#and that through everything they've been together the ways both of them approach happiness and each other have also come together

[ectoplasmer]

clarification because i swear i don't practice favoritism (i so do sometimes but shhh): i think about marrying all the others just as much as I do ryou but he just so happens to be the one i talk about the most so sjjfdsh

[berberriescorner]

Through the Darkness

Characters: Husband(Dad)!Rio x Black!Reader.

Summary: Rio senses the reader’s turmoil and offers unwavering support. As they navigate the challenges of mental health and family life, their bond deepens, revealing the importance of vulnerability and understanding in their relationship.

Warnings: Depictions of depression and mental health struggles. Emotional and sensitive themes. Mild language. Brief sexual content😈. References to family dynamics and parenting challenges. The norm–you know it’s bound to have at least some questionable language and spice😂.

Word Count: 1,300+.

Music Inspo🧡:

You’ve always been good at hiding your emotions, at least you thought you were. Lately, the heaviness of your depression has become more difficult to mask. You went through the motions with a smile plastered on your face, trying to convince everyone – and yourself – that you were fine. Intrusive thoughts rushed through your head.

You ungrateful heifer. You have a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and food on your table. Your fine-ass husband adores you. He risks everything to give you and your children the world. Your babies are happy and healthy. You have no right to be sad about anything. 

But life hadn't always been this way. Everyone has shit they've gone through, and both the past and depression had a funny way of sneaking up on you when you least expected it.

You honestly thought you were doing a decent job at keeping your mood, and the sadness under wraps. But Rio noticed. He always noticed. 

One evening, after a particularly long day, you were in the kitchen, trying to muster the energy to make dinner. The weight of your sadness pressed down on you, making even the simplest tasks feel monumental. You felt tears prickling at the corners of your eyes but quickly blinked them away, forcing a smile as you heard Rio’s footsteps approaching.

“Hey, baby,” he said, his voice soft as he entered the room.

“Hey,” you replied, your smile wavering.

Rio’s sharp eyes took in the scene, noting the slump of your shoulders and the forced cheeriness in your tone. Without a word, he walked over and gently took the knife from your hand, setting it on the counter. He turned you to face him, his hands cupping your cheeks.

“What’s going on with you?” he asked, his voice tender but firm.

“I’m fine, really,” you tried to insist, but the quiver in your voice betrayed you.

Rio shook his head, his thumb gently stroking your cheek. “Don’t lie to me, mama. I see you. I peep what’s going on. You think I don't feel the tension in your body whenever I touch you, darlin’?”

Your facade crumbled under his gaze, and tears spilled down your cheeks. Rio pulled you into his arms, holding you tightly as you sobbed against his chest. He didn’t say anything, just held you, letting you release all the pent-up emotions you had been trying to hide.

After a while, your sobs subsided, and you pulled back slightly, looking up at him through tear-filled eyes. “I’m sorry,” you whispered.

“For what, ma? Don’t be sorry,” he said softly. “You’re allowed to feel this way. You're allowed to have bad days, darlin’. You don’t always have to be strong.”

You nodded, feeling a mix of relief and vulnerability. “It’s just… everything feels so heavy lately. I’m trying to keep it together, but it’s hard.

Rio nodded, understanding. “I know it is. But you don’t have to do it alone. I’m here for you, mama.”

He guided you to the couch, sitting you down and wrapping an arm around your shoulders. “Tell me what’s been going on in that beautiful head of yours,” he said, his voice gentle, as he tucked you under his arm and laid back into the cushions.

You took a deep breath, feeling more at ease with his comforting presence. You started to talk, sharing your feelings of sadness, the overwhelming sense of hopelessness, and the constant battle to keep up appearances. Rio listened intently, never interrupting, just holding you close and letting you know he was there. His lips ghosted your forehead every time your voice wavered.

When you finished, he tilted your chin up so you were looking into his eyes. “Stop keeping all this shit in, ma. I don’t want to hear anything about the business being stressful enough. Making sure your mental is straight is worth more than anything else. What good is all that material shit, if you, my world, aren't happy,” he rasped, holding your chin, and pecking soft, plump lips. 

“You come to me baby, whenever you need me. I'll always make time. I need to know where your head is at, okay? You don’t have to pretend. Not with the world, and for damn sure not me. It’s okay to not be okay.”

You playfully smacked your lips at his last sentence. “Uh-uh, don't use my words against me. You know I tell you that every time business is weighing heavily on you.” Rio laughed as you jokingly rolled your eyes and sniffled away any residual tears.

Rio smirked, “You so damn cute when you fake mad, mama.” His hand cupped your cheek, stern eyes bore into your own. “I'm serious, sweetheart. Tell me when shit gets too heavy. Daddy ain't always around to read you and know what’s really good. Understood?” 

You nodded, feeling a flicker of hope. “Thank you, Papa. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He smiled softly, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “I pray you never have to find out, at least not for a long, long time, baby. You know I got you.”

You pecked his cheek, trying to wiggle out of his hold. His hands dug deeper as his face nuzzled into the side of your neck. Rio’s lips ghosted your flesh.

“Mm-mm. Where you goin’, mama,” he questioned as he trailed light kisses over the sensitive area.

You felt him smirk at the shiver that rolled over your body. “Somebody gotta feed our football team of children. I hear your stomach growling too, Christopher.”

His lips sucked and nibbled at your weak spot. “You right, ma. I am hungry,” he whispered, hands trailing lower. When they found their destination, he bit his lip at the sound of your breath hitching. Rio cupped you between your thighs. “This is what I’m trying to eat though.”

You felt yourself sinking back against him, bucking your hips a bit as his hand slipped under the waistband of your panties, digits sliding through your slickness.

“Rio, I need-.”

“Some stress relief,” he responded, slipping a finger inside and biting your neck. His tongue slid across to soothe the harshness of his teeth. "I'm aware that stress won't put you back together, mama. Just want to love you in every way possible."

Something that sounded like both a sigh and a moan left your lips. "It most certainly wouldn't make things worse. Love me in any way you see fit, Papa," you finished with a whimper.

Your head pressed against his shoulder as Rio lazily pumped his fingers in and out. He increased the speed little by little. Just as you hurtled toward release the front door swung open, forcing the two of you to jerk apart, and straighten your shorts.

Heavy footsteps hurriedly undress in the mud room, and you hear the voices of your eldest son and one of his little brothers. The two of you couldn’t help the amusement that crossed your faces as each child stumbled into the room.

“Mommy! We’re hungry,” they all said in unison. Each child rambled off a food of their own choice.

“Aye! Chill out. Mommy’s had a long day. She’s exhausted and most importantly not your chef.” Rio looked at Marcus and your eldest daughter. You two use my card and order pizza. Don’t go crazy or it’s coming out of your ass or allowance. I’m taking your mother upstairs. Where she can take a nice bubble bath and relax. 

I’m sure the oldest two are smart enough to know what that’s code for—yep! They both just shuddered, bless their hearts.

You know what kind of pizza we like. Unless the house is on fire or someone is breaking in. Don’t come banging on the door for attention. Marcus and little mama, hold down the fort. Luca and Ravi are staying with Nana tonight. Why she couldn’t take all y’all knuckleheads? Nan’s be blocking.”

Your hand collided with the back of your husband's head. “Christopher!”

He chuckled, “I’m kidding, ma, damn.”

You rolled your eyes as his arms wrapped around your waist. “Let’s get you upstairs and comfortable, mama. Then I want you to tell me everything that’s been going through that pretty little head of yours,” he finished, pecking your cheek.

With Rio’s arms around you and his words of comfort washing over you, the heaviness didn’t feel as unbearable. For the first time in a long while, you felt like you could breathe a little easier, knowing you had someone who truly understood and cared for you. With Rio by your side, you knew you’d find your way through the darkness.

Well, my lovely babies, how are y'all feeling this one👀? Reblogs and comments are always greatly appreciated🧡.

Lovelies🧡:

@astoldbychae @darqchilddaydreamz @thirtysomethinganduncensored @percosim @ravennaortiz @amorestevens @abcdestinyyyy @jannavaire @novaniskye @nobodygetsza @bisexuallyattractivebitch @1andonlytashae @rio-reid-whoreee @lovedlover @sunshine-flower @realhotgurlshit @thebumbqueen @blowmymbackout @tashawar @captainwithoutmakingitlove @kinkiicoils @theegoddessofmelanin @beachyserasims @tbmotw @wroteitbutneverwatchedit @speckldsimblr @prettyyybrownroundd @onherereading @undevidedattentionsblog @starrynite7114

[yoonavii]

Love confession

Pairing: sanji x F! reader One shot

word count: 1k

Description: Y/n confesses her feelings to sanji

A/n: Requests are open!!

Late at night on the Thousand Sunny, you find yourself seeking solace in the company of your crewmate Robin. The two of you have always had a special bond, with Robin taking on the role of a caring and wise older sister figure in your life. Tonight, as you sit together in a cozy corner of the ship, you decide to open up to her about a pressing matter. 

 “Robin, can I talk to you about something?” you asked  “It's been on my mind for a while now.” Robin smiled “Y/n...You know you can always confide in me.” She says to you softly “What's troubling you?”

“Well, it's about Sanji. I'm well aware of how he flirts with and chases after women all the time. But the thing is... I can't help it. I've developed feelings for him. It's confusing, and I don't know what to do.” Robin lets out a lighthearted giggle as she then holds onto your arm  “Oh y/n, that's quite adorable. It seems Cupid has paid you a visit, hasn't he?”

The sudden feeling of warmth rushed to your cheeks as she spoke “Yeah, I suppose so. But I can't help feeling silly about it, considering how he behaves around other women.” She hums “although that may be true, there's nothing wrong with your feelings. Love and attraction can be complex and unpredictable. Sanji's flirtatious nature doesn't diminish the sincerity of your emotions.” her hand slides down yours and holds them “what i think you should do is to Talk to Sanji about how you feel, and see where it leads. You never know what might happen.”

