#also you COULD open it with brute strength if you wanted

[chthonicrose]

I saw a post about working for a haunted house and for some reason it reminded me of when I used to work for an escape room place, and then because I only have one thought anymore, now I am thinking about crowley and aziraphale doing an escape room and how extremely bad they would be at it

crowley squinting at the fireplace like 'this is fake. it definitely comes open. I'm gonna pull on it.' and aziraphale like 'my dear boy they told us nothing in the room required brute strength' but he tried to use the wrong key on the gun safe and broke it off in the lock and had to discreetly miracle it back together. also he's professionally offended at how little the book safe looks like a real book.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

book 7 part 11 thoughts! (nov 22nd update)

***THIS POST CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR BOOK 7 PART 11 OF THE MAIN STORY!!*** This spans part 192 to part 211, covering Jack and Ruggie’s dreams. You can see my comments on Leona's dream here!

Please note: this is NOT meant to be a summary or a translation; these are only my initial thoughts on the events that roughly unfold. There may be details overlooked or misunderstood in this post, so PLEASE do not use this as a translation.

xbsbdkshwkw AZUL FAINTED WITH HIS EYES OPEN FROM THE FALL… This guy keeps taking the Ls early on in this update cuz he also got reminded that Idia recorded him in his own dream shouting “KRACKEN SHOT” which is very embarrassing.

Silver and Azul are able to change into their school uniforms without Idia’s incantation. Apparently Silver mastered the magic of changing clothes because he was so often oversleeping for class and had to prepare quickly for them. This shocks Sebek, who has yet to master this kind of magic. (Maybe it’s also a consequence of him being a first year?? 😂)

They briefly discuss how Silver looks like a prince when he’s riding his horse; Azul saw him in a Magicam cut of the Equestrian Club. Previously, we knew from Riddle’s Ceremonial Robes vignettes that the brown horse he rides is named Vorpal. Here we get confirmation of Silver and Sebek’s horses—Samson (a white horse, sharing the same name as Prince Phillip’s steed) and Tempest, respectively.

LMAO Idia complains about how athletes get so much attention, meanwhile nerds like him aren’t ever given that or fawned over or called princes. IDiA W3 gET IT… YOU COMPlAIN AbOUT CHADS 😭

They have landed in front of the gates of NRC and run into Jack there. He seems to be rushing to the colosseum…? Let’s follow him!!

OKAY

OKAY

OKAY

JACK HOWL YOu’RE oN MY ShiT LiST OTL YOU KNOW Ehat tHIS GUY DREAmed ABOUT???????!!!?!?!!?! It’s the year after their instaloss to Diasomnia in the interdorm tournament (don’t ask me why Malleus and Leona aren’t off at their internships at this point, dream logic I guess???). Dream!Leona has gathered all odds Savanaclaw in the colosseum to train so this year they can take Malleus and beat Diasomnia head-on, no tricks. HE EVEN GiVES A N OPTIMISTIC SpEECH AbOUT THE POWEr oF TEAMWORK TO RALLY EVERYONE… and declares he’ll be the next “king” 💀 Such overwhelming confidence… JSCK DRWAMED Of a DORM LEADER thAt PLAys BY THE RULES AnD IS 💯 ConFidENT IN THEMEKvES…

Grim is so grossed out seeing this version of Leona that he wants to wake Jack up right the fuck now 😭

AzUL YOU ASSHoLE???? He acts all fake surprised about “the incident” that happened at the intetdorm tournament and like bro had no part in instigating that stampede.

They start to formulate a plan to wake Jack up, but are worried about dream!Leona since Leona irl is a very strong mage, the darkness posing as Leona could be even stronger than usual. But at the same time we can’t risk casting a spell that’s too strong ourselves or it might call Malleus’s attention. They suggest to use Azul as a clincher since he would theoretically have access to all the magic he stole irl in the dream. Surely one of those could help?

Jack scores against the defense, Ruggie. While the Savanaclaw students are going over his play, Yuu and friends stroll up (including Idia vis a full body projection). Grim tells Savanaclaw they’re Team Ramshackle here to play them!

Ruggie says there’s no point; their team is made up of weaklings! But then Azul gives his OWN speech about how Octavinelle and Ignihyde are always dead last in magift tournaments and this time they really trained hard because they wanna be better 🥺 and besides, isn’g magift a game of wits and not brute magic/physical strength??? This catches the attention of dream!Leona who agrees to the play. He considers fellow dorm leaders worthy opponents, and also had a bone yo pick with Sebek and Silver. (Also??? Sounds like Ignihyde got their asses beat by the Pomefiore team in this year’s interdorm tournament.)

HEKP THIS mAn HE’S SuFFERINNNNG 💀 Azul is really out of it so he calls for a time out. Idia takes this opportunity to make fun of him again for being tired now when he was the captain of Golden Trident in his own dream. At least Sebek is nice and offers Azul some water.

Sebek messes up and the frisbee goes out of bounds?? WYat THE FuVk dream!Leona goes over and helps Sebek up after he’s fallen… “Oh, so Jack has made a senpai he can truly respect.” “Oh, the REAL Leona wouldn’t do something so noble like that.” GROSS GROSS GROSS GET IT OUTTA HERE 🤢

Oooh, interesting?? Ortho reasons that when you’re excited, you’re more likely to be influenced by emotions when making decisions; they’ll take advantage of the exercise high everyone on to break through to Jack. He and Jack end up flying out to space as they’re squaring off in magift; when Jack realizes how far he has flown up, he’s shocked. Don’t they need oxygen to breathe here?! It’s here that Ortho reveals this is all a dream to him.

Jack is so shocked by the news that he wakes—and then falls out of the sky?! Silver immediately runs to protect everyone. Idia uses the Dream Form Change to forcibly swap Ortho to his Cerberus Gear and Jack to his Dorm Uniform, which help to cushion the blow of their crash landing. Then dream!Leona comes over to check on Jack and decides to bench him.

The darkness tries to deceive Jack, but he actually punches back and refuses to be tricked. bcdbbsksks He cries a little and goes on about how he was so inspired by watching Leona play on TV he’d watch it over and over… only to be disappointed by reality. Jack goes a little overboard though, he starts attacking US too, thinking we’re fakes as well.

Jack quickly comes to see reason and stops trying to deck us. Sebek still seems salty at Savanaclaw for what they tried to pull in book 2 and again reminds Jack of those injustices, saying he won’t forgive them. To his surprise, Jack admits wrongdoing and says it’s only natural some people would still hold grudges and choose to not forgive them. Sebek is so shocked by the fact that honest people like Jack exist in Savanaclaw. Aw… baby’s having his prejudice challenged…

Mentioning this for the Jack lovers: Jack pets Grim on the head and praises him!

LMAo????? Jack grabs Silver’s arm to travel with them and is shocked by how it looks slender but actually you can tell he has trained a ton by feeling it!

They land in Sunrise City in Sunset Savanna. Everyone tells Jack about Dream Form Change, which he says is a spell that looks like it’s from an anime his kid sister watched before. Jack has a had time saying the spell because he finds it embarrassing, but he’s eventually goaded into it (especially by Sebek, who tells him to chat it with his whole damn chest).

Beastman lore!! Apparently beastmen are considered a genus and all beastmen come from Sunset Savanna; over time, they migrated to other parts of the world, especially to some colder locations northward. Jack’s family is included in this, as well as Sebek’s. His grandfather apparently used to live in the wetlands of Sunset Savanna. I guess it just goes to show that no matter how different their individual practices and beliefs… they have common roots.

While they’re admiring the statue of the lion prince in the center of Sunrise City, they notice no hyenas are among the gathered animals. They suggest that maybe the statue was made before the King of Beasts united all animals; the hyenas used to live in their own place called the Land of Shadows.

They review some Sunset Savanna lore, including how difficult it is to unite beastmen of different kinds and how there's a pushback against development due to many beastmen wanting to respect nature. Sometimes the disputes can become violent, and it's all over the news. SHOCKINGLY, Idia has a moment of clarity and realizes that this must be why Leona chose the internship he did at a mining and energy company 😭

Everyone begins to suspect the dream is Leona’s but right then Ruggie rushes by them, declaring that he’s late for school. Jack is surprised that Ruggie is in glasses because in Savanavlaw he would brag about having good eyes.

Ruggie cuts through the market to get to school on time; he seems friendly with the folks and many of them offer him free food. Jack remarks that Ruggie is seen as a hero in his hometown, so maybe this explains the NPCs’ behavior. Apparently he is also an honors student in this world.

Anyway, Ruggie arrives at Ivory Cliff! It seems this school doesn’t exist irl; it’s only in Ruggie’s dream. Most of it is beastment, and over half are hyenas.

Grim watches Ruggie and mobs A and B eating food and leaps in to get some!! (Azul apologizes and lies that Grim is his familiar, lol) Sebek chides Grim for doing this, but then his own stomach growls, giving his own hunger away. He of course denies his hunger—but Ruggie says it’s okay and invites them all to eat!! The local children come to their campus just to have food too. Ivorycliff Academy was built in honor of the three hyenas who served the King of Beasts. They used to be do starved that they could cry, so the school is dedicated to feeding the hungry in the spirit of solidarity.

BRUH 😭 YOu’RE KIDDING ME… In his dream, Ruggie’s dad never left him… He came back for his son with a fortune he made from working. Ruggie also bought a new car for his granny and never has to be hungry again. Jack wonders if it is really right to take away happiness like that, but ultimately he decides he doesn’t want to see his senpai living a false reality.

Ruggie shows them to a school donut stall with all-you-can-eat toppings. He dumps everything onto a single donut and calls it the "Ruggie Special". The owner drops the lore that in the universe of this dream, apparently LEONA built the school.

According to donut lady, Leona graduated last year and came back after graduating to strengthen his country. He has established several schools and even magift teams. Among young people in the Sunset Savanna, Leona is supposedly also more popular than the crown prince.

Ruggie runs off to class and we stay behind to eat. Donut lady turns to darkness and attacks us, so we beat it back.

Everyone thinks it will be hard to wake Ruggie since he has never met Leona in this reality and doesn’t have any memories of NRC, his club activities, etc. There isn’t much for him to emotionally react to.

WHAT THE HECK is this a Mufasa movie reference in Twst 😭 Ruggie and some mobs talk about a sequel (that’s a live action prequel, I think??) about two characters who are enemies but were actually friends in their youth. Or maybe they’re just talking about some other Lion King prequel I’m not aware of???

J kb bajabakan ahaGayatwHAT

Azul tosses coins of different values which attracts Ruggie’s attention. He has the unique ability to tell the value of a coin just from the sound of it, a skill which Azul learned about from observing Ruggie when he worked part-time at the Mostro Lounge.

Anyway, Ruggie tells mobs A and B to go home without him so he can hunt the coins in peace.

Azul carelessly tosses 500 madol (~5 USD) into the fountain. Ruggie wants it so badly he dives in and starts digging around wildly in the water for the coin. AND AZUL JUST KINDA STANDS THER E TAUNTING HIM LIKE, "OoOOoOoOoh you want that coin so badly, Ruggie, your body moved on instinct BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF, BE GREEDY, GET THAT COIN" (NOT AN ACTUAL TRANSLATION, but in the spirit of what Azul actually says).

I assume this is what the Ivorycliff Uniform Ruggie groovy depicts... Bro's tripping and having a cosmic experience all because he spotted A COUPLE DOLLARS.

Nooot sure how to feel about this as a narrative device. On one hand, it's funny and definitely demonstrates Ruggie's shamelessness. On the other hand, I can see why some may see it as distasteful or humiliating because Ruggie is already so destitute irl and yet here they are using him scrounging around for a few dollars as comedic bit.

Mobs A and B return to check on him. Ruggie starts obsessing to them about how you can buy extra or fancy food like the shrimp gratin set for 500 madol!! Which confuses the mobs because all the food at Ivorycliff is free.

On instinct, Ruggie starts reciting what I assume is true of NRC: basic buffet foods are free, but extra foods are an extra cost… uniforms are free but if you ruin the first set then you need to pay for extra ones… etc. Ruggie points out that Ivorcliff uniforms are sucky anyway, with a light color like this, even a little bit of dirt stands out! Night Raven College uniforms are black, so it’s so convenient! Wooow, what a callback to book 2 💀 Ruggie complained about the RSA uniforms being hard to clean back then too…

We beat the mobs up~

Ruggie falls ot his knees and has a good little cry 😭 but then he recovers and says he’d better be paid a good hourly wage for all this trouble cnbdjssbjsks He agrees to join us because “Well, I wake up Leona-san every day so this is literally no different than my usual routine” though he also admits his success rate is like 60-70%.

dnensjsbahsjajw RUGGUE’S On MY shIT LIST TOO. HOW daRE HE… Bro says he’s going to wake up OUR king now, that he doesn’t want to follow a false king.. ARE YOU FR 💀 JE’S TAlKING AbOUT zbsvsjabskshFd;,,,/;~~\4!’ansnjahVb,dDDGfgGJjkJSDgabakaojrr a kKNBD gbmmkojnkFSAAQWVNmkoggDFFHvjkkp OTL

PAUSE TO STARE AT RUGGIE'S CRYING FACE BECAUSE WHAT THE HELL I FEEL LIKE I'M STARING AT A KICKED PUPPY

And so…! They’re off!!

This update ends up Ruggie’s dream concluding. Next time (on the 29th), it’s time for us to wake up Leona!!

asdbkhlfbyofqeyg80eg8qegppf OKAY. I WAS NOT EXPECT THIS AMOUNT OF LEONA GLAZING IN THIS UPDATE 🤡 Like, GOOD LORD was there a lot of it... I sort of expected it in Jack's dream since he idolizes Leona, but I was not expecting it to come up in Ruggie's dream too. Even though it doesn't seem like Ruggie has met Leona in the universe of his own dream... the dream world still created lore about how Leona successfully graduated and made the decision to come back and better his country, especially for the destitute hyenas like himself 💀💀💀 WHICH JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT EVERYONE IN LEONA'S DORM RESPECTS HIM AND BELIEVES HE CAN LEAD THEM TO A BRIGHTER FUTURE IN THIS ESSAY I WILL--

ASDBKLHABIYOFAYFQEIBAF STFU ME, THIS UPDATE ISN'T ABOUT HIM.. .. . . . ....... . . . ... . .. . . . . . . LET'S TALK ABOUT JACK AND RUGGIE.

I think this update was one of the funnier ones by far. I'm on Grim's side, it was very unnerving to see a helpful, reliable Leona that plays by the rules and is a good sportsman... but at the same time, it's only to be expected of Jack. Since book 2, he's made it clear he looks up to his dorm leader and wants to be able to put his faith in him. It was nice to see everyone acknowledge how a Leona that doesn't hold back is a genuine threat and how this is the version of him that Jack wants to see realized. It's cute how Jack has this pure want to play with Leona and wants to see him as an idealized leader... Definitely puppy-coded behavior.

