#and now she’s put in a position where she Can’t pursue him and she has to deal

[feygloom]

big thoughts on how much the entire tadpole / absolute / “oh btw you have to save the world” situation influenced aeris. how she was soo one track minded for years, utterly consumed by the desperation of finding her brother, and ironically, being captured forces her to slow down. to open her eyes when she looks at the world around her. it forces her to become more in tune with herself and just…be.

[sad-scarred-sassy]

This is a wild Elucien headcanon…

but please imagine Lucien being in a really dangerous situation with the Autumn court, like something happened and they have him as a prisoner, or unable to leave.

And Elain is there listening to how Lucien could potentially be held captive in a cold cell or even tortured.

And shes there when Eris says the only way to save him is if he has real ties to the Night Court or if he officially becomes a member, and the only way to do that is if he gets mated/married to someone from there, not anyone, but the High Lady’s sister.

And everyone is outraged with what he is suggesting but Elain is suddenly quiet.

And she suddenly says “I will do it” and everyone gapes at her, some try to talk her out of it (possibly Feyre or Nesta) but Rhys just nods.

And they send notice to the Autumn court that they cannot harm Lucien because he is a Night Court citizen, but Beron doesn’t believe it, he demands that Elain goes there so he can determine it.

Chaos, outrage, but she agrees, and she obviously doesn’t go alone. She convinces herself that while she doesn’t owe Lucien anything, she is tired of the bloodshed, the loss, and if she has the power in her hands, she will act. That is all, she couldn’t care less about him. She convinces herself she would be this worried for anyone that is close to her sister, it’s not because shes worried and scared and petrified of something bad happening to him.

They’re in the Forest House, they bring out Lucien who is luckily generally unharmed but Elain looks at the binds in his wrists and her whole body reacts to the sudden urge to protect. Beron takes one sniff at them and knows it is true. They’re mates. But Beron says an unfulfilled mating bond is not valid (listen idk about these fae laws bear with me) they need to marry. Elain declares that was the plan all along. Lucien is shocked. (I just imagine what must be going through his head seeing his mate stand before Beron in the same room where Jesminda was killed)

They let Lucien go with his mate but they have to stay in the Forest House until everything gets resolved. Elain and Lucien are shoved into a room, no more chains on him, but he doesn’t understand any of it.

Both of them are standing awkwardly in the room. Lucien is staring at her as if she has grown ears, still shocked, still reliving moments, furious at them for being so dumb as to risk themselves for him. He supposed he really was a big asset for Rhys to have done this. But her… why was she here? Why did she put herself in this position?

“Did they make you do this?” He says through his teeth.

She muses on what to say. “No” she gets offended with the assumption that she can’t make decisions for herself. “I agreed to this and came on my own free will”

“Why would you do such a thing?”

“Because I’m tired of people dying, I wouldn’t forgive myself if I could have done something” A silence and for some forsaken reason Elain has the need to add. “This doesn’t mean what you think it means”

Something irks at Lucien then, and the awoken nerves on his body make him respond to that. “And please tell, Lady, what do I think it means?”

Elain clenches her fists. “That I’ve changed my mind about you… about this” She signals between them. “This is just temporary, out of necessity”

Lucien just stares at her.

“I never entertained that you did, I can assure you.” It is easier to turn on her, on this beautiful female that is putting herself at risk for him, than to be hurt at the continuing rejection from her. “You’ve always just assumed that I’m some brute fae that wants to steal you away, let me tell you now that we’re speaking frankly, that its not the case. I can’t control the pull from the bond, but I have no interest in pursuing a female who doesn’t want me”

That sends Elain to retaliate. “What about the gifts then, was that not pursuing?” She cocks her head arrogantly.

“I was bringing them to Feyre as well. That was me being polite, but guess you don’t know the first thing about that”

“You are one to talk about politeness when I’m here risking my life for your neck and this is how you treat me” She takes one step closer.

“I never asked you to do it” He mirrors her and steps closer with his broad hands clenched in fists.

“I will just let you die next time then”

“Fine by me, as long as I don’t have to endure you shoving it on my face”

“Asshole”

“I’ve been called worse” A sly, angry smile creeps at one corner of his mouth. She suddenly realizes they’re breathing on each other’s face.

“And all this time I thought you were a gentleman” She summons her anger to keep focused.

“You will learn I can be a gentleman, Elain” Her name on his lips, for the first time. “But I can be so much worse too”

His breath is hot on her face, their hearts already beating fast.

“You admit you were pretending then, to win me over”

A sharp breathy laugh from him. “If I wanted to win you over, I would not have tried to be gentle”

Her lips form a thin line as she holds herself, the pull, his words, the sudden effect of his mismatched gaze intense on her face.

“You shouldn’t have done this” He says quietly, roughly, his eyes showing something beyond just annoyance, she sees the fear in them. She pushes it back.

“What’s done is done” She says. “We will pretend, see this through, and then we’re done”

“Alright, dove”

She’s startled. Her nostrils flare. She ignores the outrageous pet name he just used on her. “I’m going to take a bath, I suggest you do the same, you stink” She begins to walk away and stops herself “I mean after I’m done” She frowns as she strolls away.

He watches her with sudden amusement.

He’s scared, hes pissed and hurt. He’s tired. But something inside him sparks, and he can’t really put a name to it.

Oh he’s not alright.

[endless-summer-soldier]

cruel to be kind - chapter four

pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader (90s college AU)

summary: it started with a dare. Bucky restlessly pursues Y/N, seeking just one date. as he chases her, he realizes she's different from she challenges him, so he starts to catch feelings. but it all falls apart when she learns about his initial motivations. based on 10 things I hate about you!

warnings: alcohol use, cursing

word count: 2.7k

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Bucky took a deep breath as he sat in the announcers’ booth in the sports stadium. He was about to make a total fool of himself and he was hoping it would be worth it. Y/N said sweet talk wouldn’t work on her, so Bucky decided to step up his game. They say actions speak louder than words, right?

The field hockey team was currently running drills toward the end of their practice and he knew this was his moment. He flipped on the microphone, turned on the stadium speakers, and signaled to his collaborators to get in position. 

You’re just too good to be true

Can’t take my eyes off of you 

You’d be like heaven to touch

I wanna hold you so much 

Bucky took a few steps down the bleachers as the field hockey team paused their training to determine where the singing was coming from.

At long last love has arrived

And I thank God I’m alive

You’re just too good to be true

Can’t take my eyes off of you

He pointed right at Y/N as he emphasized the ‘you’ of the last line. A brief pause followed the verse then he heard a whistle from the drum major and the handful of marching band members he coerced started playing their respective instruments to the familiar tune. The girls on the field started giggling at the interruption and all eyes were on Bucky. He gave a quick wink to Y/N before continuing.

I love you, baby

And if it’s quite alright

I need you, baby

To warm the lonely night

I love you, baby

Trust in me when I say

Oh pretty baby

Don’t bring me down, I pray

Oh pretty baby

Now that I’ve found you stay

And let me love you, baby

Let me love youuuu

By this point he noticed a security guard in a bright yellow shirt approaching and he knew he had to make a quick exit. He stood in the middle of the bleachers and started running down toward the bottom row. The band continued on playing as Bucky made his escape. Another security guard was making his way up the bleachers, so Bucky pivoted and started running laterally. He was lucky in that his pursuers were wannabe mall cops who weren’t in the best shape so out-running them was a breeze. He looked back down at the field hockey team and found them all laughing heartily at the encounter while Y/N stood there in a state of shock and amusement. Bucky put on his entertaining hat and paused for a moment and started dancing. One of the security guards caught up to him, but Bucky jumped down a row on the bleachers and gave him a quick pat on the bum before darting off. He jumped off the bleachers and gave a quick bow to his audience before running out of the stadium. The whole crowd was cheering and laughing, except for the one person he was seeking approval from. He caught her eye as she stood there with her arms crossed, shaking her head, with a wry smile on her face.

Bucky sat in the lecture hall and tapped his pencil on the desk while the TA handed out the test. He was ill prepared and he knew it. He could usually bullshit his way through his courses but calculus took no prisoners.

He let out a deep sigh as he studied the first question, wracking his brain to remember the unit circle.

“James Barnes,” he heard. He popped his head up and saw his professor searching for him. Bucky squeezed past his classmates and strode down the steps to the lecturer’s desk.

“James, I just received a call that there’s been a family emergency that requires your attention. You’re excused from the exam to go deal with the situation. Email me once everything has been resolved and we’ll find a time for you to make up the test.”

Bucky’s heart dropped and he was immediately concerned with the news. Things must’ve been pretty bad for him to be pulled from class. He wasn’t even sure how he responded to the professor but he numbly rushed out of the lecture hall.

As he burst out of the building, he found Y/N standing there with a knowing look on her face.

“Well someone’s in a rush,” she commented.

“Sorry, I can’t talk. I’ve gotta call my Ma.”

“Family emergency?” 

“Yeah, how’d you…know…”

She merely shrugged. “There is no family emergency, is there?” he asked.

She shook her head with a growing smile. “You did this?”

“I mean you did embarrass yourself in front of the entire field hockey team for me, so I figured it was the least I could do.”

“So what now?” he asked.

“Are you telling me you’ve been chasing after me all these weeks and you don’t have any date ideas?” she retorted.

“Oh it's a date now?”

She gave him a warm smile and ceded, “It’s a date.”

They found themselves walking along the boardwalk as the sun began to peek through the clouds. The beach was close to the campus but just far enough away that it wasn’t usually flooded with students. Considering it was a weekday, the boards were pretty empty aside from the occasional retiree walking their dog.

“Have you been out here before?” he asked her.

“I think I came here with my family when we first looked at the school, but that was years ago.”

“I come out here to think sometimes.”

She looked at him with a sense of wonder, “What do you have to think about? Your poor choices?”

He scoffed at that, “If only it were that simple.”

Before she could ask a follow up question, they heard two chimes of a bell. Bucky reacted instantly and grabbed her elbow pulling her toward him as the surrey bike flew past them, two teenage girls giggling as they avoided impact.

“Never understood the appeal of those things,” he commented.

“You’ve never been on a surrey?” she asked. He shook his head and she grabbed his hand. 

“Come on,” she said, pulling him toward the bike rental stand.

Moments later, they were pedaling away, learning how to steer via trial and error. After a few minor crashes, they fell into a rhythm, pedaling together on the open boards.

“You know, you’re actually pleasant when you put your guard down,” he stated.

“Oh is that so?” she challenged.

“Honest. So why do you act out the way you do?”

She let out a deep sigh, “Ah, onto the hard hitting questions now.”

“Don’t try to talk around this. I want an answer.”

She thought for a moment, “I don’t like to do what people expect. Why should I have to live up to other people’s expectations?”

“So you disappoint them first.”

She shrugged a silent confirmation.

“Well you screwed up,” he said. She turned to look at him and he continued, “You never disappointed me.” A blush crept up her cheeks and she turned away, hiding the smile that was slowly forming. Giddiness was something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

“What about you? What’s your story?”

“Grew up in Brooklyn. Raised by a single mom. I have a little sister.”

“And how do you explain your tough exterior?”

“I just genuinely don’t care what people think of me.”

“And why do you think that is?”

“My best friend growing up was a bit of a runt and he was always picked on. Yet even when he was bullied, he wanted to be liked and he would do anything to be accepted. And that always made me so upset because he was so much better than them and yet all he wanted was their approval. I didn’t want to be like that. So I decided to just go out there and be myself and maybe I am an asshole, but at least I’m not pretending to be someone I’m not.”

“That’s oddly refreshing. I wish I could be more like that.”

“The only part that sucks is that I met you.”

She scoffed, “And that sucks?”

“It does, because I do care about what you think of me.”

She became flustered yet again, but this time she deflected with humor. “Bucky Barnes, do not get all cheesy on me now.”

“I thought you liked cheese?”

“I mean, I like some havarti on a sandwich but I’m lactose intolerant when it comes to men.”

“Understood, no more cheesy lines.” They sat in comfortable silence, pedaling along when the bells and music of the arcade graced their ears. 

“How would you feel about a little friendly competition?” he asked, as if reading your mind.

“I hope you’re ready to lose,” she replied, shooting him a big smile.

“Let me guess, you want to show off your strength on the boxing machine?” she said, pointing to the seven foot machine that was covered in red, white, and blue.

“I’m insulted that you think I’m that much of a moron.”

“Then what did you have in mind? Mortal Kombat?” 

“Skeeball.”

She grinned, “Are you sure you want to do that?”

“Oh, I’m sure,” he replied. Y/N was very competitive, and Bucky couldn’t believe how much of a turn on it was.

