#another fave! this set is so important!

[yangjeongin]

HYUNJIN BIRTHDAY COUNTDOWN (2024): hyunjin in every letter... ↘ D-20 | KKAMI

[todayisafridaynight]

plane scene is so funny cause why is mine a sleeper agent that wakes up whenever daigo is mentioned

can’t wait to see it in dragon engine :3

mine has been the winner for Funniest Character Imaginable for 15 consecutive years and i have yet to see anyone come close i fear

[violetwolfraven]

Wait wait wait remember that post about how Team Starkid/the Lang brothers are going to be comparable to Shakespeare 500 years from now and it was mostly played for laughs like yeah lol you’ll need a paragraph of footnotes to explain the zefron poster but like

I don’t think that’s actually far off from how Starkid’s place in theatre history might play out and here’s why. Just hear me out

Why is Shakespeare so popular today when he definitely wasn’t the only playwright from that era? When he’s not even the only playwright from that era from England that we have surviving works from?

Two main reasons:

1) Shakespeare’s work is (relatively) universally relatable. The characters do things that are so fundamentally human. They make jokes at their friends’ expense. They complain about being awkward in front of their crush. They have daddy issues. The plot lines of the plays aren’t too complicated. The dick jokes land whether you’re watching in 1611 or 2024, and they probably still will in 2637. Shakespeare’s works are timeless because he didn’t try to outsmart his audience. He wrote about things everyone could relate to rather than trying too hard to peacock his intellect in front of the nobility. This is not true of every playwright.

2) Shakespeare was really popular right around the time England started colonizing everything in sight. Copies of his work got shipped all around the world, translated into dozens of languages, performed probably thousands of times. Setting aside the moral implications of this, the important thing to note is that Shakespeare was about the most easily accessible English playwright during a time of rapid, intense globalization.

Meanwhile, Starkid:

1) Invests hard in meaningful, relatable character arcs instead of spectacle and expensive sets or costumes. Also, lowbrow, immature humor and dick jokes that make A Very Potter Sequel funny and enjoyable regardless of if you’ve ever seen any other Harry Potter media in your life.

2) Posts professional recordings of their musicals to YouTube FOR FREE, making their shows about the easiest, best quality musical theatre you can get pretty much anywhere in the world, regardless of if your area has an active theatre scene. Proshots from other companies are rare and usually not free. Bootlegs are all well and good, but even if the video quality is alright (and that’s a big if) the audio is usually garbage. Starkid has been posting the best quality free recordings they can afford since 2009, shortly after the birth of social media, another time of rapid, intense globalization.

In short, I’m not saying that theatre historians in 500 years won’t remember any our current Broadway faves, but I am saying that in my opinion, Team Starkid is probably going to be more accessible for the general public. If you’re a 26th century English teacher trying to teach your class about narrative structure in 21st century theatre, what are you going to show your students? A bootleg of Hadestown with blurry video and garbage audio? Or the professional recording of Twisted, parts of which they will probably even enjoy, because even long after no one remembers Disney’s Aladdin anymore, your class of 26th century 16-year-olds are still going to laugh at “No One Remembers Achmed.”

[gor3-hound]

GIVE ME LOVE // NAOYA ZENIN

ft. brother!naoya x sister!reader

a/n: art by @/sakurai_itachi on twitter/x !! another commission for my fave @nexysworld ♡ more naoya... i feel like i'm single handedly populating the naoya x reader tag atp 😭😭😭 as always, feedback and reblogs super appreciated !!

cw: 18+ content, brother/sister incest, breeding, misogyny, kinda dub-con but very barely, spit, kissing, p in v, creampie, biting, tinyyyy amount of blood, naoya has feelings that he doesn't know how to handle, cockwarming

word count: 1.9k words

Growing up in the Zen'in clan taught you one important lesson - women would always be seen as inferior to men. It did not matter how hard you worked to prove yourself to the Elders in the clan. You were a woman, and that was crime enough.

More than anyone, Naoya had every right to resent you. Your mere existence was an inconvenience to him, but more than that, your birth dishonoured him. He already had to fight harder than your brothers to climb to the top and become the head of the clan, but sharing a womb with a woman was unforgivable. He was constantly ridiculed for having a female twin, and in turn, you were treated as a stain on the Zen'in name for bringing shame to a Zen'in heir.

Despite everything, Naoya could not bring himself to hate you. You were nothing but a woman, a thing. But he could not see his own twin as such. You were close when the two of you were younger, but as the years went on, you grew more and more distant. Now, with both of you past the age of adulthood and his claim to the clan stronger than before, you've been completely avoiding him.

If anyone asked why he was so obsessed with your absence, he would lie and say that his ego would not allow a mere woman to disrespect him so heavily by thinking she could be the one to ignore him, but the truth of the matter was that he missed you. Dearly. The thought alone had him burning red with embarrassment. He was meant to be better than this, and yet he was letting his emotions get the better of him over a stupid girl.

He strolls to your room late at night when he's sure he won't be caught. He doesn't want to explain to any of the assholes in his clan that he was about to grovel to his sister because he missed her company. He'd never recover. In fact, Naoya would rather die on the spot than be caught being so soft around you.

Naoya takes a deep breath before he pushes open the door to your room, eyes falling on your form sitting at the edge of your bed, bent over a book. He runs a hand through his hair before rapping his knuckles against the open doorway to get your attention.

“Hey.” He murmurs, shifting awkwardly between his feet, clearing his throat when you look up at him. “I piss you off or something? No need to be a bitch about it. Can't do anything if you don't tell me.”

He inwardly cringes at his words. He doesn't know how to do this, but he was willing to apologise if he upset you. He shuts his eyes for a moment sighing before speaking up again. “You've been avoidin’ me. Don't let what the old bastard said at dinner the other night get to you. I know you're a woman, but you're still a Zen'in. No need to be so sensitive.”

“I haven't been avoiding you.” You say in response, brows knitting together. Both of you know it's a lie - you'd always been an awful liar. Naoya scoffs, raising a brow at you. “And it had nothing to do with father. I've gotten used to him over the course of over two decades being his daughter.”

“You are avoiding me.” He huffs, stepping into the room and kicking the door shut behind him. “Don't bullshit me. You're a fuckin’ awful liar.”

Your jaw tenses for a moment as you close your book, setting it on the bedside table. Your eyes flick up, meeting him as he sits at the head of your bed, leaning back against the pillows.