Feeling reassured by Robin’s advice, you leave the conversation with newfound determination. The moonlight dances on the ship’s deck, as if mirroring the spark of hope within your heart. You’re ready to face your feelings and embark on a journey of honesty and vulnerability, trusting that the winds of fate will guide you toward the destination of love.

Moments later, you find Sanji in the kitchen, diligently preparing a delectable dessert for the entire crew. Your heart races with nervous anticipation, but you gather your courage and approach him with a request.  “Sanji, can we talk for a moment?” Sanji turns to

look at you with a smile as he then stopped his cooking progress. “Of course, my dear. Anything for you. Let's have a seat at the table.”  As you both then settle down, facing each other, you take a deep breath, ready to pour your heart out to him  “Sanji, there's something I've been wanting to tell you... It's not easy for me to say, but... I've developed feelings for you. Despite your flirtatious nature, I find myself drawn to your kindness, your cooking, and everything that makes you who you are. Sanji listens attentively, his eyes fixed on yours as you bare your heart to him. There's a gentle warmth in his gaze, and his hands reach out, encompassing both of yours.

 “Y/n…” he says softly, voice smooth like silk “I've noticed how your smile brightens even the darkest days, how your laughter fills the air with joy. From the moment we met, you've captured my heart in a way no one else has. Your kindness, your spirit... they've bewitched me. His words resonate deeply within you, making your heart practically skip a beat. 

“I've spent so much time searching for the perfect ingredients to create exquisite dishes, hoping to bring happiness to others. But now, with you by my side, I realize that the most important ingredient was always missing—love.” His silky voice carries a genuine sincerity that sends shivers down your spine. You feel a surge of warmth coursing through your veins as you realize the depth of his feelings. He likes you, and wants to be with you. With a radiant smile, Sanji gently pulls you into his embrace. It feels like the start of a beautiful chapter in your lives, one filled with shared dreams, unyielding passion, and a love that will endure even the fiercest storms. As you and Sanji continue to bask in the euphoria of your newfound love, a sudden interruption shatters the moment. Zoro, with his usual lack of spatial awareness, stumbles into the kitchen, catching sight of the intimate scene before him.

Zoro raises a brow “Uh...am I interrupting something?”

Sanji's expression darkens, a mix of annoyance and protectiveness washing over him. He quickly releases you from his embrace and steps forward, ready to engage in a heated argument with Zoro. “Damn it, swordsman!” He growled, clutching his fist “Can't you see we were having a private moment here? Learn to knock!”  He shrugs nonchalantly, not caring as usual. “I thought I smelled a cooking disaster. Didn't expect it to be a romantic one.

You couldn't help but laugh. Their exchanges were always entertaining to You.” Oh Zoro, I swear you have the worst timing!” Your laughter fills the air, diffusing the tension between the two feuding crewmates. “Hmph! Well, I'll leave you lovebirds to your mushy moments. Just remember, keep the sappiness away from my swords.”

Sanji frowns, crossing his arms “Tch! Mind your own business, mosshead!”

As Zoro exits the kitchen, the lingering traces of the argument dissipate, replaced by shared amusement and an even stronger bond between you and Sanji. You find solace in the fact that even in the most unexpected situations, laughter and love prevail. “Don’t worry about him. What we should worry about though, is the whip cream on the deserts. It’s starting to melt quite a bit” looking over at the deserts, Sanji adjusts his sleeves and quickly goes over to pick them up  “you’re right. Do you mind assisting me with it my love?” 

“Why of course.” 

With lovely smiles, you and Sanji leave the kitchen with the desserts, the echoes of the laughter you both share, mingling with the promises of a future filled with love, passion, and the indomitable spirit of the Straw Hat Pirates.

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for finally telling the truth?

I (26 M) work as the editor of a local paper. The owner (40 M) is basically useless and also has a bit of a short temper, so I have to both run everything and try to meditate between him and the rest of the staff. I'm also being paid just enough to get by but, you know, we're struggling. I'm willing to do what I can to keep us afloat.

A few weeks ago, my best friend (27 M) tried pitching a story to our boss that he and his twin sister (27 F) wrote together. However, it was fiction and the owner wasn't happy about that-- he ripped up my friend's notebook and even fired him, despite my best efforts. I was able to gather up the remains of my friend's notebook and returned them to him, and asked about the story, since I saw the first few lines and thought it looked promising.

They told me the story, and it was amazing. It was written as if they were journal entries by a famous astronomer (27 M) claiming to have discovered life on the moon-- pretty fantastical stuff, but if you didn't know the truth it would honestly seem believable. They wanted me to sneak the story into the paper but I was hesitant. Not only would I be lying to hundreds of people, but I'd be the one taking a risk here-- my best friend was already fired, and he and his sister have a secondary source of income, while the paper is pretty much all I have. They convinced me to print it anyway, saying that the astronomer is literally on the other side of the world and the paper could fold at any minute anyway, so I did it.

The story exploded-- everyone believed it, and we sold more copies of that issue than we had the whole of the previous year. The owner was initially furious, but once he realized how much money this would make him he was suddenly fine with it. He even hired my best friend back, since he had future "journal entries" already written.

Then things started going downhill. I found out my best friend was given a raise, and I wasn't, even though I was working just as much if not more than before. I brought this up to my boss, and he said that I had betrayed him by printing the story, and that he can't reward someone he can't trust-- but it was only because of me that we printed the story that lead to him reaping the rewards!

To make things worse, I never even get to talk to my friend and his sister outside of matters relating to getting the next article printed. There are so many people who want to meet and talk with them, they've even became close friends with this very rich and influential local figure (27 F) and while I'm happy for them, I wish they would at least make a bit of time for me.

Last night things came to a head. My friend's sister and I were preparing the next article, and I left the room for a few minutes. When I came back, the astronomer we were lying about was there, unconscious. Apparently he came all the way across the world to demand an explanation, and my friend's sister panicked and knocked him out. If that wasn't bad enough, she then decided we needed to bring him to MY apartment until she figures out what to do next. He's in my spare bedroom right now.

This has all gotten so out of control. I never asked to get wrapped up in something like this, I was just trying to help my friends and save our jobs. Now so many people are believing a bunch of lies that we attributed to a man I just helped assault and kidnap! And through everything, everyone else seems to be doing better while I just keep doing worse-- I feel like I've been used and left behind.

This is where I'm wondering if I'm the asshole or not. After the first article was published, I was approached by someone who works for our main competitor, and he offered me money to expose the story as a hoax, a lot of money. I turned him down at the time, but after last night, I contacted him and said I was willing to prove it was fake if he was still willing to pay. He'll be here soon, and I'm going to tell him everything.

I know that this would be terrible for the reputations of my friend and his sister, and the paper I work for will definitely go under. But I'm tired of lying to people, and I feel guilty for that and everything we've done to the astronomer; we'll have damaged his reputation as well, not to mention how he quite possibly has a brain injury now. And, frankly, I'm tired of putting in all this effort and getting nothing in return. The truth will come out eventually, would it really be so bad if it came out just a little sooner and I could have a bit of financial stability because of it?

So, am I the asshole?

[redactedshapes]

Ahti and Warlin are probably such good friends. They have so much in common!

They're both mysterious, timeless paranatural beings, unaffected by the manufactured realities of nightmares, who can travel across places through an interdimensional nexus that takes the shape of a building that's not easily accessed by normal means.

Ahti goes in and out of The Oldest House unobstructed. The building has probably shown Ahti some sights as a token of gratitude for all the upkeep.

And Warlin maybe has seen and been through everything, willing his own Door in the Oceanview to take him when and where he wants and needs to be.

I wonder if it's the Oceanview where they met for the first time. Or where they've never met.

How that conversation went. When Door offered a Janitor job to Ahti in his Talk Show Studio when there was no more work on the Bureau. Ahti has no closet in the Nightmare version of the Oceanview as far I remember.

How that conversation went. When Ahti unlocked a Door for a tired Warlin in the Motel, so he wouldn't need to go through the Janitor's closet.

How that conversation went. When each one noticed the other had always been in the Oceanview.

I wonder if Warlin has ever set foot within The Oldest House. Such event being a mere possibility means he has. Some time and some universe else.

And there are more connections and reflections if you will.

Ahti meets Jesse who never once complains about her given title, Janitor's Assistant. She's happy about it, she knows the ins and outs of the job very well. Maybe one day she'll be handed the keys to the Motel and command of the House itself, the Gods themselves sang about it

And so I’m drawn ever deeper In the Oldest House and all these empty rooms This vacant, spellbound mystery motel Where I’m the keeper, where I set the rules

He's never once lied to Jesse, or hidden information from her. Sure he may seem a bit obscure, if you've had to learn a second language then you know how infuriating the barrier is sometimes, and the little rush of pride you may feel in refusing to try to translate idioms, and Jesse seems to have compassion or intuition of this fact, maybe even both. And she never resented anyone for her lack of understanding.

Ahti knew what Jesse wanted and needed, and immediately pointed her in the right direction, the elevator is just over there. Go find your brother, get rid of the pests. And scrub some of the mold in your way there.

He was even there in her Nightmare, once again a guide. Encouraging her, and proud when the third time around she got a grip on herself to awaken and merge with her Guardian Angel.

Same and not the same with the writer. Another lost soul in a Nightmare, this one of his own making. Although with him, Ahti seemed wary about unlocking the door. Was Ahti trying to protect Alan from himself? He knew the writer had not mastered his Stalking Demon yet. And, he's just the Janitor you see, not a Gatekeeper.

How many times did Ahti talk to Jesse in The Oldest House? Maybe it's the same number he talked to Alan in the Dark Place.

And Warlin? He's got one unwilling disciple, playing something like a twelve-dimensional chess with him as a piece. A center piece?

And his approach is, particular, to say the least. Unlike Ahti's clear waters, Door is obscuring as much as possible from Timothy. There's no upfront information here. And Warlin knows the outcome, maybe. Tim will eventually know what is going on, the why of every one of Warlin's actions, perhaps Tim will even understand him, for there was at least once a different version of both of them that ended up working together. There was a path for Jack Joyce to follow Martin Hatch.

