sigh passed through him.

The silence on his end was irritating and the scowl was less than encouraging.

“You know, for a God of Requited Love – I’m not feeling any from you.”

The scowl increased, and Yugo finally put down his arrow – Yuri felt it was a sign that his little brother was going to be amicable toward him as he put away the arrow to the quiver and put back his bow… at least, he thought until he removed a club of gold from his belt. “Really? Let me beat it into you!” Yugo swiped at him and immediately, Yuri dodged, flying forward and knocking Yugo onto his back as he pinned his wrists to the ground.

“Hey! I come in peace!”

“Lies!” Yugo yelled as he kicked and struggled for his freedom, trying to gather the strength to smack Yuri with his club. It always ended up in some petty, brutal fight and he wanted to come out of it the victor. “Get off!”

“Look – be quiet! I need… I need advice!” It would’ve been better to take the whack to the head – to simply have blood gushing onto the ground than debase himself as low as this. A noble God such as him should never look for wisdom or council.

Yugo was floored, stopping his flailing around and stared at Yuri with the most bewildered of expressions. “I… wha…?” He didn’t hear him right. That had to be it! Yuri was too prideful and spoiled to even know what that word meant. This was probably something Mother had forced him to do – to find and ask him for some unruly favor.

But from the look on his older brother’s face, the uncertainty and the way his hands squeezed tighter onto his wrists… no, he was serious and worse.

Perhaps a godly intuition but there was something strange in Yuri’s demeanor. There was a speck of light in his purple eyes, a fleeting and fragile amber speck that was dim in the light of day. It was easy to recognize – he had seen the same speck in the lights of all the mortals that fell under his protection, the same speck he saw in the mortal that Yuri nearly cursed.

How did Yuri… and who…?

He wanted to deny this and think he was mistaken. But he was a God of Love. That was his territory. He knew what love was when he saw it and the eyes of those who were in love. And what he saw in his eyes… it wasn’t that demonic madness that Yuri reveled in.

With a great sigh, Yuri released his brother’s wrists and sat across from him. “Swear you won’t tell anyone, especially Mother.”

Yugo sat up in complete shock, his jaw practically hanging open. “She doesn’t know? You don’t have her blessing?!” Such blasphemy!

“That’s not the point! Just… give me your word.”

“Ugh, fine. I swear on my honor as a God and all that shit – now tell me! Who is this? Do I know them? Please tell me they ain’t married, that don’t end well.” The worst part of having an unpredictable brother was the headaches that ensued over actions such as this.

“She is married, to me, actually.”

Yugo’s eyes widened – the shock was nearly too great to bear. He hadn’t realized it was so serious. “You… got married?!” The words alone left a bitter taste in his mouth and the idea was rancid in his head. He almost didn’t believe it. He didn’t want to believe it. And more insulting, he was coming to him for advice. If Yugo had any sense in him, he would tell him to fly out of his sight immediately and never to bother him with his drama. Surely, he was inviting plague and danger to his doorstep.

And to ask to keep a secret from mother – she, of all people should know this.

But he was hiding it from her.

There was reason for that. At least some kind of rationale, he hoped. He wanted to ask, to be explained the entire sordid affair and how it came to this point. But... Yugo groaned heavily and dropped his club in a loud clatter on the ground. “Fine, I cave. What’s your problem?”

That was unexpected. Yuri half-expected his brother to beat him upside the head before entertaining any prospect of listening. But he wasn’t about to complain, not when he had so little fortune. “I… there’s a disconnect, I guess, between us. And I want to breach that.” Every night, Serena was in his arms. She hadn’t pushed him away and she was always pleased to see him, happy and smiling around him. And yet, there was something insincere. “I don’t raise my hand to her – hell, I find myself being kinder to her than anyone else I’ve known.

There was something missing. An element he didn’t understand. As far as he knew, their marriage was perfect. No obvious flaws…

Yugo scoffed.