Something else I really appreciated about Jack's dream is the logic that went into waking him up. It was really a tag-team effort by Azul and Ortho and, unlike previous updates, I felt like the previous OB boy's presence was a Nothing addition to the cast and didn't contribute much. But Azul uses his smooth talking to convince dream!Leona to play against them, and then Ortho isolates Jack to knock some sense into him. I liked that Ortho, the robot, used cold, hard facts to reason his way to a situation where Jack was more likely to react with strong emotionality. Azul becomes useful again in Ruggie's dream, where he single-handedly wakes the guy up with some spare change he had on hand www

The exchange between Sebek and Jack was great, but I wish it had been extended... It feels like they added it to help with Sebek's character arc of overcoming prejuidice about non-fae, which is fine! But I think it should have been carried over into Ruggie's dream (in that section where they talk about different beastmen in the savanna). Like... it would tie together so well if Sebek had a moment of just "............." in indicate that he's thinking about what was just said, about how different beastmen, despite their differences, all originated in the same place. It would show us that he's slowly realizing, little by little, to accept non-fae.

I think Jack attacking us was an interesting beat to include, especially with all the theories swirling about how the Savanaclaw update will be the one to shake up the formula. Perhaps this is a preview of what's to come in Leona's section??? It proves Ortho's point that you're more likely to think and act with your emotions leading you rather than logic if you're already hyped about something. (In Jack's case, he was still coming off the caution and the high of beating back dream!Ruggie and Leona.)

I felt very similar to Jack in Ruggie's dream, doubting whether or not it was morally right to rip someone away from their happiness--especially considering all that Ruggie has gone through. Little guy was so devastated to find out the truth too... When I think about it, he's gone through so much tragedy in his life. His mom's dead, his dad left him, he grew up destitute and having to scrape by, he had to get LITERAL GARBAGE (depicted in the manga adaptation) to survive some days. It's no wonder why the people in his hometown call him their hero, it's a miracle that he lived this long and managed to get into a prestigious school. I think Ruggie's dream also highlights that he's not JUST greedy because he's greedy. Ruggie clearly cares about other people living well too (something alluded to early in book 4), because why else would Ivorycliffs casually offer free food to everyone and anyone? Why else would he spend tons of cash to buy his grandma stuff? He's thankful for what he has and wants to give back to the community that supported him. The supportive community is also generally reflected in his dream, specifically the market he passes on his way to school.

Ultimately, I do think it's for the best that Ruggie was roused awake because um... HEY, THE WORLD IS GOING TO END. Coming to that conclusion also speaks a lot about Jack's character: above all, he values honesty, even if the truth hurts. Excellent carry-over from book 2 (where he was the whistleblower), honestly.

One thing I wished they had expanded on was the relation of hyenas to other beastmen. It’s implied they are second class citizens, but it’s never clearly stated why that is other than “oh they live in a place that lions didn’t rule”. I would have liked more historical context for that discrimination; it would have helped to flesh out the world.

Overall, liked this update a lore more than the previous ones. I don’t know if I can still say this after the second part comes out (because I’ve usually had the most criticism for how the OB boys’ dreams ate handled), but so far I’m surprised by Jack and Ruggie (in a good way). Fingers crossed for the 29th! 🤞

[yandere-romanticaa]

Low key building upon this post. Why? Because it was originally supposed to be more smutty but I'm a chicken who can't write smut, so I tried dipping my toes here. Nothing too extreme mind you, I'm still a big baby. Sue me. This was also written in a cafe in like, under 20 minutes so...

"I won't make you do anything you don't want to."

That mantra has been inside of your head for months now, ever since the bastard hunter took you. In some strange way, he did somewhat keep that promise and that made you feel so damn bitter. Kinich only really forced you to do the utmost basic necessities to keep you sane and alive - nothing more, nothing less.

He was still the same old Kinich you knew. Nothing was free of charge. The only reason why he still kept you around was because it made him feel good, or so he liked to remind you every so often.

That was precisely why the current predicament you were in was so damn bizarre.

Kinich panted beneath you, his eyes widened in shock as the faintest outline of blush dusted his cheeks, his shoulders quivering ever so slightly as you held him tightly on the bed. His arms found your hips and swiftly settled there, occasionally groping the soft skin whenever the opportunity arose.

Never in his wildest dreams could Kinich have predicted that you would ever greet him home like this.

Practically giving him no room to breathe, he was pounced on like a hunter does to its prey, giving him absolutely zero time to react. Your movements were desperate and clumsy but he did not care, not when everything felt so damn good. Kinich stared at you through half lidded eyes, his gaze seeping with exhaustion but want, so much so that he was inclined to gently nibble on your lower lip, which he gladly did.

A small noise escaped you, a silly mixture between a whimper and a cry but to Kinich's ears, it felt as though the gates of heaven had been opened.

Slipping his tongue in, he swiftly sealed your lips with his own, your own saliva and spit merging with his in some sort of flimsy but erotic dance. It was messy, he noted as he felt the spit gently trailing down his cheek, which he did not care about whatsoever. Your touch was hotter than the sun and it set his whole body ablaze with a lust which he had never felt before.

Was it normal for a person to want another this badly?

It most likely was not, Kinich reasoned. But that same reason was thrown out the fucking window once he felt your hips being pressed into his own, grinding ever so lightly against him. It was sudden but good, more than plain old good actually.

Kinich could hear your pants but chose not to pay attention to them. He was going to fight you on this for as long as he could, he was never going to stop kissing you if he could have his way.

Even so, Kinich himself felt his lungs burning for sweet air, but his heart was beating straight out of his chest and his mind was in tatters.

He cannot let you go. Not when you finally had given into him.

With his brute strength, Kinich broke free from your hold and roughly grabbed you by the waist, switching places that now you were the one who was pinned. He broke the kiss, finally, and slowly brought his arm up to his face, wiping away the spit off his lips. He stared down at you in a frenzy as he took the sight in - eyes screwed shut with a pained look on your face, heavy pants leaving your lips as you desperately tried to regain your composure but kept utterly failing each time.

It was so damn cute, he muttered wistfully.

Ever the opportunist, Kinich dove back down once more, his lips on yours again. One hand kept your arms pinned above your head while the other was lowered down towards your shirt, his skilled fingers ripping the fabric off. You yelped beneath him, not expecting the sudden force but that was alright too.

It simply added on to the cuteness.

Kinich felt himself growing harder by the second, his pants becoming more and more uncomfortable. He lost count with how many nights he had wasted away daydreaming about this exact moment - you, on his bed, stuffed full of his cock as his name was chanted like a sick love spell, over and over and over - let the whole valley hear, heck, let absolutely every human and beast hear who was making you feel so good. Your pleasure was officially in his hands now and there was no turning back now.

That was the initial idea, at least.

"HEY, HEY! What do you two freaks think you're doing?!"

Ajaw's shrill scream rang throughout the entire hut, its body now a mixture of bright orange and angry red, its tiny arms raised as high as they could be as it continued to complain.

"Kinich! I knew you were a freak but this crosses the line, even for YOU !" yelled the tiny dragon creature, its sharp gaze now stuck on you both.

"Sick perverts! How dare you subject the Mighty Dragon Lord to such an uncouth sight!"

Ajaw continued to complain over and over again as Kinich slowly distanced himself from you. He still lay there on top of you, albeit with his back fully straight now as his gaze became hollow. You could not tell if he was trying to tune out Ajaw or if he was listening intently but that question would be answered soon enough.

Still loudly complaining, Ajaw continued to prattle on and on, forcing Kinich to let out a very long and frustrated sigh. With a cool gaze Kinich raised his arm slightly in the air, his back still turned towards Ajaw as he made the "come here" motion with his finger. The tiny dragon obliged, thinking that his servant was going to give him a proper apology which he rightfully deserved - only to be met with the harshest smack across the head he had ever felt.

The impact was so loud that it echoed loudly across the entire room. Ajaw landed on the ground, dazed entirely and just stayed there, not making a sound. Still on top of you, Kinich lazily checked the ground to see where Ajaw had landed, and once he was satisfied with the findings, Kinich nodded to himself, his entire focus being shifted back towards you. With an outstretched arm, he placed a hand at the back of your head and gave your neck a soft but determined kiss. From the corner of your eye, you could see the faint outlines of the marks on his body beginning to glow but you did not know why, nor did you bother to ask.

Your body felt a little lighter as Kinich got up, the entire bed suddenly so much more free and cozy. Grabbing the hem of the blanket felt like the right thing to do, which you did. Kinich stood by the bed and watched you for a few seconds, his palm pressing your head down towards the pillow as he tucked you in.

"You did good tonight." he praised softly.

"I'll make sure to be a little nicer towards you. After all, how could I not be after tonight?" said Kinich with a snort, his lips forming into a smug smirk. You growled under your breath, frustrated to see your captor see so damn happy but you knew that in the long run, this was the best thing to do. A happy Kinich was a good Kinich.

It just made things easier. And that was the stone cold truth.

With a light pep in his step, Kinich walked towards the exit, grabbing his jacket along the way.

"I'll be out late tonight, commission. If Ajaw hadn't interrupted... I would have completely forgotten about it."

His tone was flat but cool, low key signaling that he was indeed telling the truth. Saying nothing, you covered your head with the fuzzy blanket and heard Kinich laugh under his breath one last time before leaving you to your own devices.

Times like these felt perfect for an escape attempt but experience had taught you well. No matter how far you went, Kinich would just track you down and bring you back by the ear if he had to.

He definitely had the monster like strength to do so.

With a huff you closed your eyes, blushing a little as you felt the pleasurable heat down your body, causing your legs to press themselves shut on instinct. The best thing to do now was to get some rest, nothing more, nothing less. The day had been long and draining, which only added to your sleepiness. In less than a few minutes darkness had taken over, your mind and body completely shut off from the rest of the world.

Meanwhile on the ground next to you, Ajaw quickly opened one eye and kept an ear out. Once he realized that you were fast asleep, only one thing could be said.

"Darn it."

[arrenlebanen777]

ASTRO OBSERVATIONS/ RANDOM EDITION +18

♅ Im very impressed by the beauty of Cancer risings. ♅ And also very impressed by Cancer freakiness. ♅ Remember knowing astrology should be bonus since you can see hidden influences and energies that usually rules people uncounciously. ♅ Mars conjunct/parallel Daitarabochi(8551): Very violent person if its pushed, dark desires, attracted to taboo and dark things, and usually can be intimidating to a lot of people and if the person is not intimidating phisically it can be repulsive for some people. ♅ Mercury conjunct/parallel Daitarabochi(8551): The mind process is inmense, usually their minds can be scary sometimes, is the people you think are psycopaths but aren't, x-rays, sometimes suicide is always an option for these people, they can be perverse, and are a little bit crazy when they experience some kind of abuse, usually is kinda difficult to these people to see the light(metaphorically), always in dark places sometimes. ♅ Mars conjunct/parallel Heracles(5143): unshakable determination, tendency to seek out or attract situations that require strength and courage either in the external world or within, combative/ competitive attitude, the person might feel a strong need to prove their ability to overcome difficulties, Without realizing it, they constantly seek out difficult or challenging situations.

♅ Mars conjunct/parallel DANTE(2999): An extraordinary capacity for actions that others would deem extreme, brutal, or even "evil" in certain contexts. Their drive to act could be fueled by a deep connection to the darker side of existence. They are likely to pursue their goals with a disregard for conventional moral boundaries or concern for the suffering of others, potentially making them capable of cold, calculated actions. This individual may appear unstoppable or unyielding when going after what they want, with a natural affinity for crises, violence, or radical transformations. Tendency to confront the darkest aspects within partnerships and might be drawn to relationships that involve power struggles, control, or even transformative or traumatic experiences. They could be perceived as cold, distant, or ruthless, especially if they feel their authority or power is being challenged, (Very similar to Kenpachi Zaraki from Bleach). ♅ Ive seen some Scorpio Venus having hard times in matters related to love, since loyalty and fidelity are being so trampled on these days, they usually suffer the consequences of this and have a pretty bad time, I have seen that some opt for open relationships or even polyamory, but I know that deep down they only want one person with whom they can completely merge, which is also quite difficult in these times, I know.

♅ Usually in intimacy some planets or asteroids related to sexual things can be expressed on the oposite sign, for example: Eros in aries is more submissive in bed and Eros in libra is more dominant and agressive. ♅ Mars in capricorn: Can represent the devil himself sometimes, very materialistic, very rude and brute, sometimes they see people as obstacles, horny 24/7 but usually supressed 24/7 too due to the focus on their ambitions and goals, if they are not connected with their ambitions and purpose they can enter in very depressed states, very critical and demanding with themselves and with others too, strong endurance and stamina, sometimes they objectify their partners and they can generally resist more than others. ♅ I have seen many people who know almost nothing about astrology being Lilith dominant and I swear that when they are unconscious of this part of themselves they are usually quite narcissistic, violent, cold, calculating, manipulative and superficial since Lilith "remember" if is not conscious it always brings poison with her. ♅ Moon conjunct Chiron: Ive seen that this placement is very similar to Lilith conj moon but is sad, the mother usually is very negligent with the child, doesn't trust her, and the native of this position can be very naive about the mother's true intentions or the total opposite and not trust her at all. But i love them, they are so compassionate too, and this side is very beautiful.

♅Lust(4386) conjunct/parallel Moon: Constant desire for passion and pleasure, they feel drawn to situations or people that evoke deep emotional and sensual satisfaction, once they connect with you emotionally the seduce you almost completely, blurred line between emotional needs and physical impulses, rich inner world but it can be overwhelming at times, can be nymphomaniacs, they get depressed if they don't have someone they can have sex with constantly. ♅ Almost all anime villains that you see are the archetype of Lilith/Pluto dominant people.

[witch-hazels-musings]

Hello Hazel!

I'd like to request for a Protection ritual for Il Capitano with lavender, black tourmaline and frankincense please!

Thank you and take care!

Evergreen (the unexpected), Black Tourmaline (safety, shielding), Frankincense (confidence) Il Capitano x gn reader | Protection Ritual warning: listen --- I make no excuses (also am I a Capitano girlie??) -- uhhh, reader gets a head injury, Il Capitano being demanding, reader held in arms and manhandled a bit (this is SFW but somehow inappropriate?)

Your bones rattled as the mitachuri's ax connected with your spear. The impact shoved you through the loose dirt leaving a scratch of determination in its wake.

Using what dwindling strength you had, you shoved back hoping it would be enough power to buy you time to escape. It managed to throw the brute off balance, but not for long.