They lined up next to each other and slid two quarters into the slots as the balls poured into place. They both looked toward each other and Bucky counted them down. On three, they both grabbed a ball and rolled it up their respective lanes. Y/N’s hit the middle slot with ease, while Bucky’s reached the high score on the top corner. Y/N glanced over at him and saw his score adding up quicker than her own. She decided to intervene. As he wound up his next ball, she bumped her hip into his side and his ball flew off target, falling into the bottom of the board.

“You’re playing dirty with me?” he asked.    

She shrugged, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I think that was just a bad shot.” 

“Bad shot my ass,” he grinned, as he shot his next ball. He couldn’t let her get away with that, so he waited for her to grab her last ball. As soon as she wound up, he swooped in and grasped her hips, picking her up with ease and flipping her over his shoulder.

“Bucky! Put me down!” 

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“I have one more shot left!”

“Take it up here then.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Oh I am completely serious.” He took a few steps back from the skeeball machines and stopped. “Shoot away,” he smiled.

She hit him on his back with her free hand until she realized her efforts were pointless, he was too strong.

“Fine, but I want a rematch,” she gave in. Bucky turned her so that she was facing the lane and she somehow managed to aim straight enough to make contact, but it didn’t have enough force. The ball rolled back down towards them and Bucky deftly placed Y/N on the ground and picked up the ball. He lined up and took her final shot, landing it in the top right corner. Her score totaled and she had outscored Bucky by 50 points.

She stared at him and said, “This time, I’m beating you without your help.”

They played a few more games before switching to the basketball shooting game. Bucky must’ve played basketball at some point in his life because he made most of his shots. They continued wandering through the arcade, stopping to play games that interested them. Y/N spotted a photo booth across the way and took Bucky’s hand, pulling him behind the curtain.

Bucky fed his money into the machine and they browsed through the templates until they found one with stars around the border. 

“Okay, silly pose first,” Y/N announced as she pressed the start button. She stuck her tongue out at the camera while Bucky gave her bunny ears and crossed his eyes. The second frame came quickly and they were captured in a candid transition to the next pose. The third frame they were ready for. As Y/N bared her pearly whites to the camera, Bucky placed his hand on her cheek and turned her toward him. 

Before she even realized what was happening, Bucky leaned in and captured her lips with his. She initially froze but easily fell into the kiss, allowing his tongue access to her mouth. She placed her hand on his shoulder and he tightened his grip on her, not wanting to let go. They were interrupted by the sound of the photostrip printing out. Y/N pulled away and collected the photos, studying the two of them and how adorable the photos came out.

“I guess our time here is up,” he commented, planting a quick kiss on her cheek. Y/N poked her head out from behind the curtain to look around the arcade. There was no one else in sight, so she returned to the booth. “I think we can stay in here just a little longer,” she said, finding his lips again.

Giddy was the only word to describe her current mood. She had forgotten what it felt like to be giddy. She couldn’t exactly pinpoint the last time she felt this way, but she thought it was around the time she turned nine and had her birthday party at the roller rink.

As she walked back into her apartment building, with Bucky smiling by her side, she knew she’d remember this moment. Little did she know how quickly the mood would shift.

She was unlocking the door to her apartment when she heard that voice. 

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” Zemo called, approaching the couple with Sam in his wake.

Bucky felt a chill go down his spine. He knew nothing good could come from this interaction.

“Hey guys,” Bucky said tensely, obviously not wanting to engage in conversation.

“We haven’t seen you around much, Barnes,” Zemo added.

“Been busy,” he said tersely.

“You’ve been spending time with our next door neighbor here and haven’t even bothered to swing by and say hi?”

Y/N was studying this interaction closely, sensing the tension in the air.

“Guess it just slipped my mind,” he retorted.

“Well, I have to commend you on the commitment,” Zemo smiled.

“Commitment?” Y/N questioned, looking at Bucky. He clenched his fist, highly considering knocking out his former friend just to get him to stop talking.

“Leave it man,” Sam said, nudging Zemo. But it only encouraged him more.

“Commitment to the bit,” Zemo said, looking right at Y/N this time. She returned his stare, trying to figure out what his angle was. She didn’t bite, but he elaborated anyway. 

“Barnes here only asked you out because we dared him to.” His gaze shifted to Bucky and he said, “Job well done, by the way. It really looks like you’re interested in her. Would’ve fooled me.” And with that, Zemo walked off. Sam stood there and gave Bucky an apologetic look before he turned and followed his roommate.

Y/N stared up at Bucky and he was afraid to look down and meet your eye.

“So all of this was just a big joke to you?” she asked. 

“Y/N, let me explain…”

“Fuck you,” she said, biting back tears. She walked into the apartment and slammed the door in his face. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to be strong. This was why she didn’t let people in. She couldn’t let herself get hurt.

“Fuck!” Bucky said, as he walked out of the apartment complex. He slammed his fist into the glass window next to the door. The glass shattered but remained intact, leaving a strangely beautiful web of broken shards. He studied his fist, not bothered by the pain, but he knew he needed to tend to his bleeding knuckles. He went home, trying to figure out how he would dig himself out of this one.

[lunarsigh]

the alchemy of desire

I had an idea, and then my brain spit out like twice as many words of it than I originally planned. So here. have a Star Rail fic?

~*~

Honkai Star Rail - Jing Yuan x female reader - aphrodisiac

~3k words, mature

warnings: drugs (and lack of consent for), a vague hint of imagined sexual consent issues.

~

It takes Jing Yuan an abnormally long time to realize he’s been drugged.

Of course, he knows the merchant making small talk with him is part of the coup conspiracy - it’s the whole reason he came to this otherwise mind-numbing event. But he didn’t expect her to be bold (or stealthy) enough to spike his drink. He’s off his game, which irritates him, in the back of his mind where the alchemical concoction hasn’t taken hold. The rest of him feels the warmth spreading through him, the pleasant haze of sexual desire starting to direct his bloodstream to southern climes, so to speak.

Well. So that’s her play. He almost laughs aloud as he realizes what he’s been dosed with. An aphrodisiac. How … droll.

He turns a lazy smile towards the woman in front of him. Her body language is all seduction - so, she intends to get the General in a compromising position and then … kill him? Blackmail him? Set up some scandalous scenario? There are many options, none of them particularly pleasant beyond the vague promise of an orgasm. Not that he had any intention of leaving with her, even if he hadn’t noticed the effect. But she may have had a slightly better chance of getting something out of this if it wasn’t for one variable.

You.

You’re in his line of sight; he’d positioned himself for that very reason, even before he took that ill-timed drink. You’re halfway across the room, making pleasant small talk with someone he half-recognizes, wearing a red dress that clings to your curves in ways that had already given him at least seven different creative and lewd thoughts this evening. You’ve been dodging his lazy attempts at flirting with you for months now; for a while, he thought you disapproved, but lately he’s become sure that you don’t actually think he’s serious. He knows he’ll break through eventually, but tonight, that dress has made it particularly difficult to wait for his prey to flinch. And now, the drug is encouraging the predator to the surface, filling his loins with heat as he sees you laugh at another man’s words, lean closer to make yourself heard over the music playing above.

The woman next to him is a sorry excuse for a hunter. She can’t even keep his attention with a drug and a set of very ample … assets.

The man you’re speaking with lays a hand on your arm, and something inside Jing Yuan snaps. The drug, he thinks, must be more powerful than he first thought. But even as that thought occurs, he is bidding farewell to the woman, over her protestations. He knows who she is, his people can find her later, he has no doubt about that. Right now, his body will only let him pursue one goal.

Your conversational partner sees him before you do, and to his credit, the man recognizes a superior predator immediately. He has backed away from you before Jing Yuan even stands beside him, which earns him some points for smarts. “I require your assistance,” he tells you, taking your now free arm and maneuvering you away without a second glance.

“What? What are you -“ Your voice is a soft hiss, and even that sound dances across his skin like an electric arc.

“I need help,” Jing Yuan murmurs softly. “I’m compromised.”

Whatever you see on his face ensures your immediate cooperation. He does feel a bit flush, now that he thinks about it. Perhaps the heat is beginning to show.

He leads you out the side door before stopping. Your immediate response is to stand in front of him and put your hands on his cheeks. “General, what happened to you?”

“That bad, hmmm?” His hands are covering yours before he can consider the movement. You’re beautiful under the moonlight. And he may have said that aloud, because you immediately widen your eyes and try to pull away from him. His hands curl around yours. “Apparently the drug is working faster than I thought.”

“Drug??” Your voice is a little too loud, and he squeezes your hands in response. “General, if you’re drugged, then we need to find -“

“I need to get back to the office,” he interrupts. “It’s the closest safe place, and I can call for backup from there.”

“But there must be a physician here!”

“We can call for one from the office. Help me,” he says. “You’re the only one I can trust here.”

It’s true, in the ways that matter. Despite the fact that he knows half of the party attendees, you are the only person he trusts to see him in a weakened state. That shrinking part of his mind that remains clear knows this is dangerous, that the heat inside of him wants you close because it wants to devour you, but he’s not a pup - he can maintain his self control. He has centuries of experience with it.

Your face softens at his words, and you tug him towards the street. He releases one of your hands, but does not let you remove the other from his grasp.

You ask him about the drug, and he answers honestly. Your offense on his behalf is pleasant. “We need to catch her!”

“I know who she is, and can find out where she lives very easily tomorrow,” Jing Yuan tells you. “She does not entirely realize that I know her game. She may suspect, and will probably panic tonight, but putting a face to the conspiracy will break it open for us.”

“But she tried to …” Your free hand waves uselessly in the air, before you land on, “assault you!”

“Do you think I would have been led astray, my sweet?”

“The fact that you’re calling me ‘my sweet’ tells me you’re drugged to the gills,” you mutter. “So maybe.”

He laughs. You’re adorable when you’re angry. And when you’re embarrassed. And this time, he’s pretty sure he didn’t say that aloud. But the drug is definitely proving to be stronger than he anticipated. He cannot take his eyes off of you. The way your glossy lips seem to glow in the moonlight, the slight movement of your chest underneath the silky dress, the way one strap seems to be on the verge of slipping down your bare shoulder - there’s a howling voice in his mind telling him to push you into a shadow and mark you, taste you, make you his. Or prove to you that you’re already his. That you’ll never be anyone else’s - certainly not that bland specimen you were speaking with at the party.

And that’s definitely not his own thoughts. Not … entirely. He has nothing against the perfectly pleasant seeming stranger, and you were probably just speaking about some trivial entertainment, basic party chatter. But merciful aeons, this drug is erasing his hard-won control at a rapid pace.

It’s good that they targeted him, he thinks faintly, trying to concentrate on the violation instead of you. Had they given this to a lesser person - one without his training, his experience, his sheer amount of patience - someone would be hurt by now. He needs to alert someone when he gets to the office. Call Fu Xuan, get her to organize a search party, make sure no one else at the event was affected …

… he needs to taste your fucking skin, it’s a hunger he has no words for. Needs your legs wrapped around his hips, needs to feel you bucking beneath him, begging, gasping -

“General? Jing Yuan?”

Your voice is, as usual, completely alluring, but it’s undercut with a concern that shakes him briefly back to true lucidity. You’ve stopped in the middle of the path, no more than a block away from the office. You step closer to him, still holding his hand, looking up at his face as if you’re searching for something - a sign that things will be okay. He can faintly smell your perfume on the night breeze, and may the Reignbow Arbiter help him, he’s going to devour you if you move even an inch closer.

“I need to get inside,” he says, voice hoarse. He lets go of your hand - he feels empty now, like he let a prize slip through his grasp, but the contact is more than he can stand right now.

He walks faster, and can hear your heels clacking on the stones behind him. You’ll keep up. He just can’t look back at you right now, not feeling like this.

If whoever made this poison doesn’t already work for the Alchemy Commission, he thinks, then they should - just as soon as their century-long prison sentence is complete.

Inside, he manages to steel himself long enough to place a call to one of the guards on duty, telling him to fetch the Vidyadhara healer immediately. But his biggest problem is still here - his own fault, he brought you here, he wanted your company. He should be keeping you safe, not putting you in danger. And this? This is danger. This is a darkened office, free of its usual flow of people, just you and him and this maddening desire that wants to claw through his skin and take you for its own.

“Leave now,” he says, as he hears your steps approach.

“Of course I’m not leaving!” you protest. “This drug is making you ill, if something were to happen to you …”

You trail off as Jing Yuan turns around to face you. When takes a step toward you, you take an automatic half-step back. Ah, so you recognize when you’re being hunted, in some way. Under normal circumstances, he’d rather see you fling yourself enthusiastically into his arms, but in this condition, he takes no small pleasure in the nerves you’re beginning to show. “Ill is not the word I’d use to describe the effect,” he says in a soft voice. He takes another step, but this time, you hold your place. Both parts of his mind are unreasonably proud of you for it.