“Hey, quick question – why are you telling me this and not her?”

He was taken aback by such a question. “Because… you’re the best person to ask? What kind of question is that? Are you denying your own expertise?”

Yugo shook his head and grinned. “No, but you showing off how dumb you are.”

“Like hell I am!” Yuri dug his nails into his palm from sheer frustration alone. “I’m here because-”

“-you’re being a big baby, that’s what’s happening.” Yugo interrupted him and before Yuri could open his mouth in protest, Yugo lifted the club and whacked his brother’s hand with it, silencing him before his argument could begin. “Now you listen here – this is the best advice you’re gonna get. Just go back and talk to this girl. I don’t know what you’re not telling me, but you’re not telling Mother about this marriage. Which means you’re hiding a shit ton from her – and she’s your wife, damn.”

And that struck a chord with him.

He was…

He was not being a good husband. He was not showing his love, merely telling her over and over again. Merely expressing it in a physical manner. That was what he knew love was but… that wasn’t what she needed.

And for that, he was a fool. More so, he needed to be back at her side – to rectify what he could.

 ---

 When Serena awoke that morning, she was alone again. But this time was different. Every time prior, the side of the bed was still warm as though Husband had stuck around until the last possible moment. Now though, there was no sort of warmth. It was only cold and her mind was heavy and weighted down with the night previous. She wanted to get up, knowing it would be better if she did get up but sadly, she was better to stay in bed.

It matched her mood.

That and… she wasn’t sure how to react. Part of her wanted to cry and apologize but that was being overridden by the urge to scream and fight – as much as she did the other night. Another time her mouth had gotten her in trouble. Maybe if she had calmed down and listened… no, he was being unreasonable. Much more than she!

It wouldn’t even be enough to scream into her pillow or punch it or throw things.

But it could help.

And that was motivation enough for Serena to sit up and grab the first thing she could get her hands on – a lamp sitting idly by the nightstand. Something she has yet to make use of since Husband announced his arrival under the cover of darkness. She was prepared to grab it and toss it across the room and smash it into a thousand little pieces until she heard a knock at the door.

The knock made her drop the lamp at the bed and she stilled. Who the fuck…?

“Who is it?!” She shouted with a hostile tone. Perhaps she should’ve been a little more welcoming, but another person’s presence was something she wasn’t used to during the day. And by now, she wasn’t sure how to react regarding company anymore.

“… it’s me, Serena. Your husband.” The slight muffled response made Serena jump out of bed, throwing the blanket and sheets completely off her and running toward the door. “Wait a moment!” Upon hearing her rushed footsteps, he rattled the door as though he pushed his entire weight on it. And she stopped in front of it, her hand gripping tightly to the knob. The sun was up. Her husband was on the other side of the door. And even now… he refused to be seen.

Serena raised her fists and pounded on the door, causing it to shake as she slumped to the ground. The frustration was a different kind.

“… why are you doing this?” Her nails scraped at the cedar wood. Her husband was on the other side and yet she never felt more alone. Maybe this was why he was called a winged serpent. He seemed to whisk himself away at the most crucial of moments. Maybe he was just a monster. “You find this funny, don’t you? No, worse – I’m just another ornament here, like your floor and treasures and…” Her chest grew heavy and she heaved, grabbing the knob for support. “Why did you marry me?”

The silence on the other end was stifling. And for an instance, she regretted asking. What kind of answer did she expect? He married her because an oracle told him to. It was because she was the most beautiful – cursed by the Goddess Ray. Because he only sought the most note-worthy of treasures and she matched the details of his home. Because she was a trophy. How was she supposed to believe or trust otherwise…?

“Because I… I hated you.”

Her eyes widened.

That wasn’t… she didn’t expect that.

“Or rather, I wanted to hate you. But the more I was in your company, the less I could even find the desire for anything else but...” She heard a thud and the door rattle; he too was on the ground, same as her. Even without being in the same room, Serena could feel the frustrations from the other end and how the tension was thick. “I’m not someone that’s rich in emotions, Serena. This isn’t exactly the normal thing for me.”

