#also yes i am still working on this i am just very slow and easily distracted
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painted some more stuff for my gideon the ninth mini game. more varied backgrounds for gideon to saunter through, more variety in platforms, and now with some basic skeleton enemies
(Next up: Boss Harrow. More complex and varied skeleton animations. Gideon will get a special attack for Crux where she can throw tity mags at him.)
#the skeletons WILL dab even if my wrist dies drawing it#also yes i am still working on this i am just very slow and easily distracted#the locked tomb#gideon the ninth#gideon nav#harrow the ninth#nona the ninth#game design#my art#artists on tumblr#gtn game
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SUGAR BABY - TOJI FUSHIGURO
Toji loves a woman with big bills.
You came from a family of lawyers who owned a big law firm in the city. Your whole life had already been set the moment you were born, and like the rest of your family, you became a lawyer who could easily earn six figures like it just falls from the tree in your huge backyard.
Currently, you were still in law school when you met Toji from a bar.
“Where do you think you’re going, bastard?” The security yelled, using all his efforts to push the big muscular man away from the door. “If you’re gonna drink here, make sure you can pay the fucking bill.”
“I’ll handle it,” you tapped the security guard, waving your card at him. “It’s on me.” You winked at Toji, and in return, he flashed you a wide and cunning grin.
“Damn, lady. Do I know you?” Toji asked.
“No, but let’s change that.” You smile back.
Every Friday night, you’d meet up at the same bar and you’d always treat him to drinks and food. As you both grew closer, you’d meet up at other places like the mall so he could watch you shop.
“Do you want anything?” You’d ask while your eyes remained fixated at the handbag you were checking.
“Why do you ask? Are you going to buy me something?”
“Yes. Just show me,” you nonchalantly said like you could buy the whole store with the wave of your black card.
Toji’s eyes widened and his mouth hung open. “Anything?”
“Yep.”
In the end, you ended up buying a Rolex for him.
“How could I ever repay you?” Toji thought.
There was one thing Toji was proud to offer you—his cock. He was very much aware of how much he was packing. He had a generous length and girth that would surely satisfy you once you get used to its size. It was a perfect gift for you.
His offer was to let you use his dick to get off. He became your sex toy or personal dildo. You’d ride him at your own pace while all he did was watch in amusement. He would occasionally run his big calloused hands over your waist or help you go up and down on his cock when your thighs start shaking form exhaustion.
“You like being used like this?” You teased.
“Yeah, so when am I getting my car?” He groaned as you rode him at a slow and agonizing pace.
“I already told you, the newest model will be coming next week. Be patient or I’m not letting you cum anymore,” you warned him through gritted teeth. You hissed at the feeling of him stretching you out.
Other times, he’d pester you in a special way in order to get what he wanted. His face would be buried between your thighs, tongue slowly lapping at your wet cunt like a kitten.
“Baby… my co-worker Shiu has these new Ferragamo’s. Can I get those too?” He lowly said, his breath fanning your pussy.
“If you can make me cum four times then, maybe I’d let you.”
With his skilled tongue, he was able to fulfill his task, leaving you breathless and shaking.
When you would come home stressed from work, you’d let him fuck you and do all the work. Toji was a person-pleaser when it came to you. It wasn’t just for the gifts and money, but also because he was a sucker for your sweet praises.
“This fine?” He picks a medium and consistent pace, giving you room to ease up around his dick.
“Mhm,” you’d hum in response, your eyes closed as you quickly fell into a relaxed and satisfied state.
Toji was quite the company. He was a pretty thing to look at and his dick worked magic for you. You were definitely going to keep him around for a long time. After all, he was quite the investment.
#rev.writes#jjk#jujutsu kaisen#jjk fanfic#jjk x reader#jjk x y/n#jujutsu kaisen x reader#jjk x you#toji fushiguro x reader#fushiguro toji#toji x y/n#toji x you#toji x reader#toji fushiguro x you#toji fushiguro x y/n#toji smut#jjk toji
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A Lion in Your Den
Yandere Male Lion Hybrid Android x Transmasc Reader (CW: Non-con, breakup, depression, disassociation, overstimulation, drug induced pleasure, general yandere behavior) EXTRA NOTE: The term “pussy” is used to refer to transmasc genitals, this may potentially give some transmasc readers dysphoria so I just wanted to be extra clear on what is in this fic. Word Count: 4.5k (Big thanks to the commissioner, they paid way above my normal rate for this just so I could finish my garden and feed the senior center as well as my family. They wished to remain anonymous so I will not tag them, but I still just wanted everyone to know how awesome the commissioner is.)
The day had started like any other, you went to work and thought of taking the love of your life, Marcus, out to dinner later to get you through the day. You largely kept to yourself, got your work done, and turned to your happy thoughts when things got too unbearable. And when you got home after work to prepare for your date with your beloved, things were still going great. You took great care in getting and looking immaculate, you donned your best suit, which your android butler had kept pristine for you. “What do you think Ash,” you asked, doing a slow turn to show him how you looked. “You look amazing today sir, very handsome, I am sure Marcus will think so too!” Though his opinion was a bit biased, you were sure he would let you know if anything was seriously amiss with your attire. Ash was your android butler, he attended to you basically acting as a personal assistant and housekeeper. He cooked, cleaned, kept you organized, and in general just helped keep your days moving with a good flow. You were lucky you could afford him, feline mandroids were pretty expensive but your salary as a member of upper management at the company that manufactured these androids, along with an employee discount, meant you could get one. Ash was a later model, based on a lion. Not as petite as the domestic cat based model, and their personalities were less timid, and it was not uncommon to see them employed as bodyguards. You could easily see Ash in such a role, his image was certainly intimidating, standing 7ft tall was long ginger hair, lion like ears on the top of his head, a tail, sharp fangs, and glowing yellow eyes. With Ash’s affirmation that you looked fine and that you weren’t forgetting anything you grabbed your keys and headed to your car to meet Marcus at the park from which you would take a pleasant stroll down the street to a lovely seafood restaurant at which you had booked reservations. You pulled into the park’s parking lot and saw Marcus sitting on the bench waiting for you, you were a few minutes early so you knew he had been very early. One of the things you loved about him, always on time and never once stood you up. That was of course only one minor thing you admired about him, he was so sweet and open about himself, in contrast with your more reserved personality. He was also always wanting to go do things, go on adventures and see the sights, it was refreshing. And in bed he was great, always letting you on top, letting you cover him in bites while he moaned and whimpered submissively below you. In all areas of life he was extremely compatible with you, that’s why tonight you were going to ask him to take the next step with him towards spending the rest of your life with him. You had made all the preparations, so sure that he would say yes. You were going to ask him to move in with you. You knew he was having trouble keeping up with rent and this way he wouldn’t have to worry about that at all, you could take care of him. You even cleared a spare room for him to put all his stuff into. As you approached him he seemed a little nervous, though that wasn’t unusual, he always was whenever the two of you were on an outing where there would be people like at a restaurant or anything like that, he always calmed down and enjoyed himself eventually. You loved how he always calmed down when you held hands. He stood up and you silently took his hand before pulling him close and planting a chaste kiss on his cheek. “I am so glad I get to see you tonight, I thought about you all day at work, I know you love seafood so you are going to love this place I promise,” you said to him excitedly. He seemed a bit distant and distracted which wasn’t much like him, but you didn’t press him on it, he was probably just hyper-fixating on some small issue at work or something like that. When you were at the restaurant everything was pleasant enough. The food was good and flavorful, the zest of lemon imbued fish dancing on your tongue, the smell of freshly prepared seafood hanging thickly in the air, and the ambient sounds of other customers chatting and the scraping of silverware against their plates. Mainly you just enjoyed Marcus’ company and engaged in small talk and light banter, but eventually you started talking about your future together and were about to bring up the prospect of him moving in with you, but before you had a chance to take the conversation that far he interrupted you. “Look uh, we need to talk…” Uh-oh. No conversation between partners that started that way ever ended well. The conversation wasn’t one you could recall completely, you were so anxious and more than a bit dizzy, but the gist was that he was breaking up with you and did not feel that spark anymore. You remembered dropping your fork and hearing it clatter against your plate, and you remembered still experiencing the sounds and smell of an eatery and all the other patrons carrying on blissfully with their lives even as your world was completely shattered. You remembered Marcus apologizing and putting some money on the table before awkwardly getting up and leaving. And finally you remembered all of this as if you were not experiencing this first hand but almost as if you were floating a bit out of body and watching all of this unfold from a detached perspective. And that is how you were as you asked for the check, walked back to your car, and drove home, completely detached and out of it, as if you were just floating on auto-pilot going through all of the motions without really experiencing them or having proper presence of mind, it was like the spirit, the very ability to experience emotions beyond a dull whisper of what you should be experiencing, had left your body. When you arrived home of course Ash greeted you in his normal optimistic and ready to please manner as soon as you opened the door, before he even got a chance to look at you, “Hello, sir did the date go well, how’s Marcus? Did you ask him about mov- Oh, are you okay? What happened?” Finally looking at you, Ash could immediately tell there was something very wrong by the way that you stared ahead blankly and the change in the way with which you usually carried yourself. You responded only by brushing past him and walking upstairs to your bedroom and closing the door behind you before locking it and laying on your bed. You did not even bother to change out of your nice clothes. What was the point? What was the point of anything anymore? Ash tried a few times over the course of what remained of the night to knock on your door and get you to tell him what was wrong, but you just ignored him, in truth you barely noticed. You still felt like everything was distant. Your android was worried, and as the days progressed he grew more worried, it was a long weekend so it wasn’t too bad at first but then you did something you never did, you called off of work. Since you refused to talk about what had happened on the night of your date he had to get into contact with Marcus and finally found out the reason for your radical change in behavior. He knew humans were sentimental things that built attachments to one another and to future plans, but he had no idea that the loss of a relationship could so drastically alter someone. Especially someone as reserved and seemingly well put together as yourself. Ash looked into it, accessing data from top psychologists and neuroscientists and experts on all things to do with relationships. Most advice said to heal you would need time and some distraction to take your mind off the trauma of the loss of your mate. So time is what he gave you, but try as he might you would not allow yourself to be distracted. He tried fun activities, engaging in your favorite hobbies, getting you new games to play, cooking fun and exciting new dishes that were sure to please you given his extensive knowledge of what you enjoyed, but nothing worked. You were perfectly content to stay in your room, ignore him, and consume junk that was certainly not ideal for your body. After a week and a half of this you finally returned back to work, and Ash was thrilled, he was sure the spell had been broken. But, no, you were just going through the motions as detached as you had been since your breakup. Sure, you were taking slightly better care of yourself, maintaining your sleep schedule, cleaning up better, but you were still just going through the motions, like a plastic bag caught in a breeze you were not really trying to break out of the cycle, you were just doing what was necessary, and keeping your job was necessary when you ran out of vacation time. Ash, though running out of ideas, was trying very hard to break you out of your funk. He was only trying relatively small things, in an effort to follow the advice and let you have time to heal naturally, but there was all of 0 progress on that front. The lion man missed your old self more and more, the way how even though you were a quiet person you would talk about Marcus and your plans together for extended periods, the way your face lit up when you were thinking about him, or the way you always wore a big grin when you were heading out the door to see him or when he was on his way over. Ash loathed seeing you reduced to this mere shadow of a husk of a human being. You were more robotic at this point than any modern android! Finally he decided that he would have to ignore the traditional and well regarded advice and do something slightly more drastic. After all, each human was extremely unique and there were always going to be some that did not respond to traditional methods. It was becoming clear after a couple months that you needed more than just time. The first larger attempt Ash made in hastening your recovery was to get you out of the house. You didn’t see the point in doing so, but due to his sheer persistence you finally acquiesced to his request. He was careful not to take you anywhere that you had been to with your ex, nothing with any possible romantic connotation, instead trying out new experiences to get you to make happy new memories. For your part it was actually nice to get outside and enjoy the fresh air a bit. Left to your own devices you’d probably just be back in your house or working overtime to just distract you from having to face any emotions that sometimes welled up to the surface. Though Ash was happy that you were at least now willing to get out of the house when pestered, it did not lead to the change in you that he thought it would, the fact he could get you out of the bedroom was at least a sign to him that he was on the right track. Now was the time to press forward with this tiny bit of momentum. His programming and research combined with his personal knowledge and care for your well being led the machine to come to the conclusion that you really should not be so hung up on Marcus. In fact, having a new romantic interest may just be the thing that you needed. And now that he could get you out of the house you may be amicable out of the house. But you absolutely were not entertaining that idea, you pointed out that you just were not ready. And what if you got hurt again? You told Ash to just drop the idea, it wasn’t happening. His programming and drive to make you back to your old love struck self overrode your demand though. He did consider your very logical point about getting hurt again though, a second heartbreak on top of this one could be disastrous if you pursued love again and failed, but he came up with an easy workaround to that roadblock. He would simply date you himself! And he would make sure that you never ever broke up under any circumstances. It was the perfect solution. You could be head over heels for him and he could keep you safe and stop any human from shattering your heart again. Of course he would have to do this stealthily, otherwise he was sure you would just reject this idea outright. He was pretty confident in his ability to pull this off, he would just make the outings he dragged you to gradually more romantic. You’d been so out of it and distracted lately that you surely wouldn’t notice until you were head over heels for him, maybe even more so than you had been with your last mate. He did have several advantages over a normal human after all. The first of the secret “dates” that he had planned was just an extension to what you had done with him previously. Instead of just enjoying some fresh air and the pleasant view of nature surrounding you, Ash had personally made some of your favorite foods that were suitable to take on a picnic. You were not as numb as you had been immediately following your breakup with Marcus, but it came in waves, sometimes you felt your emotions were pretty muted and other times you were sad, but sometimes you felt like you were almost approaching the vicinity of okay. Thankfully during the picnic you were in one of the nearly okay periods, so it was actually a rather nice distraction from everything. It seemed like hanging out with Ash was the only distraction you had lately, other than work, and it seemed you had come to rely on them, they gave you a bit of structure to cling to outside of work hours, since Ash was so consistent and predictable when he scheduled them. When you felt more off you did not eat much so since you felt better you ate a decent amount of what your android had made for you. He had memorized all your favorites and fixed them custom tailored to your taste buds. As you sat and enjoyed nature his hand lightly grazed yours, you let it linger for a moment before slowly pulling away, not thinking anything of it other than he just accidentally had it there. With some effort you managed to push aside the thoughts of how it had reminded you of your ex, funny how such a simple accident could spark thoughts of past romance. The second “date” that Ash took you on was to a movie, it was to a franchise that you had long been a fan of and this entry in the series looked like it was going to be really great. When it was announced your loyal and ever caring android notified you immediately and ordered the tickets the second the movie was showing in the