#also I think my art is far from perfect babes so I think it's all depending on your tastes

[sunnylolli]

when you have an idea in your head of something you want to draw, how do you get your compositions, movements, colors and poses so perfect?? I struggle so much with visualising my thoughts how I see them in my head (often have to look up references, sometimes even "trace" lightly over an existing pose)😔

First of all, tracing was how I learned anatomy, because I taught myself the motion in my hand and it helped me visualise the appoximate lengths of limbs and such! So as long as you're not copying other people's artwork, I'm gonna tell you TO TRACE TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT, BABES! No shame in tracing!

Second of all, hmmm

When I have an idea for something to draw, I usually zero in on what it is about the drawing that makes me feel like biting my hand and kicking my feet, and that's usually the facial expression of the character I wanna draw.

And generally, every single piece of art I've ever done, both big pieces and small pieces, always start with the face and develope outwards? So I always draw what I'm most excited to draw first, and then expand it, as I visualise the story behind the scene I'm drawing.

Which is to say:

1) I always start by drawing the face/head of a character whose facial expression is e.g. intense, sad, happy, excited, horrified, etc.

2) I begin to imagine scenarios and contexts where that expression would be appropriate or would fit in.

3) I begin to draw the character's body according to the scenario I have rolling in my head.

4) The background added depends, then, entirely on what the story in my head has become.

As for references: I rarely use them, and when I do, it's to make sure I've gotten a proportion right or if I'm struggling with an angle, how to make it look more authentic!

I feel like looking at references too much makes it harder for me to imagine poses on my own and makes drawing too rigid? It makes it feel less like I'm having fun with trying new things and makes it more like I'm doing homework?

I usually look at moodboards on pinterest to inspire an idea for designs, if I have a vague concept of a background in mind but can't hash out the details, so I use references for that, too!

I've never drawn a background first and then later put a character in it, though. The background happens after I've already drawn my characters, because those are what makes me crawl on my walls and rip my hair out in the first place.

And when I've drawn my characters in the pose and angle I want them in, it's easier for me to imagine what the "camera angle" would see in the environment surrounding the character?

As for coloring and such: The reason I could never do speedpaints is because I draw exceptionally slowly. I sit with a single detail for hours, because I'm vibe checking if it feels right. And even in speedpaint, I can assure you, you'd begin to get frustrated with how long I'm tinkering with filters, color theory, etc.

"Is this color right for the shadows, if the light source is blue?" "Euh, no, fuck color theory, the shadow looks much better when it's gray."

So I suppose, when I sit down to draw something, I usually don't have a finished product in mind at all? I usually visualise an emotion and then take it from there with my numerous playlists to boot?

And then tinker with it forever until I'm done with it or until I get bored and start drawing something else and then I never finish anything and that's also why I never post, because all the art I have drawn and not posted is...

It's all half-told stories, hahah

[dawnoftime22]

adorable.

| T.S

Warnings: None!

Summary: Taylor sees you sleeping adorably, and couldn't help but pull out her phone.

Word Count: 587

Category: Fluff

A/N: I've started to actually write more taylor and like what I did with the fics, so I thought, why not just post them :] if this one does okay then I'll continue <3

| Started on 09/09/2023, 11:36 PM |

| Finished on 10/09/2023, 2:38 PM |

Masterlist | T.S Masterlist

“My darling, you are far too much of a work

of art for a picture not to be taken.”

|——————————— ⸆⸉ ———————————|

It was yet another day full of work and exhaustion was all that filled the blonde's body as she drove back home from work.

She got out of the car and unlocked the front door of the house, only wanting to have you beside her, cuddles, and kisses, and every single other thing she could think of.

Though the house was quiet. Too quiet. The tv wasn't on, and you weren't in the living room or the kitchen. She didn't get a message from you of you going out or anything, so her head wandered a little.

And then, before Taylor could panic any more, she walks into the bedroom, not expecting to see you laid on the bed horizontally with your eyes closed, covering the space of both her side and yours, while her guitar was placed just a few inches below your legs.

You must've been practicing to learn the guitar, and got exhausted too, she thought. She adored how you were learning, and not only for her, or from her, but also because you got inspired by her music.

What was important was the way you were breathing. And your face, oh, your peacefulness in your face. It made her smile so lovingly at you. She couldn't find anyone else who she would be more in love with.

Before she got any closer or that you would somehow wake up, she pulls out her phone from her pocket and captures a quick picture of you. It was the perfect picture.

She wanted to just jump into bed already and cuddle you, with how fuzzy she's feeling from seeing how adorable you looked, but she needed to shower first. She was sweaty from all the rehearsing for her upcoming tour.

And so, she got her clothes ready on the bed and went to take a shower. When she got out, you were still thankfully asleep. But your position did change. You were more curled up into a ball this time, like a cat, which made her want to squeeze herself and you. But she didn't wanna wake you, so she quietly put on her clothes, and tip toed to bed. Gently laying down next to you, which she could do so now, since you were more curled up, letting more space on the bed loose.

She takes you in her arms and pulls you closer like a teddy bear without waking you up, but also making sure you're in a more comfortable position.

Nothing could be better than this feeling she has in her heart. But then you instinctively snuggled closer to her, your nose nuzzling on her skin near her neck, tickling her a little, but the feeling of her wanting to melt overcame it. Well. That was a better feeling.

She went to sleep with you that night with a precious memory.

|——————————— ⸆⸉ ———————————|

You were smiling as you looked through her gallery of pictures, full of Meredith, Olivia, Benjamin, and basically all the cats. Some pictures are of you and her, and to see them warms your heart.

Until you scrolled and perhaps accidentally found something you shouldn't have. Your eyebrows rose while Taylor blushed from behind you.

"Um, babe, you took a photo of me while I was sleeping?" You questioned softly, so as to not make her feel embarrassed. But her cheeks only turned red even more

"I couldn't help it. You're just too adorable." she giggled, now you're the one who thought she was adorable.

You playfully rolled your eyes, turning your head to look at her, and then went in to kiss her. She gratefully accepted it and kissed you back. Soon after, she pulls away and admires your face, just as she had the night before.

"I love you." The both of you smile at each other like two idiots in love.

"I love you, too."

---------------------

taglist <3 - join here! :]

@dmenby3100

[toomuchracket]

when i found you, much younger than you are now (flatmate/dad!matty x reader)

ten years of self-titled!! can u believe!! anyway, a little fluffy drabble about the day the album was released, and also about the day it turned ten, as voted for by you guys. enjoy!

2013

when you enter the kitchen, the linoleum floor cold even through your fluffy socks, matty is staring at the fridge. namely, at the thing pinned between two shitty manchester fridge magnets - a futile attempt by you to reduce your shared homesickness when you moved down south.

he's staring at the calendar, which under today's date reads "75 album release day!!!!" in your handwriting, adorned with as many lovehearts and stars and smiley faces as you could fit in the tiny box.

not that either of you were at any risk of forgetting the date, mind, but you thought it would be cute to commemorate it anyway. "you can keep it as a memento in the future," you had said, as you wrestled with the paper and the bumblebee magnet and the laws of physics while putting the calendar up. "when you're living in a malibu beach house in a decade, married to a supermodel, you can look at that calendar and think of the day your first album came out. and maybe also of me, back in london, or manchester, or maybe edinburgh... i don't know where exactly, but most likely on the other side of the world from you and your gorgeous wife. it'll be cute!"

(neither of you thought it was cute whatsoever, though.)

matty turns when he hears your half-shuffling footsteps, face twisting into a sleepy smile that splinters your heart. he opens his arms as you near him, pulling you into a washing powder-scented hug and resting his lips on your hair. "hi, darlin'."

"hi," you murmur into his sweatshirt. "happy album day."

"thanks," you feel matty's cheeks twitch into a smile against your head. "feels quite surreal, honestly. we have an album out. mad."

you caress the space between his shoulder blades. "i can imagine - it's insane for me to even think that my best friend in the world has an album out. m'so proud of you though, babe."

"couldn't have done it without you, sweetheart. oh, that reminds me..."

matty breaks the hug - and, in the process, your heart - to reach for one of the CDs piled haphazardly between the radio and the kettle. he hands you one with an all too familiar cover art, accompanying his "here" with a grin.

"matty, i said i would buy it!" you protest. "i want to be a part of getting you a number one."

"that's cute, babe, but nah," matty folds his arms and smirks. "there wouldn't be an album without you, because there wouldn't be EPs without you and your room at uni. so, the boys and i figured that you were the perfect person to get the first album CD actually made."

your eyes fill with tears at the ridiculously sweet, ridiculously too generous gesture. "wait, really?"

"i mean, it was my idea, of course," matty winks, which earns him a shove on the arm. "but yeah, that's the very first 1975 album disc. open it, darlin', look at the lyric booklet."

sniffling, you do as requested; your sniffles turn to full-blown sobs as you take in the "to our favourite girl. thanks for the love (and the pints) xx" dedication written on the first page, sobs which only increase in volume as you take in the lyrics, handwritten by matty rather than typed.

you gently place the CD and booklet back on the counter, and pull your sweetly-smiling best friend into a teary hug. "thank you, sweetheart. i feel very special."

"you are," matty replies, tenderly stroking the back of your head. "you're the most special, to me."

your heart jolts at that, and you squeeze matty even tighter, pull him even closer to you. but it's not close enough to satisfy you, it never is - nothing short of his skin cells grafting to yours and consuming them would stop your heart and brain and nervous system aching for him.

well, a kiss would probably do it, but that's far less likely to happen.

the painfully tender moment is interrupted by matty's back pocket buzzing, which provides a blissful relief from the thoughts about kissing your best friend that were beginning to awake from their dormancy. alas, the relief is short-lived - matty sighs in your ear, and murmurs "will you get that for me, sweetheart? don't wanna let go of you."

with a hopefully-unnoticeable gulp, you slide your hand down matty's back and into his pocket to pull out his phone. you squint at the caller ID. "s'george."

"should probably speak to him, i s'pose," matty says, planting a final (and devastating) kiss to your head before letting go of you and taking his phone. "are you gonna go and listen to the album while you get ready for the party later?"

you grin sheepishly. "already bought and listened to it on itunes."

"you're incorrigible. but i love you."

"ooh, big word! i love you too," you smile. "and tell george i love him too, and i can't wait to celebrate with you all later."

matty winks. "will do, darlin'."

you wink back and grab your CD, turning on your heel and wandering to your bedroom to begin the arduous process of getting ready for the album release dinner and subsequent party. it goes by quicker than usual, though, soundtracked by the boys, punctuated by congratulatory texts to and from ross and george and a half-hour congratulatory phone call with adam, and powered by the excitement of knowing you can be extra affectionate with matty today and it won't be weird.

it goes by so quickly, in fact, that you're almost completely finished your makeup when matty peers round your slightly-open door. "hey babe, would you mind- oh, wow, you look gorgeous!"

it's almost embarrassing how warm your cheeks get at that simple statement. you swivel to face your flatmate, smiling bashfully. "thanks, sweetheart. i was a bit worried the eye makeup was too much for dinner, but i've committed to it now, i s'pose."

"no, it's perfect," matty says softly, coming into the room and perching on the end of your bed. you're perfect, he wishes he could add - it's cliché, but god, is it true. "i love it."

your cheeks burn, and lift of their own accord. "i'm glad."

matty smiles back just as widely as you. there's a pleasant silence for a moment, reluctantly broken by you before matty forgets his train of thought. "did you want to ask me something, babe?"

"oh, shit, yeah," matty nods. "would you mind - if you have the time, that is - drying my hair for me? can never get it to sit right. but like it's cool if not, i can do it myself, i just like it more when it's you doing it and-"

"matty," you interject, before he talks himself unconscious. "of course i will. just let me do my lipstick first, yeah? then i'm all yours."

all his. christ, what he wouldn't give. "take your time, darlin'. thanks a lot."

"s'no problem," you say, turning back to your dressing table and rifling through a pile of lipsticks. matty smiles as you open a few in turn, furrowing your brow as you wordlessly narrow down your colour options; the smile is wiped clean off his face when you drop your jaw and swipe a dark pink over your lips, forming them into an O as you make sure the lipstick is applied perfectly. fuck. your mouth.

(the lyric from talk! is most definitely about you, but he'll never tell.)

after the most agonising minute of matty's life, you turn around to face him. "ok, i'm finished making myself pretty. your turn, babe."

"you're always pretty," matty says, kissing the top of your head as you stand up to let him sit in the chair; he finger guns towards his reflection as he does. "and so am i."

you roll your eyes. "maybe it's best if the album doesn't go to number one, actually. your head might explode, healy."

"best make sure my hair looks good then, babe."

"when has it not, when i've styled it? it's me you're talking to, not george."

"fair point."

with a wink to him through the mirror, you rake one hand through matty's hair and aim the hairdryer at it with the other. he closes his eyes, sinking back into the plush seat, enjoying the soothing combination of warm air and your gentle touch - your nails lightly scratch his scalp the way you know he loves, and he hums contentedly. fuck the dinner, fuck the party, fuck celebrating the album; matty would be happy just to stay like this forever with you.

you'd be happy with that too, to be honest.

matty slowly opens his eyes as you put down the hairdryer and finish shaping his hair with your hands. you crouch to get the back looking just so, then rest your chin on his shoulder and smile at him through the mirror. "beautiful boy."

tilting his head so it rests on yours, matty beams at you through the mirror. "thanks, sweetheart. we do look quite hot, don't we? we should memorialise it, i think."

"now? we're not even dressed for tonight yet," you say, as matty pulls his phone from his pocket and opens the camera.

"trust me, babe, this is just the first of many pictures i intend to take to document this very important day. and the first of many pictures i intend to take of you, looking all hot and glamorous."

"charmer. alright, take the pic."

"alright, darlin'."

*

2023

when you enter the kitchen, the déja vu of a moment from a decade ago practically smacks you in the face. never mind that it's a different house, with a different kitchen and a different floor (tiled, not lino, but still cold under socked feet).

just as he was exactly ten years ago to the day, albeit with different hair, matty is staring at something pinned between two shitty manchester magnets on the fridge (also different - a smeg you were embarrassingly excited about buying when you and matty moved here). rather than the calendar from before, though, it's the picture the two of you took while you were getting ready to celebrate the album release.

again, matty turns to smile at you as you near him - well, as best he can with a toddler clinging to his leg and a 7 month-old baby in his arms. you can see in his eyes that the déja vu is getting to him as well. that, and the way his smile widens as he says "hi, sweetheart".

"hi. happy ten years of your first album," you grin, moving closer to kiss him quickly. dylan lets go of her dad's leg and raises her arms towards you; when you pick her up and kiss her cheek, she giggles and hides her face in your neck. smiling, you do the same to elena, who beams mostly toothlessly at you in response. "and hello to you too, my babies! were you good for daddy while mummy was at work?"

soft curls tickling your neck tells you that dylan is nodding, an action matty copies enthusiastically. "they were perfect," he says, booping elena on her tiny nose and making her giggle - your favourite sound on the planet. "they take after their mum, of course."

you roll your eyes. "ever the charmer, healy."

"you know it, healy," matty grins, relishing the chance for acknowledgement of your shared last name, the same way he's done at any opportunity since you took it as your own four years ago. "we were just talking about mummy, weren't we, dyl? how in that photo she thought i was going to be married to somebody else by now, but daddy always knew he wouldn't marry anybody but her."

your heart glows with overwhelming love for matty and his words; it quickly begins to burn with embarrassment at your past utter cluelessness, though. "well, i genuinely didn't think you liked me in that way, the way i liked - like - you."

"silly mummy," dylan giggles, playing with the pendant on your necklace that bears her first initial, as well as those of her father and sister.

you tickle her little tummy, and the giggles increase tenfold. "silly mummy indeed!"

your toddler's giggles fade into little hums, and her tiny face turns placidly serious as she looks at the picture of her parents. "but pretty mummy."

"the prettiest," matty agrees, trying his best to extrapolate elena's tiny fist from one of his curls.

"well, maybe in a few hours, once i'm ready for the party," you say, stepping forward to save your husband's hair from his mini-me's grip. it takes you both a minute, considering you're both operating with only one daughter-less limb, but matty's curls escape mostly unscathed from your baby's possessive grasp. elena might be a matty clone, but she really is your daughter, no doubt about it. "which i really should start working on, considering everyone will be here in... three hours. will you all sit with me while i do my makeup?"

"of course we will," matty nods, holding out his free hand for you to take with your own. "lead the way, wifey."

for the second time that day, although you're sure there will be many more instances of it, there's an overwhelming familiarity to the scene in your bedroom. with the exception of dylan sitting on the vanity, copying you and pretending to put her own makeup on with one of your clean blush brushes, and elena doing tummy time on your bed and babbling away happily, the process is much the same as it was exactly a decade ago - enjoyable, quick, interspersed with excitement and texts and calls from your equally-excited friends.

the soundtrack is also different, although it's still matty singing; instead of the songs about, well, drugs and blowjobs that had scored your pampering in the past, he's doing a medley of disney songs, nursery rhymes, and... "babe, is that britney spears?"

mirroring his youngest daughter and lying on his stomach on the bed, matty glances up, eyes gleeful. "yeah! lena loves it. look - oops, i did it again, i played with your heart, got lost in the game, ooh baby baby."

true enough, elena shrieks with laughter and taps her hands against the duvet in accompaniment to her dad's singing. you laugh too, picking dylan up and moving to sit beside the other half of your family. once you're settled, you scoop elena into your arms and sit her against your knees. "you have such good taste, my girl!"

"mmm, so do i," your husband hums, looking at you with barely-concealed attraction in his dark eyes. "you look gorgeous, darling."

over ten years of matty compliments, and they still shoot straight to your knees and turn them wobbly. you lift your burning cheeks in response. "thanks, sweetheart. you're not too bad yourself."

"you think so? because i was going to ask you about fixing my hair again-"

"i honestly don't think it needs it, babe."

"really? well, in that case," matty reaches back to grab his phone from his back pocket, before rolling to a sitting position and tugging dylan into him. "scootch in, then."

dylan watches her dad open the camera app. "photo now?"

"yes, munchkin."

"but my dress!"

"oh, you're your mother's daughter right enough," matty smiles. "we'll take one picture first, dyl, and then you can go and put your dress on in time for your aunties and uncles and cousins arriving, yeah?"

"ok."

"that's the spirit," matty ruffles his toddler's head, before putting his arm around you. "say cheese!"

after his girls oblige, dylan moves round to talk to her baby sister, while matty opens the picture to see how it turned out; you lean in and rest your chin on his shoulder again so that you can look too. "oh, matty, look how cute we all are!"

"definitely fridge-worthy," matty laughs, kissing your temple. he leans back slightly to look at you, bringing a hand up to lightly caress your hair. "i can't believe it's been ten years. for both the album and the two of us. although they always went hand in hand for me, to be honest. constantly thought about you while i wrote it. and i still constantly think about you now."

you press a quick kiss to matty's lips, wiping away your lipstick stain with your thumb - matty tries to kiss it as you do, which earns him a laugh and a "matthew" from you. "i love you, baby."

"i love you too, sweetheart. here's to the next ten years."

[chuuyasheaven]

Heya! Congrats on 400 followers! Well deserved babe♡

I was wondering if you could do Dazai x Fem!Reader and prompt 14 & 15, + brat taming and also breeding kink? Jealous Dazai please

Also, if you make it incest (stepbrother! Dazai) it would be perfect but if you don't do that shit it's totally fine—

Prompt+K!nk; 14: “Only i can make you fall apart like this. This is a sight for me only.” / 15: “I will fuck this pussy until it’s dripping my cum, understood?” | 3: Brat taming / 11: Breeding k!nk (I’ll include it dw!)

Summary; You have been sent to a mission, but you had to seduce the target in order to complete it. Of course, Dazai watched to make sure no one will touch you, but your ego got the better of you. Guess Dazai has to remind you to who you belong again, right?

Warnings; dom!Dazai, sub!fem!Reader, bratty!Reader (if u squint tbh), brat taming, Breeding kink, rough sex, Orgasm control (basically edging), Jealous!Dazai, petnames, smudged make up, fingering, overstimulation, porn without plot, dirty talk, dacryphilia, teasing, etc.

Format; Fic!

