#all hail Armin cloud

[father-time-and-baby-new-year]

Yandere Armin headcannons????

title: reluctant hero

a/n: ik this was just supposed to be hc's but it's a little heavier :o wc: 700

tw: dark content, yandere!armin, noncon drug abuse, power dynamics, infantilization, dubcon, inconsistent capitalization, angst

Armin knows firsthand how cruel the world can be, so why don't you understand everything he does is out of a desire to protect you?

He's smart. Sharper than a blade, and over the years he's mastered the art of reading and manipulating people too. He's good at sympathizing with people's causes, making people believe he cares about the same things they did.

You remind him of him. A younger version of him. An untainted version of him when he just wanted to explore the world, see the deepest oceans, icy meadows, and rolling deserts.

But he doesn't really care for all that anymore. Because the world is cruel.

He's past the point of return of caring whether he's doing the right thing or not. Because after all, what is right? His best friend believes freedom is the greatest goal worth fighting for. The only thing worth fighting for.

Sometimes, the blond is inclined to agree.

Of course, he'll still act like the voice of reason, he'll pretend to have morals and beliefs that prioritize the well-being of everyone.

But he just can't compromise on you

You're kind. Trusting. Survival instincts have been dulled by false confidence. He could always get you sloppy drunk, take you to his house, and just kidnap you like this.

But that's not elegant at all. Armin isn't hailed as brilliant for nothing so he does what he does best, sympathizes, and cares. Becomes your best friend. Slowly isolates you from your friends and family by showering you in love and attention. He's aware of your insecurities and he doesn't attempt to get rid of them as much as he uses them to his advantage.

Yandere!Armin prioritizes you. And the selfish parts of him want you to love him in the same fervor, want your eyes to see nothing but him, want you to only speak his name and hear only him.

But he's a patient man, and he'll love you even if you keep fighting. Still, there is a method behind his madness.

He didn't enjoy his trips around the world as much as he thought, not when war was the objective and purpose, but thank Ymir for the new medicinal research. More specifically, sedatives.

He wants to lessen your pain too, and if your head's in oxy-induced clouds, that's fine because you seem so happy. Maybe you're like Pavlov's dog, conditioned to love him because he's the one filling you up with pretty pills and syringe fluids. Conditioned into addiction for the man who gave you addiction.

but maybe that addiction you feel is just the slightest fragment of what he feels. because armin? he has nothing left. nothing. dead friends and a family who perished at the peak of boyhood. it's more than dependence, you're his lifeline.

he has to wake up and you have to be the first thing he sees. at first, it starts out with small tasks, but then he's feeding you all your meals. you used to need to get his permission to use the bathroom but now he'll go with you.

there are just no boundaries left to shatter.

this isn't even a relationship anymore. maybe it never was but at least it used to be the mockery of one. there isn't even room to pretend when armin grows more frenzied by the day. maybe it's because you were developing a tolerance because you feel more aware but it's never to warrant a fight from your end.

dolly and master. you're the pretty doll he dresses up, the pretty doll he kisses and coaxes moans out of you. sometimes it's hard to hate the person who gives you so much pleasure, who worships your body and treats your slick like honey. armin swears he only finds respite in between your legs.

you used to want to escape. you begged to leave.

but what falls from sky isn't snow, it's ash. sometimes the picture frames and teacups shake, not from earthquakes but bombs. if you left, what is there to return to?

there is a war raging outside of your house, and war inside of the house you live in. you choose the one you can survive in.

taglist: @forwardpair @cinnamon-n-roses, @candy-hime

ko-fi

[ao3bronte]

Obey

0 | 1 | 2

Warnings: Characters are aged up but still drinking underage (legal drinking age is 18 in France). Wild parties, hypnosis and NSFW themes will ensue.

It's barely a few strokes past midnight, but between the Armin Van Buren thumping through the walls of the houseboat and the alcohol coursing through her veins, Marinette can't tell whether she's coming or going. It's unusual for her to actually let herself go, even if her intentions had been entirely pure before the night began; unlike her friends who partied regularly every weekend, Marinette rarely ventured further than her bedsheets on a Friday night in case of an akuma strike.

But tonight was different.