“Father has not bothered me.” You repeat, running a hand over your face. “But our eldest brother has spoken of marrying the girl he's seeing. You spend too much time with me. We aren't kids anymore. My presence isn't helping your reputation. If we were seen less together, you could have more luck producing and heir to solidify your claim to-”

He should hate you, really. You'd ruined his chances at the life he wanted - the life he deserved a chance at by birth. He wasn't used to this tightness in his chest. Why was he so upset by you acting as if you were the reason he was seen as lesser by the clan if it was the truth?

“Are you fuckin' kiddin’ me?” Naoya hisses, eyes narrowing in disbelief. “We both know my claim was practically non-existent the moment your gender was revealed at birth. Not spendin’ time together isn't gonna do shit.”

He pauses for a moment, his eyes dropping to flicker over your body in a way that makes you tense. You can feel his gaze burning through you, a knot twisting your stomach. His expression darkens as he meets your eyes once more - he's made up his mind.

“You can fix this, y'know.” He murmurs, shifting closer to you in the bed. He chuckles as you back up, grin spreading across his face when you're pressed back against the headboard with nowhere to go. Naoya let's his head dip forward, nosing at the crook of your neck.

“So worried about my reputation. It isn't your place as a woman to worry about me.” He growls against your neck, continuing the trail of heated kisses along your skin, tongue darting out to taste you. He bites down before pulling back to meet your eyes. “If father needs an heir to legitimise me, we'll give him one.”

“Naoya, we can't. You're my brother-”

He cuts you off with a laugh, running his tongue along his teeth before he continues sucking marks along the length of your throat. “And? Our cousin did it, and he's on a vacation in Venice with his sister. As long as it's not a servant girl, our dear father doesn't give a shit.”

“You're nothing.” He hisses against your skin. To him, it isn't an insult. It's a mere fact. His breath is hot against the skin of your neck as he pulls back just enough to gaze at your body, hands moving to gently pull open your robes. “I can make you something. Give you some power in the clan. Just need you to go along with this, yeah?”

He kisses you to silence any protests that might bubble up, pushing the fabric away from your body as he works on undressing himself. He kisses you like he wants to possess you, teeth pulling at your lower lip, hands grasping your waist tight enough to bruise as soon as they're free. Naoya slips his tongue into your mouth with a groan, tasting you, claiming you. 

You break the kiss when you feel his fingers hook themselves in the waistband of your panties, eyes shooting open. “Naoya, wait-” 

“Shut up.” He hisses, but there's no real bite behind his words. He lines himself up with your entrance, chest rising and falling more rapidly than usual as he struggles to calm his breathing. “This is your duty. You ruined me. You can… you can fix this. You said you wished to help me solidify my claim, yeah? That's why you're avoidin’ me? This is how you can make up for all the years of ridicule I was subjected to.”

He presses forward slightly, just enough that you can feel the pressure of his cock trying to break through the tight ring of muscle. You take a deep breath, waiting for movement that doesn't come. He's just staring at you - waiting for some kind of agreement, you realise. With a shaky breath, you push back against him, nails digging into his arms as he presses forward, slowly sinking into you until he's buried to the hilt.

Naoya knows you're a virgin - not only because you're his sister, and he knows you enough to know you wouldn't destroy your honour before marriage - but also because of how fucking tight you're squeezing around him. He's warring with his body, trying to bring himself to go slow, to ease you into it.

But he's selfish. Even when it comes to you. He can't stop himself. He fucks into you roughly, shushing you gently as you make soft, pained noises. He grunts words of praise under his breath - so tight, so good for me, doing so well. Anything he can think of to soothe you.

“Gonna stuff you so full… gonna have you dripping me for weeks.” He groans, bracing himself with his arms either side of your head, holding his weight up as he fucks into you harshly, each thrust making the bed frame creak. The sight of your lips parted makes him feel a little dizzy, the pleasured little gasps spilling from them making his cock twitch. Drool pools on his tongue as he leans over you, and he opens his mouth to let the spit trickle onto your own before he leans down to press his lips against yours. The movement of his hips grows sloppy as he licks into your mouth, tongue exploring you forcefully, like he's attempting to claim every inch of you.

He bites your lip when he pulls back, drawing blood. His gaze is hooded with lust as he fucks into you, tongue darting out to lick the blood clean off your lip. He grins as he straightens back up, his hands grasping your hips as he begins to fuck into you with slow, deep thrusts, grunting as your cunt clings to him every time he starts to pull back.

“Milkin’ me dry, huh? Clenchin’ around your own brother's cock, don't even want me to pull out…” He punctuates his words with a particularly harsh thrust, pulling you back against him. “Gonna cum… gonna fuckin’ cum, shit. Cum first, baby. Wanna feel that cunt grippin’ me before I fill you up.”

It doesn't take much more than that to have you seize up, body tensing as your release rushes over you in waves. He fucks you through it, drawing out your pleasure until he stills inside of you, choking out a moan as he shoots his load deep inside of you. He stays there for a moment, just taking in the feeling of you wrapped around him.

His gaze flutters down to you, and he collapses on top of you with a sigh before flipping the both of you over so you're lying on top of him without pulling out. His arms snake around your waist, your head resting against him.

“Didn't take you for a cuddler.” You tease after a moment, practically going up.

“Shut up. Fuckin’ brat.” He huffs, a hand coming up to the back of your head to press your face into his neck. “S'not cuddlin’. I'm making sure it takes. Gotta keep you plugged, yeah?”

You both know that's not the whole truth, but you say nothing as you settle against him, shutting your eyes as you relax in his arms. You'd deal with whatever this leads to in the morning, but for now, you were content to fall asleep with your brother.

[angelicgirlmj]

an angels guide to: holiday dinner parties ˚₊‧꒰ა 𓂋 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

if there’s one thing i love it’s hosting! especially dinner parties with a theme meaning holiday dinner parties are my fave. this year ive already scheduled one christmas dinner party and am hoping to plan another. here are some tips focused on hosting advice, food and dr

ink, entertainment and outfits! enjoy angels and happy holidays!!

hosting advice `` ~ ୨୧ ♡ ·

organise early. there’s nothing worse than wanting to host but leaving it last minute so people can't come. plan your guest list and see what dates would work best for people!

think carefully about your guest list. it’s always a good idea to either invite people who all know each other or a mix of people some who know each other and some who don’t - the last thing you want is two or three guests sitting alone!

invite for the vibe you want. the dinner im hosting is small and intimate, i don’t want it to feel frantic or overly busy so ive kept my guest list reflecting that!

make a pinterest board.

find cute diys to make. things like table decorations, guests charts etc!

set the mood! light some candles, put on some music and make sure the space is clean and organised.

create a playlist - specially for the event!

make invites to send out. this is so cute and fun! digital invites are so easy to do and so adorable as are physical ones.