Pivoting, you twisted and bolted toward a line of sharp rocks. If you could reach them, they might provide enough of a shield to keep you safe. Unfortunately, a reaction of electro and cryo exploded to your right, pitching your world and sending you flying through the billowing grass. Your head slammed into the ground, stars flared in the midday sun.

You coughed, gasped violently, and laid on your back. Everything hurt.

The shadow of the mitachuri blocked out the sun, its massive, looming figure sending a wave of adrenaline through you. Bending to your side, you pawed through the grass in search of your weapon but before you could grab it, the monster snatched your leg and pulled you toward it. You kicked, but it did nothing.

Fear stole your senses and you stared in stilled horror as its weapon barreled toward you. Your vision clouded. All you remembered was a biting wind, crow feathers, and the sound of someone's voice telling you to hold on.

---

Warmth. Inviting, powerful warmth roused you from the black. You tried to move but the pain in your head warned you to be still. Groaning, you turned into the scent of freshly fallen snow.

"You've awakened," someone hummed above you. A crips timber and aged depth. You tried to open your eyes but it was too bright. "Ah, one moment. There, try now."

Haloed light formed around your blurry vision. The scene came back to you in flashes. A flaming ax, a crystalized blade, and the frame of someone you didn't recognize. When your vision adjusted, you found yourself gazing up at a man shrouded by metal and fabric.

"Ouch," was all you managed to get out.

"It's likely you hit your head. Try not to move."

"Head."

"Do not worry. I have things under control."

You twisted your neck and saw a battle raging on in the distance. Close enough that you could hear the cries and bashing weapons. Instinctually you reached for your own.

"Did you lose something?" the man asked, his free arm repositioning above you as if to help. You wanted to respond but your head was heavy, filled with a fog you couldn't clear. It lulled to the side. "Now, now, stay awake." Powerful fingers gripped your chin and turned you so he could look at you. "You cannot sleep now."

"But ... I'm tired," you mumbled, slurred, and winced at the oncoming pain. You wanted to throw up.

"You will stay with me, do you understand?"

You grimaced, lips curling into a frustrated pout. The man groaned and jostled you awake.

"Il Capitano, sir," a new voice sounded beside you, grating, painful. You whimpered and tried to turn away from it but the hand on your chin refused to let you.

"What is it?" Il Capitano asked, his attention on you never wavering.

"The numbers are thinning out, what would you have of us?"

His fingers pressed into the soft of your cheek, the action forced your lips apart. "Assist the people. See they do not come to harm."

"But - sir." Il Capitano snapped his head to the scout and an uncomfortable silence followed. "Yes, yes sir."

You could hear their shuffling feet, displaced dirt and gravel as they ran back toward the fray. You wanted to fight.

It was your duty.

Where was your spear?

"Are you eager to fight with them?"

Heavy, tired eyes looked at the man with a hidden face. In the swirl and distortion, you swore you could see the outline of something beneath. The edges of a jaw, the silhouette of a nose, the curve of lips. In your daze, you lifted your hand toward him but he captured your wrist before your fingers could touch him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, but it didn't really sound like a question. Something in his tone changed. "How strong is your delirium, little one?"

You stretched your fingers and brushed against something warm. The man's grip faltered allowing you to run them along what you assumed was his lips. They moved right toward the corner of his mask but where warmth once was, cold suddenly appeared.

Il Capitano stole your hand and returned it to your chest, but he lingered, his thumb running along the back before fading from your senses.

"Tired," you repeated and fell against him.

"I have not yet given you permission to sleep."

"Give it to me."

The sound of battle roared to life while the stranger known as Il Capitano held you in his arms. You couldn't see his eyes, but you felt their pressure, their intensity. Your head fell back so he grabbed your chin and gave you a light shake. "Tell me your name."

And you did.

He requested and you provided, and when your mind began to recover, your world found itself one Fatui Harbinger larger.

Thaumaturgy Anthology (October 11-13, 2024)

This event is based on spells and rituals. Inspiration does not equal understanding; liberties have been taken. All content is owned by Witch Hazels Musings, theft of these images and stories will result in immediate action.

[bruh-anator3000]

im obsessed with the Black Cat, I hope that's clear, too. and Miguel. And Logan and Wade, so what if we mashed them all up in a blender and see what happens?

Edit: I didn't mean for this one to get so out of hand, but it did, so its a short story now I guess.

Warnings: sexual themes, hella suggestive, SPOILERS HINTED from the new Deadpool, tension sexy styles, I might get Gambit '97 involved so we can listen to '4 big guys' for part two, it is a love triangle/square, trust and don't worry. Everyone's bisexual. No pronouns for reader used, but written w fem!reader in mind, that's why I'm saying bisexual, but this could just be gay for my amabs.