Funny how the Janitor's Assistant and the Unwilling Disciple met and worked together in a different version of themselves.

I wonder, if Warlin shifted into this version because here, when she'd emerge, it would be her the one to shoot the man in charge of the shady institution that "employed" her? Where instead of dying in an explosion like a supernova, she'd carry a Star within her? An echo that didn't need to be Wilder, where she had the space and guidance to come into full and total control, unlike the disease of time and loneliness that wreaked havoc in Door himself once/always?

And the woman Warlin is worried about in this version of this universe? His very own daughter. But don't tell anyone, that's not his style.

How excited must he be for the moment Saga gets to see through it all. They'll maybe even complain about Mr. Wake, and how he made a habit of a writing other people's daughters into his story. And toast to make sure it doesn't happen a third time.

[reixtsu]

Ichigo no Ai - Strawberry Love - 苺の愛

Author-kun's notes: Never in my life have I imagined anyone asking me a Fukuzawa x female reader. This is an interesting idea! I shall indulge. I hope you enjoy!

Btw, I'm sorry but this will not contain NSFW. I tried to write a few drafts, but it's so hard for me to write Fukuzawa NSFW. I hope you understand apologies again. *Bows*

Btw, I caught you, simp *Points*

Character: Fukuzawa (Our respected god in Bungo Stray Dogs)

Genre: Romance

Warnings: None 🙂

It was a beautiful spring day. The birds chirped happily outside as they fluttered in the breeze. The atmosphere at the Armed Detective Agency was unusually calm. The sun cast a warm glow over the office, and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. You, however, were slightly preoccupied with your favorite fruit—strawberries. You had always adored their vibrant color and sweet taste, and you couldn't help but crave them almost every day.

Lost in your thoughts, you didn't notice Fukuzawa approaching you until he cleared his throat gently. Startled, you looked up to find his kind eyes fixed upon you. "Is everything all right, Y/n?" he asked, his voice calm and soothing. He looked at you with his head slightly tilted.

Blushing slightly, you nodded and managed a small smile, looking up from the pile of papers from your desk. "Yes, Fukuzawa-san, everything's fine. I was just thinking about strawberries."

"Strawberries?" Fukuzawa repeated, his expression softening with genuine interest. "Ah, they are delightful fruits indeed. May I ask why you were pondering them?"

You felt a slight flutter in your chest at his attention. "Well, I absolutely love strawberries. The way they taste, their color... they're simply enchanting to me."

Fukuzawa's eyes crinkled slightly at the corners as he smiled warmly. "I can understand that. There is something captivating about their simplicity and elegance."

You nodded enthusiastically, feeling a connection forming between you. "Exactly! And it's not just the taste. It's the memories associated with them too. They've always been a source of comfort for me."

Fukuzawa listened attentively, his presence calming and supportive. "Food can indeed hold powerful memories and emotions. It's wonderful that strawberries bring you such joy."

A moment of silence passed between you before Fukuzawa spoke again, his voice gentle. "Would you like to accompany me to a nearby strawberry farm this weekend, Y/n? They have a beautiful selection, and I believe it would be a delightful experience for both of us."

Your heart skipped a beat, and a surge of excitement coursed through your veins. "I would love that, Fukuzawa-san! It sounds perfect." You said with enthusiasm.

Fukuzawa's smile deepened, and he extended his arm toward you, looking at you with care that came deep from his core. "Then it's settled. We shall embark on a strawberry adventure together."

Blushing profusely but unable to contain your happiness, you placed your hand in his and felt a warmth spread throughout your entire being. In that moment, you knew that this trip would be the start of something beautiful—a bond nurtured by the love for strawberries, and perhaps, something even deeper between you and Fukuzawa.

Headcannons: 

You and Fukuzawa established establish a tradition of visiting a strawberry farm ever spring.

He enjoys seeing how your face would brighten up at the sight of strawberries. He thinks it's cute, but would never admit it.

When he has the time (which he makes an effort to), he will surprise you with a romantic and intimate picnic in the best nature places in Yokohama. He would present you a basket filled with ripe fresh strawberries or however you like them! It's his way of showing you he loves you even though he's a busy and well respected man.

Over time, strawberries become a symbol of love and happiness in your relationship. Fukuzawa often surprises you with strawberries, using them to express his affection and to remind you of the special moments you've shared.

——————✧◦♚◦✧——————⋆——————✧◦♚◦✧——————

@peytonsan

[eeldritchblast]

How do Cassius and Wyll get along, especially since they're both warlocks in a similar-ish situation? What's Wyll's fate in Cassius's playthrough?

Aaaaahhhhh they are so. Complicated. Because they are mostly opposites, but the similarities they do share cross at the worst axis, is the best way to describe them.

At first, they have assumptions about each other based on both being warlocks; Cassius expects Wyll to be like him (happily part of a devil's pact for personal gain), and Wyll expects Cassius to be like him (stuck in a terrible debt for the greater good). This doesn't last very long though, because of course Cassius shows his true colours to Wyll, and then Mizora appears and treats Wyll like he's a dog, which shows Cassius how extremely different her approach is compared to his own patron. (Typhon plays a very different game; if I had to compare him to an existing fictional character, I'd compare him to NBC's version of Hannibal Lecter.)

However, their lack of understanding each other remains the definitive feature in their relationship, especially when it comes to the fact that Wyll is so good-aligned, whereas Cassius does whatever benefits him with little regard for others, (those he's close to being the only exception,) including evil. And unlike Karlach, who believes Cassius is a better person deep down than he really is, Wyll is fully capable of seeing Cassius as a bad guy. I don't think they'd stay together if it wasn't for the necessity of their situation. But since they are together, they both figure they might as well treat each other with respect, in the very least. So it's not like they're openly hostile; they just don't see eye-to-eye. Wyll doesn't trust Cassius at all, and Cassius finds Wyll's selflessness to be annoying.

Cassius is in full support of Wyll finding a way out of his pact, because he values personal freedom above all else, and seeing Wyll have that at a limited capacity is enough that he doesn't think Wyll's pact is worth the power. In Cassius's mind, Wyll could do better, to put it plainly. So, he helps Wyll get out of Mizora's retinue. He doesn't originally plan on saving Duke Ravengard, because he doesn't have any personal motivation to do so, but seeing Wyll mourn the loss of his father unlocks a rare glimmer of sympathy for someone else in Cassius. It makes him think about how he was forced to abandon his own father and escape the Underdark. So, this is one of the rare times he does a good thing without personal gain, to make Wyll happy. I don't think he'd do it for just anyone; I think it speaks of how, despite their differences, the respect they have for each other by this time has grown to become authentic.

After the defeat of the Netherbrain, Wyll and Karlach both depart for Avernus. I think this also comes as a relief to Cassius, because he'd rather not have to fight Wyll after everything they've been through, and considering he and Astarion are on an evil path to gain control of Baldur's Gate, it just may have come to that under different circumstances.

[fallenrocket]

I love, love, love the way episode 4 is structured to bring us to that heart-to-heart between Ed and Stede. I'd been predicting that the crew’s reaction to Ed being alive would have to be dealt with first, and it is. This is important, because they've been through a lot of shit and that needs to be acknowledged and respected. I'm glad that Stede, despite yeeting himself off the Red Flag to get back to Ed, accepts the crew’s vote to banish him.

But honestly, it's good for Stede and Ed too, as much as it hurts in the moment. Headbutt aside, if it wasn't for the crew's decision here, I don't know if these two would've dealt with their issues. Yes, Ed has a lot of anger and pain, and Stede has been scared and wrestling with some complicated feelings. But after Ed's gorgeous vision of Stede as a mermaid, after Stede's monumental relief when Ed wakes up, I could see both of them being so happy and lovestruck that they just fall back into things together. Ed doesn't open up about his feelings, Stede doesn't explain where his head was at the end of season 1, and all that junk stays hidden, building and waiting to come out at a later, worse time.

Banishing Ed, on the other hand, brings the conflict back to the fore. Even though Stede obviously didn't want to do it, that's not how Ed takes it. To him, this is a further betrayal. Now, the Stede standing in front of him is in stark vision with his vision: “You’re no fucking mermaid,” he sneers, much to Stede's (delightful!) confusion.

Bringing them into contact with Anne and Mary is the next smart move on the show's part. There's plenty to be said about comparing and contrasting the two couples: superficially, there's the fearsome one who's more sensitive than they let on and the "artsy" one who's more capable of damage than people might expect. And of course, there's the "cautionary tale" aspect, Mary holding their feet (all but literally) to the fire as she scoffs at their teenage-boy romance and insists that this is what a real adult relationship looks like.

But more than that, Anne and Mary are there to stir the pot, to lob grenades into the boys' drama and force the issue. Ed and Stede are now back in the same room, which thrills Stede and upsets Ed (my god, he can hardly even look at him for a long stretch of the episode.) Anne and Mary probe into their past, prompting Stede to share fond memories and Ed to bring up painful ones. Anne oh-so-accidentally lets slip about Stede having gone back to Mary, which brings Ed to both his boiling point and his breaking point.

And then, they pretty much have to talk. This is how we get Ed being vulnerable, admitting that he was “all in” that night on the docks and feels like an idiot for having trusted Stede. It's how we get Stede explaining what was going through his mind that night and why he, returned to Barbados, however briefly. It's how Stede acknowledges the hurt he caused Ed while at the same time pointing out that he’s forgiven Ed for things too, and it's how he gets Ed to hear his lovely little “I love everything about you” speech.

Given everything that’s gone down between these two, the show does an excellent job of making their journey over the course of episode 4 feel earned. By the time Stede offers to approach the crew about letting Ed stay one more night, and Ed softly agrees that he'd like that, I can fully buy it. And without the crew banishing Ed or Anne/Mary stirring shit up, I'm not sure it could have worked as organically.

[alicent-boleyn]

the wedding

Word count: 893 words

SUMMARY: Berenice convinces Rhaena to listen to her heart, 168 AC.

