#Thinks he can change my mind about him being my successor like this

[senjutsunade]

Tsunade-sama, did you win the ping-pong game between you and Kakashi?

Like that was even a challenge?

[summercreolefanfictioner]

the scent wafts in, her name making him beg on his knees chap 5 || touya x fem!reader [modern au]

chapter summary: Touya takes a trip down memory lane, reliving all his days as a host and how it changed his world for the worse.

themes: mentions of prostitution, sex, SA, abuse, violence, etc. (YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED)

notes: this one really has heavy themes and I want you all to be aware of the warning cause yeah; oh btw this is fem! reader but all is written in 3rd POV so y/n will be referred to as "she/her"

masterlist

Touya knew about sex when he was a child, and no amount of porn and eavesdropping could make him discover this fact. It wasn't like he accidentally found a stash of porn magazines or DVDs in the house or he walked in on someone doing it. He knew about it when the adults were talking, specifically his grandparents (more like his mom's parents). They were talking about Rei having another child with Enji after Fuyumi, and that's when he heard the word he shouldn't have.

Sex.

He knew about that word when he was tasked to fill out his basic contact information, and what he knew about it was his gender. It took him a bit of searching on a random dictionary to understand what it really was, and he suddenly dropped the book as he covered his mouth in shock. The gasp he was about to let in suffocated him as he deduced things in his head and learned later on how the birth of Natsuo and Shouto changed a lot of things in his perspective.

Sex. Intercourse. Coitus. It was all a chore his parents did to bear an heir for the Endeavor Corp. But for his childish mind, they were trying to replace him, and it made him see red.

He wanted to say he was good enough to be like Enji, to be his successor. But no, Enji rejected the idea of him being the next CEO. For Enji, Touya was not good enough. He didn't need an heir who drives himself mad when he can't achieve perfection. He doesn't need an heir who shows weakness in his sleeve.

It ruined Touya that he couldn't look at relationships the same way as he entered puberty. Whenever he sees a few of his classmates dating or talking about "Hey, I stayed over at my girl's place when her parents were away" or "Well, I couldn't ignore her especially when she's being like that to me," it made him think: Relationships are a facade. Romance is a lie. Virginity is a concept they play to make themselves feel they attained innocence. Pleasure is just the side effect of it, but it's nothing.

------

He was 22 when he agreed with the manager's suggestion to have side work as a host for a club at the Red District every Monday and Friday. Honestly, he half-expected a few customers to ask for a kiss on the first try or even a hug or basically any form of physical intimacy. Surprisingly, most of them only wanted male attention, someone to talk to when they get off work or when things get stressed out, or just a harmless, casual date because they couldn't find a man that would give them the treatment they wanted.

Another thing Touya learned: he didn't have to act like he was so nice like a Prince Charming like some of the hosts do. He was just naturally there, talking when he was supposed to talk and serving them drinks like the gentleman they thought him to be. So there were no hookups or casual sex or any bookings of hotel rooms afterward.

That was until he met his regular customers that things took a downturn for him.

------

1. The one who's visibly disgusted by the man she would be marrying

Touya met her every Friday, and he already knew from the get-go that she was the typical rich daughter who went by her parents' bidding; someone who never touched bad things. Well, except that night. She decided to go to the Red District for the first time and heard about this secret host you can book. He had heard her family name somewhere, probably when he was still in high school since Enji and Rei would have the four of them attend important events. It only occurred to him then how popular she was with the way the other hosts were staring and whispering to themselves.

It was when the other hosts talked to him in the locker room and told him that she was hiding a lot from the media because apparently, she was marrying this famous celebrity producer who went after gravure models; that it was an arranged marriage and she obviously abhorred the fact that she was getting wed off to an old geezer.

When she talked to him about meeting up with her on a Saturday night at a booked hotel room, Touya already knew what she was up to. There was extra money involved, plus her promise that she wouldn't be booking his services after. The arrangement worked well with him, setting aside his personal feelings over the matter, as he had sex with her, making it seem like he knew the ropes when he clearly did not. Everything was all thanks to porn and all those gravure magazines he saw from his classmates in high school.

When she cried afterwards, something about being relieved that she didn't spend her first time with a perverted old man, that was when Touya's heart constricted with heaviness. He didn't understand what he felt back then, but after leaving the hotel, he spent away the last of his expenses drinking and smoking before returning to work like nothing.

------

2. The one whose loneliness cannot be fulfilled by her own husband

He dreaded this one regular, and he wished he told the manager that he didn't want to entertain this woman. The first time she booked Touya, he thought she was just a regular customer who wanted nothing from him until she started placing her hand on his thigh one night, and a few nights after, she asked if they could meet outside. Touya was stressed over her and her silly antics, even though she was just asking him to eat lunch at her recommended fancy restaurants and stroll around town.

Well, it wasn't like she was overly clingy or demanding; it was the fact that Touya had no idea what she had under all that nice adult woman facade. It was only when they met up at a coffee shop that she told him about her circumstances. She said, "My husband and I cannot divorce, and he knew about this arrangement and didn't mind as long as no one knew. I also don't mind since he has been sleeping with other women for as long as I can remember." This irked Touya and reminded him of his parents' arranged marriage. He knew they didn't cheat on each other, but it made him think about how the media and paparazzi painted the Todoroki family as a loving family with toothy grins and blooming flowers.

What made this situation worse for Touya was how the woman decided he meet her every weekend at her shared house with her husband. Touya had already met the man, and he knew from one look that all he cared about was knowing who his wife was sleeping with and reminding him that the two of them were only to have a sexual relationship and nothing else (not like he was looking forward to moving things further with a client anyway).

They would always have sex in the guest room assigned for them, but sometimes the wife would take a risk and have them go all the way to the master's bedroom. She would reason out that it wasn't like her husband was so faithful not to bring women there inside since she caught them before in the said room. Touya learned she was insatiable as hell and would try a lot of her fantasies on him because her husband deprived her of trying out exciting things.

Their last sex was of Touya wrapping her legs around his hips as her back hit the bathroom wall and the hot shower poured down on them. After the high, Touya told her he wouldn't be entertaining her anymore since the risk of their arrangement was catching up on him.

------

3. The one who wanted the boyfriend experience

This one was simple, and Touya kind of liked her because he was able to forget his shitty childhood and family issues. She basically became a friend in many ways, and her reason for hiring Touya was because she wanted the boyfriend experience, kind of like having a secret lover especially now that she had gone adulthood and wanted companionship. Touya wouldn't say it was fun being with her. It was just okay. She would ask him to hold hands or ruffle her hair or tell her the corniest shit that he had ever said (he was still embarrassed remembering it, but he managed to set aside his shame over her.)

It became apparent that something was amiss when she visited on a Friday night, displaying unease and nervousness, punctuating the air with sighs as he handed her the drink. He was about to speak when she blurted out, "There's a guy at work, and he said he saw me with you, and he confessed. He asked me if I wanted to date." Her face was beet red as she made a mess of her hair, probably remembering the said confession in her head. "Dabi-kun, what should I do?! Do you think I'm a good dating material?"

Touya wasn't in love with her, but the way things were happening, there was that familiar feeling again when he had sex for the first time with his first regular. That dark pit in his stomach prompted him to do something bad and run away instead of facing them properly. It was easier to drown everything

He placed the glass on the table and said, "Give it a try. You never know what might happen."

He never saw her after that, and he didn't take customers for a while. He spent his weekends drinking and smoking until he fell asleep.

------

4. The one who struggles with a husband's cuckolding kink

Touya was weirded out by this customer because usually, it was only the woman who stayed in the room waiting for him as he served them one of his best alcohol concoctions. It was on a Monday night when he had a married couple as his client. Great. Before, it was often the wife who came in here. Now, they bring their husbands into the mix, he thought bitterly as he sat on the couch. At first, it was awkward with the way the wife was trying to lighten up the mood by telling fun stories as her husband drank and watched them from the corner. Honestly, Touya could not care. At least he was getting his usual drink. If this evening turned out shitty, then so be it.

Suddenly, the husband stood up and knelt traditionally (seiza-style), bowing before Touya as he begged, "Please have sex with my wife!"

The wife went to his side as Touya stopped midway from his drink, his mood worsening as he was yet again reminded of this one regular. However, this time he thinks it is different as the wife assures him there is no need for him to kneel and beg because she can do fine without sex, which the husband is opposed to. And the two went on to discuss his cuckolding kink, how he would only get turned on and have sex with her once he was done having sex with someone else.

Touya narrowed his eyes in disgust, leaning on the couch as his cold voice cut through the conversation.

"Aren't you two being rude?"

The couple were ashamed, bowing at him for their lack of respect and quickly explaining about the matter at hand. According to the couple, they've been having problems in the sex department because of the husband's cuckolding kink, something about getting turned on by the fantasy of his wife having sex with someone. Touya obviously groaned in disgust and was about to protest, dismissing their request and not wanting to partake in their weird shenanigan, something about the charade setting him off even further than before. The husband wanted him to have sex with his wife just so he could take her afterward. How revolting. Why did the manager let them in this place?

"This will only happen once, please!" The husband added. "We will make a formal contract." Then he gave him his business card. "You can call me if you change your mind."

Of course, Touya doesn't call him. He doesn't care. He will do the usual. Yeah, he tells himself this as he realizes he needs more stash of money so he can live for the next month (not like he was running out; he was just being careful.) So he finally succumbs to temptation and calls the man up, meeting them in a fancy restaurant as Touya read through the contents of the contract.

The contract was fair and just for all parties, though. For one, the husband will not watch or record Touya and his wife having sex or any act similar to the matter. It also indicated that this would only be a one-time thing between the three of them and Touya will be paid a hefty amount on the same day the act will commence. Touya also added a few things in the agreement, which included no BDSM or anything similar and that he would not be doing any acts that would "impregnate" the wife (since a few of his customers before liked the idea of breeding, and he didn't love it.)

When all was said and done, Touya got into the business and did everything like how he did before, masking all his emotions and pretending there was so much pleasure and thrill in embracing another man's wife when there wasn't. It was vile even, knowing that the husband was willing for his wife to be disrespected just so he could give her the love she deserved. The worst part? She liked touching him, hugging him close as he thrust even further, or kissing his lips like she owned him. Touya wanted to push her away and tell her, this was just sex and she was crossing some sort of boundary. Then again, she was a customer. It's not like he hadn't been paid to give a kiss before.

Afterwards, he took a shower and left without a word, carrying the check with a large sum as he headed to the bank that day. Touya slept that night convincing himself everything was a nightmare; a horrible shit he went through because he needed to survive.

------

5. The one who likes sharing everything with her bestfriend

Touya had been hearing stories from other hosts about some customers booking them together and having awesome threesomes, that there was no greater feeling in the world than having more than one woman with you in bed. He wished he had the same sentiment because honestly, he doesn't find what's so fun about threesomes. It was tiring and disgusting beyond means, and he still couldn't fathom the fact of sharing a lover with another in bed. Gross. Gross. GROSS.

But he had to experience it because of two women; one, a sultry vixen who believes the world is in the palm of her hands, the other an alluring shadow of her own existence competing to be in the spotlight. The first one meets Touya every Monday and the other on Fridays, and he could see a recurring pattern in the way they both lead conversations. The vixen liked herself so much, and it was apparent. So apparent Touya could even bring a tall mirror and face it on her so she would brag about how this one guy tried to seduce him at the bar a few nights ago or when her co-worker's boyfriend tried to date her in secret. She would even mention being scouted as a model but rejected all offers as she wanted to be an IT developer.

On the other hand, her bestfriend was shy but nonetheless had this air of confidence. Touya could even remember how one of the staff members asked him about her because the guy genuinely was attracted to the way she was so elegant and dainty. Her posture screamed princess vibes as she held her glass of champagne and talked to Touya about her modeling job. Touya could even tolerate this one better than the other as she wasn't being a bitch when they have an actual conversation (because he swore he dreaded every Monday seeing her).

