#a servant who is loyal to two masters and all that

[blood-orange-juice]

The Fall of the Faded Castle, vol.3:

A glowing red fog-cloud, Embraced the castle just like a shroud. On the castle's great central stage, a tall thin figure did appear, A dark spirit in black robes, arriving at last. The guests, a moment ago enjoying their revels, Fell to the floor one by one, Bereft of time even to scream. The master sat shivering and still on his throne, His soul also snatched by the dark. Amid the roar of brick and tile hitting the ground, The castle's glory faded into the past, Swallowed by glimmering waves. The blood moon the towers once blocked reappeared in the sky, Its baleful glow sweeping the land. And today, by the banks of the world's purest lake, The water reflects the long-fallen, faded castle. The joy and brilliance that once lit its halls, Consigned to legends and dreams.

Should we assume that Arle also killed Remus?

Nice.

I guess she does have a reason to go back to Remuria ruins, if only to reminisce fondly.

Also I wonder. Her constellation is Ignis Purgatorius (Purgatory flame, or cleansing/purifying flame), so what is it that she cleanses. Forbidden knowledge? That seems awfully Celestia-aligned so probably not that.

[allfearstofallto]

Okay okay last one, I swear!! I just have so many ideas! But three more for the yandere historical au and I'm finished, pinky promise!!

[Part 1] [Part 2]

Master Duelist! Xiao who has never lost a fight. Always challenged, but never the one to initiate, he was one of the reasons your family has such high honor. Even though many lords of higher status have offered to buy him for a pretty penny, he stays loyal to your family. Specifically to you. His opponents who see you in the crowd during their duel, know to just give up, he fights harder when you're watching. Every favor, embroidered handkerchiefs, that you'd given him, hang like trophies in his room. But upon learning that you're to be wed soon, he stands and challenges your fiance to a duel for your hand, one that he knows he'll win.

Butler! Thoma who has been in your family for years. Taken in by your parents and raised to be your right hand, the two of you grew up to be close friends, rather than typical master and servant. Despite this, he still finds ways to scold you, while also telling you how much of a gracious lady you've grown into. Maybe your closeness with him is why you decide to tell him of a rendezvous you're planning to have with a commoner boy that you've grown to like. Only, suddenly your home is more guarded than usual and your parents seem even more strict with you than before, almost like they know something you never told them.

Former King! Zhongli who steps down from his post shortly after his son becomes of age. While he no longer has his title, he's still heavily respected and praised by all. He saw you at a ball and formally invited you to the royal palace. Your family excitedly rushes you into a carriage, thinking the invite is for meeting with the newly crowned King instead. Only, when you get there, Zhongli is truly the only one waiting for you. He sits you down next to him and compliments you almost incessantly, ending the conversation by asking you if you think he's too old to be considering a second marriage.

Forgive me if these are bad!! This is my first time writing for any of these characters and I wanted to try!!

[quinnred]

Tilshek: God of the Ugly Rage, WindRammer, He-Who-Drums-The-Summit.

Tilshek is the embodiment of warm storms, tantrum, frenzy, spasm, drunken fury, and unjust punishment. He is represented by the Urchin and Cactus in the South and by the Porcupine and Thistle in the North. Berserking warriors may don quills to evoke Tilshek in their rages, while others may wear a flower of a thistle or cactus to evoke his merciful servant, Mahtaa.

Tilshek was born from the abuse of two Feather Gods within the halls of The Sun. He emerged stillborn, fused with the bestial Jak that all Feathers Gods are pregnant with, and was denied feathers by his reckless parents. The babe was tossed from the sky and quickly forgotten upon the land. No god dare claim parentage as even they know shame.

Abandoned and with no guidance, the naked and pained god became a wild storm of knuckle and claw, scarring the land and terrorising all that lived on it. Only one, a young Manava named Mahtaa, would recognize this mindless wreaking as the divine bawl of a newborn god and calm it with soft word and tenderness and succour. The beaked giant would ever seethe, but placation allowed Mahtaa to guide Tilshek to the home of the Shell Gods, The Mesa.

The Shell Gods were impressed with the mad orphan’s strength and the wisdom of his guardian, asking what drove the new god to such a rage. He cawed to them that he was born of poor love and left naked and wronged, wishing that he could return to his home if only to pluck and maul his kin until The Sun hung red. The chief of the Shell Gods, mighty Zridtara, was greatly amused and sympathetic to Tilshek’s rage against their rival pantheon, welcoming him into his Mesa home as an honorary Shell God. Being too rowdy to live within it’s halls, Tilshek was appeased by sitting atop The Mesa, tended to by often smashed Godler servants and the soothing Mahtaa as he stared at the ever enraging Sun.

While the Godlers would serve their master divine boozes and sacrifices (and suffer pummeling due to minor grievances), Mahtaa’s role was to herd the ram skulled god away from fool furies. He became most needed whenever Tilshek was sent on an “errand” by his new kin, a distraction so the Shell and Feather god pantheons could visit and negotiate without conflict. As Tilshek would rampage across the mortal lands, Mahtaa would outwit his master and aim his rages away from innocent mortals, earning him the title “Storm-Guide”.

One day the tantrummer had been told of a piece of the moon that held Jak yolk, as it was the egg that The Mountain and The Sky conceived the Jaks from, and that it may yield him god feather. Mahtaa did not take this seriously, seeing it as yet another teasing of his master, yet Tilshek was ecstatic that his solar massacre dreams may yet be fulfilled. As they travelled Mahtaa would ponder that, if the moon yolk was real, should his idiot charge receive such a boon, even if it was his birthright as Feather God and as a Half-Jak? Surely he would not only kill his sun kin but also be slain himself in such a mad fervour?

And so Mahtaa would deny Tilshek his prize upon it’s discovery, allowing it to be taken and hidden by Godlers of the Feather Gods. In confusion, the normally unhesitating Tilshek paused for once in his life before striking down an offender. In those moments Mahtaa stood strong and loving, even as his god sprouted a pair of arms to strangle him with. But rather than suffocate, his head bloomed into a kind flower, his godhood blossoming into a champion of mercy due to his many good deeds. From then on Tilshek would ever carry the flower faced god as punishment for his betrayal, and in part as a comfort, like a child may clutch their blanket.

This arrangement would only end upon the coming of the Deiomachy, when peace between gods eroded and fate grew hungry for war. Tilshek silently granted his one and only mercy, releasing his beloved and loyal prisoner so as to spare him from the doom-drum of divine combat.

The Mesa would be capped by a false peak as Tilshek flung himself with a rising storm towards his twin-by-fate: Shrileket the Sun-Dropper. Their clash would announce war between the Feather and Shell, booming as only gods could for days until they fell upon each other’s impalements.

[sansaorgana]

— IN PERPETUITY (I)

PART TWO

PAIRING — Sauron x fem!Maia!Reader

SUMMARY — Two most powerful Lieutenants of Morgoth and twisted lovers in private form a pact through cursed marriage to become their master's equal successors and rule Middle-earth together. He, however, has other plans and does not intend to share. She takes the matters into her own hands.

AUTHOR’S NOTE — The idea for this fic showed up in my head while I was working on a different fic with a Maia!Reader, in which she is good and pure and all that. And that other story will be finished and posted, too, but with a delay because I focused on this one first. 🙈 The Reader in this fic is a Maia, so she changes her appearance like Sauron does but I am not describing any of her forms in any details. This fic will have a second part with Annatar!Sauron but in this part you get only Jack Lowden!Sauron because that ginger loser needs some love and attention as well. 😭🥰 The title of the fanfic and its vibe are inspired by the song Sugarbread by Soap&Skin. Special thanks to @dinsbeskar for giving me the most appreciated feedback before I posted this fic! 💕

WARNINGS — Reader is evil-evil with sadistic undertones, betrayal, murder, manipulation, gaslighting, blood drinking/pact/magic, mentions of Sauron being tortured by Morgoth, SMUT, sub!Sauron

WORD COUNT — 4,650

🔞 THIS FIC IS 18+ 🔞

ENGLISH IS MY SECOND LANGUAGE.

IN PERPETUITY (I)

It was no surprise to any of The Valar that you were one of the first to follow Morgoth. You always found it troublesome to obey the orders, to show respect or loyalty. As if you had been already created flawed, although no one dared to question Eru’s decisions.

The gods were aware, however, that Morgoth wanted you as his servant as well for he was a god like them. Therefore, they expected you to come back with your tail between your legs, begging for their forgiveness since they were much more merciful masters than he ever would be.

Nevertheless, that did not happen and you became one of the most loyal Lieutenants to the Dark Lord. You sometimes amazed your own self with the amount of cruelty you were able to inflict. Perhaps Eru himself had created you this way indeed – perhaps you were evil by his design. Dark creatures like Morgoth or you were needed to emphasise the lightness – cursed outcasts to show an example.

Morgoth did not even need to break you as much as others who had followed him. He did not feel the need to rebuild you or push you as far as most of his followers because it did not take much for you to become the very worst version of yourself.

You were the lucky one.

Mairon was not.

You could hear his whimpers and screams of pain as he was tortured. And you watched and watched in awe at him transforming with Morgoth's help into the man that would from now on be known as Sauron amongst many.

But to you he would remain Mairon. And Mairon watched you in awe, too.

He observed you with admiration and curiosity. He wanted to be more like you – so terrifyingly beautiful in your art of cruelty. And he was learning the craft from you.

Until, eventually, with your master's help and by his twisted design, Mairon became a Lieutenant as loyal and fierce as you.

And each time he failed at a task given to him by Morgoth, he would come to you first, seeking comfort and hoping you would ease your master before their encounter – like a child would come to their mother, fearing their father's anger.

Everyone knew Morgoth was gracing you with a special treatment. And even though it was unlikely he was able to feel any real affection towards you, many knew that you were the only Lieutenant of his that he actually cared about because you were the only one who abandoned The Valar thoroughly and wholly.

You did not care about him, though. The Valar were right – you did not enjoy being under him; under anyone. And you truly hated the destruction that he was causing as you could not understand the desire of becoming the King of ashes.

You wanted to be the Dark Lady yourself and you often fantasised what you would do if you were him. His god-like status did not intimidate you and you could not care less whether it was a blasphemy or not to imagine yourself as a Vala. No god had ever intimated you.

You were your own god and you wanted to rule over the world. To make it perfect and harmonious.

You became closer with Mairon when you sensed his heart was corrupted with the same thoughts and feelings. And while your Maiar bodies remained focused on the battles and schemes – so unfamiliar with the carnal desires of the flesh – as you spent more and more time together and he shared with you his dream of forging the very special and powerful Rings, you could feel the strange and odd desire growing within you.

One day, you gave in to them.

You heard his screams of pain throughout the fortress like the ones back in the day when Morgoth had been shaping him to his whim and design. Now he was punishing him for one of his failures and your master’s wrath was undeniable.

Mairon was one of his best Lieutenants, therefore Morgoth expected from him the most.

And when the punishment ended, Mairon found himself knocking weakly upon the doors of your chambers. You opened them and gasped at the state of his flesh. He was too weak to heal himself fully, allowing the bruises to form and cuts to bleed.

You welcomed him and laid him down in your bed before tangling your limbs with his; his face buried in your chest as your fingers brushed his ginger hair and gently teased his pointy ears.

"My poor Mairon," you whispered and leaned in to place a kiss upon his temple.

He looked up at you with devotion.

Unlike you, he had been once Eru’s perfect creation – Mairon had been pure in his past, worshipping the Valar like he had been designed to. The Valar were no more in his heart but the devotion remained and you were the subject of it.

"Let me ease your pain," you spoke softly and caressed his cheek with your fingers, making the small cuts disappear as bruises began to fade away. He closed his eyes and sighed out of relief. "Where else can I aid you, my Mairon?" You asked as his eyelids fluttered and opened.

"Everywhere," he breathed out. "I need you everywhere, my Lady."

The odd desire you had been fighting within you for a long time now apparently was not one-sided. Perhaps a Maia fallen was a Maia burdened with such humiliating and carnal needs.

You rolled him over onto his back as you sat astride him with a sparkle of excitement in your eyes. Maybe it was not a burden... Maybe it would be a new adventure, a new path to follow.

You got rid of his robes in a haste as his hands weakly caressed your thighs wherever they could reach under your dress. And once he was naked for you – under you – you felt like an animal, driven by the urges you could not stop.

That felt ungodly.

Your fingers curled on his chest, scratching the flesh and you watched your nails leave red trails upon his pale skin. Instead of healing him, you only added more to the pain but the pathetic whimpers leaving his mouth were not of suffering but of pleasure.

"Yours..." was all he gasped as your pupils widened even further. Yours... How good it felt to have him at your mercy.

You were like Morgoth himself now with Mairon laid out for you, eager for you to shape him the way you wished him to be.

And you loved to feel like Morgoth, to share at least a tiny bit of his power. The realisation was enough to make you feel the itch deep inside the heat of your core.

"Mine..." you nodded at Mairon and grasped his length to squeeze it, watching him wince as the flesh hardened under your touch.

You kept pumping him and observing all his sighs, eye rolls and the tremble of his thighs. His eyes filled with tears as he kept bravely staring up at you despite his vision getting blurry and hazy.