“And you think locking me up was the best-?”

“I wasn’t trying to.” He sounded annoyed and she was nothing but confused. She wanted the door open and for him to come in. Or for her to go out into the hallway with him. Anything to see whether or not Husband was sincere or if he was lying through his teeth to be back in her good graces and her bed. “Like I said, this is for your own good.”

Serena turned a bit, placing her back against the door and sighed – closing her eyes. It was almost as though she could feel him. Maybe if she slipped her fingers under the door, she could feel his own. “… my parents did that. They locked me up at home for my protection too. I didn’t really have friends or… it was lonely, Husband. I’m lonely. And the accommodations here make it worse because you’re not here most of the time.”

On the other side of the door, Yuri sighed and tilted his head back on the wood. Maybe if he slammed his head hard enough, sense would return to him. He could feel her on the other side, almost feel the warmth radiating from her fingers under the door. He wanted to sneak a stroke, just something comforting under the door but was certain she’d jerk away from him. And for good reason. “Aside from my family, I…” I don’t have friends either.

An embarrassing truth.

He had struck fear and resentment into the hearts of the Gods and in turn, they all steered cleared of him. But it was fine because there was always his mother paying attention and coddling him. That was fine. And he thought that was all she needed – him there to comfort her and protect her and shield her. That’s what he thought love was.

There was much more than a desire to touch her for sexual reasons. He wanted to see her smile, hear her laugh, watch as she fumbled shooting an arrow. Memorize every last little quirk of hers. The true horror of his poisoned arrow was becoming clear. It wasn’t merely an arrow clouding the victim’s mind with lust and a descent into madness. No, it was much more than that. Yuri had to feel the effects of the poison slowly.

It wasn’t merely lust.

No, he was in love. And he had wanted to deny and push it away as much as he could. But as much as he was in love with her, Yuri hadn’t done much to earn her love. No, he took her away and hidden her from the world. Hid his name and face. How was she supposed to love a shadow?

“I… you accused me of not loving you, Serena but… that’s nothing further from the truth. How can I prove it to you?”

That’s what Yugo tried to tell him.

Without trust, there is no love.

He needed her trust.

There was a long pause and a flood of scenarios came to mind. Serena would probably ask to reveal his name and face. But he wanted her love first, to have it within his grasp before revealing she was wedded to a God. Maybe to return her home – a devastating option. For him to abstain from touching her ever again. To go on some long and arduous quest to rival those heroes of old.

Yuri would do just about anything at this point.

“Can I see my family?”

“Not that.”

“No, just my sisters – they didn’t attend my wedding and… well, they’re married, and I would… it is a small request.”

He chuckled lowly, understanding what her broken words meant. She would do the same as him – seek out help from a trusted sibling out of necessity rather than a parent. He liked how much neither of them knew. It was quite strange to have a conversation with her when she wasn’t in the same room as him, when she wasn’t under him and sighing… and she probably had clothes on this time.

Was this how she felt?

The longing to be in the same room?

To keep company?

He had been cruel…

“… I’ll grant it.” And for a moment, Yuri brushed his fingers at the crack under the door and felt hers halfway through. The momentary and accidental brush caused him to laugh, her as well. A true milestone indeed – something better than their first fight.

[yoiotdfics]

Fic Rec List August 2017

The Complexities of Eros

FullBladderLemons (orphan_account)

Summary:

Yuuri has to pee and can’t get out of his Eros costume…Victor helps. That’s about it. Pre-relationship/pre-canon.

Red As Carnations

v_larr

Summary:

“You made flowers grow in my lungs, and although they are beautiful, I can’t breathe.” ~~Unknown

Pillow Case

Creep

Summary:

He checked that he has all his stuff and he was about to leave when his eyes caught the pillow on the bed. It still had the imprint of Yuri’s head. On impulse, Otabek grabbed the pillow and took the pillow case, putting it on his bag.