Until one time, the two of them asked him to have sex with each of them on different days as a part of his off-duty job. Touya was already guessing, "They're gonna invite me to a threesome soon" because the way they had sex with him was always "Did she do this to you?" or "Am I more fun than her?" like they were openly comparing themselves to each other to him. And he knew they talked about it. There was no doubt.

And they did. They invited him because they shared things with each other. Because they liked the same guys. They hated the same guys. They loved the same things. They also hated the same things. They're twins from different mothers, and Touya only wished that this whole shit would go down the drain and this would be the last he would have them, thrusting up and down as the two women ground their pussies on his shaft. Their throaty moans were getting mixed in, and he bit his lip to hide his moan because there was no way he liked this. He hated this. Hated everything with every fiber of his being.

After the whole stint, Touya finally handed in his resignation letter and left. He was tired of pleasing people; weary from all this nasty chore he had been doing for the sake of living in hell.

------

Touya later learns that love and sex can coexist. When he encountered his (only) ex-girlfriend while working as a bartender at Shigaraki's bar, he found himself perplexed about how to navigate this new dynamic. They initially started as smoking buddies in the back of the building, exchanging crude jokes until they eventually exchanged phone numbers. He genuinely enjoyed spending time with her, but eventually, their connection faded into nothing.

Fun. It was what they only had next to nothing.

Her name was Ruka, and she had her long dark hair dyed blonde as she dressed in the same black outfits as him but feminine. She was all guts and foul curses, her red lips smirking teasingly. He knew from the moment they put a label on what they were that she would expect a lot from him as her boyfriend. Dates. Movies. Late-night talks. Smoking and drinking together. Hugging. Holding hands. Having sex. Touya tried his best to be the boyfriend she wanted even though he had zero idea of how to be one, and he believed at the time it was because they were dating. It turned out to him that he was simply repeating the same train of thought.

Dating is a chore. Sex is a chore. Relationships are nothing but a chore.

He was simply doing everything out of responsibility, not fully caring about himself or how Ruka would feel. He was a tad selfish that they fought a lot and he didn't swallow his pride or compromise even. He would go about his way proving his point and if he didn't, he would slam the door and leave for days, spending his nights at the bar and making it his new home. Ruka also held her pride so high she didn't even find him or apologize, and they would fall into this toxic pattern of seeing each other again after a few weeks then making out and having sex and brushing everything under the rug because emotions are getting into the way of their fun. There was no way they were ruining whatever this relationship was for a sappy one-on-one of calling each other out and promising to do better.

Touya didn't change, and he grew tired of being her dream boyfriend. He still leaves his clothes on the floor. He doesn't tell her where he went. He never goes the mile to update her. He drops by her space whenever he wanted to despite her telling him to just move in. He ghosts her and then comes back like nothing.

He was being pathetic, and she was being overbearing. She cries, thinking he will relent when he sees her tears. It doesn't change his mind though. He just gets worse. They would throw things at each other and curse. They would raise their middle fingers. They would throw hands and he'd give a punch in exchange for her slaps and hits.

Touya just left and never came back after.

------

"She was a lot different," Touya mentioned his girlfriend (the current one he thinks about so often) again to his therapist. "I know I told you this before, but the first time we did it, everything just made sense."

He didn't know how. He just felt it. It all came full circle. That morning had him almost running in fear, scared at the thought of going deeper with her because he knew he would hurt her. He will not give her whatever she wants. Those dreamy things from romance mangas? Those corny lines from romantic movies with sappy storylines? Consider them all trashed. There was no way he would give in.

But Touya will stay around. He knew to himself that he would die the moment this shit was all over; that she had changed her mind and wanted those romantic stints from the screens. But staying around didn't do it for him—especially for her. Just because he stayed around didn't mean he got what he wanted. He loved her, so, so much; yet she was sleeping with a man who's a figment of his own false identity. It was toying him upside down, especially with the way she looked at him with adoration and pure sincerity when he knew it wasn't really him.

"I want her to love me," he stressed out. "Only me."

next chap

masterlist

[sleepyfan-blog]

Rescue Titus

Author's note: This is the next part of the Bully(ing) Cato Sicarius fic. Other fics here

tagged: @egrets-not-regrets @the-pure-angel @i-am-a-dragon34 @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan @bleedingichorhearts

warnings: none? Please ask me to tag something if I missed something

summary: You discover some inconsistencies, and begin to research further

You stare at the dataslate that holds a seemingly endless amount of paperwork for you to do. Despite normally finding form-work like this to be soothing, if not a little dull when the information contained within isn’t stuff that you need to know, or find interesting to read about… You’ve been unable to focus for more than ten minutes at a time, before your mind wanders. While you are safely tucked away in the fortress monastery of the White Consuls - a successor chapter of the Ultramarines - Cato, Demetrian and most of the second company are currently deployed, fighting against the Tyranid menace that threatens to consume the entire galaxy, if they are not stopped.

You want nothing more than to believe with all your heart and soul that both of your lovers will come home whole, healthy and victorious… But you’ve seen the ravaged, stripped wastelands that a Tyranid hive fleet can reduce entire systems down to, if they are not driven off of the worlds they attempt to consume and killed or driven out of the system entirely. You’ve seen some of the reports of entire chapters of Astartes being wiped out by Tyranids. Not just a squad of astartes. Not just a company of Astartes, but entire chapters of Astartes being killed and consumed by this insectoid menace from beyond the void of night. 

The Tyranid threat is so intense that you’ve found yourself murmuring prayers to the God-Emp-... To Him on Terra, despite having been ordered not to do so by Lord Guilliman (he himself who brings victory wherever he goes. The last loyal son of the Emperor. More than a few worlds consider him to be a deity as well, though subordinate to Him on Terra). You… You try not to give into that temptation, but your faith has been something that you’ve been taught is Right and Just… Abandoning it has left a void that you grieve, especially when you are left alone to your thoughts.

You had not been left without a protector entirely, though the escort you have been given is not one you would have chosen. You peek at Sargeant Leandros from the corners of your eyes, careful to keep your head turned toward the dataslate in your hands and suppress another sigh from leaving your lips… Wait, what was that you just read? You blink, straightening out of your stupor a little as you refocus on the first of the series of reports that the advanced scouts into the next system to be re-integrated into the greater Imperium of Man. The one that is currently fighting to stay out of the endless maw of the Tyranid Swarm.

“My lady?” Sergeant Leandros asked, his helmeted gaze snapping to you as he noted your movement. “Has something caught your attention?”

“It has… I’ll need to cross-reference what this says, with what the others have sent to me… But I think that - ah. Things may be more fraught than they first appear in the sector where most of the Indomitus fleet is currently embattled.” You respond, reading through the information as quickly as you can without skipping words or whole phrases that could be key.

The Ultramarine is immediately at your side, reading over your shoulder from the way he leans into your personal space. “What do you mean?”

“There was a recent change in power, in the past few years. The cause of the switch over had something to do with an Inquisitor and a suspected gene-stealer Cult that the former Governor may or may not have had ties with. Or at least, that’s what the Inquisitor said. You and I both know how accurate Inquisitors can be when they want something, and-... Huh… Can you bring up a list of Ordo Hereticus Inquisitors who have gone missing or were presumed to be killed in that and the nearby surrounding sectors, please? There’s something about this Lady Evergleam that bothers me.” You answer, the mild frown on your face deepening.

“Yes ma’am.” Leandros answered, snapping you a quick salute.

Despite your reservations about the sergeant, there are aspects to him that are endearing… Mostly when he reminds you of Demetrian, or Cato. One of the corners of your mouth lift up into a small smile “Thank you, Sergeant.”

~

Months of careful planning and research had led up to this moment. You walked confidently into the large throne room and called out “Lady Inquisitor.” There is a professional smile on your face, and ice in your eyes as you walk over to where Lady Evergleam, Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus was currently standing “What is it that you are doing?”

Lady Evergleam was far too close to a helmet-less and visibly uncomfortable Demetrian, the latter of whom was leaning away from the powerful baseline woman. 

The Inquisitor had one hand lightly touching his chest plate, the other raised, likely to signal several of her retinue who were standing in different points in the room. She took a half-step away from Titus and lowered her hands, answering with an equally professional smile “Merely inspecting one of the Ultramarines off-duty, as the others are helping doing clean up while dealing with the aftermath of the xenos invasion.” She looks you up and down, raising an eyebrow at you “From your dress and brazenness and interrupting me during my sacred duties, you must be Lord Guilliman’s head diplomat.”

You had gotten an SOS message from Demetrian, just before you had been about to present certain information to Lord Guilliman. You’d handed him a dataslate that had a copy of the information that you had gathered before informing him that you needed to help Titus out of an awkward social situation.

Lord Guilliman had been amused and had allowed you to leave, a light chuckle rumbling from the Primarch and a warm if small smile on his face. 

You had used the serfs’ paths in this palace to get to where Titus was faster than using the general access hallways and rooms that were much more winding and circuitous. Your eyes narrow a little as you walk purposefully towards Demetrian, placing yourself between him and the handsy Inquisitor. You are still smiling politely at her “I am indeed one of the diplomats who work directly for the IMperial regent, yes.” You scrutinize her further before answering “I have reviewed inspection protocols, of which you are in violation of several. Lieutenant Titus, should he require Inquisitorial Inspection, should have an Ultramarine Apothecary and Chaplain present. Additionally his superior officer may be in attendance as well, or at the very least should have been informed of this inspection beforehand, which he has not.”

“... Lieutenant Titus? Last I heard he is a captain.” Lady Evergleam inquired, a confused expression flashing across her face. 

Your eyes narrow a little more at the incongruity. Titus shifts a bit behind you. You want to reach out and hold one of his hands, but that would be a breach of etiquette that neither you nor he can afford at the moment. “How strange. I would think that an Inquisitor such as yourself would keep up to date on such things. Besides, Even if Titus was a captain, his superior officer would be the chapter master who had not been informed of your… Inspection, either.”

She bristles at your tone, her eyes narrowing some “And just what are you trying to imply, you silver-tongued -”

You deliberately interrupt her, to provoke her further “Only that you have breached protocols several times, and have outdated information. Which is ill-fitting of an Inquisitor of your status, Lady Evergleam.”

“If you are accusing me of something,stop dancing around the point, you Ultramarine branded harlot!” Evergleam hissed, glaring harder at you.

Normally, an Inquisitor glaring at you like that would make you nervous. But Cato’s voice rumbled in the earpiece you were wearing “I’m in position. Father is coming. Time to unmask her in front of her court.” 

Your smile turns sharp “You are not who you claim to be. After all, Lady Evergleam has been listed as KIA for over a hundred and twenty years. Her ship was destroyed along with everyone aboard her ship after the ship’s Gellar fields fell during a warm storm. You may have taken her face and voice, but you are not her. Nor are your companions her true retinue.” 

“How dare you accuse me of being an IMposter! I will have you arrested for the sheer cheek! Guards -” The false lady Inquisitor growled, playing every inch the offended and innocent party “Guards! Arrest this woman! We must have been displaced in time and the wreckage of another ship and crew were found and mistaken to be myself and my retinue.”

“So you still claim to be Inquisitor Evergleam?” You press, raising an eyebrow at this interloper. She had been playing petty tyrant on this world for several years. Even if she was who she claimed to be. Her actions since she claimed dominion over this world had earned her a swift execution.

"I don't claim to be anyone. I am Inquisitor Amela Evergleam!" The Inquisitor growled, "And you're one to talk about people being declared KIA, Lt. Titus here was declared KIA on Graia, during the Ork invasion of that world." She huffed.

