#and you’re not even here to help me????? truly despicable

[minibunz]

@sunsetdesire mentions black nitrile gloves once and I go from thinking I was just gonna get ready and go to bed- to wanting to get off again instead of sleeping

[rileyglas]

Hello! Can I request Alastor x Fem!Trust Issues!Reader? I've seen quite a few fanfictions and requests where Readers were wary of Alastor, but strangely quickly began to trust him. Therefore, it seemed to me that it would be funny to see a Reader who is so distrustful of people in principle that with Alastor’s reputation this distrust reaches the point of absurdity. And when Alastor really sincerely wants to gain the Reader's trust (romantically or platonically, it doesn't matter), then it becomes a really difficult task. For example, he offers help with some little thing and the Reader immediately “what do you want from me.” Or when Alastor brings the Reader tea/coffee, she waits for him to drink first (she would probably insist that he pour it from the same ?teapot?). The other residents of the Hotel find this hilarious.

This is such a fun prompt, especially under the assumption Alastor loves nothing more than a good chase during a hunt. 😉

Like Glass (Alastor x Fem!TrustIssues!Reader)

Four months. That’s how long it took for you to finally take Charlie up on her offer of the possibility of redemption. The chance to get to Heaven seemed like a pipe dream but after a few very long talks and persuasions, you now held a key to your own room in the hotel. 

You try to keep to yourself and most seem to respect that. You’re left alone unless something is needed for one of Charlie’s exercises. You even specifically requested that Nifty didn’t bother coming to your room to clean. The less people in your space the better. 

Charlie has such a big heart but that leads to her choosing to trust even the most despicable characters. She has even trusted and allowed the Radio Demon to live under the same roof. You’ve heard all the stories, all the theories of why he was really there under the ruse of “helping” her. You didn’t buy it one bit. 

Just the other day you were trying to hang some banners the crew had made during an activity. Your ladder was rickety but unfortunately it was the only way to reach the beams. Pained grunts filled the room from you trying to stand on your tiptoes while maintaining some sense of balance. “Allow me to help, dear. Would hate to see you fall.” A staticky voice called from below you. “No thank you - I….am almost…done - shit!” the ladder shifted and almost threw you off. Alastor stabilized it with ease. “See, it is a good thing I’m here!” he yelled smugly. At this point you would rather fall than allow him to hold your life in his hands. “You’re a busy man Alastor. Hey Husk? Mind helping -”

“Nope, looks like Al has it covered.” he teased from behind the bar, relishing in your uneasy tone. You shot daggers, both angry and begging for the cat to just help you instead of Alastor. You made the last tie in the banner and swiftly came down to more solid ground. “Thanks I guess. I had it though.” you said through gritted teeth, avoiding making eye contact and rushing out of the room. Had you looked back you would have seen Husk laughing at how irate Alastor suddenly became.

Now tonight, Nifty was kind enough to serve everyone one of her more popular dinners. It was a simple dish yet as usual, you waited for everyone to nearly clear their plates before digging into it yourself. You might have been starving but you could never be too careful. We are all in Hell for a reason. Could anyone be truly trusted?

“My dear, dig in! Before it gets cold!” Alastor’s voice chirped from across the table. You glare at the toothy grinned demon, “I just like to ensure everyone is enjoying before digging in myself. Appreciate the concern though.” You try to seem pleasant but your voice always seems to drip with disdain when speaking to him, “Why are you so worried? Did you help in preparing the meal?” 

He chuckles, “I try to keep out of the kitchen when Nifty cooks but she did require a few extra hands -” You involuntarily choke and spit out the bite you had just taken. Angel and Husk also choke though it’s to hold back laughter. You sneer at their amusement. Alastor’s face twists with confusion, “Is everything alright?” “Oh uhm I’m suddenly not that hungry. Must be coming down with something. Excuse me.” You excuse yourself from the table and make your way to the library. Reading was always something that could busy your mind and right now you needed a distraction from both your growling stomach and Alastor’s attempt to help once again. He’d been making an uncomfortable effort to help you in any way he could and in your mind, that could only mean he wanted something from you.

Not many residents used the hotel library which was great for you. But of course, there was always someone who enjoyed breaking your solitude. The sound of footsteps pulls your eyes off your current page, “What do I owe the visit?” you snap over your book. 

Alastor strides over with a serving tray carrying a tea set. “Well I saw just how horrible you looked at dinner and figured some peppermint tea might help whatever ailment you’re suffering from.” He sets the tray on the table in front of you but you don’t move a muscle. “Since when do you care if someone isn’t feeling well?” you cock an eyebrow at him. 

He hums as he pours two cups of tea, taking one for himself and offering you the other, “What? Can I not offer a fellow resident a nice cup of tea?” “Nope. What do you want?” you continue to stare at the cup in his hand. His eye twitches, trying to hold back his annoyance, “Why do you insist on rejecting any of my pleasantries?”

You slam your book closed, “You’re wondering why I do not want help of any sort from one of Hell’s most vile Overlords?” He sets down your cup and sits across from you. You didn’t want company but it's too late now. “Ms. Morningstar trusts me with ensuring the safety of this hotel yet you cannot even take a cup of tea you’ve watched me both pour and drink myself. Other than what stories you’ve heard, what have I done to you to make you so cold towards me?” His eyes burn into you, eager for an answer. Although with his tone, you could only assume he knew exactly why you didn’t trust him. 

You sigh as you pick up the cup he offered. You swirl it in an attempt to examine if it looks or smells odd before hesitantly taking a small sip for yourself. “Have you ever been betrayed Alastor? By a friend? By someone you loved? Because I have. It’s how I died and how I ended up here.” 

His smile falters slightly, corners curving down before returning to their usual wide grin, “Trust is like glass, once broken it isn’t easy to fix nor will ever be the same. I admire how guarded you try to be.”

You scoff, “If it is so admirable then why bother trying so hard to earn my trust? Unless it just kills your ego that someone can see you for who you truly are -” The cup he holds suddenly shatters under his tightening grip, “Watch your tone, dear. I’ve been nothing but amicable with you. I expect the same in return.” his voice drops with static filling the air. You can’t help but smirk at how quickly you’ve managed to get under his skin. “Ooooh so it is an ego thing? Duly noted.” you bite and finish off your cup. As you stand you see Alastor’s eyes shift to black dials, his mind clearly spiraling. On your way to the door you brush a teasing hand across his shoulder, “Tea was wonderful by the way. I’m feeling better already!” Your coy laughter echoes through the library as you leave but the sounds of Alastor’s demon form drown it out. He snarls over his shoulder to you, “Don’t act so smug darling. I’ll get you to trust me one day.”

“Good luck!” You chirp walking out the door, unaware of the challenge you just put into place for the Radio Demon.  He was going to have you one way or another. It was only a matter of time and patience, two things he had plenty of when it came to getting what he wanted. You.

[andreafmn]

Kinktober ⛓️ Day 3

Word Count: 2.5K Paring:  Lip Gallagher x Fem!Reader Prompt @kinktober2023: Hate Sex WARNINGS: SMUT 18+ (minors DNI),  p-in-v sex, foul language, reader is technically underage

Summary: There is no one that (Y/N) despises more than Philip Gallagher, but having his brother as her best friend forces them in close proximity more than they would like. Or maybe they do?

A/N: This is set some time during season 3 so Lip is around 18 and reader would be 17 since she's contemporary with Ian's age, so do with that what you will.

<- Previous

“Yo, Ian,” Lip’s voice rang through the house. “You’re girlfriend’s here!”

“Oh, fuck off, Lip,” (Y/N) said as she bumped past him into the Gallagher home. “I know you wish I was here to see you, but I don’t do charity work on Tuesdays.” 

“Fuck you, (Y/L/N). You’d be lucky if I was the one you were studying with.” 

“Of course, the genius Philip Gallagher that doesn’t even want to go to college,” she snickered, stopping at the rest on the stairs. “I’ll take my chances with my own brain. Thanks.”  

“You’ll regret helping Ian with math,” he called as he walked to the front door. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” 

With an exasperated scoff, (Y/N) walked up the rest of the stairs, clutching her backpack tighter than she should have. She didn’t understand why she and the older Gallagher son didn’t get along. She had a wonderful relationship with everyone else in the family –even Frank was courteous enough with her– but something never clicked with Lip. Every time they were in close proximity, they would bicker and fight until someone else got in the way. It made it especially difficult when (Y/N) came over to spend time with Ian. 

She would never say she hated Lip. But the sentiment was close enough that others would notice. Between the terrible side-eyes and the snide comments, being around the two could easily become suffocating. Granted, everyone but them knew what was truly happening. They had met their match in each other but were too stubborn to admit it. 

“You ran into Lip, didn’t you?” Ian chuckled as his friend walked into his room. “It’s all over your face.” 

“Unfortunately, I did,” she sighed, plopping down next to him on the floor. “But he seemed to be going somewhere, so I didn’t have to talk to him for much.” 

“Just long enough to make sure you got annoyed. Perfect mood to study Geometry with you.” 

“Fuck you, I’m always a delight.” 

“Sure. Until you spend a second with Lip, and then everything goes to shit.” 

“Shut up, Ian,” she said, rolling her eyes. “If you want me to help you study, you’ll stop talking about your despicable brother, Phillip.” 

Hours passed between textbooks and worksheets, notebooks and loose papers, and somehow the bright afternoon sun had shifted into night. Ian had already gone to bed, tired from a long day of shapes and mathematical equations. Almost everyone in the house had done the same, tucked into bed early, which was a luxury for anyone on the South Side. 

Meanwhile, (Y/N) was still wide awake, taking advantage of the tiredness of the family to use up what was left of the hot water. She could have gone home, to her packed house and probably cold water, but she found comfort staying with the Gallaghers. The family was a melting pot of chaos, there were more fights than a WWE ring, and every single day brought a different kind of adventure. Her house had all of that, except the real warmth of a family. And being there made her feel like she was a part of something. 

The water ran across her skin, soothing the tight muscles that stiffened her body. The smell of soap filled her nose as she lathered herself, and she was glad that the bar seemed new still. They were small luxuries that she was grateful she could partake in every once in a while. And in the quiet of the night, it was almost peaceful.

Until a sound that did not fit into her spa-like scenario filled the air. From behind the curtain, she could hear a strong stream of liquid falling into the toilet. But she knew she had locked the door —not that it would have worked in that house anyway. 

She moved the curtain slightly to reveal Lip standing in front of the toilet. “What the fuck are you doing?” (Y/N) exclaimed, making sure her body was covered. “Can’t you see I’m using the bathroom?” 

“You’re in the shower. Toilet was up for grabs.” 

“Why couldn’t you have gone downstairs?” 

“Because I was already upstairs,” he shrugged, shaking his cock above the toilet as he finished. “Stop gawking, (Y/N). I know it’s impressive, but staring is kind of rude.” 

“Fuck you, Lip. I’ve seen better,” she said, closing the curtain to conceal the way her skin was flushing. “I’ve definitely been with better.” 

“Keep telling yourself that,” he snickered, turning on the sink. “But we both know the guys you’ve fucked are not exactly Adonises.”

“You’re such an asshole, Lip,” she scoffed. “If you’re gonna be here, at least pass me my towel.”

“Why should I? You can just step out.” 

“You’re not seeing me naked, Lip.” 

“It’s only fair,” he chuckled. “You saw mine, I get to see yours.” 

“Stop being a perv, Lip. I’m not one of those chicks you fuck for fun. I actually have standards.” 

“Right, and they’re so high, right?”

“They are.” 

“Is that why you fucked Billy Spencer two months ago or lost your v-card with Jesse Suarez in his car? Yeah, those standards are skyscraping high.” 

In a fit of rage, (Y/N) ripped the curtain open and sauntered out of the tub, getting as close to Lip as possible. “You don’t get to fucking judge my decisions, Philip,” she spat, jabbing her index finger against his chest. “Who I sleep with or don’t sleep with is none of your business. And you sure as hell are one to talk. Your list is not the most pristine, either. Starting with Karen, for example.”

“Don’t you fucking talk about her,” he said through gritted teeth, pushing back on her as she had. “You don’t talk about her.” 

“What? You can dish it out but can’t fucking take it, huh?”

“I can take whatever you fucking throw at me, (Y/N). I ain’t scared of you.” 

“Maybe you should be,” she continued. There was almost no space between them. She had him pressed against the wall, their noses almost touching as they heaved in anger. “There is no one else that can put you in your place like I can, and you know it.” 

“I don’t need you to put me in my place.”

“Are you sure?”

“You’re so fucking infuriating!” 

“Yeah? And what are you gonna do about it?” 

Lip’s next move was a surprise to her. She was expecting him to keep yelling or stomp out of the bathroom. Instead, he placed a hand on either side of her face and crashed his lips onto hers. He was all kinds of rough and forceful, clashing teeth and lips together without any care. But somehow, (Y/N) found herself kissing back just as roughly, grabbing onto the lapel of his jacket. 

But it wasn’t until she felt the roughness of his hands on the skin of her back that she realized she had jumped out of the shower, naked and still dripping with water. She jumped away from Lip as though his touch was fire and scrambled for her towel, trying her best to cover her body from him.

“Why are you covering yourself now?” he laughed. “I already saw everything, (Y/N).”

“Fuck you, Philip.”

“I was gonna let you,” he grinned. “But it looks like you got performance anxiety. Maybe you’re not as good as guys say.” 

“Not that it’s any of your concern, but I’m great in bed,” she argued. “But I would rather do it with someone I actually like.”

“It’s just sex, (Y/N),” he countered. “This is not to fall in love.” 

(Y/N) kept quiet for a beat, thinking over the boy’s request. His reputation for being a good lay preceded him, and she would have been lying if she said she had never thought about it. But the fact that his personality was almost revolting made her wonder if it was worth it. 

“God, you’re so fucking infuriating,” she said before doing the same thing he had done. “This means nothing. You’re just convenient.”

“Right,” he chuckled against her mouth. “Keep telling yourself that.”

“Oh, shut up already.” 

“Make me.” 

Her lips did all the answering, molding to his mouth perfectly, their tongues dancing together in perfect symphony. If she had believed in fate and the alignment of the universe, she would have deluded herself into thinking that they were meant to be. 

Lip’s clothes were rough against her unclothed skin, the zippers and the fabrics scratching at her body and rubbing the most sensitive parts of her body that were exposed. Warmth pooled between her legs with the kiss alone, and her body’s reaction scared her. It was almost instantaneous, and it had been the first time it had happened. 

“It’s not fair that I’m the only one that’s naked,” she said breathlessly.

“Do you ever stop fucking talking?” 

“Not when my mouth’s unoccupied,” she snickered. “And I have a lot to say.”  

“You’re too fucking much,” he grumbled as he took off layer after layer of clothing, letting them fall to the floor. “Now come here.”

He kissed her roughly again, pressing his chest as close to her body as he could, his hands snaking to the small of her back. As their mouth moved in synch, they walked backward until her back was pressed against the wall, the coldness making her skin erupt in goosebumps. But his hands were enough to build a fire inside her. The way they mapped every inch of her body and worked in tandem with his mouth to find her most sensitive spots. 

Lip nipped at her jaw and her neck, traveling down to her collarbone as his hands tweaked the hardened peaks of her breasts. Somehow, he was able to annoy her within an inch of raging ire and could bring her to the brink of orgasm with just his mouth and hands. 

In a swift move, Lip turned (Y/N), bending her against the wall as he pulled the zipper of his pants down. The clothes pooled at his ankles as he held his cock and lined himself up with her wetness, running the head across her fold and teasing her clit. 

“For someone that is just doing this out of convenience, you’re really wet,” he chuckled darkly. “Have you been dreaming about this?” 

“I could ask the same of you, Philip,” she retorted. “Because for someone that doesn’t really care, you’re really fucking hard.” 

“I’m only just a man, (Y/N).” 

“How about you shut up and prove it already, then? Maybe…” 

(Y/N)’s words died in her throat as she felt him sink into her completely, stretching her walls like no one had done before. He took the air out of her lungs, a moan getting strangled in her throat at the suddenness. 

Lip didn’t move instantly, allowing her body to get used to the size. At least, that was what he would have said if she had asked. Truthfully, being inside her was the most overwhelming experience he had ever had. He needed a moment to compose himself before he busted too early. The last thing he needed was for (Y/N) to have more ammo against him. He enjoyed their bickering reparté, but he had quite the reputation when it came to sex, and he wouldn’t let her ruin it. Even if his body was trying to betray him. 

Once he felt he could control himself, he started moving hips, quickly setting a pace that had (Y/N) letting out a string of moans that he wanted to listen to for the rest of his life. Her hands gripped the towel bar before her, her knuckles turning white from the tightness. She met his every move, pushing against him as he pummeled into her. 

“Harder,” she meweled. “Fuck me harder, Philip.” 

Lip did exactly as told. Skin met skin at a rapid pace, filling the otherwise quiet room with pants, moans, and slaps. Even her using his full name did not put a damper on his mood, rather loved the way it sounded in her mouth. And for the first time, it didn’t sound like she was saying it with  hate. At least, not completely. 

He snaked his hand around her body, his hand finding the mound of her clit and pressing two fingers on it. They circled and rolled the bud, making her walls clench around him as he pistoned into her. He knew both of them were reaching their end. The tightening of her cunt and the tightening of his balls told him enough.

“Fuck, don’t stop, Lip. Don’t you dare fucking stop.” 

“I wasn’t planning to.” 

And he didn’t. He kept thrusting until (Y/N) let out a pleasurable yell that had him covering her mouth. As he did, she bit down on his skin unconsciously, making him moan and awakening something in him he didn’t know was dormant. It brought him right to the brink of his end, and it took everything in him to leave her warmth and explode all over her ass. 

His body slumped over hers, absentmindedly kissing the skin of her shoulder as they both came down from their orgasm. They felt comfortable in their silence, their pants synching and their bodies melting against each other. If they could have, they would have fallen asleep in that very position. 

But a knock on the door startled them apart.

“Yo, I need the bathroom,” Carl called from the other side of the door. “I’ve gotta piss real bad.” 

“Can you go downstairs, Carl?” (Y/N) asked. “I’m just finishing up in the shower.” 

“Ugh, fine! Just hurry up. There’s more people in this house, you know?” 

“Yeah, sorry!” 

After wiping themselves down, Lip and (Y/N) started getting dressed, neither meeting each other’s gaze. “We don’t speak about this to anyone,” she finally said. “Especially not Ian. And this can’t happen ever again.” 

“Sure,” he mumbled. “Whatever you say.” 

“I’m serious, Philip,” she pleaded, placing a hand on his chest to get his attention. “If Ian finds out, I’ll never hear the end of it.” 

“I won’t say anything,” he laughed, looking at her in a way he never had before. “But I wouldn’t mind if this happened again.” 

“Are you serious?” 

“What? The rumors are true. You are a good lay.” 

“You’re not too bad yourself, Mr. Gallagher,” she grinned before stopping at the door to exit first. “But I don’t think this will happen again.” 

“Keep telling yourself that, (Y/N).” 

“Fuck off, Philip,” she whispered from the end of the hall before disappearing into the boys’ bedroom, leaving Lip to think of just how he could make this a repeat situation.

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[occasional-arb]

Scramble Recital ~Shibuya Halloween Night~ Translation

(In Ramuda’s studio.)

Ramuda: Alright! So that’s why we’ll be the ones keeping the peace in Shibuya on Halloween☆

Dice: What do you mean “so that’s why”!

Gentaro: We just got here, isn’t it a bit dictatorial to make such a decision without even discussing it with us first?

Ramuda: No way! I’m sure you guys know that Shibuya’s filled with parties on Halloween night, right?

Dice: That’s true. It’s hard to get to the pachinko parlor with so many people partying in the streets.

Ramuda: It’s good to have fun on a holiday, but some people get a teensy bit carried away.

Gentaro: Yes, it makes the news every year. It is a bit disconcerting.