plan a time you want guests to arrive by at the earliest and at the latest. e.g earliest is six so latest is seven! that way you know when would be good to serve food or start activities.

food and drink `` ~ ୨୧ ♡ ·

plan your menu in advance - make sure you know all your guests dietary requirements!

keep it simple with snacks. shop brought cheeses, crackers, spreads and any other kinds of elegant snacks are always delicious and so easy to make look cute on a platter. plus they save you time!

create a cocktail or mocktail for the evening!

make your dessert ahead when possible. mousses, tiramisu, cakes and anything like that are always so perfect and crowd pleasers and can be easily made ahead.

make cute menu sheets. these are so fun and pretty to look at!!

it’s better to keep your menu simple and delicious than overly complex and risk messing it up.

plan your food around a theme! for example all japanese cuisine or love themed food for valentines day.

entertainment `` ~ ୨୧ ♡ ·

pick some board/card games to play all together.

plan activities based around the weather. if its really cold or rainy a cute movie night might be better! whereas if its warm or sunny an outdoor dance space or sports game may be more enjoyable.

plan for a range of activities - people arent always going to be up for everything!

suggest guests bring activities. people love feeling involved and this way you can ensure an activity will be popular and fun for everyone.

look on pinterest/tiktok/instagram for suggestions. for example, hosting a powerpoint night is so so enjoyable and funny.

set the night around a themed activity - such as a murder mystery dinner party or a costume dinner party!

bring a digital camera - such a cute way of capturing the night and you can make a scrapbook or photobook afterwards.

find a craft! at the dinner party im hosting around christmas we will be decorating gingerbread houses but there are so many other ideas such as painting, candle making, journaling or decorating items.

outfits/styling tips `` ~ ୨୧ ♡ ·

find a cute makeup look on pinterest to fit your theme! i love a glittery fairy inspired look for christmas parties.

make sure you have an apron or that your outfit wont show any potential mess - remember you may be in and out of the kitchen!

wear something that makes you feel pretty and confident.

find an elegant way of styling your hair - a simple updo or pretty braid can make you look ready for a more dressy occasion.

commit fully to your theme/evening vibes. as the host its so important to make sure all of your guests feel like they can dress up or try something different and feel comfortable!

accessories like bows, hairclips, rings, bracelets, necklaces, hair scarfs or pretty hairties and cute shoes can really make an outfit stand out.

either have a layer on you or a layer you can easily take on and off in case the temperature changes.

make sure you plan time for a shower or bath and are able to do your fully selfcare routine! it will help you feel at peace and less stressed for the dinner ahead.

thank you for reading angels - let me know if any of you are hosting a dinner party or any tips you have!! i love this time of year and its such a great opportunity to see friends and families. remember a dinner party can be as big or small as you like, in fact you could have a dinner party just for yourself in order to treat you! whatever you get up to im sure youll be the most wonderful of hosts.

love, m.

[leovenuslatina]

𝓓𝓞 𝓜𝓔 ୧ ‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡ PT.3

♡

♡ THIS READING IS 18+ MDNI !!!!! ♡

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

this reading is about your FS fave position in the bedroom 😉

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

this is the last in the series 😩 thank you so so much for all your support and after this there will be an ASK GAME YAYYYY !!

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

₊˚⊹ ᰔ౨ৎ₊this is just a reminder that tarot isn’t permanent or set in stone YOU decide how your life goes no one or nothing else now take a deep breath and choose the pile that calls to you ₊˚⊹ ᰔ౨ৎ₊˚⊹

tip your favorite tarot reader 💋

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pile one - the emperor & 7 of wands

☯️

pile one i think the two of you would be the type to change positions like every five seconds. like he doesn’t have just one position they may be super strong or maybe you’re just very petite and small he likes proving how strong he is by tossing you around. i think your FS will have lots of fun exploring different kinks and fetishes and want to try a whole lot of different fun things in your bedroom. Your FS is a very dominant person they may even like being called daddy and so i’m seeing they love being the top in the bedroom even if he’s not always actually on top. Your FS also really really like when you give him neck. He loves looking down on you and the praises that leave his mouth are just endless. Your FS will not hold back in the bedroom he’ll ravish you. overall your FS favorite position is anything that proves their strength by lifting you up and throwing you around.

☯️

extra messages- authority, masculine, rational, stable, stable, move forward, coping, courage, long term success, strong, overcoming obstacles

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pile two - king of swords & 6 of wands

⚔️

your FS favorite position in the bedroom is anyone that lets them see you on his eggplant 🍆 weather doggy or reverse cowgirl 🤠 he loves watching himself slip and slide out of you it’s addictive to him like the worst drug ever. like pile 1 your FS IS VERY dominant and like pinning you down ~with consent only of course~ Your FS is oh so happy to split you in half on him it’s his my favorite thing to do. He’s the type of man that gets pleasure from seeing the pleasure he gives you. because of him and his love for you. He’s also the type to teach you and guide you he’ll show you exactly how and what makes you feel good and comfortable. Another one is his favorite positions is him sitting down and you bouncing around in his lap he goes absolutely nuts for that. i think it’s just the act of being in full control or you (only in a sexy way) and your body being at his mercy for him.

⚔️

extra messages- mature man. assertive, authoritarian, leadership, legal, completion, good news, success, winning, motivatio

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pile three - 8 of wands & The Hierophant

🗼

Pile 3 your FS favorite position is anything where they’re on top of you maybe even caging your body underneath them. They like folding your body like some fucking laundry he’s obsessed with giving the most beautiful experience he can manage. Your FS is also into very intense and fast paced love making sessions he’s in there like a damn jack hammer with exceptional stamina. Speaking of stamina they’re also the type to love going all night long over and over again so definitely get used to that lol. It’s important to your Fs to hear you: your moans your whimpers and groans.

🗼

extra messages~fast action, flight, motion, end of delay, approval, conformity, good advice, consent, marriage/union

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[flutterbyoz]

It always surprises me, or maybe it doesn't given what the general TWD fandom can be like, that people are using the fact that The Ones Who Live is a love story as a reason to criticise the show.

The fact it is a love story was never hidden, it was never a secret or kept as a surprise, it's what the show was repeatedly promoted and advertised as. Andy, Danai and Scott never misled anyone into thinking it was going to be anything else, they were quite clear and pointed out that TOWL would be a love story every chance they got. So if someone saw any of the promo, interviews etc whether online or on TV and were going into this show expecting something else then I don't really know what to say other than they probably should have paid more attention.