Your pace quickened and you used your free hand to caress his thighs gently as if you were trying to soothe them but it only caused them to tremble more while you watched his body giving in to your touch so eagerly and easily.

All of the sudden, just to tease him, you stopped your hand's rapid movements and squeezed the swollen tip. Mairon whined and bucked his hips desperately, the tip of his cock pulsating under your thumb. When you let go of him completely, he spilled himself with a groan and blushing cheeks as his hips kept rutting into nothing.

What a pathetic and yet delicious sight it was. You felt the wetness between your legs leaking down your thighs already.

“You're so fun to play with, my Mairon," you pointed out. "I wish our master allowed me to be the one responsible for your punishments."

"I wish that, too, my Lady," he breathed out, putting his hand on his chest, surprised to feel how fast his heart pounded.

"It is not over yet," you pouted. "You spoiled my fun by giving in to your desires so quickly."

You smirked and with one swift movement you took your dress off to throw it on the floor, revealing your naked form to him. You adjusted yourself and grabbed his cock once more, so swollen and sensitive, which caused Mairon to whimper. You lowered yourself slowly on his length, hissing at the new experience of feeling full.

Your eyes rolled all the way to the back as you threw your head and scratched Mairon's chest when you felt his cock hardening once more inside of you and brushing all the right spots that made you aware of pleasures of the flesh you had never even known of before.

"Divine," he breathed out and you rolled your hips slowly with a whine.

When you adjusted to the slightly burning feeling, your eyes opened with a sparkle of mischief as you began riding him – faster and faster with each given bounce, keeping your eye contact with him although his vision was too hazy to see you clearly.

It was like a trance and you lost track of time. The Maiar needed no rest, therefore it could have been days – maybe even weeks – spent on nothing else but fucking yourself on his cock, using him for your own, newlyfound pleasure; reaching your highs countless of times and beginning all over and over again until the matters much more important than indulging yourselves interrupted your blissful state.

"One day, there will be only the two of us," Mairon whispered into your ear as he watched you getting dressed in front of the mirror. "And we will not leave our chambers for a whole century."

"Would you leave your kingdom unattended for such a long time?" You raised an eyebrow at him. "I certainly would not," you added harshly and fixed your gown's corset one last time before leaving him behind inside your chambers as you walked out with your head held high and back straightened.

With an illusion of dignity that was supposed to hide the fact you had just spent long and endless days on worshipping Mairon’s flesh with nothing but pleasure and devotion as he had been only laying there and receiving and you had been the one to do all the work like he was the master you served.

After Morgoth's defeat, Mairon and you both were the only ones who could possibly become your master's successors for you were his most powerful Lieutenants.

Instead of starting a war between yourselves, you chose to create a pact of taking over Morgoth's legacy together as equals.

The holy bond of marriage was the most suitable way to seal this union for all eternity, especially when it seemed that you two shared the same goal and the same vision of healing Middle-earth and crafting it to fit your peaceful ideal.

The oath had nothing to do with the holy Valinor's customs. You used forbidden dark magic to bind you two together in perpetuity; mixing your black bloods together and drinking the cursed mixture from the cup as you exchanged the rings forged by Mairon himself with your aid; made of dark iron and with powerful spells engraved on them.

Adar was the master of your ceremony. He had stayed by your side after Morgoth's defeat and Mairon had promoted him to the rank of Lieutenant because you two needed smart and loyal people – especially if they had a whole army of the Orcs following their every order.

You could sense your marriage pact with Marion was making Adar a little uncomfortable. He was watching you carefully throughout the ceremony and also during the feast where he was sitting nearby.

Mairon's behaviour was surprising you a little. Never before he had been so open with the amount of his devotion towards you. And now, despite the audience of the Orcs and the fallen Elves, he was all over you, kissing your neck between the sweet nothings whispered into your pointed ear as his fingers intertwined with yours under the table to squeeze your hand.

He was like a dog, you thought, but you could not blame him. He had admired you from the very beginning of his service to Morgoth and now he had you as his spouse. You allowed him to enjoy himself because it was the day of your wedding.

For you, it was more of a transaction. You cared about Mairon to some extent and your flesh enjoyed to fuck his but there was nothing in this world that you would love more than power.

"My Lady, can we talk?" Adar approached you when you were left alone for a moment.

You looked up, surprised, but the seriousness of his expression was making it obvious that the matter was rather important.

"What is it, Lieutenant?" You asked him as you followed him to the dark corner of the room where you could hide in the shadows together.

"I am a bearer of the bad news, I am afraid," Adar started and you furrowed your brows.

"Did Elven armies find our fortress?" You asked.

"No. Not the bad news of this kind," he lowered his voice even more and he glanced at Mairon from the corner of his eye.

You looked at your husband, too. He was talking to some of the fallen Elves and his excitement was revealing that he probably discussed his plans for the future.

"Do continue," you nodded at Adar, looking back at him with curiosity.

"Mairon does not plan to share anything with you," he informed you. "He re-fired Morgoth's crown to fit himself."

Your blood turned cold at the revelation. Morgoth's crown was supposed to be melted and turned into two smaller but equal crowns. That was the deal between you and Mairon – two spouses, two crowns, two Rings, one kingdom.

You glanced once more at your husband. How innocent he seemed at the moment, how devoted to you. And yet…

Your own student outsmarted you in the art of cunning treachery, so it seemed. You gritted your teeth.

"How do you know?" You asked Adar just to make sure.

"I was there," he answered with a hint of smirk, knowing very well that his delay of bringing you the news created a new problem for you.

"And you are telling me this only now? After I am bound to him forever?" Your jaw clenched out of anger as you realised.

"I have been a loyal servant to your husband and it still pains me to betray him by telling you the truth but I must think of my children first and at this very feast I overheard his plans for the Uruk. I cannot let this happen," he revealed and you sighed. You knew what plans he was talking about.

Mairon had never considered the Orcs to be smart creatures, therefore he often was speaking freely and openly about what he planned to do with them or what he was thinking of them because he thought they would not even understand.

Perhaps they would not but their Lord Father would.

"I have never been fond of your children either, Adar," you reminded him.

"Yet you make a better ally than he. I know you can give up on enslaving the Uruk if I helped you to rule over Middle-earth with their army in return. Alone. A Queen with no King," he whispered and his tempting words sent a shiver down your spine.

After a very short moment of hesitation – which surprised you to exist at all – you nodded at Adar.

“Say no more,” you whispered.

And when Mairon informed you a few weeks after your wedding that he wanted to be crowned soon and that he wished for you to be the one to put Morgoth’s crown onto his head, you agreed with a sweet smile that should have made him realise how false it was. But he was too relieved with the fact that you seemed to have no problem at all with giving him the most important title, therefore he did not notice the coldness of your gaze.

"My dear," he kneeled in front of you while you were sitting on the edge of your bed and he held your hands softly in his as he leaned in to kiss them. "It brings me so much joy to know it will be you to lay the crown onto my head. I do not wish for anyone else to bless me for I would not be here if it was not for you."

"Indeed, my sweet Mairon," was all you said with a scolding gaze but, once again, he chose not to see it. “My King,” you added with irony – one more time the tone of your voice remained ignored.

Sometimes, he would use his illusions to fool even himself. And that very thing would turn out to be his demise.

“You will be my right hand, my Queen, my goddess,” he kept assuring you and kissing the palms of your hands as you kept gritting your teeth.

His right hand, he dared to say. You were supposed to be one body, one soul. His Queen and yet she would bear no crown – not the same as his at least. His goddess but his devotion was a lie. He loved power more than he loved you.

But you loved power more than you loved him as well, so it was only fair.

And how else could you repay for his betrayal if not with a betrayal in return?

You already had a whole plan formed with Adar and all you had to do now was to patiently wait for the day of the coronation. You truly hoped that Morgoth's crown was powerful enough to kill your husband, so he could exist no more and so would the bond of blood magic between you be broken forever.

You were wearing beautiful, matching robes with your husband and your only audience were the Orcs and Adar, who was holding Morgoth’s crown as Mairon decided to give a speech to his new army.

You couldn’t help yourself as you kept glancing at the re-fired and re-shaped crown with a bitter and sour expression. 

“Always, after a defeat… the shadow takes another shape and grows again. Morgoth is gone,” your husband announced to the Orcs. “Leaving us alone and disgraced. But today, a new age begins,” he added and you exchanged a meaningful look with Adar at the sight of Mairon’s fingers fidgeting nervously. “Under me. Your new master. Sauron.”

It should have been you. Giving the speech. Being crowned. And you would be. Soon. Very soon.

However, you loved the dramatics as much as your husband. And you would gladly allow him to make a fool out of himself first.

“And with a new age, I bring a new vision. A path to unconditional conquest. For I seek a new kind of power,” Mairon raised his right hand as he spoke, posing to be some sort of a sage sharing his wisdom. “Not of the flesh, but over flesh. A power of the unseen world. One we shall use to enslave the peoples of Middle-earth to our very will.”

The Orcs seemed to be content with his words and for that one thing you admired him, actually – the way he always knew what to say to make people follow him and be enamoured with his visions.

You knew that he did not care about what the Orcs wanted and the words he was using now were nothing but a temptation for them to obey his orders. But it was them he wanted enslaved, not the others. The others were meant to be healed.

“Many Orcs will die,” Mairon added and you felt Adar moving uncomfortably. The Orcs did not seem to be as happy as before and you could not blame them. You glanced at your husband with a raised eyebrow.

Sometimes, even the ones most graced with a gift of the golden speech, would say a sentence too many.

“But out of the chaos, we will forge a new and perfect order. No longer will we be hunted as the demons who broke Middle-earth, but rather worshipped as the saviours who finally healed it,” Mairon smiled, excitedly and you rolled your eyes. “By bringing its peoples together, to rule them all as one!” He raised his hands but he was overdoing himself, it was too much and the Orcs were not as stupid as he believed them to be.

You could sense their nervousness and you could hear their whispers in the Black Speech: “Sauron lies”.

It brought you lots of satisfaction as you smirked to yourself, however you had to hide that smile quickly because your husband’s eyes desperately seeked for yours. He needed your comfort and your encouragement, so pathetically. So desperate to prove his worth as he had always been.

You nodded at him with a sympathetic smile, playing a role of a dutiful and supportive wife.

“Doubt me at your peril,” he began once more but his voice slightly weakened as he did so and then he clasped his hands while his voice suddenly turned darker. He decided to use a different tactic. “You have nowhere else to turn. The Valar will never forgive you. Elves will never accept you,” he pointed out. “Men… Men will never look upon you with anything but horror and disgust,” he added with a hint of satisfaction and contempt.

Perhaps you were not as skilled as he was with your speeches but you knew that this was not the way to lure the Orcs. It was not the way to lure anyone. Mairon was losing control – even the fact his hands were clasped was only trying to hide how shaky they had become.

“A corrupted and ignoble race, worthy only to be haunted and slaughtered,” he continued as the Orcs began to growl. In that moment, you were glad you had your pact with Adar, because otherwise you would not feel safe amongst them.

Suddenly, one of the Orcs standing closest to Mairon attacked him with his blade, making an assassination attempt. Your husband swiftly defended himself and slit his throat, for which you were glad.

You would kill that Orc yourself if he maimed Mairon before you could lay your hands on him. He was yours to slaughter.

As the creature dropped down to his knees and continued choking on his own blood, you watched Mairon pull the Orc even closer and watch his suffering with the same fascinated expression as you had used to watch him when he had been reshaped by Morgoth.

And then, he finished the assassin off with his own blade being put into the Orc’s skull. Over and over again as Adar flinched at the sight of his son being treated this way and the Orcs kept growling in anger.

And you, in that moment – for a short while – actually considered following your husband like you had once followed Morgoth. To forgive him his betrayal and to play along the role of a dutiful wife.

His cruelty spurred you on as you watched and watched, refusing to look away until the Orc’s body hit the floor and Mairon threw away the blade to fix his ginger hair that had gotten messy from the fight.

You could sense his frustration. His blood was now flowing in your veins just like yours was flowing in his.

“I am your only future and my path is your only path!” He yelled at the Orcs, fury and rage filling him whole and causing the veins of his face to fill up and swell with his thick and black blood.

You cleared your throat, awkwardly. The admiration you had felt not even a minute earlier was all gone now and once again you felt ashamed of your husband.

Morgoth had never yelled desperately like that to get respect. He had never threatened – not so openly. His very presence had been enough to follow him out of fear.

“Who among you dare say otherwise?” Mairon asked, more calmly now.

Soon, he would find out who exactly dared.

But so far, he still trusted you. He turned his head around and nodded at you, his eyes filled with faith.

You nodded back and took Morgoth’s crown from Adar’s hands. It was heavy and powerful as its dark magic vibrated from it all throughout your body when you carried it towards the crowd.

The Orcs were snarling at you when you raised your hands with the crown, not pleased at all that you were about to lay it upon your husband’s head.

“All Hail, Lord Sauron!” Adar exclaimed in the Black Speech. “The New Dark Lord.”

The Orcs hesitated but they followed what their Lord Father said.

“All hail!” They chanted and you walked away to your husband, who had just kneeled for you.