Ramuda: Right?? So this year, let’s patrol the streets and fix all the problems ☆ Sounds good, right? Right? Okay, it’s decided!!

Dice: Well I’m free, so as long as you buy me something to eat, it’s cool with me.

Gentaro: Sigh… Always such a despicable person. Maybe even evil…

Gentaro: Unlike him, I live to serve the people of the world without compensation, so I will partake for nothing in return.

Dice: Now that’s a good lie.

Ramuda: So what’s the real reason???

Gentaro: I’m writing a Halloween themed story. I needed to do some research anyway, so this was perfect timing.

Dice: So you’re evil too…

Gentaro: Call it what you like.

Dice: So, will we just walk around the city like usual, then?

Ramuda: Isn’t that boring? We should all dress up in cosplay to go on patrol!

Dice: Oh, that sounds fun!

Ramuda: Right??

Gentaro: Cosplay, huh… I’m not very keen on the idea…

Ramuda: But you’ll stand out if you’re not dressed up! When in Rome, right?

Gentaro: …Alright. I suppose it might make for good story material…

Ramuda: Yay! I’ll make us all costumes!!

Dice: If I’m gonna do this, I wanna dress up as Bakuchi from “Misfortunate Gambling Legend: Bakuchi”!

(T/N: This is a parody of the Kaiji franchise.)

Ramuda: Okay, I’ll make it for you! What costume does Gentaro want??

Gentaro: …Nothing in particular. I’ll leave it up to you.

Ramuda: Since Gengen likes to wear traditional clothes, you should be Kenki from Edo Sword Demon Romantic Story!

(T/N: This is a parody of Rurouni Kenshin. Soma Saito also plays Kenshin in the reboot anime.)

Dice: What about you, Ramuda?

Ramuda: Hehehe! My costume is actually already done! I’ll show you! Wait here a sec!!

(Ramuda leaves and comes back with long blond hair and a frilly red dress. …If this is parodying something specific, I don’t know what it is lol. )

Ramuda: Ta-da! What do you think??

Dice: O-oh…

Gentaro: Quite the extravagant costume… What is this a cosplay of?

Ramuda: I’m a villainess ☆ So what do you think? Isn’t it cute??

Dice: I guess it suits you…

Gentaro: As long as you like it, anything is fine…

Ramuda: I can’t wait to see you guys in your costumes! Let’s all keep Shibuya safe together!!

(The day before Halloween, in Ramuda’s studio again.)

Ramuda: Sorry, guys! There’s some work I have to do tomorrow so I won’t be able to join you…

Gentaro: If it’s work, it can’t be helped. Don’t worry about it.

Dice: So are we canceling it?

Ramuda: Don’t cancel, I already made your costumes! And I called in some extra help to take my spot!

Dice: Extra help?

Gentaro: Who is it?

Ramuda: Tomorrow will be great! He’s a guy that I trust, so it’s fine!

Gentaro: …I suppose that’s fine.

Dice: You’ll still buy me food, right?

Ramuda: Yep! I’ll get you something real nice afterwards!

Dice: Hell yeah!

Gentaro: Goodness... Truly a despicable man.

Ramuda: Then tomorrow I’ll be leaving Shibuya in your hands!

Dice: Yep! Leave it to me!

Gentaro: As you command.

(Halloween, Shibuya Crossing. Dice is wearing his not Kaiji cosplay.)

Dice: Woah, lotta people here.

Dice: Everyone else is dressed so flashy, I don’t stand out at all.

Gentaro: Sorry to have kept you waiting.

Dice: Oh!

(Gentaro appears wearing his not Kenshin cosplay.)

Dice: Something’s different about you.

Gentaro: I’m used to wearing a kimono, but… I still feel uncomfortable carrying a sword at my waist, even if it’s just a toy. It feels like I’m doing something nefarious…

Dice: Well, everyone else is dressed up too. I don’t think it’ll bother anyone.

Gentaro: I suppose. By the way, has our help arrived yet?

Dice: Nope, not yet.

???: Sorry to keep you waiting!

(Ichiro appears wearing some… kind of costume that vaguely resembles Takeshi Goda, a character also played by Subaru Kimura in Doraemon. Apparently.)

Gentaro: Yamada Ichiro-san?

Dice: Are you our help?

Ichiro: Yeah, Ramuda asked me to lend you guys a hand. Let’s do this!

Dice: By the way, that outfit suits you strangely well.

Ichiro: Right? I was surprised when I tried it on too.

Gentaro: You’re Toshihiko, the bully from a popular children’s anime, correct?

Ichiro: Yep. I guess cause it was last-minute, Ramuda could only make a simple costume.

Dice: Alright! Well, let’s go grab some food before going on patrol.

Ichiro: Can’t work on an empty stomach!

Gentaro: Dice… Please pay for yourself this time.

Dice: Nahahahaha!

(Dice walks off)

Gentaro: That wasn’t a joke.

(Shibuya Center Gai)

Ichiro: I heard this would be crazy, but it’s even wilder than I expected.

Gentaro: There’s not even a particular event going on, people just use Halloween as an excuse to party.

Dice: It’s hard to get through the crowds…

Child: Sniff… Hiccup…

Ichiro: Hm? Was that a child crying?

Gentaro: Hm… I didn’t hear anything.

Dice: I didn’t either.

Ichiro: This way!

(Different spot on Shibuya Center Gai.)

Child: Huuuu… Mama!

Gentaro: Oh, there is a child.

Dice: Must’ve gotten separated from his mom.

Ichiro: Whatever happened, we need to get him to stop crying so he can talk to us.

Dice: Alright! Leave it to me!

Dice: Hey kid, let’s go look for your mom together!

Child: Uweeeeehhh!

Dice: Ah! P-please stop crying! I’m trying to help you!

Gentaro: It’s only natural to be scared when a strange man speaks to you so brashly.

Dice: I-I wasn’t brash…

Ichiro: Hey kid, where did your mom go?

Child. Uuuuh… Toshihiko?

Ichiro: Yep!

Dice: He’s imitating Toshihiko’s voice…

Gentaro: Children are simple, after all. Of course they’ll open up to a familiar character.

Ichiro: Glad you know about me!

Child: Yeah! I watch you every week!

Ichiro: Thanks for your support!

Ichiro: So, where’s your mom at?

Child: I dunno…

Ichiro: I see…

Ichiro: Well, don’t worry! Toshihiko-sama will find her!

Child: Really?!

Ichiro: Yeah! So no more crying, okay?

Child: Okay!

Gentaro: How do we find someone in this crowd?

Ichiro: His parents are probably looking for him too, so if the three of us rap together and get some attention, they should notice us.

Gentaro: True… They’re probably not far, so it might work.

Ichiro: Right? Then let’s get started—

(They rap.)

Mother: Takashi!

Child: Mama!

Dice: Oh! Looks like the mom is here!

Ichiro: Great.

Mother: Excuse me… Sorry for all the trouble. Thank you!

Ichiro: No problem. Just be careful not to get separated again.

Mother: Will do. Sorry again!

Child: See ya later, Toshihiko!

Ichiro: See ya! And make sure to listen to your mom!

Dice: Well, that’s that!

Gentaro: Now then, let us continue our patrol.

???: Kyaaaa!

Ichiro: What is it now?!

Dice: Over there! Let’s go!

(They go… somewhere else.)

Ichiro: No way…!

Gentaro: That woman is about to jump from the roof…

Dice: Guys! Let’s go stop her!

Gentaro: Of course.

Ichiro: Yeah.

(They go up to the roof of the building.)

Dice: Hey! Don’t do anything stupid!

Woman: D-don’t come near me! I’ll jump!

Gentaro: …Please calm down. As you wish, we’ll stay right here.

Ichiro: Hey… What happened?

Woman: My boyfriend was cheating on me with my best friend… When I confronted him about it, he broke up with me and started dating her…

Ichiro: Wow… That’s terrible…

Gentaro: Hm. A common plot development in pulp novels, but it really does drive people mad. I learned something.

Ichiro: Don’t you have a heart…?

Dice: H-hey, y’know you’ll die if you jump. If you stay alive, something good is bound to happen to you, so…

Woman: Nothing good will ever happen to me! I’d rather end it here then go on living like this…!

Dice: W-wait! Hold on a minute!

Dice: Th-That’s right! I’ll tell you my special information!

Woman: What… is it…

Dice: I know a bakery that’ll give you the heels of bread for free!

Woman: What?

Dice: It’s perfect for when you don’t have money for food! I can also tell you the good places to sleep to stay outta the wind, even in the winter!

Woman: …

Dice: Is that still no good? Then, I’ll treat you to a public bath once a week! That’ll take care of one problem…

Woman: That’s enough!

Dice: Oh! Right? It’s a pretty great deal!

(The woman gives him 1000 yen.)

Dice: Hm, 1000 yen? Why’d you give me this?

Woman: …Use it to eat something nice.

Dice: O-oh…

Woman: If you guys are his friends, you should help him…

Gentaro & Ichiro: Y-yes…

Woman: Listening to his story made me feel stupid for wanting to die.

(She leaves.)

Dice: Huh? But she left before I could tell her the info…

Gentaro: Could you please stop talking for a moment? That was embarrassing.

Ichiro: W-well, Arisugawa solved the problem, so I guess it’s fine…

Dice: What’s up with you two?

(They go back to the street and hear some kind of ruckus.)

Ichiro: What now?

Gentaro: There’s someone speaking rather harshly…

Dice: Let’s go.

(They walk towards the ruckus.)

Drunk Guy A: Bastard! I’ll kill you!

Drunk Guy B: Just try it, dumbass!

Dice: Drunk guys fighting, huh…

Ichiro: Should we stop them, Arisugawa?

Dice: Yeah.

Gentaro: Please wait a moment.

Dice: Why?

Ichiro: We don’t have time to mess around.

Gentaro: Please allow me to peacefully resolve this.

Dice: Well, I guess that’s fine too.

Gentaro: Leave it to me.

Gentaro: Ahem! You two over there?

Drunk Guy A: Huh?!

Drunk Guy B: Who the hell are you?! Shut up and stay out of this!

Gentaro: I am but a humble writer… No, I am a humble samurai now.

Drunk Guy A: The hell is this guy saying?

Gentaro: Well, it doesn’t really matter who I am.

Gentaro: Fighting in a place like this will trouble the people around you. Please lay down your spears.

Drunk Guy B: Shut it! Who talks like that? Is there something wrong with your head?!

Drunk Guy A: Yeah, worry about yourself first!

Drunk Guy B: Y’know, you’re not wrong! Ahahaha!

Gentaro: …

(Gentaro smiles and draws his sword.)

Drunk Guy A: Hey… Why did you take out your sword?

(Gentaro walks closer.)

Drunk Guy B: I-idiot! Cut it out!!!

(Gentaro smacks them with his toy sword.)

Drunk Guy A: Agh!

Drunk Guy B: Ouch!

Gentaro: Sigh… Peace has returned to Shibuya once more.

Dice: What the hell was that?! That wasn’t peaceful at all.

Gentaro: Unfortunately, they were of a species of ape that cannot understand human language. It is sometimes necessary to use force in such cases.

Dice: You were just being petty…

Ichiro: Is it alright to hit someone with that, even if it’s a toy?

Gentaro: Don’t worry, I used the flat edge.

Ichiro: That’s not the issue…

Gentaro: Now then! The next incident is calling us! Let us be off!

(Gentaro walks off.)

Ichiro: Both you and Ramuda are strange, but Yumeno might be the worst.

Dice: I’m glad you understand.

(They go back to Shibuya Crossing.)

Ichiro: I guess when there’s so many people around, you get all sorts of problems.

Gentaro: Shibuya is always crowded, but this holiday is the most perilous.

Dice: It’s fine to have fun, but people shouldn’t come if they can’t follow the rules.

Gentaro: If you must make a fuss, please don’t forget common sense.

(T/N: I can’t prove that this is a covert advertisement paid for by the city of Shibuya, but…)

Ichiro: Ugh, I can’t get through this crowd.

Dice: Yeah. Everyone’s packed in the Scramble Crossing.

Gentaro: It seems the police are trying to direct people, but nobody is listening.

Gentaro: At this rate, people will get pushed out into traffic…

Ichiro: That’s it! We can rap to help the police guide people!

Dice: Oh, good idea! If the three of us rap, there’s no way people won’t hear us!

Gentaro: Yes, then they’ll be more willing to follow directions.

Ichiro: Alright! In that case, let’s do it!

Ichiro: People of Shibuya! Please listen for a moment!

Gentaro: I know you’re having fun, but…

Dice: We’re gonna rap about traffic rules!

Ichiro: Yumeno, Arisugawa! Let’s go!

Gentaro & Dice: Yeah!

(They rap, again.)

Dice: Whew, I’m glad the flow of traffic became smoother!

Ichiro: It’s rare to hear gratitude from the police.

Gentaro: And it feels good to help people.

(They hear another ruckus.)

???: Come on! Bring me some booze!

Passerby: Apparently that doctor over there is drunk and acting up.

Dice: Another drunk guy…

Gentaro: The time has come for my sword to fly once more.

Ichiro: …No, let’s do this peacefully this time.

Dice: Alright, let’s get going then.

Ichiro & Gentaro: Okay!

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s2 episode 22 thoughts

i am actually the bravest human alive for surviving this episode

(lmao i joke. MOSTLY. but op lore: i suffer from a chronic illness that gives me terrible nausea and MAN this was NOT the episode you want to sit down and unwind with if you’re feeling ill. for the plague be upon them all. and yet! here we are. my love for these agents must be quite boundless.)

“diseaseee episode… okay so it is probably body horror time maybe idk” <- first thing in my notes, and yes. yes, it was body horror time.

(we open with a fellow in the rainforest catching bugs) and to me it’s giving “he was in the amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders just before she died” which was such a funny meme. we moved on from this too quickly. those words will always make me giggle.

that is a turkey vulture… do they have those in Costa Rica? yes they do! wow, bird facts <3

ohh nasty, we see a dead hog in the rainforest, being consumed by bugs… bug scientist takes some of them while it pulsates… and my nausea strikes!!!

AUGHHH the boil blew up on his face. this is eeeeevil!! i was diverting my attention AWAY from the screen at this point and really staring at my notes in the hope they could shield me from the nastiness

NOOOO now the bug scientist’s face is covered in the boils… the vultures got him and so did the bugs, and i am getting the impression this is gonna be a tough watch, but i’m in too far now!!!! (it had been like. 5 minutes lmao but i meant it!)

scene change: prison time.

(is this the outside of the prison they used to film the Please Please Please music video or do they all just look the same?)

a prisoner has been sent a package. it is…. some kind of meat??? can you send meat in the mail…? just wrapped up in newspaper? i find this hard to believe, but maybe things were different in the 90’s, or we can suspend disbelief for the sake of the alien show

the meat is pulsating and now the prisoner who received it has the same boils…… deeply unfortunate for all parties involved

and now boil disease is spreading in the prison!! two guards escaped on a cart carrying the infected man's dirty sheets. so they are pretty much gonna die. but will they spread the sickness to the outside world before they do so?

enter our agents!!

this dude who claims to be in charge is a real jerk. and the agents don’t even know why they got sent there beyond to help with a manhunt, which seems beneath them. but there are some people in hazmat suits, so it’s not adding up.

the convicts are hiding in a rest stop and stole a camper from a poor family :( way to ruin vacation.

scully can tell everyone is LYING and she hates lies and bursts into the hospital area, despite the doctor trying to keep her out… it’s a serve, but at what cost to her health???

here, we learn what is at stake: 14 men have been infected, and 10 have died so far. YIKES! this is not good news.

she always answers the phone with “mulder, it’s me” and idk why I find that so endearing. but maybe I’m just at the point where everything these nerds do wins me over 

NOOOO the dad from the camper was killed…  vacation ruined even more than previously thought 

back at the prison, a dude in a hazmat suit tried to kick scully out by saying that she is violating federal orders by being there, and she says “i’m a federal agent”…. a queen of dealing with nonsense. she needs to know if the escaped men are out and about spreading this!!

“you see what I let you see”, says a man drunk on the power of a lot of people dying around him. and i love that these men think they can handle whatever this disease is without any help whatsoever (/s) the arrogance of men has no limits. 

the convict is coming home… to his gf and baby… SPARE THE BABY from the bubbling disease!!!

one of the dudes who escaped is on the floor of the gas station bathroom, moaning and groaning and covered in boils, and the other convict smacks the poor cashier helping him on the head with a wrench... truly despicable behaviors. and he was probably doing all of this for minimum wage!!

scully in da incinerator room... what is she doing there! she has a mask and some gloves and some bodies to investigate. she cuts one of the bagged bodies open. 

NOOO the doctor tries to stop her and the juice gets in his eye… he runs away. rip doctor. your fate has been sealed.

(rolling up to the gas station w the marshals and a million dudes in sunglasses that look like horrible people to catch the escaped convicts)

mulder finds the poor cashier that got whacked and says “kid’s got a lot of hair, probably absorbed the blow” which is a crazy thing to say 

now he is trying to track the phone call the convict made to figure out where he went, but he’s using the same payphone as the sick man, and the germs... i’m scared!

mulder gives his badge number to the operator. It’s JTT-047101111. will this information be of any use at any time? no. but I still wrote it down <3

woah loud noise! a helicopter arrives to put the cashier in some sort of incubator. this cashier has really had a bad time. and no one is explaining anything!!!! so he doesn’t even know where they are taking him or why!! transparency has never been anyone in the government’s strong suit, i guess.

convict cam. he is reunited with his gf. they are smooching. and that is not good for her survival rate i would guess. after they make out a lil, he shows her the other mostly dead guy in his car. i assume he will be joining the family but not for long. i'd be pissed if my man brought someone home after his prison escape. this was supposed to be about US and not some dude i don't know named paul dying in our bed...

okay the package of the meat was sent from kansas… sus…. from a pharmaceutical company?? could it be a fake return address… (spoiler: no, it was not!)

OUGHHHH the camera cuts to dead flesh and boils and blood BLEAGGHH and scully extracts a BUG from it…. 

back to the convicts. the woman is trying to help the guy who is filled with pus, and she bends down to try and cool off his fever, and just as this happens the boil bursts!!! her face is splashed with nastiness and i moaned “nooooo” and hit pause so fast because I nearly gagged... but this was not a foolproof plan, because it paused on all the stuff getting on her face, so i saw it even more, which was SO NASTY EVIL EVIL NASTY GROSSSSSS JAIL. she’s trying to scrub it off. 

just as she tries to get it off, the marshals burst in and get her. so now they might get the boils… also someone scoops up the baby… put him in a better situation… but the other prisoner is gone!! where did his slippery ass sneak out to?!?

(we see an outside shot of the prison again and AGAIN I think this is the same one from the please please please mv. sabrina carpenter can you confirm or deny? i know you read this blog)

the doctor who was earlier splashed upon has revealed his boils to scully. but this is not all he reveals: he was LYING about the CDC being involved!!! it’s the pharmaceutical company that sent the package to the prison that did all this, and he works for them!! they finance discovering stuff in the rainforest to use in drugs… and they found the bug. and the bug has a parasite on it that makes the boils and the larvae are in the explosion. so explosion = infection.