The show was not aimed at or made for people who hate Richonne. I get that not everyone is a Richonne fan, to each their own for the most part, but when you watch their spin off, what else are you expecting other than a love story? Especially with Andy and Danai at the helm, it seems some people really don't understand the characters at all.

I know some people tuned in just to see what happened to Rick and that's great, the show isn't solely for Richonners but if the love story with his wife and love of his life annoys you so much that you can't continue watching your fave in their spin off and the feel the need to announce that you quit half way through then not only do I have to wonder why you hate their relationship so much but also say that you're purposefully ignoring a huge part of who Rick is and why he does what he does. I don't think you can fully understand and know Rick without his relationship with Michonne and how his love for her and hers for him shapes him into the man he is today. Without Michonne, Rick is a shell of himself, she is his entire world, she and their kids are his reason for everything so you're not going to get a Rick story without Michonne, because without Michonne there isn't really a Rick.

Had this been Rick and Daryl instead of Rick and Michonne, had they been the ones with the emotional scenes I can pretty much guarantee a large majority of the people who complained about Rick and Michonne would have no problem with Rick and Daryl. It's what a lot of them have been calling for since Rick was taken not to mention the people who are bitter that Richonne gets everything they have wanted for their ship for years.

Attacking a show because it is what it was promoted as and did exactly what it set out to do is more than a little bizarre to me but I suppose it's just another way to criticise and disregard Rick and Michonne's relationship and diminish Michonne's importance.

I know, if we see Richonne again, it's going to be another love story and those who complained before will most likely complain again but only one spin off has been the most successful, a hit for the franchise and for AMC, included on numerous best of lists, gained Emmy buzz, received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and fans alike, has multiple Saturn award nominations and given this franchise a new lease of life. I find it strange to watch a show knowing full well you're only doing so to find something to complain about and though those viewers are just a small percentage of TOWLs overall viewers they did the exact opposite of what they wanted to do. Instead of bringing the show down they're just raising it up even higher!

Nothing will stop this ship, everyone wants a piece of them, they draw everyone in even those who say they don't care or even like them together and that's the power or Richonne!

[vulcajes]

PLS yap about lily. i'm not sure why but i really want to hear your thoughts on her

Oooooh I'm so glad this was my first ask <3

How I view her:

Lily my queen. She is arguably the most important character in the canon and one of my personal faves. She's definitely a no-nonsense girly who did not put up with anyone's shit at Hogwarts. Extremely witty, rivals Sirius in sarcastic wit, and also enjoys deadpan humour. Top of her class, but had to supplement that with a LOT of studying. Working class icon who had absolutely no time for her rich bitch classmates. Would always try to be nice and kind to everyone, but also was more than willing to call someone out on their bullshit. Very very prideful, especially when someone commented on her family, but was always willing to put it aside for the greater good (ie, never made comments when partnered with someone she disliked for projects). Very easily stressed and often needed to take a minute with a cup of tea to calm down with her girls. She was also the bravest of anyone, actually. I won't take notes on this one, she was the least cowardly ever. Can be deeply insecure in herself and her abilities and it doesn't often let up when she feels this way, even if she receives reassurance. I could go on about her forever so please fr ask for a follow up or more clarification if you want 🙏🙏

My fave headcanons:

Actually liked James from the start; thought he was cute but REFUSED it

Her middle name is Jasmine

Would tutor the younger years, especially the muggleborns

Born and raised in Liverpool, my scouser queen, but has Welsh blood

Biggest ABBA fan going, had all their albums and knew all the lore

Queen of nicknames, made fun of the Marauders for what she considered bad nicknames

Loves physical affection but she never initiates it. If her friend or lover initiates, she adapts so quickly and immediately limpits them

The first time she showed any magical ability was in reference to Petunia — she was like 7 and was trying to protect Petunia from walking into something/getting hurt

Has freckles AND beauty marks <3

The mum friend and someone everyone went to for advice, and my god, she gave damn good advice

Ships:

Jily: YES!!! This is in my top 3 ships of all time. Romantic or platonic, they're so iconic. Literally soulmates imo. Sweetheart x sweetheart, babygirl x babygirl, she pegs him <3

Lilypad: Platonically? Absolutely. Romantically? Absolutely. They would have insane sexual chemistry. Rivals to friends, rivals to lovers. They get each other. There's a reason why James loves them both. Also JILYPAD <333333

Regulily: I can definitely see this platonically in an au. In a normal setting, absolutely not. Lily would hate Regulus (and vice versa). But in an au, they'd be study buddies or just enjoy each others dry sarcasm. Can see them in a jegulily romantic setting, too.

Moonflower: UGH THEIR FRIENDSHIP <33 I personally can't see them dating, but them being besties is so important to me.

Bartylily: once again, yes in an au. Lily and her dirtbag boyfriend <3 Lily and her freak of a man that follows her around <3 they're so opposites attract <3 also I kinda adore flowerkiller... they're so iconic.

Snily: I appreciate them being background lore. Lily clung to their friendship so so deeply but knew she had to let him go when he started treating her awfully.

Marylily: HER BEST FRIEND. THEY'RE ARE THE SIRIUS AND JAMES OF THE VALKYRIES. They get each other so much and also unrequited romantic marylily goes HARD. Her and Mary being each others first kisses and having such a special bond <3

Lilylene: YES. Nerdy quiet girl and her loudmouth femme himbo gf. Marlene who acts as her guard dog and excitedly explains quidditch to her. She helps Marlene with subjects she struggles with.

Dorlily: ugh iconic. Their friendship is powerful and their relationship is also powerful. They're both so smart and so brave and Lily being able to be close with another Slytherin after what happened with Severus is so important to me.

Pandalily: Honestly, I cannot see them working out romantically. I can see them being friends and bonding over potions, but Lily does NOT have the patience to deal with Pandora.

[fallingdownhell]

Hello, could you maybe do one shots of Xiao and whoever else you like saying “who hurt you”? I love the work you put out so far, and I’m really curious to see what you right. 😁

A price to be paid

Characters Included: Xiao, Wanderer/Scaramouche, Kazuha, Tighnari

Summary: When they notice you being hurt, no matter if physically or emotionally, they will stop at nothing, to make you smile again..

Content: established relationship; gender neutral reader; swearing; Scara is being refered to as Kunikuzushi/Kuni; talk about violence; physical and emotional wounds; not proof read yet

Word count: 2.1k words

Well... I said I wouldn't be taking any requests for the time being, and I still stand by that, I am NOT taking requests as of now. Maybe in the future, if work stuff calms down a little. But, with that being said, I read that comment and instantly had some ideas in my head, so I decided to write it anyway.