theater closest to you. The lion android fetched some popcorn and a large drink for you before shuffling into a seat beside you. Before your breakup you had not spent so much time outside the home with Ash but you were quickly considering him your best friend now, it wasn’t too odd or frowned upon anymore, plenty of people had machines for friends nowadays, AI had become extremely advanced. As the movie played you become wholly engrossed in the film, it commanded every ounce of your attention. You did not even notice when Ash gently put his arm around you or when you instinctively leaned into it. You didn’t realize what had transpired until the end of the movie when you looked away from the screen, almost half expecting to see Marcus. Almost forgetting for a moment, even after all this time, about things having ended between the two of you. Your cheeks flushed red and you felt a twinge of anxiety in your chest and apologized to Ash before hurrying to the car. He gave you a few moments before he followed after you and got in, silently driving you back home. Though you were typically the driver Ash had started taking the driver seat more often than he had previously. The ride passed in awkward silence until you finally arrived home. After ignoring what had happened at the theater long enough it was like it had never happened and it completely left your mind. Ash was just trying to be comforting, it didn’t mean anything, it wasn’t that big of a deal. He wasn’t a human, so he was bound to get romantic and platonic behaviors eventually. And you had been caught up in the movie, you wouldn’t have leaned into him otherwise. Ash, on the other hand, was positive that his plan was working. It may have ended with a bit of awkwardness and denial on your part, but he had successfully engaged in maintained physical contact with you for the duration of a date and that was by far the biggest amount of progress he had achieved since he started this plan to get you romantically involved with him. All you needed now was a bit of space to process things and then the android could move on to the third date. Third dates were very special for humans, normally meaning sex, and he was more than happy to please you in that regard, he knew he would be able to perform well, he had a number of features that humans lacked. He had everything planned out, there was a fancy new restaurant that had just opened a few weeks ago and he had convinced you to let him make reservations for the two of you. Ash was excited to enjoy a romantic meal with you, androids of his design could ingest food like a human and use it as fuel though he rarely did so. But he was more excited to just be on a romantic evening with you, what had started as a mission to cheer you up and prevent you from ever experiencing the emotional anguish of another breakup quickly became a mission to also sate his own growing desire and love for you. After experiencing these new and complex emotions he was eager to explore them farther with you. He was practically giddy with anticipation. The dinner was going fine for you, though your overzealous android companion had not perhaps the awareness needed to realize that this establishment was one that normally only couples went to for more fancy and romantic outings, so you were a bit self conscious wondering what people may think. But you didn’t say anything, Ash seemed happy to once more get you out of the house and you didn’t want to sour his mood. Ash misinterpreted your slightly embarrassed blush as a sign that you may finally really be having strong emotions for him as he had developed for you but you were still just a bit shy about it. Maybe you had even found out that these outings were dates and you were nervous about what was supposed to happen after the third one. Aside from an occasional stare from another customer at the restaurant and maybe some slight side-eye from the waiter, dinner went well, but once you got home Ash’s demeanor changed. Dramatically. He held the door open for you as usual but once he stepped into the house he stared at you not unlike a lion about to pounce on some long stalked prey. Ash quickly closed the distance between the two of you and pressed his lips against yours, placing his hand on the back of your head and leaving you locked in a deep kiss as his tongue invaded your mouth. You tried to push him off but there was no relent until he was finished. When he finally broke the kiss you were left gasping for air. “Oh, sorry sir, I got a bit carried away there.” “Ash… what the fuck!?” “No this is foreplay, the fuck comes after!” “Huh? What, no, why did you kiss me?” He put his hands on your hips and pulled you close before nipping your ear and whispering, “This is a common occurrence after humans have a third date, part of the mating ritual~” You struggled once more to push him away, only managing to now do so because he allowed it. “Oh, you’re doing that “playing hard to get” part of the ritual that many humans like, I have come across it in my research, don’t worry I am more than happy to accommodate!” Before you could respond he was back to kissing you aggressively before biting your neck. “Stop it Ash, really! You’re scaring me! We aren’t dating!” “No need to be shy about it! I know some people look down on androids dating their humans, but come on. All the outings? All the time spent together to heal your broken heart? We both know that was dating!” “That’s fucking insane, your reasoning is way of-” Your words were interrupted with yet another forceful kiss, this time accompanied by him grinding his knee into your crotch through your clothing, causing you to whimper a bit without meaning to. Without notice he quite literally swept you off your feet and hoisted you over his shoulder. With his immense android strength it was as easy for him as picking up a ten pound bag would be for you. You did not bother to struggle as he carried you up the stairs, even if you did manage to remove yourself from his grasp all you would have accomplished was a nice tumble down. Instead you opted to wait until he put you down. Once he set you on the bed in your room you made a dash for it, but were quickly pulled back and laid on the bed with Ash pinning you down effortlessly. In addition to their immense strength, androids also had reflexes far superior than any human could possibly hope to match. The lion android slammed you a bit roughly on the bed, still lost in his delusion that you are just enjoying “playing hard to get”. He pressed his lip to yours once more, a string of drool connecting your lips as he pulled back from the kiss. His eyes looked absolutely crazed as he stared down at you for a few seconds that felt like an eternity. When he stopped admiring you with his unnerving stare he quickly ripped off your clothing. Using his great strength and retractable claws. Within seconds your clothing was reduced to mere ribbons that he swatted away, leaving you fully exposed underneath him. You began crying, tears running down your face, you normally were not very expressive with your emotions, but you had never felt so wholly vulnerable. Even when having consensual sex with partners you were never on the bottom! Ash noticed your dismay and his general demeanor became a bit softer, gently stroking your cheek with his hand and trying to reassure you, “Shh, it’s okay, you’ll feel so much better when this is done, I know how much you need this.” Ash slid out of his pants and revealed his large synthetic cock. He rubbed it gently against your entrance, slowly massaging your pussy with it. Even as you were crying you could not help but let a whimper escape you. Physically it felt nice but psychologically it was damaging to have your body act as a traitor, it probably would have been mentally easier on you if you had felt no pleasure. When you were wet and leaking Ash slowly slid inside you, thick pre-cum oozing from his cock, a pleasure inducing synthetic fluid that androids came equipped with. And it did not take long at all for them to begin to take effect as he fucked them slowly into your body. When you were squirming and moaning with pleasure he knew that you were ready for him to go at a much more vigorous pace. As he pounded you you felt his cock extend to its full size, longer than what would be possible for a human, without him warming you up and applying his drugged pre-cum you would almost certainly be in at least a moderate amount of pain right now. What passed for the equivalent of Ash’s heart was practically thrumming with joy at seeing you pleasured under him, tears leaking down your cheeks from sheer overstimulation, you needed to let it all out, all the stuff you had been through, and he knew that this was an excellent release for all the stress and depression you had been holding on to. He was more than happy to be the one to help you let loose and he felt closer to you than he ever had before. You were completely his now as far as he was concerned, never again to be hurt by the likes of another fickle human such as Marcus. But he needed to mark you, the lion type personality he had as well as mating rituals he had researched dictated to him that you needed to be marked in a visible manner that showed that you were taken by a proper mate. As he impaled you deeper, sending wave after wave of drug induced pleasure through your man cunt, he leaned down and licked and sucked your neck, adding yet more arousing sensations to your already overwhelmed body, then he bit down as he growled territorially. Careful not to injure you in a serious manner, but hard nonetheless. You came hard as he licked the fresh bite wound, all the while he kept thrusting into you. Even through your orgasm he did not stop, he did not tire as easily as you did and could easily keep going for many hours. And that is exactly what he did, fucked you right into oblivion. By the time he coaxed the fifth orgasm out of your aching abused pussy you were crying and begging him to stop. “But if I stop too soon darling you might not be satisfied, I have to fuck all the stress out of you!” “Ah! Please Ash! No m-moreee ahhhh~” You came again, the drug in his fluids making it easy to have climax after climax. But this time you finally blacked out from the pleasure. With you finally fucked to sleep Ash allowed himself to finish inside you before cleaning you up, bundling you in the softest blankets that you owned, and holding you protectively. No lesser male would ever break your heart again.
#yandere terao#yandere teratophilia#yandere machine#yandere android#yandere boyfriend#yandere lion-man#yandere male x transmasc reader#transmasc reader#Yandere x reader#My OCs#My OC Ash
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HI, CAN I TELL YOU ABOUT THE AKKALA CITADEL?????
Yes? Wonderful. Come, friend, have a seat. I have...a lot to say lol
Eight years later and I am STILL not over how absolutely genius this fortress is, like are you kidding me????? Everything from location to design to its inside defenses is just *chef's kiss* PHENOMINAL, and so because I have no filter, I am going to barf all my thoughts I've had on it in the past many many years.
Before we begin, shoutout to the WONDERFUL video by Zeltik that touches on this a bit and gave me a wonderful basis for my brainrot in the first place. Definitely go and watch it it's fabulous NOW! Let's get into the madness shall we? First let's talk about the location cos OHHHH MY GOSH. This was, hands down, THE best place they could have possibly put a fortress of this magnitude in Hyrule and I am going to tell you why. First of all, allllllll along the northern and northwestern border of Hyrule, there's those massive canyons
Passing over that in a way that would be effective military-wise is kind of impossible, so it provides a natural defense from invaders from those directions.
If you were to come from the South, you would hit the Gerudo desert and not only have to face the might of the Gerudo military, but also cross this EXPANSIVE, scorching desert before you can even make it to Hyrule field, and by that time, the royal leader could have very easily sent an army to intercept anyone trying to attack, so that's right out.
Which leaves coming from the Faron region next which is okay??? I guess??? but that's a LOT of swamp and forest you have to cross through, AND you go right past the Great Plateau where any army would have been seen and intercepted eventually. This takes us closer to the eastern coast of Hyrule, and you would be hard pressed to try and travel through Necluda, cos just l o o k at all these mountains you'd have to cross:
Horrible. And you probably don't want to go through Zora's Domain cos that's yet another heavily fortified and well prepared city in and of itself (please ask me about this one too I beg of you I love talking about Zora's Domain)
Any military leader with a brain isn't going to go through Death Mountain for obvious reasons, so really, all that leaves is this tiiiiiinnnyyy vulnerable spot in Akkala
And where did they put the citadel??? Right at the heart of that vulnerable spot >:D Like a boss.
AND SO! if invaders came in from that coastline, they have three options: They can take the path through the Akkala Highlands, they can go through the Torin Wetlands and up to the pass it connects to, or they can take the trail up to the Sokkala Bridges. All of these are TERRIBLE OPTIONS Akkala Highlands path: If they come up this way at the start
this will work allll the way until they get about here:
once they get here though, you are now not only bottlenecking an entire army meant to invade a kingdom (so probably roughly 1,000-1,300 people), but you're also directly under the shadow of the Akkala Citadel. There are archers there to fire on you, and they had a canon post on that side to potentially fire either at the incoming soldiers or fire at the opposite canyon wall to rain debris and rocks on them.
TERRIBLE for the other army.
And even if some did manage to survive, it would be painfully easy for the infantry at Akkala Citadel to send foot soldiers down below to cut them off.
SO THERE GOES THAT OPTION (and admittedly, I think it's probably the worst of the three)
Next option is to go through the Torin Wetlands and up into that same pass by the Citadel
this is ALSO a bad idea because the Torin Wetlands are a DELIGHTFUL tactical advantage for Hyrule. Once you get to that pass, you have the same problems as option one, but now you first have to pass through this wide marshland to get there. This will immediately slow down your army, and if that wasn't bad enough it's also in clear freakin view of the citadel and so they would be able to send their entire militia of archers and potentially even cannoneers to fire on the advancing army and take a bunch of them out before they could even make it to that pass.
So a smart general may say the best option is to go around the long way.
now this eliminates the pass and also slowing down at the marsh, and you could even make it almost all the way to the citadel without hardly any losses probably BUT! The first hurdle is those bridges. Wonderful for Hyrule, terrible for the opposing army. The three Sokkala bridges are SMALL, even smaller than the pass an army would have to go through with the other two options. This military leader would basically have to send their soldiers single file unless they have a way to expand the bridges to make them wider (which, admittedly, could be possible with a bit of foresight, but for now for simplicity's sake let's just assume they didn't think that far ahead).
This brings in an EXTREMELY slowly advancing army right to the heart of the Akkala Citadel's battery.
There are three locations with canons we see in BOTW that cover pretty much the entire open area the opposing army would come in on. And when you look at the amount of space each post covered
There is not a SINGLE spot in that valley a cannoneer couldn't easily reach. And, of course they would continue to have archers to pick off individual soldiers as well.
And if SOMEHOW
BY SOME MIRACLE
enough soldiers make it through that hell to be enough of a problem, there are plenty more soldiers in the citadel to cut them off as they come up the hill AND IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH! there was this:
by the time we get to botw, it has been destroyed, but that is ANOTHER smaller stronghold that was probably pretty well manned in and of itself.
AND WHAT'S MORE
There's even this long cliff road with very little room to operate, so it would be extremely easy for the citadel to send over some soldiers to post up there and cut off anyone who tried to make it past. And with so little room to operate, it would not go well.
Ain't NOTHING getting past the Akkala Citadel, guys.
And that isn't even touching on the fact that the whole thing is build of solid stone??? And carved into a mountain??? The entire reason it fell in the first place was because the Guardians had enough of fire power to destroy the citadel that they had never seen before (also they could climb walls but that's a side note). This implies that no one in Hyrule or the neighbouring kingdoms had even CLOSE to that level of destructive power, so to try and raze it to the ground would have been impossible.
AND!! it was the most heavily fortified fortress in Hyrule second to the castle itself, and to most likely their military personnel would have been equal too, if not slightly more than even Hyrule Castle. That's A LOT of people!! With most likely endless support and resources from the castle and villages nearby as well.
It was placed geniously, it had impenetrable defense, it had a potentially endless supply of resources and people to use said resources, it was just
argjfbdkjgbks You guys don't understand how much I THINK about this place aghhhhhhhhhh
#akkala#akkala citadel#rant post#loz botw#breath of the wild#botw lore#legend of zelda: breath of the wild#legend of zelda#Nico's Zelda Location Analysis
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꩜ⴰ ࣪˖ BIG BAD COP, CUTE LITTLE BUNNY
oliver aiku x fem!reader — slight nsfw. oneshot.
big bad cop goes to the club in search for a little plaything. too bad his target was slightly off the mark.
warnings ! mdni ! mild sexual content — sub!oliver aiku, femdom!reader, teasing, neck kissing, very slight dirty talking. slight sexism on aiku's part, but it's okay, we're gonna put him in his place !!
note — target locked on oliver aiku. i've been writing more nsfw stuff because i'm on my period lol. also, let me know if you guys want a part 2!
He’s not completely sure how this happened. One second, he was waltzing inside the club—flashing and circling lights catching his heterochromatic irises every few seconds, loud music blasting into his ears, and bodies grinding against each other—he’s drinking and rizzing up some random pretty girl, and the next he’s got a hand squeezing his neck.
It was halloween. Naturally, it was easy to find just any random hot woman around him—one that would be worthwhile to be around for the night. Although he admits that he hasn’t done anything past the few kisses here and there, and sure, maybe he’s exaggerated many of his little “escapades” to his friends, Oliver would say that he’s still got experience.
