#a little angsty but with a happy ending

[juicybvns]

Simon x fem reader

A/n: Ghost angst usually hits the best

—

Husband! Simon Ghost Riley who thinks about you the whole 4 months he was deployed

Husband! Simon Ghost Riley who’s heart aches just thinking about his wife is all alone and been expecting him since last month

Husband! Simon Ghost Riley who stares at the door nervous to walk in but excited to see you maybe cuddling a cup of coffee on the couch like your usual morning routine

Husband! Simon Ghost Riley who’s eyes burn a bit, rimming with tears under his mask when he sees you almost spill your coffee when you look towards the door

Husband! Simon Ghost Riley who drops his bag and and lifts his mask up when you stand up and stumble to him

Husband! Simon Ghost Riley who squeezes you so tight you almost couldn’t breathe

Husband! Simon Ghost Riley who holds your head against his shoulder and he closes his eyes to let it sink in that he’s finally home

Husband! Simon Ghost Riley who breathes in your scent when a tear drops from his eye

Husband! Simon Ghost Riley who hears your sniffle and brings you’re head face to face with him while he looks into your eyes and smiles

Husband! Simon Ghost Riley who kisses you like he would never see you again, taking away your breath

Husband! Simon Ghost Riley who then gently brings his forehead to yours and says “I missed you so much, love.”

Husband! Simon Ghost Riley who kisses you again and guides you to the bedroom

Husband! Simon Ghost Riley who lays you down and removes his shirt by grabbing it from the back and bringing it over his head

Husband! Simon Ghost Riley who shows you how much he missed his wife by giving you hours of pleasure and his undevoted attention

Husband! Simon Ghost Riley who, a few weeks later drops to his knees to hug your stomach when you tell him your pregnant

Husband! Simon Ghost Riley who promises to love, cherish, and protect his new and long wanted family <3

[hauntingofhouses]

Thinking about the crazy love triangle situation in Blue Eye Samurai and debating heavily with myself on how I'd like to see it conclude. And yeah this discussion can be thought of purely as shipping, headcanons, and fandom fun. But when analysing the show and engaging with it in a more in-depth, almost-literary level, it's impossible to dismiss who Mizu's potential love interests are and how different endgame romances would affect her character arc and the overall story and themes.

So in this post I'd like to look at the love triangle a bit more closely, and speculate on where the story will take this.

DISCLAIMER: It is my personal interpretation of the text that Mizu is non-binary—I use this as an umbrella term denoting any gender that does not adhere to the binary restrictions, norms, and expectations of what it means to be either a man or woman in a particular society; it's not just an androgynous "third gender" that exclusively uses they/them pronouns. Thus, while I personally believe Mizu is not strictly a cis woman, she does still identify with womanhood, despite definitely feeling a level of detachment from it due to living as a man for so long. With that being said, I will be using she/her pronouns for Mizu in this post, but please note that this is purely personal preference. Everyone is free to interpret the text the way they like. That's the fun of fiction. Now, without further ado, let's proceed.

Okay so, thinking about the pairings on a purely surface level, and even before i got into the show, I was pinning my hopes on some lesbianism going on between Mizu and Akemi, and the show does hint at this; in Ep1, during their first encounter in Kyoto, there is the famous slow-mo shot of their eyes meeting, Mizu's lips slightly parted as she is unable to tear her gaze away from Akemi, while sweet string music plays in the background. This is clear romantic framing, and a marker of attraction. If Mizu was a cishet man, there would be no question that this is a potential love interest.

But then, in the same episode, we meet Taigen, who is introduced to us firstly from hearing Akemi's father describe him as "a fierce and undefeated young samurai", the "best swordsman in the best school" and "a fisherman's son from Kohama [...] whose rise reminds [him] of [his] own."

In the next scene, we meet him in person as Akemi's fiance, and he seems sweet enough. He even gives her sweets! In exchange, Akemi gives him gold, and he feels a bit ashamed that he doesn't have anything better to offer her. But Akemi accepts him and his gift wholeheartedly and flirts with him a little, which makes him smile kinda shyly.

When Akemi confirms their engagement, Taigen is in disbelief because he has no status or noble background, but Akemi reassures him.

So from these first few scenes, we're introduced to Taigen as an honourable and strong samurai, but also as a man who is sweet and gentle with the woman he is about to marry, as well as aware of his own inferiority when compared to Akemi's high station.

Our view of him then changes as his true self is revealed: he is an arrogant and smug bastard among his peers, but more importantly, he is the terrible bully from Mizu's childhood.

And it is this side of Taigen--pompous jerk and unrepentant xenophobic bully--that we continue to see as the show goes on, and it's safe to say that this is his real self, sans any pretense of humility and modesty. Around anyone who isn't an outright superior in terms of class and power (ie. Akemi's father, the shogun), Taigen never hesitates to assert his own authority and "greatness."

But as the show goes on, he gets caught by Heiji Shindo's men, and then tortured. And that's when we see, okay, turns out he's not that bad. He's honourable; "honour" is not just meaningless and superficial pedantry for him, but an internalised, guiding principle.

He was a cruel asshat throughout Mizu's childhood, but in a prejudiced and xenophobic society, he was just playing by the rules. As a child, he knew he was at the bottom of society, but when met with someone even lower ranked than him (Mizu), he can project all those prejudices and insecurities onto someone else. This way of thinking--"if you can't beat 'em, join em"--is what allowed him to climb up the ranks despite being some dirt poor kid from an abusive household*.

*Well, that combined with his cismale privilege of course, because this would not be an option for a woman in similar circumstances.

Thus, his upholding of honour also exemplifies how Taigen embodies the ideals and rules of his society. His insistence on duelling Mizu is another more blatant example of this. He doesn't want revenge like Mizu does. He wants to be accepted by society, within the bounds that society has placed, and that means that his only two options following his defeat at the Shindo dojo were to either chase Mizu down and get his damn duel, or kill himself for his humiliating defeat.

Now! Moving on from Taigen, let's go back to the other end of this little love triangle: Akemi.