Parinings: Black Cat!reader x Miguel O'Hara x Logan Howlett x Wade Wilson (uh-huh. I said what I said)

~~~◇◇◇~~~♡♡♡~~~◇◇◇~~~♡♡♡~~~◇◇◇~~~♡♡♡~~

Like, you didn't want to bring your roommates along with you for this heist. God. You didn't even want their sticky fingers on the paper plans. But you were running low on rent, Blind Al was a bitch now that they suspended her coke supply, and your normal crew got sick!

Dr. Boris Korpse was the smartest man alive. He could hack any system, jimmy any lock, and blew the ones he couldn't up. Bruno wasn't the brightest, but he was the bravest. And he had the muscles to prove it. He was a great getaway driver, too. And they were sick.

Wade was smart... enough. Logan was... decently strong. Logan was more of a brute, actually. Careless with his strength when it came to it, but trusting Wade Wilson to drive you home safe? With his self destructive streak? It was safer to have him do the code cracking. Hopefully.

"I wonder how many people caught the earlier exposition is from the actual comics," Wade grunted under his mask, typing in a special security code into the keypad.

Looking around with furrowed brows, he did realize it was just you three, right? You glanced at Logan, wondering if he understood what Deadpool was saying. He only gave a slight shake of his head.

"It's a quick in and out," You reminded the two, walking past the gates as the hissed open, thanks to Wilson. How he knew the password so easily, you didn't know. He said something about 'writer being too lazy to build up to the reveal,' which made it 'easier to follow if he just knew.'

Logan grunted as he followed. It frightened you how well he could retain the plans you've gone over so many times this week. It was great for him, and for you! But also sucked, because they guy replacing your 'smart guy' still needed a refresher.

You take your stance beside the large bars hiding the painting. Idly looking around while Logan let out a primal roar as he pried the gap between the metal bars wider.

"I bet that's what it sounds like when you're close, huh?" Wade snickered, pinching the yellow fabric on his hips. You cringed for several reasons. Wade's constant immaturity. And, God's above, Logan's ridiculous outfit.

Honoring the X-men or not, the yellow was as bright as a trafficlight.

You slipped through the widened gap now, ignoring Wade's whistle behind you. "You do realize this is supposed to be a silent mission?" You sneered, now on the other side of the enclosure.

Wade shrugged. "Don't worry, peaches. Nothing bad ever happens to the sexy ones. Logan might get left behind, but you and me?" His mask hid the way he bit his lip and winked. It looked like he was just staring at you.

"Alright." You sighed and moved on. That was the best way to handle these two. They gave you no other choice. I mean, you could give in and fuck them, but you were planning to save that for later if they did a good job tonight.

With the painting carefully removed, the bars bent back in place, and Wade managing to keep his pants on for a few minutes, all that was left to do was leave. You had Logan carry the painting as you all ran back to the World War 1 exhibit - the way you entered through.

You made sure the two were in front of you the entire time. You couldn't risk them getting lost, their bulk and dead brains might break something if you weren't watching them carefully. And the red and blue lights glowing as you ran past were not any help.

You stopped dead in your tracks. That wasn't your normal bisexual lighting. There were no sirens, either.

You jogged back a few paces, stopping by the archway of one of the many halls in the museum. Face to face with the digital glow of a blue and red mask.

"Hey Spider," Grinning softly, you leaned on the doorway. The Spider-Man hung upside-down on his red wire webs, per usual. You didn't need to see his sexy face to see that stoic pout he always wore.

"Good evening." He greets in that deep voice, hinting with an accent you loved. The red outlines of his eyes squinting as you boop his nose. "Are we really going to do this tonight?" He scowls, and you swoon.

He flips down, landing on his feet. Broad shoulders and thin waist beautifully extenuated by the suit that was more code than fabric. Towering over you, red blades on the back of his forearms.

"At least take your mask off," You taunt. To which he does. When has Miguel ever denied that request? As infuriating as it was, it was also a very freeing day when the two of you finally put the suits aside and fu- talked. In bed.

His brown curls looked neat today. Dark red eyes watching your every move. That pout on his sharp angled face was too cute. He was so grumpy all the time.

He glances behind you, leaning over slightly to look at the damage you've done. "Portrait of Madame X?" He notes the missing piece of work. Thick brow arching in suspicion.

You shrug. "She's an idol of mine." An idol worth 20 million to your buyer. But he didn't need to worry his pretty little head about the details.

"Do you want a 10 second head start?" He offers, placing a hand by your head and leaning in. Keeping you between his hard chest and the wall. His lips parted with a slight smirk.

"Bub, where'd you go?" Logan's gruff voice grows closer. Wade skipping alongside him. Both of them stopping dead in their tracks at the sight of Miguel.

His mask quickly ripples into place and he steps back, snarling. "Who are you?" His eyes dart to the painting you were supposed to be stealing, in some other man's hold. Keeping his body towards and more in between to block you from the other two, he snarls.

"I am soaking wet right now." Wade groans softly, admiring this little stand off. He wasn't kidding, Spider-Man had been in his 'hit' list for a few years now.

Miguel bristles, back going tense. And as great of a view that was, you knew it meant trouble.

"No, they're with me." Grabbing his broad and beefy shoulder, you push him back. Accidentally putting yourself in the middle of this odd triangle you've created.

Miguel glowers at you. "My regulars were out. I needed an extra hand." You shrug it off. That's all they were. Extra hands. In a heist. You totally weren't going to make out with them on the car ride home.

Tension thick, your shoulders weigh down as you look at all three of the men. A tinge of embarrassment hits you as you realize how similar their figures looked. You definitely had a type.

Wade breaks it up, or attempts to with another sentence you don't exactly understand. "Jesus, if the writer would get over themselves, I would fuck you two so hard." He gestures to Logan and Miguel. Earning an angry grunt from both of them that just seems to further his excitement.

"I'm so pissed we have to wait for a part two."

"Part two? Of what?" You raise a brow, looking at Wade.

He waves a hand. They don't get it.

...

But you do. And if you want a part two, please let me know! This was just an idea festering (that got out of hand a little) and I'm not sure what to make with it just yet. I also need a title for this, so if you guys have any suggestions, please let me know. Love you!

[witchthewriter]

𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏 𝑫𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧 | 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒘𝒐.

⤷ gender neutral, Valyrian blood (dragon rider), and any size reader. Requests are open, thank you for reading!

a/n: so I realised I didn't exactly go with the 'how they show their love'. Instead, I've changed it to general headcanons w/ your bonded dragon (because I can talk about a whole lot more!)

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ | ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ ᴵᴵ

𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐅𝐘𝐑𝐄

・Also known as 'The Mother of Dragons', her pale blue scales shone with silver detailing, giving an almost shimmering appearance.

・30% Aggressive, 35% Loving, 15% Graceful, 20% Wise

・A mother hen sometimes; won't fly until you've had something to eat, you MUST have your water satchel at all times

・Her favourite food is lamb, she cannot stand pig. Even if there isn't anything else to eat, she would rather starve. You have no idea why she's like that.

・LOVES the water, absolutely adores waterfalls in particular. That's where she likes flying off to.

・It's mind-blowing to see a dragon swim, a lizard-like head bobbing up and down. Making happy noises as she floats in the crystal-like water

・She's actually one of the dragons who does like to collect things. In can range from precious jewels to gold to shells to things she's found while swimming

・You bring her things if you've been away (she doesn't like when you don't visit her at least daily)

・But she forgives you when she sees the sack full of *things*

𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐘𝐒

・Known as 'The Red Queen,' in her youth, she was the fastest dragon in all of Westeros.

・When she was younger, and being trained; she excelled. So much so, that others wondered if she could become the next Balerion.

・Because it isn't just about brute strength, but understanding commands, connecting with what needs to be done etc. Some dragons learn the art of war, and others just ... participate in wars.

・That's why your father pushed you so hard to train. It wasn't to experience difficult situations, but to understand how Meleys would react to them. And in turn, she learned how you react.

・You and Meleys became known for your victories, for if there is a battle, or even a war, you and Meleys are called in.

・Meleys does not like to be touched by anyone but you - so you're the one who bathes her, who tends to her wounds.

・Meleys is very graceful, and likes to be preened. Especially the crown of thorns that grow from her head. With each year they seem to get stronger and larger.

𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐗𝐄𝐒

・The most unique-looking dragon to ever exist in Westeros. And you love that about him.

・His elongated neck is one of your favourite features about him (he was a bit insecure about it when he was younger. His appearance freaked out not only other people, but the other dragons. Who basically shunned him

・He wasn't allowed in the Dragonpits because too many wanted to fit him.

・But Syrax, she was his only friend. Well, besides you...Well, you're his family.

・Both of you are loners, but intimidating loners. That's how you became the most formiddable pair. All that time together.

・Because then you started to move in connection with one another. Like magnets. Foreseeing each other's decisions, and being able to react; this connection makes it so easy to win battles.

・Even against other dragons and dragonriders, they just don't seem to be on your level.

・Caraxes is very warm, moreso than the other dragons as well. It may be because of his colouring, the fact that his fire is also so hot it melts men in armour where they stand. It might also be because his neck changes how his fire sits within him.

・Either way, it makes for a great help in the Winter when you're shivering, while in the clouds, flying.

𝐒𝐘𝐑𝐀𝐗

・Willful and stubborn, Syrax doesn't like flying unless the weather is nice.

・She LOVES being doted upon. Call her a good girl and she's yours.

・However, she does have a quick temper

・And doesn't like her limits pushed

・Understands when something is important, i.e., when she has to be used as a weapon (she likes using her fire - bit of a pyromaniac)

・She shows her love by flying you to the outlands of King's Landing or Dragstone. You love being near the water, with the sun beating down on you.

・Syrax is impatient though and you have to find a place where she can fall asleep underneath shade

・Snorts when she scares someone

・Syrax HATES when she gets dirty, and demands to be bathed every day

・Training her was actually a nightmare. She has the capacity to learn a lot but just doesn't have the ambition

・She had to be bribed with food, basically all the time.

𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐌𝐎𝐊𝐄

・More of an introverted personality. Doesn't care for warfare, but trains when he has to. But when it comes to you, he will fight til the very end.

・Extremely loyal, doesn't like being away from you for very long

・And is the second best looking dragon in all of Westeros

・But you always tell him that he's the prettiest boi the world has ever seen

・The difference between Sunfyre and Seasmoke is that Sunfyre knows he's a hottie and loves the attention. Seasmoke doesn't care for the cheers of the crowd

・Seasmoke is a lot less self-indulged

・He does love being near the water. Definitely has Pisces energy about him.

・The pink frills behind his neck are very ticklish and once nearly shook you off because you wouldn't stop tickling them.

・He prefers to eat fish over anything

・And you actually made him a pearl necklace from all the oysters he finds while diving into the ocean

𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐅𝐘𝐑𝐄

・The most beautiful dragon to ever grace Westeros.

・Known as 'Sunfyre the Golden.'

・Well that's what the Maesters had written in the history records

・Sunfyre is very stunning

・With gleaming gold scales that seem to create sunspots when the sun hits them

・His wings are pink entwined with gold. Pearlescent white showing here and there.

・Crowds flock to see Sunfyre

・And both you and Sunfyre love flying above those crowds, hearing the cheers as you swoop low and show off

・However, even though he loves being complimented, he mostly just wants to be loved. Adored. He hates being on his own, and absolutely loves when you sleep beside him.

・He will tug on your clothes when he's bored; but one time he accidentally bit you and you were so grumpy with him.

・To make up for it, he had brought back a dead sheep (in dragon language that means " I'm sorry " )

𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐍

・One of the younger dragons, she is known as 'The Blue Queen.' Her name is after a Valyrian goddess. One of power and glory.

・But you just know her as Tess, and she nudges you whenever you do so

・She's your best friend, and you're hers.

・For a dragon, she's very reliable and down to earth (major metaphorical sense for the latter)

・Her appearance is nearly completely blue, with touches of pearlescent white on her horns. Her eyes are a glowing blue as is her flame.

・Very good around children, and has actually allowed one to touch her snout.

・Has a thirst for adventure and you show your love by allowing her her freedom

・Never chaining her in the dragonpit, your only command is not to go too far when she might be needed.

・She actually loves flying at night, and keeps herself steady so you can watch the stars

[amica-aenigmata-naboo]

Flour Fight

Christian Yu x Y/N - drabble - 760 WC

Masterlist

Warnings: Mito, depression, fluff, l bombs, marriage proposals, cooking

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

Christian had been in bed all day. Mito had been around for a few days and he was practically catatonic. You had seen this before and stayed close just to ensure he didn’t do anything he would regret, only really leaving him alone when he fell asleep. You were getting truly concerned after day five. 

“Mito baby,” you said, rubbing his back slightly, “Do you think you can come keep me company in the kitchen?” you said gently. Christian had told you once that Mito needs proximity, especially with you. He was particularly inclined to help you with tasks despite his mood.

Mito nodded slightly, slowly moving to sit up. You could hear his bones popping, showing how ridgid he had been staying in the same position. He took the thinner blanket off the end of the bed, wrapping it around himself like a cape. His face looked so sad, so distant. 

You smiled up at him gently, holding his cheek before kissing his other cheek. “I love you.” you said. You said it so much when Mito was present, constantly wanting him to know he was loved no matter what. 

He sat down at the kitchen island. You kept quiet, not wanting to overwhelm him. You hummed softly as you began peeling and cutting up some apples. You could feel Mito watching you. You made a dough real quick, leaving it out to sit with the apples that were sitting in the bowl on the counter. The room smelled like cinnamon and sugar, it felt warm and comforting. Slowly, Mito felt himself coming back down to Earth. You kissed his knuckles, telling him you had to run to the bathroom real quick. 

When he heard the door shut he ditched the blanket cape and made his way around the counter. He rolled out the dough quickly and evenly, placing it in the bottom of the pie dish. He slowly poured in the prepared apples before placing a few dollops of butter on top, just how you taught him. He gently lined up the top dough before cutting off the excess and pinching it around completely to seal it all in. He cut a few slits into the top before using the little bit of leftover dough to make a heart which he placed in the middle on top. He smirked to himself a bit, hearing the door open he quickly placed the pie in the oven.

You walked back into the kitchen, seeing Mito clean up the bits of flour and dough left on the counter. “Did you put the pie in?” you asked. Mito nodded. “Thank you honey.” you said, wrapping your arms around his waist from behind to hug him. You gave him a squeeze before letting go. You took a pinch of flour from the countertop, throwing it at him. It hit his cheek and you couldn’t help but giggle. 

Mito’s face didn’t change but he did reciprocate, throwing a large amount of flour at you which hit your face and clothes. You gasped which made Mito chuckle. It was the most beautiful sound he had made in days. You wiped your flour covered hands down his chest, leaving floury handprints across his black shirt. You turned quickly to try and run away but Mito caught your arm, pulling you back to his chest. He rubbed his floury face against your cheek, letting out a hearty laugh when you struggled against him.

“No fair! Curse you and your brute strength.” You said. You stopped struggling before smiling wickedly at him, you took flour from his face before running it through his black locks. 

Mito held your wrists, pulling both of them in to kiss them. “I love you” he said with a calm smile. He looked almost relieved. To be with you but also to be brought out of the depression coma he was in. 

You smiled up at him, hugging him tightly. 

“Marry me.” he mumbled as he leaned his head on yours.

Your eyes snapped open, “What?” you said leaning back to see him.

“Marry me,” he said hopefully, “If we’re 80 years old and having flour fights in the kitchen I will have lived the best life possible because it was with you. You are all I will ever want or need.” he said softly yet confidently as he leaned his forehead against yours.

You pulled him into a passionate kiss, holding fistfuls off his shirt with shaky hands. “Yes, a thousand times yes.” you whispered against his lips before kissing him again. 

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

Naboo's Note:

Hello! Sorry for going missing lol life is being life again. I have a ton of Christian requests so I will probably be trying to get those out soon ish. Thank you for all the patience and support! XOXOXOXOXO!!!!!!!!

[thegreymoon]

Hello again!

Sorry, I don’t mean to be so obtuse🙈 but when you say, if CWN had wanted MR dead, he would be, isn’t that saying that CWN is more powerful, but that he was more emotionally affected than MR?

Or, and this isn’t something I’ve completely understood because things seem to vary a lot between timelines and with intent, but perhaps if you say that MR is more powerful as in as Taxian Jun with his Zhenlong Chess Formation he has brute strength and a forbidden technique while CWN might be a more versatile cultivator and powerful one on one but even he couldn’t match a Forbidden Technique without using one himself, especially with the emotional weight of fighting against someone he still cared for?