"He was taken into Inquisitorial custody, actually," Primarch Guilliman called out, resplendent in the Armor of Fate, the Sword of the God Emperor in hand and unsheathed, psychic flames dancing along the blade, "That Inquisitor lied about Demetrian's status, among other things, for which he was killed. You stand accused of subverting the resources of an Imperial Word, Inquisitor. How do you plead?"

Evergleam sputters indignantly (and probably from fear. The cool fury of a Primarch is no small thing to bear the brunt of). "We have been trying to fulfill the Imperial Tithes imposed upon us. But recent seasons have been harsh, and an illness has been running rampant among the populace. I offer what we can spare, so as to not starve and slowly kill those left alive, my lord," She paused for several moments before falling to her knees, hands clasped together as if in prayer, "Lord Primarch, I took control of this world due to the mismanagement and foolishness of it's previous rulers. I have been working day and night for three years since I took governorship, to fix what I can... I have been plagued by bureaucratic bloat and internal obstruction and sabotage. I swear on all I hold dear that i have been doing all I can do-"

She fell silent as the Lord Primarch lifted his free hand in a silencing gesture. "Cease your begging and self-aggrandizement. My agents infiltrated your government months ahead of my arrival, to discern the truth of things. I declare that you have been found wanting. I offer you a choice: either you retire and live in quiet luxury, away from the halls of power of this or any other Imperial World... Or I will end your life now. Choose."

Guilliman underlined his words by pointing the tip of the Emperor's Blade at the kneeling Inquisitor, staring down at her, his face an inscrutable mask.

The Inquisitor froze on her knees, eyes wide. Her retinue had scattered away from her at the Primarch's approach, falling to their knees in terrified supplication, "My... my Lord Regent, is there no way I can prove myself an able planetary governor?"

"No, Choose. Wealthy retirement or execution." Guilliman rumbled, unwavering and unreadable.

"I... I will... I will retire quietly, Lord Regent and I thank you for your mercy. I don't know how or why you feel that I failed you, Imp-"

She was cut off by a frown on Guilliman's face, her own growing paler, "Cease. Talking. You need to pack your personal belonging and leave the governor's mansion by the end of the day. Begone." He commanded.

Lady Evergleam scramble up onto her feet and fled, her staff scurrying after her. The rest of her court immediately begin to whisper and murmur to one another. 

A particularly ambitious looking nobleman dares to approach the still thunderously frowning Lord Guilliman, for reasons you can guess at. Your focus, however, is drawn to Demetrian, as he places a large, armored hand on one of your shoulders. You look up into his eyes, smiling gently.

“You came…” He breathed.

“You called.” You answered, smiling gently up at him. “Cato is watching, nearby. Care to go for a walk with me, lieutenant? It’s a tad crowded in here for my tastes, and the Imperial Regent is going to be busy sorting out this lot for some time, I think.”

Titus hummed in agreement, the hand he had on your shoulder sliding gently down to your elbow “It would be my honor, my lady.” WIth that you and he walk into the meticulously cared for gardens.

A tall, broad blue and gold blur slams into Titus as soon as the doors close, hiding you and him from sight.

Titus lets out a startled “Fuck! What the -”

“Shut. Up.” Growled Cato, holding the older Marine in close, a low, warning rumble in his voice “That SOS you sent both of us worried the fuck out of me. Last time you were that close to an Inquisitor, you went missing for three centuries. If Father hadn’t ordered me to watch through a damn sniper’s scope I would’ve-”

“Done something reckless and stupid?” Demetrian teases, pressing his forehead to Cato’s, pulling you in to hug you as well.

One of Cato’s arms wraps around you, the other still holding tightly to Titus. “No. All of my moves are calculated and well thought out.”

“You’re just awful at math, half of the time.” Demetrian teased, a crooked grin on his face.

“Oi! Slander! Dearheart, he’s bullying me! And that’s after getting cornered by that shitty bitch whose been stalking him for weeks. I knew that she was planning something. You just thought it was because she was grateful you saved her life. I knew it was some kind of shady shit. Inquisitors are trouble.” Cato groused.

You chuckle and go up on your tiptoes, kissing both of your beloveds on the neck, which was the highest point that you could kiss both of them, while they were in their armor. Especially since Demetrian had crossed the Rubicon Primaris. He’d somehow gotten even taller. “I think we can head home. What do you think loves?”

“Yeah. We’re off-duty, officially and Father is being watched over by the fourth company. I don’t envy Ventris. When father starts yelling like that, he gets… Really intense.” Cato rumbled. 

“Poor lad. He really has some shite luck. Hopefully he won’t be harassed by either of the Lunatics after his ass, now that Father has taken the Imperial Helm.” Demetrian sighed, shaking his head a little. 

“Blegh. We’ve already fought Tyranids. Please don’t try to summon Renegades, or throne forbid Chaos down upon us. They are annoying as shit to fight.” Cato grumbled. 

You smile softly as you hold hands with both of your lovers, enjoying listen to the two of them bicker and banter with one another, occasionally teasing one or both of them as well. They tease you back, of course.

[quitealotofsodapop]

When does MK figure out his mate and son are in line for the Jade throne?

Also I know his pregnancy happens after the brotherhood, but I want Azure's reaction to his crush's son carrying and being mated to the royal line. ( Given other au's he'd see it as double black mail against Wu kong and the emperor.)

MK probably finds out that he's now connected to the royal family sometime after Red discovers his own connection to them.

One idea for the Au is that MK met Xiwangmu & the Jade Emperor on accident after one of his medical checkups with Lao Tzu. The Emperor feeling a guilt he had not felt in millennia, whilst the Empress cradled the distressed soon-to-be-parent in her arms.

Soon when he runs into her again around S4/5;

MK: "Hi Queen Mother lady!" Xiwangmu, smiling pleasantly: "Hello Xiaotian." Red Son, aghast: "What?! How do you two already know each other!?" MK: "I had a big-sad moment after one of my appointments, and after I unloaded a bit onto this tall guy in the gardens, the Queen appeared and started comforting me. She gave me a much-needed shoulder to cry on." Xiwangmu, soft laugh: "That tall guy you encountered was my husband." MK: "OH! Sorry I hadn't know at the time! I really feel bad I hadn't a chance to get to know the guy before the... you know." Xiwangmu: "It's perfectly fine, your mind was preoccupied with thoughts of yourself and your future child. My husband thought you were a charming spirit." Red Son, thoughts malfunctioning: "How in Buddha's grace did Noodle Boy meet my grandparents before I did!?"

Once MK and Red Son are a confirmed mated pair - MK realises from context clues that his mate is actually a Prince. Not just the heir of a demon clan - but "The Prince of the Cosmos" even!

MK has a little panic episode when he realises that in future, he might be considered the new Queen Mother (or King Dad) since he'll be married to the only other heir besides too-busy-for-romance-rn Nezha!

And his baby is considered an heir too!!!

Wukong finds his successor four-noodle bowls deep into a stress eating binge. He rubs MK's back until he calms down. He's quick to point out that the Queen Mother isn't retiring anytime soon, and that no one can really "replace" the Jade Emperor after he's been a fixture for the last thousands of years.

He's got forever to prepare.

Unless Nezha finds a certain handsome icy eastern dragon prince, or Erlang gets an heir within that time, and they beat him to the succession race. Then he doesn't have to care at all about celestial politics and just focus on being the Monkie Kid. That makes MK feel a little better. XD

As for the pregnancy itself! It actually started before the Brotherhood!

Possibly even as early as Season 2 with no Wukong to check if MK has buried himself recently (spoiler; he did on accident while trying to meditate the ick of LBD out of his brain). Lao Tzu could grab the gang to ask where tf his Furnace went, only for MK's human form to glitch out from hormonal changes, exposing the pregnancy on accident.

Wukong and Macaque both spend S3 staring at MK like he's Schrödinger's pregnant. He smells like he is. But clearly he isn't that clumsy or unfortunate to accidentally self-spawn a stone egg, right?

Spoiler; he is.

LBD has more ammo to torment MK with.

As for the Brotherhood themselves...

If Azure had sensed/smelled the Egg on MK when they had first met, he would have been shocked. Not only has Sun Wukong chosen a successor - but the same successor has an heir of his own cooking in the oven! How time flies.

Azure would more gently try to convince MK about the Brotherhood's plans, only for MK to go berserk thinking of how the Queen Mother, Nezha, or even Red could be hurt in the coup. But the monkey boy's powers are too weak and erratic to prevent canon from happening.

Peng and Yellowtusk are hesistant to raise their weapons to he pregnant demon. Peng has suffered the loss of a young niece and nephew before. And Yellow Tusk knows the anger a pregnant demon can wrought when pushed to their limits.

Red Son was another thing the Brotherhood was surprised to learn about when they busted down DBK's door - they had heard rumours but were not invited to any family events. The former agents recognise Iron Fan as a former celestial princess, and therefore her child an heir to the Jade Emperor's throne.

One slip of the tongue also reveals that MK is connected to all this... as the mate of the Emperor's grandson! Small world.

The scene with The Brotherhood vs The Demon Bull Fam still plays out as in canon, though with the Brotherhood more focused on taking hostages than convincing Bull to rejoin them. The Emperor's daughter & grandson would make pretty big bargaining chips after all. Red Son still manages to get away - his father pushing him aside to take the brunt of the Scroll's power.

During the attack on the Celestial Realm, Azure steps one foot towards MK, and suddenly has multiple blasts of Samadhi Fire to his face.

Red Son, burning furiously: "DO NOT TALK ABOUT MY MATE! DO NOT EVEN LOOK AT HIM!" DBK & PIF: (*surprised but proud clapping from the Scroll!!*) Mei, is amped up with her own fire: "I FUCKING KNEW IT!"

MK was a bit far away to hear Red's words amongst all the fighting and flames, but Macaque def heard it.

At that moment; Azure knows if he got his hands on MK, that the Queen Mother or even the Jade Emperor would bend to his will.

As selfish as the emperor is; even he would not risk the life of the one carrying his first great-grandchild...

If the boy doesn't tear him to shreds first.

Heaven hath no fury like a Shí Bǎomǔ protecting their kin.

[irohsteaa]

Let’s talk about Tenma’s mother

Thanks @plainteacup for the help. <3

Since Another Monster doesn’t have an official English translation and I don’t speak either Japanese or Spanish, I have to rely on a fan translation. If you notice a mistake that changes the meaning of the original text in a significant way, please let me know. Thanks!

That year, his elder brother finally made it into the medical department of a different college, and Tenma thought that the pressure on himself would finally be eased off. But his father was clear in telling others that Tenma would be the successor. His elder brother’s college was a far cry from the one Tenma entered, in terms of prestige and history. During all this, their mother urged the father to give the hospital to the second son. Being Mr. Tenma’s second wife, she was oddly enough extremely considerate and doting upon the two older, unrelated sons, and in contrast, incredibly harsh with her own flesh and blood, Kenzo.

First thing to keep in mind: the Tenma family situation is explained by an “old friend” and, additionally, filtered through Weber’s writing. We can’t be sure how much of it was merely speculation. 

This fragment paints a picture of a woman who’s harsh and cold toward her biological son. Why didn’t she support him? Why didn’t she want him to be the successor of his father? Didn’t she believe in him?

Before I give my interpretation, I’d like to draw attention to Lipský’s mother and her reaction to her son being chosen for the reading seminars and then kicked out:

One day, a man with a big nose and very thick glasses came to my house, asked me some very strange questions and showed me a lot of diagrams. The questions were rather benign, but for some reason, I was quite terrified. After he left, my mother cried. She told me that I had been chosen to participate in a special class. She said that if I didn’t want to do it, she would work things out, but I didn’t want to make things hard for her, so I chose to go.

*

As soon as I told my mother that I didn’t have to go anymore, oh, the smile she made... Our relationship went back to normal at that point.

Lipský’s recollection paints a woman who was aware of the possible consequences of the reading seminars. She was afraid her son could become like his father, so she was relieved when she found out that he wouldn’t be attending the classes.