NOOO she was there when his boil blew up so she might also be infected..... lord her medical history is complicated enough. let her escape the clutches of these damn bugs.

talk with skinner time!!!!! BUT... CIG MAN IS IN THE CORNER. mulder goes over to talk to him directly. is he trying to get them killed!!!!! because it looks like cigarette man put them on this case involving lethal infectious diseases because he wanted to get rid of them. oh, mulder is ANGRY about them lying to the public

meeting with skinner was NOT a success. he angrily fumbles with his seatbelt when scully calls to report the latest in plague news 

they disagree on what to do here: he says the public has to know about the situation, and she says that they don't because the panic will spread faster than the contagion. oooo, juicy moral conflict! but i must admit. pandemic questions interest me less having lived through one of my own.

despite his frustration that she is making a point about not being able to tell the world just yet, he asks "are you okay in there scully?”, and she says yes, tells him to catch the fugitive, and to "take care of yourself out there"... and her not knowing if she is gonna live or die, so she tells him to take care of himself...... has me very emo

now, she is locked into quarantine with the infected doctor, who is testing her for the disease, which involves trapping a bug to her arm and waiting for it to bite her. which is quite hellish. she looks truly disturbed by the event and frankly so was i.

mulder interrogating the woman whose bf is the escaped convict. trying to find him, but being distracted by her moral questions on who deserves to know the truth... not now, ask these heavy things later. success! convict boil man is on his way to the bus station.

cutscene to the convict trying to buy a bus ticket. and coughing all over the ticket woman. another minimum wage worker victimized by disease. wear ur masks people!

back at the lab, the bug has FINALLY bitten her, but the doctor from the company is going down. he says she has to tell the world if her test is negative because it WILL happen again. way to push your guilt onto someone else, mister pharmaceutical man!

cut to her extracting blood from bugs. how in the hell did they film that scene??? she takes a deep breath and looks at the blood to see if she’s gonna die or not. and she sighs but that isn’t an answer for us, the audience. (spoilers: it was negative...... thank god)

in the incinerator of the prison, they are destroying all the evidence!!! by tossing all the bodies into a fire!!! the pharmaceutical company is covering its tracks!!! they say it was unavoidable but she says “we'll leave that up to others to decide!!!” oh he pulls the “no one will believe you” card… but she’s sneaky, maybe she’ll think of something that can prove it all to the rest of the world

back to the marshals and mulder at the bus station. no pressure but the prisoner who is about to die HAS to make a statement or else everything will be entirely covered up by the pharmaceutical company that killed these people. again, no pressure!! 

mulder going on the bus with the infected convict.... nooo mulder, be careful, i whisper softly to the screen. and sensing his tricks, the sick man holds a boy with a gun to his head once he gets on there!!!

mulder's voice is all growly- you know how it gets when he’s serious. but the sick man is coughing all over the little boy. and foaming at the mouth. mulder convinces him to let the kid go, and tries to get that statement that will prove everything... but....

NOOOOOOOO!!!! the marshals shoot the guy before he can learn what was in the package!!!!!!

so, in all: the pharmaceutical company was using the prisoners as guinea pigs to get their drug on the market without FDA testing… truly sick and twisted!!!

mulder is reporting this to skinner, and he’s gonna tell the public!!! mulder says that covering the truth makes skinner just as guilty as the men who infected the prisoners (which i'm not sure i agree with but i love a man obsessed with the moral weight of his actions)!! but scully bursts in and says they can’t prove anything because the tracks were so thoroughly covered.

mulder is adding things up... that’s why they were given the assignment, so that if they tried to expose the whole thing, they would be discredited!!!

skinner says “you never had a chance, mulder; for every step you take, they’re three steps ahead” “where do you stand?” “i stand right on the line that you keep crossing” <- OHHHHH zinger.

but i'm conflicted... i thought skinner and i were tight after he intervened to save mulder a few episodes ago, but now I don’t know… skinner, my feelings towards you are complex and unnavigable 

“i’m saying this as a friend: watch your back. This is just the beginning” <- WHAT DO YOU KNOW SKINNER!!!!!

there are questions here- such as, to what point does skinner knowingly go along with the corruption in the government? if the government was involved with killing prisoners on behalf of a drug company, what other evil twisted things are they hiding? to what extent can skinner, and every other person in the FBI, be blamed for complicity? is it at all possible to make positive change in a corrupt system?

also, are these the same guys who are hiding the aliens, or do you think that 's a different evil government department?

what was cig man doing there and why does skinner keep letting him into his office like a stray cat that gets one free meal from a nice human? (but that stray cat is evil and was involved in kidnapping scully) should we send skinner to the cancel chambers or is he a real mfer deep down? also, where the hell is krycek? not that I give a fuck. he sucked. 

much to ponder, but i end there for now, because. bleurgh. flesh.

[delicatemusickingdom]

Book 1 Part 1 Chapter 1.1 (1/2)

Chapter 1: Newcomer

Three empty glass bottles were lined up haphazardly on the cracked stone pavement of the alley.

About twenty steps away, a boy sat there alone. He stared at the row of bottles unmovingly, as if picking them up and down and weighing them in his mind. 

There were several other boys standing behind him. They kept talking to the black-haired boy, but he neither replied nor turned to face them. 

“You don’t like that guy, right?”

“That guy?”

“That newcomer! The blond one!”

“Oh, now that you mention it, there was that guy.”

Saying that, the black-haired boy threw a pebble with a flick of his arm. The pebble arced through the air, hitting the empty bottle on the right as intended. 

“He’s going to live here from now on. Then we have to properly teach him.” 

“What do you mean, teach him?”

“The rules, duh. He can’t keep feeling like he’s from the ‘other side of the wall’. Right?”

“Just leave him be. I’m not interested.” 

He picked up another pebble and threw it. With a brief, high-pitched sound, the bottle on the left fell over. 

“Don’t be like that, Yuri. Come with us.” 

“Why should I? In the first place, you’re all going as a group just to confront one person. How ridiculous.”

“You don’t have to say it like that…”

“Don’t do anything stupid. Got that?” 

The forceful tone of his last words also lent strength to his arm. The pebble flew with tremendous force, hitting the remaining empty bottle in the middle and shattering the target into pieces. 

The boys flinched at the sound echoing through the alley, and finally gave up, slowly retreating one by one.

As he listened to the footsteps behind him that clearly betrayed their owners’ reluctance, the black-haired boy known as Yuri let out a sigh as if he was fed up with it all. 

A while back, there was a kid who moved into the lower quarter of the Imperial Capital, Zaphias, where they lived. Everyone was planning to bother him. 

If that was all, it would be okay. It irritated him that they were going to pick on someone who hadn’t done anything to them in the first place, but such behaviour was far from uncommon in the lower quarter, a place you could hardly describe as well-behaved. The problem was that several people were trying to do it as a group. 

There was only one person on the other side. Even if he hated them, forming a group to gang up on one person was even more despicable, let alone being considered part of them. The thought alone made his skin crawl. 

The other boys were also aware of that part of Yuri’s personality. Still, they called out to him, because in the unlikely event they received an unexpected counterattack that they weren’t able to handle, they would feel safer with Yuri around. 

With his strength and bravery, even among the boys of his age in the lower quarter Yuri was highly respected. 

Yuri looked in the direction the boys had gone. Their figures were already out of sight. Yuri scratched his head and scowled.

He had stopped them, but had they accepted it? He wasn’t sure. Their attitudes were that of someone who had already decided to act. Going to see Yuri was a mere stop on the way for them.

Letting out a short huff, Yuri leapt up from his seat. His black hair spread out and fluttered softly. 

He wasn’t much taller than the other boys. He didn’t particularly focus on physical training, but there was something about his demeanour that evoked that of a wild cat. To naturally possess everything necessary, while not having anything unnecessary, that kind of aura.

“If you guys get scared even before throwing down, don’t expect me to help you.”

Drawing trouble to themselves, then relying on Yuri when things got tough. That attitude of theirs was something Yuri always couldn’t stomach. 

Even so, Yuri never truly disliked them. After all, they were friends that lived in the same lower quarter. In a sense, he even thought of them as his brothers. After all, the times they spent laughing together was so much longer — and the times they’ve endured together even longer. 

In that case, why am I even going? Yuri asked himself. For the sake of those idiots who are only going to make fools of themselves again? Or for the sake of that newcomer everyone’s been talking about? No way. I don’t even remember his name. 

He couldn’t feel at ease. He couldn’t sit still, but he didn’t have a clear reason why. He couldn’t help but go. That was just how he was. It frustrated him, but there was nothing he could do about it. To stop them from ‘doing anything stupid’, that was probably it. Stop who? Who cares. 

After stretching his body, Yuri started to walk down the street. 

****

A nasty guy.

That was the first impression most of the kids from the lower quarter had when they saw him. Even though he was a commoner, he stood out like an alien presence because he wore better clothes than them. 

And that golden hair. Even though the lower quarter had people with hair like that, there was something clearly different about him. Although it was just hair, in the eyes of the children of the lower quarter it was representative of the Imperial Capital’s nobles, in other words, a symbol of the ‘upper class’. 

On a cold, overcast day, with clouds looming low as if it could start snowing at any moment, the boy arrived, clutching his mother’s hand while having only a small amount of their things with them. Regardless of the details, even the naive, inexperienced children — who acted like they knew and could do more than they actually did — could understand that there were special circumstances surrounding him. 

But for the children of the lower quarter, instead of evoking sympathy or compassion, rather, it served as a perfect ammunition for them to attack him. This was because the mother and son came from inside the castle walls — what the lower quarter referred to as the ‘other side of the wall’. Inside the castle walls was the citizens’ quarter, where even the commoners lived better and wealthier lives than the people in the lower quarter. That alone was enough to evoke feelings of resentment. 

Despite the childrens’ feelings of resentment, however, the adults warmly welcomed the mother and son. They accepted what they had to say and didn’t ask for further explanations, offered them a house to live in, and even pooled together a portion of their meagre savings to give to them to provide them with the basic necessities for a short while. The mother and son barely had anything on them when they arrived, after all. 

As for housing, there were plenty of vacant houses, and it was incredibly ambiguous as to who owned their rights, so it wasn’t a big issue. Despite its size due to it surrounding the outer circumference of the Imperial Capital, there weren’t a lot of residents that lived in the lower quarter. 

Strictly speaking, the lower quarter wasn’t considered part of the Imperial Capital. Originally, the name Imperial Capital Zaphias referred to the inner layer of the lower quarter enclosed by the towering castle walls. The outer layer was originally nothing more than a leftover area the monster-repelling barrier’s power extended to, that various people took advantage of to live in, and over time turned into a settlement that hugged to the castle walls. And then after hundreds of years of repeated and accumulated unorderly expansion and demolition, the lower quarter was transformed into its current state.

Naturally, the sprawling lower quarter that was spread out in a huge circular area, wasn’t just one big cohesive district. Not only was it impossible in scope, it was also impossible for such a large district to be full of people. There were uninhabited ruins scattered between the districts such that each district more or less depended on the ‘other side of the wall’, but lived their lives separate from the others. 

Its residents were all people who didn’t have the financial means to live on the ‘other side of the wall’, or the ability to move to another city, or were burdened with some other circumstance. They rarely paid attention to matters of governance, doing their best to live to see the day next, so they never thought of reorganising things. The lower quarter used the ‘other side of the wall’ to differentiate themselves from the people on the other side, and compared to the general term ‘outside the wall’, it could even be considered somewhat derogatory. 

For the record, each district had their own name to differentiate themselves from the other districts. For example, the district where Yuri and his friends lived was called Fountain Alley, named after its remains at its centre. But in most cases, people simply referred to their own district as the ‘lower quarter’. The districts rarely interacted with each other anyway, so there was little need for differentiation. 

As such, for the Yuri who was currently walking down the street he’d grown up seeing, he simply saw himself as a person who was ‘born in the lower quarter’. 

The road, which had been paved long before Yuri was born and then left neglected, was now worn down, leaving cracks and hollows here and there. Weeds poked out from those cracks, and in other places dirty water collected and emitted a foul stench. Even though winter had ended, and the warmth of spring had begun to grace the streets, giving way to a pleasant scenery, Yuri was barely conscious of it, walking forward without getting distracted. 

The place where he was born and raised. The place he has never left since he was born. For Yuri, this was a common and familiar sight, and nothing more, nothing less. 

In the place where he lived, everyone knew each other. The distinction between family and other people was remarkably small. 

On one hand, Yuri had no one he could call a blood relative. He’d only been told that his mother died shortly after giving birth to him, and he didn’t even know her face. As for his father, he was starting to doubt whether one truly existed.

The fact that a child with no relatives or assets to his name was able to survive was due to the spirit of mutual aid deeply rooted in the lower quarter. In reality, children like Yuri were far from uncommon, and even among adults it was not rare for one to be in dire straits. What saved them was the wisdom that the people had built up over generations, to prevent all of them from dying by the roadside.

By supporting and helping each other, despite their poverty they manage to overcome their hard times and somehow make ends meet. That was how despite being neglected, the people of the lower quarter had tenaciously survived this way.

In this case, the mother and son were only able to be saved because this spirit was alive and well. 

****

Yuri suddenly stopped in his tracks, turning to look at the building beside him.

Although he didn’t think any of the boys were inside, he wondered if he should check just to be sure, or simply continue on his way. As he hesitated, a voice called out from behind him. 

“What’s wrong, Yuri?” 

It was a calm, elderly man’s voice. When he turned around he saw the man who fit that description holding a piece of luggage in his hand. He had a petite frame with a slightly hunched back and a thick beard, and from behind his glasses a gentle gaze could be seen. 

“Grandpa Hanks.”

Although he had accumulated quite a few white hairs on his head, it was still too early to be addressing him as ‘grandpa’, but due to his mature demeanour, everyone in the lower quarter affectionately addressed him as such. 

If you’re just going to stand around right in front of your home, you might as well come in.”

Hanks tilted his head, pointing at the building Yuri had been looking at.

‘My Home’. The people of the lower quarter had taken one of the vacant houses and designated it as a residence for Yuri and other children with no relatives to live in, and they referred to it as such. 

Hanks was one of the adults responsible for taking care of them. Not only that, but with his gentle demeanour, he was considered by the lower quarter’s — Fountain Alley’s — people to be their mediator and organiser, and by Yuri, someone akin to a foster parent. 

“Leave me alone. I’ll decide where I want to go.” 

Hanks merely raised his eyebrows slightly and offered a smile at the boy’s biting remarks, regarding it as nothing more than a sign that he was energetic. While it irritated Yuri, he also was a little relieved that they were close enough to allow for such exchanges. 

Just as he was about to walk off, Yuri felt a sense of danger at the back of his neck and quickly ducked down. 

The next moment, something flew past the area where his head had been a moment ago. It arced through the air and crashed onto the ground with a jarring sound. It was a roughly-carved wooden plate, big enough to hold in both arms. If it had actually hit him, he wouldn’t just get away with seeing stars. 

Despite knowing what had happened without needing to look, Yuri still turned to look at the direction of ‘My Home’ with fear in his eyes. Without him noticing, the front door had opened, and there she stood, alone in the doorway. ‘Standing’ was a moderate description, if anything, it was more appropriate to call it ‘standing imposingly’. 

Glaring at him, with her rough, tight clothes and large and sturdy physique unbefitting that of life in the lower quarter, was Hanks’s wife, Jiri. Right now, her copper red hair looked like they were on fire. 

“Gran… Aunt Jiri.”

Seeing the fierce glint in her eyes and sensing trepidation, Yuri quickly corrected himself. 

Since she was the wife of Grandpa Hanks, it sounded obvious to address her as ‘Grandma’, but she refused to be part of that package deal. Despite the husband who acted older than he looked, for some reason she was the opposite. It was generally agreed among the lower quarter people that she was much younger than Hanks and acted even younger, but no one actually knew the truth. 

It was a stretch to call her young, and the person in question didn’t deny that, but no one dared to directly ask her how old she was. 

Regardless of the truth, while her husband didn’t mind being called ‘grandpa’, she never hesitated to deliver a solid punch to anyone who dared call her ‘grandma’. 

Yuri and the others were well aware of this, but when she wasn’t around, they didn’t hesitate to refer to her as ‘grandma’ as usual, and force of habit made it easy for a slip of the tongue to occur. 

At first glance they looked like an odd couple. When they stood side by side like this, that bizarreness became even more apparent.

Hanks, who looked like he’d never held a knife except during mealtimes, with a personality as though he was dressed in kindness, and had a small frame. If you were to put it roughly, you could even say he looked shabby and poor. 

On the other hand, Jiri was easily a head taller than her husband, and their physical statures were completely different to begin with. Her physique was sturdy enough that she could wrestle monsters with her bare hands if she wanted to, and her personality was just as strong. There was a fierceness in her eyes that you would think she could never acquire just from living in the lower quarter. 

To the children of the lower quarter, Jiri was by far the most terrifying of the adults, and most likely the strongest — no matter how old she was. 

And that ‘Aunt’ Jiri was currently glaring at him with a scary look on her face. As far as Yuri was concerned, he had to choose his next words carefully and discreetly. 

“Just now, I think I heard someone sounding rude?” 

Her voice was deep and gruff, as one might expect from her appearance. 

“Is that so? Maybe your hearing is going bad. Uh, you know… from working too hard.”

Seeing Jiri’s eyes grow even scarier, Yuri hastily added. But Jiri didn’t say anything. 

Yuri cleared his throat with a resigned air and picked up the fallen plate. He cautiously approached Jiri and held it out to her. Jiri accepted it silently and then simply stared at Yuri, as if waiting for something. Feeling extremely uncomfortable, Yuri quickly surrendered. 

“......Sorry. I’ll be more careful.” 

“Alright.” 

Instantly Jiri, who’d gotten what she wanted to hear, lifted the corners of her mouth and nodded. This must be what it looks like when a tiger smiles. Or would a crocodile be closer? Imagining Jiri smiling as she devoured him head-first, Yuri's face grew stiff with fear. 

“I don’t know where you’re going, but make sure you’re back by dinner time. Be sure to tell everyone else too!”

Yuri’s body spun around due to the forcefulness of Jiri clapping his shoulder. When he finally managed to stop and turn around, he found that Jiri had already disappeared back into the house. Her leaving the door open was probably for Hanks’s sake.

Yuri took a peek into the house. Sure enough, besides Jiri, no one else was at home. He let out a small sigh. 

“Escaped by the skin of your teeth, did you? Here, take this.” 

As if nothing unordinary had happened, Hanks took out an apple from his things and offered it to Yuri. It was a small luxury in the poverty-stricken lower quarter. 

He accepted it and eagerly took a bite. The perfect balance of sweetness and sourness spread in his mouth, and moistened his stiff throat. Alright, let’s redo that. 

“Thanks, Grandpa. I’m off.”

Prev | Index | Next

[kgkgwrites]

Arcane Episode 1 Analysis(Part 2/2)🍺🕴️👊👀

Hi everyone, welcome to the 2nd and final analysis for Arcane, Season 1 Episode 1!!! Do note that the following is my own personal readings of what certain scenes of the show may mean and if you have any differing opinions that’s totally fine!:) Do feel free to message me privately as well if you would like to discuss certain points! That said, hope everyone has fun analysing with me and HAPPY READING!!!:)))

Once again spoiler alert for those who haven't watched the show yet!!!

__

  Welcome back everyone! Similar to the first half of the episode, the second half introduces the audience to the characters that the story revolves around (If you’re interested, be sure to check out my analysis of the first half on my account!). However, in the second half, the story takes a slightly darker edge, *foreshadowing potential conflicts following the introduction of Silco, the series’ main “antagonist” and *foil to Vander who we were introduced to earlier in the episode.

*Foil: Literary device used to reveal characteristics or traits of one character through comparison with another.

*Foreshadowing: Literary device that gives hints to what is coming later in the story which can help to develop or subvert audience expectations

  Firstly, I believe that there is not really an antagonist or truly evil character in the show (which is why the earlier “antagonist” was in quotes). All the characters all have their own motives and goals which they attempt to achieve by the only ways they know how. Jinx lives her life haunted by the traumatic experiences of her past, attempting to find a shred or even a semblance of family in this dystopian setting of the Undercity. Silco attempts to wrestle back any bit of respect he can for the Undercity through violence, which he deems necessary to exact change (a common belief of the people of the Undercity at this point in the story), even managing to achieve his goals to an extent, forcing Piltover to make a deal with them to give the Undercity more control towards the end of the show. Even the corrupt governors in Piltover who may appear evil are simply doing everything in their own self-interest and though they are morally flawed, I do not believe they are evil. (After all, we see reports of these corrupt governments on the news relatively often and even though we may think that what they are doing is wrong and immoral, we don’t brand them immediately as despicable and irredeemable monsters right?). Ultimately, this show is a sort of reflection of society, with people having both light and dark sides, introducing real world ideas like war and violence and this is what makes the characters we are introduced to so complex and loveable because for the audience we immediately think, would we do the same in their shoes?