Like in the old days, before all the battles Morgoth had been sending him to. Mairon would kneel and you would bless him with your sword.

You raised your hands once more as a thrill of excitement went through your body. Mairon looked up at you through the crown placed above his head and you could spot the hint of doubt. Your bond worked both ways and he could sense something disturbing about you but you soothed him with a soft and fake smile.

Unsurely, he lowered his head once more and looked down, waiting for you to grace his head with the burden of the crown.

And the crown was a burden indeed. So full of dark and powerful magic that you knew already it was most certainly enough to kill a spirit like your husband.

You turned it around in a swift movement and lowered it with all your strength to stab him in the back of his neck as the crown’s poison infected his veins and made him move back out of the sudden pain.

You took the crown away from him and took a few steps back to stand next to Adar as the Orcs began screaming and approaching you all. Mairon’s eyes were full of surprise and disappointment and he kept them only on you as you graced him with the same soft smile you had been giving him for weeks now; for him to finally realise how false it was all this time.

“You could have kept your promise, my pet,” you told him in the Quenya language.

Your words angered him and he tried to stand up with his weakened limbs to fight you but in that very moment a group of Orcs attacked him all at once, stabbing his flesh continuously as you watched. He was making an attempt to fight them back and for the state he was in, he was truly doing well, but they were too many and he was alone.

And even if some part of you would truly mourn for your husband, the dark item in your hand with his blood dripping down on the floor from its iron spikes was enough to bring your mind back on the right path.

And as the Orcs kept stabbing his body, which was laying now in the puddle of dark and sticky blood, you raised the crown once more and put it on your own head, feeling Mairon’s blood dripping from it onto your face.

You licked your lips to get the taste. For the one last time you tasted him as you smirked.

You turned your head around to nod at Adar and he nodded back at you.

All hail the New Dark Lady.

MASTERLIST

[katerinaaqu]

One of the most underrated reunion scenes (Book 21 of Odyssey analysis):

Okay we all cry our eyes out in the amazing reunion between Odysseus and Telemachus or with his father Laërtes or with Penelope and for a good reason! But, if I may, I believe there is one more scene that people do not talk much about and is this one! :

"And so he spoke and he pulled the rugs aside, revealing the great scar and when they saw it they understood everything, bawling in tears both threw themselves at Odysseus shamelessly/unrestrained kissing his hands and head and shoulders and in similar manner Odysseus kissed their hands and heads. And they could remain so crying till the sunset if it weren't for Odysseus to restrain them by crying out:"

(Translation by me)

This is the moment when Odysseus has clearly as day revealed to his two loyal slaves, the swine hearder Eumaeus and his cattle herder Philoetius who he is and that he came back after 20 years and shows them his scar as proof. He also promises them each a wife and possessions and houses next to the palace for the good they do by being loyal to him. He even says they are forever considered his friends and his son's.

But the two men did not react to the gifts but they reacted upon seeing him! And their reaction is one of tye most touching, most beautiful scenes I have ever seen! 😭 and Homer describes it so beautifully that it is impossible not to get touched in my opinion.

For starters we see the unbelievable affection they both feel for their master. They do not just kiss his hands gratefully for his promises and they do not fall on their knees before him! They literally ATTACK him with kisses and embraces (δαΐφρονι) and they show their affection "shamelessly" aka without any restrain or showing the slightest regard for his royal status (κύνεον)

They do not just kiss his hands but his head his shoulders etc. They literally both have just rushed at him showing with their kisses and their tears 😢 and Odysseus responds as Homer says in a very similar manner (αύτως). You can imagine him embrace them both, kissing their heads and hands...like a caring father or a good brother.

It is as if he is not a king

It is as if they are not slaves or servants

They are all equal at that moment or almost equal. Both the men are openly showing their affection for their master and Odysseus does so back for he now sees them as family for in the middle of this great distress and web of betrayal he sees the pure love and dedication these two men show to him. Odysseus is no longer hiding his tears in shame like he did many times during the poem. He is openly showing them his gratefulness and his affection. In this time of chaos these men showed him sunshine of hope.

And as Homer says all three of them were practically inconsolable if Odysseus himself hadn't first snapped out of it to call them back to reality!

And this break of affection happens right a few rhapsodies before the murder of the suitors and these scenes of affection (both sad ones like the first meeting between disguised Odysseus and Penelope and happy ones such as this) are letting the reader relax before the violent scene that is about to follow.

This is the moment that Homer shows how loyalty is so important and that transcends status or royal blood. And it is done in no better way than this beautiful reunion between these men ✨️. Odysseus just showed them his ultimate trust by not just revealing himself but also by naming them his friends and above all his SON'S friends; whatever most precious he has and he trusts them fully with him. And they respond with the most genuine happiness not for his gifts or even his trust but because he is back and alive!

I am surprised this is not talked more or even depicted more on art (ancient or other).

[suiana]

✎ yandere! servant headcanons . . .

✎ warnings . . .

― obsessiveness, possesiveness, worshipping etc.

(gn! reader x male yandere! oc)

✎ yandere! servant who has been dutifully serving you ever since he was a child. the two of you practically grew up together and are inseparable!

✎ yandere! servant who has grown terribly obsessive over you, his beloved master. you're what he lives for, his sole purpose of living. and with how you're always looking for him, staying by his side, he'd have to be heartless not to love such a sweet person. you're the only good thing in his life, don't leave him.

✎ yandere! servant who basically worships your very existence. for you saved him when he was abandoned as a child, and he is eternally grateful for that. you gained an eternal servant when you decided to help him out as a child.

✎ yandere! servant who often wishes he wasn't of commoner background. wanting to be of nobility so that he could be given the official opportunity to court you. though if he did, he wouldn't have been able to witness you in your entirety and that would truly be a shame :(

✎ yandere! servant who has manipulated you throughout the entire course of his career as your loyal servant. whispering blatant lies into your ears while sugar-coating them... you naively believed him, falling deeper into his trap as the roles slowly got reversed and he became the master of the relationship.

✎ yandere! servant who has managed to successfully get rid of your potential suitors on several occasions. aw, it looks like you're not getting married any time soon :( worry not, your servant will always stay by your side! always.

✎ yandere! servant who has mastered multiple crafts so that he would be the only one to serve you, to stay by your side. you don't NEED anyone else, he'll be the ONLY ONE to serve you. you're always so impressed by his talents, unknowing of the true reason why he even has them in the first place. that's good, it's better to stay hidden from the truth sometimes.

✎ yandere! servant who has you in the palm of his hand. well, not like you mind. he's your best friend after all! he wouldn't do anything to you now would he? besides, you're the child of the most powerful duke in the empire! you could always just fire him! it won't be that easy though, he'll always find a way to come crawling back to you in life and death.

✎ "master, I've prepared your bath. please allow this servant of yours to wash you up for the luncheon with the duke."

[seekingxanadu]

On the issue of Alfred being a bad dad to Bruce, of Alfred enabling Bruce's bad behaviors:

I think the problem is modern Batman writers made the mistake of making Alfred a father figure to Bruce. An elderly employee can call his much younger perhaps-about-to-die employer "son" but that doesn't make them father and son. So when they get cute with the "aw Alfred is Bruce's papa" narrative, they end up making Alfred's character worse. Alfred's most consistent take has been that he is an employee and it is most visible with or around his interactions with Dick. Alfred seems to think of Dick as Bruce's employee. Again, it is a mentality from the 30s-40s when it was very natural for rich men to collect strays - I'll give you room and board, you will earn your keep by working in my land/business; to Alfred, Dick becoming Robin was to support Bruce's Batman in the field.

But modern Batman writers have woobified Bruce. He's not just the 35-40 year old wealthy businessman, scion of an old wealthy family, who has collected vulnerable youngsters around him and offered them a safe place. In the 30s and 40s, a 35-40 year old man was expected to be mature and a familyman. In the 90s and after, a 35-40 year old wealthy man isn't expected to be that anymore. Then again, it was the period that started to de-age Bruce. Because Dick, his first ward, was already an adult now.

So DC needed to make Batman younger and at least, deflect the idea of Bruce being a parental figure to a 20 year old man. So we started getting Alfred being Papa to Bruce, of Bruce and Alfred forming a family unit blurring lines of parent and employee. BUT Bruce was also the vanity projection of these Batman writers - they don't listen to their papas, so why would Bruce. Bruce was not Alfred's son, Alfred should know his place as employee. So we get Alfred written as just loyal employee who looks at Batman's allies as people serving Bruce. If Jason gets "a good soldier" plaque, Tim and Damian got Robin suits to just go backup Master Bruce already. And Dick?

Dick is a curious case with Alfred. Alfred clearly cares for Dick like a son. There is more familial closeness between Dick and Alfred than between Jason, Tim, and Alfred. Alfred has known Dick since he came to the manor as an 8 year old. It's a boy Alfred can claim to have raised- or at least, fed, cleaned, housed, medicated. Alfred knows Dick has Master Bruce's back in the field. In this regard, Dick is Alfred's extension. Alfred serves Master Bruce in his civilian life, Dick serves Master Bruce in the field. To be clear, I am assuming Alfred's thought process. Not Bruce's or Dick's. Sometimes, it feels like Alfred considers Dick another Wayne servant, equal to Alfred's rank.

All this rambling to say, I think Alfred is used as excuse to limit any blame that Bruce deserves for his bad decisions.

Just like some writers and stans make Dick apologise for Bruce's violence against him; we are now using Alfred as smokescreen to excuse Bruce's actions.

I am, by no stretch, saying Alfred is blameless. But Alfred is an employee, an old man probably very possessive of the Wayne scion who had only Alfred along during his growing years, and he is standoffish as any butler.

This is also why the idea of Bat "family" is so flawed. They are not a family. They are a clan of allies. They are a disparate set of individuals operating under the Wayne umbrella. Alfred is not Bruce's papa. Dick and Jason are not brothers. Their time in Wayne manor did not even overlap. Same with Damian and Jason, Damian and Tim. Damian and Dick mirror Dick and Bruce of 20 years ago and those two dynamics are that of a familial unit (though Bruce breaks the tie with Dick multiple times).

[weirdsht]

Disillusioned 12 . Henituse

a/n: eating a lot of shellfish for my anemia made me feel better but everyone around me says I'm still pale asf T-T also ngl I don't the way I wrote this chapter but I'm too sick to redo it sorry huhu

tags: very vague hints of abuse near before the end

English isn’t my first language so there will be grammatical errors

Pls don't repost my work anywhere without my permission

Constructive criticisms and any kind of interaction are more than welcome

Requests are currently closed but my ask are still open (read pinned)

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Days pass and it’s now mid-November. To others, it just signifies the start of winter. Signifies the extreme cold that’s about to come. 

For Cale’s group and the Whale Tribe, it signifies the start of battle. Signifies that they must now obliterate Arm’s First Battle Brigade.

Where does _____ fit in all of this?

Besides Cale, that’s where.

After their talk, the healer became practically glued to Cale with the man saying all kinds of reasons to take them everywhere.

In this particular case, his excuse is that they need to have a healer in case of an emergency.

Hannah snorted at the blatant excuse curated by the young master.

What makes it funnier for her is how after insisting they need a healer, Cale just went ahead and gave everyone potions after the battle.

“Why are you giving me a potion? I thought that little healer of yours didn’t have purification powers, I’m sure they can heal me.”

Cale frowns as if it’s a sin to even mention _____.

“_____ is still at the ship. I can’t have them out of commission so early so make do with the potions.”

“Human you’re lying again! I definitely heard you say on the way here that kind _____ shouldn’t see such a messy sight!”

As Raon spoke in his mind Hannah also burst out laughing.

This made the redhead turn around to leave. His frown etching deeper into his face as the two unknowingly gang up on him.

Everything goes smoothly. 

Of course it does, Cale’s planning is always top-notch.

They managed to win against Arm’s First Brigade. They managed to take the remaining ships, Cale also managed to get permission from his father to let the Tiger Tribe stay in Harris Village.

But Cale is still not happy.

This is because he has to go to the empire. A place where the Sun God’s church influence is strong. The one place he can’t take _____ to.

It’s dangerous if someone, like a priest, discovers who they are. It’s still too early to let _____ back out into the world. Too early for them to fight their battles.

So when Count Deruth asked Cale if _____ could stay at the Henituse castle he allowed it. He may not be sure why his father is asking for the healer but he knows nothing bad would happen. It would also be a good opportunity for _____ to socialize more. Cale has noticed them trying to initiate conversations so meeting new people would probably be good practice.

What doesn’t know is that Hans had a hand in making this invitation come true.

Needless to say, the influence wasn’t direct. It’s just that every report the butler made included the healer which made Cale’s parent’s curious. It was also obvious that Hans thinks the two have chemistry so the Count and Countess wanted to take a look.

The whole family is aware that _____ is alive and in hiding. Aside from them a minimal amount of very trusted servants have also been informed. These servants are the most loyal to the family and in turn have been chosen to directly serve _____ during their stay.

Basen, in particular, has heard his parents talk about _____. He has heard them speculate about whether or not the healer will get together with his brother. And so when he met them he had full intentions of checking whether or not they are worthy of his brother.