He places a hand on your shoulder, over that flimsy strap that had caught his attention on the street. One tug, and it would be out of his way, and he’d be able to finally taste your sweet skin. Or tug far enough, and the whole dress would come falling away, and he could finally lift you up and spread your legs and feel your heat pressed against him. You would let him, he knows, he can see that spark of lust in your gaze, even as it flashed against nerves and concern. He could make you forget the rest. Forget everything except what his cock feels like inside of you.

…. And that’s why you have to get out of this office.

When he speaks again, his voice is so soft as to be nearly inaudible, if he weren’t two inches away from your face. He can feel your breath quicken against his cheek, see every tiny shudder you make - fear or desire? He’s pretty sure you don’t even know at this point. “Leave.”

The first second passes by without movement, and he’s rarely felt more conflicted than he does right now. But just as the drug is threatening to win the battle, you take a large step backward. “I’ll be - I’ll go find - someone better -“ And then you’re gone. You don’t flee, you make yourself walk with forced slowness, and he can see you trembling as you go.

When he can no longer see you through the door, he finally lets himself stagger backward, feeling behind him for a chair. Without somewhere to focus his hormonal rush, the physical sensations wash through his body. “Someone better,” he breathes. If you mean someone he’s less likely to maul, then yes, literally anyone would be better. But otherwise … there’s no one better than you. Not to him.

It would be rude to masturbate in his public office, he tells himself silently - not to mention that the little doctor would sooner stop his heart with a bolt of light than deal with any of that when she arrives. Best to suffer, he tells himself. It won’t last long.

~

Several days later, Jing Yuan is still at home all day, “recovering.” He may have started feeling perfectly healthy yesterday, but he so rarely gets a perfectly valid excuse to avoid the paperwork piling on his desk, he can’t bear to let it go to waste yet. The only down side is that he hasn’t seen you since that night. He spotted you hovering in the doorway as the healer and a couple of Cloud Knights tended to him, but you were gone before they helped him get back home. His sources tell him that you’ve been overworking yourself ever since, which really won’t do.

There’s only one answer - you’ll have to come to him. So he sends a note to the Seat of Divine Foresight, requesting your presence.

And right on schedule, he hears your voice in the foyer. He feels a smile spread across his face, but he doesn’t stand until you’ve entered his sitting room. He’s missed seeing your face - and your blush, now in evidence again as you realize he’s wearing only his lounging robe here. “You’re feeling better, then?” you ask.

“Entirely. But shhh,” he says with a wink, “I wouldn’t want to lose out on a couple more days of leisure.”

You roll your eyes, and he laughs. Good, he can see the tension you were holding in your shoulders fade away with the familiar banter. “I’m glad,” you say, after a moment. “That you’re better. I was scared the other night, I’ve never seen anything affect you like that.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been careless enough to let myself get poisoned.” He steps closer to you, searches your face. “But my question is … were you scared for me, or of me?”

Your eyes widen, and you look him directly in the eye. “I wasn’t scared of you, Jing Yuan. I trust you.”

“Good.” Another half step forward; at this point, you’re forced to crane your neck to meet his gaze. “Because you were trembling quite a bit that night. I had to wonder.”

You sigh, shifting your weight from one foot to another. “No you didn’t,” you say, still holding his gaze. “You’re well aware of why - why I reacted the way I did.”

“Am I?”

You flinch first - as always - and take a step backward before pacing to the other side of the room. “The conspirators are rounded up, mostly. There are a few stragglers, but we have the woman who dosed you, as well as the person who made the drug.”

“I know. You’ve spent a lot of hours on this over the last few days.” You’re tired, he can see that much on your face. “I’m told you’ve barely left the office.”

You shrug, still avoiding his gaze. “There’s a lot to do. We need to make sure they’re not able to pull any more tricks.”

“They won’t be.” He may not have been able to see to it himself, but that’s why he surrounds himself with all the best people he can find. Including you. “You’ve done well. But it’s time for you to rest.”

Now your gaze cuts back to him. “Some of us don’t have the luxury of simply declaring our own leisure time.”

“You do if I declare it.” He grins. “How about this - you are now officially assigned as my personal aide until I recover.”

“You just admitted you’ve already recovered?”

“Did I? I have no memory of that.” Jing Yuan holds a hand out to you. “Come, spend time with me.”

You look at his extended hand, and he can see your own hand flexing, as if it wants to move of its own volition. But you take a deep breath and remain still. “Jing Yuan. Please.”

The soft word makes something stutter in his chest. “What do you need from me?”

You cast your eyes to the floor again, as your lips turn upward in a sad smile. “Mercy. Please stop teasing.”

Ah. You’re still there, are you? “What do you think I’m teasing about?”

“And stop answering me with a question. Especially ones with obvious answers.” Your shoulders square, and you look up at him again. “You know I have … feelings. For you. I’m sure it’s been obvious since we first met. And the other night - Lan help me, but even as I was scared for you and sick that someone would do that to you, I was also …” You close your eyes for a brief moment, before opening them again. “Pleased. That you were paying that kind of attention to me. Even though I knew it wasn’t really you, or about me at all. And I still feel really awful about that.”

So that’s how it is, inside your head? He certainly has some work to do. “You have no reason to feel bad,” he says. Now he steps into your space, reaches over to cup your cheek. “It was me. It was about you. Let me be absolutely clear - you are the entire reason that things were not worse that night.”

“How so?” Your voice is little more than a whisper.

“Because you were all I could see. When the concoction kicked in, you caught my eye, and that woman didn’t have a chance of getting my attention.” He leans down, close enough that his breath plays across your face. “Because all it did was magnify desires that already existed. Desire for you.”

Dark pupils have started to take over your eyes; your mouth forms the shape of his name, but no sound comes out. That won’t do - there are few better sounds in his world right now than your voice saying his name. He’s going to have to figure out all the ways he can make you sound while saying it. “Stay with me,” he murmurs. “Let me show you some of the lovely images that tormented me that night. I think they’ll be quite pleasant for both of us.”

When you speak again, the words aren’t exactly what he was expecting. Your hands finally come up, fisting in the edges of his robe. “Jing Yuan. Are … are you wearing anything underneath this thing?”

Perhaps the smile that comes across his face is still the smile of a predator - that’s okay, as long as the prey is willing to be caught. “There’s really only one way to find out, isn’t there?”

[willothewispwisteriadawn]

My head is hurting after Secret History inner ramblings.

I think the one thing that’s difficult about this book is that EVERYTHING is a little true and a little false at the same time? It’s weird because sometimes I go to make a statement on something or post a thought, and I just can’t get the nuance right ever. All my opinions have a bit of a “but here’s where that thought ends” aspect to them. Here’s what I mean:

1. Henry and Camilla: I think someone kind of disliked something I said once when I said I was skeptical about Henry’s relationship with Camilla. And I tbh had strongly worded my thoughts. But here’s the deal. Henry, based on what we know of him, likely doesn’t have a good concept of love. And Camilla feels safe with Henry. Due to this, I think Henry views Camilla as something to protect. He sees her as aesthetic and wants to pursue her because he has clearly been taught by Julian and his own long history with many books and few human interactions that what’s important is what is ethereal and arcane and pretty. Camilla is going through a lot with Charles and she knows all the other guys are, in varying ways, terrified of Henry. Bunny was a jerk but his obsessive attitude toward Henry was indicative of his fear and his needing to know what Henry is up to, an attitude which makes increasing sense as the novel progresses. Richard has slips about Henry all the time but the most memorable to me is when he almost says “What if it’s Henry” instead of “What if it’s the cops?” when Charles knocks. Charles is so blatantly frightened of Henry and for good reason: Charles never seemed to want to kill Bunny, was was pulled into the murder (but it was still his choice), not taken seriously when he tried to lament Bunny, and then put into a situation where he had to just keep talking about it while minding his every word. Then there were strong indications Henry was trying to kill him. Camilla isn’t dumb. I’m sure she sees things that the guys see. She’s certainly disturbed when Henry made her douse herself in pig blood. But she allows Henry to have what he wants so she can be safe. 

Now, I don’t even think Camilla is wrong to make this choice. In fact, Richard’s attitude towards her decision was uncalled for. That said, we now have a relationship built on a man who is buried in fanciful ideas about things and a woman who is fully aware of everything wrong with him and just goes with it because she’s scared. But it’s weird because saying that this relationship is entirely destructive isn’t perfectly true either. It’s true for the above reasons. But I also see Henry and Camilla do having some semblance of a positive relationship too. He does treat her kindly and, whatever the reason, he does help her when she’s struggling with Charles. We’ve seen signs of Henry looking out for Camilla throughout the whole book. And, you know what? We even get tiny indications that she really believes in some of his nonsense. But, by the end of the novel, I was so skeptical of anything Henry did and so wary of how emotionless he’d gotten that I couldn’t really believe he wouldn’t ever hurt her (my goodness, this guy could read some ancient myth arguing that some random, toxic action is somehow akin to love and he’d take it seriously). But bottom line is that this isn’t an easy thing for me to voice my opinion on without immediately disagreeing with my own wording. 

2. Francis being untruthful about Charles. When I say Francis’s story about Charles isn’t correct, I mean that there are indications Francis is twisting facts. I’m saying it makes too much sense that he bore blame too, based on what we know of Francis. But what I’m not saying is that he spoke nothing but lies. This book is about illusions and things hidden in plain sight. Francis saying that Charles and Camilla being pretty makes it hard to see that they aren’t good does ring very true. It’s similar to Richard’s statement that he has a tendency to view interesting people as good (he says this about Julian). I do believe Francis when he says that Charles, even Camilla in a more subtle or different way, is jealous and manipulative— and the twins have been that way for a long time. We can pick that up ourselves throughout the novel. And he’s probably right that the bacchanal brought the worst of it to light. He definitely tries to tell Richard about something awful Charles did that night and can’t bring himself to. 

That said, Francis is also clearly framed as being illusionary himself. He’s compared twice to a fox in this scene. His reason for why Charles won’t admit to having been with him is flimsy. It’s an odd understanding of Charles who won’t speak of his drinking when personal details aren’t involved. And alcohol was involved every time Francis and Charles hooked up (in the story about the first time it happened, when they left Richard’s room, and at the funeral). Francis even admits that was a driving factor in their relationship. At the Corcorans’, we also see Charles say Francis attempted to coerce him into something only for Francis to cut him off. So it’s just that, knowing alcohol was involved, knowing Francis has tried to take advantage of an inebriated Richard, and knowing that he’s trying to cover up truths… it just doesn’t give us a picture of a Francis who was entirely innocent in the matter and who didn’t at all take advantage of his friend. 

A few things can exist at once because I think Francis’s big deal is being something of a doormat. He balks in the face of anything scary from doctor visits to certain social interactions; he goes along with others. He can be sharp-tongued and he does have strong desires, but he is often scared back into place. He clearly wants something with Richard (he goes for it twice) but won’t attempt to push when Richard is lucid. He asks permission, is denied, and accepts it (good!). But when Richard is vulnerable, Francis is more aggressive (fair point to Francis: this is not all the time. He’s seen Richard drunk and sleeping and been normal about it). Francis does get pushed back into place by Charles as well. Camilla states this when she tells Richard why she can’t move in with Francis rather than Henry. We also see Francis mock Richard’s speech patterns then immediately become really meek and apologetic when he sees that Richard is actually angry. And I’m kind of wondering if Francis knew all about Henry potentially setting up Richard and kept his mouth shut while Charles perhaps attempted to save Richard by taking him to the bar the night the police came. I say this because Charles says he knows Francis would betray him to Henry. And this moment seems more that just drunken rambles, based on Francis’s reaction. Francis’s suicide note even apologizes for NOT doing things. This fear does seem likely to cause him to merely take advantage of people when they’re vulnerable, to push until bitten back. (By the way, I think the alcohol he has during the funeral bathroom moment was purchased by Charles when he went out since it was in the glove compartment? The rest is vague but, to me, Francis is taking advantage of a weakness. To be honest, I like to think even Francis realized this. He payed Charles’s rehab bill. I think he knew that, in encouraging the drinking or, at least not stopping it, that he’d failed Charles— and Camilla who was directly affected.) 

This is a lot of things. So I think me having moments of “OK FRANCIS WAS CLEARLY MANIPULATIVE HERE” is not the same as me saying he was totally wrong. Just like me saying he’s likely right about Charles is not me saying Charles wasn’t a vulnerable and mistreated party too. 