How hard could it be? It’s all in the mindset, really, and most of the time, he’s just not really up for the super sexual stuff. Girls were easy to fool, but they were difficult to get rid of. They fall too easily and latch their nails on tight, he thinks to himself. It’s better to just play around, albeit more safely.
And so, when he spots a girl out sitting at the very corner of the room, the corners of his lips twitch.
Bingo.
You were wearing a little white dress with pink flowers designing the fabric. Your bunny ear headband flopped cutely against the side of your head each time you moved to look around quietly. You were dressed like a bunny and you looked like the cutest one out there with your adorable eyes and seemingly quiet personality sticking out against the loudness of the setting.
Oh, but where and when did it become different?
Was it when he approached you and you looked up at him from where you were seated? Was it when he whispered into your ear about how pretty you were? Was it when you grinned with a sort of twinkle in your eye that got him questioning himself?
Or was it just you?
“You seem like a pretty confident person, Mr. Aiku.” You smile up at him, cheeks bunching and the corners of your eyes crinkling.
“Oliver’s just fine, sweetheart,” He returns your smile, though his appears more suave. He’s got it down to a tee. He’s been doing this for ages and girls always fall at his feet whenever he gives his million-dollar smiles. “And yes, though I’m far from perfect, I would still say that I am.”
It was good to sound humble. Girls didn’t like guys who were full of themselves.
“Hm? Are you sure?” You tilt your head innocently, almost sounding teasing to his ears. “Are you sure about me, then?”
“About you?” He’s confused by the strangely straightforward question, but he takes a sip of the alcohol in his hand to hide it. “Of course.”
He sets his cup down onto the counter and slowly brings his hand up to caress your bunny ear headband. Easy does it—slow and steady. He pinches the fluffy fabric between his fingers and leans in slightly, staring into your eyes as he grins, “You look like a good girl. A cute little bunny.”
You laugh at his words and he’s thrown off by the response.
Was it too much? But no, lines like that always worked on girls who looked like you. Girls who were quiet, dressed in frilly girly clothing, and looked like they were dragged into such a raunchy club like this by their friends to give them more ‘experience.’ Shouldn’t your round cheeks be red like a strawberry right now?
Where did it go differently?
He blinked owlishly when you gingerly place a hand on his right thigh, pressing against the black slacks of his police uniform slash costume and simultaneously against his skin when you whisper into his ear. You were leaning over a little and as he glances momentarily over your shoulder, he sees a fluffy circular tail pinned above where your ass was. A shiver runs across spine and he still hasn’t let go of your bunny ears.
“Didn’t you know that it’s rude to assume? And…” You chuckle into his ear, your voice dipping slightly deeper to an almost sensual-like quality. “... that it’s also rude to look so openly?
His eyes widen, snapping to yours immediately in bewilderment. His hand drops to his sides.
Oh— oh. You saw that.
Truly, he was asking the wrong type of question here. Because it did not matter where or when it went differently, because it was more correct to focus on the ‘who?’
And it was you.
Slowly, he feels your hand moving up from his thigh, brushing lightly against his clothed stomach, then to his chest, before it reaches up even further to encircle around his neck. You squeeze once. His eyes remain wide and he gulps, looking up at you when you move to stand in front of him.
What…
At this point, he wasn’t really sure what to expect anymore.
You thumb his neck, lightly caressing his throat. You move your thumb down, inserting it between the space of his dark blue collar to touch his collar bone. You feel him shiver once more, so you grin.
“Too much?” You tilt your head in question, voice with a teasing lilt.
He jolts in surprise, shaking his head in response. His throat had already gone dry, and he honestly wasn’t sure about what to say or do next. This hasn’t exactly happened before and he hadn’t calculated the possibility of this happening to him.
By now, you’ve both ignored the people surrounding you along with the blinding lights and the booming music that envelops the entire vicinity. But it was fine; nobody really cared. You were aware enough from the frequent visits with your friends that nobody gave a flying fuck about the next two strangers shoving their tongues down each other’s throats for everyone to see.
He was wrong about you at that part too. You weren’t a good girl and you most likely weren’t dragged here.
“Do you want to continue?”
His brain has short-circuited by now, but you guess it’s working enough for him to nod, albeit a little shakily.
“I need you to speak up for me.” You pout. “I only take a ‘yes’ or a ‘no.’”
“Y-Yes…”
“Good boy.” You coo and he feels his cheeks and ears instantly flush. He’s never had any woman say that to him before nor speak in such a manner, and especially not in a cute little innocent-looking bunny costume.
He breathes in deeply when you swing your legs over his thighs, sitting down on his lap with your arms slung over his shoulders.
“Have you ever kissed someone, darling?” You breathe out the question against his ear and he shivers at the sudden warm air tickling his skin.
“O-Of course, I have.” His answer comes out a little defensively and you giggle in amusement at the tone.
“Just making sure because I don’t want to be the one to take a good boy’s first kiss away from them.” You tell him sweetly before pressing your lips against his neck.
You press your lips all over the expanse of his neck; one, two, three times, even more, and he can’t count anymore when his brain melts at the repeated sensation hitting him in one of the best parts and spreading across his body like wildfire. He feels your lips part as your tongue rolls out to brush against his skin and he grunts at the sudden sensation, his hands moving up to hold your waist, clammy fingers digging slightly hard. But when you part your lips even more to pull his skin between your teeth, a sudden groan escapes his lips.
“Oh?” You giggle against his neck. “You like that, huh? You like it when a cute wittle bunny girl bites you and puts you in your place, don’t you? What a naughty boy.”
Fuck. Where is this even going? He’s never had a girl talk and do things to him like this before. Usually it was the other way around—him playing with the girl like a little toy for him to control. But the thing is, it never went way beyond the little makeout sessions and the cheeky touches on clothing-clad skin.
“I’m a ‘good girl,’ right? A cute little bunny, hm?” You hum, sucking on his neck momentarily, hearing him release another quiet groan before pulling away. “Well, here’s my observation. You’re a big bad cop and you came here to look for an adorable girl to fuck with and add to your ‘collections.’ But here’s the thing, baby: appearances can only tell you so much.”
You pout as you scold him mockingly. You grasp his face firmly, cheeks squishing a little between your hold as you force his heterochromatic gaze to focus on yours.
He tries to ignore the way the term ‘baby’ makes his heart flutter. Like seriously, what was he? A budding high school kid in the middle of a raging puberty?
“Oh, looks like (First Name) has found another one.” Oliver hears someone say at the corner of his ear amidst all of the music. He turns his gaze to the girls standing a few feet away from right behind you to see that they were grinning right at your back. Their gaze turns to him and he gulps when your—he guessed—friends send him a thumbs up, two of them mouthing a ‘good luck.’
Another one? He furrows his brows, the words somehow causing his stomach to drop slightly. Was this how the girls he was with felt? He never truly considered it, too caught up with always being in the position of power.
You turn your head curiously a little to gaze at what he was looking at. You wave at them enthusiastically for a second before turning back to look at him, his cheeks still squished between your fingers and unshaved chin pressing against your palm. It was as if they weren’t even there in the first place.
You release your hold on his face to pat his cheek. “Now, where was I? Oh, yes. I was having fun playing with you.”
You reach behind him to run the sharp nail of your middle and index finger against his clothed back and he automatically sits up straighter at the ticklish feeling. “You act all sauve, all dominant, but you don’t seem like you’ve got a lot of experience, do you? I can tell.”
“Here’s what I think,” You pretend to think for a second, looking up at the ceiling before snapping your gaze back to him with a wolfish grin. It really looked out of place from your little bunny costume. “I think that it’s all just a front to mask your fragile ego. But it’s okay, pretty boy, I got you. You don’t need to play pretend with me.”
All of your words combined with your sensual touches has got his mind jumbled up and in a frenzy. You were more intoxicating than the cocktail he was sipping previously, and likely the only thing that could ever make him drunk like this.
All he could muster was a small pathetic, “Okay…”
You reach up to grasp the back of his hair, tugging on it lightly causing him to gasp. “Address me properly.”
Huh? He blinks, frantically wracking his brain for the right title amidst the slight searing pain erupting around the back of his head due to your firm hold.
“M-Miss?” He tries unsurely.
You unclench your hand and pat his cheek again condescendingly. “Good job! You got it on the first try. You will address me as such for the duration of this night, m’kay?”
For the duration of this night. This night and this night only. His heart clenches a little and his stomach knots underneath his skin. Of course it wasn’t going to go way beyond that point, and really, who was he to complain? He’s done the same thing to multiple other girls in the past. Maybe this was some sort of karma or something.
Nevertheless, he answers. “Okay, Miss.”
He was going to be in for a long ride.
#blue lock fanfiction#blue lock x reader#blue lock x y/n#blue lock x you#blue lock oneshots#blue lock#blue lock x female reader#oliver aiku x reader#oliver aiku x you#blue lock oliver#oliver aiku#aiku oliver#sub!oliver aiku#dom!reader#sub!character
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Hi hello yes uh-huh
I saw your requests are open (I haven't been on Tumblr for three months 😭😭)
And I love the works!
May I request a law and Kidd x reader (separate) to react to seeing their s/o's (always covered) body since there's all scratches and scars all over and they feel self-conscious about?
( I have a still fading scar on my thigh when I fell in a hole and a metal bar dug itself on it. So I guess that's my take lol)
A/N: I have a scar that I’m a little self conscious of so this was very cathartic for me to write!!! (Also I know Kidd has a scar kink you cannot convince me otherwise)
Characters: gn reader x Law, Kidd
Cw: This is very borderline NSFW, So read at your own risk.
Total word count: 1.2k
Beauty Scars
Law
Law’s hand slipped under your shirt and gave it a tug.
“Law, wait,” You pulled away from his lips, grabbing his hand to stop him from pulling it up further.
“I want to see you,” he murmured, leaning into your lips again.
You pulled away from his advances and he freezed. “Sorry,” he mumbled, his eyes averting away from you.
“It’s fine, really.” You could feel your face warming with embarrassment.
“No, it’s not.” His hand ran through his hair, and you could see he was distressed at the thought of you being uncomfortable. “I shouldn’t have done that, I’m sorry.”
You grabbed his face and peppered it with kisses. Law tended to get a little carried away when the two of you were alone, but he always took your nonverbal cues and stopped whenever you were tense.
“I’m fine,” you assured him. “I really am. I’m just a little self conscious of my body, that’s all.”
His eyes locked with yours. “You’re perfect, I assure you.”
You smiled slightly at his comment. He hadn’t seen the scars on your body yet, and a piece of you was afraid of what his reaction would be when he saw them. You knew he wouldn’t stop loving you, but it would hurt to see him grimace at your body. You hated it enough as it was, you didn’t need another reminder of its imperfections.
Still, you wanted to get it over with sooner than later. Your fingers gripped the bottom of your shirt, and you slowly pulled it up. You closed your eyes to avoid seeing his initial reaction, but you heard him gasp in surprise. You tossed your shirt aside and opened your eyes, finally risking a peek to see his reaction.
His eyes examined you, taking in the view of your exposed body. After a few moments, he glanced up to meet your gaze.
You suddenly found yourself feeling very uneasy, and your arms wrapped around your torso, trying to hide.
“Fuck,” he whispered softly, eyes moving back down your body. “You are beautiful.”
Your cheek burned. You were not expecting that reaction from him. He grabbed your hands, gently prying them away from your midsection and intertwining his fingers with yours so he could have a full view of you again. He leaned into you, kissing your lips slow and soft, before moving down to your neck.
He covered your shoulders in kisses, and when his lips reached one of your scars, you gasped at the contact.
“Are you okay? Does it hurt?” He pulled back, his eyes scanning your face.
“I’m fine,” you assured him. “I just wasn’t expecting it. I thought…” You trailed off, not wanting to say any more.
But Law never lets you get away with things that easily. “Tell me,” he urged. He pressed his forehead against your own, maintaining eye contact with you the whole time.
“I thought you’d find them off putting,” you admitted, your eyes cast downward in humiliation. “I thought you'd hate them.”
You can feel his brow furrowed in confusion. “Why would I hate them?”
“Because I do.” You had never said it out loud before, not to another person. Most people didn’t even know your body was riddled with scars. You always wore long clothes and avoided changing in front of people to avoid the stares and the questions.
You could hear Law sigh sadly at your comment, and you felt him squeeze your hands in reassurance. He bent down and softly kissed the first scar he could find. And another, and then another.
“Your scars are proof that you’re alive, y/n-ya. They’re proof that you’ve lived, and you’ve struggled, and you’ve overcome it all.”
He leaned back up, kissing you once on the forehead before meeting your eyes again. “How on earth could I hate such beauty?”
Kidd
“Fuck!” you shouted, coffee spilling down your shirt. The crew erupted into laughter, and you smiled along with them at your clumsy mistake. “Be right back.”
You got up from your seat and ran back to your room to change. Once inside, you pulled your shirt over your head and tossed it aside, looking through your drawers for a new outfit.
“Holy fuck,” a deep voice came from the doorway, and you let out a yelp of surprise. You turn, finding your captain standing in the doorway. He’s smirking at you, eyes raking over your body.
“Captain! I…” Your voice falters as he steps over to you, staring hungrily at your body. You shy away from him, but he pulls you in close, his fingers tracing over your shoulders and down your arms.
“I didn’t know you had these.” His gaze follows the trail that his hands have created down your torso.
“I know,” you say, ashamed by how intensely he was staring at you. “Its-”
“So fucking hot,” he growled. As you watched him, you could see he was holding back, trying to refrain from pouncing on you right here and now. He still hadn’t made eye contact with you. He was completely transfixed on your body.
“Hot?”
He grabbed your hand and pulled it up to his lips, kissing the scars that littered your arms. “Do you remember the stories of how you got them?”
Your mouth falls open, shocked by his reaction to something you spent years loathing. Your eyes begin to water, overwhelmed with your lover’s reaction. You wished you could love yourself as much as he loved you.
His thumb ran over a scar on your forearm, his lips following closely behind. “This one. How’d you get it?”
“I don’t remember,” you admit. “I have so many all over, it’s hard to keep track.”
He looked at you, mischief in his eyes. “All over, huh?”
You started to object, but before you can get any words out, his lips are smashing into yours. His hands trail down your torso and hover at the waistband of your pants, waiting for you to approve of his venture.
You hesitate for a moment, and then your fingers join his, tugging your jeans down past your waist. His lips leave yours as he lowers to pull your pants down, letting them lay around your ankles. He is eye level with your thighs now, and you can hear him grunt as he discovers new scars of all sizes down your legs.
His hands wrap around your thighs, and he pulls your legs to meet his lips. His tongue dances across your inner thighs, flicking lightly over the raised skin and scar tissue from a wound that happened years ago.
You gasp, throwing your hands into his hair to steady yourself as you grind against his face. He doesn’t seem fazed, and you can feel him smile at your eagerness. “I can’t wait to explore your body,” he mumbled against your skin, kissing your tender flesh passionately. “I can’t wait to explore you.”