Notes (from me); SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG SCHOOL WAS SO FUCKING WEIRD BESIDES I'M ALSO IN DENIAL ABOUT THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT MY CLASSMATE.. BUT PLS ENJOY ASH! Sorry again, because i indeed feel uncomfortable writing stepcest, so i hope this is okay!!

The amount of jealousy, Dazai's experiencing right now is actually crazy.

Watching from a distance, where he can watch you, flirting with some stranger for a mission.

Not only that, you were also wearing his favorite dress. The one, that hugged your waist perfectly, the one, that made your tits and ass look like a work of art.

But still, it wasn't for him.

Atleast it was all worth it, you seduced the target, got the information and got out of there. As Dazai's already waiting outside to take you home.

When the door shut behind you, you layed down onto the couch, dying to get your heels off.

Finally, a great mission finally over, it wasn't even that bad, since you had amazing flirting skills. You were smirking all to yourself, relaxing your muscles.

Suddenly, Dazai came on top of you, giving you a kiss before answering your questioning look.

“Such a shame, you wore my favorite dress for someone else, bella..”, he spoke up, giving you another kiss on the lips, slightly smudging your red lipstick.

This kiss was more heated than the last one, but also more distracting, distracting enough for you to not even notice his hand wandering beneath your dress.

As his hand reached his destination, he simply took your panties off, far enough for him to enter your warm cunt.

You let out a surprised moan into the kiss, feeling cool air hitting your intimate area.

“You seemed really focused on what you were doing, too. Very confident during the act, a little too much than you were told.”, he continued to speak, as his fingertips brushed against your, now wet, pussy.

“I'd like to assume that your ego took over you, but that's okay, I'm gonna remind you to who you belong, bella.”, Dazai pushed one finger in.

“I'll make sure, to fuck it deep into your pretty little head, hm?”, as his second finger joined, Dazai started to finger you in scissor motion.

Your whimpers were heard across the room, as he added a third finger.

Dazai was always good with fingering, this is why you were already close to your first high.

But, you think he's really gonna let you cum now?

Because, he pulled all the fingers out, before you could reach your orgasm. You whined at the loss of his skilled fingers.

“Come on, stop whining. I just can't have you to cum around my fingers just now,”, he spoke, while you heard his belt opening.

“When you could paint my cock in your cum, angel.”, Dazai pulled your dress off until your stomach was exposed.

Your panties were thrown off somewhere, but that doesn't matter, because he's already making you squim with his cock.

As Dazai hold your waist, you squirmed slightly, when he almost was inside, he kissed your neck to soothe you a little.

Finally, he's inside, inside of your beautiful cunt.

He almost immediately starts thrusting, beginning slow and deep.

Not that you despised the pace, but since he cut your first orgasm off, you were desperate for the second.

Dazai's thrusts now became faster and rougher, still not fast enough for you.

You want him to pound you as fast as he can, skin clapping being loud, pants and breathy moans leaving him.

“Dazai..p-please..”, left your lips, Dazai being him, teased you again, despite knowing what you desire.

“Please what, bella? Im gonna need you to speak up, darling.”, you had to collect all your strength to form a complete sentence.

“Please..fuck me f-faster. I need it s-so bad..Dazai..!”, did you feel him twitch inside you?

“You do? Well, then tell me, who do you belong to, angel?”, he needed to hear these words, especially from you.

“..t-to you, D-dazai..I'm only yours, please..make me yours..all night.”, this is what he wanted to hear.

“That's right, only i can make you fall apart like this. This is a sight for me only, bella.”

When he finished that sentence, he absolutely let go.

His pace was almost animalistic, skin clapping being heard even louder, but mostly, your moans were being even louder than before.

This pace was so good, you felt another high coming, but just then, Dazai slowed down, ruining yet another orgasm.

You didn't know why, but you were getting frustrated, so frustrated that you felt warm tears falling down your cheeks, truly ruining your make up. Just like Dazai wanted.

Suddenly he slammed his hips as deep as he could, and started fucking you fast again, this time rougher and deeper. Adding to the pleasure, he started rubbing your clit.

More tears came rolling down your face, ruining more mascara. But not because of frustration, because of the overstimulation he just brought you.

“Wh-what's wrong, angel? Why are you crying so much? Is it because of my cock?”, you didn't even answer him.

You felt it come close, Dazai felt his too, you noticed as his thrusts got sloppier.

Desperate for your final release, you clinged your legs around his waist, allowing him to fuck you from another angle.

“F-fuck, you're really desperate, aren't you, bella.? Well, that's fine. I will fuck this pussy until it's dripping my cum, understood?”, how was he so good at dirty talking you?

As a matter of fact, his dirty talk brought you closer to your high, the knot in your stomach close to snapping.

And finally, he let you cum. This orgasm was intense, you felt relieved to finally cum, Dazai followed after.

But suddenly, he started thrusting again, atleast more slower than earlier.

“You really didn't think that i was done now, did you, darling?”

THIS WAS SO RUSHED BUT STILL I HOPE YOU ENJOYED AHH!!

[bullet-prooflove]

I Wish... Prompt List

Please check the updated character list on my pinned post to see who I am writing for before submitting a prompt!

Also read the rules and do not forget to put the entire prompt into your ask!

Nobody leaves your head and your heart, and your bed and your sheets As messed up as me

In a cabin on a rural route

A real life work of art, baby you’re price less

but don't get under those sheets just let me look at you baby I want to see everything we're about to do

I'm out tonight, and I'm feelin' like I should call you up

I think you’d look sexy with some neon on ya

Just turn the lights down, let's get right down to it

We are swimming with no clothes on

Got you high in a motel room

I just wanna get you home and get that black dress on the floor

I wish I would've pushed you against the wall

I want you in the worst way, my hands are needin' your hips

Want the first taste of whiskey to be off your lips

Every bone in my body, it aches for you

But for me you will crawl, scratch, and fight

our skin on my skin feels just like heaven to me

That kind gon' bring me to my knees

And you're out tonight like you always are You're dressed to kill, and your lips are red,

Baby, just tonight or for all your life Don't need to decide right now

lookin' through your camera roll

If you're looking for a place to fall one night I've always got a place in mind

And I am holding on to you, boy In the faint light of the stars

No one sees and no one knows Forbidden company

And when I killed her it was so easy

Somethin' 'bout you has always been dangerous

Got my head on your shoulder and my hand on your heart

Drawing pictures on my skin Places no one's ever been

She said, "How pissed off would your momma be If we walked in there and you married me?"

You're a sight of utmost beauty Utmost strength and utmost loyalty

Started looking out for her, even back then

Lock the door and bathroom stall,

Now I get to see how pretty she is when she wakes up

We were sleeping by the ocean

If you plan on leaving don't come at all

I get to see how perfect she is with no makeup

gimme the heat, you’re my wildfire

There's plenty of boys that want you, babe

Get too close to you, I might get burned Well, that's okay because I like how it hurts,

What you do in the dark will be brought to the light

You made me think you were mine

lay down here with me girl I want to feel your body right here against me girl

And I know I'm not the only one for you

Puttin' my heart in this, set ablaze my arsonist

You'll tell me you love me, girl Even if I'm wrecked, lonely, and poor

And we wake up in the sunlight

I've never, ever been this far away from home

But I still can't see what she sees in me

Feeling impatient, got me sweatin', you hotter than Vegas

Your love's like the ocean, so deep and wide

The way my name rolls off of her lips It blows me away,

now take off the rest yeah girl that necklace too

I knew the second that I layed my eyes on yours That I was gone

When it’s all said and done And you shot your gun

I'll be the moon you'll be the sun

I don't wanna ever taste the last kiss from your lips

I still walk through flames for you 

baby take off that dress

[yourmanz-sodapop]

Settling in together

Namjoon x Top! Male reader

Warnings: N/A Part 2/3

“Ok, This couch is perfect” Namjoon must’ve said that about four couches already. “Didn’t you say that about the previous couch?” you asked. “Well yes, but this one feels different than all the other ones. I’m telling you baby this is the one.” he pouts. “You’re sure this is the one baby?” “Yes, this one, let’s buy it.” he says, clapping his hands. He was excited, how could he not be? You gave him complete freedom to decorate your home. So far he had chosen the dresser and nightstand set as well as the curtains for all the rooms of the house and now the couch. 

“Ok, couch set check, next up is… kitchen table.” you see him from the corner of your eye walking off towards the kitchen area, as you're talking to an employee about what you want and how fast you can get it shipped to your house. 

Walking towards the area you last saw Namjoon, you find him sitting at the head of a kitchen table, his eyes narrowing on every empty seat. “What are you doing?” “shhhhh, I’m trying to see if this would match the look I’m going for.” “What look are you going for?” “Right now I’m leaning towards a minimalist vintage look. I think it suits us both, you're an old soul” letting out an amused chuckle you lay your head on top of his, “Anything will be fine, now hurry so we can go look at the paintings you want to hang up.” Say no more Namjoon was up and looking around trying to decide. You knew it would get him to hurry up. 

You need the house finished by next week but it seemed he forgot every other second. You’d made plans to have his parents over to actually see your new home, and to show them with proof that you are serious about their son, before it was just your words and small things you did. They loved you, they loved you just for the fact that you loved their son, that was enough for them but still you wanted to show them that Namjoon would always have a home with you, and that you could provide for him regardless of the fact that he made a shit ton of money from being an idol. I mean you also made a lot of money, you owned a finance company, one that you just branched over to Europe and hopefully soon you’ll add another branch in Korea near where you lived. As you were walking around looking at the different pieces of art, one specific one caught your eye. It was the same one you had in your office back home in America. It brought back a lot of memories.

“When are you coming back to visit?” You couldn’t stand seeing the tears on his face through the screen. “I don’t know, there was a problem with the construction crew, I need to go to Europe to see why they put a hold on it. I’m going to be gone longer than I thought I was, I’m sorry my love.” you explained. You’d already been gone for three months, signing contracts, getting permits overseeing construction for the new branch. “You promised you’d be back before I left on tour. I leave in two weeks.” he sobbed. You know how much it hurt, you haven’t seen each other in three months and now you have to break your promise about sending him off on his tour. You didn't say anything, what could you say to make him feel better? “I have to go” he whispers, “Namjoon, wait-” he hung up.  It was one of the lesser bad moments in your relationship. But it was quickly fixed, you flew out that same night and postponed your meetings to spend the remaining two weeks with Namjoon. 

“Babe!” Turning your head Namjoon was looking at you worriedly. “I called your name five times, are you ok?” He was carrying 6 pieces. “I’m fine baby, is that what you’re getting?” you asked. “Yes these, did you talk to the sales clerk about buying the couches?” “Mhm” “Ok then let's go, we still need to buy kitchen utensils and groceries. I’m not ordering take-out again.” “I’ll cook.”

Getting everything you needed for your new home took longer than you expected it to. Namjoon couldn’t make up his mind on a few things like rugs so you did have to go to a few other places the next day. Thankfully Namjoon found all the things he wanted and was satisfied with the end result of your house, now all you needed to do was wait for the weekend to come.

 You were both enjoying yourselves with this new dynamic of reality, a reality where you both didn’t have to fight your schedules to see each other, nor hide the fact that you were in love. His fanbase took it better than you expected it to, of course there was some negative backlash. Mostly  girls being upset that they wouldn’t have a chance to woo him, rather than the fact that he was with a man. It was a bit of a shock at first  but you got used to seeing your face more on social media.  The boys of course were over all the time now that the place was completely furnished with everything working as it’s supposed to. Now Namjoon understands why you got a three bedroom house.

Next>

[thebroccolination]

Listen, Between Us is my child. My joy. My raison d’être.

But I do kind of have separate ratings for the series as a whole vs. WinTeam’s part in it. WinTeam Rating: 12/10, perfect my babies miraculous string music. The series…has a different rating. Undisclosed. Unimportant. New and Sheep did their best under extraordinary circumstances and I will defend their series to my last breath.

That said, I want to make a WinTeam supercut for myself.

‘Cos as far as I know, New didn’t just direct the series—he edited it as well, and I understand that he had a lot on his plate. But I do…kind of wish he’d delegated the editing to someone else. The mic noises, the music crowding some scenes, the flashbacks that go on for a really long time—much longer than they had to—presumably to pad out an episode, etc. Plus, well. BeePrince should have had their own series. Bee is already a side character, and Prince only has Bee and his manager to flesh him out. I think Tae did a fantastic job as Bee, but Benz as Prince never really grabbed me emotionally. Their plot felt sort of sped-run to me, and I started fast-forwarding past them in later episodes. I don’t dislike them, to be clear, I just didn’t feel much of anything in any direction. Love Bee, neutral on BeePrince.

I wish I could fix all the muffled noises from the actors squishing their body mics during hugs and oh my god New kept playing the instrumental version of Prem’s song in a painfully sharp/high-pitched key that felt more like a horror soundtrack than the uplifting/happy instrumental they played in the locker room scene of episode two. But I can’t fix those issues because I’d probably need the original high quality dialogue tracks in order to isolate and remove parts of them. And aaahh, more than anything I wish I could remove the music from some scenes—the late-night “if I asked you, would you have an answer for me” conversation has, like, four or five music cues in it and it’s ONE SCENE, NEW. I’m a huge champion of sound engineering as an art form that should be respected, and so a lot of scenes genuinely felt to me like wasted opportunities. Sound and music aren’t supposed to hammer viewers in the face with the mood of a scene. And BounPrem were at top form in this series, so I wish they had had more scenes where they aren’t interrupted by a song in the middle. Where they just got to have quiet and New let their acting carry the scene.

(This is something New also did in UWMA. Like, as much as I enjoy the cabin scene and the dorm room scene, neither of them needed that song blasted over them. Let the actors carry the scene!!!)

Basically, my only major issues with Between Us were editing-based. Hence why I wish New had let someone else do it. Maybe he didn’t have the money to spare. Maybe he just didn’t want to. No idea.

But that’s why I want to make my own WinTeam cut so I can binge their storyline when I’m having a rough day and I don’t want to fast-forward to get to them. (That’s not to say I didn’t like everyone else! I did! But y’know. WinTeam. My babies.) I’ll include some of the other pairings when their scenes are relevant to WinTeam’s story, but mostly I just want to zero in on WinTeam. (I’ll keep all of WanTul since they’re the pairing with the closest storyline to WinTeam, and the two pairs converge later in the series, but I’m tempted to play with the timeline and see if I can’t blend them in elsewhere.)

I know why BeePrince didn’t have their own series. Side pairings are a profitable and inevitable marketing element of the BL industry, and I don’t begrudge New for trying to advertise some of his actor stable in a highly anticipated series that was guaranteed to have thousands of potential fans watching it. It’s tough out there, and New’s got a purebred cat family to feed and Boun’s salary to provide. Sell what you gotta sell, babe.

(I’m actually a little tempted to do this same thing for SOTUS S because HOO boy do I not care about the side couples in Arthit’s office. KongArt + TewDae + seven seconds of sapphics is all I want.)

Anyway! I’m gonna make this my li’l project. I’m not sure I’ll post it publicly because I don’t want to step on the official versions, but I’ll probably post some isolated scenes while I experiment with editing. For my first step I’ll try to cut down some of those flashback scenes. Like Win in the shower remembering his entire conversation with Dean and Pruk? For multiple minutes? Win might have relived the entire thing, but we shouldn’t. The series is only twelve episodes, New, and that conversation wasn’t that long ago even for those of us who watched it live. We remember. We got it.

If New needed more footage to pad out the episode, just have Boun do his hair and skin care routines. Literally who would complain? “Look, a beautiful human being. Stare.” WITH PLEASURE.

“Oh no the episode is short. Prem, pout for thirty seconds.” I WILL TAKE A THOUSAND SCREENSHOTS.

“Ohm, do some push-ups.” I’m sure he does those!

“Prem, Sammy, ad-lib an argument.” More Team and Manaow bickering! Grand!

“Fluke, be perfect.” PHARM’S APPEARANCES IN THIS SERIES WERE FLAWLESS I HOPE HE GETS THE RESPECT HE DESERVED THE FIRST TIME AROUND.

So you see, there are workarounds when you need to pad out time. No need to show us the same scenes again.

Anyway, in addition to writing fic, this is how I’m coping with our collective loss.

[zoeysdamn]

Welly boots | Xavier Thorpe x reader

A/N: It’s definitely not my best work arghgvdfhbgk but after the pure angst of ‘Bloodied petals’ I just wanted to give the boi some fluff krkrkr It’s literally just that. Fluff.

Also the title is inspired by the song ‘Welly boots’ by The Amazing Devil, bc it’s one of my fave bands ever and this song is so beautiful, it has such a deep meaning about being a parent and watching your child grow up, it sounded so good for dad!Xavier

[Masterlist]

When he had left Nevermore, Xavier hadn’t the slightest clue about what his life would be. The only thing he was certain of was that he wanted to spend all the time he could with you, and so far it was coming out rather well. Being his girlfriend since your academy years, you couldn’t be more happy to live with your favorite artist, in the house you had come to build a home in. With the years, the originally decrepit building had morphed into a cozy place, thanks to all the renovations Xavier and you did, all the moments shared and all the memories created there. 

“What should we pick? Soft green or sandy shade?”

A giggle almost escaped your lips at the situation. Xavier Thorpe, talented artist who knew every color theory ever, standing in the middle of an aisle with paint buckets in his hands looking more confused than ever. Circling your arms around his middle from behind, you put your chin on his shoulder, having to crane your neck a little to reach its height. 

“What do you think would look best?” you asked softly. 

Xavier looked even more lost, frowning a little, “Well, a soft sandy shade would bring more light with the cream walls of the corridor, but the green is great too…But I don’t want to choose without having your opinion, it’s your home too babe and–”

“Hey,” you muttered softly, interrupting his rambling, “it’s our home. And I trust you with everything, so if you tell me it’s the sand shade, we’ll get the sand shade, no big deal. It’s only a living room, we’ll paint over it if we don’t like it.” 

Your words of reassurance calmed him instantly, and he dropped a kiss on your nose. 

“Thank you babe.”

“Anytime,” you smiled, pecking his cheek before taking his hand holding the right color paint, “let’s go, we still have to grab some paint rollers!” 

Xavier laughed and followed you with a blissful smile. Our home. He liked the sound of that; he couldn’t wait to get used to it. 

This had been your first shopping session after the house had been entirely fixed. The excitation of choosing every paint tone, piece of furniture and decoration, picturing and creating your perfect home together. Hanging pictures of your time at Nevermore surrounded by your friends in the living room, filling the spare room with easels and his art supplies, eating cheap takeout sitting on the floor when the kitchen wasn’t functional yet, these had been the blissful and candid times of many new firsts. First night in your new home, first leakage of the piping, first all-nighters when Xavier stayed up all night drawing, or you working on a new program for outcasts reinsertion – as an ambassador for outcasts rights, you had a lot on your plate some nights; first fight in that house too, followed by the reconciliation. The shouts of joy when Xavier found a job at the local art school, new pictures of your adult life appearing on the walls, like Enid and Wednesday’s wedding day, and on and on. A small white frame held a very precious memory, standing proudly in the middle of all the pictures. 

“I’m home!” called a voice from the front door, and the sound immediately brought a smile on your face. 

Footsteps came closer, and a pair of arms slid around your middle. 

“Hey love,” greeted Xavier, pressing a soft kiss on your cheek, “how’s the most beautiful girl doing?”

Laughing lightly, you angled your head up to capture his lips, kissing him gently; the fresh teapot you had been preparing long forgotten on the kitchen counter. “I’m fine,” you said against his lips, “how about you babe? Did the kids wear you off completely, or is there little of you left for me?”

He chuckled, twirling you slowly by taking your hands so you can face him, “They have been great today,” he assured before dropping another kiss on your lips, “the mural is coming around nicely.”

“Yeah I can see that,” you laughed, your thumb brushing over his sharp cheekbone where a smudge of blue paint remained – and complimented his eyes nicely honestly. “You still have a bit here.” 

Xavier chuckled and tried to rub it off, only spreading it further and another laugh escaped your lips. 

“Okay fine, I’m gonna wash it,” he admitted playfully, “then I’m all yours sweetheart.”

Leaning in, you kissed him softly, “I hope so, Mr Thorpe.” 