Mizu and Akemi only properly meet in Ep4. During their first meeting, when Akemi tries to poison Mizu in Madame Kaji's brothel, she compliments Mizu's eyes, calling them "beautiful."

This seems to genuinely take mizu off-guard for a second before she coolly plays along. We know that Mizu recognises Akemi from the get-go, and thus sees through Akemi's ploy from a mile away. It's also safe to assume she'd expected false flattery, because Mizu understands full well that this tactic is how women get what they want: by using their 'feminine wiles' and playing up their naivety and innocence. But even so, it's interesting that Mizu actually seems surprised by Akemi's compliment.

Then, after Mizu subtly taunts Akemi by lying about Taigen's death, she and Akemi have a bit of a scuffle, and then we get to Mizu saying this:

"Women in our world don't have a single good option. Except you, like some magical forest creature. You could have anything you want, but then you beg to eat trash."

(no screenshot because it's quite a long line but you get it)

Here we see Mizu's opinions on the marginalisation of (mostly poor and under-privileged) women stated outright, and underlying her words is also resentment. Because even though she and Akemi have shared experiences of female oppression, Mizu, unlike Akemi, was also poor, from a rural village, and is a racial minority. Mizu is triply oppressed, while Akemi only faces one primary form of oppression, and to someone as embittered by the world as Mizu is, to see Akemi "beg to eat trash" is a slap in the face, practically tone-deaf to the other injustices around her--injustices which Akemi has not shown much, or any, acknowledgement for at this point.

Then, after this scene, Mizu kills Kinuyo, and this unsettles her to a degree we've never seen from her before. She is visibly distraught, and the entire sequence hammers the theme of this episode (and arguably, a large portion of the show) into our heads: women in this world suffer. And even though Mizu is well aware of this fact, to commit this act is so visceral that is shakes her to her core, and it's what ultimately leads to the ambush of the Thousand Fangs.

But before the ambush, Mizu and Akemi talk a little again, and during this time Akemi taunts Mizu some more.

Right now, Mizu is exhausted to the point where (I believe) she even downs some sake, despite not usually drinking. Thus, worn down, she cuts Akemi's ropes and tells her, "Just go." Akemi recovers from her initial fear of Mizu's blade and taunts her some more, accurately seeing through Mizu's facade of coldness, recognising the raw anger there, and says this:

"I thought you had to be something special. Your face isn't even so scary. You're just... angry."

At this, Mizu is amused and compares Akemi to Taigen ("I see why he likes you. You're just like Taigen when we were children. A fucking brat.")

The reveal that Mizu and Taigen knew each other in childhood surprises Akemi, but before either of them can say more, everything goes to shit.

That's when we get to Ep5. This episode focuses primarily on Mizu, the central piece of this love triangle, and does the most out of all the episodes to shed some light on her character and goals, fleshing her out to be more than just the vengeful, highly proficient samurai we've seen thus far (symbolised by The Ronin), but also a person who is capable of love, domesticity and gentleness (symbolised by The Bride). But in the end, Mizu rejects both these ideals, instead becoming an Onryo, who is neither guided by pride/honour, nor love.

By 'reincarnating' into an Onryo, Mizu is able to win the day and save the women in the brothel. However, as she has now fully embraced her status as an Onryo, and is exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally, she lets the Tokunobu clansmen take Akemi away while Akemi's screams echo in her ear.

Mizu says this choice is for Akemi's own good, that Akemi's better off; because Mizu is jaded and weary, and cannot afford the luxury of idealism, and thus must always be strictly practical and realistic. So of course that's why, in her view, yes, Akemi should not be wasting her time in a brothel where women are exploited and abused, nor should Akemi be so naive to think that her marriage with Taigen is even still possible. However, regardless of Mizu's views, it is not for her to decide, because though Akemi is privileged in some sense, she is still trapped and voiceless, and deserves the right to choose her own destiny.

But as it happens, in the end, though Akemi did not choose who she gets to marry, she DOES get to choose her next move when Edo burns down.

"I want to be great."

This one line is the key to her entire arc, which is only just beginning. We see she quickly has acquired the affection and good graces of the shogun's son after their wedding night and consummation, and with Madame Kaji and the girls now serving her, Akemi will only grow to become a prominent political player.

NOW, only after analysing the characters as they are within this season, only can we speculate how their arcs will continue as the show progresses.

First and foremost, I will reassert the popular opinion that Mizu and Akemi are foils. The climax (pun intended) of Ep7 illustrates this as it parallels the turning points in both Mizu's and Akemi's arcs:

Mizu melts the steel of all her loves and shames, the people she's collected: the broken blade wielded by both Chiaki and Taigen, Akemi's knife, Ringo's bell, Master Eiji's tongs - this symbolises her beginning to accept herself, and in doing so, also accepting the help of others;

Akemi consummates her marriage with Takayoshi Itoh, gains his affection, and cements her position as a woman in the shogun's palace - this symbolises her taking charge of her situation, no longer playing the damsel, but using her position to her advantage, empowering both herself and the underprivileged women around her.

These are thus two directly contrasting, diverging journeys:

Mizu's arc moves inward (yin). It is an internal path of self-love and self-discovery, focused on finding peace and tranquility inside herself, and this involves allowing herself to let others into her life, opening herself up to friendship and empathy once more.

Akemi's arc moves outward (yang), it is an external path of growth, transforming from a naive, caged princess to a powerful woman and a force to be reckoned with.

Akemi is always dressed in red, even her eyes are a bit of a reddish-brown rather than brown-black like most other characters, and in her penultimate scene she stands against a backdrop of flames. She is fire: quick-tempered, passionate, full of energy. Red is powerful, authoritative, and in eastern cultures, it is associated with prosperity.

Mizu is blue: her eyes, her sword, her clothes. She is also named after water; it's where she goes to recover, reflect and meditate. Water is fluid like a brook weaving around a stone in its path, always changing and adapting, it is graceful, it is beautiful and ruthless, tranquil yet swift.

Thus, in the future, I expect we will see plenty of political manoeuvring and intrigue in Akemi's plotline, where she fully embraces control of her life, and begins to take action to help others as well, realising that her own oppression is just one piece in a much larger picture. Her main conflict is with society.