Luka had just scored a record deal with the same label that represented Jagged Stone and Juleka was hosting a celebration party in his honour on their houseboat. This was huge news, especially for her friend and former flame, and Marinette was thrilled to support him. She'd spearheaded the effort by bringing him a guitar shaped cake and caved when Mylène offered her a shot of caramel apple flavoured vodka during their celebratory toast. After all, if she could handle half a dozen kwamis leaching off her energy, certainly she could certainly handle a shot of alcohol without falling on her ass, right?

Famous last words.

While her friends had garnered a certain level of alcohol tolerance over the last few years of raging lycéen house parties, Marinette had always been the DD, the group Mom, the one who would call her friends an Uber and send them on their way with a bottle of water and a pat on the head. Building up an alcohol tolerance was hardly something Marinette even considered simply because drinking wasn't an option when she was a superhero and her friends accepted the fact that she didn't drink, especially since she was nearly a year behind them in age. It was normal, until Mylène offered her a toast and emboldened, she scarfed it down with nary a care in the world.

Choking and coughing as the fire water burned a trail down her throat, Marinette braced herself against the ship’s deck and grimaced while Alya thumped her on the back. She blinked the tears from her eyes and gasped for air as her friends eventually took pity on her, offering her a glass of water which she gladly gulped down to try and extinguish the burn. Why did anyone willingly drink this stuff? It hurt! 

“Trust me, you’ll understand why in a few minutes,” Alya assured her, taking the empty glass of water from her hands, “You just started off with the hard stuff. Hey Juleka, did you guys make any Jungle Juice?”

“Did I make any Jungle Juice...pfft,” Juleka parrots incredulously, rolling her eyes from behind her bangs, “Luka, grab the coolers from the galley!”

She felt a little more at ease by the time Juleka topped up her second helping of their infamous "Jungle Juice", a boozy, colourful concoction that no one really knew the recipe to. Usually, the Couffaines would charge a few Euros per person for access to the house drink but their friends hadn’t even blinked an eyelash when Juleka had given Marinette a stamp on her hand and a drink for free. This was their tiny, alcohol virgin Marinette after all; everyone knew that one red cup of Jungle Juice was all it would take before she passed out on Juleka's bed for the rest of the evening.

Except, one hour and a hundred new guests later, Marinette was still bouncing off the walls with the best of them.

The beat is addictive and Marinette moves her hips to the mesmerising tones, the rhythm of the bass pulsing in time with her heartbeat as she takes another sip of the mysterious purple concoction in her solo cup. She drops it low and whoops as Rose dances alongside her, their thighs grinding together as they giggle at the intimacy of it all. Is this what she'd been missing out on all this time as the sober sister? She felt so free! There was no responsibility here, no homework or crime fighting to keep her down. It felt strange, being herself like this without the looming sense of foreboding lingering over her head, as it often did, especially when she was alone at night. 

“This is awesome!” Marinette cries above the music, giddy as Rose takes her free hand and weaves their fingers together. Her body feels lighter than it has in years, but she still feels enough like herself to keep her wits about her; when Aurore had warned her about the creepy boy pressuring a girl from their grade to dance with him, Marinette had approached Juleka about it and he was thrown out of the party on his ass within minutes! Marinette could handle a little alcohol after all and she was puffed up and proud of herself for being able to keep her head above water, so to speak, even if she'd lost feeling in her fingers and cheeks long ago.

Closer to midnight, Adrien and Kagami strolled across the gangway and the whole party seemed to pause and soak in the moment, nearly bursting with joy at the sight of them. Adrien and Kagami were never allowed to come to their ragers and Alya confirms Marinette’s suspicions straight away as she walks over and outright asks them how the hell they managed to get away from their helicopter parents. Elated, Adrien waves his hands around as he describes how he snuck out of his bedroom window and met up with Kagami in some stranger’s back garden, the latter having snuck out the same way. Together, they hailed a cab over to the Couffaine houseboat, choosing cash over a traceable Uber, and Marinette admired their forethought; if only she were as clever and organised as Kagami and Adrien...maybe she would have already defeated Le Papillon long ago!