Despite being the same age as Rhaena, Berenice has found that they do not share much in the way of, well, anything. Sure, they may both be faithful worshippers of the Seven, but there was something of a flavor of dogmatic vehemence in Rhaena's piety that Berenice wanted to hold at a firm distance. She could not say what trait of hers similarly repelled Rhaena, only that their shared upbringing and cloistering in the Maidenvault did not have the effect of bringing them closer.

They were let out on certain occasions, mostly to attend court functions and services at the sept, and today, they were allowed to attend Daeron's wedding to Princess Myriah Martell. No one could deny they were pleased at the prospect. Daena was particularly excited for the occasion, as it meant several successive days out of the same four walls they've been trapped behind for nearly a decade. Of course, they had to sit through hours and hours of sermons at the ceremony, but even Blessed Baelor the Beloved could not stop the feasting and dancing and jousting that accompanied a royal wedding.

Berenice felt the music twirl around her, like clouds of smoke, Dornish guitars and flutes and hurdy-gurdies coming together to make sounds that were joyful, if not totally pleasant. Even Princess Naerys, still weak from the birth of her daughter Daenerys, swayed in her seat to the happy rhythm. She was glad to see her cousin enjoying her son's wedding, since the rest of life had been treating her so ill. She usually dressed in pale, nearly white clothes, but today, she wore red and black and gold, gold, gold. Her clothes almost overpowered her; the woman faded into the background, while the dress, beaded and embroidered and trimmed to excess, seemed to act on its own. Half dead already, it seemed fit that Naerys occupied her clothes like a ghost in a keep.

Strong wine flowed freely, and though she drank only half her glass, it was more than she had had in a very long time. The sound and the alcohol and her own discomfort with crowds made her leave the Great Hall for the gardens. (Since when did she hate crowds? She was never like this before Baelor.)The garden was lit sparsely, Berenice made her way by the light of a few lanterns and the nearly-full moon. Approaching the old weirwood, she saw Rhaena sitting at its roots.

“Cousin!” She said, mindful of her volume. The gods of the weirwood were not her gods, but nonetheless she knew better than to disregard them completely.

“Berenice,” Rhaena replied. “What brings you here?”

“The same as what brought you here, I'll reckon.” She sat beside her. Out of the folds of her skirt, Rhaena produced an orange and began to peel it. Watching the leaves dance in front of the moon, they shared the slices. Berenice felt a little bad, not having anything to provide for their little feast. Rhaena did not try to make conversation, and so neither did Berenice. When they finished, they sat silent for a moment, and Berenice grabbed her cousin's sticky hand and held it.

Rhaena opened her mouth, “Do y-”

“Wh-” Berenice started. They had both tried to speak at the same time. Berenice nodded and let the other woman go first.

“Do you ever think, sometimes, that being a princess is more trouble than it's worth?” She was barely above a whisper.

“Yes, much more than sometimes. Do you remember when I came to court?” Rhaena nodded in agreement. “I know I was terribly disagreeable that first year, sullen, cross with everyone and everything. But I had not been raised to be the niece of a king, or cousin or what have you. I was raised to be a holy Sister, I cannot wear the mantle of Princess with any comfort.”

At this, Rhaena's brow furrowed. “How do you do it then? How do you keep going when you find your position so… untenable?”

Berenice flicked her gaze to the sky, then back to her cousin. “Because I know I have a way out. I remember Rhaella, daughter of Rhaena, and Maegelle, daughter of Jaehaerys, and Celia, the Mother at the house which raised me and the mother of my heart.” Just a hint of hope dawned on Rhaena's face. This seems to have been the right thing to say.

“For a long time now, I have felt a… a certain something in my heart, a longing only satisfied when I enter the Sept, and breath in the incense, and feel the pages of the Seven-Pointed Star whisper between my fingers.” Rhaena sighed, “I… I know what the gods are telling me, but I don't know that I have the strength to answer their call.”

Berenice squeezed her cousin's hand. “Baelor will support you in this, you know he will, and besides, becoming a Septa doesn't mean you have to leave us quite so soon, not until after your permanent vows. The only difference between following your soul's desire now and following it later is the amount of heartache in between.”

A lull fell between them as they contemplated each other's words. The two women turned to the stars, letting the echo of the music inside be washed away by the wind and the rustling leaves and their heartbeats.

[ulircursed]

a hesitant kiss, arranged marriage au for you 

"And now you may kiss the bride!"

Neither of them move. She knows he feels the same way she does about this entire ordeal. She knows he feels exactly the same about her as she does about him. They've never liked each other. But this union isn't about them. It's for Chalphy. It's for Yngvi. It's for Grannvale.

There's a cough in the audience and Ethlyn turns in the hours, minutes, seconds that it's been that neither of them have moved to kiss the other to see her father trying to gesture with his eyes only to urge her to get on with it.

She turns back to Andrei. Has he moved slightly closer? It's hard to tell. Her toes wiggle inside of her shoes as she struggles to figure out exactly what to do. He's the one who should initiate. If she leans in first, someone might think she is actually enjoying this.

another kiss prompt (accepting!)

"And now you may kiss the bride!"

They'd both known this had been coming for nearly all their lives.

Countless childhood arguments forcibly broken up by the warning that they will spend a future together had morphed into a fuming, mutual disdain as the date of their inevitable marriage approached. It is clear as day that they were not, and will never be, a good fit. That the marriage would not be a happy one. But it did not matter.

'Blood begets blood', as the saying went. Even if it is from another crusader, taking a spouse who is confirmed to have minor blood would, theoretically, result in a higher chance that their future children could be born with major blood.

House Chalphy does not need this, with Lord Sigurd poised to take the mantle as heir.

House Yngvi does, and desperately.

Someone clears their throat, and Andrei realizes that he had not moved. And why shouldn't he? After the disappearance of Lady Sister Brigid (lost at sea, dead, if everyone would just voice it, just accept it), everything he'd ever done had been to try and fill her position, even though the blood that runs through his veins itself dictates that he could never aspire to her heights. To have a child with major blood is one of the only things he could do, if the fates would just smile upon them.

You are merely righting your previous wrongs, false heir.

(And why would his own feelings matter, if this is the case?)

Mechanically, he moves forward, landing a chaste peck with tightened lips upon hers. This will not be the end, but just the same, he knows he will do whatever needs to be done.

For Yngvi.

[avastyetwats]

I can't thank you enough for all that you've done for me (ed to izzy)

The silence had been comfortable. It was the early hours of the morning, still several minutes before the full sunrise, and Izzy had come out onto the deck first. Fang, another early riser, was already out, readying himself to go catch some fish and bring back to Roach for breakfast. Early mornings were the best time to catch fish, after all, though Izzy was a little surprised to see him alone. Lately Ed had been accompanying him, learning all he could about catching fish and even catching some himself. Small ones, mostly, but the other day e did manage to catch a much larger fish and Izzy remembers how excited and proud he was when he climbed back onto The Revenge and showed off his best catch yet. The First Mate was smiling in the back, proud of Edward and glad to see him so happy about something so... different. Something so simple and mundane compared to the things they've done during their life of piracy together.

And that's what consumed Izzy's thoughts currently as he leaned against the railing of the ship, watching Fang row himself further out to sea. The man waves at him and Izzy smirks, returning the wave in kind before he lets out a heavy sigh and drops his hand, wishing he had a bottle of rum in the other, but it was too fuckin' early for that. He was trying to drink less. Trying to rely on that shit less, though it helped numb a lot of his pain. Both physically and emotionally. Hell, he could use some right now thinking about Ed and their life together. All the shit they've been through, all the shit they've put each other through, especially recently. Though, things had calmed down since and they were trying to find their way back. But it wasn't easy. Nothing in life ever was, though.

He'd been so consumed in his thoughts and the calming view of the horizon in front of him that he didn't hear anyone approach him until he heard Edward's voice, snapping Izzy from his thoughts. But it's his words that surprised the First Mate. They came out of nowhere and he hadn't even started with a good morning or anything of the sort. No. He just... thanked him for all that Izzy had done for him. He didn't expect that, especially with how tense things between them had been lately. He isn't sure what he wants to say in response because they'd never been much for the emotional and sentimental conversations. Sure they've had their deeply intimate moments, but not for a while. They hadn't even talked about all the shit that happened since Stede Bonnet came into their lives.

So, Izzy stands up straight and stretches his neck out a bit, wishing more than ever that he had a bottle of alcohol in his hand. "Was surprised to see Fang out there alone." He doesn't mean to ignore his Captain's words. He just... wasn't sure what to say to that. Not just because they hadn't really talked about everything, but because of the guilt that still ate at Izzy. All the things he had done for Edward? What about the things he had done to him? If not for Izzy, the crew wouldn't have been put in danger, nearly killed. If not for him, Lucius would've never been thrown overboard. If not for him, the others would have never been stranded. If not for him, Edward wouldn't have almost died... yes, he's been told it wasn't his fault and that he didn't deserve losing his leg and nearly dying, but fuck, he still felt guilty for it all. He felt angry and hurt and sick and guilty. He hated what became of them. Fuckin' hated it. "'s beautiful, isn't it?" A pause. "Sunrise." It wasn't the first sunrise they've watched together.

[jade-mythriil]

The Angel of Dimensions

Jade Mythriil was a Lorekeeper. But he was different from the other Lorekeepers. He wasn't a fragment of the Mithel_Celestia's soul like the other Lorekeepers. He was a spawn - the only spawn - of the Mithel_Celestia, born from the union between him and a mortal from the origin realm; this happened before the Lorekeepers was even formed.

Back before the Lorekeepers and the Other-realms existed, there was the first realm - the Origin Realm. During the time of the origin realm, the Mithel_Celestia was very proud of his creation. They wanted to be among their creations and so started mingling with the inhabitants of the realm and the inhabitants were very happy with his presence.

One day they took a liking to one of the mortal inhabitants of the realm and she took a liking to him too. Their love eventually spawned Jade. He was not a Lorekeeper back then; He wasn't even an Aethereal. He was a mortal inhabitant living with his mother and they had a happy life together. But the paradise did not last.