3. Bunny being more morally aware than others. This one is the TRICKIEST. Because Bunny is really bad too. He’s such an awful friend. But my big-hard-to-capture-thought is that I do not believe Henry when he says Bunny’s reaction to the farmer-slaying was purely feelings of being left out. And I think Bunny was aware of and disturbed by the things going on in the group in a way the others largely weren’t. Richard says Bunny was a bloodhound for insecurities and that’s true. But I also got the sense that he was actually seeing his friends flaws and going, in some deep part of himself, “wait, this is really bad.” Julian mistakes Bunny’s behavior for a possible religious conversion. I think that’s very close— it was a moral crisis, I believe. But Julian is onto the same principle which doesn’t align with what Henry said (that it wasn’t at all moral). Furthermore, I think Henry (and Francis) was wrong about Bunny’s feelings of jealousy and hatred towards Richard. Again, this line between partially true and partially false is light because maybe Henry did note real feelings of inferiority (Bunny did harass Richard despite him not being at the bacchanal and there’s that mean moment where he tells Charles to give Richard a drink without washing the cup). But this is all thrown in to question with Bunny’s letter to Julian which doesn’t mention Richard at all. I just wonder if Bunny, despite all his rampant -isms and blatant mistreatment of his friends, was the first to wake up. And he was killed for it. Similarly, Charles starts to wake up in ways. He, in the midst of all his own crimes, was getting impacted by having helped take a life. And Henry’s reaction repeated itself; he went to silence this person who, within all his madness, was right about something. AND YET AGAIN. This is only true in some manners because Henry was also thinking of Camilla.

Revisiting my whole thesis: It’s like anything I could possibly say about this book has limits and other considerations. Many things are true to a point and false at a level. So I look back at every post I make and am like “well I still think I was right, but I wish I could shine a flashlight on every little detail and exception.” I just want to be fair about everything all the time!

[theinheriteddutchess]

I just read Out of Time and loooooved it!!!! You mentioned it’s a standalone, but I was wondering if you have any HCs or ideas about them that you’d be willing to share?

A hoe can’t help but wonder what their first ::ahem:: union would be like 👀🫠

Hey, I know I'm late, I've been very distracted and I was thinking, do I even have headcanons?🤔

One of them is that Ari attacked Andy so he could take his place yes, but also he was jealous. He knows she was fond of Andy, and Andy was a kinder leader, he would have probably protected her. I think Ari thought in his rut that Andy might be competition. And he was stronger just after he had his rut, full of adrenaline, and it came as a surprise because Andy didn't lead the pack in a traditional way, he wasn't as strict, so he was not prepared. Meanwhile Ari's mind was on getting into a position where he could have her.

I haven't completely explored my ideas yet, but I think I'm really going for a community that's working on instincts and traditions. So it can look pretty rough for us humans. Reader pleads for mercy and you see Ari didn't have to give it. The rest of them don't like it perhaps, but they don't demand him not to kill the boy. He's in his right. (her mother and stepfather don't stand up either, they follow the rules, and she sees it as weakness)

So the only protection you have, is if anyone else is willing to fight for you.

Reader's father died fighting for her, and since Ari killed him, he was forced to wait years before he could pursue her again (probably the only protection anyone has against an unwilling mating). And I think that implies that pursuing might not be consensual. And especially now he's a leader, who's going to stop him? Time is running out but hasn't yet, so he's waiting and plotting, but if time's up...I fear reader wouldn't have options.

Her brother making one mistake is a great opportunity for him. I think he knew what she was going to do and he quickly turned things on her. And he was right.

There's a lot of cruelty there, a young boy having to fight a grown man in full strength, and everyone watching😬. And then they cheer because their leader instead has an unwilling mate. It's all hierarchy and following in line so they don't get punished. And there's a certain reverence for their leaders.

Her brother's probably going to feel guilty he's put her in this position, but eventually will he turn around? He's young, he might be impressionable, he might think things turned out fine🤷🏻‍♀️

As for their union 🫣 I am fully thinking she'll fight him but he won't hold back either. It will be fierce and wrong because she wanted to choose and she's disgusted with him. Will she be forever? She can't really escape, she needs to be at his side, leading their pack, and she is practical. She'll do the right thing and try to stir Ari into a kinder mindset. But will she succeed? Will she ever truly accept him, or love him?

How much will instinct play into this? What if she gets pregnant? How is Ari as a father?

In any way in our mind Ari is the bad guy, but in theirs? Ari is just a strict leader who follows their rules and is allowed to do these things. 😭😭

He's very pleased with himself🫠

Thank you so much for asking, I loved it. Sorry for the long rant, and not having many headcanons, I might come up with more, but feel free to ask if you ever need to know. I really kept it centered around this one moment in the story, but I think this pack might be really interesting to explore. I'm just not sure if I will get the Muse for it though. (I just really thought of this scene only, normally I get background, but this time it was just this scene)💕

[slushie-slam]

*asks you about your daarin lore aggressively*

YAAAAYYY

warning: my writing. it’s bad

•On the final day of the Termina Festival, Karin is shot and killed by Needles. This places Daan into essentially the same position as with Elise before, and he’s moved to try performing magna medicinal again (it works this time!!!) He amputates his right leg and brings Karin back.

•Thanks to shock Daan isn’t very phased when Karin drags him back to the train. Karin’s also in shock from being revived. The two wait the final day of the Festival out.

•I don’t think it’s ever mentioned exactly where the train returns the surviving contestants to, but I imagine Daan and Karin end up in Rondon. Their first stop is a hospital, where Daan is taken into emergency surgery and doctors stabilize Karin.

•Post-recovery, Karin bids an abrupt farewell to Daan, intent on returning to Bremen to cover the events of Prehevil and Kaiser’s operations. Daan intends to stay in Rondon, but can’t go back to his in-law’s home as it’s being investigated on account of Elise’s murder. His possessions are moved out of the von Dutch manor. (I need to think harder about why Daan isn’t instantly implicated in her murder like why does he get off scot free LOL)

•Also, I don’t think Karin and Daan would click immediately since they knew each other for like 3 days but reviving somebody in exchange for a limb would probably form an unshakeable need to see each other again in both of them lol

•So they spend some months apart. Karin works in Bremen, writing for the Midnight Gazette by day and doing solo research by night. After being fitted with a prosthetic, Daan settles back down in Rondon and tries to get by as he contends with the fact he’s hit a dead end in figuring out what happened with Elise and his father in law.

•Karin returns to work and assures her family she’s well, but otherwise drowns herself in her investigative work. It’s obvious to her peers she’s not okay and her family doesn’t hear from her much. She works herself to the bone until she’s put on leave from the Midnight Gazette for her own well-being.

•Daan leverages his connections to his ex-father in law and secures himself an apartment above a restaurant with a connected bar. He pursues a medical apprenticeship for a while under one of the Baron’s peers, but practicing medicine brings up traumatic memories regularly. Compounded with The Cat, he’s being mentally worn down.

•The two reunite at their lowest points since leaving Prehevil: Karin is pissed she’s been put on leave, packs her things and takes the first train to Rondon, wanting to shake that feeling of needing to see Daan again (this pisses her off too LOOOL). Daan wastes away in his apartment as he’s quit his apprenticeship. Karin has to ask around to find out where Daan lives now (it’s no issue for her with her journalistic skills). Honestly I need to work on a better avenue into them reuniting 💀

•When Karin shows up at Daan’s doorstep they have a long conversation about what went down at Prehevil. Everything hits them all at once because they had otherwise been silent on the matter for so long. (I want to draw this eventually haha)

•Daan and Karin form a reliance on one another (even though they act like that’s not what it is). Karin ends up moving in with Daan while working on consolidating information for her investigative publication (like the point in an essay where you’ve got the mind vomit on the pages but have to make it make sense). I think she’d want to put distance between herself and her family for as long as possible while the Gazette has essentially “let her go” for the time being. Karin’s too proud for them to find out that she’s been put on leave, and her brothers worry a lot for her.

•Daan decides to take up bartending at the bar connected to the lower floor of his flat. He sticks with this over medicine, since he actually enjoys it, and works pretty much every night to keep his mind off The Horrors.

•Karin takes the opportunity to assess what information she’s got on Prehevil and what she has yet to uncover. I imagine she’d take regular train trips to and from the sites she visits for her research, disappearing for days at a time.

•Karin never fully sheds her steely exterior but definitely softens up the more time she spends with Daan.

•Daan, at first, rarely speaks about Elise or his history with the Baron. Eventually he’d open up to Karin about this fully but it takes a lot of work to get there.

• As for Daan dealing with Pocketcat, the latter would probably find Daan not worth the effort as he begins finding purpose in life again (is this lore accurate does the cat get tired of playing chase). He’s not enough of a trodden-down soul anymore to make a suitable host. Pocketcat would move onto other targets but it’s a LONG JOURNEY to the point where the cat fucks off.

•Overall Daan and Karin are able to live some semblance of a normal life but have to work really hard on themselves to get there. I do also wonder if Karin would get her exposé out to the public without going mad and/or being taken out by some kind of government operative. Anyways I REAAAALLLY want to develop my Daarin lore into like a well-mapped timeline 💔 💔 💔

I LOVE THEM SO MUCH IT’S SO FUCKED UP

[anauro]

hiii sunshine <3

i just re-read dass and i was wondering, did Barty somehow hurt Mary, or offended her? bc she was so shocked when she saw him in hospital... im genuinely worried. plz tell me, it's just bc she's aromantic (she has aromantic pride sticker on her bottle right?), or did something happened?

Hello!

Please, this ask made me tear up a bit, cause it’s been a while since someone asked me a question about my fic 🥲🥰. Totally my fault too, cause I haven’t been providing much to ask about + my presence online has been a bit uninviting to say the least, but anyway it is nice 🫶🏼🫶🏼

As to your question, the answer is no! Barty absolutely didn’t hurt Mary in any way or made her uncomfortable or anything in such manner. They had a good time together, but Mary didn’t want to pursue it any further, worried he might be after more than she was willing to give. She gave him a fake number to avoid awkward conversation and considered it a closed chapter, a one night stand over and done. She didn’t expect to see him ever again, only to bump into him, and in a scenario she can’t really get out off and where Barty is, potentially, in a position of power. She freaked out and run off, but will put her head together with her girlies and handle their next encounter, which I’m hoping to include in this chapter im writing now, in a much better fashion 😏

[heroicvilliansometimes]

What people hear: Oh I love the Harry Potter series

What people don’t hear: I am a firm believer in the idea that the twins lost their virginities before leaving hogwarts and it has been an unspoken rule in the Weasley household. Like the twins aren’t even trying to hide it, like there will be bras and panties found in the boys laundry baskets and they won’t bat an eye. In fact I believe all the Weasley boys have some sort of a high sex drive that has been passed from their father, with the exception of Charlie, that gets shown in different ways.

Like Bill is more gentlemen when it comes to being horny, like he’ll see a beautiful gal and his first thought is to just bend down and fuck her. But since he’s a gentleman he’ll immediately push that thought back and will ask the lady out or just continue on with his day. Compared to Percy who is more embarrassed with his hyper sexual aptitude, and will go out of his way to even push back and ignore those crude thoughts.

However, not everyone is perfect and even he will slip up eventually; and typically what causes him to slip up would probably even be an accident. Like a girl could trip and fall in front of him and being head boy he would make sure she was ok. But upon helping her up he gets a quick glance of her cleavage and from there a whole horde of crude images are flashed in his head. And poor Percy doesn’t know what to do and so he’ll awkwardly wave the girl bye and hurriedly run off to his dorm to masturbate.

Where as, like I said before, the twins won’t bat an eye; Molly could find a load of bras and panties, that can’t fit Ginny, when confronting the boys their unbothered. However I do believe that the ways both Fred and George display their sexual attraction can be separated by their personalities. Like Fred is much more assertive when it comes to trying to get into a gal’s pants: An example would be no matter how shy a girl could be Fred will always pick up on her sexual attraction for him.

And so no matter in public or private he will make an effort to let her know he feels the same for her, whether it be putting his tongue between his fingers to indicate eating her out or making it obvious he’s staring down her shirt Fred will let her know. Compared to George who is much more passive and so will go for the more romantic route; examples involve leaving love notes in the girl’s bag or buying her chocolates/flowers. Last but not least Ronald, I personally believe he isn’t always thinking about sex per se.

But instead when being pursued by a girl his mind becomes riddled with sexual thoughts; like for some reason his sex drive needs to be activated. A good example would be Ron sees a girl he thinks is rather cute but thinks nothing of it, but when the same girl expresses some sort of sexual desire for him. His mind just flips like a switch and now he’s thinking of multiple sex positions of getting this girl pregnant.