Reluctantly letting you go, Xavier made a quick trip to the bathroom to clean himself, then grabbed a towel to dry his face, returning to the kitchen. When he arrived at the entrance, he stopped for a second, leaning on the door frame to take some time to let the vision in front of him sink in his brain. Standing before the kitchen counter, you were preparing two mugs of tea, humming to yourself in your comfortable indoor shorts and one of Xavier’s sweaters. The faint glow of the late autumn afternoon sun reflected on your hair, surrounding you in a golden halo. Something in Xavier bloomed, making his heart swell in his chest without really knowing what it was. When you turned toward him, handing him his drink the feeling slightly faded away, replaced with the warm solace of your presence. But it didn’t completely disappear. 

Later that night you rolled on the bed, mindlessly reaching for Xavier’s warm embrace. But when your hand only came in contact with an empty sheet, your mind woke up a little. Cracking an eye open, you saw that you were indeed alone in the large bed; the sheets on Xavier’s side were slightly lukewarm, meaning he hadn’t been gone for that long. Slowly getting up, you grabbed an old baggy shirt and pulled it as you got out of the room, lazily making your way to his art studio. One of the spare rooms was used as your study, it was fair the second became his own personnel place. It was where Xavier spent most of his time when he couldn’t sleep, just like he did back at Nevermore. Except you didn’t have to cross a creepy forest in the middle of the night to join him now. 

When you entered the room, Xavier was sitting on his stool only in his briefs – he hadn’t even taken time to get dressed, looking lost into his thoughts. There wasn’t even half of a sketch on the easel. Approaching him, you slid your hand on the back of his neck, caressing it softly. 

“Hey,” you whispered, “can’t sleep?” 

Leaning against your hips, Xavier shook his head. You let him press his face on your belly, tiredness making his movements lazy. You glanced at his half finished rough sketch, running your fingers through his long fingers to soothe him. 

“Want to talk about it?” 

Once again, he said ‘no’ with his head, and you didn’t push it further. But after a few minutes of silence, Xavier carefully took your hand in his, looking up at you with his soft doe eyes. He looked so fragile and unsure – yet completely confident he was about to say, like he feared your reaction, and not his own words. As you were about to worriedly ask him again what was going on, he spoke up in a hushed tone. 

“I think I want to have a baby.” 

Eyes widening slightly, you couldn’t help but let out a small silent gasp at the confession. The baby talk wasn’t a new topic between the two of you; of course, you had brought it up as a joke first, back when you were dating at Nevermore, but it had been the occasion to state your respective views on the subject for the first time. And to learn how afraid Xavier was to be a father.

“When did you start to have those thoughts?” you asked softly, but you couldn’t hide how surprised you were. 

“A few weeks,” admitted Xavier quietly. “I…I don’t know what triggered it really but…it’s been on my mind ever since.”

You nodded, humming softly, “What changed your mind?”

He remained silent for a while, thinking about it. “It didn’t change, I…,” he muttered, “I guess it just…evolved. Being surrounded by kids and all…and you–…”

“Yes?” you breathed softly, gently encouraging him to continue. 

Angling his face up, Xavier gazed up at you with glossy eyes, tainted with emotion, “I’d like to build a family with you, Y/N. We already are one but…I know you’re the only one I can picture myself with as a happy man in the future. “

Taking one of your hands, Xavier pressed a kiss to your knuckles. But your silence started to make him worry. 

“Babe?...”

“Are you afraid about this?” you whispered and he looked up at you with concerned eyes. “Being a parent?”

With a small gulp, he nodded his head slowly, “A bit, yeah. And you?” 

“I’m terrified,” you admitted in a small voice, and Xavier felt his heart squeeze at the confession. But then, one of your hands went to cup his cheeks tenderly. “But with you, I’m willing to try; because I know you’ll be here.” 

As the realization sank in, Xavier felt tears filling his eyes, and he started to stutter, “D-do you mean…”.

With equally glossy eyes, you caressed his cheek with your thumb, smiling brightly through the emotion, “Yes,” you whispered, “I’m in. Let’s have a baby, Xavier.”

The smile that erupted on his face, tears of joy rolling down his cheeks, was the most heart-warming sight you had ever seen and you dove in to kiss him deeply, Xavier’s hands desperately cradling you closer to him. 

“Thank you,” he whispered against your lips after you parted from the kiss, “thank you sweetheart.” 

Smiling softly, you went for another kiss and slid on his thighs, straddling him and caressing his neck. Xavier’s calloused hand drifted under your shirt, and you helped him get rid of your night gardement with lazy excitement. You two had a baby to make and you couldn’t wait but get into it. 

It took a little more than four months for you to get pregnant. Ever since Xavier and you had this conversation, the idea of a mini mix of you both grew in your head and you found yourself even more excited at the thought. Sometimes, you gazed at Xavier and you tried to imagine what your baby could look like. Would they have his eyes? Your nose? Xavier’s pout that he vehemently assured he had not? 

The weeks following your period were always strange ones; you were looking for any tiny signs that could mean you were pregnant, all while trying to be relaxed about it. But every negative test hurt harder than the previous one. Even for Xavier, each negative result was a blow on his mood. Without realizing it, you both had become much more attached to the wish to have a baby on your own than you would have thought. But Xavier had always been here, hugging you tightly when the tears fell at another negative test, making sure you were feeling alright before and after your period knowing it would be a hard time for you, purchasing tests – or stopping when he felt that it became too much of a touchy subject. 

And then, at an unexpected time the test turned positive. It was just after you came back for an exhausting meeting, normies representatives had been ruthless and stubborn and it had been hard to restrain your outcasts’ colleagues furry at their snarky comments. As a result nothing had come out of this meeting and you were just so tired for nothing at the end of the day. The day had been so hectic you barely had time to grab something to eat, so you ended up leaning against the kitchen counter, eyes lost into nothingness as you waited for the leftovers of mac’n���cheese to heat up in the microwave. 

Xavier was out for the evening with Ajax, knowing you would be home late so you reached for your bag to text him you made it home. You were so tired it took you an eternity to rummage in your handbag to search for the phone, then your fingers touched a thin plastic device and you froze. Pulling it out with trembling fingers you tried to remember since when you this test in your bag; you had grabbed it flipped over so you couldn’t see the result yet but you remembered vaguely taking it in the morning but then realizing you were late for work, and you had throw everything in your bag – keys, wallet, phone charger, agenda and, apparently, pregnancy test – in a hurry before rushing out. Maybe it was because you were tired, or because you were so used to negative tests, but you flipped it over mind-absently as the microwave dinged. Glancing down on the counter you froze on the spot. Bright red and glaring at you, the “+” on the stick made your breath hitch. The room around you felt like spinning a little, and you grabbed the test with a trembling hand. It took you a whole solid minute to get a grip on what happened, and you let yourself slide against the counter, not counting on your wobbly legs to support you anymore. 

Then you let out a kind of strangled giggle. This was so unreal, so…so awaited after all that failures, it felt so strange. Yet you couldn’t help but smile through the tears of joy rolling down your cheeks. 

This is how Xavier found you when he came home around an hour later, sitting on the floor against the kitchen’s counter, munching on a lukewarm plate of mac’n’cheese and a familiar stick in your hand. At first he panicked at your state and rushed to your side as soon as he found you in the kitchen. 

“Oh my god babe, are you okay? What happened, are you hurt??”

To his surprise, you smiled at his panicked tone and handed him the test wordlessly. Xavier’s eyes flickered to the test and widened. He looked back at you mouth agape, struggling to let the singlest word out,  completely dumbfounded. 

“Is it…are you…”

You nodded, tears starting to spill again through your smile, “Yes, yes I am. I’m pregnant Xav.” 

The next thing you knew, you were engulfed in the tightest hug you ever had. A happy sob escaped your lips and you cradled Xavier closer to you. 

“I can’t believe it,” he whispered against your hair, “we- we’re gonna be parents babe, it’s…it’s amazing.” 

No words you could have said would have been able to express how thrilled you were. So you only giggled nervously and happily, full of love and hope with Xavier at your side. 

The first ultrasound pic was now in the small white frame on the living room wall. Even if the baby was just as small as a bean, it had been such an emotional moment, Xavier had shed a tear the first time you had seen the baby on the screen. Your baby. Of course, you had tons of other ultrasounds but it was this one that Xavier had insisted on hanging on the wall. You had scribbled on it “The smol bean”, and it had become the unofficial baby’s nickname until the birth. 

Despite Enid’s and Ajax’s pleas to know the baby’s gender, Xavier and you had chosen to not know until the birth. Wednesday on the other hand, had agreed with your decision (apparently it “left some hope that the baby would sprung out of your belly just like in that pleasant movie of the 80’s”, much to her girlfriend’s horror). Xavier had winced at that, you had laughed. Truth being told, your pregnancy had been a rather calm one the first months. It had been such a joy and amazement to see your belly grow, sometimes you still couldn’t believe there was an actual little human being growing within. The pregnancy had also made you discover that Xavier grew an absolute devotion to your belly. From the moment you had started to show, his hands always found their way of caressing the slight curve of your stomach, of touching the side of your hips when you were in public. He was probably as in awe as you were the more your belly grew, and he couldn’t help but to sketch your silhouette. He had dozens of sketchbooks filled with various sketches of you during the pregnancy, you could almost make a precise evolution of your growing belly. 

Things had begun to be complicated the last two months, you had more and more morning sickness and you often felt dizzy. You had to take a maternity leave earlier than you had planned to, and even with Xavier’s best efforts to help you feel better, those were two long months. Still, Xavier had always stayed by your side, supporting you all the way the best he could. You couldn’t have gone that far without him, especially at the most critical moments. 

And then when your waters finally broke and you went to the hospital, he had barely left your side. Holding your hand as you pushed the hardest just as the nurses instructed you to, vein popping on your forehead and tears in the corner of your eyes; despite the rush and the pain, there was no other place Xavier would have rather been. 

Looking back to it, it seemed to you that it hadn’t been that long of a moment to live. In reality it had felt like an eternity, no matter how well surrounded you were, the pain had just been so much– And suddenly, the tiniest cry pierced through the ambient chaos and everything just froze around you. Your sight might have been blurry with tears, but your eyes had immediately been set on that screaming, red, living bundle in the nurse’s hand. The mere vision of your baby was enough to make you cry again. The baby, your baby was alive. 

Unknown hands laid them on your chest – a girl, said one of the nurses. You precious, beautiful daughter. 

The only thing your brain registered next had been the trembling hands of Xavier joining yours over the frail body of your newborn daughter. His face had been bathed with tears of joy and relief, unable to stop himself or to look away from either of you. And just like that, your family was there at last. 

Cleo Thorpe was born on a sweet spring day, and ever since everything changed in your lives. Sure, you had always known having a baby would shake your world. You had simply not expected it to go that well. 

The six months off your job had been a blessing to spend most of the time with your daughter. Cleo was a noisy baby, always babbling, cooing or even whimpering to get a little bit of attention – like she needed to. She was the most precious thing in your life, and even when she was sick or fussy, you enjoyed every moment with her. 

And Xavier, oh boy Xavier. The very moment Cleo had been born she got him wrapped around her finger. She was barely six months old, but Xavier was already ready to do anything for your daughter. You hadn’t the most stable family life before, but Xavier clearly had it worse. Between his mother’s disappearance early on, and the cold relationship with his manipulative father, Xavier had wanted this family more than anything. He had craved it, ever since the pregnancy talk had been bought on the table. 

Now that she was born, he spent all the time he could with Cleo. It was so cute to see him walking around the house with the baby in his arms, talking to her about his day, or what he should cook tonight. Xavier even took her with him when he painted in his art studio, keeping her steady on his lap as he brushed his pencil over the canvas – while being extra careful of Cleo not grabbing any paint or charcoal, she loved to grab moving things. The sound of her happy babbling while she was absolutely fascinated by the movement of her daddy’s drawing filled the studio more than once. And the sight of the two loves of your life being so caught up in their own little world, in this peaceful bubble, always melted your heart. 

To be honest, the more you thought about it, the more you couldn’t imagine how you could have lived without that before; yes you and Xavier had each other. But now you have Cleo. 

A faint cry pulled you out of your sleep, dragging you out of consciousness in the middle of the night. You whimpered slightly, but a warm caress on your bare shoulder soothed you. 

“I’m going,” whispered the rasp voice of Xavier. 

You hummed faintly, and he pressed a kiss on your cheek before getting up from the bed, the soft thud of his bare feet fading in the distance. Sleep started to sink in again and you gradually doze off. Then after a few minutes of silence, the lack of presence on the other side of the bed nudged your mind. Reaching for the mattress next to you, your hand only met the sheet and you cracked an eye open. Xavier wasn’t back yet, which was rather odd. Cleo sometimes cried during the night, but it never took long for her to calm down and sleep again when you or Xavier showed up. So you got up, groggy from sleep and padded to your daughter’s room. The sight that welcomed you was so soft, you could feel your heart soar at it. Xavier in his brief was sitting in the recliner, the small form of your sleeping baby cuddled on his chest. Cleo’s chubby hands were fisted tightly against her face, like a kitten trying to sleep. 

Approaching them silently you slid your hand over Xavier’s naked shoulder. 

“Hey,” you whispered softly. 

Turning his head, Xavier pressed a soft kiss on your hand. “She had a nightmare,” he said quietly, mindful to not wake the baby again. 

You hummed quietly, entrapped by the sight of your daughter, so small and so peaceful on her dad’s chest. Sometimes you still couldn’t believe how Xavier and you had managed to create this beautiful tiny human. 

“Sorry I woke you up,” said Xavier, looking up to you. But you shook your head, muffling a yawn. 

“Don’t worry, that’s fine. I guess we’re both excited about tomorrow, uh little bean?” you cooed, caressing Cleo’s cheek with your finger. 

That made Xavier chuckle and he kissed her forehead tenderly. Some of your friends and former Nevermore classmates had planned to come over later in the day, to celebrate Cleo’s six months birthday. At first you had scoffed at the idea of celebrating any birthday before the first one, but the puppy eyes Xavier had given you had finished convincing you. He was really so whipped for his daughter, this would lead to many daddy’s little girl tricks in the future, you called it. But thinking about it, you had realized that it would be the first time you would all be reunited since Cleo’s birth. Except for Ajax and Wednesday (and by her girlfriend’s extension, Enid) who had visited frequently due to their godparents status – which Wednesday denied partly – most of your friends had only seen Cleo from the pictures you sent them. Well, rather the flood of pics Xavier sent them; you were pretty sure that Yoko had blocked his number at some point.

After a few moments of silent fascination, Xavier slowly got up, carefully holding Cleo before laying her in her crib. He admired her for another handful of seconds, before turning to you, kissing you softly. 

“Let’s go back to bed,” he whispered. 

With another yawn, you nodded. Some more sleep could do you some good before the incoming day.  

Later on after a calm remaining sleep, you were just finished dressing up Cleo and put her in her crib when someone ringed at the door. As Xavier was busy in the kitchen you went to answer, opening the door to Enid and Wednesday. The werewolf immediately brought you into a tight hug while the Addams stood stiff on your front door. 

“Oh my god girl it’s been sooooo long!” squealed Enid happily, “How are you?”

“I’m fine,” you smiled at her before nodding politely on Wednesday – you knew how much she despised unnecessary physical contact. “Did you guys have a safe trip?” you inquired, gesturing to them to come inside.

“It was acceptable,” answered Wednesday sharply, “now I require to see the child.” 

That made Enid blush in embarrassment but you only chuckled. When you had suggested Wednesday for the godmother’s role, Xavier had been slightly wary. The Addams didn’t exactly scream babysitter material, and there were so many other people who could have fit the role, like Enid for instance. But you had insisted; somehow you had the intuition that Wednesday could make an amazing guardian for your daughter, and if that eased Xavier’s mind, Enid would never be far anyway. And to everyone’s surprise you had been right. Despite the cold laid-back behavior and general despise of human beings, Wednesday had a soft spot for your daughter. When you had asked her to be the godmother just after Cleo’s birth, and she reluctantly took her in her arms, something shifted. Maybe not maternal instinct, but after a solid very awkward minute of silence of her staring blankly at the baby, Wednesday had swore she would set the world on fire for this child. Xavier had turned to you with begging eyes but it had warmed your heart; who could have known Wednesday could have the tiniest trace of maternal instinct. She was still her parents’ daughter after all. 

Ever since, the Addams clinged on Cleo everytime she came to visit, taking her role of protector very seriously. Enid was secretly thrilled by this, hoping this could someday lead to the subject of having children of their own. For now it wasn’t really the right time, with Enid’s new job as a Nevermore teacher and the offer of the deputy principal position; but it’ll come with time. 

You came back to the living room with Cleo in your arms, the baby cooing happily at the familiar faces of your guests. Enid awed, immediately melting for the cute sight of your daughter and Wednesday held her arms as you passed the baby to her. 

“Hello morrita,” she said in her usual flat tone – although you could sense the slightest fond undertones, “how are you doing?”

“Hiiiiii Cleo,” cooed Enid, overring to her next to her unfazed girlfriend, “you’re so adorable!” 

It was funny to see them interact with the baby. Enid cooed and sing-songed in baby voices while Wednesday always talked to your daughter like she would do to a growing adult, describing things in detail when the tiniest frown draped over Cleo’s features – sometimes with a little too much detail in your opinion. 

Xavier came out from the kitchen, whipping his hands on an apron and scoffed playfully at the sight. 

“Is Wednesday trying to steal our daughter again?”

“Do not tempt me, Thorpe,” she threatened with a glare. The way Cleo’s green eyes narrowed at the same time, like mirroring her godmother’s killer look made you burst in laughter. Xavier on the other hand, paled instantly. 

“It’s too late already,” he muttered in horror. 

Enid tried to refrain from laughing, pocketing her phone after having managed to snap a picture of the two of them – she would definitely send it to you after. Someone knocked at the door again and you pushed Xavier to it, reassuring him that no, his babygirl will not love Wednesday more than him. 

At the door, Ajax, Bianca and Yoko greeted you, hugging Xavier then you, before letting themselves in and settling in the living room. Everyone cooed at Cleo, who was thrilled to have so much attention all of a sudden, and she babbled excitedly at each of your guests. 

Settling the food and drinks everyone brought, you started to chat with your old classmates. Being the first ones to have a kid in your group of friends, you knew you were kind of aliens for the rest of them. It seemed that your days at Nevermore weren’t that far behind you, still you were glad to be able to spend some time and chat like nothing changed. 

The time for gifts came, and Xavier and you opened them as Ajax bounced Cleo on his hip, her kraken plushie in her hand – a gift from Bianca, which was very much appreciated by your little one. You thanked all of your friends for their gifts, and Xavier helped Cleo to blow the candles on the small cupcake, as if it was a real birthday cake. If you could freeze time and put it in a bottle to keep a moment with you for eternity, it would be that one. 

Some time later, when your friends helped you clean the living room and Cleo had been put to bed for a nap, you found yourself in the kitchen with Xavier. You were putting the dishes away, and he was packing the leftovers of cake; but you sensed him a bit absent. 

“Everything’s okay?” you asked him softly, putting a hand on his arm. 

“Mmmh? Yeah, all’s fine, don’t worry love,” he said with a smile. But the way your eyebrows furrowed in concern didn’t ease, and he pressed a kiss on your forehead. “I swear it’s fine.” 

“I know that look,” you insisted gently, “what did you see?” 

With time, Xavier’s visions had become less chaotic. He often had them in his sleep, or by touching specific objects. Nothing as dramatic as the one he had back then at Nevermore, but it could sometimes busy his mind for quite some time, so you couldn’t help but to be worried. 

But the sincere smile he gave you washed all of that. 

“She’s gonna be amazing,” he breathed in a grin, voice heavy with emotion. “I saw her, growing up, being older…only flashes, but…she was beautiful, Y/N.” 

The smile that grew on your face at the same time as his was blinding. Hugging Xavier tightly, you felt lighter than ever. 

Xavier was right, Cleo was going to be amazing; she was already making your lives incredible, and you couldn’t wait to watch your daughter grow, side by side with the man you loved.

Hope you liked it, take care of you ♥

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 24 - Wǒ Qīn'ài de Húxiān Huánghòu

"Hey, babe, sorry, but I won't hold back. I'll try to keep from hitting your pretty face though. It would be a shame to hurt such a beauty." Rihito grinned flirtatiously, making Kisara gag internally. "Rihito. I'm married. You came to my wedding." she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Married or not, you're still hot and I want your number." Kisara groaned in frustration, not bothering to listen to any of Mokichi's professional commentary.