What if Tenma’s mother had similar intentions and wanted to protect her son? 

She was the wife of the director and formerly an editor for a medical publisher; she knew this life inside and out.

We don’t have a full picture of Tenma’s father, and we don’t have enough information to establish whether he was a tyranical father and husband, the absent type, something in between, or a secret fourth option. One thing is clear: a prestigious position can significantly affect one’s personality. 

Just like the reading seminars.

Was it her way of saying run away, as far as you can?

I also like to think that it was Tenma’s mother who taught him, more or less directly, how to be rebellious.

[darkcircles4lyfe]

Life after NDE

Before reading, please see this post. It’s where I first explored the possibility that what we think we know about One for All is unreliable. It also ends with my own guesses about how Katsuki plays into it all. Now, with chapter 404, I can continue where it left off.

There are a lot of different tangents floating around here that I need to bring together for you, so let’s start with what came to light in this newest chapter. There’s a clear emphasis on Toshinori’s vestige form:

but did you catch the slight of hand?

How about now?

As soon as I saw the panels where Shigaraki talks about how the vestige is taking full form, I was practically shouting “OBJECTION” Ace Attorney-style, because they were a complete contradiction to how we were made to understand vestiges in chapter 304 (oh hey look, exactly 100 chapters ago!). Back then, it was suggested to us that Toshinori was special because of his quirklessness, that it allowed him to imprint upon OFA in a way that none of the other previous users could. In contrast, Shigaraki makes it seem like Toshi is no different from the rest. Like oh yeah, this is just how it works, they aren’t fully formed until they die, right? Hello?? No? I thought we were assuming the vestiges didn't have to do with actual souls, apart from Toshi? Given Shigaraki’s own brand of unreliability in his immature frame of mind, I found myself wondering: is he making an assumption, or is he letting slip a secret bit of information about OFA? Idk man, OFA wasn’t even doing this whole vestige thing until like a few months ago, so.

Either way, we can observe the change. As Toshinori’s lifeforce fades, he appears in OFA. I’m left with the simple observation that if he were truly different from the other vestiges because of his quirklessness, it would not have happened this way, since OFA doesn’t have Toshi’s own unique quirk factor to work with, but rather the other way around. You would have expected his vestige to stay the same, or possibly disappear altogether, since it was ostensibly exclusively based on the influence of a living consciousness.

That exception to the rule described in 304 never sat right with me anyway, and I’m not convinced that OFA contains mere memories of its previous users via their quirks just like AFO does. Sure, it’s nice and edgy to imagine that OFA/AFO are more similar than they are different, deep down. But poetic opposites are more interesting to me: AFO isolates by taking, while OFA connects by giving. Previous OFA users give themselves to their successors. One for All was “truly born” not when All for One tossed Yoichi a stolen consolation, but when 2nd extended his hand. There is something distinctly emotional and personal about that. Nana was right—it is kinda romantic.

Because Toshinori kept living, because Izuku has meaningful relationships, that chain of giving linked down through OFA was finally brought to light, like a circuit that’s being closed. At least, that’s how I see it. That’s pretty much what I talked about in my previous post.

Back then I also suggested that this theory of personal connection in some way explains Katsuki apparently having a vestige. Since chapter 403, where Toshinori describes his legacy as being embodied in both Izuku AND Katsuki, I was reminded of how Toshinori was gradually shown this over the course of the manga, as he came to understand Katsuki and his relationship to Izuku, how they are inseparable.

When Toshinori was inspired to pass OFA on to Izuku as he witnessed him trying to save Katsuki, he had no idea the two boys even knew each other. What he saw as a random act of selflessness was in reality a desperate manifestation of a connection that extended beyond memory, of osananajimi. With the eyes of traditional heroism, one could choose to see this as Toshinori’s fatal mistake, that he accidentally chose a successor with a “weakness” of personal attachment, but we all know that heroic isolation isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. No, I think Toshinori made precisely the right choice.

This is going to seem like it’s coming out of nowhere, but bear with me: you know how we still haven’t been told how the first OFA transfer happened? I feel almost silly admitting this, but I think it absolutely had to have been done instinctually, because it’s just too damn specific. As in, they didn’t know what they were doing or what it would accomplish, but they did it anyway. As in. They moved. Without thinking.

Toshinori didn’t fully consciously understand what he was seeing when Izuku ran to Katsuki, but deep within OFA, perhaps he recognized something familiar.

What if, somehow, without knowing it, Toshinori gave One for All to two people? His conviction and intent to give it was inspired by Izuku’s connection to Katuski. Yes, the transfer is inherently physical, but it also relies on mental assertion. Plus, how we think the transfer works may also be an assumption (again, the first time it happened was probably on instinct). Let me break it down even more: Toshi probably thought, as he passed OFA on, “I’m giving it to a successor who has my same balance of heroism—save to win, win to save.” But, in reality, Izuku relies on Katsuki for that balance, as his image of victory. Therefore I think I can argue that their relationship is irrevocably bound within the pact of the OFA transfer. Maybe because Katsuki’s part of OFA is based on emotional connection, once that connection is reciprocated…

…the full extent of that dual transfer is awakened.

I understand I’m making a lot of logical leaps here, but there has to be some sort of explanation for the Katsuki we see at the point of his death, talking to Toshinori’s vestige. I used to think it meant Katsuki had a vestige too. But then why are Katsuki and Toshinori alone, and without Izuku knowing? Moreover, why didn’t Katsuki materialize from the metaphysical mist around Izuku when he died, just as Toshinori did here?

Here comes the other thing I realized in 404. The simplest explanation may be that Katsuki isn’t a vestige at all, but rather he was visiting the OFA interior just as Izuku has done in his sleep or in a coma. Because he’s not a previous user, he’s a current user. The sequence of Toshinori’s NDE (near death experience) in 404, the way it manifested externally around Izuku as something Izuku was aware of, rather than internally within OFA from Toshinori’s point of view, shows me that what happened to Katsuki was different.

A lot of us have been speculating that Katsuki “has access to” OFA in some form or another for quite some time now, but I think the way the idea is suggested in 403/404 is an important distinction because it specifies the mode of connection. To me, it matters that they have two halves of a whole given to each of them, as opposed to, “the chosen one + his sidekick with a little extra OFA boost.” This puts them on equal ground, and it implies that the closer they become, the stronger One for All will be against All for One. It promises that these two idiots who have been toeing around each other and leaving things unspoken for so long will have to really face the facts of their relationship.

One last thing: you might be wondering why the other vestiges apparently haven’t picked up on what’s going on and told Izuku. Well, Yoichi may have felt it? (Where has he been?) But also, Toshinori is the only one directly involved, the only one who realizes his legacy is carried by two. Up until this point his connection to his vestige self has been limited, sort of one-way. For example, he could tell the other vestiges about his research into OFA, but in return he could only faintly pick up on things, and only while Izuku was unconscious.

The time Toshinori spent as a full vestige was brief, but I’m sure it was enough to learn some things about where the shade of himself has been. Even if I’m wrong about everything else, I bet he can give us the answers now.

[dontbesoweirdkira]

How many children would each of the Salieri men have? -Anon

A/N: Okay this is a response to a inbox request. For some reason I cannot find it anymore?? Sometimes my inbox eats up y’all’s messages. I’m so sorry!! ANYWAYS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING THIS!! I KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY.

Requests: open 24/7

Masterlist

Sam

I know I’ve written before that he wants kids with his wife but that’s delusional ¡Yandere! Sam who’s only doing that to baby trap you.

I think he truly doesn’t wants kids and would be perfectly fine if you couldn’t bear any. I think the true reason why he goes through with it is because of the time that he’s in.

Hotshot mob-boss Sam would need to have children because he’d eventually need to have a successor for the family.

Needs come before wants😪

Plus it’d look so weird if he willingly chose not to have any when he can. During that time if you were married with absolutely no kids by like the second year…*side eyed* (exaggeration but y’know)

Please no more than 2 tho. Only wants a son but would be okay with having daughter if he also had a son.

Would be an okay father tho so don’t worry too much. He’s like a dad that swears he hates dogs and if his family gets one he won’t take care of it but once the dog is around he switches up.

Yeah that’s him, he loves his kids a lot. He doesn’t always know how to show it and he’s kind of both physically and emotionally absent.

He does provide them with everything and if they are giving you a hard time he will defend you.

Paulie

You cannot change my mind on this. He wants the most kids and has the strongest desire for them.

This man is a hopeless romantic and he reeeeallly wants to have a perfect large family. I read a headcannon once that said Paulie had a very abusive father and the Mob was his ticket out of that. I believe that too and he wants to become the father he never had.

He fantasizes about being the best dad ever and having the whole family work together in his pizza joint. How beautiful his wife would look carrying his kids.

He wants 6-12 kids…3 boys and 3 girls if it’s 6 or 7boys and 5 girls if it’s 12.

Have you seen that scene in shameless where the guy goes “I HAVE A MAGICAL DICK” after finding out his wife is having twins…yeah that’s Paulie

Seriously this is his dream and if he ever becomes a father he’d never shut up about it. #1 PTA dad. He’s extremely involved with his children’s life. He’ll go through insane lengths to protect his children from a horrible childhood.

Tommy

The original “whatever my wife wants, I’m happy with” man.

I think he’s indifferent about the whole concept of having kids..? Like having kids would be nice….so is not having kids. Doesn’t really care about the societal pressure to have them at all.

He cares about his wife more than any of that junk. If having children would be too much of a strain on your life then don’t worry about it.

To be honest he’s kind of worried to have children because any day he could be gone and now his partner would be left as a single mother. :/

So I’m going to say while he’s actively in the mob he’d be leaning towards a no. But if this is after he’s escaped and you’ve settled down, Tommy is down for it.

Maybe 1-4 kids. Keeping it rather light and traditional. I don’t think this man would handle more than that tbh. Hes certified tired™️ and the more kids the less sleep.

I have a feeling though that he’d have all girls. He’s actually okay with that though. Mobster in a tutu to make his girls smile🤣

I’d say he’d be a normal suburban dad but I think he’s slightly too reserved and dangerous for that.

The family dynamic is super normal. He goes out to work to provide for y’all and when he gets home he’ll help the kids with homework.

We all know Tom is extremely loyal and loving so his kids are his world. They mean absolutely everything to him and he’ll do whatever it takes to help guide them through life.

[wheretheharekissesthefox]

I hate Halsin's ending and here's why:

The thing I hate most, honestly, is the lack of continuity.

Halsin feels guilty for not being able to lift the Shadow Curse sooner and on his own:

"Thaniel is trapped in the Shadowfell, but thanks to you efforts, I know where to look. Now, I must go there - alone. [...] This opportunity has been a hundred years in the making. It has to be me, and only me."

"[...] I wasted too much time already - years in which nature has suffered."

"[...] Nature suffered while I dawdled, and allowed myself to be distracted."

Him about being Archdruid and the responsibilities as such:

"I wanted to try and find him [Thaniel], but we couldn't stay - we would have all succumbed. When the Archdruid of the Grove, my predeccessor, was seized by the curse, I had to lead the survivors to safety. That was my first day as Archdruid. An inauspicious beginning."

"I reveived a dispatch from the Grove [...] My chosen successor, Francesca, has proven to be a wise choice. Perhaps the wisest I ever made as Archdruid."

"I was all too eager to surrender my responsibilities towards the grove. Perhaps I was never meant to be Archdruid, to be a leader. [...] I cannot help but wonder if there was more I could have done. Perhaps I may yet have the chance some day."

"[...] I live for the wilderness. Comfort is for the farm animal, snug in its pen."

His plans on returning to the former Shadow-Cursed-Lands:

"Still, I would like to return here some day. See Thaniel and Oliver again - in my meditations, or perhaps in person, if the Oak Father wills it. I hope he does. [...] Anyway, once the curse is lifted, nature can take its course without me. I belong at your side."