I refuse to elaborate for Arthur Weasley, and I personally believe that Molly Weasley is much more modest which is where Charlie and Ginny get their sex drives from.

[nightmarerodent]

Expecting the Unexpected (part 1? IDK)

A Jakeda one shot that’s no longer a one shot because it got a bit out of hand (as they tend to do)

Jacqui’s heart dropped to her stomach and lodged itself in her throat all at once when she was read the results from the doctor. Positive. Without a shadow of a doubt. The test she took at home wasn’t a fluke. She was pregnant. She was undeniably pregnant. What the hell was she going to tell Takeda?

They were carful. Usually. As careful as two people that rarely got any alone time could be, married or otherwise. Her father was still pissed about that. He never got behind the idea that her and Takeda were going to be a forever thing. He hated that he, and by extension now her as well, was a Shirai Ryu, and Scorpion’s adopted son no less. News that she was now knocked up might just put her dad over the edge enough for him to finally make good on his promises and actually kill the poor boy. It was not a conversation she was looking forward to. At all.

She went home that day in a daze, mind a million miles away from her body. At least she had the wherewithal to go to a clinic in town and not the hospital on base. This way news wouldn’t spread as quickly. If people were going to find out, she wanted it to be on her terms. And putting off the lecture Auntie Sonya was undoubtedly going to give them would be nice too.

Cassie was the first to find out. Takeda was still gone, out on some mission for the clan, and probably wouldn’t be back for the next few days. She was bursting to tell someone, to get advice or reassurance, something, and Cassie knew something was wrong with her best friend. She’s noticed Jacqui behaving strangely; she was more tired and had excused herself more than once to use the bathroom, only to be found vomiting a few moments later. So Cassie showing up at her on base housing with take out and a worried look after Jacqui’s visit to the doctor was unsurprising. Nor was her reaction.

“Pregnant!?” Cassie was out of her chair in an instant, “Are you sure? For how long? Does Tak know?”

“No. I only found out yesterday. And I’m only seven weeks along.” Jacqui told her.

“Am I the first you’ve told? Aw, JB.” Cassie moved to hug her and Jacqui gratefully accepted.

A small weight felt like it lifted off Jacqui and it was enough for what strength she tried to carry since receiving the news to finally break. Tears welled up in her eyes and she began to tremble.

“What am I going to do? This wasn’t part of the plan. Not yet. I’m going to be discharged. My career is over.” Jacqui sobbed.

“Hey, no it’s not. Briggs’s don’t quit,” Cassie reassured her, “You’re the smartest, most badass, most determined person in SF and you’re going to have the smartest most badass baby to ever grace Earthrealm. If the brass has a problem with that then they can kiss my glowing green fist.”

“I can’t defend Earthrealm and have a baby, Cass. They’re going to kick me out. It’s protocol.”

“Says who? Have you forgotten who runs this place? I mean, I wasn’t planned and I sure as hell didn’t stop my mom from pursuing her career.” Cassie pulled back on the hug so she could look her friend in the eye but still held her close.

“Auntie was way further along in her career than I am. She was a commander when she had you, I’m just another Sargent.”

“That’s married to the second in command of one of our most important allies. No one if firing you without pissing off Hanzo. Or me. Or Tak, but most importantly me. Trust me, we got you. You’re not going anywhere. I promise.”

Jacqui wanted to believe her. She really, truly did, but the fear was overwhelming. This whole situation was overwhelming. She didn’t even know if she wanted to be a mom. She was open to the idea. Her and Takeda have talked about it, sure, but always as some vague eventuality, off in the far distance that was some undefined future. A wishful daydream of peaceful times not filled with oni from the netherrealm or some new nightmare crawling out of god knows where in Out World. Now it was being thrown into her face in a time of such uncertainty. And Takeda wasn’t here.

But he will be, she reminded herself. He will be back in a few days and they’ll figure this out together. Always together. That was their promise. And Takeda never breaks a promise.

“You’re going to be an amazing mother,” Cassie believed every word she said with her whole being, “And Takeda is going to be the greatest dad. He already has the humor of one.”

That actually got a chuckle out of her, “His jokes are so bad but he looks so happy when he tells them.”

Over the next few days Cassie kept her promise and didn’t tell a single soul what she knew. She covered for Jacqui too, claiming a stomach bug that Jacqui was too stubborn to acknowledge whenever she was caught throwing up. Cass was always ready with a convincing lie and had the acting chops to pull it off too. She was a Cage after all.

Jin at one point commented that she looked terrible, causing Jacqui to start crying uncharacteristically, blabbering that she felt gross, freaking him out. He immediately started apologizing, saying that she looked fine, it was a joke, she was supposed to snap at him and they’d have their witty back and forth and then she’d punch him like always. It was their thing. She just cried more. She didn’t want to punch him. She never wanted to punch him. He was her friend and she was always so mean to him and she was sorry. This only freaked him out more. He just bear hugged her and desperately looked around for Cassie because this was not his department. He had no clue what to do with a crying Briggs or what was causing it. Was she possessed? Did she need medical attention? Chocolate? A cat? Where was Takeda when you needed him? What was happening? Eventually Cassie showed up and got Jacqui to calm down back to normal but Kung Jin was thoroughly freaked out by that point and refrained from being his usual sarcastic self for the remainder of the day.

All the while, Cassie kept an ear out for news about Takeda’s return. She was hell bent and determined to have Jacqui be the first thing he sees when he exists the transport or portal. When she finally received word after a few days that he’d be returning within the hour, she booked to tell Jacqui. She’s never run so fast in her life.

The second Takeda stepped out of the portal he was hit with the force that was his wife barreling into him and wrapping him into a desperate hug. One he was equally as desperate to return. Before he could even breathe so much as a word, she had already grabbed his face and pulled him into a forceful kiss. He wasn’t complaining. He chuckled as they pulled away from each other, jokingly asking if she missed him, only for the smile to drop and worry to set in as he noticed her nervous smile and wet eyes.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” He asked.

“Only good things,” she told him, “I just- I really missed you.”

As soon as they were alone back at home she told him. A whole mix of emotions flew across his face in a matter of seconds. Shock, disbelief, confusion, fear, joy. He finally settled on ecstatic as he hugged her tight, laughing, and asking her a whole slew of questions. She was relieved he took it so well, though she wondered why she had thought any different. He was always the one that brought the topic up, even if it was just as a hypothetical. He wanted kids. He never said it in as many words or so directly, but it was clear to her it was a thing he desired. His infectious joy was evidence of that.

They celebrated the way couples that were young and in love do, Takeda becoming completely unable to keep his hands to himself for more than a fraction of a second and her being more than willing to receive any and all affection he was able to give. By the end of the night they were curled up together, his arms wrapped around her and a hand pressed gently against her stomach where their future was growing, peppering her with kisses and muttering sweet nothings.

Uncertainty still hung in the air. How they were going to make this work. How they were going to tell people. What their positions as Earthrealm’s defenders would look like now. How and where they were going to raise the child. If they were even fit to be parents in the first place. All conversations they were going to have to have sooner rather than later. But, for now, for a moment, they were allowed to be happy and unashamed. Opinions and outsiders be damned.

[luckyqueenreign]

I’m kinda have a mix feeling about this week episode. I mean I know the new islanders would come in and cause some problem but it’s too soon for me 😔 I just want a quiet week free of drama or suspecious to build up a relationships with Roberto even If I would dump him for later episode😂😝 Elliot was sweet but I can’t help that I wanna claw his eyes off. I mean If he not choosing us first that mean Ozzy would couple up with us already!! And now he has to stuck with grace again and he’d too nice to reject her. This week I would give a point to Roberto though..Couple up with bella to show that our MC was his number one is a great move. That’s what I want from my man (even I don’t trust him and sense something shady about him) I wish Ozzy would do that for me🥺 the way he’s alway stick with grace is not sit right with me and I can see that it makes people who already dislike him, finding more reason to hate him. But this week I like our twin sister moment though…its sweet and make my heart warm 😊 For me Jakub from season 2 still be my favorite (I know many don’t like him lol) he’s something I looking for my LI.. He’s cocky but sweet. Sometime cringing but funny. Over confident but not afraid to show a little bit vulnerability when he with my MC. Once he choose us. he’s stop being a player and start to show us that he willing to change and fight for our MC. He’ll always be my ultimate love interest in this game. I still can’t find anyone who can top him (exept me LOL)😆🥰

With Ozzy I actually never thought we would get him this update and I loved knowing that he was jealous he didnt get to choose us and he at least told us where his heads at. I truly dont believe we'll get ANY LI until after casa amor. Im now thinking that the couples were in now are the couples were going to be going into Casa Amor with.

Elliot's postcard put him in a v compromising position that leaves MC in a spot where she would be justified in thinking he'd couple up with someone else.

So I'm thinking fb might make us bring a casa guy in and Grace will bring in Marshall if we dont pursue him. I might go after Marshall just for the drama of it all lol light a fire under Ozzy's ass to make a move!!

[mortemersgf]

headcanons for female!mc who's actually just a normal human dating Adrian from BB?

also i hope college is doing well <3

a/n: ty for the request and ur well wishes anon <3 !! so sorry this came out so late :’((

- in the beginning, adrian was reluctant to pursue MC romantically. the world of vampires is dangerous and seedy, and he’d never forgive himself if he were to put his lover in a position where she could get hurt because of him.

- naturally, he goes to kamilah for advice. it’s apparent from the way he talks about MC that he’s serious about her. this is the first woman in god-knows-how-long who’s made him feel like he could love again.

- kamilah neither discourages or encourages the relationship, leaving the choice to adrian. she echoes his worries, reminding him of the potential trouble that a human knowing his true nature could bring. however, she also trusts his ability to keep his partner safe, as well as his judgment.

- adrian has a lot of things to mull over, but he takes care to not grow distant from MC.

- dinner dates are very common. whether it be at a swanky restaurant, adrian’s penthouse suite, or MC’s homey apartment—they always have a nice time enjoying each other’s company.

- it’s an intimate affair, especially if they’re cooking together. too often, they wind up messing up the dinner because they keep distracting each other and having to order takeout instead, which no one protests against.

- one night, adrian just decides to do it. he’s tired of making excuses about why they can’t have a picnic date under the afternoon sun or why he tastes like copper when they kiss sometimes.

- “i’m a vampire,” he says.

- and MC goes, “i kind of figured.”

- see, MC isn’t a vampire herself, but lily, her best friend is. so, MC knows a thing or two about them.

- “do you still want to be with me?” adrian asks. “even after knowing everything?” in that moment, waiting for MC’s answer, he’s extremely glad humans don’t possess enhanced senses like vampires do, or MC’s gonna hear his heart thundering in his chest.

- MC frowns, finding his question insanely foolish. she cups adrian’s face. “of course i still want to be with you. i would’ve bolted a long time ago if i wasn’t absolutely sure i wanted you in my life. we’re in this together now.”

- a giant weight lifts off of adrian’s shoulder.

- from that point on, they’re nothing but honest with each other. there’s no more secrets to keep.

- though… adrian still takes immense care to keep MC away from the vampire world. he tells her little of the council, and MC knows not to prod. they’re content like this.

- MC is just as protective of adrian. she puts up blackout curtains all over her place, exhorts him to not overwork, and offers to be his blood bag if he needs it. adrian always ensures to pepper her neck with extra kisses after feeding, which makes her squirm and laugh.

- it’s no secret adrian is loaded, so he spoils MC rotten whenever opportunity presents itself. trust MC has the most sumptuous anniversary gifts, ranging from antique rings to gorgeous lingerie sets.

- gift giving is nice, but nothing compares to quality time in their eyes. late-night boat rides along the grand canal, sight-seeing in paris, cuddling in a forest lodge… they’ve done it all.

- all in all, their relationship is very stable. adrian does worry, at times, regarding what could happen if the council caught wind that he has a human lover, but MC is quick to quell his concerns. they have each other and they’ll face it together. what matters is the present.