Meanwhile Lily was none the wiser. All she knows is that the pretty healer must hide their face because bad people are out to get them. That and their abilities are amazing, she still remembers that refreshing feeling she felt when _____ healed her before.

With different intentions, the siblings went to greet the healer after their parents did.

Lily instantly got along with _____. Meanwhile, Basen and his parents nodded in approval..?

Approval of what? _____ doesn’t know. They’re just glad that everyone is kind.

The entire Henituse family, including Cale before he left, told _____ to just roll and play around. Treat their stay at the castle as a vacation. 

Give _____ some credit because they tried really hard to follow their words.

However, they only lasted 3 hours before they were on their way to get permission to assist the knights' training.

Good thing Cale saw this coming so he informed Count Deruth in advance how _____ has a strong sense of responsibility.

The Count approved of them healing the knights but not replenishing their energy. _____ understands as they know stamina and endurance are important virtues to being a knight.

Another thing that Count Deruth noticed is how the healer seemed interested in administrative paperwork. Coincidentally, it was also how everyone found out that they’re a fast reader and learner.

“Healer-nim[1] are you interested in administrative work?”

The Count asked the next day while they were all eating breakfast.

“A little bit, but more than that I just noticed that the documents here look different from where I came from.”

Excuse me what now? How could they immediately tell that there was a difference when they only saw the document for half a minute and they weren’t even that close to it?

“You managed to read all of it?”

“Ah, I’m sorry was I not supposed to? I only read the first page because the rest was covered…”

Basen who couldn’t help but ask reassured _____ that those are public documents so it was fine to read them.

“...That’s so weird. In my previous place, they hid things like that. The ledger here is also different…”

Now that got Deruth’s full attention.

“How so?”

“Back when living with the Perduellios, I saw their ledgers a few times. Unlike here, the ledger there seems to have lapses in entry, but they aren’t very noticeable. Then they have two sets of ledger? I’m not sure why though maybe the people there aren’t as skilled as Basen so they need a trial ledger…”

That…

That’s definitely a textbook case of either fraud, tax evasion, or embezzlement. Or possibly all three. 

Not that _____ would know because they never received proper education.

Speaking of their education…

“Healer-nim may I ask how did you learn to read and write?”

Countess Violan asked politely.

“I learned by accident. My room was where they used to put books that were for donation. They didn’t renovate it fast enough so I managed to check out those books. Then after a few days, I accidentally memorized the alphabet.”

This…

Doesn’t this mean they have a genius on their hands?

They let the topic go and switched to more lighthearted ones, like whether Cale is treating them well, as breakfast progresses. However, the Count and Countess didn’t forget about what they talked about.

That afternoon the Count sent sample administrative documents as well as beginner books to _____’s room. He also told the healer to come to him or Basen if they had questions or wanted to learn more.

Meanwhile, Countess Violan took it upon herself to teach the healer noble etiquette. With _____’s permission of course.

And that’s how _____’s stay in the Henituse Castle became an impromptu how-to noble 101 lessons.

_____ isn’t sure how this happened but they're just happy to be a part of whatever’s happening.

Aside from learning and healing _____ also plays with Lily whenever the young girl has free time. More often than not Lily would spend her downtime looking for the healer and asking them to do more light tricks. To which _____ is more than happy to do so.

So their schedule is as follows:

In the morning they would eat breakfast with the whole family.

After breakfast, they would either learn etiquette from Countess Violan or read the books Count Deruth gave them.

Then after lunch, they would either help heal the training knights or play with Lily.

It’s vastly different from how _____ spends their day with Cale but it still felt fulfilling.

However, the healer still felt more comfortable at the super rock villa.

This was because their movement was pretty restrained in the castle, unlike in the underground villa where they could wear whatever and go wherever they wanted. They can only roam around inside the castle and they can rarely let their guard down.

But it’s still fun.

_____ likes the new experience it brings. They like the new things this family is teaching them.

Plus it’s not like they were isolated because they could still talk to the servants assigned to them.

“Young master-nim, you've already perfected tea etiquette? That’s amazing!”

The healer's cheeks are dusted a soft pink hue at the maid’s compliments.

“Ah please refer to me by my name or just healer, I’m not a young master…”

“Nonsense! Young master _____ is a young master!”

_____ feels like they had the same conversation somewhere else before…

“However, was young master-nim born with the gift of learning fast?”

Lily, who was on her way to play with _____ overheard the conversation.

“Hmmm, I guess to some extent? Even before I was adopted people have told me I pick up things fast. But I’m not sure if those were empty words because my adoptive family still deemed my learning speed slow.”

The maid styling _____’s hair made a noise of protest.

“There’s no way that’s the case! I bet they were just jealous that young master-nim is a genius!”

“Huh? Me a genius? Ah no, no. There’s no way. When I was a kid I was punished because I can’t learn things in one go… I think someone like Lily-nim is a genius, not me.”

The maids and servants attending _____ began protesting about how both Lily and _____ are geniuses.

Lily then decided that she had eavesdropped enough and finally knocked on the door.

“Ah young master Lily, please wait a moment young master _____ is almost done getting ready.”

That evening, as Violan tucked Lily in, the girl spilt what she overhead to her mother.

In turn, Countess Violan told Count Deruth.

Then Count Deruth told Cale after he got back from looting- investigating the empire.

“Huuu, they just keep adding more sins to their list.”

Count Deruth did not comment as he heard the angriest sigh leave his son’s lips.

“As we talked about before I’ll let you handle the Perduellio family. Just talk to me if you need anything and I’ll make it happen.”

“Thank you.”

The two talked a bit more before they both left the Count’s office. As they turn into a corner they see _____ playing with Basen and Lily.

“Cale! You’re back! I heard what happened at the empire, did everything work out fine?”

Ho? So Hans was telling the truth when he said Cale and ____ have been on a casual first-name basis since a month ago.

Another thing that Deruth noticed was how his son’s face relaxed at the mere sight of the healer. It was as if he was never angry in the first place.

Deruth Henituse approves.

Cale and _____ hadn’t even gotten together yet, much less have asked for his approval.

Nonetheless, Deruth Henituse approves.

[1] I'm honestly not very knowledgeable about kr name honorifics, I only grew up learning the fil and jp ones so I'm unsure of this one like... I feel like Deruth's status is too high for him to address reader with nim but it also feels awkward if I don't put an honorific at the end... send help

[purplesannnieee]

Hi! Mine if I request? Can you do Reader who lost a bet and had to dress up as a dog? She has a cute and but flimsy maid outfit with the doggy ears and tail. I want this to be NSFW if you can, or you can make it where Jin likes it and he ends up demanding her to do a bunch of chores in his room. I choose a dog maid for her because dogs are known to be loyal and listens easily to their masters/owners.

Good luck with college though! I’m sure you’ll do great ❤️

Wolf Girl and Black Prince

18+, DO NOT INTERACT MINORS

A/n: yk what's crazy? the fact that someone I'm friends with literally is doing art of Jin with a dog leash, so I'm so on board with writing this 😭 (ALSO THANK YOU, I'LL BE NEEDING IT :D), also, if ya'll get the title reference, ifykyk ;), as it turns out, I think I just struggle with writing smut (considering that this is my first time writing one), 2.3k words, I gave up on why tumblr is formatting the images weird

summary: who the fuck told you this was going to be a good idea? it didn't help the fact that jin called you a servant. and yet, you had way too much confidence into making a bet with him, where if he didn't had to intervene in the next mission, he would no longer call you a servant. unfortunately, you lost, leading you to being a dog maid, while the tension between you and jin has rather...increased higher than usual warnings: this isn't in order, despite of the title, I promise you this isn't toxic (aka no angst!!), erm, a bit of bdsm? jin's a kinky mfer, i'm not going to make jin command reader to bark lol (it's funny tho), that mf's the type to do orgasm deny, and then fucking make you cum multiple times, creampie (please make sure to wrap it and use contraception :D, safe sex ya'll), idk why, he seems like the spanking type, that shithead degrades you, he'll call you names like, "my queen" (how romantic while you get fucked), aftercare king, I feel like this is going to be a bit messy, OH, mf's definitely a pussy sucker, mf's so fucking rough, oh yeah, that mf has a dick piercing too (it's canon), jin asks reader to light his cigarette in a rather intimate way (ifykyk), reverse prince albert(?) and standard ampallang(?), your writer was in fact sleepy asf when she asked this to her friend when asking what type of piercings Jin has 😭, I'm gonna be silly and let's just say Jin's revoking reader's v card, ig in this vers, reader's mc, but with ✨personality✨, SIZE KINK

Stupid fucking Jin. If you weren't walking around eggshells by now, you sure fucking failed at it. The two of you had recently made a bet, that if you were to succeed in your current mission without any intervention from him, then he would no longer call you a servant. Compared to if he did intervene, he would win, and you would have to do whatever he asked for a week without the intervention of Tohma. God, you were way too naive, as you were close to finishing, before fucking Jin intervened. While you did catch the anomaly…, that motherfucker gave you a smirk for only you to see, before walking away. What made it worse was that Tohma wouldn't be able to help you at all; so really, you were screwed.

Before you knew it, you were at your room for a moment, before hearing it rang. Picking it up, you groaned at the name, realizing that Jin was calling you. Not wanting to make a fuss about it, you sighed, before answering. "Good, you answered," he said, as you swore you could see him smirking, even despite not being in the same room. "In five minutes, meet me in my room, and make sure to knock five times," he added, before hanging up. You moved your phone away, baffled, before flopping onto your pillow, screaming into it. What the genuine fuck? You sighed, as you frowned, before walking out of your room and going to Jin's room. Arriving there, you knocked on the door five times, before hearing him say "Come in."

"You're fucking early," he gruffed from the same fucking couch he normally laid on. You could smell the hint of that rich classy ass cigarette he smoked on a basis. "Well, might as well get this over," you said, looking at his figure. You watched his arm move, and before you knew it, you could see him throw something at you, gasping, as you had to move forward to grab it. Looking at it, you noticed that it was a box, perhaps with something in there. "You have a minute to change into it," Jin said, as your eye twitched, being more annoyed. "You've got to be--," "Bianerus." Seriously? What the fuck Jin? "Change, now."

Almost immediately, your body reacted, as you started to take off your uniform. You frowned, as you would've preferred having your uniform on. Regardless, after leaving you to just your garments, you opened the box, only to turn red. It was…a fucking maid outfit? And dog ears too? Normally, you would've yelled at Jin, however, because he had to use his stigma, instead-- you changed into the rather flimsy maid uniform, along with putting the dog ear headband on. This almost reminded you of that anonymous dress you were sent (though you were sure it was Jin who sent it). The measurements were too accurate, granted, the uniform was a bit tighter around your curves.

"Wake me up when the paperwork's been organized," Jin said (practically ordered) before returning to sleep. You couldn't help but want to curse him out. However, instead, you looked towards the amount of paperwork, as you frowned, before sighing. You truly were going to regret this. What made it worse was that you probably wouldn't get any new missions, so this was a bad situation for you. You couldn't help but groan, as you started organizing the papers. You truly wondered how Tohma managed to deal with him sometimes. And yet, regardless, you continued.

Well, despite being mostly done with it. You were tired, way more than you would've preferred. "Fuck me," you muttered to yourself, at this point, annoyed. And well, despite how pissed off you were in the situation you were currently dealing with, part of you did care about Jin. Even with whatever potential weird fetish of his, sure, you might've complained a few times, but you were willing for him. Just him only. Unfortunately for you, while you were in deep thinking, you hadn't noticed Jin wake up and walk behind you, before hugging you.

"Jin!?" You became surprised, as you could feel his body being…surprisingly a bit warm compared to the dorms. However, that didn't help the fact that your face became flustered. Slowly, you could feel his hand tangle with your hand. While you weren't sure of what to make of this, this was rather--

"Bianerus." Jin used his stigma, as your body jolted against his. What did he want now? "Do you really want me to fuck you?" He whispered in your ear, his mouth close to yours. You couldn't help but shiver, your pussy clenching against nothing, before you said it. "Yes." Okay yeah no, you really were fucked. The two of you stood for a few minutes before you could feel him suddenly pick you up, as you were now carried again. Just like the last mission, he was holding you like his bride out of all things.

"W-Wait!" You yelled, flustered, and before you knew it, you were placed on the bed, before hearing another command of his. "On your knees," he said, without using his stigma. And yet, you still listened to him, getting on your knees and elbows, before he hummed. You could hear his steps farther away from you, as he seemed to grab something. Before long, you gasped, as you were immediately flipped onto your back, as Jin tied your wrists with one of your ties. You couldn't help but stay quiet, unsure what he would do now. You watched Jin disappear for a moment, before feeling your legs split apart. "What are you doing--," "Shut up," Jin said, as before you knew it, you gasped, as you could feel something warm and wet on your underwear. Before you could say anything, you let out a moan, as you could feel Jin sucking through your underwear, as his hands gripped your thighs tightly.

You tried to close your legs, as a mix of embarrassment and pleasure rose. However, Jin was firm with you keeping them open. "Don't you dare," he muttered between his laps, as you could feel your pussy clenching over nothing. "Jin….! You fucker…!" You whined, your hands writhed against the tie. He stopped momentarily, only to look up at you, smirking. "That's what I intend on doing," he teased, before moving your underwear onto the side. "I'm going to make you fucking beg me to fuck you until you cry," he said, before letting out a chuckle, noticing how you were reacting. "Such a pretty cunt…" Jin mumbled to himself, as he gave it a kiss, before lapping it. You couldn't help but moan, as you wanted to move, yet you knew if you did, he would probably command you to stop doing so.