His future plans:

"[...] The Shadow Curse occupied me so entirely and for so long... I almost miss the purpose it gave me. Now, I must find a new one."

"My mind still drifts to that dream I shared with you, for a better future for all those who need it... but that must wait. I remain yours of course."

Things he says to you regarding you relationship:

"I haven taken many lovers. My heart does not stir lightly. But it does now."

"You are all I want, but I won't hoard you to myself. Let others know the happiness of being with you."

"[...] The Grove became my family, with Silvanus as my teacher. And now, I have you."

"We shall triumph. Our time together does not end here."

"[...] So long as I am surviving, and I have you by my side, I am faring as well as anyone can be."

When breaking up with him:

"[...] If that's truly what you desire, I shall respect it. No matter how much I wish it was not the case. I will remain by your side whenever you wish, of course. As ally, advisor, friend... in any way you desire, safe for as a lover."

When you change your mind about breaking up:

"I'm glad you have reconsidered, but please don't trivially bring up such difficult topics. My heart can be wounded like any other "

"[...] I told you your heart is yours, but I do not wish for mine to be toyed with."

... and break up with him again (lol):

"Does it please you to see me crestfallen? That is the only reason I can think why you might toy with my heart like this."

"I warned you not to broach such matters lightly. Perhaps you care less for me than I supposed..."

Nicknames for Tav (at least the ones I heard):

"my love" and "my heart"

When being in a relationship with him and asking for having more partners:

"[...] Don't punish yourself on my account - remember we are both free to roam and love as we see fit."

"I'm glad you didn't feel the need to deprive yourself. To deny the most essential of impulses is to cut yourself off of nature."

"[...] I asked for freedom to follow my heart, and of course, I offer it in return."

"[...] I'm glad you shown yourself to be comfortable in exploring without me."

When in a relationship with him, having sex with Mizora and telling him you didn't enjoy it:

"[...] I'm sorry to hear that [...] I just hope it doesn't dissuade you from exploring nature's bounty. If you ever want to talk, my ears are all yours. Any part of me is yours, should you wish."

In conclusion:

Halsin feels guilty for not being able to lift the Shadow Curse sooner and on his own, wasting 100 years by doing so.

He feels like he failed as Archdruid and that he's not made for being a leader.

He doesn't want to settle down but roam.

The Shadow Curse was the only thing on his mind and his only purpose for 100 years.

He doesn't know what to do, now that the curse is lifted, and is looking for a new purpose.

He voices his wish to eventually see Thaniel again.

He's poly, had a lot of flings, and doesn't fall in love easily, but he fell hard for you.

He talks about sharing the future with you.

Halsin's ending:

"They [refugees & orphans] need help - help what this city cannot provide right now. I shall aid them to make a new place for themselves, in Thaniel's realm, under nature's watch. [...] There were nine whole wagons of children in tow. They are my duty now. 'Daddy Halsin', they call me. Who am I to tell them otherwise? We are each free, as we always were... but that does not to be the end. You must visit me soon [...] I shall have my own selfish reasons for wanting to see you again, if you wish the same."

How the game ends:

Halsin brings the refugees and orphans to Thaniel's lands, inevitably becoming a leader again and settling down.

He tells you to visit him, but doesn't ask you to join him, meaning he doesn't actually want to share that "dream I shared with you, for a better future for all those who need it", treating you like a normal fling instead of the love he claims you are.

It's a weird, unsatisfying ending, and honestly, most possible endings are. Baldur's Gate 3 is such an amazing game, but most endings feel incredibly rushed or unsatisfying (I'm especially glaring at the Karlach & Astarion endings, but that's for another rant). My dislike for the Halsin ending isn't that he doesn't magically turn monogamous, but that he tells you over and over again how much you mean to him ("You are all I want", "Anything for you, my heart") and then he just fucking leaves on his own without even asking if you want to join him. He's just like "I found a new purpose, bye, see ya, visit if you want to fuck."

It feels like the writers just gave up in the end - or didn't have enough time left to do it right (I get that, I work as a translator & editor). It just feels weird.

[abby118]

Hi Abby, One thing I don't understand is the power scale. For example Odin seems much more powerful than Thor and Loki.

He seems to possess and know magic that not even Loki would know how to use, such as depriving Thor of his powers and giving Loki an Asgardian appearance, or the impositions he gives to Mjolnir. I also think I read somewhere that it would be the odinforce that gives gravity to Asgard?

But at the same time I don't understand why he didn't at least teach these spells to Thor who should be the successor to the crown.

Furthermore, I don't understand why in the war against Laufey he would have had such difficulty beating him, to the point of losing an eye. But then Thor seems very capable of destroying all of Jotuneim with his hammer and Loki simply kills Lufey by leaving him a spell with the scepter. Maybe they are script errors and the writers didn't think about it? Or am I just overestimating Odin's power?

Hey, everything you've mentioned here is really down to how you interpret it and I'll have to disagree with a lot of these statements.

Warning - long post

Now, I'm not gonna get too much into the details because I really don't feel like getting dragged into more discourse, but I'll start with the one that's perhaps the most controversial in the fandom - the supposed "spell" Odin put on Loki. I know that for some reason, people like this version, but I do not consider it canon, it just doesn't make sense to me. And before anyone jumps at this, no I don't see the book (Marvel Studios Visual Dictionary) as a relevant guide because oftentimes, the writers of such "additional" books aren't given every tiny worldbuilding detail (especially not the ones which weren't directly revealed in the movies) and thus end up making their own to put there. Does that make it canon? Technically, kind of, but not logically. It's the same as the T1 novel casually mentioning Odin's brothers even if the movie canon doesn't really hint at them (though that might be an inconvenient comparison as you can explain Vili and Vé better than said spell).

Why do I think this? Well, if you look at it from a strictly strategic point of view, it would be very risky/downright not work. We don't know whether Odin was already ill at the time of finding Loki, but would anything have happen to him during Loki's life, or simply after his inevitable death, the spell would fade and with it, the entire political scheme he had in mind involving Loki. From here on, I will be going into hc territory but this is how I see it. (You'd have to read my hcs about how I think magic works for this, but long story short, I don't believe it can be taught unless inherited.) I think, Loki, being a shapeshifter and someone with the predisposition to wield magic, shifted because he sensed that was needed for his survival when Odin held him. And I also think that was the final thing based on which Odin made the decision to take him in. Loki being one of the Aesir was exactly what Odin needed; being one of them, Loki wouldn't turn on them, he couldn't. I think that because this shift happened so early on in Loki's life, his body grew to see it as its natural state which is why he returns to it immediately after coming to contact with the Casket/the Jotun. If you look at it from a biological standpoint, Loki appearing as a born Aesir is much more than just skin colour change. The traits of the Aesir are so utterly different, involving things which are not present in the Jotuns at all (his original species can't grow hair (they don't need it), their eyes are completely different, so are their teeth etc. I could go on and on. His height changed, meaning he's got a different skeleton. That is a permanent shift have I ever seen one). That's a whole different species and even when he kind of shifted back for a few moments, he kept those traits. Now, I'm not saying that Loki's origins didn't leave a mark on his biology because they have (for example, look at the heat scans in TA, which might have been his recovery process after the torture he'd been through), but it is also canon (and obvious) he does feel cold, his breath shows up in Jotunheim (if we do see the novel as canon, then "Loki shivered and rubbed his arms".) etc. That is what I think about that one.

'Odin seems much more powerful than Thor and Loki.' 'He seems to possess and know magic that not even Loki would know how to use, such as depriving Thor of his powers and giving Loki an Asgardian appearance, or the impositions he gives to Mjolnir.'

Key word - seems. They didn't list their skillsets to you (you learn a whole lot of things when living as the prince of this realm heavily centred around magic for over a millennium and just because in these short few years, this sliver of their life spans, you didn't see something, that doesn't mean they're not capable of it, whether we are talking about Thor or Loki) and Odin is the king and I suppose with that comes access to Gungnir for example, to which is related a lot of Odin's power. If Odin is a magic user even without his staff, then just like Loki (or Thor, depending on how you view Thor's lightning) he will be specialised in areas other magic users are not as versed in; he had so much more time to study them if that is the case. (Just like Odin isn't capable of Loki's magic because they are different and most likely a result of different studies.)

'I also think I read somewhere that it would be the odinforce that gives gravity to Asgard?'

That sounds like another hc of someone who didn't think it through. I've never run into this piece of info but just think about how Asgard was created to begin with. They must have started with no king and nothing there, with the realm's crystalline core most likely generated by the presence of the Bifrost. You cannot inhabit such place if there's no prior gravity.

'But at the same time I don't understand why he didn't at least teach these spells to Thor who should be the successor to the crown.'

Again, depends on how you interpret magic and Thor's power.

'Furthermore, I don't understand why in the war against Laufey he would have had such difficulty beating him, to the point of losing an eye. But then Thor seems very capable of destroying all of Jotuneim with his hammer and Loki simply kills Lufey by leaving him a spell with the scepter.'

If I remember correctly, it was one frost giant for one trained Einheri, wasn't it? The strength comparisons. You cannot exactly compare Odin and Thor's physique, especially with the age difference and the difference in circumstances - Odin might have been already ill at the time of the war, their weapons are incomparable because each serves a different purpose and since the Asgard-Jotunheim war, they must have imporved the training + Thor does look like a gym overachiever, doesn't he? When it comes to Loki, they were in Asgard (a completely different climate), he had a major tactical advantage and you are comparing ice (again, in Asgard) to a highly trained mage who was wielding the king's staff.

[stabbyfoxandrew]

I love Leander and Jace so much already! They seem really interesting!

Leander doesn't know his parents are royalty but it sounds like Jace does?

I assume Leander is a werewolf, but doesn't know? How does he find out? Is he a bitten one or a born one, like Jace?

I'm so curious as to how he finds out too! What was his reaction? DId he find out in a peaceful way or was in a moment of danger?

And for Jace, his dad was killed by vampires in front of him?! Was it a targeted kill or do the vampires generally hate werewolves?

How/when do they change shape? Is it a full moon sort of a thing or an at will sort of a thing?

That's a lot of questions for now but I'm sure I'll have more later too. :)

-@aftgphoenix

Oh my God. Thank you so much, I'm so glad you like them! Sorry this is so late. As you know the depression has been... Much recently. But I finally feel good enough to answer this! So I'm going to lose my mind a little! :D

~ Yes! Leander has no idea he's of royal descent. He has no idea that supernatural creatures exist either. His parents left their thrones and moved away, intending to raise him among humans as a compromise. (And also because his father is very paranoid someone will try to kill his son. So he's trying to hide him. It's funny because his father is actually a huge bastard.)

Jace is very aware of the situation, but he's not allowed to tell Leander until he turns eighteen. Or until something warrants telling him. (Jace isn't just Leander's best friend and soulmate, he's also sort of his bodyguard. Leander doesn't know that either, obviously.)

~ He's a born wolf. :D Actually, Leander is actually a vampire/werewolf hybrid! His father is the King of Vampires— not the same one who changed Laurent, his successor— and his mother is the Wolf Queen. (I know it gets sort of ridiculous, but I was fourteen when I made him and I love him so much anyway. So yeah this is all mega-embarrassing to type out because I'm just realizing how cringe it is. But y'all will just have to bear with me.)

~ Leander finds out after he wakes up to his house being broken into by a vampire who wants to kill him. (In my world, if a vampire kills the reigning king/queen they take the title automatically. Leander is only 17, the reigning king of NOTHING and doesn't know shit. So... This vampire was a little confused but had the murdering spirit.) But Jace gets there in time to save him and has to explain.

Leander believes him, takes it very seriously. Then he starts to think the entire think was a fucked up prank. So Jace has to show him, has to change into his wolf form. Which nearly gives Leander a heart attack. The next morning, Jace explains the rest— the bit about his parents— and Leander is absolutely outraged. Doesn't believe that shit at all, he's human and his parents are worthless deadbeats! There's no way. But there is.