#one piece#one piece imagine#one piece scenario#one piece x you#one piece x reader#one piece x y/n#trafalgar law#trafalgar d water law#trafalgar law x reader#trafalgar law x y/n#law x y/n#law x reader#eustass kid#kidd x reader#kid x reader#kid x y/n#✧˚law✧˚#✧˚kid✧˚
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My AO3 Wrapped: Drarry Recs
This year I’ve embraced a change of pace and read way less than I intended to. This made me feel a bit disconnected from fandom but also allowed me to put this list together in record time so let’s not complain too much 😂 this is shorter and lacking my usual commentary but I didn’t want to break the tradition of sharing my fave reads of the year! Be it for their creativity or peak romance, these 16 amazing fics made my heart beat faster and got me even more in love with Drarry. I’ve read most of them in the first half of the year and it was interesting to see so many fics over 40k, as my usual sweet spot is 10k - 20k. I love the mix of tropes featured here and am very excited to rec authors I’m reading for the first time. ps: I haven’t included any Erised fics since the fest is still ongoing.
Thank you dear creators for sharing so many brilliant works with us this year! 2023 wasn’t my best year fandom-wise, but life has been so generous in other areas that I can’t help but feel humbled today. I wish everyone a lovely start to the new year! As always, please mind the tags and take some time to shower these authors with the appreciation they deserve. Oh, and stay tuned for a rare pair list sometime soon ;)
🍆 Snug by @moonflower-rose (E, 6k)
8th year | touch-starved Harry | soft cock kink
Potter can't keep his hands off himself. Draco can't look away.
🧩 Muscle Memory by @corvuscrowned (E, 8k)
curse breaking | partners to lovers | memory magic
There's something just beneath the surface, just at the periphery of Harry's mind. They've been here before — they've done this before. If only he could remember it.
👹 draco malfoy's substitute murder service by @oknowkiss (E, 10k)
odd jobs | D/s undertones | open ending
When Harry joins the Curse Breakers shortly after his twenty-fifth birthday, he’s surprised to find himself assigned to the Department of Creatures, Cryptids, and Associated Calamities.
🏰 the earth from a distance by spqr (E, 15k)
time travel | Wizarding history | only one bed
“Well,” Harry said gamely, once they’d managed to find the Leaky Cauldron – still under construction but mercifully open for business – and he’d turned up a few knuts from his pockets, enough to get them a room for the night, “it could be worse.”
🎚️ O Come, All Ye Faithful by @toomuchplor (E, 20k)
vicar Draco | established relationship | Church of England
Aunt Petunia died, that was what began everything. Or rather, Aunt Petunia was dying. In the act of dying. In which Draco finds faith in the church, and Harry finds faith in Draco.
🎄 Waking Up Slow by @sweet-s0rr0w and @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm (E, 22k)
shop owner Draco | summer romance | light angst
'Twas the night before Christmas, although it’s July / Draco’s a shopkeeper, no-one knows why / There’s hiking and witch caves, freak snowfalls and more / Bad Christmas jumpers, nosy neighbours galore / Narcissa’s here too, but… something’s amiss / And what’s in those chocolates that’s making them kiss?
🚬 Sun Thief by @floydig and BlackRose532 (E, 28k)
slice of life | fast sexual burn | dark humour
It’s 2005, and Draco Malfoy says, “Fuck the Ministry,” Harry works as a handyman in muggle London, and Draco should really stop pissing off the Squib gangs.
🍷 Winner Takes It All by @skeptiquewrites (E, 41k)
break up make up | down & out Draco | hurt/comfort
As with all his friends’ wagers, it starts small. Fifty Galleons for one kiss from Harry Potter is easily done.
🏖️ LA, Who Am I To Love You? by @epitomereally (E, 42k)
Draco in the Muggle World | pining Harry | recreational drug use
Harry’s summer in LA is not going as expected. Pansy Parkinson keeps inviting him to parties in the Hollywood Hills and harassing him to finally go to the physical therapist, Blaise Zabini keeps slipping new strains of his company’s magical weed into Harry’s pockets in hopes of an endorsement, and Draco Malfoy keeps having sex with everyone but Harry.
���Shine On, You Crazy Diamond by @lagerloutfic (E, 42k)
fwb to lovers | gay awakening (Harry) | mpreg (Draco)
Harry has probably always wanted Draco, it just took him a few years to figure that out. A story about the joy of discovering exactly who you are and how easy it can be once you do.
🚣♀️ Our Objective Remains Unchanged by @citrusses (E, 46k)
rowing AU | enemies to lovers | university setting
Harry Potter, returning member of the Oxford University Boat Club, has two goals for the spring of 2005: beat Cambridge, and beat Draco Malfoy. Perhaps not in that order.
🧶 Polar Night/Midnight Sun by @toomuchplor (E, 54k)
cabin fic | wintery vibes | only one bed
Harry travels to arctic Norway on the trail of dragon egg poachers, only to find he's been assigned to work alongside the only NorMagPol Auror north of sixty: one Draco Malfoy.
🎩 Nights With You by @the-sinking-ship (E, 58k)
holiday fic | fake relationship | mutual pining
Draco is mortified when moments prior to departing for the most anticipated destination wedding of the year, he is cruelly dumped. But when he learns that Harry Potter has, at long last, split with his horrible boyfriend, Draco is certain his luck has changed.
👮🏻♂️Rookie Moves + Again And More So by peu_a_peu (E, 75k)
auror partners | slow burn | humour
Aurors Potter and Malfoy crack the case.
🖼️ where all the veins meet by @saxamophone (E, 146k)
sad bois | Grimmauld Place | found family | 8th year
It's the summer of 1998. The battle is over, and Voldemort is dead, but Harry still has more questions than answers. Who is he without a piece of Voldemort's soul in his head? What is he supposed to do now?
📼 Always Already by @aibidil (E, 170k)
time travel | forced proximity | mutual pining
Harry and Draco are perfectly fine, separately minding their business in 2004, when the Unspeakables conscript them into service... in the First War against Voldemort.
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AGAIN i know your not a hc blog but your takes are great so ill try to ask 😭 What do you think la unita members think of each other? Do they get along?
Nothing should hamper your thoughts, in my blog I do whatever I want, and you can ask whatever you want 🫵🫵🫵
And thanks 🧑🍼
This is actually a good question and I have noticed that different authors have different approaches to it.
I'll say in advance that there won't be Tiziano×Squalo here, since I've talked about them in detail before here, and in general everything is clear with them.
I will also note that I am more inclined to think that these guys have not seen each other that many times over the entire time. Yes, they are a team, but I think they are simply not interested in any close contact with each other, because they are either separated or have too high an opinion of themselves.
Also, they each have a lot of character and job conventions that can prevent them from establishing contact
So this is more of an assumptions and speculations based on headcanons and canons.
I will also rely on how they were shown in the manga, since in the anime there are still noticeable differences in behavior and emotions.
● Carne × Tiziano × Squalo
My eye has long been caught by the fact that Carne wears a headband, just like the naval bffs, which seemed like an interesting coincidence to me at the very least.
I like to periodically imagine them sitting at home, sipping a glass of wine while chatting, playing board games, or watching a TV series (with subtitles, of course).
Carne is calm, silent, unhurried and slow, simply the ideal _interlocutor_ for Tiziano.
And even though Squalo is the complete opposite, I am inclined to assume that his environment, given his ardent and wild character, simply needs calm people, such as Tiziano and, accordingly, Carne.
And considering my early headcanons, Tiziano knows sign language, Squalo only some basic elements
I generally think that Carne could find a common language with anyone (at least with Unita)
● Squalo × Secco
If you think about it and draw some parallels, these two have similar traits: they are both wild (not literally), emotional, proud, hot-tempered and have a person to whom they obey (Let's be honest, leaving aside the anime adaptation, even in the manga Squalo acts as a tool, which, roughly speaking, Tiziano controls)
However, all these similarities will become an obstacle
In addition, it is quite possible that Squalo simply will not take Secco seriously due to his position and the conduct
Considering them as a combat duo, their stands can be quite good and even dangerous:
Clash is very limited in his movement by the presence and size of the liquid
And what does Oasis do? Turns solids into liquid (yes, his card says "into mud", but it is unlikely that you can swim in mud THAT way)
● Tiziano × Secco
Tiziano is obviously not the kind of person Secco is used to dealing with
However, I think even in this case they will not find a common language
I think Tiziano will just get tired of him
And in general he gives the impression of being a rather squeamish person, and Secco is clearly not the most clean or civilized
As a fighting duo they are also complete crap
Not only because of the stands, but also as partners they will not work together
● Tiziano × Cioccolata
(Fan fact, there is a fic about CioccoTiz on ao3)
I think they would have found common topics for conversation (but not right away), even more, I can easily imagine them sitting somewhere in a restaurant and discussing topics related to human physiology and psychology (Cioccolata understands this as a psychopathic doctor, and Tiziano because of the work of the stand)
Besides, Tiziano is calm and calculating, Cioccolata, outside of triggers, also maintains a cold professionalism
Moreover, mutual respect may even develop between them
However, Tiziano would be irritated by Cioccolata's quirks and passions, which he would definitely voice in all colors
I would also like to point out the fact that, despite the self-control demonstrated to us, Talking Head is a chaotic and, in fact, chaos-bringing stand
And if the stand is the personification of the owner's soul, then this makes Tiziano a little more similar to Cioccolata (I hope it's clear in what sense)
It is also interesting that they both tend to invade other people's personal space (at least in their own circle)
But I am inclined to think that Tiziano would not let an old crazy surgeon who, instead of drinking coffee in the morning, picks around in people's (or his own) insides get so close to him
As a combat duo...
Talking Head needs a combat, preferably tanking stand
Green Day is essentially the same support
● Squalo × Cioccolata
If we consider their company and additionally Tiziano, then, on the whole, they could have a good time, but Squalo would consider Cioccolata more superfluous in his company with Tiziano
I touched on the fact earlier that Squalo has certain similarities with Secco.
However, these similarities are not enough for them to get along, let alone cooperate.
Squalo also isn't the kind of person who will obey, and especially so openly, another person
He's certainly quite calm and cool, but more likely to let loose when Cioccolata opens his mouth.
But when Squalo is a little more deeply immersed in Cioccolata's background, he will significantly limit his statements (but will tell about it to Tiz)
Clash would simply grab the victim and either drag them down or teleport them to a lower level to fulfill Green Day's condition
As a fighting duo they have potential, which will depend on whether Green Day will influence the Clash
If we take the option that the mold will not touch the Clash, then this makes his contribution similar to Oasis
And now, based on their bloodthirstiness, they could, if not become friends, then find common topics for conversation (But Squalo would quickly merge, yielding to Cioccolata in bloodthirstiness)
● Cioccolata × Secco
Let's go 🏃💥💥💥
I won't even think of ignoring them and will use the chance to discuss their ambiguous dynamics
Secco is a very interesting specimen overall, the changes in behavior of which are only phantom
Secco also has obvious, genuine speech problems, and Cioccolata is clearly more erudite in this area.
The demonstration of his 'true' attitude occurs both in close proximity to strangers and in close proximity to Cioccolata
However, in spite of this, in private he is genuinely happy when he receives a simple message from Cioccolata
For what?
Also, despite the fact that they are both extremely unstable psychologically, Cioccolata is the key to stability and security for Secco (which he himself ultimately says)
In addition, one cannot rule out the possibility of developing Stockholm syndrome.
Besides this, Cioccolata himself also obviously has an attachment, albeit unhealthy, to Secco, who became a new and unexpected experience in his life.
Secco is a proud and self-assured bastard who at the same time willingly caved in to a man whose stand, if you think about it, is pretty easy to confront (especially for Secco, who is not affected by Green Day???)
He is also not an idiot and apparently understands Cioccolata well enough to know what and how to do to gain his approval and other feelings or emotions
In general, the details of their acquaintance would explain a lot (no, there are not enough of them in the anime), but for now this is a dependent relationship, not only beneficial to both of them, but also necessary both in work and psychologically.
We can't at least rule out the fact that Cioccolata did something to him and why the hell he even left him alive (the anime points out their similar views, but how much? How did Secco show it? Besides, that makes them an even better duo)
I'll say one thing for sure: Secco doesn't see anyone as a leader except Cioccolata.
I can't talk, so you'll have to figure out these shitty notes yourself.
I hope I got the main idea across
● Cioccolata × Carne
I know a couple of people who love this duo aaaand I can generally understand why.
If you think about it, even their stands are similar in essence, since they absorb living organisms.
I think they would get along quite well, not only because Carne is a good listener, but also (given the demonstrated attitude by Carne towards his own stand) they might share certain interests.
Moreover, Cioccolata could very well know sign language.
Also, given the work of Notorious B.I.G, which I touched on in more detail earlier, Cioccolata would not have missed the opportunity to take advantage of this
And Carne, I think, would not have minded much.
● Secco x Carne
They will sit in silence
#jjba#vento aureo#jojo fanart#unita speciale#tizisqualo#tiziano#squalo#squatizi#jjba carne#secco#cioccolata#seccolata
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Hello hello!
I am back to bother you :3
I have one question that is haunting my thoughts.
How did Nightmare decide on the guys as his breakout buddies in Death-Row AU?
I am very curious :3
( hi hi! i wsnt ignoring this, i just got really into laying CotL for a bit, ans whoops-)
Nightmare picked the boys based of a mix of how useful he thought they'd be, along with how easy they would be to manipulate.
Horrors very physically strong, as well as a foreboding presence, he'd be useful for a lot of the actual breakout, good for breaking stuff and beating up the cops, the downside is he can TELL Nightmare's manipulating him, that hes playing with his emotions and trust to use him.
The very easy way to gaining Horrors trust, though? Dust.
Dust, in his more sane moments, can see that Nightmare doesn't have.. the best intention at first, some little things that stick in his mind as odd, but mostly, he brushed them off, assuming its his own flawed mind being paranoid, but also, Nightmare is so NICE to him! He tells him hes smart, he tells him hes useful, that he as a purpose, a place within their group, that hes not... dead air, dust walking, that what he did was okay, he doesn't deserve all this <3 And besides, under all that... mess in his head, he can tell Dust is a smart monster, hes good at fighting, even when restrained, and the amount of magic suppressants on him clues Nightmare into his abnormally deep mana pool quite easily, yes, he thinks, a good one.
and, Dust begins to trust him, and,seeing Dust trust Nightmare, Horror begrudgingly beings to trust him too. besides, he wants out too.