You were too embarrassed to moan, the pleasure that coursed your body was too much. Your legs still trembled regardless, as you bit down your lip, though not enough to leave any blood. And yet, Jin stopped momentarily, as he moved up, holding your hand with his. "My room's fuckin' soundproof, so stop holding those pretty moans of yours back. Be loud as you can, my queen," he said, before looking at the uniform (that he totally forgot he told you to put on), his hands instantly ripping it. "I'll make sure to find a tailor later...," he muttered, though too quiet for you to catch what he said.

You couldn't help but cry out in pleasure as Jin ended up going back to sucking on your pussy. "Fuck fuck fuck— please...!" You let out a whine, throwing your head back against the pillow (funny enough, your headband fell off), as you desperately moved your body closer to his face. And yet, Jin suddenly stopped when you were getting close to your high, as you panted. "Why the fuck did you—," "Now I have to punish you," Jin let out a tsk, as he pulled your body toward his, while he sat up. To your realization, he placed you on his lap, your ass out. Goddamnit.

"Count," he said, and before you knew it, you gasped, as he slapped your ass. "One," you muttered, before receiving another. "Louder," he muttered, slapping it again before he gave you another chance. "Fuck—ONE!" You yelled as Jin smoothed over your lower cheeks, before slapping it again. "TWO!" You screamed as he continued until he reached ten. By then, your ass was red, your eyes tearing up, and yet, you enjoyed it? "So fuckin' wet..., are you into being spanked?" Jin teased, as two of his fingers spread your folds, as you were too stimulated to try and close your legs. "Jin...," you whined, as he hummed. "Wanna get fucked, please...!" That was probably the last thing you consciously remembered before you overdid yourself.

Next thing you knew, your back was back on the bed, as your binded wrists were above your head. You watched as Jin pulled his necktie off, stripping the rest of whatever clothes he had on the top off. His hands trailed down to the edge of his pants, unzipping them, as you noticed how hard he already was from his boxers. You could feel yourself clenching again, as he smirked at you. "Seems like my dear queen can't take her eyes off me," he teased, his hands slowly taking off his boxers, his cock sprung to his stomach. The only thought to yourself was, 'Oh my God, that's a big fucking dick with piercings!'

Of course, you were too focused on Jin's cock to notice your legs being moved onto his shoulders, only for the sudden surge of embarrassment to rise. "Wait! Please...be gentle?" You asked, though while you weren't planning on telling him, he would become your first. Jin looked at you for a moment, before he started rubbing the tip of his cock against your folds. "Only because you asked," he agreed, as the both of you could hear the lewd sounds your wet folds and his tip were making. "As long as you keep your eyes on me," he said, as he didn't give you a chance to respond, slowly thrusting his cock in, splitting you whole.

Your body tensed, trying to comprehend the fact that you were being penetrated right now. While you didn't feel much pain, you felt rather...stuffed. "Ya, tryin' to keep me inside of you forever...?" Jin groaned as he could feel your gummy walls clinging to his cock. "It's...not my fuckin' fault you're so big!" You whined, your hands desperate to at least hold on to something. You could feel how warm his hands were, as they caressed your body, before undoing the tie, your hands being free. Your hands immediately grasped his, as they intertwined. Thankfully, despite Jin struggling, he was patiently waiting for you. It took a few minutes, as while you hadn't noticed, he was only partially inside of you, and while he did want to ruin you; Jin would never forgive himself if you ever got hurt.

A few minutes passed by, as you slowly adjusted to his size. Jin did his best to stay still for your own sake, only to let out a groan, feeling yourself moving slowly. "Jin~!" You let out a whine, as his gaze softened. "Kiss me, please?" Without a second to waste, his lips immediately pressed against yours, as he gently bit your lip, asking your permission. You let your mouth open, granting him access to it, his tongue exploring yours. You could still taste a hint of your own juices, as you let out a moan. The way he was kissing you was surprisingly sweet, and definitely hungry (not like he wasn't sucking your pussy like a starved man just a few minutes ago).

Slowly, Jin started to thrust into you, experimenting with where your sweet spots were. Granted, the position you were in definitely helped him. Your moans sounded so sweet to him, he almost wanted to keep you like this for a while. But for now? He would make you a pretty mess— all for him. "Fuck! Jin…please…!" How your wanton moans sounded like music, and Jin would be the only one who would be able to listen to such beautiful sounds. It felt better, as you were feeling so good, and he knew you were feeling perhaps more pleasure than he was having now.

"Fuck it," Jin muttered to himself, as you were too dumbed to understand what he said. All you knew was that he slowly pulled out until the only thing that was in was the tip, before thrusting sharply. You let out a gasp, as Jin soon enough started to thrust at a fastened pace, your walls clenching from the sudden movement, and your hand's grip tightened around his hands. Before you knew it, you could feel a knot forming, as you broke the kiss, panting. "Fuck fuck fuck— I feel something weird…!" You whined as Jin chuckled. "Go on, cum my pretty slut," he groaned, as before you knew it, you felt yourself climaxing, your body trembling from orgasming.

The thing was? Jin quite wasn't done. "Don't hold it back, my queen," he said, slowing down a bit to let you recover before fastening his pace again. You let out a mix of moans and whines, as Jin's cock began hitting your cervix; which led to you orgasming more. Before you knew it, Jin's pace became irrational, as he was trying to thrust as possible as he could. "Fuck— gonna cum in ya and let you have my kids," he groaned, as you teared up from how overstimulated you were. It didn't take long before you came one last time, as Jin filled you up; you felt so warm and full, as Jin let go of your legs, before hugging you. "I love you," he muttered, as you simply hummed in response, before kissing him back. "Love ya too," you muttered, before poking him. "I'm never going to wear whatever the fuck that was that you told me to put on though." After that, Jin did not accept any advice about you from Tohma.

[baldurs-writers-3]

This week, we have fics focusing on Tav! Check under the cut for eight fics that explore custom Tavs as they navigate the challenges of BG3. And as always, comment and kudos if you like them!

staeve multiverse by Deerna (30082,Not Rated) Warnings: Check individual fics for rating and content notes Pairings: Astarion/Halsin/Tav

This is a relatively large collection of fics surrounding Staeve, the drow rogue made by Velnna

Reccer says: Staeve is a super fun tav, and there are so many fun fics exploring his dynamic with his partners.

Be Worth Something by Masterangst12 (4445,Not Rated) Warnings: None Pairings: Astarion/Tav

Tav (named Axel) gives Astarion a present, a thoughtful gesture and Astarion sucks it up and returns the kindness by learning to comfort someone else for once.

Reccer says: I love how everyone picked up on the signs of Axel's self-worth issues, and I love Astarion's response to them even more

Under the Sussur Tree by spacesunderstairs (73724,Mature) Warnings: None Pairings: Astarion/Tav

Halinae (a reclusive drow bard) wakes up on a mindflayer ship and must find her way out.

Reccer says: I really like Halinae as a character, and enjoy seeing her interact with the various companions.

tomorrow (and tomorrow, and tomorrow) by maximumentropy (51352,Mature) Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Rape/Non-Con (though the non-con is not super explicit, if that helps), Self harm Pairings: Astarion/Halsin/Tav

Astarion is newly freed from Cazador, and Morrow is newly freed from their own abusive master. And Halsin? Halsin is the only one who knows the three of them are soulmates.

Reccer says: I really like Morrow as a character, and the way these three play off each other and grow together. Just very lovely all around

Fidelity by narla_hotep (102674,Mature) Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death, Body Horror Pairings: The Emperor/Tav

Fidelius was a thrall; a mind flayer's loyal servant who obeyed his master's every whim. But everything changed when the nautiloid descended. Now with his master missing and presumed dead, Del is free for the first time in decades... And he has absolutely no idea what to do with it.

Reccer says: The premise is executed so well, and the descriptions are wonderfully visceral.

Weight of The Crown by Nikolai_237 (2613,General) Warnings: None Pairings: Karlach/Tav

A young Archfey warlock attempts to become familiar with a mysterious power bestowed to him.

Reccer says: I really enjoy the feywild imagery, and Rivera is just a joy to read

And two fics each for:

Oathbreaker by Mellybaggins (186136,Explicit) Warnings: Dead dove content, major character death, rape, torture, religious trauma, gaslighting/emotional manipulation Pairings: Tav/Astarion, Tav/Halsin, Tav/OC

The fic follows Morwen, an oathbreaker paladin Tav through the events of the game, but also during her rich backstory as told through recovered suppressed memories.

Reccer #1 says: It seems to start as just another Tav fic but really takes off after Raphael messes with her and the suppressed traumatic memories start to resurface. Reccer #2 says: Morwen is such an interesting Tav, and I love fics that really dig into the divide between good vs evil, especially in such a dark way.

Until I Met You by onlymine139 (50846,Explicit) Warnings: None Pairings: Halsin/Tav

A slow burn that focuses on developing the relationship between Tav and Halsin during the events of BG3.

Reccer #1 says: It helps to fill in some of the gaps in the in game romance with Halsin as well as develop some cute friendships with the other companions. Heavy on Tav's (Tav'ahria) backstory as well, who was also present for the unleashing of the shadow curse. Reccer #2 says: I really enjoy the sweet back and forth between Tav and Halsin, and their companions' sometimes disastrous matchmaking attempts.

The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ!

Next week, we’ll be back with Humorous Fics!

[ultimateshixiongfuckertournament]

Noncanonicals Tournament FINAL

This final is between Han Ying from Word of Honor (shizun/mentor: Zhou Zishu) and Fang Duobing from Mysterious Lotus Casebook (shizun/mentor: Li Xiangyi / Li Lianhua)

Propaganda under the cut! (Warning: Propaganda may include spoilers about the characters and their media)

Han Ying:

He idolized and was mentored by Zhou Zishu to the point of recruiting other young martial artists to revive ZZS’s dying sect and willing to die live happily ever after for it.

#han ying wants to fuck zhou zishu SO BAD#han ying#shizunfucker tournament

#my sweet ying'er wants to fuck zzs so bad he's gagging for it

#HAN YING HANDS DOWN#would have licked his boots if he asked

#han ying wanted nothing more than to officially become zzs's student/part of his sect#it was literally his dying wish that his brothers in arms may get to do that#he says several times in the show to zzs's very face that he's 100% down for dying for him#he swears allegiance EXCLUSIVELY to zzs and not the prince they're all serving#he comes up with bangers like 'if there is anything you need I will lay down my life with no regret'#'if you were gone one day how could I live alone'#'a loyal servant wouldn't have two masters in his life'#he sneaks into zzs's abandoned residence and homoerotically-#-strokes the painting of a flower that symbolizes a) zzs himself b) zzs's grief for being the lone survivor of his sect#and he wanted to join siji so so badly#it was his life's dream and he died IN siji but before getting to have that 😭#listen he makes me insane#anyway they should have fucked sloppy style and zzs would have had an out of body experience if hy called him shizun#my final thesis goodbye

#it's HAN YING#you could power entire nations with the power of that yearning

#han ying saw zhou zishu and IMMEDIATELY dropped to his knees are you joking#wen kexing immediately clocked him

#ying'er my sweet prince#he wants the dick so badly

Fang Duobing:

Fang Duobing has most definitely had several fantasies of being dommed by his shifu Li Xiangyi! He is also equally invested in marrying Li Lianhua - travelling the jianghu, going on rooftop moonlit dates, incorporating looking after him forever and ever into his general future plans. This is even before he knows that Li Lianhua and Li Xiangyi are the same person. Oh there are Layers to the shizunfucking. Where's that post about being so devoted to someone that it breaks the pedestal they're put on and comes full circle to loving them for the person they are? (its here: https://www.tumblr.com/difeisheng/733133489565745152/the-core-of-fanghua-is-built-around-fang-duobings) When they finally do get to know each other 10 years later, after Li Xiangyi's identity is found out, Fang Duobing insists on being equals rather than master-and-disciple! Li lianhua is Fang Duobing’s guide in the Jianghu! He leaves his house, dog and the only records of his unique martial arts to Fang Duobing before running away!! Fang Duobing’s most important agenda is to save Li Lianhua from slow death by poison!!! He doesn't care if Li Lianhua keeps leaving him behind and lying to him and is 'at peace' with dying!! They live together. They'll never be equals. They've been equals all along. They're zhiji. They're master and disciple. they're married. They're everything.

#this man wanted to fuck his shizun under two whole ass different identities#this man was given one million choices between his shizun and his entire cushy rich boi life and did not sweat the decision even once#this man was engaged to a princess - who was COOL - and went “no thanks i’d rather follow shizun around in a fantasy china airstream’

#this cannot not be fang duobing let's be serious#polls#he's been drawing hearts around his shizun's name since age 8

#Fang Duobing going through it for what he thinks is two different people but is just one guy#so he gets my vote easy

#pls he is head employee at shizunfucker.co

[lizzaneia-elizalde]

Yandere! Butler x Noble! "Villain/Villainess"! Gn! Reader

Ah. I just reread Beware the Villainess for the nth time so expect our yandere for the day to be heavily inspired by Nine!