"Ooo! I love this song!" Rose cheers, dragging Marinette out of her thoughts and deeper into the throngs of dancing bodies grinding against each other to the beat of Sofi Tukker's latest hit. Distracted by the music, she feels far from claustrophobic; if anything, she loves the way the crowd hugs her body, the heat and the pressure and the sensations nudging her even further into a state of trance unlike any she's ever encountered before. Her heart and lungs tune themselves to the bass line of CamelPhat, the synthesized vocals of Martin Garrix, the wayback playbacks of Tiësto and Marinette's soul seems to dilate to the rhythm of pure, floor-thumping dance music, lost in a drunken flurry of an almost voyeuristic escapade set at 125 BPM.

She runs into Adrien eventually, and Kagami shortly thereafter. He's bought them both a stamp for the Jungle Juice and Kagami looks like she'd rather be drinking water out of the Seine.

"It's not great, I know," Marinette smiles, gently clinking her red cup against hers, "But it's kind of fun, right? Are you having fun?"

Kagami's expression softens, "Are you?"

"I think so," Marinette answers, and it's mostly the truth, "I've been kind of stressed out lately. I feel better now."

"I understand what you mean," Kagami brushes some confetti off Marinette's shoulder and lets her hand linger on the seam of her cardigan, "Santé?"

Kagami holds her drink aloft and Marinette giggles, returning the gesture, "Kanpai!"

~

It’s hard to tell what hour it is when the world is spinning around her ears but she stumbles upon Adrien, quite literally, some time later when she goes to refill her drink. He's chatting with Kim and Alix, the latter of which is trying very hard to keep her eyelids open as she teeters against Kim's side, determined as ever to keep up with him.

"Sorry!" Marinette cries out, feeling a little silly as she extricates herself from Adrien's arms. He managed to keep his Jungle Juice from cascading down her clothing, which is more that she can say for him. He doesn't seem to notice that she's spilled some of her own purple drink on his shoes and doesn't admit to anything as she straightens, red as a beetroot.

"It's alright," he replies, his eyes smiling as he holds on to her shoulders. She's glad for the grounding, considering the way the details of his face seems to blur in and out of vision, "How was last period today? Did I miss anything important?"

It takes Marinette a few moments for her to realise that he’s talking about school, “I don’t think so, really. But maybe…” she trails off, staring skyward at the cloud cover overhead, “Oh, I think M. Legars posted the rubric for our next assignment on Google Classroom?”

“About time,” Adrien’s lips quirk at the corner, “I was beginning to think we’d be going into midterms blind.”

Marinette shrugs, “I guess not.”

“I guess not,” he mirrors, offering her a smile, “This is a pretty awesome party. I’m glad I could sneak out and make it.”

“I’m glad you could too!” Marinette exclaims, her voice coming out a little louder than she intended it to. Her tongue doesn’t feel like it usually does and she sticks it out passed her lips to give it a stretch, much to Adrien’s amusement, “I mean, it’s just like...it’s good that you could come to support Luka!”

“He is a pretty awesome guy,” Adrien takes a sip of his drink and makes a face, “Ugh, this stuff is awful.”

“You get used to it after a while,” Marinette assures him, bumping his elbow with her own simply because she feels like it, “I’m on my second cup and I can hardly taste it anymore.”

“That’s...encouraging, I guess,” Adrien takes a bigger gulp and swallows it with a hiss and a shake, “Hey, I heard you brought Luka a cake earlier. Is there still any left?”

Marinette’s eyes light up, “Oh yeah! There’s still a little bit left I think, but we put it downstairs in the galley so it wouldn’t get all gross,” Marinette explains, her words coming easily to her now. Since Adrien had begun his relationship with Kagami over a year ago, things between them had become much more relaxed than she could have ever expected, “If you go down those stairs over there, the galley is the first door on your...right, I think.”

“Thanks Marinette!” Adrien grins, squeezing her shoulder gently, “I can’t wait to try it. Alya says it’s red velvet?”

“With blue and purple cream cheese frosting!” Marinette wriggles her body, his inhibitions long forgotten, “You’ll love it!”

He laughs, “Perfect, I’ll go get a slice for Kagami and I right now.”