Since you didn't specify any other characters except for Xiao, I just went with some of my faves, who just so happen to be most of the anemo boys😂

I tried to keep it short and simple this time around, it worked more or less. And as always, I hope you enjoy reading!

Xiao

One of the most protective boys in my opinion

I mean, it's basically 90% of his personality (I say this in a loving way)

Sure, he is devoted to Liyue and Rex Lapis, but you? That's a whole nother story

Would go to the end of the world and back for you of you wanted him to

Absolutely nothing he wouldn't do

So, when someone dares to harm you, in whatever way, his inital instinct would be to seek out that person to... "talk" to them

Don't worry, he won't kill them. He swore to never kill another human (but that doesn't mean he can't hurt or scare them)

You'll have to talk Xiao out of going after them (depending on what they did to you)

Please try to understand him though, he just wants to make sure that you are fine, he couldn't handle to loose another loved one

Very awkward and unsure in how to give you comfort. He never really had to deal with these kinds of emotions

Will ask you what you need from him and he will do that for you

It was like second nature for Xiao to keep a watchful eye on you at all times. Not in a stalker-type of way. He knew when to keep his distance and he had other things to do as well. But he still watched out for you, to make sure that you were safe.

You were one of the only good things in his life, after all. What good would he be if he couldn't even protect you, the one most dear in his heart, though he still had his troubles showing and expressing that fact from time to time.

But his worry and devotion to you became all the more clear to you when one day, he returned to Wangshuu Inn, finding you there on the balcony while you cried your heart out.

Xiao's inital shock quickly faded as he ran over to you, carefully picked you up from the floor and brought you over to a room that Verr Goldet has granted him a while ago but he rarely used for himself.

You continued to cry into his shoulder, dampening his shirt, but he didn't care. Right now, you were his number one priority.

Unsure of what to do, he opted to slowly putting his hand on your head. He silently let you cry it all out until you finally calmed down a little bit.

Once you did, he slowly pushed you away just a little bit, gently putting his hands on your cheeks as he looked at you with a stern expression.

"Who did that to you? Who hurt you?"

But you just shook your head in response. "That's not important right now. I just... Can you stay with me? Please..?"

So he did. He stayed close by your side, the entire night and in the morning, he was still there right by you. Although he did want to set out and find whoever was responsible for making you feel that way, you always came first.

And, just to give you a little bit of extra comfort, he held you just a little bit closer than he usually would, just so you would feel safe and cared for.

Scaramouche/Wanderer

That person better start running

He would NOT go easy on them

If he sees you hurt in whatever way, shape or form, he will make the person responsible for this, pay

Although he left his life as Scaramouche, the Sixth of the Fatui Harbingers, behind him, didn't mean that he was a total good guy all of a sudden

No, there were still some traces of that life in him, and sometimes, with a good reason of course, it felt good to act on those thoughts and feelings every once in a while

However, he will make sure that you are taken care of first before he sets out to seek revenge in your name

The Wanderer was in the comfort of your shared home, awaiting your return from the last of your commissions. He was looking forward to a relaxed evening with you in his arms and no one to disrupt.

However, as the door to your home swung open more violently than it usually did, he already had a strange gut feeling that something was off.

Nonetheless, he still went to check it out, only to be frozen in place when he saw you standing in the doorway, one hand holding onto your stomach, while blood seeped through your clothing.

"K-kuni..", you managed to whisper, before your knees gave out. He quickly rushed to your side, catching you before you could crash to the floor. Aftee that, he scooped you up and ran like the devil himself was after him. He needed to get you help.

But first...

"Y/N, I need to know... who hurt you?"

You looked up at him, seeing the always focused and serious expression on his face. But if you listened closely, you could hear the faintest tremble in his voice. Like he was scared of losing you (which he was, he just never would admit to it out loud).

You were able to mumble the name of your attacker before you couldn't hold on anymore and fell into unconsciousness. But that was enough for him.

As soon as he dropped you of at the Bimarsthan and made sure the doctors and nurses there were caring for you, the mask quickly fell of his face, as his gaze turned darker and more sinister than it has in a while.

He left Sumeru City within the hour to track down the person responsible. Preparations weren't necessary for him. For the worst that he could do to that person, he was able to do with his bare hands..

..

It took the Wanderer two days to find your attacker, but he managed it. Archons, how pathetic they sounded when they begged him for their life.

He did spare them (he swore to never go back to his old ways after all) but that didn't mean that he couldn't fuck them up a little bit. And he did. They may have wished they were dead by the end of it, but the Wanderer would not grant them that wish.

..

After returning to Sumeru City, he immediatly went to the Bimarsthan, to check on your condition.

The doctors informed him that you were doing good, but you were still weak and sleeping most of the time.

He stayed by your bedside the entire time you were there, drifting in and out if sleep. He never let you out of his sight, watching over you and making sure you woulh heal well.

Often times, when you were fast asleep, he would press light kisses on the back of your hand, mostly to reassure himself that you were fine and not going to leave him behind anytime soon.

Kazuha

Kazuha is a compassionate guy and it shows in the way he cares for you

He always puts your comfort before his own, no matter the circumstances

Didn't like how crowded the place got? Don't worry, he will get you out of there in no time

Bored? He will always have a poem or a soft tune ready for you to listens to

You have an activity you want to do with him? Best believe he is more than excited to follow your lead and share another beautiful moment with you

Kazuha knows how to handle his words and actions. He is a controlled guy, it's very hard to get him upset or something of the sort

You are, and will always be, his number one priority. Nothing could be more important to him, than you

When Kazuha found you in the room that you two had rented for the time you were Staying in Liyue Harbor, he could already hear your quiet sniffling.

He knew youbwere trying to keep yourself silent, so he wouldn't notice and worry too much about you.

But you must have forgotten that he was your boyfriend for a reason. It was quite literally his job to worry and care for you. So for you to try and hide how you felt, he felt a little insulted himself.

But alas, it wasn't about him right now.

He slowly opened the bedroom door, only a few lights iluminating your figure sitting on the bed. You heard the door opening and instantly froze, frantically trying to wipe your tears, but they only kept coming.

And before you knew it, your wrists were held in the hands of your lover, who sat down next to you, quielty looking at you.

"My dear.. What happened to you? Who hurt you?", he asked, his voice sounding as gentle and calm as always.

"No one important", you muttered. "Just some random guy.. he was making some comments and.. some of them really hurt.."

As you explained the situation to Kazuha, tears started to form again as you recalled the interaction. You didn't want to cry over some stupid shit like that, but your body seemed to think different about it.