  Back to the analysis now:). In the second half of the episode, we are introduced to what can only be described as the “heart” of the Undercity, the bar known as the “Last Drop” run by Vander, the adoptive father of Vi and Powder whom we were introduced to last episode. This location becomes a representation of the Undercity as a whole and repeatedly appears throughout important points in the story. As we see Vi and crew walk up to the Last Drop here, it appears to be brightly lit, glowing with warmth and teeming with life, with a low rumble of voices that, in a city where people seem to intentionally keep their voices down to avoid unwanted attention and conflict, is particularly inviting. All these qualities set the Last Drop apart from the rest of the buildings in the Undercity. 

  However, when Vi returns back from prison later on in the story, the Last Drop feels vastly different. The warm and assuring glow of the Last Drop is gone, replaced with a cold exterior. The comforting yellow glow of the signage, replaced with a nauseating neon green. Even Caitlyn who was new to the Undercity at the time managed to pick up that the Last Drop stood apart from the other squalid buildings in the area, but for WILDLY different reasons than what we mentioned previously, claiming that it looked like it had “bodies buried in the basement”. The macabre image that she painted with those words stands in stark contrast against the warmth and security that the Last Drop used to provide to Vi and her crew while it was under Vander’s ownership, leaving her visibly affected by the change and unable to even LOOK at it anymore.

  This is all due to the different ideals and values that the leaders of the Undercity at the time brought. While Vander represents a sense of family and unity, standing up for everyone else and always thinking of the needs of others before himself, Silco when he took over instead had an extremely objective and materialistic view on things. Instead of valuing the abstract ideas of personal bonds and connections, he instead chased economic and material profits, turning the Undercity into an “enterprise” as he described to Finn, one of the chem-barons incharge of the Undercity. Silco did this by spreading the physical representations of his control, Shimmer, all around Zaun to use as a threat/ card to play against Piltover despite the physical and mental harm it can cause over the residents of the Undercity. The word “enterprise” also brings to mind the running of a business and company, reducing and almost erasing what Zaun originally stood for and found strength in. Loyalty. Family. Unity.

  In addition, we are introduced to the eye *motif as we see Silco set up the outline of an eye around the Last Drop signage at the top of the bar. The “eye” is meant to represent the foresight that Silco brings to the table with his ideas and goals to take back power from Piltover.( I will be referencing this multiple times throughout the series so do keep a lookout for this image!)

*motif: A recurring element or idea that has a symbolic significance and helps to develop a theme in a literary work.

  In the scene following the introduction of the Last Drop, a frail and scrawny looking man is seen making a deal with a pair of thugs and was just about to be bullied into accepting a bad offer after being threatened by violence when Vander steps in to stand up for him. When asked to go away, Vander warns them to not “mess with the guy that pours the drinks”, gesturing to the rest of the bar which is dead silent, a stark contrast from a second ago, all of them backing Vander immediately. 

  Though a short sequence, it convincingly puts across the strength of the bonds between the people of the Undercity, standing up for one another in a heartbeat. The nonchalant and seemingly simple way Vander phrases the threat to the thugs, “mess with”, is contrasted immediately by the hostile reaction from the bar. Despite not knowing the specifics of the incident that occurred, they immediately put their faith in Vander whereby Vander in turn trusts them immediately to have his back. In addition, I mentioned in my earlier analysis that Arcane plays with elevation and angles to put across certain points. As the camera pans around to the rest of the bar after Vander’s threat, everyone is on the same eye level as the camera and can all be seen in a panoramic shot of the bar, representing the equality and respect that each and every one of them is held at by their fellow men and illustrates how they are all on the "same level"(literally). However, in a later scene with Silco, he is shown to be positioned instead ABOVE and separate from the citizens of the Undercity surrounding him, all of them groveling disgracefully at his feet in the darkest and lowest point of the Undercity.

  The irony of this scene is in the fact that despite the grandeur goals that Silco claims he is chasing for the good of people in the Undercity, struggling to gain the respect they supposedly deserve from Piltover, under his management the people lost their strength and power that they had all along, reduced to starving beggars who relies on Shimmer for gratification and are (LITERALLY) at the lowest point of the Undercity at this point in the story. This calls attention to the theme of appearance vs reality whereby even though it seems that they are making progress, becoming wealthier through the sale and transportation of the harmful substance Shimmer, they actually lost something even more valuable in the process, forgetting what it means to be from the Undercity.

  Later on in the story, Silco realizes this, re-embracing the ideas that the Undercity stood for in the past after a series of events. Being betrayed by the chem-barons attempting to overthrow him, the threat of Sevika turning on him, and almost losing Jinx. He recalls that it is “loyalty” that bore the Undercity through its tumultuous past.

  After these events, Silco seems visibly shaken and his character seems to have a major change of heart, making the same decisions Vander had while in the same position, choosing family over power/ control. This clearly highlights the theme of action vs stagnation as despite Silco’s dreams for the future and the actions he took to try and obtain his nation of Zaun, he ultimately ends up back where the story started 8 episodes ago. (Small teaser about what we’ll be talking about in future episodes)

  The episode ends with Vi comforting Powder about their failed heist by bringing her to a spot with a clear view of the Undercity, describing to her stories of her previous escapades with Claggor and Mylo. She tells Powder about them running through gutters, painting signs, and getting bullied. She describes what happened with such tenderness and nostalgia that even we can see that her feelings are genuine. Through this, we also see the Undercity as these characters do, as somewhere that they can be themselves and enjoy the ups and downs that life brings them, having memories that can survive the test of time. This is juxtaposed against the initial impression we had of the Undercity as a dark and sketchy place.

  This is a reminder to both the audience AND Powder that no matter what troubles befall our characters at this point in time, the Undercity and the family that it stands for will always support them as the stories that Vi tells Powder seems intrinsically linked to the physical places in the Undercity like the “gutter(s)” and “sign(s)”, highlighting the strength of the Undercity once again. This wholesome and heartwarming scene is broken up by Powder’s confession of her still being in possession of the Hextech jewels that she stole from Piltover.

  This revelation and the timing that it is revealed to us, breaking up the flow of the scene, hints at some potential conflict that may happen that will literally break apart the peace and comfort that our characters are currently taking for granted, stemming from these jewels, all of this culminating in a later episode that will be analyzed in one of my future posts.

–

That's the end for my analysis of Episode 1 of the Arcane series!🎉😁 Phew this was a long one but hope you all still enjoyed reading and do feel free to request for analysis of any of your other favorite shows!! Hope to see you again in my next post!

[adrift-in-thyme]

Day 22: Can’t Scream (Wild)

Ao3 link

Cw for blood and injury

————————

He’s trembling.

Wild isn’t sure when that started, though it’s probably somewhere between watching the best friend fall to the Shadow’s blade and learning that his wounds refuse to be healed.

And then there’d been the whole thing with Four, and he knows he shouldn’t have lost it the way he did, he knows that. But it’s too much. It’s overwhelming him, smothering him, and he can’t breathe, can’t think of anything more than the all consuming need to run.

So, that’s what he does. He runs, feet pounding the soft earth, breaths ragged and gasping, choking on the tears he struggles to restrain.

He has to get away from the secrets and the darkness and the stench of blood and death. He has to get away before he crumples beneath the weight of everything.

And it feels so wrong to abandon Twilight in this way. But he has no other choice. It’s not like he can do anything, it’s not like he can help.

“He doesn't need this right now!” Four had exclaimed, because it was the truth, because there was no other effect Wild could possibly have had than to make things worse.

He’s a mess and he knows it. Twilight doesn’t need him nearby. Not right now. Not like this.

So, he goes to the only place he truly feels safe, the only place that makes sense. He heads for the forest.

But he doesn’t even make it past the second line of trees.

“Where are you headed in such a rush, little hero?” Comes a voice from just behind him, and Wild whirls, reaching for a weapon that’s not there.

Then, he freezes, heart lodging itself in his throat. Because there before him stands Twilight.

Only…it’s not him at all.

His eyes are crimson like the fires of Death Mountain, his lips curled in a demeaning smirk. He leans against a nearby pine, arms crossed over his chest, regarding Wild coolly.

“You’re a brave one,” he says, as Wild stands paralyzed yet seething, “to try and slay me, and then break away from your dear friends to come out here alone. Did you think I wouldn’t be here waiting for you? Did you think I wouldn’t come to exact my revenge?”

Wild clenches his hands into fists. He wishes he hadn’t thrown the remnant of his sword at Four’s feet. Then, at least he would have something to tear the Shadow apart with.

“You’re killing him,” he grits out. “Let him go.”

The Shadow laughs, and it sends shivers up Wild’s spine.

“Let him go? After what he did to me?” He pushes off the tree and takes a step forward, arms still crossed. “Perhaps you aren’t brave, Hero of the Wild. Perhaps, you’re just foolish.”

Wild reaches for his slate, not even bothering with subtlety. The time for that is gone. This creature, this disgusting, despicable monster, is trying to take Twilight’s life, and now he’s taken his form. He has to end this.

The Shadow’s eyes narrow, and his hand goes to his sword. But Wild is too fast for him. Slamming his finger on the Stasis button, he waits only long enough for the golden chains to freeze the Shadow in his tracks. Then, he bolts forward, grabbing a branch up off the ground and bringing it down on the monster.

Again and again the branch collides with him, every one of Wild’s movements feverish and fast. He’s still shaking, and his stomach has tied itself up into nauseating knots. If he stops for just a moment he’s certain he’ll faint or vomit, or both. But the adrenaline coursing through his veins keeps him upright, keeps him going.

The stasis breaks and he leaps back, breathing hard.

The Shadow is just heavy enough to avoid taking flight the way a lizalfo would. Still, his feet come out from beneath him, and he lands on his back on the hard ground.

Wild doesn’t hesitate. He rushes forward, hand outstretched to grab his sword.

“Oh no, you don’t.”

There’s a flash of deep purple and deafening whoosh of wind, and then he’s careening backward instead. He hits a tree trunk and slides down, magic burning his skin, body aching. Stars dance before his eyes and even blinking does little to clear them.

He can see well enough, though, well enough to know the Shadow is approaching. Gritting his teeth, he struggles to push himself to his feet. But he’s still dazed, and exhaustion and emotion have rendered his limbs uncooperative. And as the Shadow grows closer, he remains vulnerable and weaponless on the ground.

“So, you think you can defeat me,” the monster sneers, tilting his head to get a better look at his victim.

Wispy threads of magic float from his fingertips, wrapping themselves around Wild’s body. They pull him up and drag him forward even as he fights. In seconds, he finds himself on his knees before the Shadow.

“Many before you have tried.” He holds up his hand, inspecting it almost admirably. “Your beloved brother among them.”

Wild lurches forward, with an enraged snarl, but the bindings hold him fast.

The Shadow chuckles. “No, you certainly can’t defeat me. It’s pathetic that you think you even have a fighting chance. Look at what I did to your brother.”

He leans forward, eyes narrowed, a menacing grin stretching his face. “And now, I’ll do the same to you.”

He draws his sword once more, though it hardly looks like Twilight’s. Its bright silver blade has turned the color of obsidian, its hilt is lined with purple. And emanating from it is the same dark magic that’s restraining Wild now.

Then he levels the tip of it at Wild and he wants to lean away from it, wants to shut his eyes so he doesn’t have to see Twilight look at him like this. But he’s transfixed, held in place by far more than mere magic. And when the Shadow reels back and plunges the blade into his side, all over thoughts fade.

His mouth opens, a scream rising in his throat, as pain holds him like a vice. No sound comes out, however, and he’s left gasping, throat hoarse from his attempt. Panic spikes within him, hot and fast, and he raises his eyes to the Shadow, a desperate question within them.

“We can’t have anyone hearing you,” he says, as though it’s the most natural thing in the world, and that’s all the explanation he gives.

He regards him for only a moment more, looking smug, then rips the weapon out of him. Wild pitches forward, gasping for breath. Blood runs down the side of his mouth, dribbling onto his neck and tunic. He’s weak beyond belief now; if not for the Shadow’s magic he would collapse. But he closes his eyes and clenches his jaw and waits for the next blow to come.

It comes with a vengeance, a swift, searing cut across his chest. Wild chokes on the cry that doesn’t come.

“The silent knight.” The Shadow’s voice filters through the ringing in his ears. “It used to be so easy for you to stay quiet, didn’t it? To cave to the wishes of your people?”

Another slash, another noiseless scream.

“How does it feel to have to fulfill that role again?”

He stabs him this time, through the thigh and Wild digs his fingernails into his palms, drawing blood. He should be dead by now, from blood loss alone. The Shadow must be using his magic to draw it out, make the process as infinitely painful as possible.

No one’s coming, he thinks, dizzily. He’s going to die here, because no one can hear his cries.

So much for not making matters worse.

But then, just as he feels the sword slice the air once more, heading toward his shoulder, a shout splinters the silence.

“Champion!”

He drags open his eyes at the same time as the Shadow turns, weapon held high to fend off the newcomers. Legend leaps toward him from amongst the trees, and their swords collide, the clang echoing through the space. Wind races after him, joining the battle without hesitation.

In his rush to fight the other heroes, the Shadow’s grip on his spells slip. The bindings disappear and Wild pitches forward, with a groan. Four’s by his side in an instant.

“Champion, I thought we’d lost you! Here, drink this.”

He props Wild’s head on his knees, then presses a bottle to his lips. Wild drinks it clumsily, the liquid sloshing down his face. When Four turns to check on the others, he swears he can catch the slightest hint of red in the familiar blue of his irises.

When he has drained the last dregs of the potion, Four places the bottle back into his pouch and sets about bandaging the wounds. Wild watches him, feeling lightheaded and groggy.

“You came,” he says, at last, and relief rushes through him at the sound of his own voice. It feels good to be able to use it again.

Four pauses in his work long enough to glance up at him, his expression drenched in guilt.

“I apologize,” he replies, softly. “I shouldn’t have come on so strong.

Wild grasps for his hand and squeezes it. Though the Shadow’s curse has been broken, his thoughts are muddled, his mind clouded with pain and exhaustion. The words he wants to say refuse to come, but he hopes for the moment, this will be enough. He hopes it will communicate even just the smallest amount of the gratitude he feels that after failing Twilight and running from it all, still they came.

[chidoroki]

182 Days of TPN - Day 93

Chapter 93: “The End”

Happy! The word you’re looking for is HAPPY! His life may have been cursed but these two made his life worth living which is so very important to a boy who wanted to end it all! Aaahh, they’re literally so damn special to him and I’ll never get over how deeply he loves and cares for them both.

I would never wanna experience the wide range of emotions Ray must be feeling during this moment. How hard his heart must’ve dropped the moment he saw his best friend get brutally stabbed, the way he became speechless as her seemingly lifeless body falls to the ground and all the panic he feels at the sight of all the blood.. the mere thought of being in a similar situation makes me feel sick and lightheaded.

Of course he’s absolutely seething with rage as well. Emma was one of the friends he swore to protect from the very beginning and to witness her now bleeding out as she lays motionless on the ground with some despicable demon lingering over her as it taunts the rest of the kids.. oh yeah, Ray’s far beyond pissed off. The amount of anger Ray expresses reminds me very much of that one panel back during ch65 and I love when he becomes unhinged whenever one half of his living emotional crutches is taken from him and/or hurt.

I think one of the reasons why this moment causes such anxiety between its characters and us readers is how the humans are plain and ordinary in this world (excluding those experimented on at Lambda). They have no special powers, magic, etc to fall back on which makes every injury permanent and real, so in the midst of battle where one fearsome enemy remains standing and no medical assistance is nearby, we’re lead to believe that Emma is truly in danger. Doesn’t matter that she’s the main protagonist either because she has indeed been seriously hurt in the past, with Isabella breaking her leg and our girl chopping off her own ear.

Teeny-tiny GP trio is precious to me. I wanna hug them.

The panels of Emma struggling to keep herself afloat as she slowly starts to sink causes “Diver” (Shippuden OP8) to play in my head every. single. time. I revisit this chapter. without fail. And I read this chapter back a lot.

Of course it’s very sweet that she thinks of Norman again during all this and I also love how Emma’s shown to be reaching outside the panel. Really puts in perspective how desperate she is to hold on.

No surprise here, but the moment when Isabella offers her assistance and encouragement is my favorite helping hand of the bunch. Since everything happening here is all inside Emma’s head, it proves that she still thinks of/cares for Isabella despite everything said woman has done in the past. What I really love about all this though is with Isabella being the final person that pulls Emma back into reality, it’s almost as if Emma’s first big enemy is helping her now defeat her current enemy and I think that’s neat. (thankfully this ain’t gonna be the last time momma helps out our girl either).

Sweetie, where exactly on your person where you hiding the pistol this entire time? And poor Nigel is still in tears, but they’re happy ones this time. Ray probably forgot how to breathe again though.

I love this duo so much.. he doesn’t even question how the hell she’s standing again and reads her mind perfectly to relay the plan she has to everyone else so they all can continue fighting and win.

In the previous chapter, Leuvis said that he wouldn’t fall for the same flash bomb trick twice, but I guess third time is the charm. He could’ve very well closed his eyes, though it would’ve left him open to the barrage of other bullets regardless, and with the flash bomb already detonated, he really didn’t have enough time to decide on another solution. Seems like Palvus has taken cover because he knows they’re already screwed.

Even though Leuvis starts to regenerate from the onslaught, we get Yuugo successfully avenging his family from many years ago with a critical hit to the poacher’s core. (well, one of them).

Favorite panel/moment:

To see a normal 11-year old girl stand back up after getting stabbed by one of the most intelligent and strongest demons in the series is such a thrilling and badass moment that completely captivates me every time I see it. There’s no power system for her to tap into and get some last minute boost like your typical shonens usually have and hell, not even some convenient medical attention helped get her back on her feet. She got up with pure fury, hostility and determination! Yeah yeah, plot-armor is a huge help here and she passes out shortly after this.. but regardless! Not only is this absolutely my favorite panel of Emma, but my favorite panel out of the entire story as well. This is very moment I truly fell in love with this girl and when she actually replaced Ray as my #1 character for quite some time. There’s so much I love about this moment for her and everything and aaahhh.. would’ve loved if the “63194” theme played here too.

[greypetrel]

❄️ and ⛅️ please! (And hello! C:)

Hi Mo, thank you!!

Ok, the second was difficult, I'll admit... Particularly because I'm overtly critical of my work and if you ask me what's my favourite piece I've drawn/written, I'll always answer "the next one".

Buuuut... Let's try it.

First is from next chapter, it's the one light moment of it and I am still considering whether to keep it. I quite like the dialogue in this too, I think.

Second, under the cut, is from Chapter 28 in Monster Fic, if you want to avoid the spoiler... But yeah I got a thing for Aisling and Radha quarrelling, they just hit each other the best.

❄️Share a snippet from a WIP of your choosing.

The same Dorian who is now skimpering back in the light of the camp, shoulders at ear level and a high-pitched whine in his throat, making a bee-line for Aisling with the air of a person who just stepped in something extremely unpleasant.

She’s sitting cross legged in front of the fire, consulting maps and tracing courses with Radha and Cassandra, and doesn’t need to be told anything by the Altus to shift around and spread her legs, outstretching her arms as if it was the most normal things in the world. By the way no one reacts to the scene, it could as well be. Dorian sits down heavily amidst them, with confidence surely dued to a friendship Cullen never really notice just how close-knitted was until now. Oh, he was told, but seeing them was different.