I guess I’m just trying to figure out how the 0.5 timeline worked and how CWN didn’t manage to subdue MR more, despite what we hear about his overall prowess? Is it just the emotional aspect?

Thank you for your patience!

The way I see it, it is a combination of all these things.

In terms of raw power, Mo Ran is more powerful than Chu Wanning (and also physically stronger). Even in the 2.0 timeline, we can see that, with all things equal, he can easily defeat him in one-on-one combat. With that said, Chu Wanning is a more versatile, more accomplished, more experienced cultivator and also, in some ways, smarter than Mo Ran.

In addition, Mo Ran in his altered TXJ state was willing to use forbidden techniques to slaughter people, collateral damage be damned. Chu Wanning would never have been willing to do that and in fact, he sacrificed himself to prevent the slaughter, repeatedly. That was automatically a weakness and what gave TXJ power (or at least the illusion of power) over him.

@jellyfishesandart left a wonderful commentary on the emotional aspect of all this in the tags of my last post and I agree with everything there.

With all that said, we see that Chu Wanning was never as powerless as he appeared because even without his spiritual core, he also managed to master a forbidden technique. Somebody who could find a way to open a rift in time and space could find a way to kill Mo Ran if he really wanted to.

I think that Chu Wanning opening the gate between worlds shows how different their strengths are. Mo Ran is more powerful in terms of sheer power, but Chu Wanning is more resourceful and imaginative when it comes to using what he has at his disposal, because when it comes to rebirth and opening a rift in space and time, as much as he tried, TXJ couldn't do it. The Zhenlong Chess Formation is the only one that he mastered.

[pocketramblr]

If ask game still up:

Au where One for All works like Doctor Who regeneration

Oh this gripped me

1- Yoichi died in the vault. His brother got too busy and far to make sure Yoichi ate, and he starved. He didn't stay dead.

Yoichi fades in golden energy, and then is in a new body: an angry body, a soldier's body, a body that can fight. His hair is vibrant and spiky, and doesn't look related to AfO anymore. He tears himself out of the vault and runs.

2- AfO kills the Second life of his brother, thinking this will force him back. Instead, he regenerates again. His hair is longer and lighter, but he's still strong and a fighter. This body is built for balance though, technique and not brute strength. The Third life of Yoichi remembers, and runs while his brother is distracted. He continues to fight, but he's smarter about it. Living so long will teach you that. When he's injured, he knows he can't get to a hospital. He limps into the woods to die instead, in the open air and under the sun, not a vault or battlefield.

3- his Fourth life starts young and lasts longer. He wants peace. He can sense danger, now, and he thinks if he had this earlier he would have never been trapped by his brother. But he also can't help himself from fighting, and eventually he leaves the safety of his hermit life. He's in awe to see heroes on the street, and distracted just long enough to let a villain kill him. This time, when the gold fades, his Fifth body is that of a confident hero who here to help.

4- he meets his brother again, who thought Yoichi was lost forever. AfO doesn't know it's him, until he tries to take blackwhip, such an interesting quirk. But he can't, so he tosses the hero aside and snaps his neck. He sees the glow start again and runs to get closer. This time, Yoichi regenerates into yet another hero body- but one who can hide, and his vision is obscured by smoke before he can reach him. Yoichi escapes.

5- On his seventh life, he regenerates into a very different body, but finds it's not as dysphoric as he'd have expected. He decides he could take gender or leave it either way, but it's quite nice to be pretty again. She falls in love, and is sure her brother won't find her in this body, he didn't see the last regeneration. But somehow, he catches AfO's attention anyway, annoying him in just the way siblings can. She's killed, and even in the bright light if the explosion, AfO would know that gold anywhere, a younger hero boy darting out to grab Torino and flee. This is Yoichi's eighth time around, and he's stronger than ever. He grieves more for his husband and son than his brother. She's going to kill AfO, if it kills her too.

+1- finally, he does it- AfO falls dead, and as All Might, he does too a moment later. The difference is that he gets a wave of light, and finds herself in a much smaller body. A young child, not unlike his last glimpse of Kotaro. Perhaps nine years old, and cute if not noteworthy in appearance. A child, marking a band new life now that he's free of AfO. He leaves the battlefield, and wonders what cover name he should use this time.

He's gone before AfO's body starts sparking gold too, changing. Returning. Regenerating.

[vesvosmozhno]

ATEEZ AS DOGS (Because I say so)

Hongjoong • Pitbull

I can't even describe how much pitbull energy this man has. The tiny chaotic ones that run around all over the place and snarl like a demon for fun but then crash down on the couch and sleep for sixteen hours straight.

Seonghwa • Poodle

He just is a poodle. They're all hot shit and they fucking know it. Confident little assholes. But also poodles are freaks which he absolutely is.

Yunho • Golden Retriever

I think I'd be crucified if I didn't say he was a golden retriever. But also he just is. Big and sweet and full of energy but also they're kind of psychopaths. But in a cute way. Have you ever seen these things take down animals for no reason other than they can. They don't even need to show off it's literally just fun for them.

Yeosang • Doberman

Fight me. He's a fucking doberman. They may look cool and scary and elegant!!! But they're all weirdos. Like most big dogs. Most I've met are also lowkey sassy which he is. I've seen them throw hands for the crime of breathing near them.

San • German Shepherd

He just is. These dogs are the very epitome of loyalty, companionship and protection. No dog is more willing to die for you. They seem so scary and intimidating!! But they're just big fluffy cuddlebugs. If that's not San's duality I dunno what is.

Mingi • Pitbull

I stand by the rapline being pitbulls but whereas Joong is the tiny chaotic flavor Mingi is the giant looks like they could kill you but is the BIGGEST baby flavor. You will never meet a sweeter or more pathetic dog. They are giant children, need constant reassurance. The second they get scared they are RUNNING to you for protection. That's literally just Mingi let's be real. He's specifically a yellow pitbull, they're ten times as pathetic as the other ones

Wooyoung • Pomeranian

Who knew he would be the only (true) little dog breed. These goddamn things. BALLS OF ENERGY AND CHAOS. My grandparents had two and have you ever seen a 20 year old pomeranian. That thing was half fossilized and he STILL bounced off the walls and fought with fucking everything and everyone. These are feral bitches but with the confidence of a designer breed. THEY FUCKING BITE

Jongho • Bulldog

If you think these are small dogs you're wrong. They may look like it but these fuckin things are tanks. You can handle pitbulls, shephards and Danes but you are not fucking prepared to be bodied by a bulldog. And they aren't even being malicious they just want to go somewhere and no force on this Earth will stop them. One genuinely broke into my fucking house. He banged on my door like I owed him money and when I opened it to see who the fuck was at my door this tiny BEAST forced his way in and tore up my living room. It took TWO GROWN ASS ADULTS PICKING HIM UP TO GET HIM OUT. These things are too powerful. They cannot fucking be stopped. Anyway Jongho looks small and cute but he has brute strength from Satan himself, that's how he's a bulldog

[starcrossedxwriter]

Unbreakable Part 3 (Erik Killmonger x OC)

Warnings: none...

A/n: a little pre-Christmas gift. Enjoy!

Naja pushed the knife into his side, not enough to draw blood but just enough for him to feel it. 

“Yield.” 

“Aight girl, damn.” Naja smirked to herself before letting him go and sliding the knives back into their sheaths at her waist. “You don’t know the difference between friendly training ’n a real fight, do you?” 

“Well, this isn’t friendly so…” she shrugged, though she found her tone was not the entirely cold one she hoped it would be as she went to grab water. “And a person who thinks any fight is friendly is a person who won’t live long. No one out there is going to fight friendly so why would I train as such? Easy way to meet the ancestors faster if you ask me.” 

His response, not that he did not agree with it, shocked him. Every day, he realized just how truly different she was now. Or at least, how different she outwardly showed herself to be. But it could not have just been their break up, he reasoned. It had to be something else to harden her to this degree. 

“May I ask you something?” 

He lifted his head. “Well that would involve talking to me?” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll make you a deal. Tell me how you keep beatin’ my ass and I’ll answer your question.”

Naja mulled over his compromise for a moment before nodding, the terms seemed logical and fair enough. She crossed back over the mat to stand in front of him.  

“It’s not that hard. You fight like most overconfident men, feel free to take offense to that, by the way.” He merely rolled her eyes. Her jabs seemed to roll off his back, which annoyed her to no end. “Like you’re the biggest and strongest, you merely throw your weight around with little skill. And you can get away with that when you are indeed the biggest and the strongest. Most people can’t overpower brute strength. But I’ve never been the strongest and never will be. Certainly not the biggest in a fight and likely also never will be. So I rely on skill and skill alone. And my other senses. It’s obvious you know how to fight and have skill, even if it is… lacking since you took the herb. Because you know only a handful of equally enhanced people could hope to beat you. You want to beat me? Focus on using your mind to beat me, not those giant muscles,” she gestured at his bulging biceps. 

“Damn, you good. And right. That first day I fought you was my first time fightin’ in a year. Maybe you can teach me some of those skills?” 

Naja stared at him for a few moments before acquiescing. She would never admit it to him but she enjoyed their afternoon sparring sessions. Though they had been at it for a week, this was the most they had spoken in their sessions. He did not push conversation on her even though she could always tell there was a question on the tip of his lips. But their time together steadily opened the release valve on the tension between them even if they did not speak to each other. Every blow, grunt, and kick chipped away at the barrier between them, just as - she imagined - he knew it would. She hated that his plan was working. 

“Deal. We’ll try some new things tomorrow.” 

“I’m a man of my word… now,” he added with a chuckle when her eyebrow raised. “What do you wanna know?” 

“How did a man who vowed to sooner destroy Wakanda before he stepped foot in it again manage to get his hands on our most sacred herb?” 

He scratched the nape of his neck, that was not the question he was expecting. But it was a fair one. He had once vowed to burn Wakanda to the ground for what they took from him. And now he was back, serving the country as loyally as any other soul would, had given up more than most would - though he chose not to think about the long-term freedoms he gave up for it. Only T’Challa knew the road that led him back, that changed his mind. 

“You weren’t wrong…” he closed the space between them. 

“I rarely am,” she offered, which made him laugh. 

Conceded but true, he thought to himself. 

“T’Challa and I did reconnect after his father died… couple years before the Blip. He gave me a set of beads and told me if I ever needed anythin’, call him. Never thought I’d need to call it in, never thought I’d need him. And then… shit hit the fan after the Blip, tried to save someone instead of myself and got shot.” He gestured toward the faintest scar among the raised scarring on his chest. “Escaped, used one of the beads to stabilize myself, called T’Challa. By the time they got me back, the herb was the only option.” 

“You were shot?” She whispered. Without thinking, her hand reached to his scarred chest and grazed over the faint line left behind. It was barely visible against the bumps that marred his perfect skin. The picture of it pained her soul, the idea of him floating between life and death. “I d-don’t understand you,” she whispered with a soft chuckle and head shake. 

“What do you mean?” 

“You claimed to have no room in your heart for anyone, claimed to love nothing and no one. Who on this planet was worth almost dying for?” 

Erik grabbed her hand, holding it to his chest, which tore her eyes from his scar to his deep brown ones. 

“Someone who reminded me of the most important thing I sacrificed, the thing I always wanted to get back to.” 

She could feel the ice between them, the ice she so desperately clung to, melting away as if someone set it ablaze. It could not withstand this, this fire that brewed between them under the surface of disdain. She could no longer ignore it in favor of righteous rage. He was making it impossible to do so. She wanted to resist it, break free of him and this spell he kept putting her under. But his pull was impossible to resist. She was paralyzed there with him and that terrified her. 

“W-why’d you stay?” 

“I saw my dad in the Ancestral Plane. Reminded me that I… I had been on the run from hard shit long enough, that I made mistakes and I needed to stay and fix them. Atone for them. So I vowed to stick around this time and do that.”

“And did you? Fix it?” Her voice was reduced to a whisper. 

“Some of it. Some are proving harder but I got 5 or 6 weeks left.” 

She wished Bast would send her some snappy retort, something to remind him that she hated him. However, there was nothing. No jabs, no anger, nothing she could offer. The old her, the one she buried beneath everything she was today, yearned for him as if he were oxygen for her to breathe. But she couldn’t, couldn’t let her out again, allow herself to be hurt like that again.

“What if t-that isn’t enough? What if t-there’s t-too much damage?” 

He shrugged. “With enough work, anything can be fixed. And I ain’t ever let a challenge stop me.” 

She let out a shaky breath as his face leaned in closer to hers. It was as if something transported her back to her teens. She was 16 again, sneaking through the caves of the falls with Erik, ready to fall into the roaring river that was him. And here she was, foolishly, teetering on that edge again. And the rope that kept her tethered to the edge, a decade of pain and anger, that was fraying at the middle with each passing moment in his presence. 

However, she was thankful when both of their beads rang out loudly, a cannon that forced them away from each other. 

Thank Bast, she thought to herself. She still answered some prayers.

“It’s T’Challa,” she mumbled. “W-We should go.” 

Erik tried to mask the crestfallen look on his face before he nodded and followed her out. Every day he had to remind himself that movement and rebuilding was slow tedious work. And his road back into Naja’s good graces would a long one.

***

Naja tossed and turned, groaning slightly to herself. Sleep was more difficult in Wakanda than she thought it would be. She was used to holding late hours, whether for her shifts at the bar or for activities that required the cover of night before sleeping until noon. It also did not help how soft her bed was. She had long left the luxuries of Wakanda behind and now they were difficult to grow accustomed to again. 

Her family was determined to use every moment of her time with them. A certain adorable prince demanded Naja’s attendance at breakfast before he went to school, which meant early mornings with the family. She spent most of the day with Nakia and the baby before sparring with Erik in the afternoon, an activity she hated to admit she looked forward to. 

“You aren’t sleeping,” she mumbled to herself before sliding out of bed. She grabbed her long duster to provide some level of decency to her short sleeping shorts and tank top. She wished she had the company of man to help her at least feel tired but she did not. Besides, everytime she thought about it… there was only one man that came to mind and that was beyond out of the question. 

She slid on her slippers and, because she was who she was, grabbed her gun from under her pillow and tucked it in the waistband of her shorts. What would she need it for? She did not know but she did not go anywhere at night without it. 

She slipped out of her quarters, nodding at the two Dora who stood guard outside her wing. They did not follow her, thank Bast. But that had been the compromise. 

She meandered through the halls, soft candles leading her around as she wandered. A soft wind blew through the open halls of the palace, leading her to the gardens. She walked through, savoring the beauty and quiet of the space. She settled in a patch that grew vibrant blue lilies she knew Nakia had planted as they grew along the falls. They were her personal favorites. She sat there and studied them, noting every shade of blue in each petal. They reminded her of a softer life, a softer time. She used to keep a bouquet of them by her bed when she was young. 

She had no desire to go back there but she could not pretend that sometimes she didn't missed it. She missed the girl that could fall asleep on mattresses that felt like clouds and became gleeful at pretty flowers. Who sought out the beauty in every person, not the ulterior motives they had to harm her. That girl was dead and buried, rightfully so but she was missed. 

As quickly as her reminiscing started, it ended as she felt a presence behind her. Instinctively, she jumped up and grabbed her gun, pointing it at Erik. 

“Ain’t seen someone move that fast in a minute,” he offered, admiration in his voice despite the gun aimed between his eyes. “You a good shot?” 

“Better than you I’m sure,” she mumbled. “They didn’t teach you at your assassin school about sneaking up on other assassins?” 

“Wasn’t sneakin’. I said your name twice before you almost blew my head off.” 

Naja blinked a few times in shock. “Oh, sorry, don’t know how I didn’t hear you.” She stowed her weapon back behind her back and shifted her weight awkwardly. “Couldn’t sleep either?” 

“Nah… just don’t need it much anymore. One of the benefits of the herb. Lots of time to wander and think.” 

Some nights, the restlessness in his spirit was simply unbearable so he just wandered. He often left the palace and went to his favorite spots in the country. But some nights like tonight, he just walked around the palace. Since he moved in, he imagined he had learned every nook and cranny. No one ever bothered him or even tried to stop him, though he knew every midnight stroll made its way back to T’Challa. 

He had free range but he also knew T’Challa kept a close eye on him. He was not intrusive or overbearing so Erik chose to ignore it and let T’Challa do whatever he needed to do to feel secure about Erik’s residency there. And though T’Challa would never admit it, Erik also knew that his spying had an ulterior motive driven by a fear that T’Challa would wake up one day and Erik would have disappeared without warning or a goodbye. 