Yandere Butler name: Zero (get it? Cuz Nine's name is a number so I made our yandere's name Zero--)

notes (not really TW): slight nsfw, yandere is being used by reader, also, a bit of manipulation and breeding by the yandere (Since there is breeding, womb is present in reader.)

Zero had no qualms on making other people his priority.

He was made with that in mind, after all. Being a chimera, he was made by his creator to serve them and nothing more.

But, once Zero grew up to have a mind of his own, and having his own opinions, he was effectively kicked out of the lab. He begged and begged for his creator to take him back but to no avail.

"You were made to serve me unconditionally! But you dare question my experiments and the way I created you?! I'm your god! But you defied me, so scram!"

With a heavy heart and a lovely face filled with tears, he ran away.

He roamed the streets and promptly passed out on an alley.

Despite being a chimera, he was still built with human bodily functions. So the hunger, stress, thirst, and tiredness caught up to him.

When passerby's saw him, they turned a blind eye on him. Spitting on his body, rolling their eyes, ignoring them, or the worst of them all, pity him yet did absolutely nothing to help.

Maybe, this was his fate after all.

The punishment for going astray from his original role.

Until one day, a hand appeared in front of his face, offering him a safe place to stay.

It was you.

You were his savior, his grace, his god.

And he will do anything for you.

Anything.

Sobs can be heard from your room. It was so faint that only the keenest of ears can hear them if they strain it far enough.

You just got fooled by your fiancé, the prince, again. He called you to the palace to meet him, and you, being in love with him still, rushed to the palace with the best outfit you can wear.

But once you entered the sitting room, you saw him once more, making sweet, sweet love to a woman who wasn't you.

Ah, how many times did he do this again? Two? Three? Seven? Who counts anymore.

You were the foolish person who refused to let go of the prince and continued to torment his lover, deeming you the villain/ess in people's eyes for being opposed to "true love."

Is it really true love if it stemmed from adultery?

You always question yourself that. And it seems that even your own family is getting tired of your quick dropping reputation that's plummeting even faster than a meteorite.

You hate him. You hate him so much for making you love him. Your heart squeezes in pain as your short bursts of gasps of frustration filled your lethargic body as you continued to cry out to ease the dull ache in your soul.

You want revenge. You want him to eat shit. But how?

Zero knocked on the door. His hearing, being more advanced than a regular human, heard your sobs. He wanted to comfort you so bad, he wants to hug and kiss you, to make you forget the prince, to make you fall for him. He will not hurt you, so please give him a chance!

But Zero shook his head. "Presumptuous." He thought.

You opened your door, and Zero's heart squeezed also when he saw your tear stained face. He can see it in your eyes that you wanted revenge. You wanted to get back at the prince.

He gulped, nervousness eating him.

This is it. He can be of help to you.

He stepped forward, one, two. Then bent down to kiss your tears away. With a whisper on your ear that left shivers down your spine, his lovely and sultry voice suggested.

"Use me at your disposal, master. I am your one and only loyal servant, and I am willing to be your tool for your revenge."

His face lit up with love and lust as he saw your eyes sparking in curiousity.

"Yes, just use me." He grabbed your hand and pressed it to his warm, red cheeks. "You're my god, after all. I live to serve you."

"gah... huff... Ah..."

"Master... Hng... There, right... agh, there..."

Soft moans and gasps can be heard from the sitting room as two individuals engaged in what old conservative nobles would say, a sinful act.

"Rougher, master... Don't... Ah~ worry about... Me!"

Zero's voice can be heard, pleading his master, you, to take him more rougher and faster. You being on top of him, pressing down on his tall, lean, and muscular body that sweated with heat and speckled with bodily fluids, he looks so blissful and so euphoric.

You and Zero have been making rounds on the local gossip and tabloids. The noble y/n who's engaged to the prince has found a man? And it's their butler?!

Scandalous!

Outrageous!

But also, exciting!

Everyone loved the gossip. Everyone loved the drama. The prince had a lover, so why can't you?

People looked on the situation with keen and sharp eyes. They want more of this. Some suspected that this is all a ruse by you, the villain/ess of the prince's and his lover's relationship. They think you're faking your relationship with Zero!

But how can it be faked when you declined the prince's invitation to be his partner on the royal ball, and instead went with your hot butler? Some also saw both of you make out in the gardens!

How... SInful!

Yet people can't turn away!

And one of the people that can't turn away is the prince. He wants answers, now!

So he's running to your mansion and will demand answers.

But, what if he's the one to catch his own fiance/e making sweet, sweet love to their lover?

And what if, that lover, somehow manipulated the fiance/e into letting him breed a child in them?

Zero shakily touched your abdomen. It already has a slight bump on it as you continued to bounce on top of him. He grinned. His eyes dark, hazy, and full of obsession as he groaned from the pleasure. Your sounds of euphoric release also urged him to climax also inside of you once more.

"Yes, master." Zero said with a trembling voice, just coming down from his high. "I think, having this child between us will effectively make the prince finally end the engagement between you two."

Sweet, dumb you, only nodded with a shiver as you laid on top of him. You were totally convinced that this was the right choice and plan.

At first, you were apprehensive. After all, pregnancy? Isn't that too much? Also, he's a chimera. That's impossible.

But once you saw him experimenting on himself and applying alchemic practices on his own body to make the plan possible, you knew he would do anything to help you and serve you. So you agreed.

You got swayed that easily.

He smiled sweetly. His lovely and innocent face calmed you down as he kissed your forehead. Faint shouts can be heard from outside the sitting room and both of you readied to face the prince one last time.

Zero smirked under his breath.

After all, you were his god, his lover.

He will do anything to serve you.

He will do anything to have you.

[deuxcherise]

Lend a Hand

C/w: Unhealthy behavior, probably OOC Ayato Kamisato, yandere Ayato Kamisato, fem reader A/n: So like… The amount of times I burst out laughing at the imagery. Anyway, enjoy a little story about how our blue-haired gentleman attempts to hold your hand. Or rather, he wants you to hold his hand, out of your own accord. Some guest appearances here and there from other characters too. Just more yandere Ayato. Kind of a continuation from Cats vs Dogs.

Masterlist

If anyone were to ask the heir of the Kamisato clan the reason why he has a certain fondness for dogs, he could list off multiple reasons off the top of his head.

“Taroumaru. Hand.”

The dignified owner of the Komore Teahouse obeys the verbal command and rests one of his fluffy paws onto the waiting palm of the Kamisato heir. Had it been anyone lesser who had given the order, the retired Shiba warrior would have shown them exactly who they were messing with.

“Good,” Ayato complimented, shaking the dog’s paw gently before departing the tea house without another word, much to Taroumaru's curiosity.

A charming gentleman such as Ayato Kamisato generally has no problem getting people to follow his directions. Why would they, when they well know he always has their best interests in mind?

“Thoma.”

The Kamisato’s loyal housekeeper flinches and turns around, greeting Ayato with a nervous yet quick bow. Thoma then stands up straight and smiles brightly, looking less like a servant and more like a friend. “Yes, my Lord?”

Ayato places a hand out, palm up. “Hand.”

The two have an odd relationship, something you've noticed during your stay here in the Kamisato Estate. Sometimes, the idea of them being more than master and servant– perhaps even more than mere friends– has floated through your mind on multiple occasions upon witnessing the sight of them together. Yet, as with a lot of other things, you’d rather concern yourself with more important matters than what kind of relationship your husband has with others. So long as he doesn’t have any affairs, of course.

“Uh… Okay?”

Though hesitant, Thoma successfully places his hand on top of Ayato's palm. Like with Taroumaru, Ayato gives Thoma a small hand shake.

“Good,” the heir says before letting go of Thoma's hand and heading off in the opposite direction.

Thoma stares between his hand and Ayato's back before shrugging and going back to his cleaning duties. This isn't the first time Ayato has done something strange, after all. At least the young lord didn't force him to try some weird combination like last time… replacing the boba in milk tea with natto… Augh…

Dogs, with their unwavering loyalty and admirable obedience, tend to be quite upfront with their personalities. Their eyes are clear and their expressions are telling. Cats, on the other hand… 

Your husband finds you in the garden, halfway up the furthest wall, hands gripping tightly on the vines. You strain a bit as you reach for the next vine.

“(Y/n).”

You jolt and turn around, eyes wide. You quickly hop down and gather yourself, dusting off your clothes before standing up straight and clearing your throat. You give a slight bow, a polite greeting from wife to husband as if you hadn’t just tried to escape the estate grounds.

“Husband.”

Seldom do you pay attention to his face– because why would you need to?– but ever since your husband had annoyingly insisted on you utilizing his name in address whenever he calls out yours, you've started to notice how his ever-present smile paired with those scarily murky purple eyes tends to crack a bit whenever you refuse to do as he says.

Somehow, it tickles you in a strange way whenever you see these little chips in his perfectly polite expression. They remind you he’s human. And perhaps… you might have a little bit of fun testing his patience.

“(Y/n),” Ayato tilts his head. “You may use my name as you please.”

“Thank you. I am aware, Husband.”

Another crack. “Hm.”

Ayato examines you from head to toe. His eyes trail from your hair to your eyes to your mouth before jumping down to your outfit. Your outfit is that of Inazuman attire with a short sleeve and short skirt rather than the long dresses he normally sees you in. Your legs are covered with dark tights, for modesty. Following your unusual outfit, are shoes meant for running and climbing with long strides rather than walking around with small steps. While he adores the way you look in the yukatas and kimonos and other traditional garments, this current look certainly fits the hidden personality you still refuse to show your husband.

“How refreshing,” Ayato can’t help but comment. “Is there a special occasion for this attire of yours that I'm unaware of?”

You can’t help but cover an arm over your chest and cross the other over the lower half of your body. What a lecherous man! Just because I'm your wife doesn't mean you're allowed to rack your dirty eyes all over me. Hmph!

Doing your best to keep the grimace off your face and relaxing your arms, you answer, “Not at all, Husband.”

“Is that so? Then, may I inquire exactly what you were doing here at the furthest wall of the garden? And without an attendant, no less.”

You purse your lips, rummaging through your head for the right words to use in this situation... Ayato allows you a few moments to mull over your words. Will you lie to him? Will you tell him the truth?

You come to a conclusion that would benefit the both of you. You point up at the wall, your face covered with your perfected doll face. “I wanted to go outside.”

Ayato blinks at your frankness. “And you… were planning to climb the wall?”

“Yes.”

Why did you tell the truth? Well, you knew better than to lie to the heir of the Kamisato clan, one of the most prestigious families in Inazuma with connections you couldn't dare imagine. The Holy Dogs may be strong in their own right, but they are simply a branch under the family. Not to mention, this course of action is in line with your obedient image.

Despite your neutral face, Ayato can spy the glint of rebellion in your eyes. Was your answer a challenge? To prompt him to do something? Oh my… How cute.

Much to your surprise, your keen eyes watch the edges of his polite smile curl just a little more upwards and his lips part just the slightest whisper as if he’s barely keeping himself from grinning and showing off his fangs. It sets the hairs of your skin straight up, forcing you to retreat.

“I, um, realize the error of my ways,” you stutter, giving another bow. “I shall head back inside. Please forgive me, Husband. It won’t happen again.”

Stupid! Why am I apologizing to him of all people!? It’s because of him I’ve been stuck inside! If it weren’t for the Elders, I’d- Hmph! Why is he so scary??

With your eyes on the grass, you barely make it past him with a couple of steps when he says, “Hold on for just one moment, dear wife.”

You freeze in your tracks. “Y-yes, Husband?”

He hums. “I shall forgive you and forget what I’ve just seen-

You internally give a sigh of relief. Prematurely.

“-if… you call me by name from now on, (Y/n).”

You twist around and look at him horrified. The moment you meet his eyes, you remember to hide your expression behind your doll face. “Is… is that necessary, Husband?”

Ayato places a hand over the bottom half of his face, posing like a thinker, but really he’s hiding the almost toothy grin behind his sleeve. His eyelids lower, almost looking at you like a hunter who has gotten ahold of his prey.

Although… is it not exactly so?

“If not, well,” he says, looking off to the side in a wondering manner, his tone playful. “I suppose the Elders may have a field day knowing my wife has a tendency to escape? Or that she doesn’t feel the need to inform her servants due to… perhaps the inadequacy of the servants of the Kamisato clan?”

You stiffen and gulp. How dare you!? You want to scream at him, but alas you must keep your obedient image. This is nothing, you begin to convince yourself. There are certainly worse things a husband can blackmail his wife to do.

You clear your throat. “T-thank you, Hus–... Mm… Ay… Ayato.”

You quickly bow and head back inside the house in a hurry.

“Good,” he compliments in a whisper you can't hear. You cannot see his expression from where you are but his face has completely cracked. His teeth are fully on display and his eyes filled with ecstasy as the sound of your voice speaking his name rewinds over and over in his head..

So a cat can certainly be trained… given the right circumstances. Hm…

-----

You take a deep breath, filling your lungs with the delightful smells of various kinds of foods lining up the streets.