(Jace knew Leander would react that way, he has a folder full of proof. Leander skims through it all and is fucking bewildered at what he finds. Clippings from magical newspapers announcing his birth, a painting of his father that proves he was alive two centuries ago, etc.)

~ Yeah! TwT My poor baby. (Said like I wasn't the one who did this.) Werewolves and vampires aren't each other's biggest fans in general. But this was a wrong place, wrong time sort of deal really. Jace and his dad were out in the woods, Jace liked to play outside. And a pair of feral vampires shows up. Jace's dad tries to fight them off but he can't, he tells Jace to run with one of his last breaths. :(

~ Once they're old enough to have control over it born werewolves can change anytime they like! They feel a strong need to change under a full moon, so usually they'll give into it and go for a long run. 

Bitten werewolves have to work a lot harder to learn to control it and they will change under a full moon whether they like it or not. It's just how it works.

Again, thank you soooo much for the questions about my guys, Ana! <3<3<3<3

[ablizmal]

the symbolism in the “L: change the world” photoshoot

(also some L childhood headcanons) (TW for dehumanization)

OKAY so i finally got around to finding a download of the “L: change the world” photoshoot, and not only is it extremely professional, but just… i feel like they really understood L’s character, because there’s so much symbolism in some of these photos, man.

like this?

i know exactly what this means just from looking at it.

now obviously, this is all up to speculation, but… here’s my take on this photo.

to start this off, i do believe that L genuinely likes solving cases. i believe it’s one of the only things in the world that engages his mind and keeps him from being depressed and listless 100% of the time.

but if i want to be angsty about it… do you think L is imprisoned, in a sense, to solving cases? cause like even if he couldn’t handle it anymore (he COULD. in character he could, i’m just saying the following as a realism hypothetical), he couldn’t just... stop.

yes, he has successors. but i headcanon that he didn’t form that program— that was all watari. the building for that orphanage is named “the wammy’s house,” after all. whatever watari did, whatever tactics, intimidation, and pressure he put on L to “hone” his detective skills… L doesn’t want another kid to go through that.

but they are.

and he’s too much of a coward to put an end to it.

and yes, i know, i KNOW that it’s hinted at in-series that no terrible shit happens at the wammy’s house. but have you SEEN this part of the “how to read” guidebook???

watari raises kids as detectives. for fun.

for fun.

i do NOT trust this man to be around kids, much less to raise one! he for sure abuses children, whether psychologically or physically (but like… in an old man way, like slapping a ruler against a kid’s wrist for a mistake).

for him to qualify as “cultivating kids as detectives,” i can easily imagine him putting child L through rigorous (not to mention relentless) training, to sharpen the mind. like HOURS of training, nonstop.

i think canonically (even if it’s not confirmed), L tends to sits motionlessly in rooms while doing cases due to hyperfocus. but then my brother pitched this one idea and it’s fucked me up.

“what if watari didn’t give L a chair to sit in while he was training him for hours? because as a kid, when he was sitting in his room, there wasn’t a single chair… what if L now sits like that all the time because he got used to it?”

.

bruh. D:

ANYWAYS, back on topic!!!

so watari is a wholly terrible person who put a child (L) through terrible mental exercises, right? right, that’s the headcanon we’re going with.

L is just an experiment. that’s ALL he is to watari, really. L is his most perfected invention. L has so much TRAUMA from the way watari “““raised””” him that his brain’s repressed ALL THE EVENTS. you know?? the conditioning is still hardwired into his system brain. his brain. but he doesn’t remember anything else from his childhood.

but whatever happened, L has a feeling that it was bad.

soooooooo, L is now “trapped” in his occupation, shackles of guilt and obligation holding him in place. he doesn’t want another person to hold an existence similar to his current one. he didn’t want that, he wasn’t aware of the creation of the wammy’s house, but it happened, and it’s all because he exists. additionally, he can’t just quit being L, the world’s greatest detective, because then who will solve these cases? who will serve justice to the lowest of the low in the world? (tbh a parallel to light and his resolve to become kira 🫢)

so L being arranged with a dark blue fish, of all things, for the photo (DARK BLUE. THE SAME EXACT FUCKING COLOR AS HIS INTERNAL MONOLOGUE LIGHTING, AAAAAAAAA) holds so much depth. deep down, he feels empathy for it. he understands. it’s not right. it’s not fair. but this is its purpose in this world— to sit still for the benefit of others who hold more power over it and its fate. what else can it truly do?

so,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

what a haunting image.

(as an aside, watari can be a character with such depth and limitless voids of depravity. follow my blog @fuckyouwatari for more hate posts of this decrepit man, but also i’m making up the headcanons that make me hate him so much lmao. join the “all my homies HATE watari” fanclub today!~ :D)

[meroniaevent]

Day 2 (Мерониа) - 「femMeronia part 2」

Part 1 can be found here: 「 femMeronia part 1」

Author (Twitter user): @/vechnovmusike (Shared with permission) Prompt: Heaven, Language

Legend says it, the wish will be granted when you least expect it. For some reason, lying in the private luxurious room in hospital after surviving fire and avoiding heart attack by miracle, Mello thinks about it.

She was lucky that Takada Kiyomi couldn't write her name right. Heavens know what would happen if she managed to do that, probably, Mello would die. She didn't want to: dying without seeing Kira disarmed and defeated wasn't in her plans. She knew that it might happen but she is grateful that it didn't. Matt, she is sure, thinks the same. He lies in another private hospital room recovering after twenty four bullets went through him. Well, technically, only seven or so: Near insisted on bulletproof vest under Matt's clothes.

Near's mind and money are saving them once again and Mello doesn't like the slight, warm gratitude that she feels thinking about her rival. Nothing to be ashamed of, after all, they both knew that without collaboration they wouldn't excel. Be bigger than L.

Still, old habits die slow — Mello could do better. She doesn't want Near to be her personal guardian angel as if she was not capable of doing all of this herself. Near saved her life by taking action, Mello doesn't want to owe her any favours. Still, she owes.

"What are you going to do now?" Near asks looking at the opened door of the warehouse. She never looks at Mello when speaking and Keehl doesn't know why. Now it's clear, she has an ugly scar halfway down her face, but at Wammy House Near never looked at her as well.

Somehow Mello still wants her to look, watch with those grey eyes that seem apathetic and almost dead but hide so much more under the iris that it feels like an ancient puzzle worth to solve. Mello never gets a chance to solve it. "I don't know", honest answer.

"Neither do I", sudden respond with the same level of honesty. After succeeding as L's successors and defeating Kira, what should they do? Solve cases, like L did? It doesn't feel so grand after what they've done, what they've sacrificed for achieving the Main Goal.

Mysterious and creepy fairy asked for less in exchange for a life-changing wish than Wammy's system required from them for the dream that was programmed into their heads with with fierce persistence. "But I would like to have you in my team."

Mello catches a quick glance from Near and curses herself for feeling happy about it, for her heart skipping a beat. "I think we could do a lot together. The possibility of it is thirty-nine percent." Mello rolls her eyes: Near's habit to measure everything in percent never fails to annoy her. Why being so automatic and so cold?

Because it's Near's love language, Mello suddenly realises, finally cracking the part of the code presented in front of her in human form. Wammy House taught them analytics, statistics, critical thinking, they had to teach emotions and relationships themselves. Near was never good in this, though yet had an inexplicable charisma that lent itself to people she didn't need to be close to: the SPK, the FBI, and the rest. What to do with friendship, L's first successor never learned.

"Sounds okay to me". Exhausted after years of fighting and achieving something, Mello surrenders easily not wanting to continue the battle forced upon them by ambitious greedy spiders, known as Roger and Watari. Well, maybe only Roger, she didn't know much about Watari anyway.

Near raises her hand, apparently wanting to start fidgeting with her hair like she always does, but changes the direction and changes trajectory and instead touches Mello's hand with her fingertips, the very middle of her palm. The touch is light and... shy?

Near wants to feel somebody next to her, Mello realises once again and gently squishes thin fingers. Near could be a fairy with such graceful hands. A fairy said "some luck and no burden to carry one your shoulders". Did she mean all of that?

Being alive, survive, standing next to Near who finally doesn't feel like a machine in human's skin but a human being on her own, with feeling and the same inner void as Mello's? Understanding her? "You know, I asked for a wish." Near nods without a doubt. "Was it granted?" "I don't know. But I feel like it was." After all, the languages they speak are the same: hints, innuendos, and riddles. Only now they understand each other pretty well. THE END.

[electricprincess96]

Asking out of curiosity, but why do ya dislike Damian Wayne? I ask this not in a acussitory manner mind, as my only exposure to Damian is in non comics material such as those animated movies he popped up in. More so curiosity cause he seems to be a very controversial character among the main comics fandom itself.

He is controversial. There are a few reasons, some I could change my mind on with better writing and others would take a lot more for me to get behind him. I'll start by saying if you're reading this and are a Damian fan don't continue, you aren't gonna like what I have to say so don't both hate reading for the sake of it.

Firstly the concept of the Bat Family for the most part up until that point was about Found Family. Let me be clear I'm not saying it was sunshine and rainbows and they all got along great all the time BUT it was about broken people finding each other and trying to work together to make a difference. The very concept of giving Bruce a blood son ruins that, you need only look at most Damian fans when the debate on who should be Bruce's successor comes up, they will always say Damian despite the fact he has shown NOTHING to prove he deserves it, their only reason is he's the blood son. While yes being both biological and adopted kids is a thing that exists and most real people can do it and it works most DC writers are not adopted parents and dont know the specifics of how you depict that balance and it shows. It reeks of weird blood purist, anti-adoption vibes that just aren't good. Like the rise in "bad parent Bruce Wayne" towards Jason and Tim and some of the others (not sure he knows Cass's name anymore) conveniently corrolates with demon brats creation. Coupled with the fact on more than one occasion writers have seemed to make it seem like Damian does indeed mean more just cause he's blood related. I just don't like it. I wasn't overly fond of Helena Wayne (although she was better cause she was from another world instead of the canon one) and I don't like Damian for the same reason.

Secondly he was forced as Robin. As I said in a recent post up until Damian the role of Robin had only really been changed when it was necessary. Jason was made Robin because DC wanted Robin to be a kid again but readers liked the storylines they were getting with young adult Dick Grayson so they promoted Dick from sidekick and created Jason Todd. Likewise when Jason died there was no Robin, Dick wasn't about to go back to being Robin and Jason was dead thus Tim was created to fill a role that needed filling. Even Stephanie was made Robin due to Tim being unavailable for a long period of time (i dont remember the specifics but i think it had to do with his family finding out about Robin) so even when she lasted not even a year, she was still filling a vacamcy instead of being forced into a role that was already filled. Damian however was just created. They had not taken the proper steps to develop Tim out of being Robin naturally (and before people come at me with "oh he had plenty of time" Dick Grayson got FORTT YEARS and Damian is coming up on nearing 2 decades so shut up) and thus his creation has directly led to the problem we have right now in DC were we have TWO Robins cause they demoted Tim back to being Robin when Red Robin didn't work out (and 3 batgirls but that ones Barbara Gordon's fault). Coupled with the fact his introduction came right after the revival of Jason Todd thus basically screeching to a halt any real meaningful development that plotline could have had because suddenly DC had a shiny new toy to play with. Damian's creation was a turning point for Batman comics and not a good one, because it contributed to the derailing of multiple characters arcs and plotlines and some have still not fully recovered.