[brzatto]

So, I am a sydcarmy shipper (I second your complaint about the unorganized relationship tagging system it’s a lot lol) but I can understand why some aren’t and would rather their platonic dynamic stay the same. I honestly wouldn’t be mad about that either, because they already have this beautiful bond after such a short amount of time knowing each other, and I have so much love for Sydney and just want her to be supported. There’s still so much they need to go through in this partnership, particularly Carmy proving that Sydney can actually trust him. His behavior this season once he started seeing Claire was so ooc, and I really don’t want “Logan” to come back in a future season. Personally, I think the Carmy x Claire plot line this season turned out how many apprehensive about sydcarmy getting together feared — the restaurant and the found family dynamic is put on the back burner and screen time is wasted spent on John Hughes style meet cutes and surface level flirting about the wonder years and close ups of unending heart eyes, as well as an oddly lit sex scene. If this is what Storer and Co. would go about romance in this show, I’d rather they spar Sydney from it because she’s too multidimensional and enjoyable to be reduced to such a one dimensional role for the sake of a ship. Per JAW, Sydney is his peace and I’m happy with that for now

if i’m being honest about something even as someone who doesn’t ship them i believe sydney and carmy are going to be endgame, or at the very least if they don’t make it explicit they’ll leave us with an open ending between them. even without shipping them there was a lot of moments this season that just felt.. charged? between them that was impossible to ignore. even with everything i didn’t like about this season i want to believe every choice the creators and writers make is deliberate, and with how well executed the first season was it’s harder and harder to believe that all of that beautiful nuance and subtlety could be disposed of so quickly and thoughtlessly.

obviously carmy isn’t at a place in his life where he’s capable of balancing a relationship with his work, regardless of who it’s with—s2 pretty much just showed us that he doesn’t even think of himself as deserving to. in this last season we saw carmy’s behavior with sydney improve: they bond with each other off the clock in carmy’s apartment, they establish new methods of communication with each other, he lets her know that he’s making a conscious effort to be better, he gifts her the custom embroidered chef whites because he knows how much they mean to her. but also at the same time we see the ways in which he continues to overlook or brush her off: he doesn’t understand why sydney seems to make a big deal out of him not letting her know when they took the walls down, he cancels on her last minute in favor of hanging out with claire, as his relationship with claire progresses he leaves sydney to handle the restaurant by herself and unknowingly validates her fears in whether or not she can trust in him as her partner. with the nature of sydney’s character and how well they’ve handled her so far i can’t ever imagine her relationship with carmy being as simple and fluffy and clean cut as claire’s or her character being watered down for their interactions if they did choose to go that way, but if i’m being completely honest i don’t think it’s in character for sydney to want to pursue carmy like that. i don’t think she would be content with or even want to be in a position where she’s romantically involved with anyone who is her coworker, much less her business partner, much less a man she’s idolized and admired and was previously her boss, much less someone like carmy who is (gestures vaguely.) seeing how she reacted to marcus asking her out—who she has a much better, comfortable and more personal relationship with than carmy—pretty much confirmed that for me and i actually was rooting for sydney and marcus for much throughout seasons 1 and 2. everyone makes fun of carmy for his inexperience/aversion to romance but i think he and sydney are both much more alike in that aspect than people realize; we’ve never heard of sydney having a relationship prior to this at all before either, and even if she has she clearly isn’t interested in having one now. she and carmy are both relentlessly singleminded in pursuing their goals, and as a woman in her industry i just don’t think sydney would want her name to be attached to carmy’s in that way—she doesn’t want to be “carmy’s girlfriend,” she wants to be his partner. she wants to be his equal.

there was so much about this season that felt off to me—the fact that they created and introduce a character as one dimensional as claire when they had no trouble creating perfectly human characters with their limited runtime in the first season, the cheap way they tried to tack her into carmy’s history, the strange tension between carmy and sydney whenever claire is involved, the panic attack sequence, the way everything between him and claire fell apart in the last episode. i don’t think the romance between carmy and claire was ever meant to be permanent; she was a plot device, plain and simple, and the driving story continues to exist between carmy and sydney. maybe they won’t ever explicitly be romantically involved but their relationship as it stands even now does have much more depth and nuance than carmy and claire’s, where they’ve left off with each other isn’t perfect just as it wasn’t perfect how they left off at the end of the first season but they’re progressing.

i think that was the true purpose of s2—simply just to show progress, even when it isn’t linear, and that’s why we see carmy form a romantic connection and jump into a relationship so quickly just for everything to unravel by the end of the season. this goes for more than just his relationship with claire too: we see richie and carmy have the heart to heart in the basement in the first episode, carmy’s intentions for richie are revealed during e7 when richie goes to stage, richie admits to claire how much he loves him, richie tells him to his face that he loves him and yet they still both manage to cross lines with one another at the very end during the fight while carmy’s trapped in the walk in and we’re left to wonder how and when they’ll come back from it. i think we’ll continue to see carmy and sydney’s relationship develop in the future season(s), but (regardless of whether or not they are endgame) i don’t think it’ll necessarily be in the way their shippers would want or expect it to be

[no-more-tales-tavern]

Exandria is For Lovers

Critical Role Muse Masterlist

~Campaign One Characters~

Vex'ahlia Vessar/DeRolo Vex'ahlia’s story has always been one of trying to find where she belongs. Whether it was imitating the finery of high elven society, or throwing back drinks and laughs with the rest of her rowdy bunch, everything she has done in her life is in pursuit of finding her purpose and her home. She won’t settle for anything less than her worth…she just doesn’t know what that is.

Vax'ildan Vessar While Vex was driven by a want to belong, Vax'ildan is driven by a want to live. Ever born a free spirit, tethered only to his own twin sister who he would never abandon, Vax travels the world in search of the fine pleasures and simple joys that make life worth living. Life is a precious thing, he knows, and he will do whatever he can to keep his and his sister’s safe.

Keyleth of the Air Ashari The awkwardness of adulthood and setting off on your own can be daunting to anyone, but Keyleth was perhaps dealt the worst hand of all. To have the pressure of a terrifying spirit journey to embark on, devoting herself to the mastery of her people’s arts, in pursuit of a title and position that was never meant to be hers…to say the young elf is overwhelmed would be an understatement.

Grog Strongjaw Grog is a man with two true loves in his life: women, ale, and fighting. If he’s not in the middle of a bloody and brutal brawl that leaves either him or his opponent, or both, passed out in a pool of their own blood, then he’s at the tavern drinking his fill, or charming a lovely lady to spend the night with him. After all, who wouldn’t want to spend a night wrapped in such large and tender arms?

Pike Trickfoot Though she might’ve devoted her life to the worship and guidance of Sarenrae the Everlight, Pike is just as likely to get into a brawl or drink the bar empty as her surrogate brother and best friend in the world, Grog, is. Her kindness and gentle nature clashes often with her more aggressive and outspoken personality, much to her own detriments as a healer.

Percival DeRolo Cursed with the memories of a life torn apart, Percival DeRolo has devoted his life not to worship, but to destruction. Single-handedly driving the world of Exandria into the Industrial Revolution in pursuit of vengeance, he puts on a veneer of charm and sophistication that hides the inner turmoil and hunger for revenge that burns just beneath the surface.

Delilah Briarwood Love is a powerful emotion. It can fell a mighty warrior, or make a simple man face the fury of Hell. It can save the world…or it can break it. Delilah knows this truth better than anyone else, her devotion to her husband only outstripped by her ambition to leave the world a smoldering ruin if he were ever taken from her. And if she needs to sell her soul to do it…there’s no price too great.

Sylas Briarwood Ever loyal and ever faithful to his beloved wife, Sylas isn’t as devoted to the Undying patron Delilah made pacts with to bring him back…and he isn’t too concerned. So long as he and his wife can live together in peace, he doesn’t care what evil is spawned or summoned in their wake. And if heads must roll, well…he’s certainly not worried about getting his hands dirty now.

Raishan Ambition is a powerful force, and Raishan has pursued hers for centuries. Power, wisdom, and dominion are all things that a truly powerful dragon should pursue…but if another dog in the fight is stronger than you are, you know to keep your head low. To wait until the right moment to strike. Leaning on others isn’t a bad idea…especially if they don’t expect betrayal in return.

~Campaign Two Characters~

Caleb Widogast There is a certain madness that comes with self-hate. A fire that surrounds you, and either consumes or is channeled into something devastating. Love can change the world, but it can’t change time…or can it? There are many mistakes that Bren Aldric Ermandrud made in his life…and many that, if given the chance, Caleb Widogast would do anything to change.

Nott the Thicc Brave And speaking of self-hate! To go from just hating yourself for what hateful children called you growing up, to become a creature that the whole world has told you to hate was a horrible sensation for Veth, now Nott, to go through. Her only hope is that her companion will help her return to her true form…but, is being a Goblin truly as terrible as she assumes?

Beauregard Lionette If someone were to describe Beau in a single word, it would certainly be troublemaker. If not the maker herself, Beau certainly found trouble much more often than she didn’t, earning her ire from her family, her father, and the monastery she was carted away to for that ire. Now that she’s off on her own, she has not intentions of keeping her hands clean, either.

Captain Fjord Tusktooth Tortured by terrible dreams and memories that haunt him at night, Fjord is driven on a path he does not know. Bound to a being at the bottom of the ocean who he only vaguely knows and understands, he is a man, and an orc, who is full of conflict within himself and the world. His only hope is to find guidance, from those around him, or the being that calls to him at night.

Jester Lavorre They say that imagination is the strongest power in the world. Jester certainly believed so as Genevieve, a little girl playing make believe in her room with her childhood friend. She never would’ve expected that her belief was what caused that friend to ascend to more than the Archfey he had once been, or that it would set her on a journey far from her home.

Mollymauk Tealeaf Some people would claim that you are your past, to which Molly would laugh in your face and happily strut off to do his own thing. His past started all of two years ago, and he was only barely there for about a year and a half of it. He is who he is, plain and simple, and he is more than happy to stay nothing but that, to lose himself in the joy of the world around him.

Yasha Nydoorin While Molly is a person filled with a life and joy, Yasha is certainly much more subdued. The grief of losing a loved one, and to lose herself in the process for so many years…it was horrible, and one that she still feels she is atoning for. Atonement that she insists she must do so alone, the comfort and care of her friends completely in her blindspot.

Marion Lavorre What can be said of the vivacious and lovely lady of the night that is the Ruby of the Sea? Marion Lavorre is the dream and desire of so many a man who has docked his ship in Nicodranas and slipped into the Lavish Chateau for just a moment of basking in her beauty. To be the man who dominated her attention and her life…what must that sort of man be?

Captain Avantika Driven by the promise of power and mastery of the seas, Avantika has devoted so much of her life to the twisted serpent that slumbers beneath the waves. Her desires lead her to do whatever she needs to claim her power, whether that be charm and seduce a fellow champion of her god, or sacrifice them and hunt them for sport and for their key to His release.

Lucien the Nonagon All he wanted was to feel a purpose in his life. For a time, the Somnovem gave that to him, giving him the chance to serve as their envoy and champion. But when he died and stared behind the curtain at the madness that his “god” was…it disgusted him. These were the power he served? If anyone should become the god of this new world, surely it was meant to be him.

~Campaign Three Characters~

Imogen Temult Haunted by a dream she cannot escape at night, and tortured by the dozens to hundreds of voices that whip past her day after day, Imogen is a women close to breaking at every moment. If it weren’t for the kindness of her dear friend Laudna, she would’ve lost her mind years ago…and as Ruidus flares even more, the threat only grows stronger.

Laudna While her dear friend Imogen is tortured by nightmares, Laudna is tortured only by the voice of the woman who killed her…as well as the horrific nightmare of a world that she woke up in. She has been dealing with those traumatic memories for a good thirty or so years, but finding joy in life again has helped to push the darkness away, and bring some life back to her frail form.

Ashton Greymoore Ashton is nothing if not a person of inconsistencies. They insist that they don’t have or care for friends, but they would drop everything to save the few people that care about them, and that they care for. They call themselves a rogue and a ruffian, yet they are driven by a want to protect and to save that could rival a paladin. They’re inconsistent, and that’s just how they like it.

Fearne Calloway There’s no harm in playing a prank here and there. That, at least, is what Fearne stands by in her life. People have so many things they don’t need, and they’re all so wonderful, that why shouldn’t she sneak one or two for herself? And it’s not like it’d ever do any harm to anyone. Morals? Rules? What are those? She’s a fey, and as free-spirited as they can be.

Orym of the Air Ashari There are many ways to deal with grief, and many adventurers have found many ways to treat their grief best as they could. Orym hasn’t beaten his, but he’s certainly found the most healthy of ways to deal with it. Focused and driven, but kind and sweet, and up for fun now and again. He’s steady and sure, a rock despite so small, while carrying the memories of those he’s lost close.

Dorian Storm Responsibility isn’t something for everyone. Though his nobility isn’t one he will inherit unless his brother were to pass, the eyes on Dorian were ones he did not enjoy, and led him to pursue gazes that he did want. He wanted adoration that was truly his own, from his own skills and talents, and to see the wider world and all the joys that it had to offer a wanderer like him.