You turn towards your companion with an excited expression, only to remember that your companion is the heir to the Kamisato clan, your husband, and that you are merely his wife, a bride from one of the branches of the Holy Dogs that lie beneath the clan, brought together by artificial ties rather than something romantic like fate. You throw back up your mask and say, “Thank you for bringing me out here, Hu… Ayato.”

Strangely, his smile cracks a bit. “Of course, (Y/n).”

“A-YA-TOOO. WHAT UP, BROOO?”

Like a bull crashing through a glass, a boisterous man with long white hair accompanied by two red horns on his head suddenly appears in front of you both. His grin shows off his fangs. His outfit exposes a very large part of his chest, which makes some heat travel up to your cheeks.

“O-oni?” you squeak, connecting the dots between the horns, the fangs, and the red markings all over the exposed parts of the man’s body. Your eyes find it hard to rest anywhere on the man’s entire being but somehow they refuse to look at anything else.

“Itto,” Ayato greets warmly. He steps in front of you, almost covering your line of sight with his back. The blue of his uniform settles your nerves and mind, thus allowing your irritation to return with how this simple act of his could calm you down. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, thank you oh so very much. Say, who’s the girl with you, bro? Haven’t seen her around before,” Itto says, shifting side to side trying to get a good look at the pretty lady behind Ayato.

Ayato steps aside and shows you off, with an arm hovering around your backside. “Itto, this is my wife, (Y/n). (Y/n), this is–”

“WHAT!?  I didn’t know you were married, bro! Since when!?” Itto doesn’t wait for an answer, instead holding a hand right out to you. “Nice to meet ya, (Y/n)! I’m Itto Arataki, or Arataki Itto, whatever’s more convenient for ya. The one and oni– only head of the Arataki gang! The Oni Sumo King! The Pride of Oni! The-”

“I believe my wife gets the idea,” Ayato cuts in.

“Uh… uh huh,” you manage to utter, bamboozled for a moment. You take Itto’s waiting hand and give it a hardy shake, as much as you can with your human strength. “N-nice to meet you, um, Mr. Arataki!”

“Mr. Ara-taki? Huh. As good as that sounds… you can just call me Itto! Or bro! A bro of my bro is a bro of mine too.”

His sparkling eyes prompt a response from you. “Um, alright, Itto,” you politely respond.

CrAacKk.

Upon audibly hearing a crack, you examine your surroundings but find nothing out of place in this bustling crowd. No broken vases or whips or anything of the sort that could produce such a sound. That’s strange… Was it your imagination? Maybe you’ve stayed inside for way too long… Good thing you’re out here then! A member of the Holy Dogs shouldn’t be losing her touch, after all.

“Now that we’ve exchanged introductions, I believe we must depart. Pardon us,” Ayato says with a strained voice, wrapping an arm around your waist and turning around to head towards another direction.

“Huh? Wait a second–” Itto says, but his voice gets easily drowned out.

With the bustle and largeness of the crowd on this street, you and Ayato are quickly walled off from Ayato’s friend as he leads you away before you could utter a word. Once you realize the proximity of your bodies, your cheeks start to heat up and you quickly make larger strides with your footsteps to escape his half embrace. He does nothing to stop you, content with walking behind you just a step or two in distance.

Why is he walking behind me? That's so weird! You think as you huff and puff, arms crossed as you speed towards a bridge. Ugh! Why is my husband so weird? Shouldn't he insist I walk behind him? That's the custom, isn't it? Wait a second… Is he letting me make mistakes on purpose? 

You stop and turn towards him with a neutral face. He stops and looks at you with a tilted head, curious. He looks so innocent…

What a bastard! You think, before you continue and walk on the wooden planks of the bridge.

CrAcK!

“!” One of your feet accidentally goes through a hidden soft spot, much to your horror. Terrified, you turn towards your husband, the only one in sight, and open your mouth–

Wait a second. I am a daughter of the Holy Dogs! What the hell am I doing!? I am (Y/n) Kamisato, not some damsel in distress. I must've grown soft! I don't need anyone's help!

You opt not to make a single peep. Fallen on the ground on your hands and knees, you place your hands on the surrounding wood to pull your leg up– only to hear more cracks of the wooden bridge and a sudden drop of your leg further through the hole your foot is stuck in. Any more movement and you risk destroying the rest of the bridge and dropping entirely into the water a kilometer below. You grit your teeth in frustration as you try to figure out how to get yourself out of this mess.

Your husband quickly closes the distance between you two, concern marring his face. “(Y/n),” he says, holding a hand out for you. “Take my–”

Don't get any closer!” you snap. “I just… I just need a moment.”

CrAcK!

Your foot falls in deeper, now taking your entire leg. The surrounding wooden planks feel moist, wet even, much to your discomfort. This is one of the newly refurbished bridges, so surely it must be the fault of heavy rain that came by a few days ago, along with a lack of proper lacquering.

“(Y/n), please take my hand before you fall into the river.”

You shake your head, placing your hands on other places and attempt to pull yourself up. “No. I can–”

CrAaaaaCK...

You close your eyes and inhale sharply before glaring at his outstretched hand. It is covered in a black satin glove, his fingers long and slender. There is a certain tension of the tendons from where his half-exposed palm meets his wrist just before the rest of the arm is covered by his sleeve, exposing the fruit of wielding the sacred sword thousands of times.

For a moment– just for a moment– a image of this one hand holding both of your wrists together enters your mind.

Disgusted at yourself for such an inappropriate thought at such an inappropriate time, you quickly shake your head to rid yourself of the image. This gets interpreted by your husband as a refusal.

“(Y/n).”

A glance up at his face, sends your eyes back to his hand. His smile is no longer present, his lips pursed in a frown. His eyebrows are level but the inner edges are slightly downward. His eyes… they… frighten you. Or rather… they do something to you that doesn't feel very appropriate for this dire situation you're currently stuck in. Did he have to deepen his voice in such a strained manner? What are you? A disobedient puppy?

You reluctantly take his hand and he whisks you right out with little to no strength into a princess carry. “Whoa!”

Ayato walks off the bridge onto solid ground before you could comprehend what just happened. Looking back, you find the bridge intact, the wooden planks outside of the immediate area of the hole you dropped in quite dry. Physics wasn't exactly high on the list of things the Elders focused on educating, bogged down by subjects like flower arranging or bridal duties, but you were sure water is weighted down by gravity just like any other element.

Why would water collect at the apex of a bridge rather than the lower sides…?

A sigh of relief exits your husband, his chest pressing against you, stealing your attention again.

“I believe it's time we head back inside, shall we?”

You nod, too tired from the excitement of today and allowing yourself to absorb the feeling of him holding you, along with the steady sound of your heartbeat in your ears. “Thank you… Ayato.”

-----

There are common sayings about cats Ayato has heard about. Things like cats like to drink milk, cats are good at hunting mice, cats don't like water, cats tend to land on their feet, etc.

One notable contrast between a dog and a cat is that a trained dog may listen to a command and stay in one place for the rest of its life, whereas a trained cat– if it is possible to train one– will still yield to no one but itself and continue to wander as it pleases.

You reach for another vine.

“(Y/n).”

You grab the vine and give a defeated sigh. Without turning your head, you respond, “Ayato.”

“Shall I inquire about your current action?”

“Is it necessary when you already know?”

Ayato hums, entertained by the sight of you hugging the wall like a kitten stuck in a net in your short attire. A very cute sight, yes, but one he wishes was a little less… frequent. “If you wanted to go outside, you only needed to ask me.”

You suck in your cheeks and pucker your lips. “What if I… wanted to go outside by myself? Without you, for once?” you test.

Ayato's eyes darken and the edges of his mouth level out into a neutral position, neither smiling or frowning.

Without him, you say? Forgive your husband, but the idea of letting you out of the safety of the estate grounds without him or an attendant… where there are far too many factors that would get in the way… like other men…

“It is far too dangerous outside, (Y/n). Especially for a bride of the Kamisato clan. At least take an attendant with you.”

“... I don’t want an attendant either.”

The first time Ayato had caught you was not the first time you had made an escape attempt. It was simply one of the many, many, many failed attempts you had made, though none have ever had any witnesses. At least, to your knowledge. In making sure your image of an obedient wife had been kept, you've sabotaged yourself before any passing servant could see you.

That being said, your husband has hidden eyes everywhere. And he simply finally made his presence known to you during your attempts to climb over the wall.

“Hm. My dear wife said it won't happen again and yet… here she is. What will the Elders say, I wonder?”

You click your tongue. How dare your husband threaten you with the Elders again!?

“Come down and all will be forgiven.”

You let out another sigh. “... Okay.”

You hop down and gather yourself, placing the doll face back on only for your eyes to widen at the sight of your husband's terrifying murky purple eyes pulsating with something vile. His smile looks strained, and you can't tell if he's trying to keep his smile polite or if he's trying to keep from frowning.

“A-Ayato?” you peep.

The sound of his name from your lips seems to snap him out of his stupor, the darkness of his expression swallowed up and returned to its usual relaxed politeness. He holds out a hand towards you to guide you in.

“(Y/n)~”

Seeing as you're not in some dire situation like that time with the bridge, you look at his hand and consider taking it since there's certainly no harm to your ego in doing so. A simple interaction between a polite husband and an obedient wife, that's all.

Only for that inappropriate image regarding his hand and your wrists to pop up in your head. making your cheeks burn and your heartbeat suddenly quite audible.

Suddenly, you run into the house, sliding the door open and close in less than a blink of the eye. You place your back against the door and slide your way down, breathing in and out to try to calm yourself and think of other things, like making rice wine or folding origami. To think you'd think about your husband in such a manner! Inconceivable!

Ayato, fazed by your sudden departure, slowly turns towards where you disappear into. He blinks. He blinks again. His open hand slowly closes into a fist. His ever-present smile fully cracks and the vileness of his eyes return in full blast.

“Bad,” he whispers.

Ayato Kamisato is not the kind of person who expects everyone to follow his commands, nor is he the type to expect everyone to want to hold his hand. He is a dignified gentlemen who would never lay his hands on anyone. Why would he need to in the first place, when he is the heir of the prestigious Kamisato clan?

But he's used to the mannerisms of loyal and obedient dogs, not aloof and fickle cats. Not like you.

One that puffs up and hisses at him if he gets too close, and wants nothing more than to run back outside. Is being with him that unbearable? Is there somewhere outside you need to be without him or an attendant? Why? Is there perhaps… someone? Someone his hidden eyes had somehow managed to overlook?

As far as he knows, all female friends and both male and female cousins of yours are allowed on the Kamisato Estate so you needn't go outside. An unrelated man then? Itto? No, you've just met, despite how easily you said his name. Another man then? Impossible… Unless… ?

Well, if you’re going to be prone to running away like some stray female cat in heat, should he just… tie you up and make sure your legs can't move for awhile?

Ayato scoffs at himself. No. Not yet.

Oh well, he'll just have to be patient. He was able to blackmail you into calling him by his name, and now look at you~ No longer stuttering~

Not to mention, you let him hold you all the way from the bridge to home without any complaints and refusals. It is certainly progress, especially with how you've begun to respond to him more organically lately.

For now, he'll just have to work on getting you to hold his hand out of your own accord. Maybe he should facilitate a situation for that to happen just like the bridge…

It certainly helps being a hydro user… Cats really don't like water, do they?

[tenjikyu]

𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘪𝘥 - 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤

౨ৎ ⋆｡˚ gn!reader , reader is biologically related to izana , reader is 15 years old , reader has a family complex (wants to make the perfect family) kakucho is aged up to nineteen in this (i REFUSE to believe he’s fourteen, and he is NOT aged up for sexual reasons, only for peace of mind.)

౨ৎ ⋆｡˚ SPOILERS FOR TOKYO REV - S3 - TENJUKU ARC

❤︎ at the ripe old age of 15, you had already become one of the most respected members of one of the most dangerous gangs around.

❤︎ not only were you insane with your fists, you were a master with using weapons such as bats and longer tools, effectively making them extensions of your own body. there’s only one person you have to thank for all of your insane talent and agility.

❤︎ your big brother, izana kurokawa.

❤︎ while izana is more agile and quick with kicks and hits, easily outdoing his brother manjiro sano, he utilised his knowledge and whacked it into your skull at a young age, intent on having you able to defend yourself should you need it.

❤︎ growing up in the orphanage wasn’t easy, but your big brother and his servant (who you deemed your 2nd big brother, much to the distaste of izana, but he got over it eventually) made it a smidge easier.

❤︎ eventually, a man by the name of shinichiro sano came into your lives, claiming to be your big brother. at this stage, izana was 8, kakucho was 9 and you were 5 years old.

❤︎ of course, izana instantly attached himself to shinichiro, seemingly getting the big brother he had always craved.

❤︎ you also liked shinichiro, you went on walks with the two constantly and he spoke to you about the two of yours half little sister, emma.

❤︎ this went on until izana was 14, when he found out that shinichiro had been lying this entire time. that’s the day that you lost a few of your screws.

❤︎ the betrayal you felt was not that of izana’s, but the pure heartbreak of seeing your brother loose the thing he craved in life so much. from that day forward, your 10 year old mind was made up.