As soon as the referee announced the moment to take their stance, Kisara cracked her knuckles and adopted Agito's martial arts stance, waiting. The fight began, and Rihito sprung at light speed towards the red head - Only to find himself knocked out, on the ground. For the ordinary people with no experience, it looked like some kind of magic took place - But the others cheered the fantastic win lasting less than a minute. It was a classic Hatsumi Sen win that only someone as fast as Kisara could accomplish. First, she leaned to the side, grabbing his hand, or rather, wrapping her fingers around his thumb, gripping and forcing it in an awkward angle, forcing him to his knees. Before Rihito could escape with the aid of his other hand's Razor's Edge, Kisara used Senpai's Gathering Clouds: Triple Strike move on his face, hitting the glabella, philtrum and chin with such speed that he fell on the ground, knocked out and bleeding.

Kisara smirked, doing a pretty princess courtesy towards the audience, before getting out of the ring, and back to where the manager was waiting to congratulate her, along with Jackie and Joji. She hadn't even sweat, at all - To think that what a semifinal worthy of a Kengan x Purgatory Tournament... What a disgrace! Her fight with Wakatsuki from many years ago was far more entertaining than this hilarity.  As soon as she got up the stands, she double high-fived both Jackie and Joji before slumping down on her assigned seat next to the foreigner who offered her another pocky pack and a coke can, with which she clinked to everyone's beer or sake cups.

"You made that look very easy." Jackie said casually. "It is, actually!" she smiled, munching on that pocky. "It's not." he said. "It takes years of practice. How long did it it take?" "Hmm... Let's see... About four years, I think?" she pondered over. "Ah, but don't think I was in any way athletic back then! Goodness, no I-- I was pretty pathetic and weak. I was still in Uni and studying all day, barely living on coffee and a light meal per day. If it wasn't for Ohma encouraging me to get healthier, I wouldn't have gotten where I am." she scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. "It took years to gain any ounce of self-confidence, control and discipline over myself. Hatsumi-Senpai helped me a lot in that regard. I used to be such an anxious little mouse before!" she giggled lightly. "But I got to do a lot of mountain hiking, which was super fun!" "You're just being modest, then. It took your Senpai years to perfect a move and learn how to teach it to you. Don't downplay your hard-work." Jackie hummed, nonchalantly drinking his beer. "You're just too nice, Jackie." she hummed. "Would you like to go hiking with us some day?" "Sure."

The second semifinal began with Koga against Ryuki, which was an exciting and thrilling match. Gaoh began with a fantastically quick footwork towards and around Koga using Setsuna's move, but Narushima was able to dodge before he got killed. Was Kiryu around, maybe? Could Ryuki be so directly influenced by Setsuna, all of a sudden? He wasn't like this a while ago, during the Kengan vs Purgatory Tournament. If Ohma finds him, an all-out war might explode. Ever since Ohma got his memories back, he's gotten so much wiser and level-headed, so grounded and calm, it was truly wholesome and heart-warming; Hence why, Kisara was almost sure that Ohma was protective over Koga, but also wanted to protect Ryuki from negative outside influence - In this case, Setsuna - Knowing he was just a child traumatised by the Inside, similar to him in many ways, but also, so very different. Tokita Niko and Gaoh Mukaku were definitely miles apart on the spectrum.

Koga looked almost helpless before Gaoh's fierce rush - Truth is, Koga wasn't tried to kill his friend, while Ryuki was actively going out of his way to assassinate him. He was dodging and evading, parrying and blocking, even a combination of Koei style Blink and Rakshasa's Palm. All of a sudden, Jackie got up abruptly. "Something wrong, Jackie?" Joji asked him, looking up at the man whilst still drinking his alcohol. "I'm gonna buy some more beer. Want me to pick up something while I'm there?" the foreigner offered. "Can I have fried offal and noodles? I swear, I could live the rest of my life on nothing but fried offal and noodles." Joji chuckled lethargically. "Are you sure you're okay, Jackie? You seem upset. Is the match boring you?" Kisara automatically got up to her feet, her hand reaching out to gently touch his biceps. Jackie looked down at her, his empty eyes boring into her beautiful green ones, and his expression subtly lightened. "Yes, I'm alright, don't worry about me." he placed his large hand over her her much smaller and delicate one. "For a fighter, you have very soft skin. It would be a shame if you got hurt." with one finger placed under her chin, he rose her face up. She was as beautiful as always, he thought, and without a second word, he left to the shop, leaving Kisara very much confused.

Meanwhile, Koga used the Indestructible, risking the Rakshasa's Palm rotation and punching Koga's face hard enough - He finally realised that the rotation is tearing apart not only the muscles, but the bones and nerves also. Poor Adam, taking the brunt of that. Even Nikaido, years ago. Thank goodness Master Gensai fought him in the next round and put him to respect, otherwise, who knows how many more people he would have almost killed.  Ryuki got in a low stance before leaping up with two Air Rending Gaoh Style techniques in a row aimed at Koga's head - He combined the Gaoh style with the Koei style again, what a monster; He did the same with the Blink and the Earth-Crouching Dragon. Koga managed to land a beautiful straight to his face, sensing Ryuki fall to the ground, but he got back on his feet right away. 

Koga used the Flame Kata - Raging Fire Dash, grabbing Ryuki in a low stance, and though he tried to pull the Rakshasa's Palm move twice on him, it didn't work. Koga easily figured out the spin goes from below the elbow down. He's got him all figured out. Ryuki used the Armor Clad, a technique similar to the Indestructible, to which Koga punched with with Ironbreak - Though in a twist of events, Gaoh used Swift foot, hitting Koga's torso with Setsuna's move, catching him off guard; Thankfully, the silver haired young man managed a semi-perfect Indestructible before he could get any real damage to his body.

Whatever conclusion both of them reached was unknown, for they engaged in an outright slugfest, using Armor clad and Indestructible. Koga combined the Iron Breaker with the Raging Fire, lunging at Ryuki with mad speed and strength, breaking through his defenses, sending him flying - But he went on ahead once again, smashing him with a Flashing Steel, landing a clean hit - Though his fists were massively bleeding. Ohma must be pretty pissed off that Koga hurt himself by using techniques blindly without thinking.

Who'd have thought that Ryuki would be beaten by his best friend, using his infamous Earth-Crouching Dragon uppercut strike on himself, the person he relied on the most, knocking him out instantly? Narushima Koga advances to the finals. As Kisara got up from her seat and walked towards the arena, she encountered Jackie, as if he was looking for her. He didn't bring her something to either drink or eat - In fact, he seemed to have bought nothing at all. Was he not returning to the others? Was he in a rush to leave?

"I need to leave soon." Jackie said, his hands in the pockets. "I'll look for you after you win this to say goodbye. That's what friends do, right?" Though a little clumsy, Kisara smiled at the nice thought. "Of course. I hope my match will impress you a bit more than the last one." she said, before taking his hands in her own. "But, Jackie - Are you sure you're alright? You seem really upset. Like - Really. Is something the matter?" Jackie looked down at her, squeezing her hands softly, but his expression didn't change. He looked as bored as always. "I'm fine. Worry about your match. In fact, that's why I came to find you. I thought of a way to evade any injury." Jackie said, gently taking his hands out of her hold and rummaging in the pocket of his jacket. "You said that boy knows your style, and you knows his. The solution is simple. Do what you do best." the ghost of a smile touched his handsome features. "Dance." "Dance?" the girl rose a questioning eyebrow, earning a nod from the man. "You've shown everything in fights, except your dancing. Wushu can be mastered through dancing. That boy is injured enough for you to be able to pull off a quick win." he noted, taking out a beautiful golden jade pin, ornate with flowers, and put it in her velvety carmine hair. "Achieve victory." he said in a more stern voice, turning around to leave. "And never fight again."

Kisara had no clue what happened, nor could she understand the peculiarity of her interaction with Jackie. Not only was he acting weird, but was also being overly familiar, speaking as though they knew each other for ages. But that accessory was very pretty and seemed veritable - She wasn't going to throw away a gift. Regardless, she had a match to win. She walked into the ring, and saw Wakatsuki standing next to Jerry and Sayaka at the commentator's table. "Thank you for being with us, Wakatsuki! Can you tell us what to look out for in this match?" Jerry spoke. "Well, if you ask me, Kisara's going to be a force to be reckoned with. I've fought her before, and she gave me a run for my money. That's not to say it's a sure win. Narushima's style is versatile, witty and strong." Kisara wanted to chuckle at his comment, especially as Koga was in such a battered state. The two stepped close enough to fist bump and grin at each other. "Let's do this, Kisara!" Koga said, pumped up. "Yeah, let's enjoy this fight." she stepped backwards towards her spot. "You should know by now though, I'm more of an expert in the Niko style than you can imagine." she chuckled, taking the graceful stance of a dancer, while Koga took the usual stance.

Dance - Jackie said. Alright then, let's dance for the Emperor. She smiled gracefully, knowing that her husband was watching, and as soon as the referee yelled the beginning of the fight, Kisara hummed the melody of the Lanling Prince in Battle song, performing every move that the beautiful concubine in that movie did. Though she hadn't a mask or a weapon to signify the duality of the prince, nor the war he was fighting, she twirled beautifully towards Koga, evading with ease his hits, and with the elegance of a swan, her palms struck him hard, making him reel backwards. There was not a single hit that Koga could aim - He felt as though he was fighting mist, or even the flowing water - Yet when she kicked him, she hit harder than a hurricane.

"Sorry, kid." Kisara apologised to Koga as she twirled, striking him hard in the face with an open palm hit, before doing a few pirouettes towards him, grabbing him by the chin, dragging him forwards. She then took his wrist, ducking behind him and kneeing him in the liver from behind, before twirling in front of him again, pulling him by the hand and doing a backflip, kneeing him in the diaphragm again, and graciously landing on her feet to deliver her last hit, her finishing strike: The Dragon Shot.

Koga was unconscious on the ground. "THE QUEEN OF THE KENGAN MATCHES STRIKES AGAIN! KISARA WINS!" the winner did a few beautiful moves as courtesy to the cheering audience. To think she'd actually win a tournament, isn't that hilarious? She sure had a ton of good luck. Was it an auspicious day or what?  Ah, she's beat. She just wants to go home and cuddle Ohma to sleep.

She skipped out of the arena, looking for her husband. She found him, along with some others, who congratulated her. Jackie was leaning on the wall, but he came over just as Ohma pulled her in a kiss. "Well done. You fought well." the foreigner spoke in a low voice. "Now stop fighting." not only her, but Ohma and some others who weren't too drunk, or too engulfed in conversations looked at him confused. "It's a man's job to protect his woman. You had your fun. Now stay safe." "If Kisara wants to continue fighting, she will. She doesn't need anyone's protection." Ohma defended his wife's tenacity and resolve. "My wife will do whatever she wants." Jackie shared a short exchange of looks with Ohma, before his gaze fell on Kisara for the last time. Unexpectedly, he spoke one last phrase, in his mother tongue, before leaving. "Zàijiàn​​​​​​​. Wǒ Qīn'ài de Húxiān Huánghòu." Kisara gasped, her eyes wide open, and her mouth agape. "What'd he say?" Yamashita asked, scratching the back of his neck in confusion. "I have no clue. What language was that anyway?" Ohma grunted, furrowing his brows slightly. "I think it was Chinese." the manager replied. "Kisara, did you understand what he said?" she nodded her head. "You have a weird look on your face. Did he threaten you?" "No... On the contrary." she muttered, pulling away from Ohma. "Find me outside in ten minutes, okay? I need to seek some answers." they needn't ask for words - They understood each other through looks alone. 

Kisara ran after Jackie, all the way outside. She spotted his messy blond hair and she grabbed him by the elbow, stopping him from advancing further away. He hadn't turned around to face her though. "Why did you say that to me?" Kisara asked. "I don't know Chinese very well, but I can tell simple words like that." she gulped. "Farewell, my beloved Fox Empress. That's what you said, isn't it? Why did you say that to me?"

"Because that's what you've always been." he answered so nonchalantly, but somehow, Kisara felt scared like never before. She never once felt any kind of malice from Jackie - Why now? Why does she feel in danger, but also... Safe? That made no sense whatsoever. "Jackie. Do you... Know me?" she asked, feeling a shiver down her spine. "Jackie. Jackie... That's not your name, isn't it?" she bit her lip. "Jackie. Are you... Are you the 'Connector'?" The silence from the one calling himself Jackie was eerie and dangerous like nothing she's ever experienced before. "You've always been too smart for your own good. Your wisdom was wasted on a woman. Nobody listened to you." a painful sense of dread froze her heart. "They should have listened to you." Confused but also creeped out, Kisara took the pin out of her hair and analysed it. She might have known some words here and there, but she definitely couldn't read the symbols. "Am I a clone like Ohma and Ryuki, then? I couldn't be, could I? If Huisheng might have been taught and done for over a millennia... Now or then... I doubt I'd have had any worth to clone. So if that's not it, then... Then how do you know me?" "You are right. You weren't worth cloning, any more than anyone else, except for the Connector." Jackie spoke. "Are you a Buddhist?" Kisara was perplex at such a question, only to realise it made sense, in an odd way. "Are you trying to ask me if I believe in Samsara? Reincarnation?" he nodded his head. "I... I don't. Or rather, I didn't. With all this cloning and Huisheng going on, I... I'm not sure if I should let anything surprise me anymore." "I am many, though I am one. You are one, yet you are many." his phrase sounded more like a riddle than any answer. "Don't let them kill you again. Ruyi."

Kisara's eyes widened, shocked at the name she was given. "Are you trying to imply I'm Chinese?"  "Once, a Princess. Now, only by thinned blood, yet with no less of the grace." whether he knew the effect his words had on her, creeping her out like that. Or, perhaps he knew, for he took a step forward, ready to leave. "Wait - Jackie!" the man did not stop; Instead, he spoke a single word before vanishing through the crowd of people, as though he was a phantasm that she imagined. "Shen", he said. Was that his true name, then? Or, at least, the one she interacted with. "Kisara." someone placing a hand on her shoulder made the woman jump in her skin with a yelp of shock. "Easy now, it's me. You were zoning out." "Ohma." Kisara breathed out shakily. "Let's go home. I need to call Katahara." "Huh? What happened?" Ohma's eyes widened in shock as Kisara threw her arms around his torso, clinging tightly onto him. "I'm still trying to figure out what happened. Let me explain while we go back home. It's... A lot to take in."

Kisara recalled the dialog and interactions she had with the man whose name may or may not be Shen truly, and she even researched the symbols on the accessory - Princess Ruyi - It said. How scary. "I want to ask Katahara and Wu Xing if they know anything about Reincarnation. I want to know how does the Connector know me, and why would he bother going out of his way to get so familiar with me. I mean, he's the head of the Worm, right? He's supposed to stay hidden, yet he went out of his way to befriend Yamashita Kazuo and Joji. He didn't hide away from you and the others either." she laid on the bed in deep thought. "He told me not to let them kill me. He told me to stop fighting. He told me my smarts were wasted on me for being a woman, because nobody listens to women." Kisara suddenly shot up in a sitting position, turning to look at her husband. "It almost sounds like the story of the Lanling Prince and his wife. She begged him not to go to war, but he went anyway, so she followed after him. Instead, the prince ended up watching his wife get killed in front of him. As she lay dying in his arms, her blood splattered all over his mask. You remember that show, don't you? Almost a hundred episodes - Though you slept through most of it anyway."

"Aren't you overthinking it? I mean, it doesn't really matter in the end, does it? Whether incarnation is true or not, you aren't connected with your past selves like the Huisheng bastards are. If you don't remember anything, it doesn't affect you." he, too, got up, cupping her face. "Whatever you were in the past doesn't matter. Right now, you are Tokita Kisara, my wife. You're a fighter because you want to, and you did a ton of things thanks to your intelligence. You've got a bunch of friends and your whole life ahead of yourself. Who cares about that guy, anyway? Besides, he had every chance to kill you, but he didn't seem hostile to you, you said; On the contrary. So even better. If the Worm head doesn't want you dead, all the best for me, I won't have to worry too much." "Since when have you gotten so wise, anyway?" Kisara climbed in his lap, pulling him into a tight embrace. "I almost don't recognise you for the stupid gym rat you were a little ago." "Shut up, you dumbass bookworm. I'm just saying - Don't bother with that guy. As long as he ain't trying to harm you, he's not our concern yet. You're worrying too much. I bet you're overthinking yourself to death now with all sorts of bullshit." Kisara offered a wry smile, feeling guilty and busted.

"Of course, you are right. I can't help but think about what he said. About all this. If the Connector dates back over a thousand years ago, well - Confucianism was a big thing in China - But then why did he ask if I was a Buddhist? Thing is - There are so many contradictions about all this. I mean - Confucianism rejected the idea of reincarnation, saying a single life was enough. The Connector is cloning himself, thus, continuing to live and relive. It's like a continuous Samsara, in a weird way, with no Nirvana. Buddhism believes strongly in rebirth until one achieves nirvana." she rested her elbow on his shoulders. "Shen said my talents were wasted on me, because I was a woman. He called me an Empress. A Princess. If we were during a Confucianism time, then the Annalects speak that women must obey their father, husband and sons after the death of the husband. Likewise, they say if a woman doesn't hold the "four virtues" - chastity, modesty in speech, neatness of appearance, and good needlework and cooking, then they aren't worthy. Women aren't important. Which would make sense with what he said." she continued with her ridiculous overthinking. "When in comes to Buddhism, I think the Sutras and the Jataka tales tend to contradict themselves. I heard that Siddhartha Gautama called equality among men and women when it comes to attaining Spiritual Awakening, but at the same time, there are writings that say women aren't allowed to become Bodhisattva and must have a good karma to be reborn as a man to have any chance of attaining nirvana, because they are seen as polluted with menstruation, sexual intercourse, death and childbirth. By this accord, I am fated to keep this Samsara cycle for an eternity, because I've sinned for centuries, and by bad karma is punishing me in this cursed body, unable to achieve Enlightening." she hummed, her eyes narrowed a little. "But then, if I was a weak, useless woman, why would I be killed? Why would he care? He's the Connector, and he admitted I'm not worth cloning, like everyone else except for him - So why does he cling to my supposed reincarnation?"

"Are you done?" Ohma had the most done with life expression on his face. "For now, I think yes." she nodded casually. "Good, because I zoned out a while ago." he scoffed, pushing her on her back on the bed. "You speak too much and I don't understand jack shit. Didn't I tell you not to use use smart words cause I don't understand? Everything you said is just a bunch of unimportant thoughts that you have, that's all. What's the point in thinking about a past you never had, when you're living in the present? Confucius and Buddha, and whatever anyone else thinks or believes in - You don't believe in any of that shit, you said that countless of times. So if you don't care about that, why the hell would you get so deep into this? Forget it." Ohma towered down over her, his long hair draping over her face, tickling her into giggling. "That's it. That's the beautiful smile I wanted to see." he placed his hands over hers, intertwining their fingers together, squeezing lightly. "You won a tournament. You made yourself proud with your hard work. You were great out there. Why go out of your way to upset yourself? We're living in the present - Remember what we talked about on the island? We're creating our own lives. Together." Kisara smiled sweetly, feeling her eyes sting with emotion, small tears slowly escaping at the corners and streaming down. "You have no idea how much I love you, Ohma. There's no one in this world that could understand me like you do. I'm so lucky to have you in my life." he simply chuckled, leaning down to capture her sweet lips in a tender kiss. "I love you, Kisara."

Days passed since the tournament, and with that, Ryuki's departure back home, to his grandpa in the Inside. Problem was, the summer ended, and with it, so did the connection with the boy. He was nowhere to be found. Of course, everyone worried over him and together with Retsudo, they formed a rescue party, adding Himuro and Rei, who would be great additions.  Along with the manager, they gathered at Katahara's home, around a large map that depicted the map of the Inside based on satellite photography and statements from the residents. The GPS tracker placed on Ryuki had stopped responding around Rhoza district, so something must have happened around there. The change of the borders was always changing though, so they must have probably already shifted drastically.

Rei had been on a job there before, at the border of Rhoza - Apparently, Himuro was from there also originally. They say they keep putting up new buildings and apartments where there were roads the previous day, so it's a real mess to deal with. Ryuki was lost somewhere in the middle of the map, which was not a part of Rohza anymore, but a contested territory by all districts around. They were walking in the middle of a turf war. Not great. 