Lord Ariks Eshteross Despite the years that have passed the old orc warrior, Lord Ariks Eshteross is still every bit the powerful mercenary that he was in his youth. He might not as quick as the young bloods he now has under his employ, but make no mistake. He is a being of force and power and dignity, and he won’t be going down without a fight he’ll be sure to make his finest yet.

Deanna Leimert To say that Deanna’s relationship with the gods was complicated would be like saying her relationship with knitting was a passing hobby. Despite her misgivings and difficulties, she does appreciate the fact that she was given another chance at life…even if it also meant that she lost the connection to the vast weave and beauty of the afterlife she’d soaked in for years.

~Critical Role OCs~

Captain Scourge Maelstrom (Tiefling Tempest Cleric) Though raised on the streets as a poor and helpless orphan, the blue-skinned tiefling quickly found a change in fate when he snuck aboard the aptly named pirate ship The Sea Devil, and was adopted by the crew. Eventually, he rose to take the helm after his own captain stepped down, and when he landed port in Emon, found himself leading a band of adventurers known as…

The Devils of Emon A rather rag-tag team of adventurers that have taken up residence in the Greystone Keep since Vox Machina parted and went their separate ways some years ago, the Devils are made up of a number of skilled and powerful warriors and spellcasters, and named for the surprising number that are tieflings. Led by Scourge Maelstrom, their members are:

Verdant Wilde (Tiefling Ranger) Verdant is the student, and eventual lover, of Vex'ahlia, Mistress of the Grey Hunt in Whitestone. A green-skinned tiefling, he was previously a member of the Pale Guard, before he set his attention instead on adventure, and set off to Emon to make a name of himself. He is accompanied by his direwolf companion.

Omega (Tiefling Warlock) Once a wandering carnival performer, Omega is a lilac-skinned tiefling with a debonair attitude about him and a love of life. He has charmed many a women into his bed, including the legendary Voice of the Tempest, though perhaps the most notable is his own patron, the lusty succubus Lilith.

Kyrie (Tiefling Monk/Warlock) Previously Omega’s traveling companion and fellow member of the carnival, Kyrie was once a slave in Marquet who lost her arms as a punishment. Now gifted with spectral arms as a gift from her patron, she performs for only herself, and her eventual husband Scourge.

Varris (Tiefling Paladin) A devoted servant of the Everlight, Varris is a paladin who has lived for many years and is in fact the oldest member of the Devils by at least a century. Everyone else assumes him to actually be a dragon in disguise, though neither he nor Pike is willing to share the truth.

Thorne (Tiefling Monk) Omega’s older, larger, and more aggressive brother, Thorne is a thorn in the side of many a barkeep or tavernmaster. With an insatiable appetite for drinks, fights, and women, there’s always something going on that Thorne is in the middle of and needs the Devils to drag him out of.

Aqua (Tiefling Thief) Bubbly and bright, Aqua is very much one in the adventuring life for the riches of it, but also because it’s the only place where her knack for sticky fingers comes with its own share of boons and praise. Besides, there’s always the fun of sneaking around her teammates for a laugh.

Gamora (Orc Barbarian) Passionate and outspoken, Gamora is a towering figure of power and strength, and the true muscle of the Devils. There’s not a monster she hasn’t met that she can’t break, and the same is true for the men she meets…much to her own disappointment.

Jean (Human Gunslinger Fighter) Driven by a hatred of dragons, Jean is on a one-woman mission to strip the skies of the winged beasts. Trained as a Rifleman in Whitestone by Percy DeRolo himself, she is skilled and armed and ready to hunt down the beasts that filled her heart with such fear as a child.

[silverior968]

Character bio: Niklas “Laszlo” Emersohn

Name: Niklas Emersohn

Age: 18

Pronouns: He/him

Info: Niklas has lived in Morning Rapids on his own for almost two years. Out of the whole squad he has the worst relationship with his parents and has gone no contact with them due to their toxicity. He has extended family in both Switzerland and Slovakia, some of whom he has a better relationship with but has not contacted because he’s worried the word might spread to his parents. He enrolled in Morning Rapids Academy to put distance between himself and them. The life he lives now is one he’s content with, he thinks that his friends are the only family he needs. He’s enrolled in city guard training, which basically means that he has courses in stuff needed to guard the city, like navigation and combat. He wants to use his skills to one day be able to protect those near him.  He’s been recently diagnosed with combined type ADHD, which made a lot of things in his life make a lot more sense. Niklas is trans and gay and often goes by the nickname Laszlo. One might argue that it defeats the purpose of a nickname, seeing as it’s as long as his actual name, but he doesn’t care. He likes both names, why should he choose? His hobbies mostly include athletic stuff, although he’d like to pursue some creative hobbies as well, he just doesn’t know where to start, there’s so many things to choose from! He’s outgoing and wants to see the good in everyone, although sometimes this leads to him ignoring red flags until they’re right in front of his face. He takes many things much harder than he lets on, and he has a tendency to hide his real feelings behind forced positivity. He hates being sad. Most of the time when he seems happy he’s actually happy, though. Once you really get to know him it’s not that hard to tell when he’s faking being happy. Because of his positive disposition and willingness to help people, he’s pretty popular. Not everyone likes him but those who do really do. He can’t help it, he’s just a fun guy to be around. Sometimes he speaks or acts before he has time to properly think, which has led to him saying some absolutely hilarious stuff. He’s proud of it because it means that he’s funny with and without intending it. He’s one year older than Virika and Alabaster.

Relationships with other characters:

Alabaster: Niklas has a sort of older brother relationship to Alabaster. Alabaster is also the only one that even remotely buys Niklas’s tall tales, so that gives them bonus points in his eyes. He also really admires Alabaster’s mathematical skills, as he himself has never been good at math or chemistry. There has been at least one situation where Alabaster explains some intricate plan with really complex terms and Niklas is like “I understood exactly none of that but I’m in!”

Virika: Niklas thinks Virika is the bee’s knees! They can joke around for hours without getting tired. He can’t understand how Virika isn’t super popular, she’s such a fun person to be around. Niklas isn’t a very fast reader but he’s been steadily chipping away at the first part of Virika’s favorite book series in an effort to learn about her interests. Besides, he’s learned that when he can freely pick what he wants to read and isn’t forced to do it, he really enjoys it. 

Jae-Seong: After some shenanigans and a shared near-death experience Niklas is pretty sure he’s succesfully befriended Jae-Seong. He's become a bit more open and less distant than he used to be. Niklas knows he can be a bit much sometimes, but surely if Jae-Seong disliked him they would simply stop talking to him and that hasn't showed any sign of happening. Niklas admires how well Jae-Seong knows the forests around Morning Rapids and finds him really intriguing. He hopes that they can become even better friends in the future

Kioni: Niklas gets the impression that Kioni hasn't had a lot of friends before, which is why he's determined to show her what a good friend is like. He thinks it’s working. In his opinion Kioni is really cool, she knows so much about plants and healing and stuff. Out of their group Niklas is the one who needs healing most frequently, because of his tendency to dive head first into trouble. He really hopes that Kioni isn’t too annoyed by that.

Benicio: Niklas and Benicio get along really well. Niklas really appreciates how Benicio has such a chill and calming presence. He’s planning on asking Benicio to help him choose a creative hobby to start, since Benicio has several and is really good at all of them. They both also do fencing, which is something they practice together. Their strategies are very different, so they swap tips and tricks a lot.

Liv: Niklas and Liv have been friends for a while longer than the rest of the group has been together. They met at the gym, Liv was there for the first time and Niklas offered to show her how everything works. Liv, in turn showed him around the city because at that point he hadn’t been there long enough to know where the best stores or nicest hangout spots were. They also go to the same parties and generally hang out in the same circles. They also have a running joke of referring to each other like fratbros. 

Trivia: There are a few characters in this group who are inspired by tropes I like, and Niklas is one of them. He’s a textbook definition himbo. He has the personality of a golden retriever, except like a very chaotic golden retriever. All of these characters also have a piece of myself in them, and Niklas is no exception. In addition to the ADHD and a few personality traits, he’s also the type of friend I really wanted when I was younger: I used to wish I had an older brother, and Niklas is a bit like that to a few characters in the group. 

[vgckwb]

P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 148: Hearts and Minds

Akechi’s Thursday was different from most kids his age. For starters, he didn’t actually have the day off. While he didn’t have to go to school, he was still a detective. He was looking into various cases, none more pressing than The Phantom Thieves case. Although information on them was scarce.

Still, something new came up that bothered him. He took out his phone. “Please tell me you’ve responded,” he muttered. He was shocked. He had received a message, but it wasn’t what he wanted. Looking over the previous message, it read:

Akechi: I know you’ve told me a few things, but is it possible you could give me some more research to help understand The Phantom Thieves more?

The response:

POS: That’s on a need to know basis.

POS: I know you’re inquisitive, but your job is to do as I say.

POS: Unless you have any pertinent information, don’t waste my time.

Akechi was dissatisfied. “Well, I can’t say I didn’t expect him not to fully trust me. The feeling is mutual.” He got a little frustrated.

Akechi: Very well.

Akechi: I may have a lead on how to track The Phantom Thieves. It’s a bit of a long shot, but I do need to know at least one thing.

Akechi: Are you certain that Principal Kobayakawa confronted them?

POS: Yes.

POS: It’s hard to explain how without giving you more information.

Akechi: No worries. I’ll take your word on it.

POS: Good.

Akechi: By the way, why increase the pressure on him, when you haven’t done the same for me?

POS: Are you asking for it?

Akechi: Not at all. I admire your graciousness.

POS: Good.

POS: As for why, ever since that gym teacher confessed, he’s had trouble maintaining the school.

POS: If he could give me something quick, that’d make up for it.

POS: But he was failing time and time again.

POS: Now that he’s gone, we can work to reestablish a foothold.

POS: Meanwhile, you’ve been nothing but a friendly public face.

POS: So some breathing room is in order.

Akechi: Well thank you. And best of luck to your endeavors.

POS: Of course.

Akechi put his phone away. He looked at his table. Laid out on them were the pictures of Mr. Arai and that male escort. “Hmmm,” he pondered. “Well, that certainly explained why he had them. But I stole these so that they wouldn’t get into the police’s hand. How Makoto got copies is strange indeed. Unless, of course, I assume she’s a Phantom Thief and got them through some unconventional means.

But then where does that leave us? I could give that information to them, but that would only bolster their position, not to mention weaken my hand. Besides, that’s only one. They must have more members. But who? And how many?”

Akechi smirked. “Although this does give me an advantage. Knowing one gives me an idea on what to look for. But I should tread lightly. I don’t want to ring too many alarms, especially before all the dominoes are in place. Hm. Soon, I’ll have my revenge,” he looked up, “ and you will too.” He walked out of his apartment. After all, he had a new avenue to pursue.

He stopped at the prosecutor’s office and made his way to Sae’s office. He was greeted by Riko again. “Oh? Did Miss Niijima call you here again?”

“Not quite,” Akechi replied. “I came here on my own accord.”

“Well, I’ll let her know you’re here,” Riko said. She knocked on Sae’s door.

“Yes?” Sae replied from the other side.

“Miss Niijima,” Riko informed her, “Detective Akechi is here to see you.”

“I don’t remember asking for him,” she said bitterly.

“He said he came on his own accord,” Riko informed her.

Sae sighed loud enough that it carried through the door. “Very well. Let him in.”

“Thank you,” RIko said. She turned to Akechi. “You may enter.”

“I…take it she’s a little stressed,” Akechi surmised.

Riko nodded. “This whole Okumura business has gotten her into a tizzy to say the least.”

“Well, I’ll try to make this as quick as possible,” Akechi said. He bowed. “Thank you.” He entered the door.

Before he could even say hi, Sae snapped “What do you want?!”

“Forgive me,” Akechi said. “I just wanted to go over some of the information you’ve told me again. A lot has happened, and I just want to keep my facts in order.”

Sae glared at him. “Fine. What is it you need to know?”

“Thanks,” Akechi said. “You said you were certain at least some Phantom Thieves go to Shujin Academy.”

“Of course,” Sae replied. “Their first public target was Kamoshida. It makes sense.”

“But what makes you certain?” Akechi asked. “I know it’s an educated guess, but it’s still a guess.”

“If I had an answer, why should I tell you?” Sae replied. “You’re not telling me everything you know either.”

“Saw right through me, didn’t you?” Akechi said.

“I’m only entertaining this because it seems like you can get something from it,” Sae said, matter of factly.

“He he he heh,” Akechi chuckled. “What if I told you I had an educated guess as to who one of The Phantom Thieves might be?”

Sae was stunned. “You do?” She slammed her desk. “TELL ME!”

“Hold on,” Akechi pleaded.