The Void was angry. It wanted revenge for Time encroaching on its domain and brought its wrath to the guardian of the realm, the Mithel_Celestia. It pierced through the veil separating the realm from the all-consuming Void and started consuming everything. This was the first time the Void ever attacked a realms and it almost wiped all of creation.

In order to preserve it, the Mithel_Celestia could only do one thing: They needed to use an Aetheral Artifact, the Reality Helix, to preserve all of creation before the Void could consume it all. But to do that, the Origin Realm had to be wiped clean of both the Voidcs corruption and its inhabitants.

The Mithel_Celestia had no choice but to erase everything including his only love in order to preserve creation and it was the hardest decision they've ever made.

After the Reality Helix absorbed all records of creation, the Origin Realm ceased to exist and the Void was once again thrown back to its domain.

Nothing remained of the Origin Realm. Except for one. It was the only remnant that survived the cleansing; the lost soul of his only spawn, Jade.

Feeling obligated to not only take care his only spawn but also all of creation, the Mithel_Celestia split his soul and assigned them the task of remaking all of creation but splitting them into different realms so that the Void would not destroy it all again. The Lorekeepers had been formed and the creation of the Other-realms had commenced.

Eons passed and the lost soul had finally developed into a proper Aethereal with no memory of his past. He was given the name Jade Mythriil and given the task of protecting the realms from the Void. Everything went smoothly until one of the realms Jade had been watching had an unexpected breach. He tried to contain it but every time he did, another breach would pop in. Eventually the realm became overwhelmed by the void. The Lorekeeper's Protocol dictated the realm be wiped clean and start over to prevent the Void from consuming the realm, but somehow the mortal side of Jade didn't want to let go of it.

Just as he thought everything was lost, a fellow Lorekeeper approached him. It was Omen, the personal apprentice of the Mithel_Celestia. They saw his plight and knew of a way to prevent the void from destroying the realm.

The only way to save it was to use the Reality Helix. It contained records of every realm created by each Lorekeeper down to the exact moment in time. If Jade could use the Helix to restore the realm back to a point in time before the Void had breached it, he could oreserve the realm and get another chance at protecting it.

Jade knew where the Artifact was held but it was kept away somewhere secluded to prevent the Void from finding it. It would only be used in special cases where wiping a realm isn't an option. But Jade was desperate.

He lead Omen to the helix, hoping Omen would help Jade use it. When the Helix was in Jade's grasp, he got ready to use.

But Omen had other plans. Using powers that Jade had not known a Lorekeeper to wield, Omen had thrown Jade aside and pinned him under a black mass. Omen revealed his intentions to be evil as he wanted to use the Helix to destroy the protective veil surrounding the Other-realms and allow the void to consume all of reality as revenge for the Mithel_Celestia casting him aside and betraying him.

Jade struggled to get out of the black mass and stop Omen, but as Omen was about to destroy the veil, a power inside Jade awoke and a bright light enveloped the room.

Jade grabbed hold of the Helix from Omen's clutches and use his soul to fragment the Helix into pieces and scatter them throughout the realms. Once the light receded, Omen had already escaped. But Jade was too weak after he fragmented his soul to prevent Omen from getting his hands on Reality Helix.

On the verge of disappearing, Jade laid back and allowed his essence to dissipate throughout the Other-realms. But before he disappeared completely, the Mithel_Celestia appeared before him. Having pity for his only spawn, the Mithel_Celestia transferred a large portion of his power to Jade and gathered what little was left of the Reality Helix to merge it with Jade's soul.

Jade was slowly regaining his form, but the Mithel_Celestia had one last act to do. With the Reality Helix fragmented, each of the realms are protected from the Void. But the Arcane Archives where the Lorekeepers reside was now unprotected from an attack from the Void.

To keep the Archive's safe, the Mithel_Celestia spent the last of his power creating a new veil before his soul fell dormant.

With guilt of not only losing the Reality Helix but also the loss of the Mithel_Celestia weighing on him, Jade must now find a way to collect his fragmented souls and find the lost fragments of the Reality Helix before Omen could use it to destroy the realms.

[classasurreptitiouslurker]

Ooo, great stuff here, bouncing a quick (edit: okay, this was not quick) response back:

Cat and mouse feels an incredibly apt turn of phrase actually - although for me it's less the expressions that do it than precisely that friendly and unassuming wording. By being so deliberate about hesitating and then making a conscious, carefully considered selection - and letting Aziraphale see that - he's setting up the word(s) after the pause to be heavily emphasised and implication laden, so I've always read him then going for the most innocuous possible phrasing as a pretty clear, purposeful statement to Aziraphale that he knows all the most sordid and most secret details of what he's been up to and, even more concerningly, how he feels - which, even if it was never outright implied (what a phrase...) Aziraphale can certainly extrapolate into Metatron having the knowledge to use those feelings against him if he ever so chooses. What you said about spy villains revealing that they've been watching someone and know their pressure points.

but - to clarify - i don't think the metatron realises that aziraphale has seen it as a threat. Ohhhh maybe that's it! I've been wondering why he'd drop such an obviously sinister statement in the middle of his affable old man act. While I found the act rather unsuccessful, all things considered, that still seemed far too blatant to have been a mistake - but this sort of casual I'm-so-much-smarter-than-you condescension would feel very on brand for him. Huh, okay, idea - or maybe he's setting himself up for using a 'this is all your fault and you've brought this onto yourself. I wanted to play nice' approach later on if it does become necessary to resort to threats. He wants nothing more than to be that kind affable old man, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't have the resources to put the pressure on and he hates that it's come to this, but really, he has no other choice and he deeply regrets that Aziraphale is making him do this. Almost edging towards turning around and pulling the this is for your own good card if you know what I mean?

Oh, yeah, I think him not making any direct or even indirect threats and only mentioning that by the way, he knows, is probably way worse actually. He'll never be able to come up with anything half as bad as Aziraphale's imagination can and will in filling in the blanks he leaves.

Wholeheartedly agree with everything you're saying about the Metatron thinking he's got Aziraphale tricked but Aziraphale being smarter than that, seeing through it and trying to cobble together a counter-plan. In my mind, it's like, he doesn't want to do this, and he's agreeing under duress, but that doesn't mean that there's not, if he plays his cards right and doesn't get caught, a massive opportunity here and Crowley not getting that or not being willing to do it doesn't mean he isn't going to do his best to wrest a happy ending out of Heaven's hands under Metatron's nose, even if it might now only be one for the humans, and not for them as well.

I mean, you're right with what you're saying about Metatron's bribe vs. blackmail functionality calculation. (Although I wonder whether Aziraphale really thinks he's giving Crowley what he's always wanted... I'm more of the mind that he anticipates, though underestimates the extent of and reasons for, Crowley's rejection of the idea, but still thinks this'll be a net good for both them and the planet, and is disappointed that Crowley is seemingly unable or unwilling to look past his... pride?... for the sake of, if not fighting for their future, at least fighting for the humans' future.) What I actually meant though was that a bribe is far more concerning from Aziraphale's viewpoint given his position - sorry 😂. See for me, thing is, Aziraphale's a disgraced, effectively exiled traitor. Threatening him into compliance would be pretty par for the course, almost to be expected. Offering him - and, by extension, a demon - something though, and such a monumental and personalised something at that, that shows a worrying level of specific, targeted interest in him. The bribe is personal in a way blackmail would not have been. So it's better to play along and accept a) in order to find out why this interest in him/both of them and avert the dangers most likely coming along with it - keep your enemies closer and all that - and b) because the Metatron's rather tipped his hand here by coming in with such a high bid. He wants this. He's not going to accept a no; if Aziraphale tries to refuse him and his patience runs out, he'll just come back with less friendly methods the next time. Aziraphale'll end up having to do it one way or another, and like this, if he accepts right away so the Metatron thinks he's succesfully fooled/bought him, he'll at least gain a certain degree of trust and leeway that he would never get if Metatron had had to resort to threats because then he'd be kept on the tightest leash possible.

Weeeellll, if the Metatron's been watching, then he may also have an idea of current-day Crowley, which, in combination with knowing the circumstances of his Fall, maybe he's then confident enough to say he won't accept? But even then it just seems incredibly risky to stake the entire plan on Crowley - whose whole thing is being contrary 😂 - doing what he's meant to do for the first and only time in his existence. So no, I agree, there must have been a contingency for if he accepted, in which case something that's at least restoration-adjacent does have to be a thing that exists, and that would, or could be made to, work towards the Metatron's advantage. I have to say, I really like the file analogy, works great with all the memory stuff that's apparently been going down in Heaven. (Speaking of analogies, I love the idea of framing it as defection.)

Just whacking this out there, but I mean, much as I do think the "past exploits" comment serves as a warning about Heaven's rules/standards, and reach, and the fact that they've exposed Aziraphale's 'crimes' - sort of a 'you know what we expect from your conduct, and you've been continually stepping way out of line, and we're choosing to overlook it for now, but know that we know, and that we will know about future missteps as well, that we don't approve and could still intervene' flung out there for no immediate particular purpose, just to serve as a reminder - by and large, I find the whole restoration offer thing much more bribe than threat, and, well, frankly, personally, I'd consider a bribe of such proportions more concerning than any threat could have been, no?

hello lovely!!!💕 i think ive shared my thoughts on this in dribs and drabs over multiple posts but no harm in going over it again, fuck it-

essentially, i completely agree with you. splitting those two parts of the conversation into two, i definitely see the first part as a warning, and simultaneously an unspoken threat:

what particularly speaks to me is how the metatron hesitates over both 'previous exploits' and 'partnership', as if he's specifically searching for the right turns of phrase. trying to make light of it, keep it friendly and unassuming. but the small, smirky, private smiles, compared to aziraphale's reaction of flitting eyes and tight lips - it feels like metatron is playing a cat-and-mouse game... the guise of it being that it's all a great opportunity, but truthfully they both recognise the unspoken threat is there

(but - to clarify - i don't think the metatron realises that aziraphale has seen it as a threat. ie the metatron thinks he's being slicker than he actually is, when aziraphale is very much able to read between the lines).

i remember making the comparison in a meta somewhere but it just simply strikes me that - if we're continuing with the 'sleeper/secret agent in the height of the cold war' allegory - the metatron is playing the part of the seedy villain that is doing the 'i've been watching you all along, i know precisely what your pressure point is and why' bit that we all know and love from any kind of dramatised espionage story.

essentially, as you said, "we could still intervene" - ie. 'dont think that i haven't seen every single thing, because i have. i know how deep this 'partnership' runs'. there doesn't even need to be an allusion to what metatron could do with this breadth of knowledge - just simply that he has the knowledge is enough, and aziraphale can draw his own horrific conclusions quite easily, even if they never come to fruition.