He left his room and wondered what the fuck he had just done

sweet citrus scented sin

Yasuo_Karada

Summary:

Yuuri’s first mistake was consulting Chris for advice.

Yuuri’s second mistake was clicking on the link that was sent his way.

His third mistake was allowing the ‘Well…’ to pop into his head, as if that was enough to justify things, and before he knew it he was packing up two grapefruits into the cart, tossing in some oranges and a handful of random other fruit to make it less conspicuous. Viktor didn’t even bat an eye at the checkout.

Promises, Promises

mousapelli

Summary:

They really shouldn’t, but that never stops Yuuri and Victor.

Bachelor Party

justrae2010

Summary:

It’s not every bachelor party that you’re treated to a strip tease from your fiancee.

set my heart on fire

FunnyLittleOwl

Summary:

In a world where a broken heart was a literal condition, it was unbelievable to think any owner could be so careless with their own beating organs.

Victor Nikiforov was.

So it wasn’t the least surprising when his Heart decided to take matters into its hands.

(Inspired by the short In a Hearbeat.)

Jokes

kiazareni

Summary:

“Beka,” he says his name again and plays with the longer strands of black hair, strokes his nails against the bristles of his undercut, “you’re the worst best friend ever. Pay attention to me!”

Based on the tumblr prompt: things you said when you thought I was asleep

St. Petersburg is for Layers

Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)

Summary:

Otabek vs. the Russian Winter goes exactly how you’d expect.

he took me to my knees (and now he’s got me prayin’)

orphan_account

Summary:

Viktor and Yuuri try out something new: cockwarming.

your warmth is home

DefiantDreams

Summary:

Viktor Nikiforov would give Katsuki Yuuri the world, whether he asks for it or not. He wants to love Yuuri, and this is simply just one of the ways he knows how.

aka:

Viktor the service sub, ft. cock warming

in which otabek is a (dog loving) criminal

sshibal

Summary:

“I can’t believe you were getting dicked and didn’t tell me,” JJ says when he catches Otabek sneaking out of Seung-gil’s hotel room.

Seung-gil kind of/sort of runs illegal dog cuddling sessions during competitions; Otabek is his unlikely partner in crime. Or three times Otabek introduced people to Seung-gil’s dog on accident and one time he does it on purpose.

But Sometimes Family Picks You (goodbyes)

FyreFaerie

Summary:

He hadn’t been stupid. He’d known that his grandfather was getting old and worked too much for his age. He just hadn’t been ready to say goodbye

Warning: Character death (I feel like the summary kind of explains it though…)

Social Network Cinderella

Lanerose

Summary:

Yuuri calls Phichit the morning after the Sochi Grand Prix Final to let him know that he has found (and lost?) his soulmate.

Phichit comes to the rescue the only way he knows how.

The Perils of Praises

WinterSky101

Summary:

Mari and Minako were Not To Be Trusted.

call me!

its_nochillforov

Summary:

There’s a beautiful stranger on Yuuri’s train so of course the only practical course of action is reading over this beautiful stranger’s shoulder. In Yuuri’s defense, it’s actually a really good book. And the stranger’s cologne smells really good.

And in that moment, Yuri realized: he fucked up.

SparkleMeow

Summary:

{{inspired by}}

“At the hospital:

*Viktor wakes up from an accident*

Viktor: Where’s Yuuri?

Yurio: Who do you think gave you this heart?

Viktor: *starts tearing up* no…

Yurio: JK he went to the bathroom”

Honey, Bee Mine

emeraldonyxdragon

Summary:

Inspired by a silly discord chat. Yuri loves going back to visit Gramps’ farm over the summer, but not so much when his indoor cat Potya decides she likes life outside better. After some fruitless chasing, Yuri decides that he might have to let Potya out more often if it means getting to talk to the young beekeeper next door. Also includes art!