That was not him anymore, he had learned his lesson years ago. Learned the irreversible pain abandoning people without thought or care for them did. And he vowed that he would never make such a callous choice again, especially since he would likely spend the rest of his life making up for the last time. If he could have, Bast knew he would go back and do so many things differently, make so many different choices. That was all the last 15 years had been: years and years to contemplate the terrible decisions he made in his youth. 

“And opportunities to steal from the kitchens?” she gestured toward the wrapped up napkins in his hand. 

“Another benefit or curse of the herb, dependin’ on how you look at it. Always hungry as fuck.” 

She chuckled. “I can relate,” she admitted. “To the hungry part at least.” 

Erik studied her for a minute before reaching his hand out, handing her the wrapped up food. She raised an eyebrow before taking it and opening it, revealing her favorite dessert, a Wakandan lime cake that she had not had in years but adored. 

“Wanna share? It’s that recipe you always loved.” 

She wanted to say no but she saw it for what it was: a peace offering. At least for them at this moment, even if it did not last till the sun rose in the morning. 

She settled back in her spot, Erik sitting next to her, the cake perched on his knee as they each broke off pieces. She stifled a moan as the flavors hit her taste buds. 

“Bast… I forgot how good that was. Thanks for sharing. I hope you didn’t poison it or something.” 

“You hate me, not the other way around, remember?” 

Yes, you do hate him. Remember?? A voice yelled in her head. But did she? Really? Cause everything she felt right now was far from hate. Complicated, yes? But hate was not complicated at all. 

“Right. Wouldn’t be wise on your part to accept any cake from me then.” She grabbed another piece and popped it in her mouth before laying back in the soft grass. Her eyes studied the stars as they laid there in silence, Erik quietly handing her pieces of cake as he watched her. 

“Can I ask you somethin’? You owe me at least that, eating all my damn cake.” Not that he minded. 

“I’m nothing if not fair. What do you want to know?” 

Erik wanted to know so much, he wanted to know everything that had happened to her in the last 15 years but he knew it was a slow build to gaining her trust again. Which meant he had to start with a soft ball, something simple and easy that would not ruffle any feathers. 

“Been readin’ war dog files and most choose jobs and covers that… give them comfort. You chose a bartender in the poorest part of the country, why?” 

Naja turned onto her side to look at him. This was the most relaxed Erik had seen her since he arrived and he loved it. 

“T’Challa asked the same thing when I picked it,” she chuckled. “When I was assigned to Niganda as home base, I knew I needed to keep a low profile, I needed to be flexible and available for missions. And the poorest village in any country is the most overlooked. Knew no one would look twice. Perfect place to hide. And then I just grew to love it, the people… the heart of it. They don’t have much but everyone does everything they can for everyone. And I became a war dog to help people. If I was going to take lives, I figured I could help them too. And then it just became home.” 

“You are so different now…” he mumbled as he stared at her. 

She shrugged. “Had to be. Wasn’t going to survive any other way. Suppose I should thank you for that? If you hadn’t…” she did not want to say it. “Left, I wouldn’t be who I am today.” 

“And is she better than who you were?” He asked, holding her gaze. 

“She’s stronger. She won’t be broken ever again. She can’t be.” 

Erik knew he should quit while he was ahead. They were dancing into dangerous territory that could undo the fragile peace they had created between them. But he could not stop himself. He hated that she thought such things about herself, hated that she thought so lowly of herself. 

“What makes you think she wasn’t strong?” 

“Because she…” Naja stopped herself. She did not think she could go down this road with him. He wanted vulnerability and she was not interested in giving it to him. He did not deserve it. “I believe you asked for one question… not eight follow ups,” she joked. “I should head back to my room.” She stood up and dusted off her clothes. “Thanks for the cake.” 

Erik sighed. He figured he was taking it too far but he lost control when he was with her. Forgot about his obligations and all the things his brain knew he should not do. All he could think about was what his heart wanted and that was her, all of her. 

“Let me walk you back.” 

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t need an escort.” 

“I know you don’t. Humor a nigga, damn. Were you always this stubborn?” 

Naja snorted. “Another consequence of your actions,” she shrugged. 

“Well your suite’s on the way to mine so we can walk in that direction together.” 

“You don’t give up, do you?” 

He closed the space between them, heat rising in Naja’s entire body as he stared down at her. “Nope. But I was always like that.” 

She did not say anything, there was no response she could offer that did not betray her. If she stayed in his presence, under his smolder much longer, he would end up in her bed. She had far less self control than he gave her credit for. 

She turned and walked back in the direction she came. They did not say much as they walked through the silent halls until they were back in front of her suite. 

“Thanks for the cake and conversation. It was nice,” she admitted. 

“How painful was that?” At her confused expression, Erik added. “To say somethin’  nice to me?” 

Naja laughed loudly. Fuck, Eirk forgot how much he missed that sound. “Very. Don’t make me regret it. And say a word of it to anyone else and I’ll show you how good of a shot I am,” she warned. 

“Fine if you do somethin’ for me? Next time you can’t sleep and want to go wanderin’, call me. I know all the best spots for us night owls.” 

She studied him. Everything in her warred. Her heart demanded she say yes, the voice she listened to the least. Her brain simply demanded she remember everything he had done to her, how he had destroyed her. But her heart recognized his effort, recognized that he was trying to earn her trust back. And what did she gain by pretending it was not working to some degree? But doing so scared her. Her anger and rage toward him had been fuel to survive, she did not know who she was without it. But even that fear was not strong enough to make her say that simple word: no. 

He had infiltrated every aspect of her being and there was only so much resistance she could put up.

“Fine. But this changes nothing between us. I just don’t enjoy wandering alone.” She did not even understand the point of adding that caveat. It was not true. The sum of two conversations had changed everything between them. 

Erik was not even annoyed or angry at her words. He deserved 99% of the lashings she gave him. He was honestly surprised she even said yes. But he would not complain, the barrier softened with every passing day and he would take whatever he could get. 

“I know. You still hate me. Understood. See you on the mat, Naja.” 

“Night.” 

Naja watched him walk off before closing the door to her room. She slumped against the door. 

“Fuck me,” she muttered before climbing into bed. 

However, she could not deny that Erik had a certain effect on her because she slept the rest of the night. Though her brain plagued her with dreams, or in her opinion nightmares, of him. Of her falling for him yet again. And each one ended the same way: with him leaving her heartbroken and alone. 

She was only pulled out of her dreams at a knock at her door. She groaned, wondering who had lost all common sense and was bothering her. She rubbed her eyes, noticing the sun was high in the sky. She glanced at her clock, breakfast was in a short while which meant she did not need to scream at whatever poor soul stood on the other side of her door. 

She slid on her robe and pulled open the door. 

“Sister Naja? I have a delivery for you.” The woman held a vase of blue flame lilies in her arms. “There’s also a note.” 

“Who are they from?” Naja asked, though she already knew the answer. 

“They said you would know.” and with that, she handed her the vase and note and walked away. Naja sat on her bed, sliding the vase down on her bedside table before opening the note. 

A girl once told me she liked to wake up to these every day because they were a reminder of the beauty in our world. One of the many lessons that girl taught me was that strength and beauty can co-exist. It took me too long to learn that lesson but when I did, it changed my life. I hope you haven’t forgotten it. 

A tear slid down her cheek as she studied the flowers. 

“I hate him so much,” she whispered to herself. But she knew the truth, the only thing she hated about Erik was how much she still loved him. And really, that was what she hated about herself more. 

***

“Again!” Naja demanded as she jumped to her feet. She spun the spear around her in her hand before stabbing into the soft material of the mat. 

Erik braced himself on his knees. “How the fuck you keep doin’ that shit? It’s like I ain’t even tryin’. This shit’s effortless for you.” 

“I’m just that good,” she winked at him before sighing. “I think you need an incentive.” 

“What makes you think that?” 

“Because this isn’t working. It would be easier to teach a penguin to fly than this… and less painful.” 

“So you got jokes? I’m gettin’ my ass beat... and you got jokes." 

Naja closed the space between them. “You’re getting your ass beat because you aren’t trying. You’re pulling your punches and holding back because you don’t want to hurt me. I’m not a child playing on the grown-ups’ mat. Fight me as you would fight any man out there. But I know you. You’ve always had a competitive spirit so let’s make a bet. Best two out of three and whoever wins gets whatever they want. Once in a lifetime opportunity. You in?”  

Erik’s ears immediately perked up. “You serious?” 

“Yes. You need an incentive, so make your wager good. Something you’d fight to the death for.” 

Erik saw a golden path laid out in front of him. This felt too good to be true. But she was completely and totally serious. She was offering him anything in this world. He knew she would fight equally hard to win but he had to try. Big risk, big reward was always his motto. 

“If I win, let me take you out to dinner.” 

Naja immediately shook her head. She clearly had not thought this plan through properly. Wandering through the palace and sparring together was one thing. She could be friendly with him again but she would not date him or intentionally foster the romantic feelings she felt for him. Never again.

“Absolutely not.” 

“You said somethin’ I’d fight to death for and any good spy knows to be specific and you didn’t give any parameters. So that’s it. One dinner outside the palace with me. Besides… it’s gotta be somethin’ you’d fight equally hard to ensure I lost. Gotta make it a fair fight.” 

He knew Naja was principled enough not to go back on her word. She wanted him to fight harder, this would certainly do it. But she hated that he kept trying, kept poking at her soft spots to make her fully cave for him. He was playing her like a fiddle and she was too weak  to stop him. 

However, a small piece of her demanded she resisted the pull to say yes and let Bast and fate decide what happened next.

“One dinner isn’t going to change anything between us. Pick something else.” 

“No. I can be just as stubborn as you.” 

“Pick. Something. Else.” She practically screamed at him, everything in her ignoring the electricity that sparked when they were they close. He woke up every cell in her body, charged her with energy and passion and lust. Everything she did not want to feel for him.

There was no space for Bast between them as they stood off. Despite their significant height difference, Naja did not cower. She stood tall before him even though she barely reached his chin.

“No. You can hate me, despise me. I don’t care. But I won’t stop tryin’, Naja. Even if all I can do is show you I’ve changed and that I regret what I did to you so you can hate me a little less. If that’s all I get, I can live with that. But I can't live knowing I didn't try so I’m gonna use every minute I got to show you. That’s a promise.” 

Naja pulled herself to the fullest height she could. “It won’t work.” 

“If you’re so sure it won’t work, then it shouldn’t be a problem.” 

Naja sucked her teeth. There was no retort for that… at least not one that would get her out of this hellish situation.  “Fine. Pick your weapon.” 

Once they both had their chosen spears in hand, the training center filled with the loud clashing of vibranium. Naja fought with every ounce of intensity she could muster, landing Erik on his back with her spear gently poking his chest in a few short minutes. 

“One for me. Feels like you played this little game all wrong. Instead of giving yourself an incentive, you just gave me a better one to beat your ass.” 

Erik bared his teeth with a menacing smile, his golden grill glistening slightly in the light before he pushed himself to his feet. “I played the game exactly like I wanted to, baby girl. But I like it when you talk shit.” 

Naja bristled at the pet name he used to call her. She imagined he pulled it out simply to touch a nerve but it sounded so effortless too. No one had called her that since him and it, like the flowers he gave her, woke something in her she thought was dead and gone. 

What Naja did not know is that Erik had used the first round to his advantage. He used the time to study her, how she attacked, which weak spots she would go for first. So during the second round, he met her blow for blow, blocking every single one with such precision that she could not hide her shock and surprise. 

“I knew you were holding out on me.” 

“What half assed assassin school did you go to where they didn’t teach you the number 1 rule?” he asked as he slashed the blunt end of his spear against her back, causing her to fall to the ground. 

It was the first time he grounded her but even in her shock, she rolled to her side and immediately bounced to her feet, ignoring the lack of air in her lungs. 

Fuck, she was exhausted. And she knew then that she was screwed. 

“And what’s… that?” 

“No one’s your friend so you should never show all your tricks. And you’ve been showing me all of yours for weeks.” 

And just as Naja lunged to take him down, Erik grabbed the end of her spear and yanked her against his chest. With a move she had never seen before, he twisted the weapon out of her grasp and her arm behind her back, forcing her to remain flush to his chest. For good measure and to prove he had won the round, he grabbed a knife he kept hidden in his vest and held it to her throat. 

“Yield.” 

Naja could feel every scar on his chest pressed against her bare skin as she fought him in only a sports bra and leggings. She could feel every muscle and ounce of strength against her. 

“Screw you,” she spat angrily as she yanked her arm free and turned to face him. 

“I forgot you were a sore loser. One to one. One more round, baby girl.” 

“Call me that again and you’ll meet Bast a lot sooner than you want to.” 

They both crouched down into their fighting stances and pounced. It was more than a dance this time, it was the performance of a lifetime for both of them. There was too much on the line… everything was on the line. Every trick, hidden skill, ruthless action they could use without killing the other, they did. They were fighting to win and they were two people who never lost. 

Everytime each of them thought they had the other in their crosshairs, they found a way to weasel out of them. Naja was afraid of how sore she would be in the morning but she did not care. For all intents and purposes, she was fighting for her life on that mat. Losing her dignity to Erik Stevens again was not an option. 

However, Erik knew one thing that Naja did not want to admit. His enhancements meant that he could last longer in a fight than any of his opponents, even if they were better fighters. He did not have to outfight Naja… he simply had to outlast her. And sure enough, as this round went on for nearly double the amount of time as the others, he could see her movements grow tired and slower. She usually moved with the precision and quickness of a machine. But she was not a machine, she was human and the human body had a limit. She was reaching hers. 

Erik thought about dragging it out but he was a victor ready to claim his prize. While he was the type of monster who enjoyed playing with his food before he went in for the kill, he knew this win would be delicious without all that. 

He waited until Naja lunged for him before he spun away from her and kicked the back of her knee. She groaned in pain as she toppled like a tree. Her usual move to return to her feet was too slow, giving Erik the chance to straddle her hips and pin her hands to the ground. 

“Yield.” He demanded, his voice low and domineering. 

She bucked against him a few times to get him off of her, frustrated at the heaviness that was him against her small frame. She was stuck beneath him and she had lost. They both knew it. 

Her chest heaved and Erik found it difficult not to let his eyes fall to her full chest, the tops of her breasts on display for him. He had forgotten what it was like to have her beneath him. He knew he could never have her like this in the setting he wanted but he could reminisce.

“Say it or we ain’t movin’.”

“I yield,” she whispered through gritted teeth, Erik allowing her to sit up. 

He held out his hand to help her to her feet but like the sore loser she was, she swatted it away and stood up on her own. She stomped over to her bag and wiped the dripping sweat off of her in a fit of rage. How did she lose?

Because you’re weak when it comes to him. Always have been and always will be. 

She could not even look at him in her frustration at him and herself for this stupid position she put herself in. She supposed she just had not expected it to backfire so spectacularly. 

“That was fun. You were right… just needed a good incentive.” He threw her a teasing smile, which her deadpan face did not return. “See you for our walk tonight. I’ll let you know about dinner, just make sure to wear somethin’ black and gold,” he winked at her before grabbing his stuff and leaving the training center.

As she watched him retreat, Naja paced in circles on the training mat before letting out a loud frustrated groan. For good measure, she pulled out all of the knives in her vest one by one and aimed them at the door Erik just walked out of. Each one hit the same square inch of the door with precision right where his head had been only seconds earlier.  

“Should’ve been his fucking face,” she muttered to herself before grabbing her bag and stalking out of the center, her hands angrily ripping each knife out of the door before she left. 

***

Erik could not help but check his beads and messages every five minutes. Tonight’s usual restlessness had turned to all-consuming anxiety as their usual meeting hour had passed without a call or message. He wondered if she was sulking as she had been all evening since their sparring match. She lost fair and square but he knew she would not be happy about it. But he had hoped she would come around by their late night walk.

He found that his few hours with Naja each day were the only things he looked forward to. There was still a coldness to her when they were around the entire family as if she was committed to the facade. But day by day, he got to see a bit of the old her until she realized and usually became cold again. However, he did not mind. He still had several weeks to fully peel back the curtain and he would take every minute he could. 

Maybe she is sleep. She actually needs it, unlike you. 