(on an intertextual level, metatron kinda reminds me of how i'd imagine karla to be - from the john le carré novels... a little bit, idk.)

now as for the second part; the restoration thing:

i completely agree - this absolutely feels like a bribe. 'i know crowley is your pressure point, and you'll fight tooth and nail coming back without him in tow, so im going to offer it to you - this amazing opportunity that you can graciously bestow upon him! "go tell your friend the good news!"'

the metatron may well be disguising a threat in the exchange, but i do think that he believes aziraphale to have taken the offer to return to heaven at face value, in earnest, and therefore he believes that he has aziraphale squarely under his thumb (and none the wiser for it). however, i personally think aziraphale may be constructing his own hasty game - ie. using the offer as an opportunity to "make a difference" as he and crowley would see fit... but the spanner in the works was that crowley refuses to come with him to play on 'their side' in this little counter-game he's trying to devise.

in terms of functionality of bribe vs. threat - absolutely, a bribe promises a greater yield. threats only work so long as it's a) inescapable enough, b) serious enough, and c) the threatened person is sufficiently scared enough that they won't toe out of line. which may well be effective in getting someone to comply, but the problem with making people scared of you or hate you, is that then they all secretly want to see you ruined or destroyed.

bribe someone, however... give them something that they might have always wanted (or, as i think is the case for aziraphale - gives them the opportunity to give another what they've always wanted), and you have a greater chance of having an ally in them forever, someone forever indebted to you.

i definitely think this is where the metatron's reasoning lies. instead of threatening crowley's life, so to speak, he's offering him the chance essentially to defect - and that's way more appealing to aziraphale and likely to get him to fall in line.

for me though, it's all a gross underestimation of aziraphale on the metatron's part. i will die on the hill where aziraphale sees through what the metatron is saying - has indeed read between the lines where he doesn't have a choice one way or another - but chooses to play the part that the metatron expected him to play (of marginalised-angel who is actually the-very-kind-of-angel-heaven-needs, and therefore very-grateful-to-given-the-top-job-thank-you) so that the metatron will keep underestimating him. bribe or not, aziraphale did not want to go back to heaven... but if he doesn't have much of a choice regardless, he's going to make it work for him.

now this ask has led me to another thought: i do wonder if the restoration is actually a thing? ie. the metatron wasn't bluffing, it's actually possible.

the metatron is putting an awful lot of bank on crowley saying no, when by all accounts - even if the metatron was directly involved in crowley's fall - the metatron doesn't actually know him... right? he likely knows that crowley is resentful and angry still at having fallen, and the unfairness of the whole shebang, but does that guarantee that crowley wouldn't want to take the restoration offer? id hazard no - so the metatron has to have a failsafe for either eventuality.

either crowley says no, and aziraphale is left broken-hearted/rejected, and that suits metatron fine because then he has aziraphale ridden of crowley's influence. alternatively, crowley returns, and is restored!

...but is restored to the same position as he was when he fell - essentially like restoring a backed-up file where the last save point was ~millions of~ years ago... and that would suit metatron fine also, because then crowley is simply not crowley anymore. plausible deniability on the metatron's part too, for the latter option - 'restoration has never happened before, didn't know what to expect, but you've gotten what i promised you!' idk, interesting thought

[spookyrus-writes-sometimes]

Amphibia was incredible.

I wasn't going to give it a chance at first. The premise was silly to me, and the few season 1 episodes I caught now and then didn't do anything for me. But I heard talk and saw fan art, saw that so many people loved these characters dearly, and that pushed me to see the show through. And I am so glad that I did.

The story of Anne, Sasha, and Marcy's relationship is so real and so near and dear to my heart. The tragedy of their imperfect love for each other is beautiful, and that alone made me fall in love with this show. That all three would do anything for each other, whether it's make terrible mistakes or change for the better, is the true love that I so desperately long to experience. They're cartoon characters, but they're written so real. They're so, so important to me.

Of course there are things that I would have done differently, and things that I wish could have been explored more. I feel that a number of the slice of life episodes drag, especially in season 1, and it hurts the show's pacing. I vehemently loathe season 3's aversion to addressing Sasha and Marcy until it's their time to show up for the plot. I feel that Darcy was severely underutilized. I wish we could have seen more of Sasha and Marcy's calamity powers. I wish we had seen more of Andrias's relationship with Leif and Barrel. I really don't like that the day was saved by a plot device only introduced in the final episode.

And I never, EVER would have written an ending as tragic as the one we got. I'm afraid of unhappy endings, of leaving things unresolved or on an unidealistic note. Of course we all wish that the worlds hadn't been cut off. It hurts to know that Anne will never get to see Sprig and Polly grow up, that Grime will never get to see just how far Sasha has come, that Marcy will never get to have the familial relationship with Olivia and Yunan that they deserved. It's especially hard to know that even after everything they've been through together, Anne, Sasha, and Marcy still drifted apart. It's so, so hard to say goodbye. So hard to accept that not everything gets a perfect, happy ending, wrapped up in a neat little bow. That sometimes things change, not always for the better, and all you can do is remember and move on.

It's not a perfect ending. But in a lot of ways, I feel it's the perfect ending for Amphibia.

Amphibia is not and was never an escapist fantasy. It's clearly a story very personal to its creator, one that aims to share some of the hard truths he's learned in his life. Amphibia is a story about love and loss and how those things change you, how you improve and become stronger for those you love, and what you'll give for them. But it doesn't try to convince us that love can conquer anything, because it can't. Sometimes, no matter how hard it is, you have to say goodbye. I think that's a really important lesson, not just for the audience, but for the characters.

Anne will never forget Sprig, Polly, and Hop Pop, and they'll never forget her. They changed each other for the better, and their lives are better for it, even if they can't be together anymore. Maybe Anne, Sasha, and Marcy didn't get to be together forever, maybe life led them in different directions, but their love for each other still made them better people. And maybe it's enough to know that despite everything, no matter how far apart they are, their love will always find each other.

And if that isn't enough, well, we'll always have fan fiction.

I know that my passion for this show will fade, just like it did for all the shows before it. But I will never forget the feelings Amphibia made me feel, and I truly believe that Reunion, (especially) True Colors, and The Hardest Thing will go down as some of my all-time favorite episodes of television. I know that the story of Amphibia is one that will change my approach to storytelling, and hopefully me as a person, for the better.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, to both Matt Braly and the crew and all the fan creators who got me invested, for Anne, Sasha, and Marcy. And to Sprig, Polly, Hop Pop, Grime, Olivia, Yunan, and Andrias, goodbye, and thank you for all the awesome adventures.

[countrymusiclover]

Part 5 - Fate's Miracle

Gif not mine. Belongs to respectful owner

Part 6

Danny can hardly get the words to leave his mouth and I can hardly breath when I hear them. "Y/n, I'm so sorry. Rafe is - Rafe is dead."

I've been sobbing for who knows how many hours in Evelyn's house. Danny drove me over here so much parents wouldn't wonder why I was crying so much. Clutching my knees to my chest Evelyn hands me something to wipe my nose with Danny leaning in the doorway of her bathroom. "Danny, I think you should go. It's probably not helping that she sees his best friend-" Eve tries to make him leave but I shoot my head up calling him back into the room. "Danny, stay please!" Danny stands back where he was holding in tears himself, trying to keep it together for me. "Do you need anything Y/n?" Lifting my head up I blinked trying to clear my vision that blurs together. "Tell me about your childhood with him..." I croaked out my throat dry from sobbing constantly. Throughout the rest of the night Danny told me about him and Rafe. Everything they did together. How he treated Danny like his brother. It still hurts to think the last time I was ever in his arms or kissed him was on my front porch months ago.

As of today it will have been three months since Rafe's last letter, since he was presumed dead. Finishing putting my hair into a braid I sniffed clutching Rafe's first note in my pocket. Evelyn and Danny thought it would be good for all of us to go for dinner and drinks tonight. As a way to get me out of my house for the night I suppose. My parents had to go to a Army base to deal with Japan sending messages to the US. Since they're not around I haven't left the house at all. Hiding under the blankets on my bed trying to imagine him not being gone. Evelyn and Danny walk together with me on his other side entering the bar. Everyone of the pilots, nurses and people who sleep on Pearl Harbor ships are here tonight. I clutch my jacket in my left hand remembering Rafe and I dancing on the rooftop. Danny clearly takes notice gently grabbing my forearm leading me through the crowd to get a drink from the bar. "Danny I don't think I can do this - maybe I should just go back home for tonight."

Danny shakes his head sliding me a shot glass picking up his own. "Y/n, I know it's hard but let's have a shot together...for Rafe." I slowly nodded tipping the shot back at the same time as him. I try not to gag at how strong the bartender was making them tonight. Hours later I'm still sitting at the bat sipping from a new shot of alcohol watching Evelyn and Danny party all night. The pair have gotten close since Rafe was gone, Evelyn learned to enjoy Rafe's company even though I think she slightly had a crush on him. If he hadn't fallen for me I bet money he would've gone for her. Danny twirled Evelyn around on the dancefloor and they both mirror the same huge smile. Evelyn rushed to my house the night after she visited him late at the base and she nearly squealed that they had slept together. Glancing at my watch I see it's almost ten at night. With my parents gone for two more days I'm in charge of his unit until he comes back. He called it as like my training for when he retired.