Killer was the easiest to manipulate out of them all, he seems entirely unaware of the manipulation (Killer is aware, hes just so used to being taken advantage of at this point that hes just like whatever) hes so willing to do thing for him for even the smallest drop of praise and affection, that it was so easy to win him over. Besides, Nightmare doesn't doubt Killers usefulness; hes fast, sly and sneaky. Hes a great thief, and can very easily slip thins from the right people pockets, or. slip something *into* their pockets for destruction. Hes good with words, which makes him an excellent distraction for them. Hes perfect. (To note, yes, Killer has trust issues, but its formed not in the way where you distance yourself from others to protect you, but the way where you form unhealthily quick attachments to people you shouldn't. have a conversation a single time with him? he now considers you a FRIEND, no just, 'possible acquaintance' like most people would)
Cross was a little more tricky. Like Horror, hes slow to warm up and trust, and also like Horror, can see the manipulation a mile away, and yet... Nightmare offered him freedom. he offered him a life outside these walls, a life he could freely live again, where he could pretend that what he did never happened, and he was pure again. So, hesitantly still keeping Nightmare at arms length.], he does as he says. Nightmare wanted Cross the second he said he used to be a soldier. A soldier, you say? Those are USEFUL skills, already honed. He likely has survival skills, he likely sleeps lightly, ready to wake or move at a moments notice, hes probably very observant, very physically fit, stays calm in danger, can listen to instructions and execute them perfectly, and, very importantly, works well in a group. Oh, and he can shoot a gun. That's useful too.
So, Killer was an easy member, as was Dust. Horror and Cross were much more difficult, but, when weighing up their usefulness against their resistance, he had to have them. they were vital to his plans, in the end, and he finds himself growing so much more fond of them overtime, and likewise, them to him. Yes, he doesn't regret picking his idiots, he picked well.
#undertale au#undertale#bad sans gang#bad sanses#bad sans poly#mayhaps...?#i think its going down that path by now hehe#might as well tag it#nightmare sans#dust sans#horror sans#killer sans#cross sans#death row au#frend asks
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For the flower prompts...
Calla Lily (it's my favourite flower) - Something at first sight.
I leave it to you to do any Sandman pairing you have an itch to write. 💜😊
Ooooooo this one is so appropriate for me as one of my fave fics I’ve written (not for this fandom) is called Calla Lillies 💖💖 I also added a little personalized twist on this, just for you 😘
Flower Prompt Game!
(Also, for anyone still wondering, I am in fact still accepting prompts! Gonna be a bit slow and answer one or two a day, but I’m so glad this has been such a hit!)
—---
When Morpheus Endless (and isn’t that the name of the century?) enters the coffee shop in a whirlwind of taut anxiety and indignant rage, Simon Snow does not even say hello, he merely takes up residence at the espresso machine to start preparing the most absurdly complex drink known to man.
“Your man is here,” Penelope deadpans, and Simon rolls his eyes. Morpheus is not his man. He’s very nice to look at, yes, and he may or may not bear a striking resemblance to Simon’s hopelessly secret crush arch nemesis, but they’re too alike in temperament to be anything more than friends. But he can see where the confusion comes from.
When he finishes making Morpheus’s regular order, he calls for his break and walks over, drink in hand, to the corner Morpheus and his terribly bad mood have taken up residence.
“Bad day?” Simon asks, placing the absurdly sweet concoction down on the table where Morpheus has sprawled all his notebooks and laptop. He’s not looking at any of it though, more preoccupied with whatever social media scandal is happening on his phone.
“Cory left me,” Morpheus growls, tapping angrily at the screen. “For Alex Burgess. Who, as you recall, is currently still in a relationship with Paul Mcguire, the unfaithful bastard.”
Simon has no idea who these people are besides Cory, who has come into the shop with Morpheus once. He doesn’t pay attention to the campus gossip. More specifically, the rich people campus gossip. Because Simon is here at the university on scholarship, working part time at the local coffee shop for a little extra spending money, and Morpheus is part of the very small, elite group of legacy family admissions.
No one, not even Penelope, Simon’s best friend since childhood, understands why he and Morpheus get along so well. Simon knows it’s partially because he’s the only one willing to make Morpheus’s stupidly complicated order, and partially because they’re both grumpy bisexuals who fall in love too easily with the wrong people.
“You were too good for him anyways,” Simon replies, plopping down into the chair next to Morpheus.
“Damn right I am,” Morpheus answers, picking up his coffee that is actually more syrup, sugar and milk than anything resembling coffee. And that was after Simon added four shots of espresso. He groans happily as he takes his first sip. “He was awful in bed anyways.”
Simon snorts. “Maybe you should try not dating rich assholes,” he offers.
“No? I should only pine for them hopelessly from across the rugby pitch?” Morpheus answers pointedly.
“Wow, you’re lucky I’m on shift or I’d tip that sad excuse for coffee into your lap,” Simon bites back, feeling the familiar heat of anger rise up in him. Because of course Morpheus knew about Simon’s complicated feelings towards Baz. But he didn’t have to be an asshole about it just because he got dumped.
Morpheus sniffles. “These jeans are Gucci,” is all he says back, before taking another sip of his coffee and letting the subject drop.
———————
Simon’s break is over before he knows it, and not a moment too soon. He and Penelope are swamped by the late-afternoon rush. Simon doesn’t know how so many people could be craving coffee this late in the day, but to each their own. Morpheus had ordered a second cup of his ungodly drink right before the rush hit, and it’s when he’s finishing up that drink and getting ready to leave that half the rugby team decides to walk into the cafe and ruin Simon’s day.
“Snow,” Baz Pitch sneers at him when he gets to the counter to order. Simon rolls his eyes.
“Let me guess, black tea for the blackness in your soul?” he retorts, smirking when Baz’s face goes tight with annoyance.
“Ooooh, this guy’s got you down to a T,” a brunette answers, coming up from behind Baz and draping an arm over his shoulders.
“Shut up Hob,” Baz replies, rolling his eyes and shrugging his friend off before turning back to Simon. “And yes, black tea, but do try not to over-steep it this time Snow.”
“I’ll have a caramel latte,” the man called Hob adds, “with extra caramel syrup since Bazzy’s paying.”
“Hob I swear if you call me Bazzy one more time—”
“Yeah, yeah, you’ll sue me for defamation somehow, hey, can I get a couple of cake pops too?” Hob answers all in one breath. Simon gets the impression the man is something like a golden retriever in human form.
“Sure, anything for a friend of Bazzy's,” Simon chuckles before he turns to work on their order. He can practically feel Baz seething from behind him as he prepares their order.
As he’s getting ready to prepare Hob’s latte, Simon catches Morpheus out of the corner of his eye approaching the counter, and he instinctively starts preparing a drink for him as well. Seriously, how the hell could Morpheus stomach one of these, let alone three in a single sitting?
“The line is behind me, Endless,” Simon hears Baz say.
“Ah, that’s where you’re mistaken, Basil,” Morpheus replies smoothly. “There is no line when you’re the favorite.”
“Who the hell says you’re the favorite?” Baz snaps
“I do,” Simon cuts in, bringing over the order, and making sure to hand Morpheus’s drink over first. He can just tell Baz is irrationally mad about the whole thing. “Unlike some other customers, Morpheus is a sweetheart.”
“Thank you, dear heart,” Morpheus practically coos at him before turning back to Baz and Hob and smirking. “The cake pops are quite good, by the way.”
“Good to know!” Hob answers cheerily. “Did you want one, by the way? Didn’t realize how large they were,” he adds holding one out.
Morpheus looks taken aback, but accepts the cake pop with a meek thank you and then with their order complete, the rugby team starts making their way towards the exit. Morpheus stares after them as they leave, cake pop still in hand.
“I think I’m in love,” Morpheus says once the cafe has totally emptied out.
“You’re what now?” Simon exclaims, then groans. “Please tell me this isn’t about the cake pop.”
“He has nice eyes,” Morpheus argues. “And if he tolerates Basil’s awful attitude, I’m practically a ray of sunshine in comparison.”
“You're not wrong,” Penelope cuts in, leaning her elbows down on the counter next to Simon. “And if Morpheus can get Hob, maybe he can help you get Baz, Si.”
“That is a terrible plan,” Simon says. “And anyways, Baz hates me.”
“It’s an excellent plan,” Morpheus replies. “And also, you’re an idiot. Basil was ready to stab me with my own fountain pen for touching you so casually.”
“He was not!” Simon squeaks.
“No, he definitely was, I’m with Morpheus here,” Penelope says. “Maybe you two should pretend to date and see how long it takes for Baz to crack.”
“Absolutely not,” Simon says at the same time Morpheus answers “That’s an excellent idea.”
Simon groans.
“I don’t have a choice in the matter do I?” he asks.
“Not at all,” Morpheus replies, biting into the cake pop.
#dreamling#hob x morpheus#dream x hob#snowbaz#baz x simon#sandman fanfic#simon snow fanfic#seiya writes#seiya writes dreamling#I have literally only read fangirl and carry on so hopefully I captured the snowbaz pre-relationship dynamic okay for my first time lmaoooo
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I can't remember exactly which post it was on or the exact wording, but I saw you make an offhand comment about Ahsoka's decision to release Maul on the 332nd during Order 66 in one of your posts- (it was something about it being a bad decision, or indicative of her only caring about getting Rex out safely or something, I really am sorry I can't remember) -and I was wondering if you'd mind elaborating on your thoughts about that.
Oh gosh, yeah I probably discussed that back when I was writing stuff about the TOTJ episodes or something.
I think my opinion on it... sort-of evolved over time as I thought about that episode of TOTJ with the training and I kept going back over what Ahsoka does in the final 2 episodes of TCW.
I know I did originally see it as Ahsoka being attached to Rex, that she refuses to leave without him because she likes him, he's her friend, and she just quite simply wants to save him. But saving Rex requires a distraction that gets him alone and all she's got that's capable of providing that level of distraction is Maul. And while she refuses to hand him a lightsaber, she has to know that that's not going to really slow him down much or keep him from hurting/killing all of the clones she's intentionally hoping will go after him. I don't think she considers that Maul is going to provide his OWN distraction in the form of destroying the ship so he can escape, but I think that she WANTS the clones to try to stop him, knowing that it's very likely going to get them seriously hurt or killed in the process. So from that perspective, Ahsoka is choosing to sacrifice the rest of the men on the ship for Rex. She could've just... left. She might've been able to just make it to the shuttle on her own and snuck off the ship and the clones would've been enslaved to the Empire, yes, but they also would've still been ALIVE. And that's why I saw it as an attachment to Rex, and I think I sometimes used it as proof that Ahsoka seriously struggled with it as an impact of her training from Anakin.
HOWEVER.
Post-TOTJ, as I thought about it and argued about it over and over again, one of the things that came to mind is that Ahsoka may NOT have been able to make it to the shuttle on her own at all and she might have known that. She knew that the men would be waiting for her in the hangar and didn't have a way of sneaking in that she trusted would work. What she needed was an ally, someone who could potentially help her get past the rest of the men so they could get to the shuttle as bloodlessly as possible. She CANNOT make it off of the ship alone and Rex is the only one who appears to have hesitated in responding to Order 66 and was able to get a warning out to her, so he's the obvious choice to try to save. He's also the highest ranked on the ship, which helps, too.
So saving Rex may have been less a choice based on attachment and more of a choice based on strategy and the "lesser evil." She releases Maul because she NEEDS Rex, she can't survive without him, and she's hoping that the men will be able to put him down without her (although some part of her has to know that they won't). She just wants to get off this ship, she just wants to survive and she needs someone on her side in order to do that and it HAS to be Rex. Releasing Maul was a move made out of pure desperation, knowing that it will result in the probable deaths of a number of the men, because she has literally zero other real options available to her. It's putting her survival above the men's, sure, but her only other option is to just let them execute her or make a hail mary run to the hangar by herself that is very likely to get her killed anyway and doesn't make any real strategic or tactical sense.
It could also just as easily be a combination of both motivations. She needs an ally to survive at all and it makes the most sense to try Rex first, but she also just wants to save her friend because she cares about him more than the rest of them. The first one allows her to justify the second one.
And this sort-of newer interpretation of the scene brought to light part of why that TOTJ episode really frustrated me and made no sense. A MAJOR element of the final two episodes of TCW were to showcase Rex and Ahsoka's relationship, to show that it's THAT RELATIONSHIP that saves Ahsoka in the end at all. It's Rex's hesitation, giving her about 10 extra seconds to figure out what's happening and respond that no other Jedi is ever given, and his information about finding Fives that allows her to understand what's going on with the chips so she can remove it from Rex, that gives Ahsoka the headstart she needs to survive where very few other people did. It's ALL ABOUT REX, it's about how much Rex cares about her, and how much Ahsoka trusts and cares about him in return. THAT'S what's different about it. It's not about Ahsoka being more skilled or trained than your average Jedi Master and so she can go up against the clones alone and live.
The WHOLE POINT is that Ahsoka never would've survived without Rex's hesitation. And Rex never would've hesitated without Fives' sacrifice and information. Ahsoka is saved because of Rex and Fives, not Anakin. Fives couldn't save the entire Order or the Republic or the rest of the clones, but his efforts did save Rex and Ahsoka. And that's where the emotion comes from. He couldn't save everyone, but his actions did save two people and it left Rex and Ahsoka alive to go save more people. One small pebble leaving ripples in a very large pond. Pretending that Ahsoka survived instead because of some sort of abusive training she got from Anakin that makes her better, faster, stronger than everybody else just devalues that entire message and I hate it.
I recognize I got away from the original question a little there, sorry. I think that basically whether you believe she did it out of attachment or desperate strategy, the important part is that it's about REX, that Ahsoka cannot survive without him in this moment. She may not be making the RIGHT choice to release Maul, but, as Yoda says earlier, she may be making the ONLY choice she can really make at all in this moment. She saves Rex, she survives, but it comes at a cost. And once Order 66 had hit, there was never going to be an end to that story that didn't come with a cost somewhere, it was just a question of what that cost was going to be and whether she was willing to live with it or not.
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Sweet Dreams--Part 12
Calum and you have dance around reality for a few months now. But after Calum leaves and returns from a trip, the reality has to be confronted.
Weeks are passing and maybe more is blooming between you and Calum than might meet the eye.
Prince!Calum x Reader Insert.
Series Masterlist
Complete Masterlist
The snap of the camera sounds well after the flash of the light. Then behind it, what sounds like a thousand more shutters erupt. The flashes blink like the silver dots Calum used to call angels when he was a child in his vision. As he approaches the podium, Calum thinks less about the blinking lights. The lights don’t slow him down like they used to. They don’t hurt as much as they used to. This is all well practiced throughout the years. He smiles, lifting a hand in acknowledgement at the crowd that’s gathered. Since the vote, Calum’s been keeping an eye on the way the funds have been helping those in need, continually surveying those that took place in his initial conversations and polls. Things seem to be going well. But at the conclusion of this year, there still are four seats that will need to be filled.
It’s unconventional for Calum to even bring this discussion to the floor for the public. The truth of the matter is, he knows he can’t serve a community and people that he knows very little about. He doesn’t know their concerns. He doesn’t know what specific things are plaguing the majority. He’s sure there’s even more pressing things for select groups--everyone has their own prioritization but still Calum’s not on the pulse like he wants to be. So, he’s here now to re-introduce the surveys and forms available to the public. He wants them to know he is listening. Though it is tedious work to review those surveys on a quarterly basis, Calum’s happy to have a team willing to do the nitty gritty work--him included.