Erik only felt so bad about keeping her up at night. He knew her human non-enhanced body needed rest that his did not but he did not feel bad enough to cut their time together short. Deciding that he could not wait any longer and could just meet her in the gardens when and if she called, he decided to start his wandering journey without her. 

He pulled on his shoes and stepped out of his room, nodding at the Dora assigned to him. She waited for a moment, knowing he hated the shadows he was forced to keep with him. 

“Staying in the palace tonight,” he called over his shoulder, the woman’s shoulders easing a bit as she remained in her position. Even he had no interest in walking outside in one of Wakanda’s summer storms. He remembered those from when he was a kid, they were a force to be reckoned with. 

The storm immediately made him think of Naja, who was notoriously afraid of thunder and lightning. He wondered if she was still was. Though he imagined there was little she was afraid of these days.

His silent musings were cut short when a soft whimper filled his ears. He whipped his head around, glancing up and down the hall of rooms, his enhanced hearing straining to pick up on the sound again. 

When he heard it a second time, it was more pained, agonizing sadness that gripped his soul with incoherent mumblings he could not make sense of. But it was loud enough for him to know exactly who it was.  

“Naja.” 

His feet moved faster than light itself as he followed the pained sobs to her door. He did not think to knock or announce himself when he pushed inside to find her thrashing in her bed, her sheets tangled up in her limbs. Tears streamed down her face as she cried, he could see the small beads of tacky sweat that covered her. 

With only mere feet between them, he could finally hear her words, her soft apologies to someone who was not there. Select phrases hit his ears and felt like someone had stabbed him in the heart, her proclamations that something was her fault, her pleas for forgiveness. 

His eyes quickly scanned the papers and journals that were littered across her bed. Surveillance photos, maps, pictures of children, notes scribbled in her journal. None of it made sense to him without proper context but one thing he knew for certain: she was involved in far more than watching and observing. 

He sat down on the corner of her bed and gently touched her face, his palm cupping her cheek. His thumb whisked away her tears. At his touch, her body slowly settled, though her tears and mumbling pleas did not.

“Come back to me, Naja,” he whispered. His other hand rubbed her bare arm, hoping his touch would break through the barriers in her mind. “Wake up for me.” 

His instructions were low and his touch measured and gentle until he saw her eyes flutter open. 

“N-N’Jadaka?” She croaked as she blinked her eyes several times, adjusting to the darkness of her room. A loud crack of thunder caused her to jump slightly, Erik moving closer to her to rub her bare arms. She was shaking like a leaf. 

He was so concerned that he did not even get to revel in the fact that she used his real name for the fist time, the one she used to call him. 

“Hey, you’re ok. You’re ok. I just heard you havin’ a nightmare.” 

“J-just a nightmare… just a nightmare,” she muttered to herself as she forced her body into an upright position. Her eyes frantically surveyed her room as the realization that she was still in Wakanda hit her. Her eyes screwed shut, her arms wrapping around her knees as she repeated that refrain. “Just a nightmare.”

He was not sure what to make of the woman who sat in front of him now. She was such a juxtaposition to the hardened and cold spy who he had grown accustomed to since returning home. Since he saw her again, he felt like he was staring at her through a stained glass window. The other side peeked through ever so slightly but, for the most part, all he could see was the picture she wanted him to see and nothing more. But tonight? That stained glass window shattered and he could see her, the girl he fell madly in love with all those years ago. The girl who felt everything with her whole soul, loved so deeply for others, and lived in her vulnerability fully. 

Erik decided to make himself useful by pouring her a glass of water from the pitcher on her coffee table. However, she pushed it away when he tried to hand it to her, Naja suddenly overwhelmed by the shame that he, of all people, saw her in such a state. 

“I-I’m good,” she hastily wiped her tears.

Erik ignored her as he pushed the glass into her hand. It shook slightly so he wrapped his own hand around hers to ensure she did not spill it. 

“Drink.” She could tell his word was a command and not a suggestion, though the stubborn part of her wanted to remind him that he was in no position to give her orders.

He watched her intently as she took long sips, the tension in her frame easing every time she swallowed. 

“So you gonna tell me what that was about? And what all this is?” 

“Missing kids in the capital… stolen by the King and his soldiers but no one knows where they are or why. Two girls were taken earlier this evening. Every day I’m here, more of them go missing, more lives ruined and there’s nothing I can do.”

“The dream?” 

“I c-couldn’t sleep cause of the s-storm,” she gestured toward the window. “A-and finding out about the girls so I started pouring over my notes. Must’ve dozed off a-and… A-and I was back at my house there and I walked outside and… All their parents were outside, screaming a-and crying about how I couldn’t find them o-or save them. How no one cared about them. But I do… I c-care. I just… I pour over this mess every single night and I can’t…” she gestured at the mess on her bed. “I can’t figure it out. I can’t find them.” 

“Why you puttin’ that on yourself?” His thumb wiped one of her tears. 

“Because if I don’t… who will, Erik? I tried but I can’t… I can’t just watch and report. It’s not… it’s not me.” 

He shook his head. “I ain’t an idiot like T. I know you ain’t built for that watch dog shit. I am asking, why is it only on you to find them?”

She crossed her legs, tugging the blanket around her bare arms. She was not cold but something about the vulnerability made her shiver, shake. It also did not help that thunder and lightning raged outside. She hated storms, ever since she was a child. 

“Gotta find some way to earn some of my soul back,” she grimaced. She leaned back against the headboard. “I don’t regret it. I’d lead the same life over again if given the choice.” The conviction in her voice was resolute and unwavering. “Everything I’ve ever done was for our people and this country. But… It haunts me, all the suffering of this world that I ignored for years because it had nothing to do with the mission or serving Wakanda. These kids?” She picked up the stack of photos on the bed and handed them to him. “They aren’t Wakandan but does that mean their lives mean less? That they do not deserve our resources to find them? Save them? And if I can’t do it with all the resources and tech and everything we have that no one else on this planet does… what did I survive this long for then? I spent the better part of my life using those resources to take lives, I just want to spend whatever time I have left saving them.” 

Erik bowed his head. He understood the feeling, the ways in which the complex lives they chose haunted them day in and day out. But he had to learn how to make peace with it all. And she did too. 

“Naja… listen to me. Probably the last person you want advice from but I might be one of the only people ‘round here who get it. I killed a lot more people than you for a lot less righteous reasons. For revenge and to satisfy rage, not for country and all that shit. And I probably got more pleasure from it than you did. And that shit still haunts me too. I stayed here to save whatever pieces of my soul were left. I get it. But you… The girl I knew wanted to be a War Dog to help people and add to the world, not subtract from it. That girl ain’t dead. Maybe you just buried her beneath barriers to stop someone from ever hurtin’ you again. Because being a cold, unfeelin’ spy is less painful. Believe me, I tried that shit too. But our old selves always demand air eventually, Naja. And maybe this,” he took the photos out of her hand. “Is that air.” 

Fuck, I hate him, she though to herself. One thing that never changed about Erik was he knew exactly what to say, exactly what she needed to be whole again. This moment reminded her of the first time she and Erik slept together. They did not do anything but it was still the night she realized how utterly and insanely in love with him she was. It was a night not unlike this one, a summer storm keeping her up to the wee hours of the night. She had called him, expecting him to keep her company till she dozed off. But instead, he commandeered a jeep and was outside her window 20 minutes later. She buried herself in his chest while he offered her soothing words and stories until she fell asleep. 

He had always been her rock, her emotional constant when she was in pain. Part of her hated herself for still needing that from anyone, but particularly for craving it from him. 

“That girl’s gone, Erik,” she muttered, trying to regain some semblance of control in that moment. She could not remember the last time she was vulnerable with someone and she was not particularly interested in doing it now. “Time and life killed her. This is me now.” 

“If that girl was really gone, you would not be screamin’ yourself awake with nightmares over kids you don’t know. We can be as cold and unfeelin’ as we wanna be but who we were back then is  still there. And there’s nothin’ wrong with that. I thought the girl you were was pretty dope anyway,” he pushed her braids behind her shoulder with a smile. “I know you ain’t gonna go back to sleep so explain it to me.” 

She raised an eyebrow. “What?” 

“You ain’t goin’ back to sleep with all that outside.” The wind and thunder seemed to pick up on cue as he spoke. At her surprised expression he shrugged. “I remember everything about you.” 

Her voice hitched slightly as she studied him, she felt all of it. So much love and adoration in his eyes that clashed with everything he had once made her believe about herself. A voice in her mind cautioned her with loud echoing words. 

He doesn’t love you, he doesn’t care for you. He never did. 

But everything in the way he studied her, the way he touched her, the way he intimately remembered everything about her she desperately tried to forget signaled that he did. But she learned the hard way where trusting Erik got her: years of agony, pain, and guilt for choices his actions forced her to make that she did not know if she could ever forgive him for. She hated how he slowly chipped away at the villainous image she had created of him. It was easy to hate a villain, but whatever he was now? The duality of being both her villain and her savior? That was an emotional gray area that she had no interest in living in. 

“I’m not worth remembering or sticking around for, remember?” She responded, her only defense to protect herself was to hit low. Though her words did not have the sharpness she intended. Instead they just sounded how she felt when she heard them: heartbroken.

And the blow landed but Erik did not let it deter him. She deserved to land a cheap shot or two, he deserved it. “I can’t undo the past. But you can let me atone for it by helpin’ you out now. If the Nigandans are plannin’ somethin’, I should know about it.” He decided to omit the real reason why he also needed to know what the Royal Family was orchestrating. That reality was a long ways off. “Besides, another pair of eyes might be exactly what you need. Let me help you, Naja.” 

She did not want to say yes and give him more opportunities to get close to her. However, the lives of these children and families were more important than her pride, even she knew that.

“Fine. But this changes nothing between us,” she warned as she shifted the materials on her bed around so she could walk him through everything in order. 

“I’d expect nothing less,” he remarked. 

An hour passed by the time Naja finished reviewing all the materials and evidence with him. 

“So? What do you think?” 

He shook his head. “Defintiely somethin’s goin’ on. But to stop the peace talks or get Wakanda to intervene, you gotta have more than this. And that takes time.” 

She sighed, rubbing her forehead. “I know, I know. I just don’t know how much time these kids have.” 

Erik rubbed her knee, trails of fire and heat cascading up her body at his touch. She awkwardly shifted her leg out of the way to avoid his grasp. She refused to fall, not again.  

“I’m gonna help you. T got me working the peace talks on my end now. Maybe with your undercover work and my spot in the negotiations, we can piece it all together. And maybe, if I help you bring these kids home, we can at least be friends?” 

“Don’t hold your breath,” she muttered under her breath, which made Erik chuckle. 

“I won’t.” 

“But thank you. Seriously,” she squeezed his hand gently, a spark igniting between them before she tore it away. “Umm…I should try to go back to bed. Sorry for missing our meeting time tonight.” 

“All good. Night, Naja.” 

“Night, Erik.” 

Naja watched him start to head to the door, more loud cracks of thunder echoing around her. Something in her just broke, cracked her wide open and the girl she once was demanded air, freedom. And the only air she wanted was him. She knew it was a bad idea. It was the dumbest idea she had ever had. But she was about to make it. The night had stripped her bare, left her scared and boneless. And she was tired of dealing with all of that alone. 

“Erik!” She called after him as he opened her door. He stopped and turned to look at her, tears streaming down her face. “Stay.” 

That one word knocked the wind out of him. “Don’t think that’s a good idea, Naja.” He forced the words out, even though it was painful to do so. He wanted to stay, desperately so. But he knew she would hate herself and him in the morning if he did. 

“I don’t want… that,” she clarified, though that was a lie. She did want that, she wanted him to fuck her senseless so she forgot everything else. But she was strong enough to resist that. She was not strong enough to resist the part of her that just needed someone there. “I just… don’t want to be alone tonight. Please.”

That was all Erik needed to hear. He walked back over to her bed and slipped in beside her, his strong arms pulling her onto his chest. She curled up into his side and immediately relaxed, no longer jumping or tensing when loud thunder rolled through. They had done this countless times as teens and it felt just as easy and simple as it was back then. 

Even Erik felt at peace, his usual restlessness gone as they slept soundly in each other’s arms. 

When Naja woke up the next morning, she was shocked to find her body pressed against a hard chest. Before she could even open her eyes, the events of the night came back to her. 

What the fuck did you do? A voice accused her. 

She immediately extracted herself from Erik’s arms, causing him to shift and open his eyes. 

Awkward silence stretched between them as they stared at each other. Naja did not know what to say. One bad night and she had invited him into her bed? How sad, how cliche, how fucking stupid could she be? 

As if he could sense or see her internal downward spiral, Erik immediately climbed out of her bed and offered. “If you don’t want it to mean anythin’, then it doesn’t have to. Just a friend comforting a friend and I don’t plan on tellin’ anyone. We’re good, Naja.” 

Except… it did mean something. She could lie and say it didn’t but it did. It meant something that he came to her rescue, that he stayed even though she gave him no real reason to show her any kindness. It all meant something to her. As much as she did not want it to, it did. That rope that held her from falling into the sea of him? Well, it was so close to giving out and there was no materials to reinforce it. 

Last night was the safest she had felt in years… in the arms of the man she thought she hated most on this planet. Was she so prideful that she could reasonably ignore that? Erik said he wanted to prove that he changed… perhaps she should give him that chance. She was not betraying who she was now by doing so. She was honoring that some part of her, however small, still needed him in some way. And if 15 years of pretending that was not the case did not make the feeling go away, perhaps it was time to acknowledge that the feeling simply would never go away. 

“Thank you. See you at breakfast,” she whispered as she hugged her robe around her body. She felt exposed and not just physically. 

He nodded and started walking toward the door. However, before he could leave, she said, “For dinner… no where we went when we were together the first time.” 

He paused and glanced back at her. Naja took a tentative step toward him. 

“Every cell in my body is telling me not to do this. But… you said you’ve changed. So show me. But this is it… this dinner you fought for is it. The only chance you’ll get again to show me something different than the Erik who broke me. Don’t make me regret trusting you again.” 

“You won’t. And that’s a promise I can keep. See you at breakfast.

Tag list: @miyuhpapayuh @pipsqueak-98 @injerafiend @themakingsofdion @lishabaybee @certifiedlesbianbaddie @prettyisasprettydoes1306 @dangerous-history @roguekiki @mysteryuz @shyblackgurl

***

A/N: Alright Naja is giving him a chance? Sort of? lol drop a comment and let me know what you thought and how you think their dinner is going to go! As always, thanks for reading!

[teeth-n-ambitions]

Second Bite

Lila gets to see her new room

TW: vampire whump, lady whump, pet whump, dehumanization, biting, mild sexual content

@deluxewhump @whumpyourdamnpears

They were all vampires, Lila concluded. Each servant so far had an impossible strength, cold touch, and fangs rooted in their mouths. In all fairness, that’d only been about four or five at this point, but Lila wasn’t inclined to ask any of them about it. She was being quiet. Just nodding and shaking her head. Partially—well, mostly, to spite Katherine, but also to take in everything around her.

Getting her metaphorical “collar” carved into her back meant she needed to change tactics. If Cassara could control her body at any moment, who’s to say the rest of them couldn’t as well? And even if they couldn’t, they could snap her in half if they wanted. Meaning brute-forcing her way out wasn’t going to work. She had to gather as much information as possible to figure out what would, even if it took time, even if she had to play along. That wouldn’t be so hard. She’d done it before.

So she kept her thoughts to herself as she was fed an overcooked steak, tape measure wrapped around her waist, and given underwear and a nightgown (both a few sizes two big) to throw on. She noted the windows in the hallway, scanned each ceiling for cameras. But most of all she watched the way the vampires interacted with each other.

There wasn’t a hierarchy as far as Lila could tell, but Katherine definitely had some power over the others. She never had to ask twice. Whether they were afraid of her or something else, Lila couldn’t tell. Marion’s body language hadn’t changed a bit when Katherine appeared, but Madeline’s eye twitched a few times as Lila ate, and the one who took her measurements—Andy? Ally?—her eyes kept darting over to Katherine in the corner. The air was charged with…something that Lila couldn’t place. It was weird.

She was tempted to ask about that, but Katherine stopped walking before Lila had the chance. They’d stopped in front of a door upstairs, just across the bathroom from earlier. Katherine faced her, searched her face for a moment.

“What’s the Xanax for?” she asked flatly.

Lila’s stomach dropped. “What? How did—?”

“Why was it prescribed to you?” Katherine pressed.