Thirdly his character upon introduction was already redundant. He's a child raised by assassins.... OK well we already have Cassandra Cain. He's a Robin willing to kill and will really test the Bat Fams moral compass. OK well as I said we'd already revived Jason Todd and he was already taking the fight to the Bat on the no kill rule. Literally the only unique thing he had upon introduction was that he was a blood relation to Bruce which I personally do not think should mean anything. But DC starting from that point going forward started to have a horrible undercurrent of blood purity. The only thing I can think that he is semi unique on is being biracial but even then not entirely his since Cassandra is biracial as well AND they never do anything with him being biracial. Plus if they really wanted to they could have reconned one of the existing Robins to be biracial without derailing multiple other characters plotlines.

Fourthly. He's an obnoxious and annoying brat 90% of the time. Like I get it, being raised by Talia (although there's conflicting information on of he was actually raised at all since the timeline does not seem to add up for his age and at one point he was grown in an artificial womb and artificially aged but that's been retconned but the timeline still don't add up if he's not artificially aged somewhat. His back story is a mess I ain't gonna make heads or tails of it) will inevitably result in a very arrogant child afterall Ra's and Talia's egos rival Lex Luthors. BUT they want us to believe at times he can back that up. And I'm sorry I don't care how skilled you are as a child assassin, you are still a child. Like in the Animated movies he should not be able to beat Deathstroke in a straight 1 to 1 fight. He just shouldn't. Both are highly skilled assassins sure but Slade is like 6 times Damian's age, double his size and at least 3 times his weight. There is also the fact that his dark, brooding, arrogant, cruel character sort of worked when he was Dick Grayson's Robin cause it was flipping the established dynamics for Batman and Robin. But when he's Bruce's Robin it doesn't work, we no longer have that little bit of sunshine that Robin is meant to bring to Batman (and don't think I haven't noticed how Batman's character has got crueler and darker since Damian became his Robin) while Batman is meant to be a guiding hand for Robin to keep him on the right track.

Fifthly. For Damian's character arc to really work/make sense ot has to be acknowledged that Talia is not a good mother. At best she's deliberately raising him in a dangerous environment and at worse she is actively abusive. It's the only way you can justify half of his character traits and why he's even here in the first place. Here's the issue for all I dislike Talia as a character... I don't believe she's an abusive mother. One thing that seems to be consistent for Talia was that she did love her family. Talia's flaws for me are in her inability to choose a side and her entitlement towards Bruce and other men (well and the whole worldwide genocide of anyone not League of Assassins). Now I am more willing to accept this one as just being how new Talia is but I don't blame some of her fans who feel miffed about this however they do have to acknowledge that there's no real way to do his story without her either being an incompetent parent or a down right bad one (but don't worry Talia fans Bruce is also awful nowadays so she's not alone there....)

Now his arrogance and overall unlikable character can absolutely be fixed with good writing. I hated him in the Animated movies (kid you grew up in the mountains leaving to kill you SHOULD NOT BE LECTURING BRUCE FUCKING WAYNE ABOUT STOCKS) but I'm quite liking him in Boy Wonder where it's actually tackling his own sense of entitlement and showing that he needs to learn from his predecessors rather than acting like he's better than them purely because he shares dna with Bruce.

BUT the conceptual issues I have won't go away quite so easily. It's why if I'm asked if I could wipe one Robin from existence, it will always be him. He could be written wonderfully, he could get a comic run that is the best written thing ever and I will still always say him when asked that question. And I know I'm not alone on that.

[plznomonkeys]

I cannot add the screenshot but saw your comment about the process of making OCs. please share yours cuz I'm so curious!

I had literally 5k words written out explaining the process and thought 'nobody needs to read that' and just shortened it to point form. It was a lot of rambling......

Anywho

OC's, in my mind, fill a void that I feel a story is missing. I mean, no whole story is necessarily missing something, but it is in my perspective. Usually OC's are born from something I disliked with the original work or felt could've been handled differently.

So the tip of inspiration is a 'What If?' moment.

"What if L had someone on task force -with more than 2 brain cells- on his side?"- Death Note

"What if Naruto had a friend growing up who loved him?" - Naruto

"What if Truth was an even bigger dick and tortured someone's soul through reincarnation until they finally learned to break the cycle?"- FullMetal Alchemist

"What if a main character didn't have a damsel in distress as a love interest?" - Bleach

The what if is the first point to creation. It gives me an anchor of reference, of purpose, to this character. It's not to make them a plot device, but it helps me shape around what the reason for building them is. Everyone needs a purpose to have fulfillment in their lives, even if it's just to feed your cat and water your plants. You have a purpose, so what is my OC's? There's usually a moment in the story that inspires this specific purpose and each one is different.

Great, now that we have a purpose, let's move on.

Part 1: What's the start and ending?

It doesn't matter what the story is yet. To me, what's important is the end of this character's story. Where do they end up? Are they alive? Dead? Did they end up with love interest? Did they succeed in their goals? etc.

Despite how crucial this part might seem, I'm never dead set on it. I have a general idea most of the time.

The point of the ending is to have guidance as to where I'm going with the story line and remind myself that this character is moving in that direction. It can also change once you know your character more and once you have a fully fleshed plot, but again you'll change it likely because it works more with the OC you've created.

Now that you've got an ending, pick a starting point. It can be literally anywhere. It can be another character POV. Beginnings are really easy, just pick a place you want to begin and write a few words. Great, now figure out how this beginning meets that ending. Rough sketch it, when you write it out it'll change and grow, that's perfectly okay. No character is the same at the start and finish, so be aware that change is normal.

Part 2: What's the secret?

Every character that has any level of depth has a secret that is revealed in the story. L's successors was a big one. Naruto's parentage was theorized for years before being confirmed. Aizen's betrayal in Bleach was another. What big secret changes the reader's view on the character? What do the other characters think?

Part 3: How are they compatible with their pairings?

Legit this one comes up early in my mind. If I'm completely honest it has to, as you already have a character that is fully fleshed out and in order to keep them in character then your OC needs to adhere to the canon character's interests IMO. It's the reality of it. Which also means you have to know the canon character really well. Which is where character analysis comes in.

Let's take L for example. While I imagine he's the type to make his partner comfortable regardless of their wants/needs, I also see him as the guy who would legit rather die that admit those feelings at first? Like I subscribe to him being a little autistic and mildly self-degrading when it comes to 'why would they like me?' perspectives.

I say mildly because it's not so much he has no confidence as simply 'I literally have no internal clock, I likely have uncontrolled diabetes and broke my back on my own from sitting like this all day, I will ignore your very existence to finish a case and I literally haven't been home in god knows how long, so why would you ever have feelings for me?' It's illogical for L to entertain the idea of someone feeling that way about him because he simply doesn't fit the profile of a dating candidate. And so he disregards the idea that someone could ever be interested in him. Never mind he'd have to know everything about them down to their god damn SIN number before he'd ever see them in person.

So yeah, L's tough, but not impossible. I could see him with a character who really enamours him. I mean as in a character who thinks so radically different from him that at first he sees it as illogical, but progressively he begins to understand how they tick. I could see him being especially fascinated with someone who is very capable of lying convincingly, and yet wears their heart on their sleeve. I find this type of person to be so opposite and yet so similar at the same time.

Now that you have their OTP.... what other pairings are there? Contrary to the belief system, but there are multiple pairings in every story. Pairings don't have to be romantic, but they must be dynamic. What do other characters think of them? How would they interact with each other? I usually know intuitively who I want my OC to befriend and who they realistically could get along with.

This is, quite literally, the toughest part to flesh out, since I work pretty hard to try and stick to canon.

Part 4: Define your character in one scene?

As I said in the What If? section, each character is born from a specific scene or idea. So what is the scene in the story that defines the entirety of this character? For L I think his defining moment was his lil speech about 'do you really think I do this for justice?' in the manga. It brought into perspective that L was having fun on this case, and when he was 'wrong' about Light his temper tantrum made so much more sense honestly.

Characters need a scene in the story that really lets the reader understand the character on a deeper level and really drives home 'this is a person' even though they're not real it makes them feel raw and real.

Part 5: Motivations

Okay, great, we have so much covered, literally I could probably just go off this and wing the rest. But now we gotta ask why is OC even in the story? Why are they a moving puzzle piece? What made them get to their ending? What did they sacrifice? What's the most important thing to them? Why? Knowing why a person moves is far superior to simply wanting them to move. Why did Light swap the notebooks between shinigami? To keep Ryuk's big mouth away and Rem up close to L. Why did L confront Light at uni? Because he had enough sugar to kill a camel in his system and a gut feeling that Light was Kira and would eventually fold under pressure if he pushed him enough.

Part 6: The Plot

Okay so we've got literally everything necessary. So what's the plot? Is it AU? Partial AU? Canon compliant? Does it just follow canon to a certain point and then go off the rails? Personally I like canon divergent. It holds some points of interest with the original plot but diverges at points only to link up in some spots. I also am a huge fan of making events happen in different time frames.

And now.... where do the OC's affect the story? I mean there's no way that Death Note is a completely unchanged story despite another character being added? Something has changed, so what? Do certain events not occur? Does something better befall certain characters? Something worse?

I am also a stickler for universe rules. I do no bend rules for my characters unless I can come up with a universe compliant reason that it would work. I try to respect the original author's world...... but I will do whatever the hell I want with the characters as long as they're in character.

Part 7: The personal touch

Believe it or not, the appearance of the character is the literal last thing to even cross my mind. Like I legit started writing a Naruto fanfic and realized in 8 chapters I hadn't a clue what she looked like. I had to go to pinterest and make a board, along with a character bio in my notes app. I pic out the height, weight, hairstyle/hair colour, eye shape/eye colour, face, aesthetic, any scars/tattoos they may have and I put it on my notes/pinterest board. Now that I know their story is so I know why they'd have that scar or tattoo. I know why they have that kind of look in their eye. I know everything about them really.

The last bit is mostly spreading this personal touch through the above mentioned steps. It's fleshing it out further, making them more flowing in growth. When did they get the scar? Why that tattoo? Does it affect the story?

Attractiveness is something I debate a lot, and honestly it mostly comes down to plot. If a character needs to be pretty because of the plot I write them as attractive. If they need to be ugly that's what they are. Full disclosure, I see through my OC's eyes when I imagine scenes since I like to write in first person. Meaning I never remember their appearance and always have to review the notes to remind myself what they look like at all.

---

Ok, I think I got everything? So yeah, this is the fuck fest two brain cells can come up with. Keep in mind it is a cyclic mentality and I am perpetually editing and upgrading ideas in my brain. My newest OC to Death Note has literally changed so dramatically in 5 days just by doing this process 3 times that you'd think they were two different characters. It really helps me know my OC's honestly. Do I follow this to the T? Not always, but it is generally the process I subscribe to.

Hope this was a good read, cheers.

Also sorry if I did this wrong I've never posted on tumblr before this year god save my soul

[eventinelysplayground]

A Kings Gamble

Benitoite palace corridors at night.

King Alfio slowly strode through the palace corridors unable to sleep due to the week's events.

This whole damn week has been nothing but a headache. Where the hell did that damn dog get the idea to bare his fangs at me like that! Valerio to! I never thought he'd take that damn dogs side like he has & Lidia! I mean I get that she was ecstatic at the idea of spending more time together, we haven't had that kind of time for ourselves since I was named successor. How the hell does that damn dog even know how important that sort of thing is!? That woman certainly didn't teach him, all she knew was selfish desires.

As King Alfio was turning a corner he paused as he spied Lady Emma standing there staring out a window. He ducked back behind the bend just enough to stay out of sight but still allow him to see her.

This young lady, Lidia already likes her and Valerio has done nothing but sing her praises. Valerio can say he doesn't love her all he wants but does he really think I can't recognize it! I'm not that old and doddering to have forgotten. What tricks did that damn dog use to get into her...

The faint sound of jangling cut off King Alfios thoughts and he saw Silvio coming around the corner at the far end of the corridor.

She doesn't even seem to notice that damn dog comming, is she really that unaware of her surroundings or ...