In direct contrast, Mizu's main conflict is with herself. She must realise that her desire for vengeance is a projection of her own deep-rooted self-hatred. Her arc must move towards unpacking her feelings and trauma so she can be at peace with herself and allow space for love in her heart. Because as we saw in Ep5, Mizu had come extremely close to achieving peace and joy, as she had not only loved Mikio, but also had briefly believed that Mikio had loved her (and accepted her for who she is) as well.

Thus, assuming the story is not planned as a tragedy, Mizu will likely end up getting her vengeance, but it will not satisfy her, because it is not what she needs. What she needs is to let go of the Onryo within her and to reconcile both The Ronin and The Bride within herself, as she is both a fighter and a lover, but not a monster.

(Edit: I recommend checking out this post by @stylographic-blue-rhapsody for a much clearer analysis about Mizu'a symbolism as Ronin, Bride and Onryo!)

And now that we've mostly covered each of the characters individually, we can finally get to the main point of this post: the love triangle.

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Let's talk about Option A: Akemi.

As I covered extensively earlier, Mizu and Akemi are foils, a yin-yang pair. But while they play off each other very well in a thematic sense, I personally believe that a serious romance between them will be more complicated if they become endgame. This is because Akemi's natural resolution is to embrace a position of power and influence, where she has both freedom and control over herself and to make much-needed changes in a prejudiced society. Meanwhile, Mizu's natural resolution is the opposite; her happy ending would to find a peaceful life where she is safe and free from prying eyes, and able to be her true self.

Thus, it would make very little sense for Akemi to forfeit power and run away with Mizu and start a humble life together. Akemi wants to be great, and that is absolutely what she deserves. On the other end of the spectrum, it would also make little sense for Mizu to dedicate her life in service of Akemi, such as acting as a bodyguard or something similar, because a life in a palace full of court intrigue and conspiracies is far from what Mizu needs to be happy.

With that being said, if Mizu/Akemi is endgame, and assuming their overarching character arcs do not shift directions, their love story would likely be either tragic, doomed, or bittersweet. I do absolutely love this type of story because personally I'm a sucker for catharsis, so it would be very interesting if the writers do decide to take this route.

Also, as a note, please do not take this as me dunking on this pairing. This is just my personal opinion and analysis and I completely understand if you disagree!

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Then, of course, we have Option B: Taigen.

Between Akemi and Mizu, Taigen is a bit of a free-floater here, because Season 1 leaves off at a point where his arc is very ambiguous as to where it's headed. While Akemi climbs for greatness and Mizu goes on a journey across the ocean to (presumably) discover more about her heritage, we have little clues about where Taigen is headed. And if I'm being honest, I'm sure he has no idea either! He still hasn't reclaimed his honour, so he would be unable to rejoin the Shindo Dojo; he's been rejected by Akemi; and while he showed loyalty to the shogun, the shogun is now dead, and all the shogun's men who had witnessed his "humiliating" death were left to die by Lady Itoh, who is now pulling the strings within the palace.

Therefore, Taigen has very few options here.

And when considering his role in the story is as Mizu's begrudging ally, his arc will undoubtedly be focused on unlearning his xenophobia and misogyny, the latter of which we have not seen yet, but is surely present. Now, whether he will do this in Mizu's presence or absence will be unknown until we see Season 2. Following the Season 1 finale, he might return to Kohama and wait for Mizu there as he learns humility and remorse over his past cruelty; or maybe he will follow Mizu to London, and the two of them will continue to butt heads until he finally admits to himself that he cares for Mizu more than he would like to admit. There is no room for doubt that his growing feelings for Mizu are more-than-platonic, because we all saw him get turned on by sparring with her in Ep7 lol. Thus, regardless of the exact choice he makes, I am sure that his overall arc will be focused on redeeming his character.

Now, when it comes go redeeming him, I know there are many who simply don't want him redeemed because he was such a jerk to Mizu, and while yes I agree he was awful, I do believe there is also nuance to his character.

Previously I've discussed in great detail the colour and elemental symbolism with Mizu and Akemi, but have yet to touch on how they relate to Taigen. So, let's talk about that for a second.

While Akemi is red and Mizu is blue, Taigen is green.

Green is a complementary colour to Akemi's red. Complementary colours are directly opposite each other in the colour wheel; when mixed, they neutralise each other, but when put side-by-side, they form a pleasing and impactful contrast that boosts the brightness and prominence of both colours. This mirrors Taigen and Akemi's relationship. They are an "ideal" pair because they complement each other very well, and bring out each other's most prominent traits. Mizu's comment about their similar "brattiness" comes to mind here.

Green is also an analogous colour with Mizu's blue. These colours are sitting right next to each other on the colour wheel; their natural similarity makes it easy for them to form a cohesive overall appearance, but using both in equal amounts will make a design overwhelming and too busy. Thus, the best way to use analogous colours is to make one the dominant colour, while the other will serve as an accent. I feel this also speaks to the dynamic in Taigen and Mizu's relationship. They came from the space place, both from nothing; they're both strong fighters who love the sport, and work well together when fighting side-by-side; however, they butt heads too easily, mirroring how analogous colours can be too overwhelming when used in equal amounts. Thus, to work together in harmony, one has to be the dominant colour, while the other serves as the accent. In this case, the dominant force would be Mizu, as she is the protagonist of the story, while the accent would be Taigen.

By fulfilling this role as an "accent" to Mizu, Taigen's character would easily be slotted in as a the love interest. This is in contrast with a Mizu/Akemi relationship, whereby Akemi is Mizu's foil before she is Mizu's love interest. This is because, by being a love interest, a character usually takes a backseat in the story, serving the plot and the themes by playing a purely supportive role, and this is not possible in Akemi's case because her character exists to parallel and contrast Mizu (red and blue), and not to support her.

It is possible to serve as a supporting love interest in Taigen's case however. And this is because he, unlike the other characters, does not currently have a definitive place within the story. He initially served the plot as an antagonistic force, but now as he is slowly unlearning his prejudices and becoming a better person, he can no longer serve the story by acting purely as a rival.