[Art] Honey, Bee Mine - An Otayuri Beekeeper AU

thisiseclair

Boys & Their Toys

orphan_account

Summary:

“Yūri!” Phichit exclaims, picking up the phone on the third ring.

“What does it mean when your neighbor gives you a dildo?” Yūri asks without preamble.

On the other end of the line, he hears something that sounds like choking, followed by a series of violent coughs.

Idol Eyes

Sotakura

Summary:

Yuuri begins packing up his life in Japan, preparing for his upcoming journey to St. Petersburg.

Victor offers to help, but finds some surprises buried in Yuuri’s closet.

(or: Victor finds some hidden merch with his face on it.)

Intoxication

Zetal (Rodinia)

Summary:

After the short program in China, Chris goes out to dinner with a group of friends. Masumi, after spending months avoiding Chris, goes with them.

Katsuki “PDA Monster” Yuuri

Adrianners

Summary:

When he kissed Yuuri for the first time, Viktor assumed that would be the end of any public romantic gestures between them. Yuuri, however, had other plans.

Five times Viktor was surprised by Yuuri’s penchant for public displays of affection, and one time he wasn’t surprised at all.

Late-Night Drive-Thru

domokunrainbowkinz

Summary:

Victor gets hungry at 3 am and goes to McDonalds

Late-Night Drive-Thru (Cursed Version)

domokunrainbowkinz

Summary:

Victor gets hungry at 3am and goes to McDonalds. Yuuri is also hungry, and works at McDonalds. What happens next will blow your mind.

Mint Chocolate Chip

CrystalizedCherry

Summary:

Yuri’s never had ice cream before. Otabek remedies that.

Those Deadly Creatures

ilien

Summary:

Their human is moving in with Christophe. He should have warned them that Christophe lives with a monster.

As A Rule of Thumb

agroovymutation

Summary:

As a rule of thumb… good Catholic boys don’t try and summon demons. As a rule of thumb… 700 year old demons don’t entertain the summons of a 19 year old.

Otabek is a demon, summoned by good boy JJ.

burning in her firelight

TheCookieMonster77

Summary:

Sara likes dresses. She likes them vintage or off the runway, sleek or flowy. Mila’s seen the inside of Sara’s closet, bursting at its seams with endless colorful skirts and lacy necklines. Mila loves Sara in dresses, loves the way Sara loves herself in dresses, but never has Sara in a dress knocked the air out of Mila’s lungs like this.

Because this is Sara, wrapped up in a suit that’s all pinstripes and crisp lines.

“Surprise~”

two gay gals do some shopping

ItadakimASSu

Yuripaws

Summary:

Viktor has a special request involving sushi. Yuuri just rolls with it.

Ways to Love

Viktuurious (Sourwoif)

Summary:

Based on the writing prompt: “different ways to say I love you”

“Hey,” Yuuri returned, unaware of his interruption. He balanced two plates in his hands, smiling up at Viktor, “I got you some samosas and those shrimp wraps that you like.”

Viktor grinned and pressed a kiss to Yuuri’s temple.

“There’s more than one way to say it,” Viktor offered.

Yuri watched them, unsure how to respond. He settled with scoffing and walking off to find someone who made more sense.

call of the wild

thishasbeencary

Summary:

After his failure at the Grand Prix Final in Sochi, Yuuri goes home, but home isn’t back to Hasetsu. Home is the sea, where Yuuri lives as a siren, who feels as though he’s a failure to his family because he’s yet to place a successful Call on a mortal. It reaches Yuuri that Viktor Nikiforov has shown up in Hasetsu to coach Yuuri, and Yuuri doesn’t understand why, and doesn’t feel worthy. He’s not even human, but for some reason, Viktor has chosen to coach him. Nonetheless he goes back to shore.

For some strange reason, Viktor Nikiforov seems unbelievably attracted to Yuuri.

(Or: The canon divergent au where Yuuri is a siren.)