“What am I looking for?”

“I put my face in a spiderweb and I’m sure the fucking spider is still there. Please take it away, please.”

He sounds extremely distressed, his voice is higher, and the elf doesn’t wait to get to work, giggling as behind her Radha huffs and Cassandra lets out a disgusted noise just for show.

“I’m sure there’s nothing!” Aisling coos, fingers threading in his hair nevertheless, eyes kin on his head as she separates locks from locks.

“There is, I can feel it crawling!” He insists, shivering.

“And women are the weaker sex.” Cassandra snorts, but there’s amusement in her face, lips quirking upward as she observes the two, everyone taking it as a pause from the activities.

“I am sorry I wasn’t cut from stone as you and I mind having something with too many legs and too many eyes taking a walk on my head!” Dorian quips, piqued.

“Give Sparklers a break, Seeker, he had to peel his own grapes today, he needs to relax from so much exhertion!” Varric adds in, a laughter in his tone, and met suddenly with another disgusted noise.

“You should keep the spider, it’ll weave its web in your hair and you will stop complaining about mosquitoes.” Radha adds, moving a compass on the map and noting some numbers on a piece of paper, lips quirked up in a smile.

Aisling turns to pout at her, reproach in her eyes as her fingers keep working. It’s quick, just the time for her sister to notice and raise one eyebrow at her and the mage is back to the task.

“You all are not helping!” She complains, but there’s no real bitterness in her tone.

“Come on Lucky, we are! He’s not crying, look at him!”

“Of course he’s not, because there is no-” And with that she stops, eyes growing big and fingers stopping.

The whole of the party stops to look at her, expecting, making Dorian noticing and starting to pale considerably.

“What? What??” He asks, frantic, patting the outside of Aisling’s thigh with a purpose to make her talk.

“It’s… Ah, it’s nothing! I got distracted noticing just how much hair do you have and how thick it is…” Aisling quips back, grimacing as she picks something from the back of Dorian’s head with her right hand and retreats the hand keeping it as far from her body as she can. Her left keep on ruffling his hair in circular motions. “… and I hate you for that, you’re truly despicable. And there’s no spider here.”

She grew better at lying, even if her voice is cracking a little… As she looms with concern at the big fat hairy spider she is holding from a thick leg between her index and thumb. The creature is still alive, weaving all the legs around with a vengeance, and from the colour it’s easy to guess it’s not just any spider: it’s bright red and black, very visible and shiny in the firelight. She shakes her hand and glares at Radha without saying anything: but everything is apparently enough for the elf to understand, since she raises up the piece of paper she was writing onto so that the spider can be let fall on it. Briskly and minding to keep the paper well away from her body and the spider still on it, the rogue raises up and walks away from the camp, as silent as a mouse with her bare feet. Cassandra grimaces at the show, understanding it was something venomous, and Varric can’t contain chortling under his breath. Which instantly trips Dorian off even if Aisling returned to ruffle his hair, now mindlessly, with both hands.

🌤️Share your favorite piece of dialogue from your WIP.

“What do you want? How much will you ask until you believe we love and care for you, that you’ve been one of ours from the start, it never mattered that you weren’t born with us, and that we won’t abandon you, that we’re your family? How much more, Aisling?”

This is a low hit, and the lowest she could go. Aisling tho, refuses to cry.

“Do you think it’s easy for me?”

“I think it’s not as difficult as it should be, if at the first impediment you just run away.”

“I’m not running away. You don’t understand. You can’t understand.”

“What now? I can go back but you don’t? It sounds like nothing we did has ever mattered!”

“I can’t go back!” Aisling yells, stomping her foot and unwillingly willing the flames to burn hotter and more.

Radha steps back, hissing through her nose and avoiding the fire lapping forward. A moment, and she goes back to face her, unbothered by the outburst and just glaring at her.

“I don’t know who convinced you of this, but-”

“You know it too. I will never be able to go back, I will…” She snorts, tossing her arms to the side. “The Inquisition will never let me go. I won’t ever be able to leave because I have this-” She shows the Anchor, pouring a little bit of magic into it, just enough to have it glow green. “- and so I am needed here.”

“You could resign. Step back. You hate politics.”

“Yes, and then what?” She laughs, mirthlessly. “There’ll arrive another crazy overlord searching for this mark, and the clan won’t be able to stand the tide. I’m stepping back from them because it’s the only sensible thing I can do. Do you really think what happened in Wycome won’t happen again? Or that the next time it will all go smoothly as this one? Do you?”

[joyful-downer]

Just wanna say that anon was not only out of line, but also unjustifiably unkind. Writing something in fiction or fantasy doesn’t mean you’re “romanticizing” or justifying/condoning it, and calling people despicable for something they wrote- especially about fake people in fake situations -is the real cruelty here. Plus, they accused you of something you…. didn’t even write??? So that also just. isn’t fair to you.

I understand maybe they wanted you to tag stuff, but they did not need to come at you like that. I hope you’re alright, and I’m sorry you had to deal with that person.

Sorry for the random ask, it just bothers me whenever people harass/belittle/talk down to others over fictional stuff.

I hope you have a nice day🌈✨

Thank you so much. Truly. I'm not in a good position right now and this really helped. 🥺🫀

And you're absolutely right. As horrible and taboo as some topics may be, there's nothing wrong about writing something about or involving it as long as it's fictional (it's a different thing if someone writes about wanting to for example r*ape someone) but if it's a made up story about fictional characters everything is allowed (unless the owner of the character said otherwise of course!)

Besides, I know that a lot of people write or draw things involving "taboo" topics as a way of dealing with trauma. It's just important to mark it as sensitive content or put a trigger warning to not accidentally cause harm to those who are unable to deal with it due to their own trauma. And for that part I'm actually thankful to that anon for reminding me of that because I did in fact forget how triggering some of my headcanons might be to some and I could never forgive myself knowing that someone got triggered (or even gotten a panic attack) because of something I said/write/drew/posted.

The way how it was written did hurt a lot though because what was said is all against what I stand for. It's like someone acussing me of killing dogs even though I would give my life to save a doggo. 💔

I just hope that person and any other people who might have misunderstood my type of stories believe me and don't think I'm just trying to save my ass or something. As long as we're on the same line now I don't care what they called me. I just can't live with the thought of having someone believe that I'm such a bad person just because of some horny fanfiction I wrote with my eyes half open. qvq

[shadow-bringer-ao3]

Edo Tensei and it's Equivalents

6.

Wei Ying’s figured it out. He’s powerful enough to be physically present, strong enough to fight and kill but not enough to save Tobirama. (He’s never enough to save those he loves. Only Jiang Cheng and Lan Zhan had survived him and both of them had made their feelings on him very clear, even if Lan Zhan had had some sort of stroke of madness at the end and tried to save him. Probably thought it was too good an end for the despicable Yiling Laozu.)

Blood is still oozing between his fingers sluggishly but it’s clear that Tobirama’s heart has long since stopped beating. He can’t tell if the blood and body are still warm; he can’t feel much of anything. Wei Ying stumbles to his feet, blood gliding off his ghostly skin like oil on water. He needs to check on the kids. Tobirama begged him to make sure the kids live with his last breath.

He’ll come back later.

He can’t jump through the treetops like a squirrel (or shinobi), nor are the trees far enough apart to use a sword (not that he has one, anyway), but an application of this strange resentful energy makes him fast and, if he’s careful, he can phase through things like trees for a few extra seconds time. The kids aren’t moving fast, far from the speeds he’s seen them reach in the past, and they’ve only made it halfway to Konoha. No one will come after them, he’s made sure of that, and the shinobi of Konoha are going to where he had to leave Tobirama. The kids have too little spiritual energy, chakra, left for the shinobi to notice them as they speed past.

Wei Ying knows he doesn’t look like a threat to these people; Tobirama had been the only one to ever see through that and then Wei Ying had gone and proven him right when he had taken on those three Uchiha on his own. It’s not a big effort to make noise as he approaches the kids’ camp, either, so when he ‘stumbles’ upon them, he knows he looks truly civilian to them. The kids still standing round on him with knives– kunai –and wary looks, barely appeased when they see Wei Ying isn’t one of the ones after their lives. He raises his hands immediately, showing off his lack of weapons.

Not that he or another ghost or a shinobi would need a weapon but it’s the thought that counts, right?

“I’m a doctor,” Wei Ying lies before he can think better of it. Besides, he’s got the skill of any civilian doctor; Wen Qing made sure of it.

“We don’t need your help,” Danzo, ever suspicious, growls. Kagami’s half in his lap with a broken leg. Wei Ying’s more concerned about Torifu.

“You’re from Konoha, right? He–” Wei Ying motions to Torifu, not yet letting his hands drop, “–won’t make it back in his condition.” Even without being a true medic, Wei Ying knows it’s true. The resentful energy is gathering around the boy, ready to feed his soul until a spirit forms. Luckily, the resentful energy in this universe lacks the ability to make a fierce corpse.

“You don’t have any supplies,” Danzo is quick to shoot back. Wei Ying grimaces.

“I was robbed on the way here– I’m lucky enough I got out with my life and my clothes. Besides, you would likely feel safer if I were to use your tools anyway.” The group pauses, Koharu and Homura turning to Hiruzen, their leader in Kagami’s absence. Danzo has seemingly lost interest in the argument, curling protectively around Kagami. “What do you have to lose?” He adds, gentle.

“I–” Hiruzen hesitates for a moment before stepping aside. “Okay. But– But if you hurt him…”

“You’ll kill me?” Wei Ying finishes, forcing the wry amusement out of his tone. He doesn’t wait for the confirmation, pressing forward to Torifu’s side. He forces away any resentful energy not being used to keep him solid and visible, aware that its presence will only make Torifu die faster.

“Can you remove his shirt?” Wei Ying asks. “I need direct access to his wounds.” He leans back while he considers. The boy will definitely need stitches. If there’s any internal injuries, though, he won’t be able to do anything for him.

He hopes there’s nothing internal.

“You, ah, you use needles, don’t you?” Wei Ying asks, unsure which kid he should direct the question to. “Senbon, I think? I’ll need one of those and some thread.” He racks his memories. What else had Wen Qing told him? He leans forward when Torifu’s shirt is finally cut away– Hiruzen had enough sense not to move him, thankfully –and grimaces at the dirt. Then– cleanliness. But there’s not enough time to collect water and boil it and wait for the senbon to cool, not to mention the lack of any sort of container they could hold the water.

“Here,” Koharu says, and it’s better than he could have hoped. The girl hands him a first aid kit stocked with needles, thread, and bandages alike. Wei Ying turns his full attention to Torifu, hands steady as he begins the tedious process of stitching the boy up. He goes through the worst of the wounds first, careful not to touch Torifu’s skin directly, using a small section of bandage as a barrier in the absence of gloves. He has a feeling (deepset, in the empty section of his soul where his golden core used to be, now containing only the resentful energy he needs to survive) that contact between the nearly-dead and the all-dead won’t do any wonders for the aforementioned nearly-dead.

(Something here is wrong. Kagami’s presence aches, burns, in the same way Izuna’s had after Wei Ying had inadvertently saved his life. Torifu’s doesn’t. Did he just trade one child for another? Has his presence saved Kagami but doomed Torifu?)

When he’s finished his stitches, he sits back on his haunches. They aren’t the prettiest, he’ll admit, but it’s easy enough to blame that on having four ready-to-murder children at his back, which is probably more terrifying than four ready-to-murder adults. He cleaned the area around the injuries as best he could without proper supplies and now only has to wrap the poor kid up like a mummy. Not now, though. Shifting him around in this state is definitely a bad idea.

“Can any of you, uh. Heal?” Wei Ying wonders, standing to look at the children. He doesn’t like the idea of putting Torifu’s life in the hands of his friends but he doesn’t really have a choice, at this point. He’s done as much as he can without spiritual energy and there’s no way in hell he’s going to try to use resentful energy as a substitute.

“Homura can,” Hiruzen says immediately. Then, less excitedly, “But I doubt any of us have enough chakra left to do any jutsus, much less healing.” Homura nods.

“I, uh, I’m pretty close to chakra exhaustion,” Homura says quietly. “But I can try.” Wei Ying shakes his head firmly.

“Chakra exhaustion is dangerous for shinobi, right? I’m not going to let any of you threaten your lives for each other.” Wei Ying bites his lip, watching the way blood soaks through Torifu’s temporary bandages. The stitches have slowed the bleeding but not enough. He’s not going to let any of the kids go off on their own to get help and he’s not leaving them, either. Wei Ying takes a deep breath and steps away from the kids, manoeuvring as far from Torifu as he can while still being in the clearing.

“Mister?” Hiruzen asks, at some halfway point between suspicious and concerned. Wei Ying makes a motion with his hand even he is unsure the meaning of, letting his eyes slide shut. The strange slithery-ness of the resentful energy is still there but it listens to him now, responding to him nearly as well as the resentful energy of his home world.

All he needs to do is catch the attention of some Konoha shinobi and keep control of the resentful energy. Easier said than done but part of him still clings to the idea that anything is easy if he believes it is. He takes a deep breath.

In.

Out.

Again;

In and out.

The resentful energy responds in time with his breathing, growing under his skin and creeping in from the forest more each time. Like the tide, it comes in and pulls out, tugging almost playfully on his control. He keeps part of it, coiling it deep within where his golden core once rested, feels the way it chills him further with the more he consumes. Then, he releases it.

It explodes upwards, just barely still in Wei Ying’s control. It’s a pulse of dark, cloying energy, strong enough to make the younger trees sway. Somewhere through the whirlwind, he thinks he might hear the kids shouting. At each other or at him, he couldn’t tell.

Wei Ying reforms in the remains of the original Senju Compound. It takes him a moment to adjust, considering he last remembers being in a forest an upwards of a hundred li away. The room (or at least, what’s left of it) has what’s almost a film of resentful energy over it, preserving it far better than it should be, left to the elements as it is. It’s Tobirama’s room– the place where Wei Ying was first summoned and then summoned again as a spirit. Despite the fact that the seal– the summoning circle –is long since gone, the resentful energy has gathered in the impression of its lines to allow him to reform.

He’s stuck here, then, unless someone back in his own world figures out how to summon him there, he supposes, but he’s not sure why anyone would want to, considering what everyone believed him to be, there at the end. That is, if his memory is kept on at all as anything beyond a scary story to tell children. Well, he might not be stuck here indefinitely, if the area around the summoning circle, or the remains of the summoning circle, or the imprint of the summoning circle, or whatever, is drained of resentful energy, but then he doesn’t know where he’ll go if he has to reform and, frankly, that’s a terrifying thought that he doesn’t want to test.

He sighs and rubs a hand against his eyes, tired and worn in a way he hasn’t been since he died. He needs to get to Konoha, make sure his last ditch effort actually did something. He needs to make sure he didn’t fail Tobirama in this, as well.

It takes longer than he truly wants to think about to find his way to Konoha. He hasn’t travelled between the old Senju Compound and Konoha since Tobirama finished helping his clan move and turned his focus onto building up the village, both in the literal sense and in the sense that Tobirama is the reason the village can actually run without too much issue.

The point is, it takes Wei Ying, a being that does not need food, water, or rest, a little over three days to find Konoha. It’s a little like going home, finding Konoha, though he still misses Lotus Pier and even the Burial Grounds fiercely. He keeps himself invisible as he wanders around, not really in the mood to deal with people, especially ones as suspicious as shinobi. Plus he’s used to being able to go through stuff and he doesn’t want to embarrass himself by walking straight into a wall or something. He wanders around, moving towards the hospital, hoping he was successful but not really wanting to confront his own failure if he wasn’t.

It’s good, then, that he comes across Koharu on the way. It’s immediately obvious that he spent longer reforming than he initially thought. Koharu is no longer the teen she was last time Wei Ying saw her— she’s an adult now, definitely somewhere in her thirties. It’s a bit jarring, he’ll admit, and Wei Ying floats along curiously behind her, watching as she collects a frankly ridiculous amount of groceries. Despite how strange it is, it’s peaceful, watching her move so confidently around the market, knowing she’s safe.

Homura joins her just as she’s leaving the market, falling into step beside her easily and taking the proffered bags without complaint. Two down, Wei Ying thinks, four to go. He had never known the village particularly well, since every other time he was here he was tied to Tobirama, so he doesn’t have a clue where the pair might be heading.

Not too long later, Kagami and Danzo slide from the crowd, hand in hand, to join the group, Kagami immediately filling the (relative) quiet with chatter. While Danzo, Homura, and Koharu are relatively unchanged, Kagami is clearly different. He has a weight to his shoulders he’d never had before and a scar running across his cheek from near his temple to the corner of his mouth, like an extension to his smile. He’s alive, though, and that’s all Wei Ying can truly hope for, with lives so dangerous. Only Hiruzen and Torifu left, then, and his worry makes him stick even closer to Tobirama’s kids.

They come to a house Wei Ying recognizes somewhere in the back of his mind but he shakes it off. No point in guessing, since it’s clear he’ll be inside in just a moment.

“We’re here,” Kagami calls cheerfully as he swings the front door open. The group shuffles in, spreading out over the house like they belong. And maybe they do, Wei Ying certainly wouldn’t know.

“Took you long enough,” an older Hiruzen needles, appearing through a doorway. Danzo scoffs, immediately falling into one of his usual friendly arguments with his teammate while Kagami pretends to play mediator while actually egging them both on. Homura and Koharu move towards what must be the kitchen with their groceries and Wei Ying follows, hoping beyond hope that he managed to do what Tobirama asked of him.

The kitchen is roomy and sparkling clean, the counters cleared to make way for Koharu’s haul. There’s a woman there that Wei Ying recognizes but doesn’t know the name of and, better than anything, Torifu, inspecting what Koharu and Homura brought him. The anxiety and fear in Wei Ying’s chest loosens its claws and he can’t help but smile in his relief. He basks in the bright warmth of the home for just a few minutes before he leaves, unwilling to intrude even though he’s a ghost.

Wei Ying stays in Konoha for almost two years, syrupy days stretching into syrupy days. He bounces between tangible and intangible, visible and invisible, careful to not be seen by anyone who might recognize him. A lot of those who would are dead— Tobirama, Hashirama, Touka, the Uchiha brothers —but better to be safe than sorry. A few of the ghosts he knows have moved on, as well, most notably Itama and Kawarama. It definitely makes for long, lonely days, and it… hurts, to walk through Konoha without Tobirama by his side.

That’s what drives him away, eventually. There’s no place in Konoha for him while his failure to protect Tobirama hangs over him like a shroud. At first, his only thought is about getting as far away from painful memories— good and bad alike —as possible. The time he spent in Konoha assured him that Tobirama’s kids could look after themselves; even if they couldn’t, there isn’t much Wei Ying can do once he loses the advantage of surprise. He’s not used to such fast paced battles and, really, he’s not used to fighting at all, anymore.

He catches a boat across the water to Uzushio, where he’s been a few times before, trailing after Tobirama and Hashirama and Mito. It’s beautiful and it reminds him achingly of Lotus Pier. He doesn’t stay long, leaves even further across the water to Kiri. Kiri actually reminds him a little of the Burial Mounds mixed with Qinghe. It’s definitely a strange place and ominous enough to match. Wei Ying doesn’t particularly like it but he stays long enough to get to know the people, to chat and trade and make merry. If nothing else, Kiri knows how to let loose, chaotic and sharp and warm despite the chilly weather.

Months turn into a year before he moves on again, chased further across the water by the animosity towards Konoha and her people. The lands there have little to do with anything happening closer to Konoha’s mainland, only participating in trade with Kiri and, occasionally, Kumo. Wei Ying, wanting nothing to do with the high tensions, stays here for as long as he can manage. Ten years, travelling between villages, growing his collection of things until he’s practically an official trader. He’s forced to move on when people start talking, rumours of a wanderer who doesn’t age beginning to follow him.