Yamashita Kazuo remembered Ohma mentioning having a villa in Shiki, and he though he must have travelled diagonally, from one end of the Inside, to the other. Of course, that wasn't the case, he wasn't suicidal - He went outside the borders, taking refuse in Shiki when things got to shit in Tokita.

While they were discussing a plan, Koga had left to see the border with the Inside, trying to convince himself and find his courage and resolve to join them in their venture in hell. He even got to see a Seki vs Naoya fight, to which he was told a lot of encouraging words - Finally, he was ready to go.

They were leaving on the morrow. Himuro would be leading them through Rohza and Rei would accompany them until they reached the disputed territory. They'll need a guide through the disputed territory though - Retsudo seemed to already have someone in mind though, so things were good. Clearly, he was in it to get more info on the Worm - Smart boy. He'll become a fantastic chairman, just like Katahara was.

Before they left, Kisara, Ohma and Koga went over to Masaki at Toyo corp to retrieve their reports on the Inside - Surveys made by his supposed father were made from two years prior and what not. "Are you sure you want to come?" Ohma turned to Kisara, checking one last time. "Of course. I want to rescue Ryuki as much as everyone. Besides - I want to stay by your side, remember? I don't want a sudden repeat of a few years ago. Someone has to keep you safe, right?" she winked at him playfully, holding his hand. "A'ight, Your Majesty, protect me." Ohma chuckled as they traversed the thick wall corridor that led to the Inside, a desolate place abandoned by God like no other.

It almost felt as if they weren't in Japan anymore, with bazaars and black markets everywhere, soldiers, refugees, merchants, vendors and everything else you'd think of. Weirdly enough, Ohma seemed to be grinning, reminiscing about Tokita Ward. Weirdo.  They went to search for some lodging for the night, in the biggest dump in the entire world - Kisara wanted to tear her hair apart from disgust, but she signed herself up for it. Well, at least she won't stay too long in this shithole - And Ohma led her and Koga to eat some pretty damn good ramen, though she didn't want to know what it was made of. He told Ohma that he wanted Koga to come over because the Niko style originated here, and he wants him to inherit Niko style wholly... But he said it in such a creepy way. "So if something happens to me..." he said, making both Koga and Kisara slam their hands on the table, protesting. "You're making it sound like you're dying!!" they both yelled at him. "You know about me and Ryuki, don't you? We're somebody's clones, and that somebody is after us. Anything could happen. That's why I wanna teach you what I learned from Niko, like I taught Kisara, while I still have the chance." Ohma's voice was so stern and somber that Kisara hit him in the head with the spoon. Hard. "If you even think about dying on me a second time, I'll never forgive you." she hissed at him. "I won't let him die, don't worry." the eerie voice of none other than Kiryu Setsuna made them all snap their gaze at him as he sat down next to Ohma - So close that he made him visibly uncomfortable. "Can you not make my husband cringe from how uncomfortable he is?" Kisara sighed, defeated. "Instead, tell us about Ryuki. I know you had your hand in making a killer out of him and losing his mind in the process."

"Ah, yes, we exterminated Worms together." he spoke so nonchalantly, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Well, it sort of was, in a way - For them, at least. "FUCK YOU!" Koga howled, grabbing Setsuna by the neck of the shirt. "IT'S YOUR FAULT! YOU MADE RYUKI LIKE THAT!" he continued shaking him violently. "Koga, calm down, you're attracting unwanted attention to us." Kisara coughed, looking around at the prying eyes. "Don't misunderstand me, Narushima. I never once ordered Ryuki to do anything." he said it was the same thing as what Ohma's doing, passing on his legacy to him. "Ryuki's going through a dilemma right now. He's between a rock and a hard place." "Is it about his grandpa's teachings, and Koga's resolve of not killing?" Kisara asked, earning an empty smile from the man. "You've got it right." he nodded. "I last saw him the day before he went back to the Inside. Ryuki said he'd come back right after that, but he's still not back yet - So I came to the Inside to look for him." "You said Mukaku's got safehouses all over the place?" Ohma asked, interested in Setsuna's knowledge. "Yeah, seems he made a lot of enemies. Ryuki said he had around twenty places and that's just as far as he knew. Ryuki's GPS tracker has stopped moving for the past few days, before stopping responding entirely." Setsuna explained simply, though he did seem a bit worried for his pupil also. "HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!" Kisara had to shove Koga back down on his seat to make him stop overreacting. "There's a good chance that Ryuki's found Gaoh Mukaku, and that he's in trouble." Setsuna got up from the table. "Wait, you think Ryuki's grandpa would hurt him?" the woman's eyes widened in realisation. Kiryu shrugged vaguely. "I'm going to look for Ryuki on my own. The Worm's in the Inside too. We need to find Mukaku before they do - Otherwise, they'll kill him." so it's the Worm they should be worried about. Then, could the Connector also...?

Early in the morning, while Himuro and Rei were up and ready for a high-level spar, a messenger came over with an invitation from the General, a soldier named Zhang who was buddy buddies with Himuro. To offer than a guide, one of them had to defeat one of his men - So Retsudo offered, getting in a Silat stance that Misasa would be proud of, and going forward for a few feint jabs - And when the enemy pulled out his knife, Retsu  took his small hand-knife, stomping on his foot and slashing the enemy well, hitting all his vitals. What a beast, and he's so young also! And so cocky, teasing the enemy into attacking blindly - He easily parried a punch with his elbow twice, before slicing at his face and destroying him. No wonder he's about the only one capable of coming between Ohma and Raian when they're fighting.

Kisara clapped at the cool young man. "That was awesome, Retsu, well done! Misasa would be so proud of you!" Ohma, also, praised and high-fived him.  Out of nowhere, this creepy, bandaged up guide appeared - So fast and silent that not even Rei sensed him. What a monster. He guided them through the district, towards the Underground,  all the way out, in the disputed territory. Somewhere along the lines, Rei and the guide stopped, defeating one of the White Worms who reported directly to the head.

They found an abandoned temple looking rather run down yet still standing. As they walked up to it, they got attacked by someone, the main target being Ohma. Damn it, not again, Kisara thought, realising that her husband was always the prime target for everyone in the world. Gaoh Mukaku was glaring at them, holding a meat cleaver and claiming they were Worms. Thankfully, Koga ended up explaining everything. "Wait, you mean you're not Worms?! You should've said so sooner!" "You jumped us before we could even say anything!!! What the fuck were we supposed to do, you old coot?!" speak about a short-temper, Koga. Was it the youth? Nah, Retsu was calm. Maybe a fire sign? "Are you sure this is our guy?" Himuro sweat dropped at the childishness of the old man. "Yeah... No doubt about it. This old man is Gaoh Mukaku." Retsudo's voice was low, sending a tremor down Kisara's spine. This Mukaku was creeping her out. "That's MR. Mukaku to you, whipper-snapper!" Mukaku growled at him. "Is that really him? Are we so sure that this isn't Okubo's grandpa?" Koga glared at the old man. "Who's this Okubo? And that sounds like a slight against this Okubo fella if I ever heard one." Mukaku glared back at the child. "Well, sorry for stopping by unannounced. See, we're here in the Inside looking for Ryuki." Ohma finally attracted the conversation in the right direction. "Ohh, you're friends of Ryuki's? Well, Ryuki was here. I can tell you that much. He dropped by here about a week ago. I've got a couple Safehouses in the Inside, so I reckon he had a tough time tracking me down." Mukaku explained. "Is Ryuki still here?" Ohma asked straight forward. "Nope, he ain't here no more. You just missed him." Kisara didn't believe a word he was saying. "Do you have any ideas of where Ryuki might've gone?" Retsu asked.

"You wouldn't happen to be Metsudo's grandson, would you?" Mukaku was trying to divert the conversation again. "I'm his youngest son. We need to take Ryuki into our protection as soon as possible." Retsu tried to return to the point. "Ohh, you're Metsudo's son, no wonder I saw the resemblance." he stroke his beard, only for his eyes to bulge and start screaming. "Wait, SON?! What kind of stallion IS he?!" Kisara groaned, slapping a hand over her face. "DON'T FUCKING CHANGE THE SUBJECT!" Koga yelled at him, frustrated with his senile behaviour. "Hmm... Take him into your protection, eh? Well, he doesn't need any of that. I've trained him real good." he sat down, lighting up a pipe to smoke.  "Are you crazy?! The Worm's not messing around here!" Koga yelled again at him. "Oh, I know. Ryuki and I have been hard at work, exterminating the Work. I let Ryuki fight in the Kengan matches just so the Worm could find him. Ryuki is indispensable to the Worm, so I reckoned they'd send their top men after him. See - Ryuki's a clone of this So-Called Connector that the Worm Worships." Kisara felt the blood freeze in her veins, and she turned her head to look at her husband. She couldn't see the resemblance though. Was she just awful with faces? It wasn't wrong, she could never tell apart family members based on their common features.

Kisara felt a little lost in her own mind again - She was zoning out a little, thinking of what Mukaku might know that could make her piece together some lost puzzle pieces. He knows of the Connector - Does he know him personally? And if yes, could it be possible to know any of her past incarnations? Gah, she can't believe she fell so deep into this ridiculous theory that she doesn't even believe in. That man messed with her mind big time. Rei said he took out a White Worm - If the officer was here, could the Big Boss be here, also?

Mukaku began a story of his youth, from many decades ago when he got in the Inside and took some students in to teach and conquer the place. Though he took a whole crowd of students, only seven of them could keep up - The Seven Nikos. He also confirmed everyone's inkling that the Inside was created by the Worm - The Inside was a huge ass Gu Ritual chamber, like what Agito had to go through, poor man. Kisara couldn't help but shudder, imagining going through that at such a frail age. 

The Seven Nikos, however, began killing each other in the forest where they took a trip, until only two remained - Four, which was Ohma's Master, and Six, the Other Tokita Niko who taught Setsuna. Five and Six claim to had recently defected to the Worm, hence why they betrayed Mukaku - But who knows how true is that, really? Six used Five as an experiment anyway, so he was very much dead to this day. Mukaku continued to go around the country, destroying Worm Bases, until he found baby Ryuki, whom he adopted - Though he claims he didn't know he was the Connector's clone at the time.

With the story over, everyone went outside. Himuro and Ohma were discussing the story while Koga and Mukaku were chopping wood. Kisara stepped over to Retsudo, making a sneaky little plan, involving calling out Mukaku's veritable lies. At some point, Himuro got a got and left. When they were done, they walked over to the old man. "Ryuki has just been taken into our custody." Retsudo said with a straight face. Nothing ever betrayed his emotions. The shock of such a notion tricked Mukaku into turning his head in a direction - The direction where he was keeping Ryuki captive, no doubt. "You haven't killed him yet, I see." caught in his own lie. "His response just confirmed it, Ryuki's still somewhere on the premises, isn't he?" "I said he ain't HERE no more." the old man scoffed in annoyance. "Give it up, old man. It's too late." Ohma warned him. "Wh-What the hell are they talking about, gramps?! Is Ryuki really here?!" Koga screamed at him in disbelief. "I had my doubts about you, all along. From the moment you attacked Ohma, I had my doubts about you. I thought you attacked him because you mistook him for the Connector - But you didn't, did you? You tried to kill Ohma because you mistook him for Ryuki." Retsudo called him out. "Pesky little bugger. I knew I should've killed you when I had the chance." Mukaku growled menacingly. "Where is Ryuki? Tell us now." Ohma spoke sternly.  "I don't know." he shrugged, sitting on a log. "But you do, don't you, you filthy Worm?" Kisara smiled enigmatically. "Yes, look at me. Get a good look at me. You know me too, don't you? The Connector told me all about you. Ah - Or, maybe I should say - Shen told me about you?" the aggressive look in his face as she provoked him made her feel small and terrified, but she masked it well enough. "You have no idea how much I want to see your pretty face contorted with fear and agony as you die in that fucker's arms. Over and over again. I get off on that every time I remember." Kisara felt a shudder down her spine, and she stepped backwards, behind Ohma. Retsudo saved her from Mukaku's wrath, telling the story of the Gaoh Style hoax, and that Gaoh Mukaku actually never existed, but that he was a Remnant of Wowang - The last of the five of the Syndicate to keep alive. Mukaku accepted that he was found out eventually, but wouldn't tell them where Ryuki was. Instead, he got up, stepping menacingly towards them. "I don't think you'd want to fight us, Mukaku. It doesn't matter whether you're a Worm or not. Shen is here, looking for Ryuki as much as we do. And you know what? If he finds out you've cause me any harm, well - It won't end up well for you, will it?" Kisara tried to threaten him, hoping he'd be afraid - He wasn't. He smirked instead. Shit, she only made things worse. He took a weird stance, and so did Retsu and Ohma. "I don't think your words are going to scare him, Kisara. Stay back." Retsu warned her as him and Ohma cautiously took their own stances - Only for Koga to lunge headfirst like a dumbass. Lucky him, Ohma saved him before getting fatally struck by a demon wheel, whilst Retsu went on ahead, slashing away quickly with his knife, but it didn't work. With his Adamantine Kata, Mukaku threw an Ironbreaker punch towards Metsudo's son; Ohma was there to shield him with Indestructible, but the two got thrown away. It was only Kisara left standing.

"Oh shit." she wasn't sure what to do - If Ohma couldn't fight him, she had not even the slightest chance of touching him. Running, though, as good as it sounded... Where could she go? Back to the Underground, maybe? "You're not afraid of Shen, are you?" she sweatdropped, hoping to stall him. For a single second, she actually prayed for the Connector to come over and beat him to death for threatening her like this. "Afraid of him? Ha! I'm gonna rip him to shreds! But before I do that, I'm gonna kill you in front of him - His face watching you die is otherworldly! It's the sweetest revenge I've got!" he lunged at her, making Kisara squeak, terrified, and duck under his arm to run around and evade his hits. To think she'd use her dancing agility and flexibility to learn Wushu moves and save herself from a fucking behemoth. Insane. Absolutely insane.

She should have remained in her bed.

"Stop dancing around, Princess, it ain't gonna save you. I know your tricks - I've already seen you die four times in my life!" Kisara turned to look at him in shock - Four times? How old is he? And not only that, how young was she that she died and was reborn four fucking times?  "Hey, I know I'm pretty, but I don't wanna die young, okay? Gimme a break!" she yelped as she got caught by the end of her swishing long hair, and with a rough tug, Mukaku grabbed her and slammed her into the ground so hard that she thought her spine shattered to dust. Dust to Dust. Pulvis et Pulvis. From the dirt we are born, and to the dirt we return. Fuck this.  "You're just a woman. No matter how strong you are, you can't compare to me. Not even Shen Wulong could save you." as Kisara was struggling to breath through the pain, forcing her vision to unblur, she saw the outline of a fist coming down hard, aiming at her solar plexus. Despite the vertigo, she quickly rolled over and snatched her hair pin, using it as a small dagger which she slammed into his face, slashing it diagonally, blood splashing around - Though he didn't seem phased, the accessory was in shambles on the ground, drowning in her blood.

"I don't need Shen Wulong to save me! I only need Ohma! Fuck off away from me, you psycho! I've got nothing to do with any of this!" she managed to evade and run back to the group, stumbling over her feet and coughing blood in her palms. "Kisara, go with Retsudo. I'll hold him off for you." with a shared look between the two lovers, Kisara begrudgingly agreed and ran with Retsudo and Koga in the direction indicated by Himuro who had contacted them. "Well, at least he said The Connector's name. If that is even it." Kisara muttered, still in pain. 

They arrived at Himuro's location, at a small storehouse - Ryuki must be in the conspicuous cellar. As soon as they opened the doors and went down the stairs, the horrible stench of rot, death and decay made them all feel nauseous to hell. "What's that stench...?" Retsudo growled. "It's a deeply ingrained smell of rot. I doubt this was recent." Himuro noted. "I pity Ryuki if he's really here, having to endure this." Kisara hissed in disgust. "I think I'm gonna throw up." Koga almost hurled, but a single look up, and he saw his friend, shackled up and barely conscious. "You're kidding, right? Does that mean this smell is..." with the fire from the lighter, they saw countless bones, as if the whole cellar was made out of cadavers. Awful.

As Kisara checked for Ryuki's vitals, Mukaku led Ohma to the cellar, promising not to attack again. He affirmed that he was a member of the Wowang Syndicate, and it originated from the Worm. Wowang's leader, Dage, was an aide to the Head of the Worm. Dage went independent from the Worm on the Head's orders and formed a commando unit called Wowang. With this happening over 80 years prior, well - The old man was surely over a century old. No wonder he claims to have seen her die so many times. Wowang's purpose was to crush any organization opposing the Worm, and they were so strong that the leader got the ambition of a King and wanted to crush the Head. He began plotting to get rid of the Head of the Worm, and the absolute ruler of the Worm - The Connector, Shen Wulong.

"So Shen Wulong is the original we were copied from?" Ohma asked. "I'm not sure. You and Ryuki are almost like twins, but... You saw Shen yourself, he doesn't look all that much like you guys. Though maybe that's because he's blond and keeping his hair tied." Kisara thought out loud.  "Tell us more about that. Who is the Connector anyway, and why does the Worm follow him?" Retsudo asked the right questions. "Nobody knows how long he's been around." he continued speaking of an old tale about a safe living deep in the mountains of China since the age of myths. The locals believe him immortals, most likely because all of his descendants have taken the name of Shen Wulong. This sage presumably was mostly harmless and barely interacted with people, though on rare occasions, an 'Aberrant individual' emerged, he says. Around 1300 years ago, when the Connector declared war on the Worm, he defeated the then-Head and brought the Worm under his control. He then started a total war with the Wu clan, who were long-tine antagonists of the Worm. They say he beat them decisively. To think that the Worm and the Connector have been going for so many centuries insane - Nothing ever lasted this long.

"So did the Wu split up 1300 years ago because they lost to the Connector?" Ohma asked, pondering. "I don't know what he was thinking. He might've even thought he was bringing God's wrath on the people who annoyed him - So we began getting ready to kill a God." Mukaku continued to speak of an ace in the hole - The Advance, the Possessing Spirit, was based on this thing. They waited for the moment when the Connector was alone to ambush him in an alleyway, but with undeniable ease and grace, the Connector created an outright bloodbath. A one-sided massacre. He swatted down the Five Kings like flies. With Mukaku being the only survivor, he fled to Japan, changed his name and the whole things with the Nikos went on, and he even did Gu Rituals and what not. 

"You knew Ryuki was a clone, didn't you? That's why you took him in." Kisara pointed out. "Yeah, of course. The current Shen Wulong is a clone of his predecessor. The Worm's been engaging in cloning research, in order to make a more perfect 'Connector'. I attacked a Worm cloning research facility and destroyed it. For whatever reason, most attempts to clone Shen Wulong ended in failure. There haven't been any new clones since I destroyed that facility. Which means that Ryuki is the last existing clone. Funny, right? They'll want Ryuki back at any cost. That's why I sent Ryuki to the Kengan Association and had him announce his location to them. Thanks to him, I can kill Shen Wulong this time around! He's made the perfect bait!" though Mukaku was smug, it was Kisara's turn to laugh at him mockingly, all while Koga was so angry that he was trying to punch the old man. 

"You? Beat Shen? Ha! Prostrating King, you say - You're nothing but an old man who wants revenge, that's what you are. Shen's going to swipe the floor with you. Oh - Maybe it is that you get off on being beaten up by him, huh? Is that it?" she taunted him - He deserved it after the pain he caused her. "You little shit..." the man growled, glaring down at her. Ohma had to hold Koga back before he'd overheat from intense rage and bust his fists again.  "Grandpa... You... Were you just using me...?" Ryuki's betrayed voice made Kisara's heart weep. "Huh? Why else would I keep you around?" the disgust and indifference in his voice earned him a punch in the face from Kisara, who went then to boy to hold him in her arms as if he was her child. "The only reason you're still alive today is 'cause you're the clone of the Connector. That piece of shit wants you back no matter what. Then again, I find it hard to believe - How can a weakling like you be one of his clones, huh? What a failure the last clone turned out to be."