I don't bother telling the pair bye seeing as they are having too much fun together. And Danny deserves to be happy considering he lost his best friend who he considered like his own brother. Driving Danny's car back to my place I knew that Evelyn's house wasn't far from the bar, which is probably where her and Danny would head after all the drinks they've had. Parking in the driveway I nearly hit another car that's in front of me. Who the hell's car is in the driveway. Holding my head I feel it get jolted around hitting the breaks harshly so I don't slam into it. "Y/n, shit are you alright?" A man's voice called out to me. Footsteps approach my car but it takes me a few seconds to recognize the stranger. Rubbing my eyes to clear my vision to stare into brown eyes I'd recognize anywhere. Eyes that I fell in love with, eyes that can only belong to one person...Rafe.

"Y/n, Y/n can you hear me. Look at me, what hurts?" Rafe cups my face in his hands searching to see if I'm injured but he won't find any injuries on the outside. I expected tears to already be falling but there's nothing. My hands slowly run up his arms to rest against his face trying to determine if this is all a dream or maybe even a nightmare. A nightmare to think I'll never get to be around him ever again. "God tell me I ain't dreaming of you, Rafe McCawley..." Rafe's figment of my imagination leans down capturing my lips with his. I gasped sharply feeling my brain finally processing that I'm not losing it. "Ra - Rafe..." I released out in tears seeing him break the kiss smiling down at me. His right hand brushes hair from my eyes releasing a teared chuckle with a huge grin. "You're not dreaming baby. I told you I'd come back....I made you a promise and I'll never break it again." He rests his forehead against mine as I clutch the fabric of his jacket, my breathing becoming labored mixing with his. Something in my brain snapped as I climbed out of the car grabbing his arm pulling him inside my family's house and to my room with a smirk on my lips.

Spinning around to face him I crashed my lips onto his and he kisses back feeling me pull him up against me by his shirt. My arms wrapped around his neck deepening it until I broke it pulling his jacket off and he pulled mine off to. His eyes searching mine for any sign of hesitation. "Have you ever done this before, Y/n?" I shake my head no sucking a thick lump in my throat playing with the hair at the base of his neck. "I'm your first in everything aren't I, baby?" Rafe smirks brightly leaning forward and kissing me slowly so I ease into him. "You already know my dad didn't want me dating anyone silly. So of course your my first...is that a bad thing?" I blushed looking down to the floor until he lifts my chin up so I looked into his eyes again.

"There's nothing wrong with that. You're the love of my life so I'm thrilled to be yours all together." He slowly pulled my shirt over my head along with his own. And it's not too long after we're kissing again and I fall back onto the bed. "Y/n, look at me. Tell me if you want me to stop..." His breathing has picked up with him hovering above me. Resting a hand to his face I pulled him down to kiss me again. "Never Rafe. Never stop or leave me alone again...I love you." He responded with a kiss running one hand through my hair. "I'll never leave without you by my side. I love you so much."

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[lalaangeldust]

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚 𝐱 𝐠𝐧!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 [ 𝟑𝐤+ 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 ]

[ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ] : gross sticky icky fluff // friends to lovers troupe <3 // hanta is a huge dork, we all been knew this // hanta is also sickeningly sweet and affectionate // GOD, I JUST LOVE HIM SO MUCH

[ 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ] : on a clear night, you go out to stargaze on the dorm roof; nothing out of the norm for you but in the middle of admiring the stars, sero comes out to join with something big he needs to get off his chest.

[ 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 ] : you - blue // sero - orange

[ 𝗺𝘆𝗸𝗶𝗲'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 ] : i'm totally not projecting my fantasies onto sero and i'm totally not a sucker for friends to lovers fics :| /s

Sitting on the cool concrete of the dorm roof, the night illuminated by nothing but the streetlights below you and the stars above as you lay in silence with your legs propped against the roof's ledge. You've always thought the best part of UA was how it was out of the way so the stars are clearer than they were back in the city. Although graduation is soon and end of year exams are menacingly looming over you, you couldn't resist the urge to come out and soak up the full moon's gorgeous light. Nights like these, alone on a clear night, soft music playing through your headphones, scanning the vast sky, connecting the dots as your eyes wander to make constellations of your own are arguably one of your most favorite things in life.

The only thing that could possibly make this better is... him.

Eyes trailing to the brightest star you can find and admiring how it sticks out from everything else in your vision, your mind uncontrollably wanders to Sero. How that star kinda reminds you of him...

Ugh! what a ridiculous thing to think! Damn him for always finding a way to worm into your thoughts. Your hands fly to your forehead with a smack, outwardly groaning as you drag your fingers down your face in an attempt to shake off your thoughts. You've been friends with him for nearly three years! You would think you'd be over your petty crush on him by now. You two are practically siblings with how you two are almost always attached at the hip, always causing trouble together, always there when the other needed it, always making you feel safe... It would be weird to have feelings for him... right..?

But before you could rationalize your emotions any further, a hand reaches for your headphones, lifting one side off your ear as you hear a soft voice murmur behind you, “The moon’s beautiful tonight, isn't it?”

You practically jump out of your skin, immediately shooting up to take a defensive position. Although you can’t make out the silhouette you’re now facing, the all too familiar laughter that comes from them is more than enough to give away who this false intruder could be and you sigh in relief.

“Sero! You scared me half to death!!” you exclaim, relaxing your shoulders at seeing his familiar frame emerge through the dim light.

Tall and lean with a smile that could nearly rival the sun, the boy chuckles at you. His long pitch black hair he's been growing out for the past year cascading down the sides of his face, just barely brushing past his shoulders framing his face in a way that makes his dashing features stand out even more. Sero approaches you wearing a loose muscle tank top with his hands tucked in ill fitting sweats and a pair of black stud earrings he stole from you in his ears.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Sero chuckled, "I didn't mean to scare you so bad, doll". You send him a deep glare through the darkness and he throws his hands up out of his pockets to either side of his head in defense.

"...Maybe you shouldn't sit out here with music blasting in your ears,” Sero snarks back, “I could’ve been a villain,” he continues mockingly, “Not to mention that horrible stance you took. I don't think you’d fair very well against a villain while sitting down,” he teases with a wide grin smeared on his face. You scoff and roll your eyes in response.

“Are you only here to tell me how much of a hazard I am? Or do you want anything else, tape face?” you grumble.

“Oh, you wound me!” Sero exclaims dramatically, “I was simply wondering what my lil’ muffin was up to,” he muses, the dimples on his cheeks becoming visible as his grin only stretches wider as he speaks.

“Oh god, muffin!?!? ew!” you groan, “What the hell, I thought we agreed on no more stupid pet names,” you say with a giggle while scrunching up your nose.

“I didn't think it was stupid,” Sero huffs as he plops himself down next to you and wrinkles his nose back at you, “Muffin is a valid nickname. You just have no taste,” he concludes with a short nod, still smiling like an idiot.

You just roll your eyes and stick your tongue out at him before tilting your head up to go back to looking at the stars. Sero chuckles softly, staring at you for a moment while admiring you as you look at the sky with a softened smile on his face.

“Why you up so late?” he inquired.

“I could ask you the same thing, Sero,” you reply while throwing your head back down to look at him.

“Mmm, well, I was sleeping but… I suddenly woke up and couldn't go back to sleep,” he grunts as he adjusts himself into a more comfortable sitting position next to you.

You hum in acknowledgment before you look back up to the stars in the sky and Sero is left to admire you once again. How your eyes glimmer with the stars as the full moon softly illuminates your frame is a breathtaking view he would never tire of. The look on your face when you gaze at the sky, the look of pure adoration and awe is a look he hopes, prays, dreams you’ll give him one day.

“What’re you thinking, hun?” he softly asks, hoping you’d give him just the slightest glimpse of what goes on in your head. You pause for a moment, taking in his question and wondering how to answer it.

“Just thinking. Thinking thoughts. Nothing notable or important, I can assure you. Just enjoying the clear night,” you say, swerving his question to avoid the real answer. him.

“Ah, that was a rather vague answer,” he jests, mildly disappointed that you didn't let him in and you only hum in response.

“What about you?” you ask, “What made you wanna come up here?”

“Oh, well..” he begins but is held back by a lump that suddenly lodges in his throat, not really wanting to fully admit why he came up here with you.

In reality he hadn't slept at all. He’s embarrassed to admit it but he couldn't stop thinking of you all night, all day in fact. You just about consume his every thought and tonight, no matter what he did, he just couldn’t shake the thought of being with you.

After being so close with you for years now, people often assume the two of you are dating but the idea is almost always dismissed by a shy laugh and an averted gaze... Sero would be lying if he ever said he didn't relish the idea of being in a romantic relationship with you but... You never seemed all that interested in the idea and Sero was too scared to push the idea you may like him even half as much as he likes you. Never going farther than light hearted flirting and banter, some may call him a coward maybe but to him? Being your friend was enough. Well, that was until Mina and Kiri gave him a harsh wake up call earlier that morning.

They were scolding him on how painfully obvious it is how both you and Sero are nearly head over heels for one another, how they've spent the past year pining for one another, yet the both of you have stayed so blind to the fact you have feelings for each other. Absolutely dumbfounded by this, he asks what he should do about it, about you, to which they immediately and overwhelmingly demand him to confess his feelings for you. That is the real reason he came to find you.

“When I was trying to go back to sleep, I thought about something someone said… about taking chances,” he spoke in a soft and thoughtful tone, “Taking that blind leap of faith into the unknown things we’re afraid of because... what’s the worst that can happen…?” he pauses, rubbing the back of his neck, suddenly realizing how silly he probably sounds as he looks at you, “I dunno- sounds kinda dumb now that I say it out loud,” he says dismissively.

“No, no. I don't think it sounds dumb at all. I think it’s very insightful” you say, ushering him to continue by resting your head on your palm as you look at him intently to show your interest.

“Well, uh,” butterflies swarm to his chest as he tries to find the words to speak, finding it much harder to talk when he knows he has your full attention.