King Alfio was about to turn and leave when he caught a glimpse of something in Silvio's eyes that made him change his mind. He watched as Silvio approached Lady Emma from behind and gently wrapped his arms around her waist.

Silvio: What are you doing out here by yourself starin off like that!?

Emma: Silvio!You shouldn't be holding me like this here, what if someone comes by and sees us!

King Alfio noticed that despite her words Lady Emma leaned back into Silvio's embrace.

Silvio: So let em your my woman so it's fine, and don't go tryin to change the subject! You shouldn't be wandering around alone like this especially at night what if something happened to you or you got lost?

Emma: It's a straight line back to my room! I'm sorry I worried you though.

Silvio: I wasn't worried! If you're gonna start makin a habit of wandering off though maybe I should put a bell on your collar.

Emma: Try it and I swear I'll bite you!

Silvio: Ha! I ain't lettin you do that a third time, besides...

Ha! Serves you right you damn dog being bitten by your own prey! I'm starting to like her better...

King Alfio watched as Silvio left his mark on Lady Emma's neck and it brought to mind several memories of Lidia and himself.

Silvio: That wasn't the deal you offered originally. You don't wanna bell you gotta make a new deal with me.

Emma: If you think you can keep getting me to let things go by doing stuff like that...

King Alfios expression softened slightly as he watched Silvio lift Lady Emma into his arms.

I don't think I've ever seen that dog look so happy, delighted? No those aren't right...

Silvio: I love it when you're sassy but I love it even more when you're like this Emma.

Emma: Silvio, I love you too.

Silvio: Ya I know, but keep sayin it.

King Alfio watched as Silvio carried Lady Emma to her room and chuckled softly when her door was kicked in before turning back and heading the way he had come.

King Alfio: I know that look all too well.

King Alfio sighed and Lidia's words from days ago came back to him.

Queen Lidia: Alfio you should know better than anyone that true love can cause miracles.

Kingo Alfio gently kicked open his bedroom door. Sitting on the sofa working on some embroidery project was his Queen, the woman he had worked so hard for. Queen Lidia turned to him and smiled so dazzlingly at him his breath momentarily caught.

Queen Lidia: Alfio! Are you all right? You look as if you're going over and over an important deal.

King Alfio: Not a deal Lidia a gamble.

Queen Lidia: A gamble? Alfio are you still fretting over naming Silvio your successor? As I already said I truely do believe everything will work out fine. Silvio has many accomplishments & with the support of Valerio and Lady Emma I'm even more certain he'll be an excellent King.

King Alfio: Dammit Lidia I know all that!

King Alfio slumped onto the sofa and sighed, a comfortable silence fell between them as Queen Lidia waited him out.

King Alfio: I saw them tonight, that damn dog and Lady Emma.

Queen Lidia: You're surprised to see them together Alfio?

King Alfio: Yes, no I mean...

King Alfio trailed off trying to find the right words. Queen Lidia set aside her embroidery hoop and took his hand in hers.

Queen Lidia: Then what is it?

King Alfio: ..Us

Queen Lidia: Alfio don't mumble..

King Alfio: They reminded me of us!

King Alfio sighed again and ran his free hand through his hair before continuing.

King Alfio: This whole week I've been wondering about quite a lot of things. One that bothered and honestly surprised me the most was that damn dogs conviction when he talked about us spending more time together. I can't deny he's smart enough to know our relationships different to most especially within the royal court but the strength behind his words...

Queen Lidia smiled bright and knowingly as she waited for King Alfio to continue.

King Alfio: The way she reacted to his touch, the way she smiled at him, the way she sassed him. Hell he even called her by her name! Nothing was more telling though then that look in their eyes.

Queen Lidia: That look?

King Alfio: That look you can only get from true love. I know that look very well after all these years, and I saw it earlier tonight. Not just in Silvio's gaze but reflected back at him in Lady Emma's as well. I never thought I'd see a day when any of my children looked at someone like that least of all it being Silvio!

Queen Lidia: It took you long enough to realize it Alfio.

King Alfio: Lidia...

Queen Lidia: I told you days ago...

King Alfio: I know Lidia you don't have to rub it in!

Queen Lidia laughed as she kissed King Alfio on the cheek.

King Alfio: He's still a bastard, especially for breaking Valerios heart like that! Though I suppose if Lady Emma hadn't fallen for Valerio in all that time she never would have. I think he'll keep on the right course though so long as he has her.

Queen Lidia: Yet you still think it's a gamble?

King Alfio: Yes but now that I know the type of cards he's playing with I know it's not just a gamble he can win but that the whole nation will profit from.

King Alfio turned to face Queen Lidia and as he gazed at her smiling face that oh so familiar look was all over her, the same one he saw on Silvio and Lady Emma earlier. That look of pure unadulterated joy that only comes from true love.

[empressofthewind]

Alright the different scenario ask 😂

Let’s say we still have Arc 1 where L lost to Light. Imagine Light stepped down and he had a successor who were Mello. And we have Arc 2: Mello vs Near. What do you think the ending of DN would be in this scenario?

Personally although I hate to say it I think Mello could not outsmart Near. But at the same time he had an advantage of owning the DN. Plus he took more extreme method than Light. He could always have a spy inside the SPK building and take pic of Near and win in this case. I haven’t thought much about this lol

Would love to hear your thoughts instead. Thanks 😇

Thanks for the ask! This is such an interesting scenario. I've put my response under a cut as per usual, since it's pretty long :-)

Firstly, I think it’s important to establish the criteria for “winning”. For Near, a win obviously means capturing Mello. For Mello, however, the criteria changes depending on his motive. If he is simply trying to evade capture and reign as Kira, then a win would be to last long enough that Near is forced to drop the case and Mello gets to carry on as Kira, completely uncontested. If his motive is to beat Near, then a win would require eliminating Near, and that, mostly likely, means writing his name in the Death Note.

I’m going to start with the first scenario, in which we assume Mello does not want to go up against Near directly and is instead trying to evade capture long enough that he drops the case. In this instance, I’m imagining Mello is doing something similar to what B did, and attempting to create an unsolvable case.

In this case, I definitely see Mello making himself a moving target. Light based himself in Japan the entire time and was unable to go too far, due to his age & family life at the beginning, and later because of his alignment with the task force. Mello, on the other hand, is not tied anywhere, and I couldn’t see him settling in one place knowing he could easily be caught if his location was compromised. He’d move around constantly, drawing information about criminals from a variety of locations and trying his best to cover his tracks as he does so. Given Near has limited freedom to move, this would make things incredibly tricky for him.

Another thing I imagine Mello might do is attack from the inside – that is, align himself with criminal organisations like the mafia as he does in canon, draw as much information from them as possible, and use the Death Note to kill and control them as he pleases. However, it’s highly likely Near would be able to track him based on this. For example, if members of the LA mafia suddenly start acting strange and dropping dead around the same time, he could easily gauge that Mello is in LA and act accordingly. I still think it would be difficult for Near to pin Mello down as long as he’s still moving around, but he might be able to keep up with his movements to an extent.

With all that in mind, I think this situation is pretty much a guaranteed win for Mello. All he has to do is keep moving around and use the Death Note as his sole untraceable weapon, and he’s fine.

In the scenario where he is trying to kill Near, things are a little more complicated. I think Light’s role in this is super important to consider. Given Light’s stubbornness and his general lack of trust for anyone else with matters relating to Kira, I couldn’t see him 100% entrusting a successor with his power unless he either died or was backed into a corner. With that in mind, I’ve thought up three possible scenarios in which Mello would have to take over for him.

#1 is a situation in which Light is not free to move, but can still communicate with Mello. This would end up being something similar to the situation that forced Light to call on Mikami – perhaps the task force took into account L’s suspicion of Light and decided to watch him very closely after L died, so he had to pass the baton to someone else while he was being monitored. This would mean Mello is doing his dirty work, but Light is still ultimately pulling the strings.

#2 is a scenario in which Light is not free to move, nor can he communicate with Mello. Perhaps he is, for some reason, forced into hiding, and has to be inactive for a period of time, thus Mello has to take over temporarily. This is similar to scenario #2, but the difference here is that Light isn’t controlling Mello, so Mello is acting independently on Light’s behalf.

#3 is some variation of the musical ending – if you haven’t seen it, the gist is that both L and Light die at the same time. So what I’m thinking here is that they either died together, or something occurred to result in Light’s death immediately after L’s, and Mello took over the role of Kira. Either Light had Mello already lined up to take over for him, or Mello happened to be the next one to pick up the Death Note and decided to carry on Kira’s legacy. The main takeaway here is that Light is dead.

In situation #1, where Mello plays the role Mikami had in canon and simply takes orders from Light, Near is for sure screwed. In canon, Near couldn’t take Light on by himself without Mello’s help, so taking both of them on would be a guaranteed loss for him.

Situation #2 could go both ways. If Light’s absence is only temporary, Mello could just lay low for a while until Light can move again, and thus Near still ends up having to take on either Light on his own, or both of them. This would be a win for Mello, but to me, it doesn't really seem like Mello's style. It's much more likely that Mello would try to go up against Near while Light is still absent, which would end up looking more like situation #3.

Situation #3 is a one-on-one battle, which makes things much more interesting. I doubt Mello would ever let himself be cornered the way Light does (i.e. agreeing to meet Near face-to-face at the warehouse). He fights from the shadows and he makes bold, dramatic moves. This gives him an edge over Near; a direct battle of wits would more likely result in a win for Near, but a battle of wits in which Mello also has the element of surprise evens things out a little more.

Whether or not Near and Mello know each other also plays a role. If Mello was raised at Wammy’s House and left after L died, as per canon, then he would know that Near is the one taking the case. This makes things easier for him, as he can more easily predict Near’s behaviour if he has intimate knowledge of his thought patterns and investigative techniques. The same is true in reverse though; Near might have an easier time predicting Mello's moves, and he'd most likely know that Mello is the one taking over from Kira, so all he has to do is track Mello down rather having to figure out his identity first.

Then the question is whether Mello has the means to get to Near without being caught. Your suggestion is a really good one imo. I could absolutely see him having a spy infiltrate the SPK and take a photo of Near, and probably having another ally with the Shinigami eyes to read out Near’s name (so he doesn’t have to make the deal himself). Similarly, he could also find out one of the other SPK members' real names and control them using the Death Note, so they'd be forced to reveal all the information he needs about Near.

Based on everything I said earlier about Mello being a moving target, I think he'd be able to successfully evade capture as long as it would take for him to enact his plan to infiltrate the SPK. Thus, I think he'd be able to pull it off. I do think that if Mello and Near have an established rivalry though, Mello wouldn't want to simply write Near's name down and be done with it. He'd want to taunt Near about his win first, and he'd probably do that by controlling him with the Death Note. Either way, this is a win for Mello.

Honestly I was expecting things to be more even between them, but having written all of this out, I’m starting to feel like there isn’t really an easy way for Near to win at all. It's important to remember that Near would not have won in canon without Mello. Mello was able to hide from Near for four years, get more information about the Death Note much faster than Near could, and make moves that, for the most part, Near was not able to predict. So, even though Mello isn't as academically intelligent as Near, he has a clear advantage because of his unpredictability, his ability to move quickly and freely, and his ability to think on his feet. These are advantages that not even Light had - and with the Death Note in his possession as well, that makes Mello super dangerous. So ultimately, I have to give my final verdict that Mello would win.

This is also assuming Mello is actually able to go through with killing Near, which is a whole other can of worms. Given my Meronia bias, I am inclined to say he wouldn’t, but if they don’t know each other in this AU, then I suppose it wouldn’t be too much of a problem for him. But even if Mello isn't able to kill Near, I don’t think Near would be willing to kill Mello either, or even have him arrested for life, so who knows? Perhaps they end up in a stalemate and the only thing they can do is make out about it. I would say that is the best possible outcome.