"Look at yourself. You've been alive for a century and still can't get anywhere near Shen's level. Pathetic." Kisara hissed at him harshly. "I understand. You're not my grandpa anymore." Ryuki spoke, defeated, feeling the woman's arms holding him in warm and loving embrace like he's never experienced in his entire life. As they helped the boy get out of the cellar, Ryuki told them how his grandpa punched him out of nowhere, imprisoning him in hopes of re-educating him. What a mad man. As they were discussing about what happened, Ohma spoke about wanting to get the hell away from that god-awful place. Though he's seen plenty of strong people, his power was unfathomable and he doesn't want anything to do with him ever again. "Oh, wait - Can you wait a second? I hair pin - It fell to the ground back at the temple. Do you mind if I go quickly to retrieve it?" Kisara stopped abruptly in her tracks. "Are you sure? You can get another. It's dangerous around that bastard." Ohma warned her, though he could see the conflict in her eyes. "You're not returning for the pin, are you?" "I have a weird feeling in my gut. Does that make sense?" Ohma sighed, nodding his head.  "Alright, fine. We'll wait here, but don't take long. If you're not back in 10, I'm coming over for you." Kisara grinned, kissing his cheek. "I'll back before 10." 

----

If only they knew that just as they were escaping, none other than Shen Wulong visited this damn fraud, looking as calm as ever. "Gaoh Mukaku. I want you to give 'Me' back." Shen ordered leisurely. "You nitwit, you're too late. I got rid of your clone a long time ago. My condolences!" Mukaku cackled at him tauntingly. "You're lying." Shen affirmed. "That's not the kind of man you were in my memories. You wouldn't get rid of a bargaining chip for no reason. You'd use any means at your disposal to survive. I remember you well. You used your comrades as shields just so you'd survive. I'm somewhat impressed by how attached to life you are."

"Haha, guess you really love me, huh? But now I'm just the fraud founder of a phony martial art. But what's wrong with being a fraud? I don't give a damn who I am, as long as I can kill you!" Mukaku laughed, bumping the ends of his arm guards. "Is that so?" Shen sighed, crouching to the ground and picking up the broken hair accessory from the ground. The ornaments on it were scattered in the blood, but it was nothing that couldn't be repaired. Though he wasn't one to get emotional, Shen felt rather pissed off. "You're going to die." he said, comparing himself to the immune system of a single large organism. "I can hear the earth telling me to eliminate you."

Mukaku thought he slashed in two at the Connector, he missed entirely without him even moving at all. He tried multiple tricks, activating booby traps planted throughout the temple, using swift assassination methods, but Shen threw him of with the flick of a single finger. "You're strong, I admit. I assume only a handful of the people close to me would be able to beat you." Mukaku hid inside the temple. "Hey, I haven't finished complimenting you yet. The first backhand punch was a good move. You drew my attention to your gauntlets while throwing iron pellets at me, and those were pretty powerful. They could kill a man if they landed right." he said nonchalantly, not bothering to move an inch. "Splintering the wall to blind me was a good move, too. Personally, I would've thrown in a few iron pellets in the splinters - If they landed, that's a few free hits." Mukaku was angry beyond belief. "You pretended you'd face me with martial arts only to use hidden weapons, duck and hide, sneak around and scheme. You were prepared for me, weren't you? I admire your tenacity."

Through the thin wall of the temple, Mukaku tried to impale Shen with a lance - The tip of it, of course, was pinched easily between his fingers. "Very meticulous. You should be long past your physical prime by now. I assume you're doping to make up for your declining muscles and reflexes, aren't you? It's a miracle that you're alive at your age." he spoke simply. "But that is one fortune that Ruyi was never blessed with." Mukaku could feel his heart stop in fear. He fucked up. "No, no, don't worry, it's not just for today, but for every time you hurt her, that I'm going to enjoy playing with you." Mukaku was unable to say a single thing, watching how easy it was for the Connector to pinch the blade away. "Ah, just so we're clear, I don't have Superman Syndrome. This isn't about power, it's about technique. One second thought, maybe even that's not the right word either. Principles? Yeah sounds right - All I'm doing is holding down the point of the force - Anyone can do that if they know how it works. No, wait, maybe Ruyi couldn't. I wouldn't want her to cut her delicate hands. She always gets papercuts." he hummed out of nowhere, as the long handle of the spear broke, and he smirked. "I'm so angry that I want to play with you a bit longer. I'll give you the chance to kill me." 

He's just getting more and more dangerous, Mukaku realised, freaking out - What the hell kind of monster is he anyway? "Hmm, will this do?" Shen hummed, cracking his fingers. "I've relocated my tendons and suppressed my muscle power output. I also limited my joints' range of motions. I brought my neuro-transmission speed down to the lowest setting and shut down some of my brain's circuits." Shen smiled, ready to destroy the man before him. "I've come down to your level. Let me enjoy this moment. Don't die yet, okay?" with that, Shen punched Mukaku the hell away from him.  Mukaku tried again to get up and attack, but was struck down with a simple arm sweep. "Too slow. Your body's awfully sluggish - You're almost not worth killing. Are these your senses in action? They must be a real handicap." Mukaku kicked a loose board from the ground, hitting Wulong in the chin and trying to beat him down into the ground with the Ironbreaker, only to get sent flying by the man who easily liberated himself. "Not bad, not bad at all, Mukaku." Shen smirked, wiping the blood off his face. "You wanna have another go? Or should I end this already?" he dug his hands in his pockets once again. "Hmm, I'm picking up an exceptional hatred from you - Shouldn't that be the other way around? I know what you've done today. But choice, really." he hummed, not twitching a single muscle. "Maybe you hate my former self for killing your comrades in Wowang? But I thought they were just total strangers to you." "Before that. Dig a little deeper into you memories." Mukaku struggled to speak between his panting. "Hmmm~?" after a few seconds of deep thinking and pondering, Wulong finally gasped theatrically with a lightbulb realisation. "You're that boy!" Mukaku's vendetta against Shen Wulong started in China, about 85 years ago.

The Connector once had three groups under his command - The Worm, the Westward Faction and the Dragon Tribe, who were descendants of Long Min, the Hero of the Chu Kingdom in the Spring and Autumn period. They were friends, sharing the same name of the dragon, yet Shen Wulong felt betrayed. Long Yi disagreed with the Worm research involving the cloning - Though he didn't mind the Huisheng reincarnations. Cloning is a violation of the natural order, a heresy.  Shen Wulong didn't want to kill his friend - All of the Dragon Tribe was already dead. Of course, the old friend wasn't going to retreat, that was the way of the general. He allowed Long Yi to attack while his back was turned, but just like the others, he fell dead, to the ground, with a single strike. In spite of his quick death, Long Yi managed to leave Wulong's first injury in years. The only man left standing was Long Xiu, a young warrior of 15 years old, who would later be known as Gaoh Mukaku. Long Xiu was Long Yi's grandson. It was then that the current Shen Wulong realised that the Wowang Syndicate conspired against him, all instigated by Mukaku.

"Yi was a good man, but he made one mistake - He didn't kill a bastard like you." Mukaku attacked him with the Long clan secret technique, Dragon's Maw Fist, but of course, it did nothing. "Awe, man, you're a real two-timer." "Oh shut up, fuck-wit!! I'd turn to the Gods and the Demons if they'd help me kill you!!" Mukaku growled at him. "Aaaaand you've lost me. I've had enough of this." Shen rolled his eyes, bored out of his mind with his repetitive antics. All of a sudden, a rustle was heard, and a few soft footsteps followed. "Hey, psycho geezer, did you steal my pin? I know I used it to slash your face, but - You've gotta hand it to me, it's your fault you attacked me! I just defended myself! ... My spine still hurts like hell though. If I need spine surgery because of you, I'll sue you for ten generations." Shen's eyes widened, and he turned his head to see the beautiful young woman struggling to step through the rubbles of the destroyed temple. As soon as she rose her head to look for the old man, she saw not only him, but Shen also - The shock and fright were evident on her face, and she looked like a deer surrounded by predators. "I... Should not have returned. I, uh... I-... I'll leave. Bye!" panicked, she tried to leave the temple immediately - She was, thankfully, just at the entrance, though even there, she unknowingly stepped on a trap that would be slashed her to fish-bite pieces, were it not for a strong force tackling her to the ground. "Sh-Shen...?" she gulped, feeling his strong arms keeping her safe and shielded from danger. Looking up, she saw the overly sharp piano wires that would have easily cut her in pieces as if she was a Happy Tree Friends character. "Oh my god, you psycho, what the hell is this?! You almost killed me - Again!" her body's reaction was to spring away from Wulong's arms and run the hell away - But he didn't let her.

"I can't believe my bait returned willingly. You thought yourself smart, but you died a fucking dumbass each and every time. It's your fault you died, you know? And his, for not protecting you." Mukaku put on a gas mask and readied his sword. "I almost shattered your spine, and you return for a hair pin? Ha! You deserve to die, woman." Kisara squeaked in fear as Mukaku, with incredible swiftness, brought down the sword, ready to slash her and Shen where they stood - But somehow, defying the laws of physics was a regular thing for the Connector, who kept her safe, held by one arm to his chest, his hand placed over her mouth and nose as if to prevent her from breathing, while the other hand caught the blade.  "Terrible decision, really." Shen glared at Mukaku. "Not even close." "Yeah, you're right - But this should do the trick!" Mukaku used Indestructible on the blade, cutting Wulong's hand into bleeding. "Shen - You're bleeding! Let go of the blade!" Kisara managed to speak through his fingers.

"Don't worry about me. Try to keep from breathing as much as you can. This cheap bastard flooded the room with Carbon Monoxide. It's just one thing after another." as instructed, Kisara picked up the handkerchief from her sleeve and pressed it to his face to help him with the breathing."Very kind of you - But I'm fine. I don't need to breathe. Use it for yourself, Ruyi." Shen told Mukaku that the man who killed his clan was his previous iteration, and some illogical shit about stopping the breathing process, to slow the aging process. He then easily got up, throwing away the sword and kicking him in the face. "Did you seriously think you could outdo us? How asinine." Shen used the sword to impale Mukaku's shoulder. "Running away? You don't have that privilege anymore. I told you - I've grown tired of you." "Are you sure you wanna kill me?! If I die, Ryuki dies too! I'm the only one who knows where he is! Are you just gonna let yourself die?!" Mukaku spat, desperate to live. "Ryuki's safe with us! Stop lying, you jerk!" Kisara soon started coughing - The Monoxide was beginning to take effect. "How come you're so obsessed over Ryuki anyway?! Ain't Tokita Ohma one of your clones too?! Why does it gotta be Ryuki?!" Mukaku was, no doubt, trying to prolong his suffering. "Hey, don't you dare bring my husband into this! He already died once, I don't need you getting him in another situation, you bastard!" Kisara hissed at him. "Besides - Don't act as if you ever cared for Ryuki! You're just an evil man. A traitor." "Oh man. Yan's gonna give me hell for everything I've done lately. Well - You're gonna be dead anyway, so there's no harm in telling you!" Shen sighed in realisation. "W-Wait! Don't say it! I don't want to die because of his curiosity!" the woman stepped backwards, gulping slightly. "...Don't worry. I don't think you'd get it, even if I told you." he smiled condescendingly down at Mukaku. "Tokita Ohma... Is not me." "HUH?!" Mukaku was on the ground, bleeding heavily. "Wait, hold the GODDAMN PHONE! What the hell are you talking about?! You can't expect me to believe that bullshit! I mean - Have you seen the guy?! He's the spitting image of Ryu...?!" Gaoh gasped loudly, as Shen was vibing with a dark, killing aura. "Yeah, I think you've figured it out by now." with an effortless swing of his wrist, Shen snapped Mukaku into pieces. "So die." Kisara had to jump back behind Shen, so all the blood wouldn't splatter on her. "Three times. You're the first person who's made three attempts on my life, and on Ruyi's. Looks like third time wasn't the charm, after all."

Shen turned around, throwing away the blade, looking down at the woman who looked uncomfortable and outright fearing him. "Ruyi." he called out, before quickly correcting himself. "No, sorry - You're called Kisara now, right? Kisara. I won't mistake it again." he gently put a finger under her chin, raising it up to make her look at him. "What do you see?" Though he could see the fear in her eyes, there was also deep confusion, and he couldn't blame her. There were far too many things to find out, in a single day, out of which few made sense. "I still don't think you look like Ohma at all." the comment earned a small huff of amusement from him. "So... Are you going to kill me, now that I know your secret about Ohma?" Shen didn't say anything - Instead, he retriever the pin from his pocket, along with all the broken accessories. "Did it save you?" Though Kisara had no idea why he'd change the subject like that, she nodded nonetheless. "Yeah. I... I used your name to get a rise out of him, hoping he'd tell us where Ryuki was without a fight. But, uhm... He threatened to use me as bait and kill me in front of you. For the... Fifth time, he said. Or, uh... Maybe he just meant he knew I died four times during his life. I'm not sure. He was weird." he uncomfortably scratched the back of her neck. "I was weak. I couldn't evade his attacks and he grabbed me. Slammed be to the ground, tried to punch my guts out. Before he could though, I slashed away at his face and ran away." she hung her head down, feeling guilty looking at the beautiful yet broken accessory. "I'm sorry. I know it must have meant a lot for you, and I broke it." "A pin isn't worth more than your life, silly girl." he spoke with an amused tone. "I'll just get it repaired and return it. It's yours, not mine."

"But, Shen - It means nothing to me. Ruyi means nothing to me. Maybe you believe that it's my reincarnation, in the real sense, not the Huisheng sense - But even so, you're the only one who knows of Ruyi, and... All my supposed past selves." she explained softly. "That could be solved. I remember every incarnation you had - Or at least those who managed to live past a certain age. Unfortunately, there weren't all that many." Kisara looked down, feeling a weird pang of pain in her chest. "I have to go, Shen. I'm sorry." she looked into his eyes. "I will accept the pin, if you want me to have it... And I'll keep the secret to myself, even though I didn't understand it at all. I don't want to die, but more than that, I don't want Ohma, nor my friends to die." she sighed, extending her hand towards him. "But Shen - I am married. And I love Ohma more than I love life itself." Instead of looking or even emanating anger or any negative emotion, Shen smiled, placing the pin in her hand, closing it for her. "As long as you're happy."

A loud gasp of complete and utter shock resounded through the desolated temple, and a man who looked similar, but much prettier than Xia Ji was looking at the two with huge eyes. Realising he was someone strong and important to the Worm, Kisara instinctively tried to step away, only for her back to his Shen's.

"What's wrong, Yan? Cat got your tongue?" Shen asked, oblivious. "Oh, come on, gimme a break! How'd you get injured?!" this Yan crumbled to the ground, having a mental crisis. "Something weighing you down?" Shen asked, even more confused. "You are, you moron." Yan groaned pitifully. "U-Uhm... Mr. Yan?" Kisara spoke in a mousy voice. "Shen got injured because of me. Forgive me." she crouched to his level, putting a gentle hand on his arm and helping him up. "After all the shit he's pulled over the years, this is how he ends up. Pathetic." that man, the Other Tokita Niko, gruffed at Mukaku's corpse. "Oh no, what have you done?! What's with her?!" Yan's overreaction made her step back away from him again. "Uhm... I-I think I should get going." she stole a look at the Connector, seeking permission to get the hell away from there. "Yeah, sure. Take care." Kisara didn't need another word, she was already rushing away - Only for a man looking around her age or younger, with the obvious Kure eyes, blocked her exit, towering over her. A lankier man, just like him, trailed just behind. "Gilbert, what crawled up Yan's ass and died?" so this was Gilbert Wu. Kisara felt surrounded by what seemed to be the whole Small Council of the Connector, as if she was in Game of Thrones or something. She looked at Shen again, waiting for him to give the signal for Gilbert to step away from the exit so she could bolt off. "Ah, yeah - I know this really good jeweller for that pin. He should repair it in a week or so." "Lovely!" Kisara forced a smile. "I, uh -- See ya!" she bolted the hell away.

Thankfully, on the way back, she met Ohma who was already rushing her way. "No questions. Let's run the hell away. I'll tell you when we get out of the Inside. My brain is imploding." Ohma blinked, perplex, but questioned nothing. "Fine. Let's go."

Thankfully, they managed to get the hell away from this awful place, and while Retsu and Himuro took care of Ryuki, while Ohma, Kisara and Koga went to the manager's office. Here, they were greeted with open arms, and great news on TV - The Kengan Anti-Worm Alliance was going splendidly, and most of them, even the officers, were either killed or detained. The Worm Purge was going quickly. 

"Wait, is it over then?" Koga gasped, looking at the TV. "It's not." the woman gulped. "The Connector is alive. His subordinates are alive. The Other Tokita Niko is alive. Gilbert Wu is alive." she bit her lip hard. "Ohma, you said Gaoh Mukaku was a monster. The Monster is Shen Wulong. He toyed with Mukaku like he was a ragdoll. He outright destroyed him." "You met the Connector again?" Kisara nodded. "I don't know how I'm still alive, but by the Gods alive, there's nothing scarier than being surrounded by those guys." finally, she could sit down - Her legs felt like giving out. "We've got a lot of problems on our side - And, Ohma - Shen said something weird. I don't quite get the implication, but... He said... You are not HIS clone, but Ryuki is."  "Wait, but Ohma and Ryuki look the same, don't they?" Ohma, Kisara, Koga, Yamashita, Kaede and Rin all looked at each other with wide, scared eyes. 

Is there more than one Connector out there?!

< Previous Chapter

[thehitchhikerguide]

Season 2, Episode 6: Videodate

Let me start out by saying this is one of the best episodes I've seen so far. The sleeze, the revenge plot, crazy 80's visuals...all perfect for a Hitchhiker episode.

The famous guest star this week is Shannon Tweed, known for being in some not-so-recognizable movies and also for being Gene Simmon's wife. I know her from Hot Dog...The Movie, which I guess is a must see for anyone who has ever been a skier or just likes a lot of full-frontal in their movies. The main male character is played by Gregg Henry, who looks to have a decent acting career, but I didn't recognize him. I thought he maybe looked like a low rent James Woods.

We start out with a woman who has very 80's hair watching a video dating service tape of a guy who is making it out to be his first time doing something like this. She is charmed by his vulnerability.

You can see by her joker-like smile, he has sealed the deal. He takes her out to an art exhibit and I have to say this is something I would love to go to even now. There is an area where you can smash a TV:

I mean, that is a really fun date!

Then we see the exhibit of a hot new artist named Monique. Wait, what? It's always weird when I hear other characters on TV with my name, since I don't hear it too often. I guess with a Canadian show, it was just a matter of time.

This is an art exhibit I would love to go to. People with TV heads that play some sort of strange video. It's creepy and disturbing and I'm all in for it.

This one represents the woman TV head's fantasy of running off with another man (shown on the TV). Of course our male character decides to man-splain to his date and also mention that he knows the artist. She seems to be watching this conversation behind him, unamused.

At least I think that is the artist...right? I guess they don't say but it seemed obvious at this point.

By now, the date is going really well.

Well that was a cool art exhibit so I kind of get it, even though he looks like a creep whose hair is just hanging on for dear life. She seems pretty vulnerable and mentions to him that she doesn't want this to be a one night stand. He tells her what she wants to hear...

...then immediately rushes her into a cab. After she is gone, we find out that wasn't even his apartment! He has been paying his friend who is a doorman to use people's apartments for these sleezy videodates.

As he drive away, we see something we haven't seen in awhile.

Oh yeah I almost forgot, there was also this weird image and some video game noise. Not sure what this is, his car is in a video game now?

Haha, as usual, perfect butt is on display. Man, he looks like he could double for George Michael in this shot. Anyways, we see the main character interacting with the Hitchhiker. He refuses to give him a ride.

Also, we are over 8 minutes into the episode before he shows up! We learn that this main dude is named Jack Rhodes. He has a lot of disguises and thinks he is the master of the illusion. But Jack is not the only one with tricks up his sleeve. Yes! Comeuppance! Comeuppance!

So this guy Jack is actually a salesman at an electronics store. He likes to brag to his coworkers about these conquests.

Co-workers Joey McIntyre and Wallace Shawn are not impressed.

We see the female video artist at the store as he is making a sale using his dynamic personality. She is still observing his behavior with disgust. When he gets home he notices a package at his door.

Wait a minute, am I watching Lost Highway now?

We get a good look at his apartment and his "last known photo" board and notice something a little weird.

Nice, huh? But what I'm not showing is that he has a section on this board labeled "foxes" and there are no photos under there.

He settles in to watch the mysterious tape.