“Well, it led me to think about you 'cus I know that's something you talk about a lot as well… and I figured since it's a full moon tonight, you'd be up here,” he concludes. His gaze nervously shifting to his feet, averting his eyes from you to try and calm the fluttering nerves in his chest.

“I’m glad you did,” you hum, a low warmth growing in your chest from knowing he thought about you, “I enjoy your company,” you add thoughtfully. Though you probably just meant it in a friendly way, it didn’t change how much it meant to Sero to know you like having him around.

“I’m happy to hear that,” Sero chuckles nervously, a light blush dusting his cheeks as he slightly scooches closer to you. You take notice and you subtly tilt to the side, leaning in his direction not yet touching shoulders but leaving an opening to do so if he wanted.

“I uh- I also wanted to tell you something- In regards to what I was thinking about…” Sero mumbles nervously, hoping you didn’t catch what he said so he would have an excuse to not go through with his confession. Pretend like nothing happened and move on to just enjoy the simple friendship you two share.

“Oh?” You inquire, “What do you want to tell me? I’m all ears,” Sero fiddles with his thumbs, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before he speaks as you patiently wait for him.

"I- uh, I love you," he blurts, head swimming as he looks at you, eager and insatiably nervous to hear how you may respond, horrified you may not reciprocate his feelings and ultimately ruining what relationship you two did have.

"I love you too, Sero," you giggle.

Sero's heart drops, confidence dwindling as he assumes you thought he said "I love you" in the way you two always have. Just as friends. But he didn't. He meant it. He meant it in so many more ways he couldn't even begin to describe. He didn't expect you to reciprocate his feelings in the first place but that doesn't make him hurt any less.

"No, you don't understand," Sero sighs as he runs his hands through his long, thick hair, "I'm in love with you," You turn you head to him, Did he-? eyes widening at what Sero said, unsure if what you heard was a wishful hallucination or not. When you said "I love you" back, you genuinely meant it in the same way he does now. God, you've been in love with him for what seems like the first moment you two met but you would've never guessed Sero felt the same for you.

You sit in silence for a beat trying processes what Sero had just said to you. Your friend, your closest friend, is in love with you..? Something you've dreamt of becoming a reality. You start to get dizzy from the overwhelming euphoria and anxiety the realization simultaneously brings. You look at Sero, placing your hand on his to ground yourself as you look up at him, a warm smile spreading on your face.

"I love you too, Hanta," you say earnestly. Sero's heart leaps in his chest at your words. Not only did the person of his dreams reciprocate his feelings but they also addressed him by his first name?! He might as well be dreaming. Hearing his name fall off your lips like warm honey for the first time sends him flying through cloud nine.

"Y-you mean it??" Sero stutters, still unable to believe it. You give him a heartfelt smile as you squeeze his hand before standing up. You wordlessly walk around Sero and crouch behind him.

Utterly confused and growing increasingly flustered at your sudden close proximity, Sero opens his mouth to ask what you could possibly be doing but you shush him before he can say a word. Leaning against him, you ask permission to grab his hand and Hanta lets you guide his finger to the brightest star in the sky, hyperaware of every subtle shift, adjustment and breath you take behind him, clinging onto every passing moment.

"You see that star? The really really bright one right there and how it's brighter than the others?" you ask.

"Yeah... why.?" he questions, eager to hear what you have to say.

"Forgive me if this is too cheesy but it sorta reminds me of you," you say softly.

"Wh- I don't think a follow," Hanta replies and you give a short, breathy chuckle in response.

"Out of all the stars in the sky, you stick out to me to most. You're the brightest star," you murmur close to him, guiding his hand back down and you make your way to sit next to him. Hanta takes a moment to process what you said. Him? A star? He doesn't understand how you view him in such a way when there isn't much special about him in the first place... but he tries not to pay any mind to those thoughts as his eyes are glued to you sitting back down beside him.

"Pff, that was super cheesy," he snorts.

"Shut up, I'm trying my best," you grumble, "And... that's what I was really thinking about before you came," Hanta looks at you in awe, nothing but love and kindness filling his eyes as he gingerly grabs your hand, lifting it up level to his face.

"It's aright, doll, I was only teasing.. I think it's cute and~," he hums before placing a soft kiss on your knuckle, "I'm ok with cheesy," he concludes with a wink. Heat blooms on your cheeks at his action and you throw your head to the side, covering your mouth and cheek with your other hand in embarrassment. Hanta chuckles, just about ready to burst at how adorable you are and gets a sudden burst of confidence coursing through him from seeing your flustered form.

"Aw, don't get shy on me now, love," he coos, tugging your arm to usher you to look back at him. You look at him with a flustered scowl and Hanta isn't sure if you did it to intimidate him or what but all it did was make his heart scream for you more. His hand slides to your forearm and his other hand goes to grab your other arm, pulling it away from your face.

"Here, come here, baby," he murmurs, pulling your arms to guide you to his lap. You give little resistance as you follow Hanta's hands, shifting around to make yourself comfortable against him as you settle between his thighs. As soon as you got comfortable, Hanta's arms find their home around your waist, hugging you close and breathing you in. You sigh contently as your back rests against his strong chest, never feeling safer than you do right now in his arms.

"It's ok if I call you baby now, right..?" Hanta asks, not wanting to be too much at one time.

"Well, it would be if we were dating," you tease with a raised brow.

"Wha-?" Hanta looks at you confused for a moment before he realizes, "Oh! How could I forget," he chuckles softly, cupping your face in his large palm, guiding your face too look at him, his dark eyes practically engulfing you in his loving gaze.

"Would you care to be my partner..?" he purrs, voice dipping to a soft and low tone that sends goosebumps down your spine.

"W-well, when you put it like that how can I say no?" you mumble, not being able to help the heat rising up your neck, painting your cheeks pink once again from how small you feel under Hanta's enchanting gaze.

"So... is that a yes..?" Hanta inquires, hand still placed tenderly on our cheek. You nod your head against his palm, fingers caressing up and down his forearm as he holds you.

"Mhm, I would love nothing more," you reply in a soft and tender tone. Hanta melts at your words, feeling on top the world and like he can do anything. An uncontrollable smile erupts on his face, charming dimples ornamenting his cheeks as he hugs you tight to his body not wanting to ever let go.

You shuffle in his arms to turn yourself around in his lap. Now facing him, you tuck your face into the crook of Hanta's neck, wrapping your arms and legs snuggly around his torso. Hanta holds you equally as close, affectionately running his fingers up and down your back in complete bliss with you snuggling up to him.

"Can I kiss you..?" Hanta asks, voice just barely above a whisper. You lift your head up to look him in his deep eyes and you cup his face in your hand. Hanta leans into your touch, grabbing your hand on his face and guides it down just enough to plant a chaste kiss to the edge of your palm. You sigh and softly smile, nodding at the boy's question.

"Please kiss me," you murmur, leaning closer into his body. Hanta places his hand on the back of your neck, pulling you and a colliding your lips together. Though it was clumsy at first, you quickly adapt and your lips lock together like puzzle pieces. Tenderly, Hanta pulls away from you and rests his forehead against yours. The kiss you shared was short and sweet but still left the both of you breathless and yearning for more.

"May I kiss you again?" Hanta questions playfully and you giggle in response while nodding your head against him. He leans in, smiling against you as you mash lips with together, the both of you sighing into the other's mouth. This kiss a lot more confident than the last as Hanta takes the lead to explore every bit of you he can, taking note of every noise, movement and reaction you give. This time you pull away, surfacing for air from Hanta's intense hold on you.

"I can kiss you again, right?" Hanta asks again.

"How many more kisses do you want??" you giggle.

"That is a dangerous question to ask, my love," Hanta purrs into you, his breath ghosting your neck as he nuzzles his face underneath your jaw and lays a soft peck where his face lies, "I'd take all of them," he says, scanning your face for any discomfort but once he sees you're ok with him continuing, he lays another peck on your neck.

You laugh at the ticklish feeling, lacing your fingers through his dark hair as he continues showering you with short kisses.

"Let me know if I'm being too much, yeah?" kiss on your neck, "I don't wanna be too much," another kiss on the neck, "or overwhelm you," kiss on your jaw, "'cus that would be sad," kiss on the corner of your mouth.

"Hanta!" you squeal through giggles.

"I'm sorry, hun" kiss on your cheekbone, "I just can't resist," kiss on your cheek, "you have no idea," kiss on the chin, "just how long," kiss on the nose, "I've wanted," kiss on the eyelid "to do this," kiss on the brow, "And now," kiss on the temple, "I can't," kiss on the forehead, "Stop,"

Erupting with giggles, you desperately try to squirm away as Hanta continues to relentlessly shower you with kisses.

"No, no, no! Hanta!" you cry through your laughter, "No more!"

Giving you one last peck on the lips before pulling away, Hanta finally gives into your pleas and stops his assault of kisses. He presses his forehead against yours as you calm down from your laughing fit, pulling some giggles from Hanta as well because of your contagious laugh.

"I love you," you sigh once you've finally calmed down. Hanta hums in response, placing his hand on the back of your head, letting his fingers lace through your hair.

"I love you too," he says, heart feeling full and beaming with joy.

Forever and always~

𝒇𝒊𝒏 . ✩

[ lil easter egg of sorts for those of you who don't know~ in Japanese when you ask someone "The moon is beautiful, isn't it?" or

『月が綺麗ですね』 // "tsuki ga kirei desu, ne?"

it's actually a very poetic way to confess your love to the person you're asking ]

[ I think it's literally so fucking cute 'cus i myself am deeply in love w/ the moon :) ]

[ if this were a thing in English and someone confessed to me this way, i would immediately demand for their hand in marriage >:| ]

[ god, japanese culture is so cool, i love it sm ]

ALSO- CAN WE NORMALISE ASKING SOMEONE OUT BY ASKING THEM TO BE YOUR PARTNER INSTEAD OF BF / GF????

"would you care to be my partner?" UHBIJNIJAHHHH LITERALLY SO ROMANTIC AND GENUINE HOLY SHIT- i'm making myself simp

RAAAHHHHHHH