"Shhh, it's alright, my love.", Kazuha said as he pulled you closer to him, placing your head onto his neck, while he slowly played with your hair.

"You are safe here. Let it all out, it's going to be okay. I'm here for you." He continued to whisper sweet little things into your ear as you cried until you felt better about it.

Kazuha kept stroking your hair and your back, soothing you while also silently reassuring you of his presence and that he wasn't gonna leave you alone, ever.

Tighnari

I feel like in Tighnari's case, if you are his partner or even his mate, his more primal instincts would want to take over

If he sees you hurt in any way, he would have to hold himself back to not just attack the first person he sees

Tries to stay calm and rational but is extremely worried about you

Once he's sure that it's nothing life threatening, he's more calm and able to listen to what has happened

Will treat you like you're made of glass for the next few days

It can be annoying, but please bear with him. He just wants to make sure that you will be fine

Depending on what happened, he might go on a little bit of a rant on how to be more careful and avoid such a situation the next time

Will cuddle uo to you and hold you tightly every chance he gets after this incident

"Master Tighnari, we need your help in the infirmary. Someone got hurt while out on patrol in the forest."

The forest watcher couldn't help but sigh as he was dragged away from his own work. Didn't they know how to take care of injured people? He did teach most of them, so why did they need him? Maybe he should hold another course, so that they can learn and do this stuff themselves.

But once he entered the hut, he realised why they went to get him.

There you were, sitting on the bed, an open wound on your left arm. Collei was by your side, trying to clean it, while the pain of it was obvious on your face.

The other forest rangers left the hut as soon as Tighnari entered, but he didn't care for them. He quickly rushed to your side and fell to his knees on the ground, his ears slightly dropped downwards.

"My flower.. what happened to you? Who did that?", he asked, almost impatient to hear your answer.

"Relax, Nari. It's not that big of a deal. I got surprised by a grouo of fungi, but they have been dealt with.", you told him.

Hearing that, his tense state relaxed a bit, bjt his worry was still very much present in the way he looked at you.

"Collei, I'll be taking over from here. Thanks for your work. Could you go to my cottage and grab me the stuff from my desk?"

"Of course, Master!", the young forest ranger said as she hurriedly walked out, leaving you two alone. As he said, Tighnari took over in cleaning the rest of the wound and bandaging it up nicely.

While doing so, he often glanced up to you and you reassured him every time that you were alright, except for the pain in your arm.

He may be quiet now, but you better expect some form of lecture or rant at the end of the day about the hidden dangers in fungi or something of the sort...

[greenhouse-seven]

Be My Valentine

Greenhouse Seven 2025 Secret Admirer Fic Exchange

We're celebrating Valentine's Day 2025 at Greenhouse Seven with a Secret Admirer Fic Exchange!

Join in the fun by signing up, selecting your prompts (one for each of the senses) and the ships you would like to write for and receive in your gift.

As always in the Greenhouse, this is a fest to celebrate our fave canon couples, check the FAQs if you're not sure which couples that includes.

❤️ The Important Bits ❤️

Dates:

The time for all deadlines is 9am GMT

Sign ups: Open from now and will close on Sunday, 5th January. To sign up, go to the Google Form and fill out your info.

Matches shared: Tuesday, 7th January

Submissions Due: Monday, 10th February

Fic Reveals: Friday, 14th February

Admirer (Author) Reveals: For the week after Valentine's Day we will reveal a number of authors each day.

Rules:

🌹Submissions must focus on Canon Couples (See FAQs for what counts as Canon Compliant) but can be in both Canon and AU settings

🌹Fic submissions should be at least 1000 Words - there is no maximum on word count

🌹No explicit content featuring minors (under 17 years of age)

🌹Beta’s are highly encouraged! If you don’t have anyone to beta for you, come join Greenhouse Seven on Discord! There are plenty of people who can help out.

FAQs:

❤️What is a Canon Compliant Couple? For the purposes of this fest, any couple that does not break-up couples featured as together at the end of the 7 Harry Potter books counts as canon. So ships such as Deamus & Hannah x Neville are more than welcome!

❤️How should I submit? Fics should be submitted to the AO3 Collection by the submission date and gifted to your recipient

❤️ What if I sign up but can't complete the fic by the submission date? Life happens! We get it. If you can't complete the exchange, please let us know as early as possible. We have a number of authors who have offered to step in in the case that someone needs to drop out.

❤️What if I need an extension of the submission date? Due to the tight turnaround between the submission and reveal dates, we won't be offering extensions for this fest.

❤️I have another question not answered here You can always reach out to the mods, @starlingflight and @merlinsbudgiesmugglers on tumblr, or come on over to the discord server and pop your questions in the fest channel there!

[rocknrollflames]

Day Twenty-two: Your Favorite Picture of Your Favorite Band

30 Day Band Challenge

This was like pulling teeth. I am seriously behind on the 30 Day Band Challenge because I've been stuck on this one. I finally decided I would select one picture for every album they released. That was going to be ... six in total. One for AFD, LIES, UYI 1, UYI 2, SPA, CD. Then I decided that I would also allow another photo for Live Like a Suicide (I know and don't care that it was an EP and that those songs were later released on LIES - it's still their first release and that matters). Then I wondered if it was okay to add another photo for The Greatest Hits. But wait - Live Era is far more important than that! Hmm ... Live at the Marquee ... Does that mean I should add one for Locked and Loaded? The AFD Box Set? And the UYI Box Set too? There are tons of bootlegs ... lol.

(I finally just settled on these. I have included one photo for: Live Like a Suicide - their first release, Appetite for Destruction - their first LP, GNR Lies - second LP (Don't try and tell me that it isn't an LP because it is. Any album longer than five songs is long play - five songs or less is extended play.), Use Your Illusion I - third LP, Use Your Illusion II - fourth LP, Spaghetti Incident - fifth LP, GNR Live Era 87 - 93, The Greatest Hits, Chinese Democracy - sixth LP, Locked N' Loaded: The Appetite for Destruction Box Set, and The Use Your Illusion Box Set!)

But I of course have so many more faves, lol. My mouth ...

Your favorite picture of your favorite band ... yeah, right.

Edit: I had to. I added one more photo. I had to. So, let's just say it's in honor of the album, Live at the Marquee, lol.