Instead, he will serve the story by literally supporting Mizu. And this relates to Taigen being earth, which is steady, firm and reliable, unwavering in loyalty and principles, hardworking and rooted in stability, which is seen in Taigen's staunch and inflexible obedience to the traditions and rules of society. These traits are what make him a perfect samurai, but not a good man. However, unlike most people in their world, Taigen is still capable of change and redemption, which is why Mizu says that he has the potential to be great. Not great by way of power or glory, but great in character. Already, he is honourable to a fault, and does not betray Mizu even after she technically robbed him of everything he was striving towards. And when he was shot by an arrow in the chasm, he did not hesitate a second to tell Mizu to use him as a human shield and save herself.

The trigger for his redemption is Mizu. If she had never beat him in that duel, Taigen would live on to become a man like Akemi's father. Cruel, power-hungry, controlling, conservative. But through Mizu, Taigen's sharp edges are ground down, much like water that wears down the stones in a river.

Where Mizu and Akemi's possible love story would be a clash of wills, full of passion and even heartbreak, a possible love story between Mizu and Taigen would be the wearing down of souls. Mizu would make Taigen a better person, and in turn Taigen would dedicate his full respect and support to Mizu as his equal, thus getting her to slowly open up and love herself. Already, Taigen has grown enough to admit (begrudgingly, and in his own Taigen way) that Mizu is better than him; though, clearly, he still has a long way to go, as he still calls Mizu a demon shortly after that.

But basically, Taigen is a very simple man (his main goal now is "to be happy"), and Mizu has great depths that he cannot yet fathom. For this love story to work, it has to begin with Taigen changing for the better. If he succeeds in that, and is able to accept Mizu for all her complexities, I believe that they will make a formidable pair. And though he'd likely still throw a jab or snarky remark at Mizu every now and then, I think he'd come tl wholeheartedly admire Mizu as a brilliant swordsman and a kind soul. Thus, should things work out and this be endgame, Taigen would be able to provide Mizu with what Mikio could not: an idyllic life that is not built on a lie, but mutual trust, respect, admiration, and equality.

Or hey, maybe they could both make their own dojo together! I don't know.

(Edit: This post by @rinandsketches does a great job at delving into Taigen's character and a potential Mizu/Taigen relationship if you'd like to read more about this angle!)

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Now, as I move on from Taigen, there are a couple more options on how to resolve this love triangle and that includes Option C: Ringo.

In this option, Mizu does not have an endgame romance with either Akemi or Taigen. In this route, she finds peace and love through friendship, solidarity, and a found family between herself, Ringo and Master Eiji—a bunch of outcasts in society who make a strong trifecta of sword-makers.

Also, as an aside while I'm talking about Ringo, I'd like to point out that I believe his element is air and his colour is a neutral grey; he is talkative, easy-going, wise, curious, light on his feet (stealthy) and free-spirited, which are all traits linked to air, and traits that complement Mizu nicely, as he is capable of getting Mizu to open up and trust others again, while Mizu helps him reach his true potential for greatness.

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And finally, there's Option D: Polyamory.

This is basically an "all of the above" option, in which everyone wins and it's a super duper happy ending. It would also be awesome to get some polyamorous representation, and seeing the dynamic between Akemi/Mizu/Taigen play out would be very entertaining and refreshing. So, you never know, this just might be the true endgame!

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AAAAND with that, I close my extremely long analysis of what is essentially Mizu's love life. Whatever the final outcome of this love triangle though, I just hope it will be well-written and satisfying to all the characters' respective arcs. (Also I just want Mizu to be HAPPY goddamn it because she deserves the world and her coochie eaten out)

Now, I highly doubt anyone will read any of this (especially not until the end!) but that's fine. I just have so many thoughts and feelings about this show and I just needed to get this out of my system lol! But if by some miracle you did read this far, I wholeheartedly welcome any sharing of thoughts and ideas because man am I obsessed with this show! But of course, if we have an opposing opinions, please be respectful when letting me know; I am very open to friendly discussions.

[starays13]

I made more Jailboi stuff.

He technically wasn’t in his normal clothing for the scene this is from but I tried what he was wearing and it looked weird, so I decided to disregard AU canon for the sake of art

[sweetlywriting]

If possible can you do an angst with floyd leech where you're dating him and he used to call you 'shrimpy' until prefect comes and he starts calling them shrimpy while losing interest in you and eventually ends things with you.

You can do whatever ending but ive just had this in my mind for soooo long😭😭😭😭

If you cant do it then its totally ok!!

Washed away

Floyd Leech x Reader (Fluff to Angst)

A/N-Tysm for this request!! I loved this idea so much let me know if you have more! I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope it’s okay that I started it off fluffy I feel it makes the angst hit harder 😭

You were dazing off in history class, when suddenly professor Trein asks you a question about Savannaclaws next ruler. Seeing your sheepish look he sighs moves on to ask a different student. Happy the embarrassment was only a second you lean back in your chair with a sigh, only to be met with a whisper in your ear.

“It was Cheka Kingscholar, shrimpy”

You whip around to see the Leech brothers behind you, infamously tall and terrifying. Though from the coy taunting voice you could tell it was Floyd. The embarrassment began to trickle back in again as you heard snickers over the nickname. You huffed and stared at the clock on the wall, willing the class to finally be over. Eventually it was, though Floyd’s name calling did not. In lunchtime, the halls, the classes you shared it was never ‘y/n’ just ‘shrimpy’, and it never failed to infuriate you.

One day, after lots of frustration and the desperate thought that he’d be calling you shrimpy til senior year, you finally spooned up the courage to catch up with him after class and ask why he had assigned the odd nickname.

“I just think shrimp are cute” He said shrugging one shoulder and giving you a grin, as though it was the most casual thing in the world.

You felt embarrassed again . . . but maybe for different reasons this time.

“You should come to the maestro lounge sometime, I’ll give you a special deal on shrimp” He said throwing you a wink and flashing you his sharp toothed smile before walking off.

Huh’ you mused ‘maybe I will.’