Lila had to fight herself to keep her hands from turning to fists. Playing along, that’s what she was doing. She couldn’t blow up every time someone cut her off. Instead, she folded her arms. “I get overwhelmed sometimes and it calms me down. That’s it.”

“How often?”

“I don’t know.” Lila shifted her gaze to the wall, gripped her arms. “A few times a month, every other week…It’s not consistent.” When met with silence, she added, “It just happens sometimes, okay? And it doesn’t even matter because I won’t be getting it anymore since I’m here so I’ll just have to figure something else out. It’s whatever.”

Lila felt her face flushing. Her nails bit into her skin.

Katherine lowered her voice some. “Don’t do that.” She reached out and unfolded Lila’s arms, inspected where she’d dug her nails in. The touch was firm, but not as rough as before. “She’ll have my head if you’re damaged on my watch.”

Lila risked a glance back at Katherine, who immediately met her gaze.

“You’re fine,” Katherine said. She dropped Lila’s arms unceremoniously and stepped back. “Now get over yourself. You can have a pity party later.” Before Lila could snipe back, Katherine knocked on the door. Cassara’s voice called them in.

The first thing Lila spotted were the floor-length curtains drawn at the end of the room. They took up about half of the wall, boxed in by tall, near-empty bookshelves on each end.

“It’s a balcony,” said Cassara. She lounged atop the queen bed that stood against the west wall, hands resting on her stomach like a corpse in an open casket.

A touch of nausea spiked in Lila’s stomach. She is a corpse.

“You can use it whenever you want,” Cassara continued. “I only ask that you close the curtains behind you during the day.” She nodded to Katherine. “Thank you for bringing her. You may go.”

With the slightest bow, Katherine made her leave, closing the door behind her.

“What do you think?”

“Of what?” Lila asked.

“Your room.” Cassara sat up and gestured to the east wall, where a large wooden desk stood beside a wire wastebasket. “I already filled one of the drawers with pencils and such, but there’s room for you to add more. And your closet is here.” She pointed to the south wall that extended past the door. It was a decent walk-in, though empty besides some extra blankets and pillows. “We’ll fill it up once your clothes arrive.”

“It’s…” Lila looked about the room, avoiding Cassara’s gaze. “It’s nice. Thank you.”

“You’re disappointed,” Cassara said.

“No.” Lila met her eyes. “I’m just surprised. I thought you were going to, like, make me sleep in a dog bed in your room…or something.”

Cassara laughed, a haunting sound that reminded Lila of an echo in a cavern. “Oh, definitely not.” She patted the bed. “Come.”

Lila seated herself on the opposite end of the bed, carefully tucking her legs beneath her.

“Closer than that, darling. Here.”

Lila suppressed a gasp at the grip on her waist as Cassara simply lifted her up and placed her just in front of her, making their knees touch.

“I told you before, I’ll treat you well as long as you know your place. And while I will have you in my bed sometimes, you need a space of your own.” She tucked a strand of hair behind Lila’s ear. “Somewhere you feel safe.”

Lila instinctively pulled back from that vicious hand, the irony of it all coiling around her lungs. But just as quickly, the hand was at the back of her head, yanking her forward.

“First rule,” Cassara said, tone even. “Never pull away from me. You’re mine to touch however I like. Tell me you understand.”

“I understand,” Lila repeated quietly.

Immediately Cassara’s hold loosened. “Good girl.”

Something Lila couldn’t quite place swirled in her stomach, a slight blush creeping up her neck. She swallowed. “Starting training right away, then?” At least the shame on her tongue was familiar.

“It will be more formal tomorrow,” Cassara answered. “I actually wanted to take this time to get to know each other a little better. Since you were too busy mouthing off when I tried to talk to you earlier.” Her fingers fell from Lila’s head in favor of gliding through her hair. “Speaking of, how are you feeling? Does your back hurt?”

Of course it fucking does, Lila nearly said. Instead she replied, “When I—”

“Look at me when you answer.”

Lila’s fingers curled reflexively in her lap. She returned her gaze to Cassara’s face. “When I move or touch it, yeah. But mostly it itches.”

“And I trust Marion cleansed it well?”

“Uh, yeah. I think so.”

Cassara hummed as she continued running her fingers through Lila’s hair. “I’ll have to go back over it at a later date to make sure it scars evenly. But I’ll bite you first so it won’t hurt as much.”

The spot on Lila’s neck throbbed as memories of last night (or two nights ago?) flashed in her mind again. Fangs brutally tearing into her flesh, her senses dissipating within an instant. The pain.

“Oh, don’t worry, dear.” Cassara moved her hand to Lila’s cheek. “I’ll be gentle.” She laid the other over Lila’s hands fisted into her nightgown. “Relax for me.”

“Gentle how?” Lila asked, flat as she could manage. “It hurt like a bitch last time.”

“Of course it did,” Cassara chuckled. Fucking chuckled. “I was killing you. But I can make it tolerable. Pleasurable, even. Here, let me show you.” She pulled back from Lila and patted one of the pillows. “Come lie down.”

Lila began shaking her head. “I don’t—”

“Do not make me ask again.”

Lila quickly laid her head on the pillow, biting her lip at the ache in her back as she situated herself. She nearly broke skin when Cassara moved to straddle her, a hand on either side of her head.

“Good girl,” Cassara repeated. She leaned down and deposited a frozen kiss to Lila’s forehead. “Now relax. I don’t want to hit a muscle and make you sore. Breathe.”

Lila’s heart slammed against her ribcage, each breath pitifully shaky. Yet, looking up at her captor’s face, parted lips and violet, inhuman eyes, that feeling in her stomach swirled into a vague heat. She swallowed, acutely aware of every twitch of Cassara’s fingers, of each strand of raven hair tickling her cheek.

“Deep breath in…”

She did as commanded, a hand snaking up to the right side of her face while the other pushed her hair from her neck. She felt Cassara descend further and move her head to the side. A shiver wracked through her when their chests pressed against each other, nearly making her gasp.

Another kiss to the side of her jaw. “And out.”

Shutting her eyes, Lila exhaled.

There was a pinch as Cassara’s viciously sharp fangs plunged into Lila’s neck, cold needles easing their way through her flesh until the vampire’s lips closed around it. Cassara gave her a moment to adjust before biting down in earnest, making Lila hiss as the rest of her teeth dug into her.

She could feel the venom flow through the curve of the fangs and release into her neck, could feel exactly where it spread out beneath her skin. It carried a light warmth with it, a pleasant tingling trailing behind. She sighed, all of the tension in her muscles melting away as it flooded her body.

It was so different from before. Where previously the puncture was swift and violent and the venom overwhelming, here, everything was soft, gradual, almost tender. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so…so calm. She barely even noticed the fangs leaving her neck, the tongue sealing the wound, or the lips gingerly kissing the area around it.

“You did so good, my pet,” Cassara cooed between kisses. “So good for me.”

Cassara’s thumb idly rubbed her cheek, and in any other moment Lila would have liked to slap it away, to push her off and race into the hall. But in this moment? This minute decimal of time along the stretch of eternity?

She felt pretty fucking good.

[neonpaperlanterns]

Story idea.

So, someone stated a little bit ago that Leshy, even when the other bishops send curses upon your cult. Does nothing but... Well, yell and try to kill the Lamb.

Seeing as each Bishop seems to have two "themed" after them.

Shamura, the bishop of war and knowledge. (Bit ironic his skull got split open and now he has to battle his own confusion in his current state. Reason why he repeats himself from time to time.) while this is the only duo we see, we could still link other themes to each Bishop.

Kallamar is the bishop of pestilence, but his domain is filled with beautiful crystals and sea life. So he could also take the part of "Beauty". Bishop of pestilence and beauty.

Heket, bishop of Famine. Could be linked to strength. What with her and her followers seeming more like brute force fighters in my opinion.

Leshy. Is the bishop of Chaos. Yet shows more restraint than his siblings when it comes to dealing with the Lamb in game. Thus, while he is of Chaos. He fits also as Order.

.... Ramble over.

Story idea is basically a little backstory of Lamb. Where they were a... Secret of Leshys'.

Not exactly a best friend or lover or anything like that. But Leshy let Lamb hide amongst his ranks via a custom cloak. Sometimes berating Lamb for not being careful enough and warning them, like a father would a child. If the danger they are caught. And the fact that if they are caught, Leshy can't help them. Leshy must play the part of Bishop at the end of the day. Wether he wants to or not. For his family.

... Aka, story is basically Leshy being Lambs' "parental guardian" or Papa worm.

-Cult Follower Sunny Anon.

My dear Child

The air was thick with the cloying scent of smoke. Fire licking along the ground, consuming everything in it's path. Buildings, his trees, lives, everything, nothing was safe.

Nothing except the small bundle nestled beneath Leshy's cloak.

The Bishop of Chaos walked languidly though the carnage. His siblings waited for him but he was in no rush. He would tell them he was simply being thorough. Making sure none had escaped.

"Baa~" moving his cloak aside he stared down at the little creature that slept so serenely within his arms. Gently he ran a finger along the babe's face. They nuzzled into his hand and it made something in his chest ache.

Leshy was not sorry for what he and his family had done. It was necessary and they, he would not regret it. But as he stared down at the lamb's sleeping face, unaware of the horrors transpiring around them he could not help but feel something.

"I do not know what compelled me to take you. You are a risk, a liability." He spoke quietly, remiss to wake his resting charge.

"But..." Leshy trailed off as he stood at the steps of his temple. Leaning down he rested his forehead against theirs.

"But you are mine now and I will keep you safe."

[licncourt]

after ur louis post, do you have any headcanons about lestat’s brothers/teen lestat and his childhood in general

Yes, of course!!

The most important thing to remember about Lestat is that he's an annoying theater kid so he's the easiest target imaginable for his macho older brothers. However the theater kid energy is also what protects him psychologically because as a rule they are immune to shame.

He really wants to hold his own against his brothers but is just. Kind of a string bean. He picks fights to try to prove himself and loses them every time. Gabrielle feels bad for her failson though so she teaches him to bite and go for the eyes and the balls eventually. That ups his average slightly.

In general, he thinks his older brothers are brutish hillbillies (like the Marquis) and looks up to his mother much more. He takes after her the most in his desire to be worldly and expand his horizons behind their small, dull world. His father and brothers would rather be the undisputed masters of what they have.

He also looks a lot like Gabrielle as a teenager, before finishing puberty fully. Even after, he looks the most like her out of his siblings and is happy about it. He thinks it makes him look more aristocratic and less boorish.

He's trying really hard to get laid but it doesn't super work. That's extra embarrassing because he's bi so getting rejected double. Every once in a while he wins someone over with his puppy-that-hasn't-grown-into-its-paws-yet charm and fluffy hair.

Even though he's not the most athletic of his brothers, he's the hardest worker because he feels like he has the most the prove to their father. What he lacks in brute strength he makes up for with ingenuity and the all-consuming desire for parental approval.

When Gabrielle felt like allowing it (she wasn't actively avoiding him), he was his mother's shadow. He follows her around as much as he can, trying to mimic the poise and cultured air she had left over from her upbringing. The memory of watching her do her makeup is how he learned to do his own so quickly in the theater and her old gowns from Italy gave him his passion for beautiful clothes. He always appreciated them more than she did.

He's completely devoted to his dogs. They're his closest friends and confidantes, something that loves him unconditionally. He hunts extra game if he can to feed them as well as he feeds himself and spends his spare time whittling them toys out of branches or making them out of fabric scraps and straw.

Singing always came naturally to him and that was the only thing he liked about religion, the hymns he learned. He'd make up his own songs too. He couldn't read or write, so it was easier to make poems and remember them if he sang it.

If he can sneak away during the afternoons, he liked to find a certain wealthy house in the village where the sons always took their lessons near the open window on pleasant days. He'd noticed it once passing by and returned whenever he could to eavesdrop. He couldn't write anything down, but being illiterate gave him a good memory. Those bits and pieces of education were what kept him going sometimes, a reminder of the bigger, wider world.

[hananoami]

[ Open Orbit ] Stage 120 Clear VOD

I was previously hard stuck on this stage for quite some time; since 04/21 according to my earliest blog entry about this stage here. What originally started off as a meme attempt run turned into an actual CLEAR!! After a few attempts in the second half that is... (ᵕ—ᴗ—) Before I go in depth about my experience some notable information about this fight-- Stage 120 is the final stage that's currently available in the Deepspace Trials until the next big update in July. Like all x0 stages it requires two teams: Team 01 uses 6-Emerald memories Team 02 uses 6-Violet memories. TBH, I'm still in shock over this clear. I really didn't expect to clear it using the memories and protocores I had equipped. Literally awestruck as I'm writing this, reflecting on everything. Below are my thoughts and reflection about this wild adventure, as well as my final team set up and stat attributes.

BEFORE AND AFTER

Here's my before and after team set up for Open Orbit - Stage 120. I want to note this change was made as a meme/suggestion amongst friends during Xavier's Shimmering Moonlight limited-time banner. It was due to me getting super duper lucky with my pulls, which I will write about soon. Originally I wanted to respect the Protofield Stellactrum and match the colors for the perfect match and additional bonuses. I usually try to match the stellactrum because every bit of stats helps. However, I also want to mention that there have been instances where I opt to go off color and attempt to brute force it. For the record, this would be the most notorious one I have ever brute forced. It's not that I haven't attempted to brute force this stage before. I have. My Violet build with Rafayel was lacking in CRIT and I wasn't entirely satisfied with the protocores I rolled. So I tried to brute force it with my Zayne foreseer build, using his highest leveled memories. Usually that build carries me hard since it has a duo rank i bonus. however I still wasn't able to clear it due to lack of damage. My plan was to farm for more protocores. Specifically look for better delta cores with CRIT rate as its main stat and upgrade the ones with better substats to swap out what I currently had equipped. It's a long grind. Protocore farming is the true gacha in this game, unlike the wish pool where you're guaranteed a memory from pity. You never know what you'll get or if you'll even see what you're looking for. Well, like I mentioned earlier I got really lucky with my pulls for Xavier's banner and came out with his new myth pair at Duo Rank 3. I had cores from my SN build I could have used, but since I didn't need oath recovery anymore (duo rank ii bonus replaces having to equip that stat) I had two options to choose from-- Expedited Energy Boost or Oath Strength. So I tapped some beta cores to see what I could work with. You know, the usual trial and error testing. As luck would have it, as I was gambling my protocore upgrades I somehow managed to roll 2 Expedited Energy Boost cores with similar substats. A friend who was watching me tap away suggested that I try to brute force the fight again, but this time use my new Xavier solars/EEB protocores for the second half and use Zayne for the first half. I'm always down to try new things. So we decided to science it. Xavier's Moonlight myths is my first duo rank 3 pair. I was genuinely curious to see if it would be possible to clear open orbit - stage 120. Narrator voice: Lumiere cleared the fight with flying colors. (even if it did take him several attempts during the second half, hehe) The disrespect though lmao. It just goes to show you that there is no right or wrong way to play the game. Match the colors. Don't match the colors. You should use whatever is available to you and works best for you. Just have fun with it ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

ADDITIONAL SCREENSHOTS

Team A team set-up and stat attributes

Companion: Zayne's Foreseer Weapon: Everlasting Song ♡ Affinity Bonus: 88 When you take a fatal blow, Zayne teleports to you, blocks a hit, and counter attacks. Enemies will be knocked back. [ HP 3400 || DEF 85 || ATK 170 ] Pair Bonus [FS] - Starting Effect: increases team DMG by 8%, and reduces team DMG taken by 8%. When fighting together with Foreseer, your Active Skill DMG is increased by 25%. - Duo Rank 1: boosts Ardent Oath charge by 20%. When you and Foreseer are granted with Wards of Curses, team DMG will be increased by 12%.

5☆ Forever Sealed (sapphire/solar) Lv 80/awakened rank 1 using +9 and +12 SSR protocores

5☆ Promise Everlasting (sapphire/solar) Lv 80/awakened rank 2 using +9 and +12 SSR protocores

5☆ Business Trip (sapphire/lunar) Lv 80 rank 3 using +12 SSR protocores

5☆ Hearts Within Reach (sapphire/lunar) Lv 80 rank 1 using +12 SSR protocores

5☆ Cozy Afternoon (ruby/lunar) Lv 80 rank 3 using +12 SSR protocores

5☆ Medical Rescue (Ruby/lunar) Lv 70 using +9 SSR protocores

Team B team set-up and stat attributes

Companion: Xavier's Lumiere Weapon: Moonchaser ♡ Affinity Bonus: 93 When you take a fatal blow, Xavier teleports to you, blocks a hit, and counter attacks. Enemies will be knocked back. [ HP 3600 || DEF 90 || ATK 180 ] Pair Bonus [MN] - Starting Effect: increases team DMG by 8%, and reduces team DMG taken by 8%. The Enemy [Moonstruck] is extended by 3 seconds. - Duo Rank 1: boosts Ardent Oath charge by 20%. [Moonlight] will attach 1 stack of [Phasing Moon] to the enemy, increasing DMG dealt by 25%. - Duo Rank 2: increases Energy Charge cap by 1. When [Moonlight] is activated, the cooldown time of your Active and Resonance Skill is reduced by 0.5 seconds, and a small amount of energy charge is restored. - Duo Rank 3: increases team DMG by 8%. When your Active Skill or Charged Attack hits a target with [Moonstruck], [Moonlight] will be activated, boosting CRIT DMG by 30%.

5☆ Midnight Whispers (amber/solar) Lv 80/awakened rank 3 using +9 SSR protocores

5☆ Midnight Rainfall (amber/solar) Lv 80/awakened rank 3 using +9 SSR protocores

5☆ Unique Aftertaste (ruby/lunar) Lv70 rank 1 using +12 SSR protocores

5☆ Tender Night (amber/lunar) Lv70 rank 1 using +12 SSR protocores

5☆ Romantic Afternoon (emerald/lunar) Lv70 rank 1 using +9 and +12 SSR protocores

5☆ Fluffy Trap (emerald/lunar) Lv70 rank 1 using +9 protocores