Oh no, why does it look like Videodrome now? How many movies are in this?

Honestly I would be crapping my pants right now.

I mean I know it's a hot babe, but this video is still very disturbing.

Anyways, it's Monique, the artist in her underwear. She is saying her name is Barbara and that she wants to go on a date with Jack. Does he think this is from the video dating service, because I wouldn't think they just plop unmarked tapes in front of his door. I thought you had to go to a place to watch the tapes. Well despite this, she's a fox and we've established he's never been with a fox so he is up for anything.

Hmm, now it looks like Blue Velvet. I should probably stop obsessing over these movie references.

Their first date is playing video games. He plays a round and then she sets out to beat his score. She is the original gamer girl! Maybe she WAS creating a videogame from videotaping his car.

I immediately recognize the video game sounds to be from the game Centipede, however the game they show is shooting the letter E for some reason.

Maybe it's also an eye test, who knows. Defeat Enron!

She cuts the date off with the promise that they will see each other again. She invites him to her place for dinner. The building looks run down and this elevator...

I know, but now it looks like we are in an Adrian Lyne movie! Okay I'll stop.

She's cooking him dinner and he is being a total gentleman.

It's not a Hitchhiker episode without someone leering.

Monique changes in a dominatrix-type outfit under her clothes. They have dinner and retire to the bedroom. Jack immediately lets Monique tie him to the bed.

She reveals her sexy outfit and asks if he wants to play a game called Blastoff. I mean, it sounds pretty sexy right? Sounds like code for something else?

She puts on this neon metronome and says he has 1 minute to free himself or he will blastoff. Pretty cryptic.

This thing keeps booping faster and faster as Monique explains that she knows how he treats other women. Jack is upset and sounds like he wants to kill her, demanding she free him. The metronome goes even faster and then...

...his genitals explode? It looks like he dies in ball of flames. Wow what an ending!

Oh wait there's more.

I guess she had been filming this whole thing for her newest art installation. The people watching the exhibit seem confused, maybe they've never seen an episode of The Hitchhiker before.

There is an announcement showing the artist Monique is there and we get this big reveal.

It's Barbara! I mean, I knew she was the artist all along, were we only supposed to get that now?

Anyways, The Hitchhiker is leaving the art museum telling us that Jack Rhodes used the state of the art in video to get what he wanted (really, VCRs state of the art?) but when he had to do it for the sake of art , he went to pieces. Haha! Good one Page! An actual joke! I think he's enjoying Jack's suffering a little more than he should.

Let that be a lesson to everyone...pick up hitchhikers.

As I said before, this was a great episode that had it all, even the confusing ending. I mean, what actually happened to Jack and how did he explode like that? It's episodes like this that keeps me coming back for more, so until next time, be nice to people named Monique!

[sga-owns-my-soul]

For the ask game A, C, F, H, U

ooh good ones! this one got a little long lmao whoops 😂

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.

i'm obsessed with a mcshep queer platonic relationship (aroace!john and bisexual!rodney for the win tbh) and a ship i've been thinking about a LOT lately is ronon and woolsey idk why i just. idk that scene in the prodigal at the end where ronon is like 'i know it's not a mission but i made a report' and woolsey laughs at 'michael tried to invade the city. we stopped him. end report' BABES THEYRE SO CUTE

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will.

john/teyla. i just. i can't. the ONLY time i like it is ot4

F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom?

19 years and counting babey!!!! i've been watching stargate since it came out (i was 6 years old!) and i've been a fan of it since i saw the first episode. fun fact i had a little "club house" in a small storage room in our basement when i was a kid and i PLASTERED the walls with art and posters that said "I LOVE _______" with all of the sga characters when i was like 7? 8? something like that?

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?

i've been in fandoms for lots of different things but i think my favourite is probably tv shows/movies. i just love me some good cinema

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

absolute all time fav blorbo of forever is Doctor Rodney McKay PhD PhD he always has been he always will be forever and always he owns my heart. i love everything about him- he's smart, he's canadian, he's arrogant, he's hot, he's funny, he's competent, he's an asshole, he's selfless and heroic, he's literally everything. i'm actually genuinely in love with him i would give up my entire life if he asked me to zero hesitation no questions asked

i know it says three different fandoms but i'm also going with john sheppard even tho it's the same fandom bc those two are just so far above the rest in terms of being my fav characters that i can't not include him. john is a disaster human and i love him. i'm like, 95% sure my obsession with putting my friends first and making sure they're happy and comfortable (even at the detriment to my own happiness and comfort) above all else is because of john sheppard. he's selfless, he's reckless, he's charming, he's funny, he's smart, he's hot, he's perfect he's everything i'm obsessed.

and then last i'm gonna go with nick miller from new girl bc (no surprise) i have a Thing for grabage broken men. i fell in LOVE with nick when i was watching new girl for the first time he's such a fucking disaster he's a middle aged drunk who doesn't know what he's doing with his life for half the show and he's so FUCKING HOT IM OBSESSED god i just hnnnnng ugh he's everything honestly i love me a scruffy middle aged garbage man so good always

[shhlima]

Hey, Lima, I’m SANTANA LOPEZ but everyone calls me SNIX, I identify as a CIS WOMAN and use SHE/HER pronouns. I was born on AUGUST 27TH making me TWENTY-ONE years old and a VIRGO. Most people call me the HBIC, maybe that’s because I am INTELLIGENT but also VAIN. If I had to describe my vibe, I would say it revolves around BREADSTIX, SHORT SKIRTS, & SMOKING CIGARS. Of course there is one thing I hope no one ever finds out, and that's I’M A CLOSETED LESBIAN & PUCK IS MY BEARD. Anyway, on a more fun note, people always say I look like CIERRA RAMIREZ.

FAMILY INFORMATION

HOMETOWN: lima, ohio FAMILY: lopez TYPE OF SIBLING: full BIRTH ORDER: oldest PARENTS STATUS: yes, but not happily POSSIBLE SIBLINGS: full, half, and adopted

SCHOOL DATA

YEAR IN SCHOOL: junior MAJOR/MINOR: fine arts (vocal performance) EXTRACURRICULARS: cheerios co-captain LIVING QUARTERS: 3 bd home with puck and maya OCCUPATION: bottle girl @ babes

HEADCANONS

From a young age, the Lopez children were being taught the importance of working hard. With their father being a doctor and their mother being a lawyer, they were at least well off enough that the kids were given opportunities most people that look like them weren't given. From music and dance lessons to sports, the Lopez children were all well rounded in something, which was how they liked it. But having extremely busy parents came with one downside: while their parents worked, the children were sent to Lima Heights Adjacent to be watched by their abuela, Alma Lopez. The woman is a strict, religious hard ass, so her grandchildren were being taught to stand up for themselves while also being respectful of her beliefs. That might not have been too hard when they were younger, but as she got older, Santana found herself testing her abuela and her beliefs more and more.

Although Santana could still excel in school and in cheerleading, it didn't take long for her to start rebelling once she hit her teenager years. What started out as just talking back to her teachers or telling a lie here or there to her parents quickly turned into stealing from her parents' liquor cabinet and sneaking out to parties. She didn't think any of it was that bad, or enough to get her disowned, but that changed in high school when she noticed the way her stare started to linger under her friend's skirts. Abuela had practically recited bible passages to her family for as long as San could remember, so she knew that the old woman saw homosexuality as an unforgivable sin, and she would outright disown her for it. Santana may have been her favorite grandchild (don't tell her siblings that), but Alma Lopez wouldn't go against her religious beliefs even for her mini me.

Withholding her desires for women worked out through high school, mostly, but by the time she graduated and was moving on to college, Santana knew she wouldn't be able to fight it for long. That's where Puck came in. The two are practically the male and female versions of the same person, so while their chemistry is mostly platonic, it's off the charts. With him being a single father who was quietly bisexual and hiding the identity of his baby mama, and her needing out of her parents' house so she could indulge in the beauty of women while in the closet, the perfect opportunity fell into their laps: they would be each other's beards. San moved in with him and his daughter Maya, who refers to her as Tia Santana, and as far as people know, the two are in a happily committed relationship. When Maya's asleep, San brings women she's met through her job at Babes over for a nightcap, and then kicks them out before her niece wakes up in the morning begging for Spanish lessons. It's almost too perfect of a situation, in her opinion, and it's her best option until she can get out of Ohio for good.

[snwusberry]

Okay you've ranked TXT's eras but can you rate their albums? LIKE solely based on the songs.

i got you bestie.

i'll go in chronological order from debut until now since i've literally been here from the beginning. i will be excluding singles and japanese comebacks.

i know you didn't ask but i'll also include the best song from each in my opinion and music taste.

let's just get into it.

THE DREAM CHAPTER: STAR

• 8/10

• the songs are good, the vibes are there AND they showed variety from the very get go. what more can we really ask for?

• best song: blue orengeade. sue me. it was autumn here when they debuted but it was still a bit hot so, summer song??

THE DREAM CHAPTER: MAGIC

• 9.5/10

• i loved her. i remember i was in math class when this came out and obviously i was listening to it.

• guys we. got a glimpse of rapper beomgyu in angel or devil, what more could i ask for. not to mention it had the best stage outfits during this era. i literally don't make the rules. (TAEHYUN FAKE CHEWING GUM IN THAT ONE STAGE!!! GUYS 😭)

• i know we're basing this on songs but guys kai in this era!!! we don't talk about that enough.

• y'all are sleeping on roller coaster fr.

• best song: 20cm (guys i live amd breathe rnb, spare me.)

THE DREAM CHAPTER: ETERNITY

• 7/10

• i said this before, they saw is struggling and came to save the day.

• don't at me for my rating though...

• best song: maze in the mirror (prod. beomgyu is my favorite genre 😍)

MINISODE1: BLUE HOUR

• 7/10 (literally sue me!!)

• no bc this is THE autumn (or fall ig) album, that, i will say loud and proud even though it was getting hot as shit down here.

• everyone was doing disco at this time though, inwas kinda over it but it was still nice.

• guys we sleep on beds, not art bc way home??

• best song: ghosting (yes)

THE CHAOS CHAPTER FREEZE + THE CHAOS CHAPTER FIGHT OR ESCAPE (yes i'm counting them as one)

• 10/10. no further questions your honor.

• it's no secret at this point that this was my favorite era by farrr.

• she delivered and devoured.

• guys i literally don't have much to say other than the fact that ashnikko popped off with frost (yes i know she didn't wrote it alone)

• we got prod. kai (HELLO GO LISTEN TO DEAR SPUTNIK!!)

• let me also side track a little. WOLF CUT BEOMGYU??? BLOND HUENING KAI?? SKATER TXT???? we were FED.

• i still think about the anti-romantic challenge to this day. you will forever be iconic.

• best song: 0x1=LOVESONG (dare i say their best title song)

MINISODE2: THURSDAY'S CHILD

• 10/10

• great ep from start to finish.

• no guys i knew they would eat tge moment i listened to opening sequence. literally the perfect 1st track i've heard.

• first time we got unit songs so obviously i was looking forward to it.

• yes this was released in the depths of autumn here but thursday's child has far to go went straight intoy summer playlist.

• best song (this ome was tricky): opening sequence/lonely boy. they're tied moving on.

THE NAME CHAPTER: TEMPTATION (notice how the album covers have only been X for the past 2 years?)

• 7/10 because it was short as shit. like wtf am i suppose to do with 14 minutes?? (i mean go off keshi but it was too short babe)

• 10/10 grudge aside

• pulled me out of the gutter i was in frfr.

• it was short but it did it's job, i am not gonna lie.

• perfect from start to finish and you know what, this probably wasn't the intention, idk but this was the ep of the summer, like it was actually summer here when this was released and i'll be blasting it this summer too.

• coi leray!! that's all.

• best song: tinnitus (no surprise there). their first afrobeats song amd they delibered honey. they made it for us 😭 (africans)

THE NAME CHAPTER: FREEFALL

• 5.5/10 SHOOT ME!!!

• guys don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad album, it just wasn't doing it for me, idk. like i got into it only liking 2 songs 💀

• chasing that feeling and happily ever after did grow on me a little but like...

• i'll give it to them though, this was by far their is experimental album. like how you give us new age, rock, disco pop, rnb etc in ONE album???

• best song: dreamer (no brainer honestly.) insert what i said about 20cm

----

there we go, theresmy honest rating of txt's albums and ep. would this ruffle feathers if i mattered? definitely. how dare i give one of my ult groups a 5.5/10?

them being one of my ults doesn't mean i have to eat everything they put out up 💀

anyway...

bye

[astaroth1357]

Hello I really love your writing. I’m glad that you decided to open requests for a bit. I have a personal headcanon that the boys are a lot nicer to MC then they are to everyone else. Could you do a headcanon of the boys being out with MC and they are talking with MC happily. Then a lesser demon sees them with MC and says that the seven brothers have gone weak and they aren’t scared of them anymore. Thank you again!!! 😖 (Also the way you write Levi is great)

Aww thank you!! Levi's kind of my favorite character (if that hasn't become painfully obvious) so I try to write him well, you know? This one was a little hard for me to write because I just have a hard time imagining Asmo and Beel as something intimidating to the masses, but I tried my best! I hope you like it!

Lesser Demons Think the Brothers have "Gone Soft…"

Lucifer

If anybody had something to lose by acting sweet on a lowly human, it was Lucifer. His entire image was built on the back of power and intimidation, so really who didn't see this coming?

He knew there were whispers… Mostly in the RAD hallways. Students would see him with the MC and gossip amongst themselves… 

"Did you see them together again in the courtyard?"

"How did some random human even score a pact with him??"

"And I used to seriously look up to him, too…"

He'd always silence their chitchat with a well placed glare, but this was a symptom of something more… troubling. A decay of his social image if you will.

Perhaps it speaks to how well and truly enamored he was with the MC that this proud creature didn't just dump them the second he started looking bad, but still… a part of him really couldn't stand for this...

So maybe it was a blessing in disguise when he finally got an excuse to establish his superiority yet again!

He and the MC were walking the halls of RAD after school hours and they had just made an amusing joke at the expense of of his brothers. Unfortunately, Lucifer collided into a lesser demon student while he was laughing…

On most occasions, he would have expected someone of such station to pay him deference then offer an apology - they had just ran into Lucifer after all - but the student just scoffed at him!

Lesser Demon: "Oi! Watch where you're going, Lucifer! Or were you too busy sucking up to that human to notice?"

This… was maybe not the best response to have (if the "Oh shit" look on the MC's face was any indication) but for as annoyed as Lucifer was, he was also somewhat delighted.

Finally, he had the perfect messenger for just how cruel he could still be!

Lucifer: "MC, feel free to go home without me for now and tell my brothers to save my dinner for later…" *starts pulling out his favorite rope with a cold, but pleased, smile on his face* "I have a feeling I'll be home late tonight..."

The MC left him and his unfortunate victim to their fate and Lucifer later came home in the night with his uniform in a bad need of cleaning...

A new body decorated the RAD entrance hall the next morning - swinging from the ceiling and making an awful mess on the floor - but still alive enough give a very important message to the rest of the students:

"Lucifer hasn't changed a bit…"

Mammon

So, not even lesser demons see Mammon as some kind of high-ranking badass… 

Just to be clear, he is, but it’s hard for him to come off that way when he's begging for his next Grimm... Then enter MC into the picture and he somehow lost even MORE cred.

"There goes poor Mammon… Did you hear he got tricked into a pact?"

"Just look at him nipping at the human's heels! How pathetic is that??"

"Well that's Mammon for you… What a shit excuse for a demon."

Like Lucifer, Mammon wasn’t immune to the whispers, but unlike his brother he was able to push them mostly out of his mind. People look down on him? Yeah, what else is new?

To be honest, he didn’t really feel the need to prove anything to a bunch of lesser demon losers… But insulting his MC takes things a step too far.

He and the MC were out at the Devil's Coast, "enjoying" some of the haunted house attractions and generally having a good time…ish. 

Any time they managed to make it out of one, the MC would have to peel Mammon off their back and hold him to assure him they were back to safety (a process he seemed to like enough to repeat the horror that precedes it).

It was during one of these calm down sessions that the two were accosted by a couple of snickering lesser demons, clearly looking for a fight…

Lesser Demon 1: "Hey look! There's the 'Great' Mammon and his little master!"

Lesser Demon 2: "Guess the master fits the demon… Of course someone like Mammon couldn't even score a pact with Solomon and gets stuck with the weakling!"

Lesser Demon 1: "Well how's the babysitting going, Mams? I bet you can't wait for them to kill over, can ya?"

Lesser Demon 2: "Careful! With his luck, they'll probably get eaten by the end of next week! Haha!!"

Now… an important thing to know about Mammon is that you can fling all the mud and stones you'd like at him… but never at his MC. That's just asking for a bruising...

Mammon: *smiling like usual, but his eyes are practically burning with rage...* "Yo, MC… I'm gettin' a little hungry. Can ya go find us a snack over there? I'll meet ya in a bit…"

MC: "Mammon, are you-?"

Mammon: "Don’t worry 'bout me, babe." *takes his glasses off and flashes a fanged grin* "This is'a piece of cake."

And indeed, it wasn't difficult at all. No matter how fast those demons ran, they could never out speed Mammon and he was looking to give more than a warning…

The MC didn't know what he did while they were waiting in line, but they heard the sounds of pleading go silent before Mammon turned back up with a nice bruise on his cheek. Oh, how they fretted and dotted on him…

Meanwhile, the haunted houses just earned themselves a couple new mannequins!… when rigor sets in anyway.

Leviathan 

Levi has a… mixed reputation in the Devildom to start with. People who only know him for his titles usually expect him to be some kind of sea-hardened badass. Those who meet him are… well let's say less than impressed.

This isn't anything new to Levi. It does take a blow to his confidence sometimes but even still most people aren't dumb enough to say something to his face… most people.

Unfortunately, "most people" have been getting bolder after seeing him with MC - because Demon Lord forbid Leviathan actually look happy for a change…

He and the MC were out and about for once. There was a raffle for exclusive merch at Anidaemon and he brought them along to boost his chances. They were grinning and chatting about anime but well…

The human couldn’t hear this, but he could - sensitive demon ears and all that. There were a couple guys who were tailing him… heckling him just loud enough that he was CERTAIN they knew he could hear them...

Lesser Demon 1: "Is that seriously Leviathan hanging out with a human? Isn’t he an Admiral??"

Lesser Demon 2: "Ha! The whole family's turned into simps, are you that surprised?"

Lesser Demon 1: "Wonder what the human's giving them that's got them all brainwashed…"

Lesser Demon 2: "Well... I've got an idea." 😏

If there were ever a reason for bile to fill his throat, it was now. He might be a shut-in, but those guys were the real creeps…

To be honest, Levi isn't one for public confrontation. Even with how gross and disrespectful those demons were being, he would have let it slide if they had just left it at that… but no…

He and the MC were browsing the ani-music racks in the store when those idiots popped up again. They hovered a while until they MC suddenly left his side to go find a store clerk.

When he saw the other demons move their direction, he naturally put himself between them and the would-be harassers. It was a little telling that despite his ticked off expression, the demons just laughed in his face!

Lesser Demon 2: "Hey look, the puppy's come out to protect its owner! How cute!"

Lesser Demon 1: "I can't believe you're that predictable, Levi… Do you really think we'd be scared of you?"

Well. That settled it.

When the MC came back, they found that Levi had moved from the music racks to the merch tables near the bathrooms. They didn't think anything of it… but...

One body was paralyzed by his venom and stuffed head first in a toilet while the other getting strangled by his tail just underneath the tablecloth… Meanwhile, Levi was cheerfully rambling about the raffle like nothing was happening at all.

Maybe they should have been a little more scared of the shut-in...

Satan

This may actually be a case where the rumors have a point… The MC has made Satan "soft."

Well, if "soft" means actually in control of himself, anyway. 

Satan would probably call their effect on him both a blessing and a curse. Though he loved finally having a handle on his inner rage, it flew in the face of a lot of his public image… and people were starting to notice….

"Do you think there's something off about Satan…?"

"I saw the human step on his toes earlier and he didn't even flinch…! The old Satan would have torn them apart!!"

"He's gotten way too nice all of sudden… Wrath shouldn't be nice."

Was it a little frustrating? Certainly. Especially for someone as image conscious as him. But for as calm as he was now, Satan wasn’t any less cruel and he'd be more than happy to remind others of that fact….