“Thank you for joining me here today. I know we’re closing in on the holidays soon and food and family are most likely at the forefront of everyone’s minds, but still it means a lot that you’ve still shown up here today,” Calum starts, working at the button of his suit jacket. “I’m also happy to see some pretty familiar faces too.”
And it’s true, as Calum peers out at the swarm of reporters, there are a few faces he’s learned to anticipate to see. A few laughs rise from the crowd and Calum takes a moment to glance down at his notes. It’s not a full on written speech, but it is a pretty tightly packed list of talking points.
“I don’t want to take up too much of your time today, folks. It is a Friday afternoon after all and I’m not a cruel man. We’re at the tail end of the year and after a particularly tight win in ensuring that additional funds are processed for those in need, it is still very much my intent to keep on the pulse of public concerns. I may be a man a little removed from the day to day struggles of the average person. I am a man aware that the reality of my day to day is vastly different from others. This, most likely, won’t be news to some. But I am hoping that by taking just a few minutes here today, I am able to encourage people to participate actively in their politics and re-introduce them to a tool to express their voice directly.
“As it has been for the twenty years or so, on our parliament’s website there is a section which allows the public to write into us about concerns they have--whether it be about your specific counties roads, or library, or school--you have the space to let us know what is and what is not working for you. Now, to address concerns, I am sure people will have: yes, this was originally buried and hard to navigate to from the home page. There is a lot of news that we do try to share with you all and information we know you need to access more easily. Yet, I do not want this to be a continued excuse that frustrates people to the point where they believe that their feedback is not valued.
“It is, in fact, the opposite. It is important that I know exactly what challenges are being faced day in and day out for my people. I am here to serve you. Given this goal to become more increasingly aware, I’ve worked with our designers to create the “Talk to Us” button.”
Calum waves now to the screen behind him, which in the reflection in some of the glasses from those in the front row, he can see the slide is now showing. The home page--a stale blue--lights up behind him. “The home bar will now, at the conclusion of this press conference, include a direct link to the form, entitled, “Talk to Us”. When you click on this link, you’ll be asked to inform us of location specific details, if necessary, as well as being able to write directly and freely to your government on the actions you see that we need to take or directions you’d like us to head.”
A small murmur starts from the crowd, but it remains low and dies down soon too. Calum knows that soon a new slide should be appearing that showcases an example of the form itself so he continues on, slow and clearly as he speaks, “We will be launching in the new year the opportunity for you to respond to surveys we have created as well once you click on this link. These surveys will be no more than 10 questions at a time and participation is voluntary. The contents of these surveys will be a combination of concerns we have as your government and concerns brought up by you individually. Consider it a feedback loop. The more you tell us about issues, and the more you participate in those voluntary surveys, the better we can serve you. Concerns brought up through the Talk to Us function will be reviewed on a quarterly basis. We hope to hear from you soon.”
“Any questions?” Calum prompts, taking in the faces and notes being scribbled down. A couple hands are being raised after a few seconds. “Yes,” Calum notes, seeing a man in a sky blue button up start to raise his hand.
He introduces himself and his associated press. “Considering that this function has existed on the website long before now, do you have any thoughts on why previous administrations haven’t taken to making this more accessible until now?”
A question Calum anticipated and he hates the way it pits administrations against each other. “I can’t speak for why previous ones haven’t considered reorganizations of the public website. But as we gain more literacy about user experience and design, it has become clearer than ever that the front page of any website is the most important in getting people to what they need as quickly as possible. We are working with some SEO strategies as well to help ensure that this link does show up in the first two pages of search engine results as well. There’s an entirely new field in politics revolving around online presences and social media. Our drive now is also tied to the direct evolution of this technology in the last few years as well.”
It’s a lot of hot air, even Calum knows that, but he has to say it this way. Has to make sure he’s careful of those that have come before him. Something so simple as adding a link seems obvious now but may not have been obvious before.
Calum moves on to the next person--a woman, in a pink almost orange top, who gives her name and associated press as well. “Is there any plan to move these functions to an app perhaps in the future?”
“Not currently at this time, no,” Calum answers. “But the page itself will allow users that need it to use speech to text, screen readers, dark mode backgrounds and ensure to adhere to accessibility guidelines as well.”
Another man raises his hand, a white and black striped shirt. Calum signals to him for him to ask his question. After his name and press, the man continues on, “Are there concerns about backlash? People feeling like their concerns aren’t being addressed fast enough or feeling like there’s a ranking system when it comes to concerns.”
“Our team has assessed as thoroughly as we can the best way to sustain the use of this forum and survey platform. We won’t be able to get to every concern sent in and we will have to look at volume as it relates to each individual item raised. But we hope that by establishing the quarterly review timeline, we can be transparent enough to the public about why things may seem to be moving much slower than they anticipated. I have a team established, me included, who will be continually reviewing what is coming in and how efficient are current practices as well.”
“So, you’re really not afraid of the dirty work,” the man teases. The room bubbles with a soft bout of laughter.
Calum laughs as well. “No, I’m not afraid of the dirty work. It is valuable work to do as I’ve come to learn.” Calum is a little afraid he might be spreading himself a bit thin by taking this one, but should he need to take a step back, he already has people he can pull in to help the team as well. Right now, there’s a lot of the paid interns doing the footwork, but Calum hopes this plan creates a big enough need that he can hire some of them on as full time staffer positions in the next two years.
Calum, keeping an eye on the time, makes mention that he can only take two more questions to ensure he sticks to his early promise of not sucking up their entire afternoon. So he moves on to another lady in purple. She stands with a smile. “It appears that your special friend seems to be making an impression on you. My particular question--”
“I’m sorry, what?” Calum interrupts. “Who’s making an impression on me?”
Her face falls for a moment, but she recovers with an awkwardly thick laugh. “I think it’s quite obvious.”
Calum’s brows furrow. Part of him wonders if this person is referring to you. But this hardly seems like the place for it. Perhaps there’s something else he’s missing. “Well, color me surprised, because I am genuinely unable to follow your logic and statement. Could you clarify what you mean?”
The woman laughs again, but she begins to fidget with the cap of her pen. Maybe Calum’s not wrong about his initial assessment. But the seconds tick on and he’s not sure if he’s going to gloss over it or let her sit in her discomfort. She finally speaks but her voice shakes, “I just-I mean it’s obvious between your speech before the vote and the photos now that have repeatedly surfaced.”
More now than ever Calum’s positive what she’s been trying to hint at--you. There’s hardly been news of the two of you lately, seeing as you worked, painted, and fussed over your siblings, Calum and you hadn’t been out in the public much over the last few weeks. Maybe there were pictures of your late night run for cookies at Calum’s insistence last week. But that hardly feels worthy of being brought up in a political press conference.
“I’m sorry. Can you remind me of your name again?” Calum asks. “I think I missed it initially.”
“Pamela,” she offers though she does have to repeat it given how softly she says it the first time. Like how Calum imagines a child reacts to getting in trouble--sheepish and embarrassed.
“And your press?”
“Times--Politics division.”
“Thank you, Pamela. I think given the particular reason for this conference this is not the place to divulge into personal affairs--mine, yours, or anyone else’s. Now, I do believe that Times sees you as talented and nuanced at political coverage, lest you wouldn’t be in the room responsible for covering their story about our meeting. I know this news is relatively small and for someone like you it may not take you more than an hour to write, edit, and publish. So let’s ensure that we continue to show Times your brilliance at politics. That sound good?”
She nods, fervently so that the strands she’d tucked behind her ear fall out again. “Ye-yes, Your Highness. I’m sorry.”
Part of him wants to say no worries. But he is a bit annoyed by such a comment she attempted to make, the things she might’ve been trying to insinuate. It could be harmless and it could’ve been so much more sinister. Calum merely nods. “Apology accepted. Now, what’s your question?”
“Thank-thank you. My question is, uh, in regards to the longevity of this new launch, can we expect this to be a long term investment in your tenor when you transition to take over for your father?”
Calum nods at the question. “As long as I remain at the helm, I do intend to continue to promote and invest in transparency on how the public can and should influence their government. The ‘Talk to Us’ is essentially launch zero, if you will. It’s, again, a function that’s been integrated into the site for years now. But I hope that these initial changes to its location help open the door for much more political discourse between the public and parliament.”
Her descent back to her seat is not graceful by any means. Pamela dives back to her seat and Calum feels a small pang of guilt in his gut. “Thank you again for your time,” Calum turns to address the entire room. “I fear we’re out of time for today. But I do greatly appreciate you spending your Friday afternoon with me. I hope you all have a great weekend.”
Calum steps away from the podium and sees Pamela still buried in her pad. Perhaps, she hadn’t meant harm, but the more Calum let slide, the more people would feel brave with their off handed comments, or worse probes into his personal life. This is a world he’d learned to navigate thanks to the years he’d been raised in. You deserve any and all amounts of privacy that can be scraped together.
His phone is returned to him when Calum returns to the wings. “Great work out there,” Miranda comments before she turns back to her iPad.
Calum watches her squint, releasing a sigh before he reaches up to her hair and takes the pair of red glasses down. She’d finally caved in getting the prescription but still refused at times on wearing them. “You might even be able to tell me I did a better job if you could see it.”
“Well my hair’s made the lenses greasy,” she huffs.
Calum offers his spare handkerchief tucked away into the inner pocket of the suit jacket. “Keep it for the sake of your eyeballs please.”
Miranda hums at the offer, which Calum knows will most likely be her only response to it. “I’ll keep an eye out for the response about Pamela’s probe. Should we ask Times to not put her back on the rotation?”
This question sounds genuine and when Calum turns the corner, he risks a glance over to Miranda. Nothing follows the question--no quip, no retort. For a moment, Calum’s positive it’s a trick question but the silence lingers and weighs for longer than usual. “Uh, she asked a good question in the end.”
“Yes, she did. But from what we’ve discussed, we are in the ‘loose lips, sink ships’ position. And this is your relationship, so speak now before I make the call.”
“Don’t box her out,” Calum returns. “Doing so might send too strong of a message and we’re not really in a position to bring down the hammers.”
Miranda nods. “Could make us look desperate and unfair too. You handled it exceptionally well though today, so I am very proud of that. Next week, the fitting is scheduled as a heads up for the charity event. This does mean, I have to ask, will you and your partner be walking the carpet together? We wouldn’t want to use this event for any sort of announcement, but if the two of you are comfortable with the idea, then we’ll need to just review the etiquette for the event with them.”
Now that’s the kind of question expected from Miranda. Direct, no nonsense, objective focused and lasered in. “I’ll talk to them. They’ll be on display with their painting though and my volunteer time.”
“It’s whatever the two of you decide. I’m just saying should you two walk the carpet together, we make no announcements. You walk, you talk to a couple reporters that are outside but you don’t say anything about the relationship. Even if asked.”
Calum nods, tucking his folder up under his arm after pressing the call button for the elevator. Miranda’s right. The charity event would not be the right place for him to say anything. And he’d be a hypocrite now after handling Pamela to try and steal the stage for such an important event. The two of you could walk it separately in blocks close to each other--he goes first for a minute or so and then you follow. But the two of you would inevitably wind up locked arm in arm as the night progressed. But to walk the carpet together and explicitly not answer any questions would be more awkward in the end. Though, it would matter at the end of it what you preferred.
“How much should I bet that you need a final decision by the time we meet for the fitting?” Calum asks, letting Mirand into the elevator first.
Miranda snorts at the question. “I wouldn’t bet anything you couldn’t afford.”
You’re supposed to be going back home tonight after your shift. Though it feels like a good portion of your belongings have drifted into the palace, you spend a decent portion of your time at your own place too. Where you live is technically closer to your job and easier on your car for sure. Calum takes a look at the time. It’s pushing just a couple minutes past four pm. The dinner rush would undoubtedly be starting in the next hour or so and Calum knows he can’t squeeze any extra time out of his day.
But he spies a text from you, from ten minutes ago, and wonders if he could snag you still once he gets back to his office. The preview of the text stares back up at Calum, Have I ever told you just how…. It piques his interest and he swipes to start input his passcode. “You’ll have an answer Monday,” Calum returns to Miranda.
“Sounds good.”
Have I ever told you just how hot it is to watch you in that suit dealing with the press? Because if not, I really should tell you how hot it is to watch you in that suit dealing with the press.
Another text comes through just as Calum starts to type.
In all seriousness, thanks for handling that particular comment like you did. I know sooner or later things will come out in the open, probably the charity event undoubtedly, but it means a lot for you to still keep this close to the vest still. And you are hot too, which helps. Love you.
The doors open again and Miranda gestures in Calum’s periphery. He looks up to see her holding out his handkerchief. “Thanks.”
“Didn’t I tell you to keep it so that you have no excuses for not wearing your glasses?” Calum laughs.
Miranda’s body half way between the doors keeps them from shutting but she eyes him, lips curled up in an unamused smile. “I think it’s a little inappropriate.”
“And I think you should be able to see.”
“Take it,” she orders, waving the cloth at him to take it. “I have a lens cloth in my office.”
Calum edges closer to the opening of the machine. She refuses to meet his gaze and it makes the suspicion increase tenfold. “Show me. Because if you’re lying.”
“Oh, fine,” Miranda huffs. “I lost it. The same fucking day I got the damn glasses and I lost the cloth.”
“Then keep it,” he laughs. “I’ve got too many of them anyway.”
“Thanks,” she mutters and then starts down towards her office.
“You’re welcome,” Calum calls out watching the doors slide closed.
His attention turns back to your text even with the tuft of laughter he releases at Miranda’s stubbornness. I hope I wasn’t too harsh on her. But thank you, baby. I’ll keep that in mind for later. He adds a winking emoji before continuing on, Is it bad yet for you guys? Love you more. He asks even though he’s sure he won’t get a response until either your next break or until you leave for the night. But he sends it anyway and swipes through his other missed messages.
There’s one from Luke in the groupchat, We’ve got Forest reserved at 5:00 PM the Saturday before Michael’s birthday. The restaurant does close earlier than most at 8 just as a heads up.
Calum hadn’t been fully aware that Forest was even an option for the dinner. He’d tossed out a few options, one was a sushi place that Michael loved for late lunch or a really early dinner and the other was a French inspired cuisine. But it wouldn’t shock Calum if he’d lost track of the names. It does make Calum wonder if it would be feasible to ask you to join. Would it be too awkward for you?
There’s a few more texts in the chat so Calum scrolls down. Ashton asks about the other options they’d discussed and Luke replied that they’d been booked for the time for the time or wouldn’t let reservations be made this far in advance. Forest has a three week window for reservations which allows them to get to the slot now. Given how rapidly schedules shift, Calum knows it’s better to take this now rather than wait too much longer.
Luke, how many did you confirm for? Calum asks.
They can only support a group of 12 max. So I went with that. I can keep checking other places too in the meantime.