***

You hummed softly next to your boyfriend as he continued to snore, leaning on your shoulder in his seat. The entrance ceremony was long and Crowley certainly seemed to like the sound of his own droning voice. Being second years the formalities were very much familiar and very much boring to you. Only the occasional game of ‘who can bother Jade the most’, watching the hyper first years scramble around, and seeing Floyd in the classic Octanville robes made the ceremony bearable for the first couple hours. As you started to consider also sleeping in your seat with Floyd an odd gray and blue ball of fur zipped past you with various students chasing after it.

I wonder what’s going on “ you mused lazily, unknowing that this was the beginning of realationships unravel. Your interest started to perk at the scene of dorm wardens joining the chase. Floyd opened his eyes and tilted his head curiously at the sight of the person holding the little gray creature.

“Who do you think that is shrimpy?”

***

With the start of classes and busy beginning of Nightraven college you quickly forgot about the ceremony, and person they called the ‘prefect’ who was rumored to be magicless. Though Floyd seemed to know them well. It truly didn’t bother you at first, you were glad he was making more friends, but it seemed the closer Floyd got to the prefect, the farther he fled from you.

“This is a partner project. I expect a quality presentation on how Scarbia’s climate contributes to its cultural and political systems” Professor Trein announced to the class. Well at least it was a partner project so you could work with-

“Let’s be partners shrimpy”

You froze. It was Floyd’s voice, but it wasn’t directed towards you. He was looking up from his seat behind you smiling at the prefect as they laughed and agreed. You swallowed and swiftly turned back to your own seat, staring at your desk and trying to blink back tears. He didn’t even look at you. and shrimpy was your name!

You flinched feeling a gloved hand from behind on your shoulder, and turned ready to give Floyd a piece of your mind-only to see Jade.

“We can work together y/n” He said a mixture of apology and concern on his face.

“Alright.” You muttered turning back away, not wanting the pity but appreciating the gesture.

***

‘Meet me at the maestro’

It had been so long since Floyd had actually asked to go on a date with you and you were beyond thrilled. Obviously the whole situation with the prefect had been a misunderstanding and he was finally taking the initiative to make it up to you! You dressed well, choosing his favorite colors of turquoise and purple with extravagant pearl and shell accessories while reminiscing on your first date the maestro lounge. Back then he had reserved the entire place for you two, wanted you to try everything, and constantly made you laugh. You held close to that memory as a place of hope, and were ecstatic it was finally paying off.

You slipped out of your dorm as the clock struck twelve and quietly snuck into the lounge.

An uneasy feeling settled in your stomach as you entered, the whole place was dark with all the tables and chairs pushed to the side. ‘Maybe not a dinner date?’ You thought, pulling out two chairs and deciding to wait for him.

After what felt like forever you could finally make out a tall silhouette walking over to you-but flinching back seeing your fancy attire. He didn’t lean over you the way he used too, constantly craning his neck to look at what you were doing, or playfully poke at your hair or nip at your ear. He brooded in his chair, leaning back with an uncomfortable expression and his hands both firmly stuck in his pockets.

Only the two of you and the gentle sound of water remained.

“I’m always going to care about you y/n, but I don’t . . . feel for you anymore” He said this simply. The same simple way he would say ‘I love you’ ‘let me do it for you’ ‘this reminded me of you’. The same simple way he’d gently tug at your hair to get your attention, he’d squeeze your hand tightly in crowds as if afraid to let go, and carefully he held your heart in his hands.

His love and indifference looked so similar but felt so different. You wanted to vomit.

Eventually you did. But not before the crying. Heaving sobs filled the silent room as you brought your knees up to bury your face in. He tried to reach you, saying some words that sounded like apologies but quickly left as you vehemently yelled for him to go.

You felt footsteps and were ready to yell at Floyd to leave again but were surprised to see Jade carrying a box of tissues and a folder.

“I told him not to do that here.” He grimaced seeing your face and pushed the box of tissues towards you.

“I just wanted to let you know I finished the presentation, and I put your lines in that folder, I didn’t want you to worry about the project on top of er-this” Jade said warily, as he began to walk back out wanting to give you space.

“Was it because of the prefect?” Your voice was quiet and strained but impossible to not hear in the still room.

Jade didn’t turn around but nodded, sealing your fate as a new round of your sobs mixed with the fading sound of footsteps. 

[hythlodaes]

ain’t nothing please me more than you

[limeartichoke]

mmm idk how i feel abt this but I'm posting it anyway cause i know someone will appreciate it ‼️‼️

[nburkhardt]

Inspired by this

Because the movie has wrecked me.

Eddie wakes up and blinks a few times, glancing around and a smile tugs on his lips before resting his head back on the pillow and snuggling into it, closing his eyes; content with being held.

He manages to fall back asleep.

Steve doesn’t know what happened, they were happy and he was in the middle of saying ‘I love you’ when Eddie stops him with a kiss. That night they fooled around and the next morning, he woke up alone.

No note, no goodbye kiss, nothing.

He doesn’t understand what happened. Their trip was amazing, just the two of them against the world. He really thought they had something, that Eddie cared for him just as he cares for him. That they were on the same page.

Tries calling, tries asking his friends and gets rejected by them too, asks Robin to help and finds out something new about Eddie.

He shuts down sometimes and there’s no knowing when he’ll come back around.

That doesn’t stop him, Steve refuses to let that stop him actually. Mind made up, he gets the only person he knows that can help.

~

“Ed! I’m going out, don’t wait up!”

“Why would I wai-“ Eddie stops, eyes wide and takes in the view in front of him, “Steve”

Steve stands there nearly soaked from the rain, “I’m not sure what I did for you to leave and ignore me.”

He shakes his head, “you didn’t do anything, it’s- you should leave”

“No,” Steve is glaring, moves closer towards him “I thought we were something and then suddenly, the man I love is gone, not answering my calls. Ignoring our friends, ignoring me. I love you, Eddie and I tried telling you too. Tell me what happened, tell me where I went wrong.”

Eddie’s eyes are stinging and he sets his jaw, hoping to keep his face from breaking. Turning around, hoping to put space.