He heads to Kumo where it’s clear they’re still nursing resentment from the war Tobirama had died in. The people are suspicious and altogether poor. Wei Ying does what he can, collecting food to hand out or, when that garners more suspicion that it actually helps, trading the food for little doo-dads that interest him. Jewellery and art and small seals; nothing that’s particularly useful to him but also won’t hurt anyone to be given away. He helps with people setting up farms for the first time, remembering the long, cold, and hungry months in the Burial Mounds before Wei Ying had managed to get their gardens going. It’s easier here to grow things— there’s not nearly as much resentful energy that needs purging.

It takes some work, considering everything, and a good few years, but he eventually manages to create talisman-seal hybrids that consume the natural resentful energy to convert it into chakra that helps plants grow. It’s not perfect but it’s something and he trades them as well, usually for stories or small, pretty things. When he starts garnering entirely too much attention, spending more time hiding from shinobi on the hunt for him than actually helping people, he moves on.

He runs into the Samurai, who are similar enough to cultivators for him to feel at home, and spends more time there to exchange stories and advice and swordplay. He ends up staying with them, bouncing between clans, until the newest war ends, at which point he finds himself drawn back to Konoha, intent on making sure Tobirama’s legacy still stands strong in the absence of the man himself.

It does, though it’s clearly a village (a nation) suffering the aftereffects of war. Kagami, having taken over as Hokage when Tobirama died, is clearly tired and stressed but unwilling to retire when his people so clearly need him. Despite the toll the war took on him— and on the rest of Tobirama’s kids, all of them looking old in a way that’s more than just skin deep —Kagami is still kind, still bringing together the people of Konoha with his infectious pride and confidence. He and Danzo share a home, now, and a team; a trio of kids that may as well be their actual children for how protective and adoring they are. Hiruzen, as well, has a team, and among them, Wei Ying recognizes Hashirama’s kindness and Mito’s strength and Tobirama’s genius in Tsunade. Orochimaru and Jiraiya level her out nicely and they make a powerful team even while it’s clear they aren’t quite at Hiruzen’s level yet.

None of the rest have teams, though Koharu and Torifu both have lovely wives now. Homura is alone in comparison but seems fine with it; all six of them meet up often, anyhow, and it’s clear they’re just as close now as they were when Wei Ying left so long ago. He stays barely a handful of months in Konoha proper, spending more time wandering the Land of Fire to trade his talisman-seals. The people here are less hostile than in many of the other nations he’s visited but they won’t take handouts regardless and he ends up with another collection of shiny, interesting things, sealed away in yet another scroll. He can only feel grateful that he can change the sealing scrolls enough for him to use with his resentful energy.

He ends up going up towards Iwa, after, because, though he will always be on Konoha’s side, he knows better than most that wars are never as black and white as they seem. No matter what, there are innocents on both sides, and Wei Ying feels duty bound to help as many as possible, regardless of side.

The Iwa people are like Jiang Cheng, over all; they want to lick their wounds in peace, without an outsider poking his nose in. Wei Ying gives them what help they’ll accept and Wei Ying cuts through Ame on his way down towards Suna, giving them the help they need before moving on. The desert is notably harder to work in. While sandstorms aren’t a danger to him, they are to the living, whether that’s people or animals or plants. He helps build indoor farms, doing his part to dig out hollows in the cool earth or haul stone for walls. Unlike most nations he’s visited, the shinobi village is doing only barely better than the normal people. It’s the lack of easy access to water and crops, he thinks.

He moves finally to Uzushio, which, despite declaring themselves neutral, had been hit heavily. There’s no one left on the island itself; they had been forced to flee or die, and Wei Ying spends time cleaning the area up before going on a hunt for the survivors. They had been scattered to the winds and, for anyone else, it would have been impossible to track them down again. Wei Ying knows seals, though, and he knows talismans even better. It’s relatively easy to rig up something to track Uzushio’s unique signature. He collects the ragtag shinobi and finds himself furious at having to steal back stolen children, returning them to family. Or, at least, people as close to family as they have left. The shinobi return to Uzushio quietly, keeping their movements slow and under the radar.

Wei Ying helps give them their home back and, for the first time since the Wen Remnants died under his charge, he feels like he’s… not making up for the ruin that he brought Lotus Pier but balancing it out, good for bad. Uzushio doesn’t rebuild itself in a day, of course, or even the near ten years he spends there, and the people likely won’t ever be the same again. They’re a warier sort, now. Untrusting and hesitant in a way that Wei Ying recognizes in himself and in Jiang Cheng. They are a people betrayed by the ones they trusted most, purposefully or not, and it’s not something they’ll be able to forget easily.

At this point, it's pretty much an open secret Wei Ying isn’t a normal person. Just about a hundred years have passed and even with the precautions he’s taken, the knowledge of an unaging and undying wanderer that wants nothing more than pretty, useless things in exchange for help, who can escape even a Great Nation vying after him, has spread. The people of Uzushio don’t ask questions but there are signs that they suspect what he is— offering food and making little lanterns with crows to represent him rather than their usual fox designs. It’s… nice, to be known and still accepted. Wei Ying never confirms anything but it warms him regardless. Wei Ying pretty much makes his new base of operations Uzushio and even when he starts leaving the island again to check on the other nations and the other Hidden Villages, he knows he’s going to go back. He can’t not, considering how closely he’s tied to the people there, now.

Konoha is much the same as it was when he left. Kagami has finally retired, and he double checks that the boy (man, now, and old man on top of that) is really retired and not dead (he is; he and Danzo seems to be having some sort of cold war regarding whether or not they’re gonna stay in Konoha’s politics but are otherwise fine), and a young blonde kid has taken the hat up. Jiraiya’s apprentice, apparently, and life is really going by too fast. Minato, the Hokage, has both a wife (a terrifying Uzumaki who Wei Ying aches to tell about Uzushio but can’t without putting his people in danger) and a gangly little silver-haired kid. The rest of Konoha is doing well as well, though Wei Ying doesn’t so much as check in on the Inuzuka as he does just sort of assume.

Jiraiya and Tsunade are both off doing whatever though Orochimaru is still around. Wei Ying spends the day following the boy around while invisible. Strangely enough, Orochimaru seems to be able to tell he’s around, even if he can’t see him. Besides him, he also spends time looking after Kagami’s kids; Chikae and Kasai are fine, spending their time helping to cheer people up, but Shiro’s badly hurt, confined to a wheelchair. All three of them seem to be retired although he can’t be entirely sure about that.

He tells Uzushio his news when he returns. None of them are particularly interested in any of it except what Kushina was doing which makes sense since she’s Uzumaki. Still, they let him talk with fond looks and offerings of spicy food that he couldn’t ever deny.

He returns to travelling the nations as a trader, bringing what he’s given back to Uzushio to decorate the island as make-shift wind chimes and just simple little glittery things. It’s okay, this life he’s built, even though he knows he’ll watch all the friends he made grow old and die and move on without him. All the nations seem to finally be settling, as much as they can, at least, and there are whispers on Uzushio debating revealing themselves. The general consensus seems to be ‘wait and see’.

The next time Wei Ying goes back to Konoha, things are different. Minato and Kushina both died at some point in the interim— Hiruzen has been signed up for the position of Hokage, this time. Orochimaru’s gone now as well and Wei Ying doesn’t know where he nor his teammates might be. Kakashi is a pain in the ass to track down but the boy is alive, at least. All of Tobirama’s kids are still alive, miraculously, and Wei Ying wonders if that’s something he did or if the six of them are just ridiculously good at surviving. Shiro’s gone but Chikae and Kasai are still around, at least. The worst thing, though, isn’t the death and change, which Wei Ying has regrettably gotten used to. No, instead it’s little Naruto, who looks so much like his parents that his birth could never be denied. The boy, a four year old at Wei Ying’s best guess, is living on the streets, scavenging for scraps, while his village condemns him.

Wei Ying hasn’t felt such incandescent rage in a long time.

Naruto is tucked behind a dumpster when Wei Ying hunts him down again after all of his anger’s dissipated. He lets himself be visible and tangible, unlike how he usually visits Konoha. He won’t be checking in on Tobirama’s kids so there’s no point and besides, he can’t help Naruto if he can’t interact with the boy. He had made sure to buy some food for the kid— soup, because he has a feeling Naruto hasn’t been eating very well and he knows that food with more substance can be uniquely bad on truly empty stomachs.

“Hey there,” he greets quietly, crouching down to keep from looming over the boy. Naruto peers up at him with mistrustful blue eyes. They’re not as dark as his father’s were, more sunshine-y than the former Hokage. “Hungry?” He asks, offering the soup takeout container he got from the restaurant down the street. The kid is still clearly wary but his hunger overrides his caution and he sneaks forward to take the takeout container and a wooden spoon from Wei Ying. He urges Naruto to eat slowly but he remembers the desperate way each meal has to be eaten on the streets if you don’t want to lose it.

“Do you have anywhere to stay?” Wei Ying asks, knowing the answer and hoping, hoping, he’s wrong. Naruto hesitates but the food seemed to have warmed his attitude up and he gives a shake of his head without too much wariness. Wei Ying wonders if the boy can speak, if anyone ever taught him how. Wei Ying doesn’t have an apartment. He doesn’t need one; he can’t sleep, he doesn’t get too cold or too warm, he doesn’t get tired of standing. He has money, though. A hundred years exploring, helping people, and trading results in a lot of random stuff, yes, but even he couldn’t avoid grateful people foisting money off onto him. He spread it around as much as he could but the people here like free money even less than they like free help.

“I can get you a place, if you want,” Wei Ying offers. Naruto hesitates again before nodding, slow and shy. Wei Ying debates his next move with himself for a moment but he walks faster than Naruto and the boy’s probably desperate for any kind touch so he opens his arms beckoningly.

“Can I carry you—” Before he can even fully finish the question, Naruto is slamming into him with the speed and force of a newly made fierce corpse. He doesn’t lose the air in his lungs because he doesn’t have any but he does rock back, the surprise nearly making him lose his balance. Naruto curls in close as Wei Ying stands, hiding his face away in Wei Ying’s shoulder. The dark resentful energy of the Huli Jing Naruto has sealed inside him (the people here call it a kitsune, a demon fox, the Kyuubi) tugs at Wei Ying’s own resentful energy, trying to tempt him into making bad decisions, into taking revenge. Wei Ying shoves it to the side the best he can while still using resentful energy to pretend to be alive.

He wanders through the streets, looking for somewhere he can buy an apartment or even a house. It’s not too difficult; the recent war left vacancies that have yet to be filled. Still, he spends time looking for a place in a good neighbourhood. He won’t be able to stay here with Naruto, he can’t when he has Uzushio to look after, and he needs Naruto to be in a place where he’ll at least have a fighting chance. He eventually settles on a place just outside the Uchiha Compound. The owner tries to make him pay an exorbitant amount but Wei Ying is skilled with people; he knows what makes them tick. He doesn’t threaten the man. He just stares, eyes red with resentful energy, as the man runs himself into guilty circles all on his own.

The price is lowered.

The man leads Wei Ying to a room on the second floor. It has a window that can open and has access to a tree that arches, flowering, over the Uchiha Compound's wall. An escape route, should Naruto need it. The room has a bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, and living space. It’s better than Wei Ying really hoped for. He pays the rent for the next year and closes the door with one hand after the owner has slunk off. Wei Ying tries to set Naruto down on the couch but the boy only clings to him tighter with terrified little noises. Wei Ying accepts his clinginess without comment. He still remembers, distant and foggy as it might be, now, what it had been like to crave any kind touch, how terrifying it had been to have that touch taken from him again and again. He’ll do what he can for Naruto.

They sleep on the couch, Naruto curled into his chest and Wei Ying less sleeping and more wandering in the safety of his mind. He can’t go too far or risk him and the Kyuubi aggravating each other with their matching corrosive presences but it’s enough to pass the time. It’s late morning the next day before he makes either of them do anything. Naruto needs food and clothes and a multitude of other things he had never been able to really give Wen Yuan. It feels a little like a second chance and although Naruto would never be able to replace Wen Yuan (and Wei Ying doesn’t want him to), Wei Ying is grateful he can give this child more than he had been able to give the first.

Naruto explores the clothes shop with an amazed kind of curiosity. The worker, a teenager who looks half-asleep, watches them with half their attention but seems disinclined to spend the energy it would take to view Naruto with the same derision and hate the majority of the villagers seem to hold. The boy’s still clinging tightly to Wei Ying’s hand but he’s interested enough to walk on his own, picking out clothes that he likes.

Wei Ying notices, amused, that the boy is drifting towards close to what he’s wearing. There’s nothing quite in the style of clothes that Wei Ying is wearing— something that’s gotten him curious looks in the past —and it seems to irritate Naruto although the boy is staying nearly silent. A survival instinct, Wei Ying thinks, and hates it.

They end up with a collection of orange, black, red, and, on Wei Ying’s suggestion, some blue and purple kimonos plus a couple dark grey-ish green outfits that work better with the kind of life the people in this world live. He can’t imagine kimonos work terribly well with the kind of fast movements and fierce fights that happen here although he has seen a few fighters here and there that get by with the looser, more constrictive clothing well enough.

They stop by a restaurant on the way back so Naruto can get some more soup into him. He’s a little grumpy that Wei Ying didn’t let him get half the menu as he had been angling to do but eats his soup without complaint. They get a couple nasty looks from the owner that Wei Ying fends off with blank, dangerous looks of his own. He’s not a shinobi but the people here know well and good to back off in the face of something stronger than them.

A week passes of Wei Ying setting Naruto up with everything he could ever need (including a bank account that had been a pain in the ass to set up), then another of teasing the boy out of his shell. He turns out to be a rather precocious and bubbly child when not fearing for his life, quick to bring fun to any scenario. He’s not the smartest kid out there— or maybe Wei Ying’s not the best judge for something like that; he and Tobi and Minato were all geniuses —but he tries hard and throws all of himself into whatever he’s genuinely encouraged to learn.

Here Wei Ying is, some months into this whole endeavour, watching Naruto carefully trace out kanji in the little kid’s spelling book Wei Ying bought with his tongue stuck out in concentration, when he has a thought. A stupid thought, maybe, but one that might let the boy squeak a little bit further under the radar. The villagers are on the lookout for a little blonde boy— not for a fiery-haired Uzumaki.

“Do you like red?” He asks Naruto. The boy takes the time to finish out the kanji he’s working on (Wei Ying thinks it might be horse? He’d never really learned the written language) before pulling his head up.

“Huh?” Wei Ying huffs a fond little laugh.

“Do you like red?” He asks again. Naruto tips his head in thought like a curious fox.

“I guess so,” he decides, “but I like orange better.” Wei Ying nods. He’d known that but he doesn’t think orange will have quite the same effect.

“Do you want red hair?” Naruto perks up immediately.

“I can have red hair?” He nearly squeals in excitement, bouncing up and almost knocking over his ink pot. He does send his brush skittering and it leaves a black stain on the floor Wei Ying has the feeling will never come out. He laughs as Naruto throws his little body into his arms, repeating ‘can I can I can I’ over and over excitedly. Shinobi, Wei Ying knows, have little seals that can be used to change a part of someone’s appearance for up to a year before the seal burns out but they’re noticeable if you know how to look and Wei Ying wants something a little harder to see through. Dye it is, then.

“You stay here and keep working on your kanji,” Wei Ying says. “I’ll go grab what we need to change your hair colour.” Naruto beams and agrees right away, collecting his brush as Wei Ying heads out. Finding hair dye is easy, finding hair dye guaranteed to last a long time is a bit harder but he manages to hunt down shinobi-grade dye guaranteed to last a year. When he gets back to the apartment, Naruto has finished his kanji for today and is practically vibrating with anticipation.

“To the bathroom,” Wei Ying says. Naruto pouts at him. Like most children, he has a grudge against being clean and therefore against the bathroom.

“Why?” The boy whines.

“Because this can be messy and we’re not doing it out here,” Wei Ying informs. Naruto huffs and grumbles but does, in fact, follow Wei Ying to the bathroom. The dye is easy enough to prepare and as Wei Ying is carefully covering all that golden hair, he hopes the red hair will be enough that people will see Naruto and think Uzumaki instead of Kyuubi. Maybe their guilt over what happened to Uzushio will protect him.

He stays in Konoha for as long as he can force himself to. Between his years of constant travel and the other Uzumaki relying on him, he gets restless fast. He doesn’t head out immediately, of course. He keeps the apartment well-stocked with non-perishables and makes sure Naruto has the basics of everything he needs to survive on his own until Wei Ying can return. He doesn’t trust anyone in Konoha well enough by half to leave Naruto’s wellbeing in their hands— as a matter of fact, he trusts Naruto to take care of himself as a former homeless and abused child far better than he does the emotionally stunted shinobi (who may be well off but usually lacking any sort of skills that pair well with childrearing) or the small-minded civilians (who had been the majority of the ones going out of their ways to make life miserable for little Naruto). Still, he ends up sticking around long enough to feel the need to tidy up Naruto’s dye job.

He leaves not even a full two days after, once Naruto has made him promise many times in increasingly complex ways to come back. He doesn’t bother with the front gate since he stands out enough between his looks and amalgamated accent that the guards would probably stop him, opting instead to go intangible and invisible and just walk straight through the wall. He then proceeds to walk the entire distance between Konoha and the shore closest to Uzushio, absently grateful for the fact that he can’t physically get tired anymore. Mostly because physically, he doesn’t exist.

Getting from the shore to Uzushio is a trickier issue. A couple of Uzushio shinobi had sailed him over in a nondescript boat that they had kept well away from anywhere that could have recognized them. Getting a boat to sail back there is pretty much impossible between his inability to sail anything by himself and the innate danger that would come with outing the existence of a slowly-rebuilding Uzushio to the greater world before they have the protective seals, general power, and population to resist a second wave of complete annihilation. On the other hand, he is dead and as nothing more than a spirit it would actually be very possible for him to just sort of. Fly over to the whirlpool-surrounded island. However, he hasn’t actually used that skill since his time with Tobirama, reading reports and books over people's shoulders.

(It’s significantly easier to do than he had expected, being mostly instinctual once he figured out how to start. The water and the distance does not end up being the big conundrum he had built it up to be in his mind.)

Uzushio, when he finally gets there, welcomes him back with open arms. This has been the longest he’s stayed away since he first helped rebuild the island village and the people fawn over him with worry and curiosity in equal measures. He accepts their gifts easily, passing out all the trinkets and other interesting bits he had collected before being waylaid in Konoha. He tells his stories, as well, ones that have been traded to him for his help and ones he’s made himself, chatting to an ever changing crowd of individuals. There are new people around, as well, and they tell their stories as well, being drawn to Uzushio like an indescribable current was reeling them in or being brought back with shinobi who had left the island and ended up saving them from uncharitable situations.

Eventually he tells them of Naruto, and their righteous anger matches his as they clamour for retribution. For shinobi, the Uzumaki have always been as fair and just and kind as people could come and Wei Ying looks up to them for it and their determination not to let their dismal history drag them down. In light of Wei Ying’s revelation regarding Naruto, the people of Uzumaki are even more understanding of his absence. A haphazard group of parents and older siblings drag him to the side to teach him how to handle children, how to deal with hair and clothes, how to make a balance between strict and lenient, how to cook and bake and know what children need to grow up strong and healthy, how to do make-up and sew and clean. He’s not the best at all of it and several people worked together to beat it into his head that he can’t just drown food for children in every spice under the sun but eventually they deem him passable enough to release him from their claws.

He flees back to Konoha and Naruto before they can change their mind and the boy is so gleefully happy to see him that he feels guilty for ever leaving in the first place. But as much as he has a duty to Naruto, he has a duty to Uzushio, and, much as he wants to, he probably can’t take Naruto (or, rather, the Kyuubi) from Konoha without launching the volatile world of shinobi into another war. He can’t really explain all of this to Naruto but he tries his best and the boy seems to understand which is… sad, in some undefinable way.