[anotherfcknschlattsimp]

Kinktober Day 13

blackmail

cw: dubcon on everything, incest

let's go

schlatt -

takes a video of you going down on him in his office

threatens to send it to all the businesses nearby so you cant find another job

he needs you to need this job

there’s no other reason you would hang out with him

“don’t even think about telling anyone or trying to stop me, toots”

if you ever act up, he takes out his phone and gestures that he was gonna send it

shuts you up real fast

has the email ready to be sent (he doesnt but he tells you he does)

has you send him nudes from the company bathroom in the middle of the day

has a stash of your stolen panties in the same safe he keeps pictures of you in

lingerie under dresses for work parties, covered in his cum after a lunch break session, your hole leaking his cum on his desk, that time he made you squirt so hard it ruined some of his paperwork (that's one of his faves)

love love LOVES being reminded that he's kinda sorta Your Boss

fucks you over the copymachine when you're the last two in the office and he didnt have a chance to use you before during the day

WILL send that shit out if you think about quitting though :]

ted -

you're a streamer, yes, but you were a camgirl/boy first

ted's been your biggest fan in both areas but he didnt realize you (streamer) were you (hottest person he's ever seen)

until he comes across a really old video he saved where he got a glimpse of your face

he takes this as a chance to make a move

sends you the video with the caption “come to my place or i'll leak it :)”

you RUN

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

he has a table decked out, white cloth, two flutes of champagne, a rose on top of a file

“oh you wanna know about the file? it's screenshots from your cam days :]” he says innocently

like he's not capable of ruining your life in a couple clicks

“sit, drink!” he exclaims and gestures at the other chair and glass, “i need you nice and tipsy for the rest of my plans~” he mumbles

once he thinks you're sufficiently inebriated he sets his plan in motion

asks you if you're open to a “mutually beneficial pact”

one where he gets to call on you whenever wherever for whatever reason and you dont get your pornos leaked :] win-win!

you, tipsy and not fully understanding the implications, accept

it's a week before ted calls you up and asks you to come to dinner with him

he tells you to dress nicely, it's an upscale place

another week and he asks to go to a movie

innocent things to start

a couple days since the movie he texts you, asking to come to your place

you were expecting another game night or movie or something, just like he had hoped

but he made his intentions clear by pulling down his sweats and boxers to release his length

“you caused this.. been imaginin it was you for years babe~”

he did the stereotypical smack against your cheek

“now you get to take care of it, babe :] it's your fault afterall”

charlie - bro!charlie, im sorry, moistclitikal has ruined my brain /pos

“oh god,, please please please-” you hear charlie sound almost pained from his room

you finally decide to go check it out when you catch your name

you dont bother knocking, this seemed important

you stop in your tracks with the door half open

charlie had his headphones on and was staring at his phone

hand pumping up and down under the covers

it was hot and you had to save it for later that night

so you took out your phone and started recording

he still hasnt noticed

when you're done with your fun and catch a couple slips of your name on the video, you giggle

he snaps his hand away from his device to throw his headphones off

but the sudden motion throws the blanket off his lap, revealing a pretty pink pair of panties wrapped around his cock

*your* panties

that had been missing all week

soaked and soiled but still so recognizably yours

“PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE��� as he scrambles to cover himself again

“oh really? cause it looks like you're being a little perv and jacking off into your big sib's panties :( i even have a video of it! maybe i need to send it to your friends for a second opinion?”

his heart SINKS

rushed “PLEASE DONT ILL DO ANYTHING!! ANYTHING!! PLEASE”

you step further into the room and begin taking off your shorts and panties

he's frozen in shock, so so so confused about what you were doing

you begin taking off your (his) shirt

you can almost hear the awooga going off in his brain as he's stuck staring at your boobs

his eyes follow you as you move to straddle him, pushing the covers off of his bottom half

“o-oh good god- wh-wha-” he stammered out, completely lagged “w-we can't, we're related??”

“oh, so now you dont want this?” you tease as you rub yourself along his length

lets out the cutest and hottest nerd moans ever

you make sure to remind him of the video everytime he starts acting up

and everytime you need a nerd to fuck into next week

[callmearcturus]

The Video Gaming Major Arcana

The latest patron episode of Into The Aether/@intothecast asked the boys to decide a video game for every Major Arcana card. They ran out of time on it and only got 2/3s thru

my ass was like "Challenge Accepted"

0 - The Fool - Dragon Quest (The Fool is infinite potential and is at the start of a long journey. DQ as a series is a long-running, is a bedrock of the medium, and has done its own takes on everything from pokemon to minecraft, and it either did it first or did it better.)

1 - The Magician - Metroid and Zelda (The Magician is the first person the Fool meets and is a guide for the journey. The Magician is associated strongly with teaching and with tools. Metroid and Zelda both are foundational works and they revolve around gating player process through tools.)

2 - The High Priestess - FEZ (The High Priestess is another guide, but sits before the veil, keeping guard over arcane, hidden knowledge and deciding when to share the secrets of the universe. FEZ is one of the Big Games that hide under layers and layers of mystery.)

3 - The Empress - Stardew Valley (The Empress presides over growth and cultivation of her kingdom, sitting in a field with wheat in hand. SDV is chiefly about taking care of your own domain, the farm and the wider village.)

4 - The Emperor - Civilization (The Emperor is the firm hand of government and can be an important navigator in chaos but also is angered by lack of obedience and losing control. Civ is all about steering every aspect of a nation and protecting it viciously.)

5 - The Hierophant - Pokemon (The Hierophant is a cultural, societal leader that gains power from people who believe similarly but subsequently is very set in their ways. Pokemon is a huge phenomenon that unites people of all ages, but also struggles heavily with innovation and progress.)

6 - The Lovers - Journey (The Lovers aren't necessarily smoochy-smoochy, but represent a Decision, joining hands with another person and striding into the future together. It's Journey. If you know, you know.)

7 - The Chariot - Bethesda's Catalog (The Chariot is a tumultuous, potent card. They hold onto the reins of powerful beasts and drive forward, blazing a new path. But if they lose grip, everything goes to hell. Bethesda's works tend to have this incredible ambition to them, and when they hit, they HIT, but when they miss, it's dramatic.)

8 - Justice - Dark Souls (Justice is the system and its enforcement of its rules, whether they feel fair or arbitrary. I feel DS fits it well-- it relentlessly follows its own rules and is firm in them, which can either draw players in or seem cruel and unwelcoming.)

9 - The Hermit - Immortality (The Hermit is a wise person who gained specialized knowledge but through great personal sacrifice. They find it difficult to share their knowledge because they essentially traded that ability to communicate easily for the wisdom. Immortality has some deeply complicated concepts to communicate, but its methods and the basic mechanics it uses are to some people impossible to understand.)

10 - (Wheel of) Fortune - Spelunky (Fortune is the card of pure luck and the whims of fate and how you survive being caught in its spokes. Spelunky is a pure Rogue-like as opposed to a Rogue-lite and there is no knowing what the procgen will give you.)