“You- I, it’s not you.”

“That’s a load of shit,” Steve huffs a laugh and moves closer, “I love you, Eddie. Why can’t you let me? Why did I have to go through hoops and trick you into talking to me again? Why spend all that time with me, falling in love just to rip it away with nothing? Am I not enough? Or was it too much? Am I too much?”

His hands are shaking and he feels the tears rolling down his face as he closes them, too afraid to turn around but forces himself anyway. Opening his eyes, Steve’s right there red face and his cheeks are puffy, eyes red with tears. He can’t handle it, knowing that he caused it.

Shaking his head, running a hand over his face before gripping his hair and stepping towards Steve again, “No- no. Steve, it’s- really me. It’s me, i’m- I’m afraid, so afraid of this- whatever this is”

“Whatever this is?”

Eddie nods, taking another step and wanting to reach out but still refusing, “I’ve never had something like this before and when you tried saying it that night, it scared me. So, so I left and shut you out,” taking a deep breath before finally, grabbing hold of Steve’s equally shaking hands.

“Sweetheart, I’m so damn sorry for being a coward, I just, this is scary and my feelings for you scare me”

Steve’s eyes are locked on their hands, “feelings?” It’s a whisper and shaky.

Despite his gaze not being on him, Eddie nods and squeezes Steve’s hands, “yeah, because I love you so damn much, honey. So so damn much that it scares me and I ran, hurting you in the process.”

It’s silent in the trailer besides their shaky breathing and Eddie doesn’t know who moves first, next thing he knows their crashing together into a rough kiss. He does know who pulls away first, it’s Steve and he rests his forehead against his. Eyes closed and lips swollen from the near bruising kiss, “Eddie, baby, I’m afraid too, but I love you so much that I’m pushing forward anyway. I love you and I want you in my life”

He closes his eyes and leans to press their lips together once more in a simple kiss, letting go of his hands only to wrap them around him. Steve quickly wraps his own around him and holds him close, “let me stay, please baby, let me stay. Let me keep you”

All words caught, all Eddie can do is nod against Steve’s shoulder and press a lingering kiss on his shoulder.

Steve wakes up slowly, blinking the last of sleep away and eyes meet the beautiful view of a kiss shaped bruise forming on Eddie’s naked shoulder, he smiles as he squeezes the wrist in his hand and lets his head fall back on the pillow.

“Good morning, Love.” He hears and realizes that Eddie’s awake too, “can you let go?”

“Should I?”

Eddie doesn’t respond, instead tries wiggling around before Steve finally lets it go and all Eddie does is turn around to wraps his arm around Steve.

“I love you and I don’t want to run away anymore, I love you so damn much”

“I love you so much, Eds”

~

Had thoughts and this came out. Went a little differently than the movie.

Also: just so you know the very start and end take place after the middle. The start is Eddie’s pov of the next morning, he woke up before Steve. The end is Steve’s pov. Hopefully that wasn’t confusing!

Idk where to put the read more soo it’s hiding the tag list instead 😅

@spectrum-spectre @itsfreakingbats @mysticcrownshipper @artiststarme @thereindeerlady @justforthedead89 @ronniescontinuum @freyaforestafay @littlewildflowerkitten @estrellami-1 @gregre369 @zerokrox-blog @bookworm0690 @flustratedcas @carlprocastinator1000 @marvelmwah @solliesolesito @navnae @i-less-than-three-you @grimmfitzz

[strangeswift]

wip wednesday for the fourth and final chapter of the way you love me (byler exes fic) which should be out this sunday, lord willing and the creek don’t rise

[basketobread]

sometimes i'll be playing bg3 and wish lunara was a companion because i'd wanna know what she has to say about something or what a romance with her would be like tbh. i love your art btw!

GUHHH??? THIS IS SO??? <33333 DO U KNOW HOW BIG OF AN HONOR IT IS TO BE TOLD SOMETHING LIKE THIS IFSDUHDSIU THANK YOU!! SO MUCH!! i'm glad you love my girly enough to WANT her to be a part of your gaming experience!! WOW!! that's CRAZY!! 😭😭💕💕

[44-mr-midnight-44]

Hi guys back with another WAAAAAACKY post

(Mias World fans DNI)

[simping-on-the-daily]

sorry for traumatizing you with my boyfriend's trauma. wanna date???

The obligatory Scaramouche X Reader X Haypasia fic. Someone had to do it smh

Pardis Dhyai was pretty nice, for a research sight. It was nothing like the Fatui labs that the Doctor, the Marionette, and their respective henchman had for lairs, but it certainly had all the basic equipment for all Amurta researchers. And it did seem pretty relaxing too; you would've mistaken it for a park to bring your children too if it wasn't for all the scholars.

But you weren't here for sightseeing, or for the scholars....On second thought, you were looking for a scholar. Luckily, the person guarding that certain scholar had just finished doing a temperature check and was making his way to a rented room for the night. Upon looking at the fox-human hybrid, you had to remember you were in Sumeru, not Inazuma, otherwise you would've mistaken them for a youkai.

After doing an extra check for scholars still up in the late of night completing their assignment (there were none), you snuck into the giant glass building (super stealthily and super quickly, might you add).

The scholar was lying on the bed, not showing any sorts of distress in her slumber. The pillow was trapped in a suffocating embrace, and to Celestia you longed to be in those arms. Instead, you just sat next to her, the seat cushioned with pillows for aesthetic rather then tranquil rest.

While your boyfriend, the Balladeer, was busy getting 'dolled up' (you praised yourself for the pun for days on end), you decided to explore Sumeru. While the Akademiya had resources to rival writers for the Steambird, the whole lot of them were boring and arrogant. And for people who go on and on about how Sumeru was a land of wisdom, their obsession with the long dead Rukkhadevata was ironically the most stupidest thing you ever saw.

Luckily, you met someone from the Akademiya who didn't have coffee beans for brains. Haypasia was a great friend, always listening to what you had to say and offering to teach about Sumeru's culture. She was funny, and she was kind, and she had your heart race the same way Scaramouche did and ah shit did you fall deep.