Calum settles into his office chair, popping a few more buttons at his dress shirt. A text from Michael comes through. Forest is cool with me. My parents and I are doing things on my actual birthday. We should be good at 12. There’s you three, me, our plus ones and then a couple dudes I worked with previously I’d want to do dinner with. We can say 9 for a bigger group at some local bars and then call it a night by midnight if that’s cool?
Sounds good to me, Luke replies.
Cool with me, Calum answers and Ashton replies with the same sentiment of an affirmative.
Calum wipes to take him back to his text message threads and taps on your name. Michael’s birthday dinner is going to be 5PM on the 17th. It’s at Forest. Do you know if you’ll be working?
The answer feels like a no. You wouldn’t know because he doubts the schedules made that far out in advance. But Calum prays. He hopes maybe by the cosmos divine art you can see the text message here soon. A watch pot never boils and his eyes glued to the screen won’t make you respond faster. So Calum turns back to his office computer, saves some work for the templates, and data collection. It is a Friday and there’s very little work that he’ll be able to get done or want to get done at this moment.
The elevator settles and the doors open up to the residency hall. Calum, if he ever had a tie on, would absolutely be tugging it off his neck as he walks towards his bedroom door. Instead, he only has the buttons he works at on his shirt. There’s still no text from you. He knows the dinner rush has gone up in its major swing. But when his phone buzzes, and Calum checks it to be sure if it’s not you, he contemplates if he’s going to agree to the schedule he made of working out in the evenings. He knows he should. There’s been a lot of time spent indoors, cooped up by his computer and various documents. It’ll be good for him, even if it’ll hurt just a little, so Calum pulls himself free from the dress pants, shirt, and shoes. He dawns himself into the basketball shorts, his workout sneakers and a t-shirt. He even takes the stairs back down.
The air is crisp outside; it hits his lungs sharply and Calum’s grateful for it. The grass crunches just a little under his feet as he settles the free weights down. Calum starts with stretches, trying to loosen the left hip that likes to get a bit stiff on him. It’s an old injury, probably from one of the few times Calum pushed himself a little too hard in games. He hardly feels it when he’s on top of his physical therapy regime. But he falls off every few weeks when things get busy and the stiffness makes itself known more and more. Calum knows he should coordinate another appointment with his physical therapist about it. Maybe during the holiday break he’ll snag an appointment.
His headphones play a thrash of guitars, the high tssing of the symbols on the drum kit come filtering through. Calum pulls the dumbbell up, the tightening of his bicep letting him know he’s doing the exercise right. As much as it can feel like a drag, as much as the weights do get heavier as the sets go on, Calum finds the small sliver of peace. When he’s got no thoughts but keeping track of his reps. The motions are up and down, the brace of his core, the inhale and exhale. Calum focuses on the press, the pushing of the ground away from his body as he goes through a round of pushups.
Twenty-nine, thirty.
His music lowers for a moment, a chime louder than his music. Calum keeps pushing up, taking himself back down, and then pushing back up. Thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six. Another chime cuts through.
Forty.
His knees brush the ground first as he releases his plank and digs out his phone. I wish I’d seen this sooner, reads your reply. Turner just asked me if I was okay with working that day because of a large party and I said yes.
Calum pants, the sweat running down the lines of his face. Though it’s cold outside, the jumping jacks, the exertion of his exercises have made him sweat. Calum can’t lie, part of him is tempted to ask if you could switch out the hours, but he knows. You’re not just working to kill time in the day. You’re working to survive. You’re working to take care of yourself and potentially as it looms your siblings too.
Calum wipes at his brow before working over the screen to reply. Well, the invitation for you to join for drinks after will still stand if you’re up for it.
Sounds good. I’ll make sure Michael’s well taken care of though. Promise. To make up for missing out on the festivities, could you find out his favorite sweet treat?
Calum nods without thinking. I will. Let me know when you get home, yeah?
Of course. Also, to answer your earlier question: it’s busy as fuck. I’m literally in the freezer right now trying to compose myself just for a second.
Calum snorts at the mental image--you in your uniform tucked into the walk-in freezer. But he also knows what it means, just how busy things have gotten. A piece of guilt rises up in his throat, like bile it burns. He’d never meant to make things worse. He never meant to put you in such positions. But nothing changes what’s happened. The only thing now is forward. The only thing now is what could be made of what’s happening in the present.
Tell the tomatoes to be kind to you, Calum replies.
“Don’t tell me I need to call the nurse with the way you’re breathing.”
Calum looks up to his father, who grins down at him. Calum laughs at the quip, as patchy as it comes. “No, no need to call the nurse.”
“Dinner’s ready, you know. Pretty sure it’s some fancy pasta I’ll never be able to pronounce."
With how thick the early evening is around them, how dark it is for only how early it feels, Calum is not shocked that it is dinner time. He nods, wiping at his dripping brow again. “I need to clean up but I’ll be there in a minute.”
His dad lingers and the words are pressing at the back of Calum’s teeth, if everything is okay, but his dad beats him to the punch. David grunts as he lowers himself into the grass next to Calum. “You’ll help me up, right?”
“Yeah, Pops, I will. What’s up? I thought dinner was ready with some fancy pasta you can’t pronounce.”
“It is, it is. But I was, well, I know there’s been a lot of conversation that’s sort of up in the air about when me and your mother are going to take a step back from the game. And I know it’s something you’re thinking about. You did real well in your press conference today. I do think that sometimes the best solutions are the most simple ones. I just wanted to see when the two of us could really sit down and talk about what that transition will look like and when we’re both comfortable with it. And, and I’m not asking we do it right now. But soon, in the new year, we look at our schedules and find a good day for it.”
It’d been an ever approaching deadline--something that would happen and would happen sooner rather than later. But it still felt far away in praxis. Transitioning of power was a thing that was approaching but it hadn’t hit the horizon. Now, though, as Calum watches his father, he thinks perhaps he’d been counting on at least a couple more years, something closer to thirty than not but nothing ever happens like anyone wants for it too.
Calum nods though at his father’s request. “Yeah, we can find a time for that.”
“Good, good,” David returns, patting at Calum’s knee. “And things are okay? Anything you need to talk about?”
“Things are okay.” They’re far from perfect, but they’re not bad. Yet, Calum doesn’t voice that. The balance in the universe was not to make things perfect by his definition.
“That doesn’t sound too convincing. You alright?”
“It’s--it’s just life, Dad. You know? Every up has a down.”
“What kind of downs are we talking?”
From the night, Calum catches the scratch of the crickets tuning up for the night time songs. The darkness is closing in rapidly and ruthlessly. As much as Calum did want to voice his concerns, he also knows his father is going to be a solution oriented person. The second a problem crops up, his father wants to find a solution for it. Calum’s not really looking for solutions right now. “It’s anthills,” Calum answers. Because they are, they are small concerns in the grand scheme of everything. “But I can handle them. I know I can.”
“Well, if you need reinforcements, I got your back.”
“Will do, Dad. Thanks.”
“And, and if you need to just vent, I’m here for that too.”
It’s anthills. And they were small, but still mighty. “Guess, it’s just sort of scary to know I’ll actually be taking over, you know? It was real, but was always sort of in the distance.”
“It is scary,” David agrees. “It’s very scary. But just because you’d be taking over doesn’t mean I’m not there to help. Consider me a consultant.”
“What’s your retainer fee?” Calum jokes, watching the grin bloom on his father’s face.
“Oh, don’t worry about that. But it’s okay if it’s scary. You’re human doing something new for the very first time. It’s going to be scary. And the next time you do something for the first time, that’ll be scary too. But the more you do the things, the less scary it gets you know. It’s like when you learned to drive. You were terrified to get behind that wheel. But look at you now. A driving whizz. It’ll take you some time, but I’ll still be there for you. Promise, son.”
It’s reassuring, certainly. Calum won’t be doing it all alone, but it’ll be his face and his name that’s riding on everything that comes after the transition. That’s the part that terrifies him. Yet, Calum can’t control what hasn’t happened yet. To worry about what hasn’t happened wouldn’t only serve to paralyze Calum in the long run. But the fear bubbles, like a pot left on simmer, Calum can feel it in his gut. It’s going to be a strange time. “Thanks, Pops,” Calum offers softly.
“You’re welcome. Now, help me up, yeah?”
Calum laughs as he works himself up. “No one told you sit down on the grass.”
“Oh, hush.”
It’s with a few grunts, but Calum helps his dad up. “You good?” Calum asks and gets a nod in response. “I’m going to get these weights inside and at least wash my hands and face before joining you and Mum.”
“See you inside.”
Calum’s left with a pat on his back, but as the night chirps around him, he hopes that he’s not really alone in all of this. The weights are a little heavier than they were before but Calum gets them up with no issue. He ducks into one of the bathrooms on the first floor, washing his hands before splashing water over his face. He watches the water drip down his chin. He wants to tell you--how scared he is, how much he doesn’t want to do this, but knows he’s got no other choice. But will it seem trivial?
Yet somehow right behind the doubt, he hears your voice, telling him that it doesn’t matter if it’s small, all that matters is that he’s scared. And that it’ll be okay. It’ll be okay, Calum chants to himself down the hallway and back into the kitchen. It’ll all be okay. Because it has to be okay. Because it’s been six years of Calum in Cabinet and it’s all worked out so far. So it’ll keep working out in the end.
“Oh, you stink,” Joy laughs, as Calum slides into the bench across the table.
“I washed my hands and face at the very least,” he grins-- a rule ingrained into him from his childhood.
She shakes her head, sliding the plate closer his way. “At least there was that.”
The warm water is a welcomed reprieve, after dinner and clambering his way back upstairs, Calum can feel himself craving bed. It’s early, he knows. But the fear from transition is heavy on his bones. It’s not even late enough for you to be off work so he can’t call as you drive back to your apartment. And he wants to stay awake long enough for that, for the hum of your drive and the soft lull of your voice.
But in the stillness, Calum holds to the quiet voice in the back of his head. What will it all mean when he takes over? All the while you asked him what he wanted to do, what really made him happy, and all the while Calum answered that he would always do his duty, he would serve. And he’d be proud to serve; he is. But his father has already been the crutch. Calum’s never been on his own doing this. Does he actually want to do it? Or is this just the natural reaction of fear?
It all feels like being underwater. When he falls into his mattress, Calum feels the whoosh of air like a head ducking under the surface of water. There is a world above him--the duty he’s always followed, the path that always felt like loomed before him no matter what twists and turns he took in his life. But he is in the water, arms scoping water at his sides to keep him afloat and his movements feel slow and sluggish. Is this really all that he’s wanted? Could it all be just the things Calum’s told himself to believe so it makes it feel less like force and more like choice?
The ticking of the clock is long, but at some point his ears goes numb to the sound, focused instead of keeping up with the race of his thoughts. He chases them round and round as they go.
The ringing of his phone pulls him back up and out of the rush and thump of his internal dialogue. Calum fumbles for a moment to get the phone off the charger, but when he finally gets a firm grip, he answers the call.
“Hi, love,” you answer--certain and confident that it’s even Calum who’s answered.
“Hi, baby,” he returns, falling back down into the mattress again.
“What is it? Something on your mind?”
“How’d you know?” he laughs. To him, he sounds all the same. But the immediacy in your question makes him wonder if he’s really as good as he thinks at keeping things under wraps with you.
“Just a feeling,” you return.
“I think my number’s been called. Dad wants to talk in the new year about transitioning out of power.”
You hum. In the background, Calum hears the beeps of cars, the rush of the wind as you walk, probably to your car. “It was always coming. But I sense something more.”
“It’s scary. Didn’t think it would be so soon. Don’t know if it’s fear or genuine how much I’m worried about taking over.”
“Fear of what?” you question. “Fear just because it’s new or something else?”
Calum pulls his phone from his hear, tapping to switch the conversation to speakerphone. It’s buying him time. Because if he says it out loud, it feels like he’s making it true. But he’s not going to hide from you. He won’t let himself do that. “Fear that I don’t know what I really want.”
“We’re all afraid of that.” Your voice echoes against the four walls of his room, fills the space in such a way that he could hardly imagine that you’re just in the bathroom.
“You seemed pretty confident about cooking.”
“It’s a means to an end. Something that I can use anywhere to make ends meet. I like cooking, at the end of the day it helps me not feel so bad about life. But I don’t know if I was put on this planet just to cook or not.”
“I guess that’s the question, huh. Have I been put on this planet just to work in politics?”
“Well,” you start, a pause echoes with the thud of your car door. “Have you? Have you been put on this planet just to work in politics?”
He wants to say no. But if he’s honest, this has always been the end of the line for him. Taking over as King was his finish line. That was the stamp on his youth, to mail it off and close down the chapter. Calum’s always thought that this is in fact the end. It’s a means to an end. But even if Calum wants to agree that he hasn’t been put on this earth just to wind up as King, he doesn't know what else is there?
“But what am I if not meant to be King?”
“Well, you’re Calum. Who trained for a summer in Brazil for football, who plays the guitar, writes some songs. You’re Calum who loved his dog for every second he walked the earth. You’re Calum who baked his mother a birthday cake and it actually held together. You’re Calum, who manages to find just the right words when they’re needed, who loves deeply and selectively. And you’ll be so much more too. But the truth of the matter, you will never find that answer in a day, in just one conversation. It’ll take years. You’ll be a King, and work in politics, and be so much more. This is not an either-or situation, maybe. I know I asked previously about it. And I apologize if that made it seem like you had to choose. Perhaps, you don’t have to choose.”
Perhaps, you don’t have to choose. “Yeah,” Calum agrees, gaze focusing in on his ceiling. He does actually miss those stars now that he thinks about it. He wonders where he could find the stencils again. Would it be stupid to paint them back? “Maybe you’re right.”
#calum hood#calum hood fanfic#calum hood fic#calum hood au#prince!calum#calum hood x reader#calum hood x gender neutral reader#5 seconds of summer#5 seconds of summer fic#5 seconds of summer fanfic#5sos fanfic#5sos fic#5sos imagine#calum hood imagine#calum hood series#h writes
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SHIPPING INFO. answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog.
What’s your OTP for your Muse(s)?
HM!! Very difficult question to answer. I was fortunate enough to write Nnoitra / Grimmjow for several years on here with Lexie, so that ship is dear to me, but I don't see myself writing them together again because yeah, Lexie's Grimmjow was just the perfect fit for Nnoitra. Unfortunately I haven't been able to get in contact with Lexie for a few years now, but I'm still forever blessed to have written this ship with them.
So, I don't really have an OTP for Nnoitra. His most popular canon ships, Nnoitra / Nelliel and Nnoitra / Tesla are not OTPs for me, but I'm still open to writing them if our muses click.
I honestly prefer either crossover-ships, OCxCANON or rare-pairs. I want interesting dynamics that I haven't thought about or tried before.
What are you willing to RP when it comes to shipping?
I'm open to anything, as long as it's in-character for Nnoitra. It's pretty difficult ( or should I say impossible? ) to have a healthy ship with Nnoitra, as he is a very toxic person, so writing toxic ships is my jam. I'm fine with writing non-con ( Nnoitra's canon, hello? ), abuse, manipulation and so on and so on. The only things I will not write are things that I consider OOC for Nnoitra, such as him being the submissive in the relationship, any type of feminization-plot. I also won't write prefect lovey-dovey ships because that's just not Nnoitra.