❤︎ if you couldn’t have blood family, you would simply build your own.

❤︎ and when izana formed tenjuku, you seemed all of the members, old and new, out like a dog.

❤︎ you examined every delinquent around you, pondering how good of a brother they would make, big or small.

❤︎ the entirety of tenjuku knew to never question you. not when you came back with blood mixed in your hair, not when you came back smelling of tequila, not when you came back sobbing and begging for your big brother, knocking anybody else out who tried to console you.

❤︎ izana’s word was law and by extension yours was too. izana rarely left you alone and whenever you had to run an errand without him, if you didn’t have kakucho to follow you around then he would throw a huge fit, screaming about how you’re going away.

❤︎ you hated seeing your big brother in such a horrid state, and with issues of abandonment of your own, you also hated not being by his side. the both of you shared everything, and any moment spent apart felt like agony and fear.

❤︎ of course, izana did give you freedom, he’s not fully whack after all, his allowance of you leaving his side is very.. selective.

❤︎ the 4 most trusted with you are as followed:

❤︎ kakucho, your 2nd big brother and his most loyal follower. if anything where to happen to izana then you’d be left in kakucho’s care.

❤︎ 2nd is kokonoi. while he may be relatively new and was brought here by force, he can see the treasurers mind slowly fork into how he had wanted it, therefore making him loyal, not to mention the two of you are the same age and get along quite well.

❤︎ shared third and fourth place are the haitani brothers. they’re fellow siblings who share overprotective tendencies and also work side by side, so he trusts them enough if the previous two aren’t available. you also get along well enough with ran, and pretty well with rindou.

❤︎ when izana eventually forms a plan to kill emma sano, your originally believed-to-be little sister, it was your word that saved her life. you told izana that you didn’t want her to die, how you wanted to keep her for the family you were trying oh-so-hard to build for him. it only took a few words and some teary eyes before the plan was completely discarded without negotiations.

❤︎ izana could never bring you to tears, and today was not going to be the day he broke that promise to himself. kisaki was pissed at you, however he knew he couldn’t do a thing about it. and so, he kept quiet…

❤︎ until he found the perfect time to strike back.

❤︎ the battle of tenjuku vs toman was lead by manjiro sano, as he wasn’t mourning his sister. he was more concerned, however you assured izana that victory would still come to the both of you.

❤︎ you had izana, and izana had you.

❤︎ that’s all that mattered once izana finally met with mikey.

❤︎ the face off between the two brothers, manjiro sano and izana kurokawa was in full swing. instead of mourning and loss, manjiro had determination in his eyes. he vowed to himself that he would bring his two lost siblings back home with him.

❤︎ fighting commenced, arguments broke out, there was nothing but yelling and screaming.

❤︎ as the punches and kicks continued to fly, the two boys gave eachother the appearance of death. they were sore, bloody and you wanted nothing more than to support your big brother, however you stayed up high, doing as izana commanded.

❤︎ it was only when izana broke the ice to mikey, giving him an opening, that you finally had your presence known.

“IZANA DON’T DO IT” your screeches were held by the entire battlefield. you were dressed in a long black hoodie (yk the one senju wears? yeah one like that) and had your legs poking out of it, designed in mind of your safety and concealment.

you raced down towards the brothers, affectingly blocking the two off from eachother.

“big brother, let’s hear him out”. you whisper, afraid of what izana might consider this as. would he see you as a betrayal? would he disown you? would he throw a fit and strike you?

no, izana put his hands down. he walked over gently towards you, and held you in his arms.

he heard out mikey, listening to his speech on how despite their lack of blood, the fact is shinichiro decided to take him in and therefore are family.

❤︎ because of you, i firmly believe that izana would not be as batshit as he canonically is. i think his brotherly instincts would kick in and his sanity is stronger then it originally was. because of this, izana is more open to welcoming manjiro into his heart. in his head he thinks that maybe, just maybe…

❤︎ taking his frustrations with shinichiro out on mikey isn’t the right course of action.

❤︎ and as that thought is processed through his head, the sound of a gunshot can be heard ricocheting through the hair.

❤︎ it strikes not izana, not manjiro, not you…

.

. .

❤︎ it strikes kakucho right between his ribs.(please someone get this reference)

❤︎ yours and izana’s horrified screeches are heard throughout the entire arena. tears were welling up into your eyes as you hid yourself into izana more.

“KAKUCHO NO!” izana’s throat hoarsed out from all of the screaming, holding onto his servant brother tightly, cradling him in his arms.”

you feel your own body being grasped, however it wasn’t izana. no, mikey held you into his chest and silently cried, looking at kisaki with a glare so sharp it could cut him clean.

just when mikey thought he had finally completed his mission, kisaki once more ruined EVERYTHING.

kisaki goes onto his speech about how nothing goes his way, and how takemichi was a repetitive flaw in his plans and was nothing but a nuisance. he finished the speech by saying this:

“(y/n), you’ve been a nuisance since the beginning. if it wasn’t for you, emma would be dead and manjiro sano would’ve been MINE to mold, my perfect manjiro. i refuse to acce-“

before he’s swiftly knocked in the head by an oh-so farmilliar baton.

“the day we allow you to lay a finger on that kid is the day we’re dead”. ran scorched, his eyes burning with hatred. like that, the higher ups of tenjuku, as well as takemichi and draken, chased kisaki into the streets, where his life would soon cease to exist.

you stay with your two brothers, cradling kakucho as the life left his eyes. you always loved kakucho’s eyes, you thought they were the most mesmerising thing to look at. they were the eyes of your big brother, the one who swore to bash in anyone who dared wrong you.

as kakucho’s last breath was taken, he held your hand on one, with izana’s hand in the other.

only then, could you finally register the return of the tenjuku members, as well as the sound of the police force and an ambulance on the way.

dragging you away from kakucho’s deceased corpse was one of the hardest things izana had ever done, but with the help of his new little brother, mikey was safely able to relocate the two of you back at the sano household.

❤︎ the funeral was 4 days after his body was found, and his ashes were buried into the grave of the sano’s. mikey himself insisted that your family was his, and since he had no remaining family to claim his ashes, he would take them into their family grave.

❤︎ that was the moment izana accepted mikey as his little brother.

❤︎ after kakucho’s passing, it took a long time for things to get back to normal. emma welcomed the two of you in with open arms, missing the two of you dearly. she sobbed for three hours straight before she knocked herself out, promptly put into her bed by you.

❤︎ it turns out, the two of you fit in with your siblings quite well! since emma didn’t die in this timeline, mikey is still as joyful as he was before the battle. he would tease you and izana, surprise hug you and beg izana to go riding with him.

❤︎ emma loved having her two brothers back as well, she loves practising different makeup styles on your face, as well as teaching izana how to cook!

❤︎ kokonoi and inui had also rekindled their friendship, and welcomed you with open arms! nowadays, the three of you are a (WORKING) trio, as well as making friends with many different members of toman.

❤︎ izana also made peace with toman, and was welcomed with open arms. he is often seen with chifuyu reading manga together! (you tease him for it but love how he’s found a passion, as well as a buddy to share it with.) (chifuyu also called izana “brother” once and izana burst into tears bc he thought it was adorable. chifuyu is now promptly invited to the sano/kurokawa dinners)

❤︎ of course, the two of you are still rarely apart. you shared a bedroom for the first month of living with your family before finally moving into a bedroom of your own.

❤︎ on izana’s 19th birthday, a year after joining with the sano’s, you gifted him a baby picture of the three of you at the orphanage you had managed to dig up. he didn’t let you go for the rest of his birthday.

❤︎ you visit kakucho at least once a week with your brothers and sister, as well as bringing snacks and insence to light. these moments are your favourite, as they aren’t spent in mourning.

❤︎ they’re spent with your entire family, laughing, chatting and updating kakucho on big news.

❤︎ time spent with YOUR found family ♡.

[abybweisse]

Ch209, Spoilers part two

⚠️ updated text ⚠️

Then we are back to what just recently happened -- Doll and Finny fighting over who's the enemy and who's the friend.

He's got all these opposing ideas in his head about who killed whom and why... and was it deserved... and why was he offered these chances? Those sorts of thoughts, though I know there's stuff missing in the quick translations by @bitterbutlr , but that's the gist of it.

Even Sebastian pointing out our earl's bad table manners at Lau's place is a fond memory for Snake, at least sort of. It is a time of determination, to not just step aside to his young master's older twin, who has usurped what our earl has gained.

Then the memories turn into cinematic records, as all these flashbacks were just Snake's life flashing before his eyes.

We don't even learn about the mysterious place he thinks he's from. I'm wondering if that information came from some of the snakes and doesn't actually apply to him.

He apparently was human (at least partly), born to a human named Sarah Campbell (or a similar name). She was an actress. This also comes from @bitterbutlr and maybe one other person on Discord.) The NEW! reaper notes nothing worth adding, and then there's the tamping sound of the "COMPLETED" stamp.

What I don't get is why this reaper looks at Doll holding Snake's body and doesn't think there's anything else to note. Ronald once said he couldn't tell who was the bizarre doll -- Ada or Layla -- without checking their records or catching them in the act of behaving like the first bizarre dolls they saw (on the ship). He needed to see Layla attack Baldo before he knew for sure it was her.

So... is this reaper going to leave the scene without confronting Doll? Doll doesn't look normal at this point... but perhaps this reaper just plans to stick to the basics...? William says it's all just a formality anyway, right? 🤔 🤨

If so, that really leaves it open for her to ask Undertaker to make a bizarre doll out of Snake.

He has a lot of memories about what he wanted in life -- mostly to find a family to belong to, where he can live in harmony with them. However, he also has memories where he's specifically and severely angry with "Smile" and "Black" and wants revenge on them. Undertaker could cherry pick the right memories to serve as episodes that make Snake loyal to real Ciel, or at least to Doll. If that happens, we might see Sebastian destroy Snake anyway, just like he warns about in ch51... for any Phantomhive servant who turns against their young master....

[opencommunion]

"While the North American colonists identified with the chosen people who sailed across the Atlantic to conquer the promised land, to be wrested from its unauthorized inhabitants and cleansed of their presence, the Latin American revolutionaries, in the wake of their argument with Spain, tended to denounce the genocidal practices of the conquistadores, Spanish in particular and European in general. Here too the road had been indicated by the black slaves of San Domingo who, after having broken with Napoleonic France and defeated its attempts to re-conquer it and reintroduce slavery, had assumed the Indian name of Haiti. ... Thanks to the politico-social homogeneity (strengthened by the availability of land and westward expansion) of its dominant class, and thanks also to the confinement of much of the ‘dangerous classes’ in slavery, the North American republic soon succeeded in achieving a stable structure. It took the form of a ‘master race democracy’ and a racial state, based on the rule of law within the white community and among the chosen people. The situation in Latin America was very different: between liberal beginnings and radical outcomes, the revolution had mobilized a front stamped with profound social and ethnic contradictions. Thus two contrasting ideas of liberty confronted one another: one calls to mind the English gentleman determined to dispose freely of his servants; the other ultimately refers to the struggle that had put an end to black slavery in San Domingo-Haiti.

Around 1830 the American continent presented a rather telling picture. While it had disappeared in a considerable part of Latin America, slavery remained in force in the European colonies, including British and Dutch ones, and above all in the United States. We can say that from the slave revolution onwards there developed a pent up confrontation, a kind of cold war, between San Domingo and the United States. On one side, we have a country that saw ex-slaves in power, authors of a revolution that was possibly unique in world history; on the other, a country almost always led in the early decades of its existence by slave owning presidents. ... Once the new revolutionary power had consolidated itself, it was a constant concern of the United States, where not a few ex-colonists took refuge, to overthrow or at least isolate it through a cordon sanitaire. It would be dangerous, observed Jefferson in 1799, to enter into commercial relations with San Domingo. That would result in ‘black crews’ disembarking in the United States, and these emancipated slaves could represent ‘combustion’ for the slaveholding South. On the basis of such concerns, South Carolina banned the entry into its territory of any ‘man of colour’ from San Domingo or any of the other French islands, which might in some way have been infected by the new, dangerous ideas of liberty and racial equality. Regardless of commercial exchanges, stressed influential political figures in the North American republic, by its very example the island risked challenging the institution of slavery far beyond its borders. ... Only after the end of the Civil War did the United States agree to open diplomatic relations with Haiti. But it was a move bereft of any warmth, and in fact functional for a project of ethnic cleansing. The idea, also entertained by Lincoln, of depositing on the island of black power the ex-slaves, who were to be deported from the republic that continued to be inspired by the principle of white supremacy and purity, had not yet been abandoned.

Hence a distinguished historian of slavery has appropriately warned against the tendency ‘to confuse liberal principles with antislavery commitment.’ ... Lincoln himself initially conducted the Civil War as a crusade against rebellion and separatism, not for the abolition of slavery, which could continue to survive in states loyal to central government. It was only later, with the recruitment of blacks into the Union army and hence with the direct intervention of slaves and ex-slaves in the conflict, that the civil war between whites was transformed into a revolution, conducted partly from above and partly from below, making the abolition of slavery inevitable." Domenico Losurdo, Liberalism: A Counter-History, trans. Gregory Elliot (2011)