To be fair, how could you not? She was just.......everything sweet dropped into this world. You loved her curiosity, you loved her face whenever she was focusing, and you could get lost in her eyes. Of course, you talked to Scaramouche about this, not keen on being his 'fourth betrayal'.

Thankfully, while he stated that he had never seen Haypasia before, he had to admit that your smiling and flustered face was something he'd fight for. The Balladeer did not care for monogamy, and, as long as they fit his standards, wouldn't mind another lover. (He said this much more harshly, but you knew what he meant)

From the corner of your eye, you witnessed a grey phantom, disappearing and evaporating all over the glass floors, with the gentle breeze of the night making the veil behind the figure flow.

Think of the devil.

"She's cute, isn't she?" You spoke up, getting Scaramouche's attention while also making sure Haypasia didn't wake up. Luckily, she didn't; you assumed that her failed connection to Irminsul wayed heavily on her conscious, or that the hybrid for before had given her sleeping pills.

"You know I do not care for the appearances of mortals," Scaramouche stated, turning his head around to look at you, "To do so is ridiculous."

"But......?"

"She and I are now connected."

Oh.

"Care to enlighten me on how, oh mighty Shouki no Kami?" You teased, pointing at The Balladeer's spiritual projection. You hoped it was nothing bad; you truly did care for Haypasia, and you didn't want her to suffer due to Irminsul's current predicament.

Scaramouche rolled his arms, arms crossed, but answered regardless. "You said that she was attempting to connect to Irminsul, correct?" You nodded. "It seems that in her attempt to do so, her consciousness connected to mine. She has gazed upon my life back when I was the kabukimono, and could do so again."

You lurched back in surprise, luckily with the chair not falling over as you did so. "So, like, she knows everything? Or at least, she knows about your......past?"

"Correct."

You rubbed your hands through your head. Whoever this hybrid was, you were lucky they found Haypasia before the Sages did, otherwise they likely would've exiled her just like the other scholars. Haypasia didn't deserve that. The desert was anything but merficful, even less so to exiled students.

"I understand why you like her so much."

Now that took you out of your thoughts. You raised an eyebrow at Scaramouche , who was looking down at the sleeping girl.

"She has seen me at my most pathetic; before I found the truth of the stars. And yet, she recognizes my supreme divinity and righteous place in this world. Her worship has not been faltered despite that idiot's best attempts," He sneered, "And sees me as what I was supposed to be."

He stepped forward, getting closer to Haypasia, who still showed no signs of stirring awake. "She is what you said she was. Determined, kind, and not like those arrogant Sages who think they're better than me. Even the Jester is now an ant compared to my power. She knows this."

A phantom hand gently pressed down on Haypasia's head, and there was a glimmer in Scaramouche's eyes as he did so. "My first follower....."

"What am I, chopped ham?" You scoffed in jest, arms crossed as you still sat down. To be jealous of Haypasia was ridiculous. You had no idea that she had connected to Scaramouche of all people; you just saw being taken to Pardis Dhyai for recovery because her attempt to be one with Irminsul had gone wrong. (You happened to see it as you went to your decided meeting place. You were not stalking your crush).

"You're an idiot, that's what you are." Scaramouche rolled his eyes with pretend animosity, as he took his hand off of Haypasia's head and crossed his arms again.

"She will be with us," He announced. "She will be our most respected follower. She will be our side as we rule together."

"We? You never told me that I was joining you in divinity," You narrows your eyes, "And what if Haypasia doesn't want to be a god? She's basically stuck in a coma right now and I don't want to do anything she wouldn't want."

"You really are stupid," Scaramouche sighed. "Do you think that I'd allow you in such a vulnerable decision until I was sure I could get the Doctor to get his gross hands away from you? He may be helping me, but I do not want him putting his hands on you." He seemed to snarl at the thought of it. "Though.......I do suppose we could wait until she's awake. She will still be one of us regardless."

"Okay, okay," You put your hands up in front of you, "I know I already told you my feelings about her before.....this," You gestured to the comatose girl, "But how do we know she actually like likes us? Even if her focus is on you, she's still technically insane, as much as I hate to say it. Are we sure she's in the right mind to love any of us? I don't wanna force her into anything. That'd be fucking gross."

"Just as she is connected to my mind, I am connected to hers. Not only does she reciprocate your romantic feelings as well, but she does not care for stupid terms to define her feelings, she does not mind romantic relationships with more then one partner."

Great. Haypasia looked into the backstory of your traumatized Fatui boyfriend, and the traumatized Fatui boyfriend looked at Haypasia's romantic interests. Though, of course, your heart was leaping at having heard that Haypasia also loved you. Honestly? It wasn't just leaping, it was probably doing some backflips as well.

"And as for her devotion to me," Scaramouche continued, "It appears she didn't connect into Irminsul that far like the other scholars. Unlike them, she's not entirely lost in her own world, she's still capable of cognitive functions, recognising people through face and voice, knows when a situation could be dangerous, and so fourth. Her worship of a god is not the same as loving one."

.....You guessed you couldn't argue with that, but-

"Besides, the Sages already found a way to lessen the effects of Irminsul induced insanity ages ago."

If you had a drink, you'd be spitting it out. "Pardon?"

He scoffed. "Like you said, they're arrogant and disregard anyone who isn't useful to them." He looked away from you as he spoke. Scaramouche was likely speaking on his own experiences with the Raiden Shogun. "They couldn't get rid of it entirely, but they'd be able to give them stable and happy lives without exiling them to the desert. They just don't care."

.......Yeah, that made sense.

"The Doctor has given me enough power to even cure Irminsul of it's withering. When I have ascended into a fully-fledged God, I will do so. Then, I will give you enough my power so you can ascend alongside by me. By then, Haypasia should be awake."

"That's a mighty plan. Sure it will work?"

"Are you doubting me?"

You giggled. It was so hard to take him seriously whenever he was angry. "You know I'm not. I'm not that much of an idiot."

Scaramouche sighed, putting a hand to his head. "Sometimes, you make me doubt that." He sat down on your flowerbed beside your chair, though his astral form didn't cause for any flowers to be crushed.