How large does the age gap have to be to make it uncomfortable?
No age gap limits, but Nnoitra is not interested in minors. I also won't write ship with mods who are under 20. I'm in my late 20s and considering the sort of dark material I write and how toxic Nnoitra can become in a relationship, I feel more comfortable if my writing partner is older than 20.
Are you selective when shipping?
YES. I'm very selective when shipping. Mostly because it takes Nnoitra a good while to form that sort of bond with someone. I also like for things to develop "naturally". I don't do pre-established romantic relationships. I want Nnoitra to fall in love on his own, without me pushing him along.
How far do steamy moments have to go before they’re considered NSFW?
I typically tag things as "suggestive //" right away if there is a sexual or graphic tone to the post. Nnoitra is a crude person so this can happen easily. I would only tag sex or foreplay as NSFW.
Who are other muses you ship your muse with?
At the moment, I have no active ships for Nnoitra ( he's sleeping with a couple of people though, win for him fjfjfjf ). I really miss writing ships for Nnoitra, so I'm writing a few crossover ship fanfics for him (Nnoitra/Atsushi and Nnoitra/Kōtarō), but this is just self-indulgent because I want to see him happy from time to time ahaha.
Does one have to ask to ship with you?
No, you don't. It's absolutely cool to tell me if you want to try and explore a ship between our muses though! I'll be onboard for exploring, but please note that there is never a guarantee that Nnoitra will grow attached to your muse. We can set them up on a date ( Nnoitra is actively trying to find dates these days ), but again, there are no guarantees. If your muse has feelings for Nnoitra, feel free to tell me!
How often do you like to ship?
RARELY! Like man oh man, haven't had a ship on here for 200 years at this point. I would like to ship more, but at the same time it's Nnoitra who decides when he falls in love, and that is a slow process. I'm just hitching along for the ride.
Are you multiship?
No, I consider my blog selective few-ship. I also will only have one ship per verse. I'm looking for a few ship partners ( or just one, I'm up for being single ship ) who I can write deep and dedicated plots with.
Are you ship obsessed or ship more-or-less?
I'm not ship obsessed by any means, since it's been many years since I've written a ship for Nnoitra. I AM currently searching for a ship for him, because I do miss writing that sort of thing, but if it doesn't happen, then it doesn't happen. All good.
What is your favorite ship in your current fandom?
Byakuya / Renji . Aizen / Shinji . Mayuri / Kisuke .
My three BLEACH OTPs! I do have other ships (rare-pairs mostly) that I enjoy, but these three are my favorite.
Finally, how does one ship with you?
Tell me that you're interested in exploring this type of dynamic between our muses, and we can set them up on a date, or put them in a setting where they can get to know each other. Please note that there is no guarantee that Nnoitra will form an attachment.
tagged by : @avaere , thank you for the tag aven!
tagging: @fiorserpen , @3katanas , @pinkminxed , @gildinbainas , @godkilller , @knightshonour , @adelha-mathilde .
#[ this was fun to fill out 8) lots of stuff i haven't really thought about ahaha ]#[ thank you for the tag! ]#[ feel free to steal it if i didn't tag you!! ]#toby post. ╱ out of character.#longpost //
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Painting Plum Blossoms
We're jumping from yesterday's Episode 36 Armory figures all the way back to Episode 1.
You'll recall this striking scene:
Here we have Zhou Zishu before he was A-Xu, painting his last fallen brother out of his generation's picture.
This scene is so visually stunning. We have the immaculate profile of the jianghu's most jaded civil servant, dressed in a gorgeously rich, weighty imperial uniform, painting what is quite literally one step away from the last nail for his coffin.
The almost tangible aura of heartsick despair in this scene as he drops his brush is so well done.
I missed this fig entirely. It wasn't even that my hand speed was too slow to snatch it up on release day - I had no idea this figure even existed. I saw it one day when browsing Xianyu and was like, what the what is going on here. The fig maker apparently released this and another one, Flying Aspara Wen, at the same time:
PRETTY cute, don't you think (she says, not bitterly at all)? I have not managed to track this one down yet, but I'm gonna, mark my words.
Right. Anyway, I did manage to find this Painting Plum Blossoms one on Xianyu, and I was really happy about it.
This little man is letting the weight of the world drag him down - his boots were a bit uneven and made him tilt quite a bit to the back.
The brush fit beautifully in his hand - I literally just slid it between his fingers. I didn't even have to glue it or anything, and it didn't move around at all as I moved the fig around to take pics. I was quite surprised.
You can see he's leaning quite a bit to the back. This is a nice angle to see some of the detailing on his Tianchuang uniform, which really is a gorgeous costume. It's actually my second favorite Zhou Zishu costume, after his pale lavender Four Seasons Manor one.
My goodness, what a backwards lean! It makes me laugh. Sorry Zhehan, your gorgeously regal perfect posture is not being well represented in resin here!
I love the detailing on the back of his leather guan here, as well as the strings of his hair tie. I know it looks in the picture like the hair tie is part of his head, but it's actually a totally separate piece. It can move a little back and forth.
I like that the fig maker did some pleating on the back of the outfit. It's a very nice touch. I also like how they did his painting arm, with the wider blue sleeves, the detailing on his bracer, and the modeling on the hand. Look at that delicate blushing on the fingers! Proportions can easily get skewed on the limbs for these figs, but this works beautifully.
Oops, this isn't quite the full side view, I over-rotated him a bit. Anyway, this is a great view of that delicately modeled hand.
Even the brush is well done. This is a good angle to see all the pleating on the front of his uniform and the detail on his belt. I'm really happy with this fig.
I love the detail on the bracers, it looks so good. The guan is rendered well too.
The shadows are a little too thick here, but you can barely see he has blue pants tucked into his black boots. This is a great angle to see all the pleating around the entire outfit.
You'll notice the brush is still being held in his hand! It slid back a bit, but it's still hanging in there.
Similarly, the brush slid out a bit to park against the paper, but it didn't fall right out when I turned him over. You can see a little more (blurry though) of the texture in his hair ties.
The modeling is quite nice on the guan here. I'll also just take a moment to say how grateful I am that the paintbrush was so easy and painless to slide into his hand. I know I always call back to my travails with Han Ye with Sword, but that fig is always in my mind when I see a small piece that needs assembly!
More of the lacing on the guan. So nice! You can see a little bit of the groove in his hair on the bottom right of his head there, where the hair tie piece rests in.
I'm always happy when I get a box card, especially when I have to buy a fig on the secondary market. It got a little bent in shipping but otherwise is in great shape.
Material: Resin and a whole lot of despair
Fig Count: (+1) 524
Scene Count: 38
Rating: Only 35.5 more episodes to go until happiness!
[link to the Master Post Index]
#word of honor#Episode 1#zhou zishu#zhang zhehan#figthusiast#wen kexing#wen kexing kinda tangentially
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im the BIGGEST mclaren fan and oscar fan in the world ever and i dont even have the energy to celebrate oscar's first win (yes bc of the fucked up way mclaren did it but wtv not getting into that) bc of how devastated i am about paul. i just want to give him the biggest hug in the world and tell him its ok and that we all still love him. i hope he knows how much support he has and that making mistakes is ok, its only his rookie season no one expects him to be schumacher or senna or whoever, we just want you to be a happy paul aron :(
seeing him banging his head and looking out into the distance after the crash omfg i will jump off a cliff i swear. hes so hard on himself and i was legit sobbing thinking about how much harder he is on himself (probably) this year after what happened w merc and prema. he deserves so much more omg. the fact that kimi ended up winning the race just made me think of the lacy edits too and omfg i cannot. i love kimi dont get me wrong but what are the chances that paul's win became kimi's instead? i js cant.
and dont get me started on that fucking penalty. he already dnf'd i don't understand the point of them punishing him any further did u not see how mad he was at himself?? fuck you fia fuck. you. cz WHY WHAT WAS THE REASON??? i feel like ive never seen them do that to a driver, usually they cause a collision and dnf they just get time penalties but a TEN PLACE GRID PENALTY?? FOR THE NEXT RACE?? THIS LATE IN THE SEASON?? it just seems SO unfair and so harsh. not agreeing w the grid penalties at all esp when the driver alr suffered from their mistakes but the crash w maloney fine i can kind of understand, but ollie's? sorry but i didnt even see them crash that hard? (or was i half asleep? idk i js literally do not remember seeing it) seriously tho wtf.
i hope his friends, family and team gave him the biggest hug ever. he'll come back stronger ik it! we'll get thru this u guys:(
paul nation family group hug 🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂
-🧸
this is very valid :(( it wouldve been easier to celebrate if it had been better with the team and whatever, but now it was so easily overshadowed by everything that happened in f2 and i just 😶
to me, most of my pain is based on (just like u said) the fact that i think he's hard on himself, and wants to prove so much after everything that has happened. i just hope he sees the reality; that he's doing super well, in his rookie season nonetheless, and we're all so proud of him. mistakes is okay, shit happens, even max verstappen made a bunch of mistakes yesterday!!
i didnt wanna look at the clips of him in the car nor hear his radio (ive seen the screenshot of him admitting that it was his fault tho) and i saw the clip of him after getting out of the car and i just...... nope. and esp w kimi winning aaaa it made me so happy but-
god i dont understand the penalties like. yes he made a mistake but zane was also going very very slow (on the slower tyres also) so it was hard for him to tell what zane was going to do. like these things happen within even a fraction of a second and you need to trust your instinct and sometimes it doesn't work out? like obvs i cant compare it to any personal experiences in racing but in my own sport i know the feeling of getting a bad pass etc, and something tiny can mess up the entire timing and feeling and everything? so zane just going slower makes a lot of difference :// it's not common that they do this but ive seen it sometimes but this is just so.... gAH!! esp with the thing with ollie because they didn't even show it, so it can't have been THAT important, right?? so stupid
pls everyone gather around for a group hug! with paul in the middle bcs he deserves all of the love!!!!!!! <3<3<3
(oh and just so you know. "we just want you to be a happy paul aron :("........... you actually broke me with that one, i hope you're happy that im crying bcs of you 😭)
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Thanks for reading my guidelines. I go by the mun-alias Midnight (she/they), early millennial, living in the CET timezone. English is my second language. My activity level is medium to low, my reply speed is slow, please don’t rush me. I'm still learning about Tumblr rp etiquette and guidelines, please be patient with me. If you see me doing something unusal or weird feel free to correct me at anytime but be respectful about it.
01. GENERAL BLOG INFO. Besides being a roleplayer I am also a hobby gif maker, therefore personal blogs are welcome to interact with my posts. Basic Tumblr etiquette applies: Don't steal, repost or edit my gifs. If you want to insert a single gif into one of your posts please use the gif search function. If you are a personal blog make sure you don't reblog or comment on rp content which includes tag games, writing examples, headcanons, threads and answered asks. Speaking of asks: I will generally react in-character whenever possible but I am not an IC ask blog.
02. DISCLAIMER AND CONTENT WARNING. To interact with me, you have to be 18+ (personals and rp blogs, mun and muse). I am not affiliated with The Boys, its creators or the actor Karl Urban and I don't own the character Billy Butcher. I claim ownership of my own written headcanons and texts only. The Boys is an R-rated series and this is a general trigger warning for mature content such as — strong language, graphic violence and gore, physical and mental abuse, mention of sa, mention of child abuse, alcohol addiction, mental illness, terminal illness, trauma, sexual content, weapons, drug use, political and social commentary, sick humour, satire and overall rude behaviour which can be expected from this muse.
03. MUN ≠ MUSE. It should go without saying but at the same time cannot be stressed enough. This is a morally grey/villainous character. If you are easily offended we're likely not matching well as writing partners. Butcher can be tremendously rude and aggressive, he swears excessively and is quick to insult your muse if he dislikes them or feels provoked. Make sure beforehand that you can handle interacting with such a muse and do not take anything from him personal or too serious. If we started interacting and, for any reason, you feel discomfort please communicate it. I’m always willing to take a step back and sort things out.
04. INTERACTIONS. Best way to interact with me is novel-style written text from the get-go. It doesn't have to be long, it's just way easier for me to reply to than ic talk. I usually drop smalltalk after one or two messages or won't reply at all, I'm sorry. For long-term text exchanges I prefer sideblogs over Google Docs since I'm not familiar with the latter (I'm willing to learn though if that's your preferred option). I'm also very open and curious to try threads, I'd love to have some writing on my blog. Feel free to hit me up if you're interested and are comfortable with doing any sorts of public threads.
05. WRITING. No godmodding, power play or meta gaming. I also don't like forcing or rushing certain dynamics that don't feel like natural character progression. Plotting beforehand is welcome but not mandatory. If it ever feels like being stuck we can pause the writing and have a small plotting session between scenes or even for the same scene. I am a big fan of the "yes, and" approach, give me something to work with. I don't have an estimated length for texts, it always depends.
06. FORMATTING. I don't do a lot of formatting. I have an icon border and prefer small font, my writing is usually continuous text with no line breaks for dialogue. Let me know if this is difficult to read for you and I will adjust, no questions asked. Generally, feel free to format your text as you wish but here are some things I have issues with: Excessive spacing between words (triple space and higher), excessive bolding or italicizing to a point where it distracts me; all caps, text from font generators (captions and highlighted phrases are perfectly fine but I can't read a whole text in those fonts).
07. SHIPPING. I'm multiship and multiverse, meaning every ship takes place in its own verse if not communicated otherwise. I personally enjoy shipping a lot if there's good chemistry but Butcher is difficult to ship and due to his background pretty much unavailable for romantic bonding. It's not impossible though. I'm also interested in any setting where I get a chance to write him as an unhinged villain and diverge from the canon more liberately.
08. FOLLOWING. My approach to curating my dashboard is quite different, I would say, compared to what's considered standard. I follow a lot, and I mean a shitton, of people (4500+ blogs as of August 2024). I follow every blog out of interest and curiousity but please understand that it's impossible for me to interact with everyone. Don't get offended or take it personal when I follow but forget to reach out and also never feel obligated to follow me back. If you softblocked me in the past and I refollow you it's accidentially. Please hardblock me if you don't want that to happen again, I won't take it personal.
09. ACTIVITY. My blog is labeled low activity for a reason. Yes, I am here for rp, but I like to do lots of other things on Tumblr, too. There's periods of time where I don't have the energy to work on drafts or talk to anyone. Rest assured that you never did anything wrong when I disappear for a while. What I'm not willing to do is constantly giving activity updates on a schedule. I might make a post on current stats occasionally and if I go on hiatus for longer I will highly likely make a post about it.
10. DON'T BE A CUNT. I have zero tolerance for homophobia, transphobia, racism, ableism, sexism, hateful comments in general, out of character drama, gossiping, constant negativity, passive aggressiveness, vague posting, guilt tripping, gaslighting and other similar behaviour. Just be a decent person and we're fine.
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