“NO!” Sae said. “I’m working my ASS off looking into Okumura to nominally protect him, while also fishing for information! HE’S being cagey about EVERYTHING! If you know who one of The Phantom Thieves is, just TELL ME! It’ll be SO much easier!”

“Well, calm down,” Akechi said. “Like I said, it’s just a guess. I don’t have any formal evidence.” Sae huffed and sat back down. “So, might I ask again: How are you certain?”

“If it’ll help,” Sae answered, begrudgingly. “An informant told me that they encountered a Phantom Thief, who was with another Phantom Thief, while working for a third. They said they all went to Shujin. That’s all they gave me.”

“Hm. How wonderfully vague,” Akechi said.

“Tell me about it,” Sae said. “Is that everything?”

“Well, as long as I’m here, is there anything you need help with?” Akechi offered.

“Well, since you’re offering,” Sae responded, “perhaps I could pick your brain on something.”

“Anything for you,” Akechi said.

Sae nodded. “As I’ve told you, a lot of these mental shutdown cases proved to be beneficial to Kunikazu Okumura. But there's one that hasn’t seemed to benefit him that should have. At least, not in the same way.”

“Oh?” Akechi wondered.

“Wakaba Ishiki,” Sae said.

“Um, correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t her death a suicide?” Akechi asked.

“It was ruled as one, yes,” Sae answered. “But I have my doubts. The circumstances of her death resemble a mental shutdown way too much. And I’ve been on this case for a long enough time where I know these things. Besides, she was a researcher who was researching this kind of thing.”

“So, you think she was killed intentionally?” Akechi said.

“That’s my hypothesis,” Sae said. “Again, a lack of proof is what’s killing me.”

“So what does Okumura have to do with it?” Akechi asked.

“Well…” Sae said. “If Ishiki was killed to steal her information, you’d think the person who’d benefit most from that would orchestrate her killing.”

“Seems logical,” Akechi responded.

“However, after combing through Okumura’s files,” Sae continued, “he seems more like the type of person to throw money around to solve his problems that kill outright.”

“So, you think he hired someone to kill Ishiki?” Akechi wondered.

“That’s the thing,” Sae said, shaking her head. “Why not just pay her for the information instead?”

“Well, perhaps he tried, and got a response he didn’t like,” Akechi said.

“Perhaps,” Sae said. “But he wouldn’t know anything about what the data contained, so he couldn’t make a move on his own. I suspect he has help in one form or another. But I want to hear what you think.”

“Hmmm,” Akechi replied. “Well, you have a good head on your shoulders. I don’t think anything you’re saying is wrong. But then the question becomes ‘Who?’ Who would be willing to sell someone out for money?”

“That’s true…” Sae agreed.

“Is there anyone you can eliminate from contention?” Akechi asked.

Sae nodded. “Just one person. Sojiro Sakura. He was close with Wakaba Ishiki. After she passed, he fought for custody of her daughter. Plus his shop doesn’t carry Okumura’s Starfall Coffee, so I know he’s not on Okumura’s payroll.”

Akechi was stunned by this. “Pardon me, but when you say ‘daughter’, do you by chance mean Futaba Sakura?”

Sae was now equally stunned. She nodded. “Yes. How do you know about this?”

Akechi was confused. “We’ve talked about this before. You said Sakura had some things that might help you with the investigation.”

“Ughhhhhhhhhh,” Sae groaned. “I’ve got so much going on it must have slipped my mind.”

“Boy, your secretary was right,” Akechi said. “You are in a tizzy.”

“‘Tizzy’ is too forgiving of a word,” Sae complained. “While we’re trying to investigate Okumura, his workers are going on strike, and he’s keeping mum.” She sighed. “I feel like I’m this close to everything, and yet the universe is still trying to stop me.”

“Hm,” Akechi said. “This is just me thinking here, but have you looked into the strike yet?”

“Why? People are free to strike,” Sae responded.

“Of course,” Akechi said. “But, well, do you think The Phantom Thieves are going after Okumura?”

Sae was a little unsure, but decided to let Akechi into the loop. “I believe so, yes.”

Akechi nodded. “I’m sure you’re aware, but for the calling cards of Kamoshida, Madarame, and Kaneshiro, they made mention of another force that aimed to take them down.”

Sae was curious. “You think that this strike was caused by this secondary force?”

“Perhaps,” Akechi answered. “This is just a guess. But it makes things more confusing, and it gives this force an edge to make Okumura bend to their will.”

“Well, I can’t discount anything,” Sae said. She sighed. “Another thing to look into.”

Akchi smiled. “I’m always happy to lend you a hand.”

“Are you offering your assistance?” Sae said, confused.

“Of course,” Akechi said. “I told you I’d help you with this Okumura thing.

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt,” Sae said. “Plus, you’re pretty popular. That might loosen some lips.” Akechi chuckled nervously. “If they mention anything about a ‘Savior of the Apocalypse’, let me know right away.”

“Um, of course, but why?” Akechi asked, surprised.

“Okumura received a threatening letter from someone with that moniker,” Sae explained. “If your hypothesis is correct, that’s who you’re looking for.”

Akechi smiled and nodded. “I’ll start looking into things tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?!” Sae yelled.

“My apologies,” Akechi said. “But I have plans for this evening.” He stood up. “And I suggest you should give yourself a break as well. It would certainly help your mind untangle itself.”

Sae glared at him. “Once this gets finished, I’ll take a vacation or something.”

“Hm hm hm,” Akechi chuckled. “Well, if not for yourself, maybe for your secretary. I know what you’re like when you’re wound so tightly you’re on the verge of breaking.”

Sae glared at him some more. “I’ll…think about it.”

“Well, I’ll take that as a positive,” Akechi said. He stood up and bowed. “I’ll be taking my leave now. Talk to you later.” Akechi left.

“See ya,” Sae called out. Once the door was closed again, she sighed. “He’s right. I can’t do anything if I don’t get this done. And if I’m not at my best, I can’t get this done.” She looked at the door intently. “I suppose a break could be in order.”

Later that evening, Akechi arrived at Dome Town. He walked through the crowd a little before finding Lena. Lena was looking for him, and when she spotted him, she smiled and rushed over to give him a hug. “Goro!”

Akechi chuckled nervously. He hugged her back. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Lena let go a little bit. “It’s alright. I know you’re busy.”

“Hm hm,” Akechi chuckled. “If that isn’t an understatement. So, what do you want to do first?”

The couple spent the evening taking in the attractions at Dome Town. Lena’s more pronounced excitement contrasted with Akechi’s calm demeanor. Still, he was having fun as well, and Lena could tell. And that was enough for both of them.

After a bit, they decided to get something to eat. “Is there anything you want in particular?”

“Hmmm, something sweet,” Lena answered.

Akechi chuckled. “I had a feeling you’d say that. Well, lucky for you, the pancakes here are delicious.”

Lena gasped. “PANCAKES?!” Akechi nodded. She giggled. “You sure know how to treat a woman.”

Akechi giggled back. “Only the best for you.” They proceeded to purchase some pancakes.

Both of them dug in. “Mmmmmmm!” Lena said.

“Hm hm,” Akechi chuckled. “I had a feeling you’d like them.” He glanced to the side.

Lena picked up on this. She swallowed her pancake and asked “Hey Goro?” Akechi looked at her. “Is there something on your mind?”

“Hm. There’s always something on my mind,” Akechi said. “Right now, it’s how cute you look.”

“Goro…” Lena said.

Akechi was a little surprised. “Well, I guess I can’t quite fool you. It’s just,” he sighed, “I have some trouble turning off the detective part of my brain. There’s so much on my mind in terms of different cases and such, especially recently. But for right now, I want to focus on you, OK?”

Lena put her hand on Akechi’s. He was surprised. “Goro… I know you’re focused on the cases you work on. But I love that about you. You’re so dedicated to justice. I know it’s difficult, but for you, it’s worth it.”

Akechi was gobsmacked. “Hm. Heh heh.” Tears started dripping from his eyes. Lena was concerned. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to alarm you. It’s just… It’s been a long time since I’ve felt something like this.”

Lena gasped slightly. She pulled Akechi in for a hug. “It’ll be OK,” she said. “I promise.”

“Hm hm,” Akehi chuckled, tears still filtering out. He reciprocated the hug.

“Thank you.” After a brief pause, he said “I love you.”

Lena smiled and blushed. “I love you too Goro.” They hugged for a little longer. Once they let go, they lightly chuckled between themselves, and then finished their pancakes.

After Sae had finished up doing some work, she looked at the clock. It was a little earlier than when she usually got out, but it was a holiday. She figured that they were making good enough progress that she could take this break. And she knew exactly what she was going to do.

She left her office. Riko was surprised. “Sae?”

“We’re leaving early today,” Sae instructed. “It's a holiday, and we’ve got a good foothold on the situation. And as you may be aware, I’m a little past my limit.”

“I…hadn’t noticed…” Riko said.

“It’s alright,” Sae said. “I appreciate honesty.” Riko was a little surprised, but couldn’t say anything. Sae smiled. “Come on.”

“Um, where are we going?” Riko asked.

“You’ve taken me to so many great restaurants. I think it’s time for me to return the favor,” Sae answered. Riko shrugged, not knowing what was about to happen, but was excited nonetheless. She packed up her things, and followed Sae out.

A little while later, Sae and Riko arrived at Leblanc. “I don’t think I’ve been here before,” Riko remarked.

Sae smiled. “Well, you’re in for a treat.” Assuming he’s not too upset. The two walked in.

Sojiro was busy behind the counter. “Just a second,” he said. He got up and turned around. “Hello…Oh…” His expression grew uneasy. “What can I help you with?”

Sae had a feeling something like this might happen. Still, she remained calm. “If you don’t mind, my new secretary hasn’t been here before. I figured it would be nice to treat her.”

Sojiro looked over at Riko. He smirked. “Well then, I have no objections. Have a seat.”

Sae took a seat at the bar, and Riko came in and sat next to her. “Um, is everything alright with you two?” Riko asked.

“It’s a business thing,” Sae explained. “And right now, we are off hours.”

“Oh…” Riko said.

“What can I get for you?” Sojiro asked.

“I’ll just take a coffee and curry,” Sae said.

“I’ll have what she’s having,” Riko said.

“Very well,” Sojiro said. “Coming right up.” He went to work preparing their orders. Once they were ready, he handed them to the two ladies. “Here you go.”

“Thank you,” Riko said eagerly.

“Thanks,” Sae said in her usual calm tone.

Riko took a bite. Her face lit up. “MMMmmmmmmmmm!”

“You like it?” Sae asked.

Riko nodded. “How come I haven’t had this before?”

“Well,” Sojiro interjected, “this place is a little out of the way.”

“Yeah, but those kinds of places are always the best.”

“Riko here is a bit of a foodie,” Sae explained.

“I just like food a lot, OK?” Riko said.

Sojiro chuckled. “No need to be ashamed. I take pride in serving up the best possible curry. So thank you.” Riko nodded. The two of them kept eating.

A little later, Sae realized something. “Oh, I should tell my sister I’m eating out tonight.” She got out her phone and messaged Makoto.

Riko looked over at her. “Are you sure she’s OK by herself?” she asked.

Sae seemed a little confused. “Of course,” she answered.

“You know, she is concerned about you,” Sojiro chimed in.

Sae turned to him, a little incensed. “How do you know?”

“She comes here from time to time,” Sojiro said. “I overhear bits and pieces, but it sounds like she’s a little worried.”

Sae frowned. She sighed. “I know it’s not easy. But Makoto is one of the strongest people I know.”

“Well, even the strongest people need someone to lean on from time to time,” Riko said. “I mean, I know your boss believes in you, but still hired me.”

Sae was stunned further. She sighed. “I know. I’m sorry. I just have a lot on my mind.”

“I can’t imagine,” Sojiro said. “But it’s important to help people, even when you have a lot on your mind.”

Sae looked at Sojiro. Normally, she’d let herself bear the brunt of things. However, she knew a lot about Sjiro’s situation. He’s running a restaurant, adopted the daughter of his dead lover, and since April had been taking care of another kid on probation. She sighed. “I…guess you’re right.”

Sojiro smiled. “Well, I’m always happy to help.”

Sae turned to RIko. “Maybe you should come over sometime.”

Riko was surprised. “Really?”

Sae nodded. “We just need to figure out a good time.”

“Well, you know I leave when you leave,” Riko reminded her.

Sae giggled. “That’s true. But I doubt either of us would be good company on most days.”

“Well, how about the next time we get off early,” Riko said. “Whenever that is.”

Sae nodded. “Sounds like a plan.” The two women smiled at each other. They finished their coffee and curry, and then headed their separate ways for the night.