His chance came when he and the MC were together having just left the local art gallery. The two were exchanging a healthy dialogue about a curious sculpture they saw on display when a latte suddenly went soaring through the air and ended up all over Satan's sweater… The culprit was plain to see, being the only other demon on the road that night.

Whether the act was intentional or not, the correct course of action would have been to apologize immediately and beg for mercy forgiveness… but all the demon did was laugh in his face…

Maybe he thought that since Satan had mellowed out and his human was right beside him that he'd be lenient… Oh no. Not gonna happen.

Satan's fist slammed into the guy's mouth with the force of a jetliner and knocked him over two benches before his back bent over a lamppost… To say it was a KO move would be an understatement.

He probably could have done a whole lot worse to the guy while he was down, but you know… the MC being there and "self-control" and what not…

The demon survived (barely) and only had to spend a few months in the hospital, if anything he got off light.

Not a soul would gloss over Satan's temper again and really he preferred it that way.

Asmodeus 

Well, to be fair not a lot of people thought that Asmo was tough to start with… but that's also his intention.

"Scary" is the opposite of "cute" and he prefers to be "cute" at all times! 😊

Buuut that doesn’t mean this scorpion is without a stinger. He CAN be quite brutal when he wants to be, you just have to push him that far and trashing his looks is a good way to start.

Asmo was out with the MC getting his hair done for the week at his favorite salon. They weren't the only people there that day, obviously. There were other customers - one being a lesser demon classmate of theirs - though neither he nor the MC thought much of him at the time...

Well… It was supposed to be a prank. Probably something the guy intended to use for social media clout. While the staff was too busy to notice, he snuck by and replaced Asmo's preferred conditioner with pink hair dye…

Asmo. Was. Furious. And honestly, the dude could have gotten away with it if he hadn't been laughing and recording the whole thing!

When Asmo's ire naturally fell onto him, he hardly looked fazed!

Lesser Demon: "Ah, please! You won't do shit to me with the human still around! You don't want to look any uglier to them do ya?"

Asmo: *freezes, but still furiously eyeing every sharp instrument within arm’s reach* "MC? Darling?"

MC: "Got it..."

Perhaps the prankster should have kept his mouth shut, because suddenly the MC needed to take a looong bathroom break…

They didn't come back out until they heard the sounds of screeching and broken glass finally die down and then they stepped back into a warzone… Broken mirrors and items seemingly flung everywhere in a fit of rage! The guy (and his phone) now nowhere to be seen…

The salon comped Asmo for the botched hair job and touch up… and then billed Lucifer for the property damage (which he got an earful about later). On the bright side though, Asmo actually looks pretty great with pink hair! Silver-linings. 🙂

Beelzebub 

… The concept of Beel "going soft" is almost an oxymoron. He IS soft, but his personality was never what made him intimidating to start with.

Behind all his kindness, Beel packs more firepower than at least 4 for his siblings combined and most people remember that fact. Hell, the guy looks like he could lift a semi and he probably would if he ever tried. 

However, that doesn’t save him from being underestimated completely... Especially when an upstart or two thinks he's too nice to actually start a fight...

He and the MC were coming back from the grocery store with the usual armfuls of sacks when the MC accidentally walked into a lesser demon on the street. Since their arms were full, several items spilled out from the bags and onto the ground…

The MC was quick to apologize to the demon and try to get down to clean the mess, but the asshole just kept walking… and Beel really didn't like that.

Beel: "Hey! Aren't you going to say, 'Sorry?'"

The lesser demon hardly looked over his shoulder to respond.

Lesser Demon: "Why should I? That's your human. Take care of them yourself."

Well it didn't take long for some of Beel's bags to hit the floor so he could lift the demon up by the back of the neck properly. When he turned the guy to face him, he made sure to bring his face reeaal close so he could hear him growl...

Beel: "Apologize. Or I'll eat you."

And like that, the asshole's mood went from "Do it yourself," to "Yessir Mr. Beelzebub, sir!" right quick!

The MC didn't have to carry a single bag another step and Beel got to keep his free hand so he could link it with theirs!... all while Beel kept mushing their new pack-mule forward like a sled dog back to the House. Thanks, Beel! 😊

Belphegor 

Kind of similar to Asmo, Belphie prefers to come off as unassuming on most days. But don't let his, "I'm a harmless sleepy boy" shtick fool you. He will cut a bitch if he's so motivated...

Thankfully for the world, he's generally not motivated. But that can be changed under the right circumstances...

Belphie and the MC were on yet another date to the botanical gardens. It's a peaceful place, though the MC can never go alone because of the frankly concerning amount of flesh-eating plants… Pretty, but also deadly, you know?

The two of them were walking to another rest spot when Belphie heard whispering from a demon behind them, seemingly on his phone…

Lesser Demon: “Yeah, I can see them right now…”

Lesser Demon: “I know right? It's so lame that these guys are in charge of us… They can't even say no to a dumb human!”

Lesser Demon: “What do you mean keep my voice down? Dude, it's fine! This is Belphegor we're talking about, the hell is he going to do if he hears me?”

… Huh.

The answer to the man's question was a simple one. Flash into his demon form for just a moment and whip out his tail... It only took a quick swipe to make him trip and fall right into the foliage. The man-eating… carnivorous… hungry… foliage….

Belphie was back to normal by the time the jerk let out his first scream and the MC almost stopped to see what had happened.

MC: "What the-oh my God!! Should we help-??”

Belphie: *puts his hands on their shoulders to keep them moving, not even glancing back* “Someone else will take care of it. Let's see the roses.”

Even when the desperate cries for help became distant, it took all Belphie had to stifle a smile…

Sometimes, you've got to love irony. 🤷‍♀️😏

[fatalfangirl]

It's Friday! I'm traveling today and am distracting myself from flying anxiety with fics. Forever thankful for the quality of writing in this fandom. Here are some recent favs:

His Mercy, Mine - NSFW - by @facewithoutheart

What a damn roller coaster. I went into this only having read some of the snippets posted on tumblr - didn't read the tags, didn't skim - zero spoilers. And that's how I think this fic should be consumed if you want maximum gasps. The split timeline storytelling is really effective, as are the descriptions/language used for the gladiatorial AU. I loved it. The only other thing I'll say is don't skip the second chapter :) I'm also currently reading the author's latest WIP: This Will All Go Down In Flames and would rec that too. The Austin based fic is full of feels, music, and local beer. AND a goat.

wasabi - NSFW - by xivz

Roommates snowbaz stuck in quarantine and featuring cam boy Simon! What is not to love! Baz's thirst is so good in this. Wonderfully demented. Perfect amount of lust, which is to say an overflowing bucket of it. The author also recorded a podfic for wasabi and holy hell 🥵 the narration was so hot. It made me pause mid folding laundry with a flush. Had to fan myself. Definitely worth both a read and a listen!

network connectivity problems - SFW - by BasicBathsheba

This one came as a rec from @you-remind-me-of-the-babe and @whatevertheweather after I confessed having only read one Ban fic before. And wow. I loved it. Textfic gold. GOLD I tell you! Simon texts a number thinking he might be IT and help his computer woes, but in reality it's Baz, Simon's uni nemesis, former roommate, and ruthlessly good footballer. The fic is charming and funny and goes where you hope it does with a few little surprises in between. Strong rec for a late night read. (I'm also currently obsessed with Local Hero, which I'm half through, and cannot believe I didn't read these fics sooner, but happy I have them now.)

The Boy and the Summoned - NSFW - by @takitalks, art by @ic3-que3n

I am a sucker for demon Simon. It is one of my favorite versions of Simon (next to dragon) and this fic hits the damn spot. Very cool AU with a canon divergence that has Natasha surviving the Watford attacks, but as a price - and how she dealt with the fallout of that event is a mystery that seems connected to a ring (and a demon) Baz finds on Pitch grounds years later. I love the vibe of this fic, the sort of gothic creepiness of the Pitch estate and the menacing dark fog that surrounds Simon. Excited to see where the mystery takes us!

in the Dust of Dragons - NSFW - by @martsonmars, art by @nick-eyre

This fic is so well written. It's fantasy done exceptionally and makes me feel nostalgic for my childhood of curling up with a books and escaping to fantastical lands. The lore and storytelling is pulling cleverly from canon and has us following Baz on a solo journey (thus far) carrying the weight of his trauma and a heart that is still soft at its core. There is dragon Simon and magic and a Penny that will not take shit from anyone. And we're only 2 chapters in. This is going to be good folks. Dive in and enjoy the ride with me.

[husbandohunter]

May I request a Childe X Reader fanfic where the reader has been pushing herself too hard lately and so Childe has to forcefully get her to rest? ty

By my side [Childe x Reader]//Genshin Impact

Synopsis: You were an artist and he was an adventurer. Two people from vast backgrounds and Childe just wants to spend some time of his busy life with you. However, things didn't really go his way...at first.

(Childe x F!reader. Its all fluff)

(A/n): Perfect request anon. I too, would like to have a Childe in my life. Been getting 5-6 hours of sleep on average 😃😁. Yeah kind tossed some extra ideas with artist s/o, its a perfect reason for anyone to be busy.

============================

Once recieving the permission to take a week off from his diplomatic duties, the first thing Childe thought of was none other than his lovely significant other.

The harbinger knew quite well what lays ahead of his ventures to Liyue. During his quest for the archon's gnosis, he encountered many interesting events, such as meeting the rumoured traveller hailing from afar and a broke yet courteous man who turned out to be the ultimate ruler of this very country he walks upon then there was the battle against a dead god until he revived it using the sigil of permission. All of them were great additions to his story as Ajax the hero, something he always wanted to pursue since childhood. In which, also gave him something nice to write about when preparing letters for his siblings living back home. But little did the harbinger know that he'll one day bump into the heroine. A little too soon. Through your little art shop, he met you, a sweet and audacious woman with plenty of humour. That was how it all began.

While he strides down the streets between Liyue's exquisite buildings, Childe suddenly stops in his tracks and looks up to the sky. There, was painted a scenery of an evening dusk, sun rays relfected across until red and orange hues cast a river stream that led to the ends of the world. He watched the birds follow that streak like it was a path made for them to fly towards. A new adventure. You would have loved to captured this in your pictures.

And then he wonders, what might you be painting right now?

"Hey babe, I'm home~"

In a sing-song voice he calls out to you by your nick-name. You knew that Childe was an active member of the Fatui and that his time was limited, hence he made sure to write to you as well. Of course long distant relationships only makes the waiting more anticipated. When he does pay a visit, you'd run straight into his open arms, leaping off your feet to engulf him in one enourmous embrace. Then his hands will hold against your waist as he spins your round and around in the air, stealing the laughter out of your lungs before planting you back on the floor. Sometimes Childe would consider that being far away wasn't be such a bad idea as long as he was able to experience this, the harder the battle, the sweeter the victory. However...

"That's great."

He was met by a response similar to the wintry grace of Snezhnaya.

Huh?

All the fantasies he had from earlier shatters in the background as he stands there frozen. You didn't even spare a glance to the entrance, eyes still glued to the large canvas displayed at your front, too busy to even care. Childe clicks his tongue between the awkward silence with an uncertain expression. When there was no signs of initiation on your part, he shuffled his way to where you were and observes from behind.

"Well you're particularly quiet today," he muses to himself, placing a hand over his hip, "I guess that painting of yours must be really important then."

It was obvious that he was trying to nudge you into his favour. Something that you've found endearing was how quickly your boyfriend can be when he's in a needy state. So you quickly twisted over to peck him on the cheek before going back to work.

"That's better," Childe satisfiedly grins, "So who is this project for?"

"It's a commission requested by a wealthy family serving the Qixing. They're really influential in terms of the market and can really give me a competitive edge. I have to get it done in five days."

His tone flactuates as he squints his eyes, "Five days you say," he disliked the news of your schedule taking over his own, Childe only managed to take a week off and after that, he'll be away for quite some time, "Why don't you take a break? From the looks of your progress, it seems to me that you've been working on it for hours. I've got plenty of interesting stories to tell and you know, nothing can compare to sharing a warm meal within your company," he leans down to your ear level, "How does that sound?"

Several seconds went by as he waits for some sort of reaction, "Oh. Right," you blurted out and the harbinger only smiles, "I made some food earlier this morning. You can go help yourself if you're hungry."

Today was not his day.

Childe pulls out the wooden chair and slumps into the seat, a defeated huff escaping his mouth as he stared at the crystal shrimp placed on the table. It was hastily wrapped by plastic, most likely cold for a while, just like the romantic evening he had planned in his head. Normally you'll be sitting on the otherside while listening to the many tales he went through along the way. Although painting was your passion, it was undeniable that you also enjoyed his kind of lifestyle if you ever had the choice. He was rather surprised on how someone ambitious like him would end up with such a simplistic person but quickly accepted it as life was meant to be unpredictable, just the way he likes it. As Childe entertains you with his stories, he'll listen to your giggles amidst eating the homecooked meals that you both prepared together.

"I wonder if she ate already," he mumbled to his lone self. You most likely did but Childe knows you well. Artists are obsessed and they can go as far as to neglecting their own health for the sake of their masterpieces. Hence, he made sure to remind you to eat properly through the letters he wrote to you.

The harbinger takes a quick glance around the kitchen. It was a mess. The cupboards were slightly opened, metal pots were still displayed on the stone stove and the stench coming from the sink....

Childe pushes himsel up to see what was the cause.

Not even the dishes were washed.

Running his fingers through his bangs, he sighs wearily, "Old habits die hard huh?" And above all else, when artists are obsessed they also forget how disorganized they can become. Childe begins to roll up his sleeves before taking off his gloves. At times like this he'll have to pitch in and take care of it for you, "Looks like I'll be here for a while."

Throughout three sunsets and three moonrises, Childe had no option but to observe you from afar, minus the few attempts he made to regain your attention again. How you would go to bed much later than him, waking up before he opens his eyes and the effort he put into making your food only left with too many leftovers. It wasn't that you were unappreciative, instead, your mind had become too focused that your body was considered a second priority. Like anyone else, Childe genuinely thought you possessed great talent and supports you wholeheartedly. He loved it when you painted pictures just for him as if they were scenes coming out of his hero story, reminded by his adventures, capturing every detail. However he also needed to learn how to deal with this stubborn side of yours.

"Hey babe, I just finished preparing our dinner. Don't you smell that? Such a rich aroma, you should go eat."

"I'm busy."

Your diet were just small bites, the rest being substituted by coffee. Childe could clearly tell that you weren't getting enough sleep either as there were dark circles forming underneath your eyes and slowly, he was starting to become a little irritated.

Three hours passed midnight but you were still awake in the same place doing the same thing. Childe leans against the doorframe with arms folded, already changed into his sleeping clothes. He clears his throat to break the silence, "Ahem."

Your wrist hangs in mid air by the sound of a strange visitor, it was your boyfriend. Gaze in a daze, you lazily turned your head, "What time is it?"

"Way passed the sleeping hours as you can see," he points with his thumb at the table clock in a half-hearted manner, "You should already be in bed by now and don't think you can coax yourself out of the situation this time," his eyes parted in slits as he added with a smile, "Otherwise I might just have to force you myself."

You shook your head, "Give me one more hour? There's some finishing touches I really want to add so," clasping your hands together, you beamed sweetly, "Pretty please? I'll finish up soon."

"Oh really?" Childe challenges, head tossed back like he was interrogating you instead, "I believe that was also what you told me yesterday. And the day before? Adding up all of those days that would be.....four in total?" He deliberately counts upon his fingers before facing you again, this time his expression was slightly more serious, "As much as I find your determination remarkable, there are moments when you need to consider a sufficient amount of rest and this just isn't going to cut it."

"Four days already?!" You exclaimed, "Jeez, I don't even know if I'm halfway done."

Pressing his lips together, Childe glares in an acutely deadpanned countenance, it was also his time too, "Can't you ask this commissioner to extend your due date to next week? In your case, mora shouldn't be the issue since, well...you're dating me anyways."

It's true. Childe was the main reason why you didn't have to live as a starving artist. He had all your expenses fully covered from the marketing aspect to your residence, you simply chose to work out of pure will.

"I don't want to always rely on you so much," you confessed, "This commissioner could turn my whole career around. If I'm able to gain his favour, maybe I'll get promoted to a court painter for the Qixing! Who knows when there will ever be a chance like this again," pumping your fists, you spoke purposefully, "I'll pull an all nighters if I have to!"

Childe brings his hand to his forehead, you looked as if you were nearly about to collapse and yet still considering the option of an all-nighters? The harbinger should've detained you days prior before.

"Hm? Childe, what's wrong?" He suddenly falls deadly quiet and you watched him walk closer towards you, "What are--"

Hooking an arm behind your knees and the other at your back, your boyfriend lifts you up in one full swoop as he tossed you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Guess we'll have to do things the hard way," he remarks cheerfully.

"W-Wait," you flailed your arms and kicked your legs but to no avail. Childe was an experienced combatant indeed, "Put me down! I have work to do."

Your protests fall upon deaf ears as the harbinger carries you to your room. You were oddly lighter than the last time he carried you, the strength less vigor than before, it was obvious that your body was in need of relaxation. He suddenly thinks there was a possibility that you would maintain this habit while he was absent.

I should probably visit more often.

Using his free leg to nudge the door open, he places you upon the shared bed in a gentle manner. You winced at the impact of the soft sheets, surprised by how much it affect you.

"There we go. All done. Man, you really are a stubborn one, aren't you. Makes me a little worried since I can't spoil you all the time."

He quickly invited himself to the empty space on your bedside and wrapped his arms around your figure, pulling you close and feeling you whole. Childe made sure there was no escape once putting his chin above your hairline so that you could feel his warmth as much as possible.

"This is--" you stuttered. His tactic was enough to make your limbs soften and you could almost hear him smirk into the distance, "This is cheating..."

"You think so?" He comments as if pledging innocence, "I don't know babe. Where I come from those who take the initiative are the ones who end up claiming the prize," pulling back, Childe takes the opportunity to observe your pouty face, "I don't make the rules. It's just how it goes."

You wanted to argue back but he suddenly took the bedsheets and covered both of your bodies with, completely trapping you with his presence. He snuggles into you further as if you were a bear made of linen and you felt the drowsiness taking over your mind. The way he gently pats down the back of your head was enough to instantly lull you into a deep sleep.

"Cheater," you mumbled.

He laughs softly, the rumbles emitting through his chest, "I love you too babe."

Even after you've let go of your resistance, Childe continues his actions until he was sure that you were resting. He had been longing to touch you like this since living a chaotic life only made peaceful moments much sweeter, "You're such a hard-worker you know that? I'm proud of you but you have to know when to call it a day," he whispers, "If not, how can I go on trips while knowing that you're still refusing to eat properly?"

You closed your eyes and said nothing in return. All your senses were too cloudy to come up with a reassuring response. Childe listens to the way your breath evens as you intake his scent during the process. It smelled like the soap you used in the showers, lotus leaves mixed with his own unique musk. You could only focus on him. His comforting embrace. His slightly accelerating heartbeat because you were together with him.

Letting out one final yawn, you succumbed to his spell and allowed your energy to drift away.

The corners of his lips tug upwards, "Sleep well princess."

Childe reaches over to your desk drawer and shuts off the alarm clock before turning over to face you again. He couldn't fall asleep immediately, not when he had to consider taking care of the commissioner who gave you an impossible deadline. But that will be saved for another day, for now, he observes in silent serenity.

If he were to quit his job for a year, what would his life be like?

Peaceful. Something opposite of what he was living right now. Something similar to the life he had back home. As you arrange the many paintings in your little home, he'll offer to help you among the places you couldn't reach. Without a doubt, Childe was far taller in comparison. Taking strolls into the streets and trying the new dishes the merchants came up with. Then in the evenings, you'll both go to dinner dates while listening to the storyteller revealing the rumours of the legendary Tianquan Qixing. Although Childe loved the adventurous life he led, he had to admit that your domesticity and family-bringing atmosphere was a tempting idea.

Maybe one day.

He lightly takes a strand that had fallen over your nose and tucked it smoothly behind your ear. The soft snores coming out of your parted lips caused his gaze to melt. And so he steals them with his own, placing a chaste goodnight kiss.

One day I'll be sure to bring my family here with us.

Closing his eyes, he joins you in your slumber, hoping to see all that he envisioned in his dreams.