Naruto badgers him into teaching him swordsmanship and into painting the boy’s bedroom into a sunset of oranges and reds. As much as Wei Ying hates to admit it, Naruto has absolutely no natural talent when it comes to the sword and he’s half terrified that the boy’s going to somehow manage to kill himself with the stick they’re using as a sword. Sealing and talisman work, though, is an entirely different story when Wei Ying decides to finally try it out. He knows the Uzumaki are considered incredibly talented masters of fuinjutsu but he hadn’t expected it to be somehow hereditary like it apparently is. Naruto devours all the knowledge of talismans that Wei Ying can safely give him and the comparably little amount of sealing that he knows.

When he returns to Uzushio, he makes sure to gather as much information on sealing as he can to bring back to Naruto, an endeavour the Uzumaki enthusiastically agree with. Everything from oral teachings to surviving scrolls. Everything he can get his hands on short of bringing an actual surviving Uzumaki sealmaster into the heart of Konoha. It’s all graciously poured over when he passes it off to Naruto, particularly after he absentmindedly and offhandedly mentions that seals were the speciality of the Uzumaki Clan.

He falls into a rhythm splitting his time between Naruto and Uzushio. He never completely gives up his visits to other countries and villages but they dwindle to the point that his existence slowly goes from undisputed fact to mysterious legend. And he doesn’t have Jiang Cheng or Jiang Yanli or Lan Zhan or the Wens or little a-Yuan, he doesn’t have Tobirama or a real home or a Clan, but he’s happy.

For the first time in a long, long time, Wei Ying is really, truly happy.

Then space and time and the universe itself fold and rips around him and he wakes up in the place he doesn’t recognize in a body that isn’t his, surrounded by a language he hasn’t really spoken in over a century.

Wei Ying thinks about doing this all again, about crafting a life he’ll only lose, and he cries.

Part 5 | Last Part

[seahymns]

jack  can’t  help  the  soft  huff  of  mild  annoyance  that  escapes  his  lips.  does  she  have  to  be  this  stubborn  and  difficult  to  make  peace  with?  it  takes  him  a  moment,  and  all  the  will-power  he  can  muster,  to  remain  calm  and  remind  himself  just  how  much  he  actually  admires  and  adores  this  side  of  her.  he’d  never  want  her  to  be  a  meek,  feeble-minded  woman  who  trembles  at  the  mere  thought  of  possible  disagreement  with  her  partner.  he  loves  that  fire  that  rose  holds  within  herself,  even  if  at  times  it  drives  him  crazy.   ❝   would  you  rather  i  spent  my  days  imagining  naked  women  and  then  drawing  them?   ❞   he  inquires,  struggling  to  maintain  a  stern,  serious  look.  the  corners  of  his  lips  twitch,  a  ghost  of  a  smile  blooming  shyly  on  his  visage.   ❝   no,  that’s  —  jokes  aside,  rose…  i  can  admit  that  you’re  right.  you  are.  you  have  been  this  whole  time.   ❞   it’s  about  time  he  grew  up  and  put  an  end  to  those  shenanigans.  it  was  fine  when  he  was  a  bachelor,  but  now  he’s  in  a  serious  relationship  for  the  first  time  in  his  life.  he  wouldn’t  want  to  ruin  it  and  he’s  actually  glad  that  she’s  opened  up  to  him  today,  only  wishes  he  hadn’t  pushed  her  to  the  point  of  no  return  and  caused  her  to  explode  so  violently.  it  must  have  been  emotionally  draining  for  her.

❝   do  you  really  think  so?  ‘cause  i’m  convinced  they  don’t  do  your  beauty  justice.  you’re  way  more  beautiful  in  real  life.   ❞   he  knows  better  than  to  assume  that  now  everything  will  go  back  to  normal,  knows  better  than  to  use  these  drawings  as  an  apology.  a  makeup  gift.  he’ll  have  to  work  real  hard  to  gain  her  trust  back  and  actually  make  up  for  the  pain  he’s  caused  her,  but  he’s  determined  to  prove  her  that  she’s  the  only  woman  in  this  universe  who  matters  to  him.   ❝   come  on  now,  don’t  say  such  things,   ❞   he  sighs,  shaking  his  head  and  furrowing  his  brows  in  disapproval.   ❝   if  any  of  us  deserves  the  despicable  award,  it  would  be  me.  i  have  no  idea  how  i’ll  make  it  up  to  you,  rose.  but  i  will.  i’ll  find  a  way.   ❞   it’s  a  promise,  one  he  intends  to  keep  no  matter  the  cost.   ❝   yeah,  but…  you  didn’t  do  this  on  purpose,  rose.  it  was  an  accident.  it  could  have  as  well  burned  down  in  a  fire  or  got  ruined  in  a  flood.  and  whose  fault  would  that  be?  accidents  just  happen.   ❞   besides,  he  tells  himself,  it’s  not  like  the  drawing  is  completely  destroyed.  it’s  still  here,  just  with  some  ink  spilled  over  it.  he  can  try  and  restore  it.  of  course,  deep  down  he’s  sad  because  like  rose  said  —  his  mother  won’t  paint  anything  new  for  him  —  but  he’d  have  to  be  heartless  to  hold  it  against  her.  it  was  an  accident.

his  arms  open  invitingly  when  she  closes  the  distance  between  them  and  coil  around  her  petite  frame  as  she  melts  into  his  strong  chest.  it’s  a  relief,  knowing  she’s  still  willing  to  hug  him  back.  he  kisses  the  top  of  her  head  lightly  before  nuzzling  into  her  hair,  his  eyes  slipping  shut  as  he  breathes  her  in.  his  home.  the  only  woman  he’s  ever  truly  loved.  the  other  half  of  his  own  soul.  there’s  nothing  he  wouldn’t  do  for  her,  and  he’d  have  to  be  a  complete  idiot  or  a  psychopath  to  keep  drawing  other  women  after  learning  how  it  makes  rose  feel.  that  chapter  of  his  life  is  finished  now  and  he’s  not  even  sad  about  it.   ❝   i  won’t  do  it,  rose.  i’ve  made  up  my  mind.  i  can’t  keep  acting  that  way.  it  has  to  end.  there’s  so  many  things  that  i  can  sketch,  so  many  wonders  in  the  world.  i’m  serious  about  us  and  i  want  you  to  know  that.   ❞   he  picks  up  his  head  and  uncoils  his  arms,  his  large  hands  finding  her  shoulders  as  he  puts  some  space  between  them.  icy  blues  gazing  into  her  own.  a  soft  smile  dancing  on  his  lips.   ❝   i  mean,  i  want  it  all  with  you,  rose.  a  pretty  house  with  a  white  fence,  a  bunch  of  children,  i  want  us  to  grow  old  together.  drawing  naked  women  and  being  in  a  serious  relationship,  building  a  home  and  all  that,  are  two  conflicting  ideas,  so  i’m  done  with  that.  there  will  be  no  more  drawings  of  that  sort.  i  promise.   ❞   it’s  only  after  he’s  done  rambling  that  he  realizes  how  he’s  just  let  her  in  on  the  most  vulnerable  part  of  his  soul,  his  biggest  dreams  —  he  wants  to  be  a  successful  artist,  but  more  than  that  he  wants  to  live  his  life  to  the  fullest  with  her  by  his  side.   ❝   of  course,  only  if  you  want  that,  too,  rose.   ❞  

"or  you  can  go  about  ignoring  what  i  said,  because  you  know  i  am  right."  the  redhead  snaps  back,  rage  still  simmering–  curling  and  uncurling  at  her  fingertips  rolling  and  unrolling  inside  her  small  palms  at  her  sides.  "yes,  a  REAL  artiste  would  be  able  to  bring  something  to  life  from  the  figments  of  their  imagination  rather  than  copying  exactly  what  they  see.  that's  too  easy."  she  pointed  out,  tightly  crossing  her  arms  against  her  chest  as  face  looked  narrowly  at  the  taller  blond  while  he  was  crazy  enough  to  tease  her  in  such  a  moment.  

then  petite  frame  is  pulled  into  a  broader  one,  arms  still  crossed  as  they  press  to  his  chest  while  his  arms  envelope  her  and  can  feel  his  chin  press  to  her  head  while  rose  is  still  pouting.  it  was  hard  to  remain  so  angry  when  he  showed  her  the  sketches  she  knew  he  was  busy  doing  a  lot  of  the  time,  but  never  realized  exactly  how  she  was  coming  to  life  on  his  canvases  doing  the  simplest  things.  "well..."  words  stammering,  choking  on  the  emotions  getting  caught  in  her  throat,  "these  are  beautiful."  she  complimented,  felt  touched  he  went  around  finding  her  so  pretty  he  had  to  draw  it.  but  it  still  didn't  change  the  naked  girls  still  filling  her  mind.  

"i'm  despicable,  jack.  i  am."  rose  refused  to  feel  anything  but  now,  placing  his  sketches  back  where  he  got  them  so  not  to  ruin  these  too.  she  probably  didn't  deserve  to  have  so  many  of  them  of  her.  "i  suppose,  but  it's  such  a  sacred  piece  when  she's  no  longer  here  to  give  you  a  new  one  back."   her  arms  finally  do  lift  from  her  sides  &  wrap  around  him  to  half  makeup  for  it.  "if––  i  have  to  see  another  woman  in  the  nude  leave  our  home,  i'm  not  sure  how  i'll  still  feel  about  it.  but  i  promise  not  to  explode  again."  next  time,  she'll  just  head  out  quietly  and  leave  him  a  note  that  she's  leaving  for  a  few  days.  since  she's  assuming  he's  not  going  to  drop  his  gig  for  income,  but  at  least  she  was  being  honest  with  him.

[lily-drake]

Bargain

Time was passing by.  Every second, every minute, every hour, every month, every year.  Nothing was changing, things never seemed to get better, things only got worse.  Failure whispered a part of her mind that seemed so aware yet never caring of the time that slipped by.  This wasn’t her fault, but it still felt like it, because even though she herself wasn’t terrorizing the people, she could never truly end the reign of the man who was.  Things were dark and bleak and she just lost herself.   She lost herself to the ever increasing noise, the silence, the void that was ever consuming her whole.  What was there to fight for anymore when nothing would ever change, but the need to defend her home was the only thing that pushed her.

Marinette knew she was dying, she had known it for a very long time.  There was only so much strain a body can sustain from the heavy load of magic she wore on a daily basis before her body began to shut down on its own.  Maybe if her partner was her true balanced soul then she could recover and continue on with her life, but he wasn’t.  The imbalance of their partnership continued to grow larger causing the slow intensity to continue.

It was never like anyone truly cared though.  No, only her family knew about her condition, or rather they knew that their only daughter was slowly dying of a mysterious never before seen disease that had no cure.  Some days the pain was bearable enough that she could walk around the house with little trouble and attend school.  On the worst of days, days that were becoming more and more frequent, she couldn’t even move her finger without crying out in pain.  But in the end, it never mattered how she felt, because everyday there was a new threat and everyday she would use the mouse to duplicate herself and use the other miraculous to take down the akuma and/or amok.  Often she wouldn’t be able to heal herself completely due to the amount of damage that was done, using up all of her healing ability to revive the people.

“Marinette,”

Tikki whispered into her ear softly.  Her voice was pained and full of sorrow, her eyes watery as she watched her little bug fall victim to a fate that she did not deserve at the hands of selfish and despicable human beings.

“Yes Tikki?”

Marinette asked in a breathless whimper.  Her eyes were shut so tightly, trying to will the pain that plagued her to just go away.

“I-I…I’m sorry that this is happening.  I-no, we,”

She said motioning to the other kwamii around her,

“Will find a way to help you, I promise.”

Marinette gave a small chuckle at that, the hope and belief that she would be healed long since faded.  The hope was replaced with an endless misery, depression, and pain that no pill or supplement could ever hope to relieve.  Before she could respond though a soft knock was heard from her trapdoor, the sound causing all of the kwamii to hide back in the Miracle Box.

“Marinette dear, someone is here to see you.”

Sabine said gently as she slowly lifted the trap door.

“Do you think you are up for that, if not we can wait.”

Marinette did not want to talk to anyone, but there was a pulling in her chest telling her to do so.

“It’s okay mama.  You can send them in.”

A young boy slightly older than her walked into the room and cautiously looked around.  Slowly Marinette opened her eyes and watched as he slowly walked towards her, his feet never making a single sound.

“Hello, I’m Timothy Drake, but you can call me Tim.”

He said softly, his voice almost a reverent whisper.  His eyes were a bright blue, they almost seemed to glow in the dimness of her room as only a single lamp was lit.

“Marinette.”

She muttered, speaking hurt so it was always best for her to be brief.

“It’s nice to meet you, Marinette.  You’re probably wondering why I’m here.”

She didn’t reply, merely watching him.  He continued,

“You see, I’m the CEO of Drake Industries, a medical corporation, and we heard about your case.  I want to help you find out what’s wrong and help you.”

Marinette huffed a breath in tired annoyance.  She was sick and tired of this never ending cycle of people “wanting to help her heal”.  No one would ever be successful, it was her own fault she was like this, and if it wouldn’t have caused her excruciating torment then she would have turned on her other side and ignored the man.

Tim gave a small sad smile at her obvious annoyance.

“I bet you hear that phrase a lot, huh?”

A small nod.

“You don’t believe that you’ll survive this, do you?”

A miniscule shake.  Tim nodded as if he understood, his ever bright gaze gleaming with an acute awareness that showed he was taking in every bit of information no matter how small it was.

“Well, what if we make a little bargain?”

A raised brow.

“If I can’t heal you, I will do whatever you want and I will pay for everything that your family may need.”

A pause.

“If I can indeed heal you, all I ask is that I get one dessert made by you.”

Marinette was honestly quite surprised.  She had expected many things from having to pay money or being some kind of publicity token, she had not expected something so simple.  But even if it was something like that, it’s not that she was actually going to live to be able to do it.  So with a simple nod, the deal was made.  Tim gave her a small smile and returned the nod, he didn’t even reach for her hand knowing that it would cause her pain to even be touched.

“Alright Marinette, I’ll be back tomorrow.”

And with that he stood up and just as quietly as he came, he left.  The pain seemed to dull a little, as if his presence eased the pain, but the longer he was gone, the more intense the pain became once again.

Marinette couldn’t even sleep because the pain was so bad.  It flared up with every agonizing breath she took.

“Marinette!”

Whispered a frantic almost gravelly voice.  The scent of camembert cheese alerted her that the source was Plagg.  Marinette hummed questioningly when she felt a small weight on her stomach.  Slowly Marinette peeled her eyes open and saw Plagg with a melancholy look, and a silver ring.

“He won’t be able to do anymore damage to you now.  I promise that I will find the right person.  You’ll get better, we’ll make sure of it.”

A small smile spread across Marinette’s lips, a small weight lifted from her shoulders.  A new Cat, a real partner, real balance.  Who knows, maybe she would get better, even if it wasn’t actually through Tim.

Tim turned sharply as a dark blurr flew past him.  He twisted and turned looking for the source of the obscure flash.

“Hey kid.”

A voice said from behind him which caused Tim to turn quickly and fall into a defensive stance.  He just wanted to help this girl heal and find out about this disease so he could know the best way to heal it.  Was that really too much to ask for?  When he looked up he was shocked to see a small floating black cat with glowing emerald green eyes.

“How much do you really want to help that girl?”

Tim was shocked, but shook his head.  He was probably hallucinating, it was his subconscious testing him, so he easily responded,

“I’m going to do whatever it takes to help her.”

The cat flashed him a small smile and dropped a black and green ring into his hand.  Only when it landed in his palm did it change into a thin silver single banded ring with a barely noticeable vinyl pattern wrapped around it.

“I’m going to hold you up to that, because she needs you now more than she’s ever needed anyone ever before.”

Next

Taglist:

@aespades @adrestar @astrynyx @doll246 @queenz-z @toodaloo-kangaroo @crazylittlemunchkin @seraphichana @miraculous-ninja @dorkus-minimus @mysticsoulgirl @ritacrow-blog @snow-leopard-777 @fidget-eep @sometandomstuff333 @lady-phoenix-of-tardis @shreeing @achaoticmess1 @miraculous-ninja @liquid-luck-00 @buginetye @stainedglassm @prettylittlebutterflie @laurcad123

[tooweirdforyou]

How The OP Boys Say “I Love You” To Their S/O

How You Know He Loves You- idk man

A/N : enjoy.

includes » Ace, Sabo, Luffy, law, Sanji, Zoro, Marco, Rosinante, Kid, Shanks, Mihawk, Katakuri, Izo, Koby, Cavendish,

Summary : the boys’ own way of saying “I love you”, with their own words and ways. Or, how you know he loves you.

? Wait did I do this before? I don’t even know. also these aren’t GREAT, but they aren’t HORRIBLE. Yk? Honestly tho, some of these seem like they’re all over the place, which yes, they might be. UGH IT WAS SO HARD THO.

-

Monkey D. Luffy

Luffy loves you like an adventure. Everything is new and always fun to try with him, and no matter what happens, you don’t ever regret it, because you’re doing it with him.

He’s persistent in staying with you everywhere, he wants to do everything with you. He tends to invite you ( by pulling your hand ) to do crazy things with him and away from the others so you’re alone.

He’s always showing off his skills and stupidity in order to make you laugh, because your smile is the best thing he’s ever seen and giggles are the beautiful sound he treasures.

His actions are genuine when he holds your hand and pulls you to his side all the time, with the warmest, loving grin.

Luffy always makes sure to remind you to never give up hope.

“Let’s go on an adventure together, [Name].”

-

Roronoa Zoro

Zoro loves you like you’re his one and only. No one has priority over you, ( except maybe Luffy ), and you will always be his, if you’ll let him.

Zoro is not a man of many words when it comes to his own emotions and feelings, so he shows it through his actions.

He always has an eye on you, so wherever you are is where he ‘sleeps’ so he can keep you close, his swords at his side to protect you from danger, ( but he knows you can handle yourself. )

Zoro is the perfect person to lend a comforting shoulder and ear. He will listen to every single one of your problems intently and if he can, will offer the best advice you’ll hear, even if it’s a bit harshly. However, whatever got you so down, Zoro will bring you back up.

Zoro is always reminding you that you are strong, no matter how tough things get.

“Oi, come take a nap with me. I could use a body pillow.”

-

Portgas D. Ace

Ace loves you like a gentleman, respecting boundaries, bowing to the elderly you pass by together and always ready to pick you up for your date at seven, bouquet of flowers in hand.

If Ace is good at anything, it’s knowing how to distract you with a good time. He knows the best way to bring a beautiful smile to your lips and can easily make sure to avoid the thoughts that brought you down in the first place.

He’ll share stories that will make you die of laughter or feel so wholesome that you literally melt at how sweet it is.

The few times he expresses and shares his insecurities to you, something he hides within him because he trusts you enough to do so. He loves your understanding and comfort for him.

Ace always reminds you that you’ll be okay, even at the worst times.

“You are the light of my life.”

-

Chief of Staff Sabo

Sabo loves you like a prince. He holds the door for you, takes your hand so you don’t fall, has the most charismatic smile on his face and is just so charming.

Sabo will remember the littlest things, the smallest details that you yourself don’t even know until he reminds you, and because of this, you are often gifted the most memorable and cherishing gifts, like the scarf you two bought for your perfect snowman, to the necklace you were staring a little too longingly at on display.

He’s always busy, but he doesn’t hesitate to drop whatever he has just for you. He will run through fire if it means you’ll stop crying or if you’ll be happy to see him. You are his lifeline, his soul, his love.

He may not know how to properly cheer you up like his brothers can, but he knows that he wants the best for you. If you need space, you got it. You need some tender loving cuddles and buckets of ice cream while watching Disney movies? Vanilla or chocolate ice cream?

Sabo reminds you that you deserve happiness and peace.