You playfully elbowed him. "Don't be an asshole," You grinned up at him. "What if Haypasia wakes up and the first thing she hears is her god being a complete potty-mouth?"

He glared at you, but did not respond.

".......So, we can agree on both wanting Haypasia to be in our relationship?"

"We just discussed that we did, dumbass."

"Just making sure."

Scaramouche grabbed your hand, and for someone who was currently appearing in an astral projection with his real body being inside a giant mech right now, his hand touching yours didn't feel weird. It felt natural; there was no tingling of your bones or goosebumps down your skin as he did so.

You leaned over to Haypasia, patting her head like Scaramouche did before. "Sweet dreams." You smiled, and your heart jumped at seeing how peaceful she looked.

The night was calm, the stars out and the breeze gentle. Haypasia's dreams were indeed sweet, you fell asleep on phantom Scaramouche's shoulder, and Scaramouche himself felt more power flowing through the Shouki no Kami.

Everything was going splendidly. Sooner or later, Scaramouche would ascend into a god, and you would be by his side too. Then, Haypasia would join as well, and then you three would become the Gods of Sumeru.

Though the kabukimono had once wished to no longer have a heart, the thought of throwing you to the side made him want to throw up. And after you had told him about the scholar who you were interested in as well, and gaining a connection with that same scholar, he didn't want to leave her behind.

Scaramouche would never be abandoned again. He wouldn't be, not when you loved him so much and he could feel Haypasia's devotion in the back of his mind.

And in that moment, with you on his shoulder and Haypasia sleeping tranquilly next to the both of you, he closed his eyes and wished for a happy ending.

[edns]

After the unification of Fódlan, king Dimitri married Cyrus Bartholomew Blaiddyd (maiden name Lenz). They were happy together, though not for long - the nature of Cyrus's double Crest condition made his body deteriorate very quickly. Dimitri sought the best crestologists out there to cure him from the condition, but it was too already too late. This portrait pictures Cyrus not too long before his passing. Some say that Cyrus's untimely death led to the fall of the Crest system in Fódlan...

Happier ending AU.....part 2?

[3416]

had the mitch trade meltdown the day after our last game when everyone was being stupid and just yesterday realized its not gonna happen bc our generating is hugely dependent on mitch’s playmaking, not too mention hes our best defensive forward by a MILE and i doubt kyle or any real professional vaguely familiar with the leafs organization would take such a stupid gamble 😭 even considering it outside of purely hockey matters him not being in the locker room might actually affect the team (and austons contract which im not even saying in a shippy way 😭) in a way im sure the actual staff working there recognize… so dw too much about twitter GMs they do this every single year bc mitch doesnt look or act like the average hockey player and men are weird about it lmao sorry for the rambling i hope u have a good worry-free day 💗💗

OH YOU'RE A SWEETHEART... thank you for the reassurance.. i mostly haven't been worried so far...

... i know it all just gets swirled up on twitter and ppl waste their bored summers without hockey coming up with 498329423 trade proposals instead, but today the unhinged energy really was getting to me a bit. it's just the way so many ppl who seem so normal during the regular season suddenly are 100% on board with having him gone.. or even pushing for it when all the quotes from ppl in charge aka kyle are just like 'we'll consider anything' like. fair weather fan much?? jfc. it would be the most idiotic move to get rid of a franchise player like mitch... a play driver AND one of the biggest voices and sources of energy in the room... for the sake of... what... "changing the culture"?? the same culture that makes auston matthews want to be part of this team? i will admit, i love how even the haters are like 'gotta worry about matthews if they trade 16 tho :/'.. youre damn right you do lmfao. if either one of them gets traded or leaves.. i gotta think i'm gonna have to root for the franchises collapse... a cup drought double what it is now.

[billy-royalton]

haven't worked on passenger in a few days so hoping to get 14 started today because 13 is another short one and 14 might be too

[whatevertheweather]

Happy Sunday to those who are still in Sunday, and sorry it’s Monday to those who are not.

I’m doing that thing where I’m intermittently working on every single one of my WIPs so that all I ever actually get done is a handful of scenes I’ve fixated on with no tangible thoughts on connecting them. Which is why we’ve ended up with this, my latest document in a folder that would be overflowing with disconnected pieces of this poor fic if a digital folder was capable of overflowing.

We even have some sentences, hot off the press. This is part of a scene that takes place an undetermined amount of time after a fic I haven’t even posted, but for now:

“You don’t have to keep doing this,” Baz says quietly.

“What? Kissing you?”

Baz lifts a shoulder, he tips his head into it, flicks his eyes up with the movement, and he understands why Simon does it this way so much. Sometimes it’s easier not to say it.

Simon pulls away, his hands left on the mattress halfway through a retreat he doesn’t finish. “You don’t want me to?”

Sometimes it has to be said. “You don’t have to keep trying to make me feel better.”

I have lost all perspective and don’t know what this looks like without context, but the Fic Proper is angst, and I’ve been adding a decent bit to it, so I maybe kind of hope that it won’t live in this purgatory forever.

I am massively behind in my tags so I’m wrapping all of these up in a big blanket of my affection and apologies for not being around enough to look at all of your wonderful things: @fatalfangirl @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @moodandmist @cutestkilla @artsyunderstudy @whogaveyoupermission @confused-bi-queer @facewithoutheart @martsonmars @takitalks @bookish-bogwitch @ileadacharmedlife @ivelovedhimthroughworse​  @tea-brigade​ @aristocratic-otter​ @basiltonbutliketheherb​

[honeykaes]

Reminder no age indicator and you interact with me, I will block you

And secondly, not all of my stories will have happy ends and that’s okay. My Kazuha fic, I intended it NOT to be a happy end. I wanted you to feel the anigush and angst that comes with it, that what angst is suppose to do.

Please don’t expect angst to be hurt/comfort because it isn’t.

And please stop asking for a part 2 for this. It’s not from lack of ideas, it’s from I ended it how I wanted it to end. And no I do not give permission for anyone to use AI to make their “part 2” for this.