“Okay!” she waves him off as he walks around her, leaving her all by herself on the deck. There are feelings swirling in her gut and try as she might, she can’t seem to pull her thoughts together and understand them. What was she even thinking about a moment earlier? She peers across the throng of partygoers and notices Kagami standing on the sidelines, nursing her red solo cup as Nino chats beside her about something or other. Marinette feels a little bad for her, but at least she’s been able to make a few friends at the party. Adrien is a natural social butterfly and she’s glad his affable and generous nature is helping Kagami come out of her shell.

Smiling, Marinette shrugs and turns back towards the party on deck, already half forgetting her conversation with Adrien in the first place.

She’s over near the captain’s bridge taking her chances at another shot of vodka with the girls when a crackle of thunder and a bolt of lightning careens across the sky. Her hairs stand on edge as Marinette glances upwards, frowning as another crackle of energy lances through the clouds like a spiderweb. She follows the bursts of light with her eyes until her suspicions are confirmed and the horrible realization sinks like a stone in her gut.

“It wasn’t supposed to rain tonight,” Marinette murmurs, wincing as the light burns through her vision. She hears Alya pull her mobile out beside her and glances down at the weather app.

“It’s says it’s supposed to be clear,” Alya reads the temperature, then flicks the screen to the radar, “There’s something over Paris though.”

Mylène looks over Alya’s elbow, “That doesn’t look normal.”

“Nothing is normal in Paris,” Alya snorts, shoving her phone in her back pocket, “Hopefully it blows over soon.”

“Unless it’s an—”

Rushing up from the wind through the trees, the keening wail of the akuma alert sirens around Paris confirms it.

“AKUMA! GET DOWN!”

Another crackle of electric energy bends wildly across the sky and Marinette braces for the static that scrabbles at her ears and her hair, feathering fear up and down her spine.

“It is I, Mesmer!” a disembodied female voice cries from above their heads, the source still hidden within the clouds, “I will reveal your darkest desires to everyone, just like it was done to me!”

Marinette swallows and looks around for the nearest door.

“No longer will you be forced to keep your secrets inside! No longer will you have to hide what you truly are, what you truly long to be!”

The doors are shut. The way is blocked by panicking partygoers, all surging for the exits.

“Look at me!” the voice cries, and everyone’s neck jerks upwards unbidden, “You will heed the sound of my voice! Let me inside your minds! Let me see your souls, and set them free!”

Marinette tries, she really does, but the voice...it...she can’t...it’s…

“Hello Marinette,” the voice cooes like a balm of friendship whispered in her ears, “You have constructed a wall around your heart to keep it safe. You will feel much more comfortable if you tear that wall down tonight.”

Marinette nods in tandem with everyone around her, “Haven’t you ever wondered what it’s like to be with someone, to let them touch your skin and kiss your lips with reverence? Haven’t you ever wanted to be adored, doted on, appreciated for your beauty, your grace, your kindness? Haven’t you ever wanted to throw away your responsibilities and let your hair down for a little, free to kiss and be kissed by anyone you choose?”

She feels her stomach quiver with anticipation, “Yes.”

“Then I want you to tear away your inhibitions. I want you to be yourself and embrace the girl you truly want to be. I want you to find the object of your adoration and show them what it would mean to be your lover. I want you to find your friends and show them that you’re not the pushover they think you are.”

“I will.”

“You are the strongest mind I have encountered,” the voice commends, dripping like honey, “I like that. I want to reward you, celebrate you. I want to make you their Queen.”

“I will rule them.”

“Release your inhibitions. Stand free and proud of what you truly want to be.”

“I will be free.”

“That’s it,” she commands, her influence combing through Marinette’s hair like wisps of cloud, “What will you do first?”

Marinette tugs the ties from her hair and gasps, the sense of euphoria overwhelming.

“Do you like that feeling? Would you like more?”

She nods, tugging on her lip with her teeth as red hot pleasure oozes at the base of her spine. It’s unlike anything she’s ever felt before and she thrives on the way it makes her muscles loosen and tighten at the same time, completely in control.

“Show them. Show them the true Marinette. Show them the force of nature you can be.”

[armin-van-arlert]

What if Armin gets his ideas from listening to things like Night Vale?