“Whenever you need me, I’ll be there.”

-

Trafalgar D. Water Law

Law loves you like you’re his savior, someone who’s always there during his time of need and insecurities, by his side when he needs you most.

He’s a little blunt and straightforward occasionally, but he’s honest somewhat. He won’t ever tell you his feelings until he deems it the right time, but you can tell he has feelings by the change in treatment.

He’ll keep you closer to him, making excuses by saying that he needs you to help him with the supply run, or that he needs your assistance with a particular menial task.

He’s awkward and shy about it at first but he cares and that’s all you need to know. Especially once you catch him during one of his weaker times, the anniversary of a particular someone rolling around, where he’s locked in his room. He needs you beside him, so please don’t leave him when he needs you.

Law reminds you that you are human, that it’s okay to be vulnerable.

“Just stay here with me.”

-

Vinsmoke Sanji

Sanji loves you like a god/goddess. He will treat you with the utmost respect and care and offers you everything you could possibly want or need, just say the word.

His genuine, endless daily compliments are given to you with pure love and passion, his daily refreshments and snacks to keep you energized and hydrated keeps an eye out for your health.

He makes sure you know the true meaning of flattery, chivalry and love, because that is all he can show you.

However, under that chivalrous exterior, is his calmer, understanding loving self, where he shows his true self and when he finally shares this side with you, where he holds his insecurities, it’s the true honor and love you can receive. And it’s even better, when you become the one who loves for him in return during this time.

Sanji reminds you that you deserve to be and are loved.

“You are my world, my everything.”

-

Marco The Phoenix

Marco loves you like a married couple who grew old together, still playing jokes and having fun to life’s fullest, no matter your age.

He’s constantly lecturing you for the smallest things repeatedly, since you always seem to forget. His lectures lack any annoyance or malice though, he’s just kind of done with you sometimes.

Nonetheless, he’s taking care of you more than you think, always the first one there whenever you need help. He’s always prepared for whatever you need so you don’t have to look for it and get worried.

He’s stern at times but he loves you more than you could ever know, often questioning himself whenever he’s beside you. He half-lidded eyes watching you with warmth and admiration because you always look so determined.

Marco always reminds you that you are free. To live life to its fullest and however you wish.

“Let me fly you to the moon.”

-

Donquixote Rosinante

Rosinante loves you like a husband, he treats you like his wife, either you or him welcoming each other home after being gone for so long and greeting each other with a loving kiss each time.

He knows just how tough things can be and as much as he tries to make things right, he knows how bad situations really are and no matter how much he wants to cry or get angry, he always holds a smile, in front of you. To assure you that things will be okay.

He gives the warmest hugs, and knows that, so whenever you’re angry or sad, or just randomly at times, Rosi envelops you into a large hug, waddling you back and forth a few times, you feel instant relief and content, which makes him smile.

His priority will always be you, even if he’s hundreds of thousands miles away, he will find his way back home to you. He surprises you with the littlest gifts; being flowers, jewelry, candles, or more.

Rosi will always remind you to smile, even during the hardest times.

“I will protect you.”

-

Eustass Kid

Kid loves you like a game, it’s unexpected, unpredictable of what will happen and it’s exciting and thrilling. For you both, one wrong move, and the other is gone for good, but perhaps, second chances/rematches are available.

He can be brash and a bit much, but Kid has high respect for anyone who actually makes it onto his crew and can actually tolerate him, you included.

He’s loud and wild but that only makes it part of the fun. With such a short fuse, as long as you play your cards right and pick your moments to bite back, it’s kind of fun knowing how dangerous it can be with a guy like Kid, and he also loves it equally, because your feistiness is attractive.

Being a bad bitch that doesn’t play by the rules is so incredibly attractive and Kid knows how to reward and punish so tread carefully. ;) however, he has his down moments and as annoying he can be, he does appreciate the effort you give if you try to comfort him. He’ll be harsh about it but eventually, he just wants you to be with him in the end.

Kid reminds you to rebel, take risks and enjoy the thrill of getting in dangerous situation every once in a while, breaking a few rules doesn’t hurt anybody. Most of the time.

“Don’t fucking ever leave me.. okay?”

-

Dracule Mihawk

Mihawk loves you like you’re an empress, only the finest and highest quality for you, nothing else can compare.

Mihawk will buy you the most expensive dress that suits you, with an equally expensive matching jewelry to go with. Not to mention the heels, and, tch, how could he forget the roses you require? Despicable.

As much as he loves to show you off, he despises the stares of awe and admiration you receive whenever you go out, so his possessiveness takes over and he has an arm around your waist at all times, successfully showing you’re taken and to back off if they don’t wish to be cut into oblivion.

He trains you to handle yourself, obviously, you should know at least some basic skills. He’s not too hard on you but does push you to keep going until you truly wish to stop. It’s only because he’s worried that one day, he won’t be there and won’t be able to protect you.

Mihawk reminds you that you are a queen/king, a strong person who shall hold your ground and never back down from fear and show your bravery.

“Come here, mi amor.”

-

Red Haired Shanks

Shanks loves you like you’re his future. It’s an unknown journey, but he’s there for the ride and whatever may happen, he’s there staying and won’t be going anywhere, unless it’s with you.

The red head is a goofball, he drinks, parties and messes around but he is an incredible captain and genuine to a fault. So when he expresses kindness, it is purely from his heart and not out of manners.

He is extremely playful and yet when down to business, he is calm, collected, and cool. He knows just what to say in tough situations and great comforting advice, so he’s the one to go to when you’re feeling down. And as laid back as he is, disrespect to those he loves is the one shit he won’t take.

He’ll hold you close and with his signature grin, compliment you and tell you how much he appreciates you and as soon as someone lays a finger on you, his hand is on the hilt of the sword and he waits three seconds for an explanation before he cuts them down. No one messes with his beloved.

Shanks reminds you of loyalty. To always protect and care for those close to you, and keep that built up trust and bond you created with them.

“Trust me. I won’t let go of you.”

-

Charlotte Katakuri

Katakuri loves you like you’re glass, he’s careful, protective, cautious and treats you like you’re fragile, because he’s afraid of hurting you.

He’s larger than most, he’s aware of that, so he always takes the precautions to be aware of his surroundings, especially when you are around. He wants you safe and he will be devastated if he is the cause of your pain.

His large stature is a blessing to you though, because cuddling is so comfortable and comforting, it’s amazing. You can curl up and relax and just be at ease with him, because he’s so protective of you, even from his family members. He often keeps you away from Cracker and Perospero, in the slightest chance that they try to take you away from him.

He’ll be extremely heartbroken if Big Mom doesn’t approve of you, but his love for you is stronger, so he’ll keep it a secret if he has to but eventually, he’ll pray and wish for her blessing, asking the help of his siblings to convince her.

Katakuri reminds you of family, that even friends or crewmates are family and love you all the same.

“I will be here for you.”

-

Captain Koby

Koby loves you like a typical high school crush. He’s all shy and blushy, and evidently embarrassed when the pretty one at school is talking to him, ( that’s you. ).

He’s like the wallflower type, who tries to blend in but somehow, he sticks out in a way that lures you to him, like he’s hit the jackpot.

He is incredibly sweet, and his shyness is so adorable. You can’t help but coo whenever you see his red cheeks and soft smile of care he offers.

Always helps you with everything, will take the blame whenever you get in trouble, takes the suffering and pain when guys try to mess with you, and no matter how tough things get, he’s holding a brave face for you.

Koby reminds you of kindness, treat everyone with care and kindness, and it goes a long way.

“If you fall, I’ll be there to catch you.”

-

16th Division Commander Izo

Izo loves you like you’re a painting, he thinks you are true beauty, inside and out, you are a work of art, a true Mother Nature masterpiece born. One to be admired.

The type to be there. He’ll hold your hair while you vomit, rubbing soothing circles on your back while you cry, painting your nails while you complain about Ace, assure your perfection when you’re feeling insecure.

Best advice giver, holds no judgements at all. He’ll help with anything, because you need him. Romantic advice, friendship, sexual advice ;), he will help you any way he can.

He truly admires you, not because of your beauty, but your strength to be able to cry. Crying doesn’t mean weakness but rather, strength to be able to move forward even in the worst of times.

Izo reminds you that you are beautiful, no matter what anyone thinks or says.

“You are true beauty, my love.”

-

Cavendish Of The White Horse

Cavendish loves you like you’re a princess, and he is your handsome Prince Charming.

Every thing he does it like from a fairytale, if it involved a rather.. bit of a narcissistic Prince Charming. But he means well, because he still treats you like a real princess.

He gives you daily horseback rides, teaching you with his strong arms wrapped around yours and his black fancy hat on top of your head, as you two ride around and share laughs and memories.

And even through his big ego, he still makes sure to compliment you, tell you how proud he is of you and how much he truly admires you for your strong will and determination, because he really does love you. More than you know.

Cavendish reminds you that dreams can come true, sometimes it just takes a leap of faith and effort.

“I will treat you like the princess you are and deserve to be.”

-

A/N : 15 fucking people and having to think of different things while I’m distracted is so HARD. 😭 please tell me you enjoyed though ;-;

but did I do this already? God I can’t remember a thing, especially since I still haven’t updated my masterlists- and I’m terribly sorry if this really is all over the place ;-; also apologies if this is repetitive for some of them! It really is difficult yk ;-;

[merakiui]

Diluc, Kaeya, Xiao, and Childe Finding out That You’re Being Abused HCs

cw: mentions/descriptions of (physical and emotional) abuse, injuries, depressive mood/thoughts, implied violence **please proceed with caution and do not read if this is triggering! note - submissions are confusing for me, so I wrote it in this format. I hope that was okay! 

@tuestika said: Hi! Sorry that I send my request through submission, tumblr has sometimes eaten my asks either wholly or have omnomned whole ask xD Usually my requests sent through submissions arrive intact so…. I saw that you had done Scaramouche reacting finding out their s/o is being abused headcanons, may I request headcanons for Kaeya, Diluc, Xiao and Childe finding out their their s/o is being abused? Keep up good job! <3

🔥 Diluc 🔥

Diluc might not be the most vocal person in the world, but he’s definitely observant. He’s gotten rather skilled at picking apart your social cues because he’s spent a lot of time with you. 

So when you barge into his tavern one evening, looking absolutely disheveled and asking for one of the Knights, he’s feeling two emotions: confusion and irritation. 

For one, you shouldn’t even entrust your issue to those inadequate Knights. Nevertheless, you are his friend and he isn’t going to kick you out just because you mentioned them. 

He waves you over to the bar and is thoroughly shocked when you beg him to let you hide behind it. Then he notices your split lip and the fresh injuries on your face and forearms, and he wastes no time in getting to the point.

“Why were you out so late fighting hilichurls? I hope you haven’t led any here. We don’t need that sort of trouble right now.”

“Sorry. No, that’s not it. I just—you’re the only one...” You’re struggling to piece a coherent statement together, too busy looking over your shoulder to keep track of your thoughts. “I didn’t know where I could go. I mean, I thought of you and—“

“Please slow down. Start at the beginning.”

More concerned over your safety than professionalism, Diluc allows you to slip behind the bar counter, where you cower on the ground to avoid being seen. 

You gesture for him to come down to your height and he sighs, silently complying when he finds there aren’t any new customers to serve. Bending down to your level, he holds onto the countertop to keep his balance and then he locks eyes with you. 

“What exactly happened?”

You inhale a shuddering breath, wrapping your sore arms around yourself for comfort. Tears are gathering in your eyes as you recall the event. Your abuser had found you after you’d left to get some fresh air, they’d cornered you in a secluded alley, and—you can’t finish the rest of the story.

Diluc doesn’t expect you to continue. He nods as he lets the information sink in, already harboring a deep resentment for this despicable individual. 

“Wait here. I’ll close the tavern early. In the meantime, we should see to your injuries and then we’ll look for that person.”

“I really think we should tell the Knights...” you mumble, knowing he’ll disapprove. “They’re more suited to these types of cases.”

“The Knights are incompetent. The investigation will take days, if not weeks. What happens if your abuser knows they’ll be coming for them? They’ll try to escape and then there’ll be no telling where they’ve gone.”

“I know, but it wouldn’t hurt to—“

“I’ll take care of it.”

You try to object because it’s dangerous and you don’t want him to get injured on your behalf. But he’s insistent in his decision, claiming that if the Knights can’t help you no one can. And you really wouldn’t feel safe if your abuser was still roaming free, so you have no other choice but to allow him to carry out the investigation himself.

And Diluc can be quite clever at times. It won’t be hard to traverse the interior of Mondstadt at night, where his identity melts away into that of the sneaky Darknight Hero. 

He’s going to protect you no matter what. Your abuser won’t receive an ounce of sympathy from Diluc. All he feels is cold hatred when he catches them. Someone as precious as you does not deserve to be put through such torment, and he’ll see to it that your abuser pays a hefty price to make up for all of the damage they’ve caused.

🧊 Kaeya 🧊

Kaeya can’t understand why you’ve started isolating yourself from everyone. In the past, you were always such great friends with the Knights, always catching up to talk to one of them.

He’d spent a lot of time with you and has since gotten to know you through lighthearted conversations and gossip from the people of Mondstadt. 

For someone so appreciated and well-known, he can’t wrap his head around why you might want to suddenly disappear, hiding yourself away as if you didn’t exist. 

And then he happens to catch you in town one day while you’re out running some errands. It’s so like him to pop in with a few flirty lines, but the words stick in his throat when he notices the bandages stuck to your arms and legs. 

“That can’t be good,” he says as he approaches you, leaning ever so gracefully against a wooden support beam. “Why don’t we find Barbara? I’m sure she’ll have you patched up in no time, my dear friend.”

You don’t think you’re worth it so you shake your head, nervously hoping he’ll take the hint and go away. 

“I hope you’re not accepting those dangerous commissions again,” he adds, half teasing and half serious. You can’t tell whether he’s trying to sound chiding or not. 

“Please just...leave me be. I’m a little busy right now.” You try to leave the stall you’re at, walking stiffly to avoid limping in front of him. “I’m not feeling well, so if you’ll excuse me—“

Kaeya pushes off from the beam, standing in front of you with a posture that appears immovable. “By order of the Calvary Captain,” he’s saying, a playful glint in his eyes, “you aren’t allowed to move from that spot until you tell me what’s bothering you and why you’re covered head to toe in bandages.”

You can easily object to such an order, but you figure it’s better to answer instead of arguing over your physical condition. So you explain a modified version of the story, telling him that you simply got into a disagreement and it ended in bruises on both sides. 

Kaeya hears the tremble in your voice when you say it; you’re lying. His expression softens at once and he steps away, indicating that you’re free to leave. But you don’t; you’re looking at him with such a helpless, pleading look. It breaks his heart.

You break before him, lips quivering as you beg for his help. You’re so scared and alone, and you’re not sure how long you can suffer through this before it seriously hurts you. 

“This is the first time I’ve gotten out in weeks.” So that explains your sudden isolation. “Please... I don’t want to go back home anymore. I’ll do anything. Just don’t let them hurt me again.”

Kaeya’s absolutely stunned to hear the silent revelation in your words. You’re awkwardly reaching to undo one of the bandage wrappings to prove your point, but he stops you short. That’s all the proof he needs.

You’ll be brought back to the Knights of Favonius’ Headquarters to be tended to while he gathers a team to search for your abuser. Since you gave him a solid description, it shouldn’t be too hard to find them. 

And once they’re apprehended, Kaeya will subject them to a grueling interrogation. There will be no gentle punishment; it’s going to be as unforgiving as the abuse you had to suffer through. 

☁️ Xiao ☁️

You’ve never really been keen on physical touch and Xiao understands that completely. He usually avoids any sort of interaction to begin with, unless it’s absolutely necessary, so it’s not a surprise whenever you shy away from large crowds.

He has grown rather fond of you, which has lead to the two of you meeting at Wangshu Inn for some Almond Tofu and relaxed chit-chat.

During one of your many conversations, you bring up a few alarming statements. They’re just personal points you’d like to change, such as your weak fighting spirit or the way your joints brokenly click when you stretch. 

Xiao wonders why you’d want to change yourself. You’re not usually this doubtful of yourself. In the past, you would always play the role of his smiling friend, putting on a positive face even when he was in a disagreeable mood. 

Xiao is examining your movements as you awkwardly explain yourself and when your arms move he catches the sight of a rope burn etched into your wrist. 

“What happened?” He gestures to your sleeve, to which you react in a nervous manner, shyly pulling your sleeve down to hide it. Xiao frowns a bit. “Did you get into an accident?”

“No, of course not! I’m fine. It’s just a result of my clumsiness.”

It really doesn’t look like that to Xiao and when he truly looks at you again he finds that you appear abnormally tired and exhausted. He isn’t going to sugarcoat anything and he could be making a giant assumption, but he still asks.

“Is someone hurting you?”

Your eyes widen for a split second and Xiao catches that movement like a cat drawn to a laser pointer. He won’t force you to explain unless you feel comfortable doing so. The last thing he wants is upsetting you or pressuring you into something you don’t want to talk about.

Eventually, though, the story will come to light and he’ll hear all about the horrors you’ve gone through. That rope burn was just one of many punishments you’ve had to endure, and Xiao’s just about ready to snap. How dare someone lay their filthy hands upon you in such a violent way?

Xiao will calmly tell you to stay at Wangshu Inn or anywhere else in Liyue where you’ll be safe. He’ll watch over you while you take time to recuperate and heal. He’s going to make sure you’ll never have to go through something like that ever again.

Having Xiao by your side makes the healing process all the more comforting.

And when you fall asleep in a soft, warm bed, Xiao slips out into the night to search for your abuser. It won’t be a pretty sight once he gets his hands on the human trash who dared to hurt you.

💧 Childe 💧

He’s very perceptive when it comes to your health and overall well-being. After all, he’s got brothers and sisters to care for; perception is absolutely necessary in order to keep them happy and healthy.

So it doesn’t take long for him to realize your behavior is uncharacteristic. You’re jumpier than usual, always apologizing for the littlest of things, and you’ll look over your shoulder whenever you sense something.

It’s almost as if you expect someone to suddenly come at you, which isn’t all that odd. Childe has been known to keep you on your toes when he’s looking for a fight.

But on one particular day he manages to give you a spook when he comes up beside you, grinning and showing up in your peripheral so suddenly that it nearly gives you a heart attack. 

You’re so frightened as you back away, practically folding in on yourself in an effort to protect yourself from an imaginary blow. Childe pauses, that silly grin fading when he realizes you’re shaking.

“Hey, it wasn’t that scary. Come on, comrade!” He’s approaching you warily, not entirely sure why you’re acting the way you are. He’s always been spontaneous; you should be used to this by now.

But you refuse to let him come any closer, having to distance yourself so that you can ease your racing heart and hyperventilating lungs. Once you’ve calmed down, embarrassment floods through you at the fact that Childe just witnessed all of that. 

Childe will ask if you’re okay with him stepping closer and if you nod he’ll be on you like a hawk, pulling up your sleeves before you can stop him. 

For once, you catch an expression you normally don’t find on Childe: surprise. He’s genuinely shocked at what he sees: dark bruises and shallow lacerations from something sharp. 

Either you got these in your many sparring matches or there’s another factor at play here, and Childe is almost certain it’s the latter.  

His voice is gentle as he asks you to explain what’s going on and once you do he’s already set on finding the one who did this. He seems to forget all about his Fatui work, wanting to capture your abuser and give them a piece of his mind—and subject them to more than a few pieces of his strength, too. 

He’ll have you protected in no time, offering to take you to the best healer. You’ll be treated wonderfully and he’ll even lay off on your sparring matches for a while. 

In the meantime, once he gets his hands on your abuser, everything becomes fair game. After all, someone has to handle the brunt of his anger and pent-up bloodlust from the lack of a fight. And your abuser is the perfect match to pummel into the ground. Childe shows absolutely no mercy for them.