11 - Strength - Undertale (Strength is specifically about emotional control and fortitude. It's not about slaying the lion, but holding it, keeping it from lashing out. Undertale is a game that asks the player to endure emotional struggles both against the mechanics and against their own inclinations.)

12 - The Hanged Man - Signalis (OH BOY ITS MY FAVE CARD. The thing about the Hanged Man is that it's a test, a gamble, a deal. The Hanged Man is not hung from the neck, this is not an execution, they are inverted. They choose to be inverted in the hopes of gaining some Insight into the universe, but in doing so risk madness or obsession or doom. Signalis is both a game about a protagonist going through this and also a game that will put the player through this if they aren't careful.)

13 - The Nameless Arcana - Braid (I'm not even personally a fan of Braid, but I believe it is one of the handful of Original Indie Games. The very existence and popularity of Braid and its contemporaries showed that games outside the big studios could hit big. Braid (or Cave Story for the PC crowd) altered the landscape.

14 - Temperance - Yakuza (Temperance is the melding of disparate elements that should not go together into something grand and new, and maintaining that balance. Yakuza manages to be genuine and profound not in spite of its strange mixture of tones and mechanics but because of them.)

15 - The Devil - Genshin Impact (I don't feel the need to elaborate on this one.)

16 - The Tower - Shenmue (The Tower is total upheaval and where it all comes crashing down, where ambition crumbles and brings an institution down with it. Shenmue is not solely to blame for the failure of the Dreamcast and Sega's exit from the console arena, but it contributed to it and is emblematic of that seachange.)

17 - The Star - Mass Effect (The Star is a beacon in the darkness, a distant light that indicates not so much a goal, but that the journey will continue. Mass Effect is a landmark title that maybe didn't execute on half the things it tried, strangled by its own scope, but it still showed what games could do, broadening the possibility space. It is hope for greater experiences and art.)

18 - The Moon - Metal Gear (The Moon illuminates the path through the darkness, but creates illusions in the reflections, demanding the querent move forward with care or they will go astray, go mad. Is Metal Gear really deep? Is it the closest triple-A games get to arthouse? Does it have meaning? Or is it a mess? Is it too Problematique to justify it's big ideas? Is it all just really, really stupid? Or is it genius?)

19 - The Sun - Tetris Effect (The Sun comes at the end of a long, arduous journey. It is the sigh of relief, the tears of release, the light to finally see how far you've come. Tetris Effect is the latest iteration of one of the oldest formulas ever, and it's brilliant and celebratory and invites everyone to take part in its joy.)

20 - Judgement - Pathologic (Judgement is all-seeing and all-knowing, the final tally and the reckoning. So is Pathologic. Few experiences demand so much from the player, and few games are so brutally honest in answering the player's decisions. In Pathologic, you will get what you deserve.)

21 - The World - The Outer Wilds (The beginning is the end is the beginning. Completion and totality and holistic understanding of Everything. It's gotta be Outer Wilds.)

[another-lost-mc]

Hi Jes!!! Happy Sunday!!!

I’m curious; what do weekends usually look like with some of your obey me faves? Do you tend to just relax at home, or is your social calendar packed full? 😋

➤ sunday routines

characters: leviathan, asmodeus, barbatos, solomon & simeon, mephistopheles

content: sfw. established relationships with gn!reader implied. implied polyship with solomon and simeon. mostly domestic fluff/slice of life (slightly suggestive in solomon/simeon and mephisto's sections). wc: 0.7k.

a/n: thank you for the ask, andy! also my fav bias is showing.

Leviathan is dreading another long week of RAD classes. He invites you to watch TV in his room and if he gets the sense that you're anxious or just not in a great mood, he'll suggest that you pick what you both should watch. He won't complain even if it's some random movie or series he hasn't heard of or doesn't like. He plays his handheld with his head in your lap and every now and then he follows you to the kitchen for drink and snack refills.

Asmodeus meets you in the laundry room with his hamper full to the brim with clothes from the past week. He reminds you how to sort things to preserve their colours and the delicate fabrics. He even has his own special brand of laundry soap that just happens to be scented exactly to your liking. He's gotten angry at his brothers in the past for using it without permission, but he has no reservations about adding it to your own laundry. Usually he takes you to his room while you wait for the wash cycle to finish so you can relax. When it's time to fold and put the laundry away, he follows you to your room and helps if you'll let him (he insists you can take it easy on his bed or at his vanity while he puts away his own clothes). Afterwards, he takes your hands in his and examines your nails when he notices some of last week’s polish is chipped. He gives you a manicure, complete with a hand massage, before painting your nails with a fresh coat of polish for the week ahead.

Barbatos gets up early as usual and visits the street market. He already has his young master's dinner planned out and the ingredients on a list in his pocket, but he browses the daily offerings of fresh vegetables and imported foods while he debates what he wants to make for you. Sundays at the Demon Lord's Castle are usually more relaxed while the staff finish cleaning up from any gatherings the evening before. It'll give him enough time in his surprisingly flexible schedule to make lunch for both of you and it's the highlight of Sunday afternoons for both of you.

Solomon and Simeon invite you to Purgatory Hall to catch up on any last-minute homework you might've neglected or forgotten about. They're both extremely knowledgeable and kind when they explain concepts you might still struggle with, and you're glad you don't always have to bother Satan for his help. Solomon wants to charm you with a home cooked Sunday dinner, and he tries to sneak away from the table when he thinks Simeon is too focused on his work (and you) to notice. The best way to avoid culinary chaos is to offer to help both of them with dinner, and they're glad for your company. Sometimes they find your presence a little too distracting because they're hungry in more ways than one, but perhaps a break in one of their rooms can help.

Mephistopheles has a busy schedule and it's hard to predict what he'll be doing on any given Sunday. Sometimes he's helping his parents with errands related to their duties as high-ranking nobles in their community. Sometimes he's helping his younger brother with homework or they're playing games together. If he has no other obligations, he rides one of his favourite horses through the wooded trails behind his family's estate and lets you know when he's returned (he rushes to shower and dress before you arrive). He's more than happy to send a car to pick you up so you can have dinner with his family, or sometimes he's particularly greedy and sets up a private dining table in the lounge connected to his bedroom for the two of you. It's only when you're interrupted by the incessant vibrations of your D.D.D. later that night, and when he groans his frustrations into the crook of your neck, that you realize you lost track of time. Lucifer means well, but his timing is terrible. Some Sunday evenings, Mephisto accompanies you back to the House of Lamentation after instructing the driver discreetly to take the scenic route. Other times, you're glad you thought to bring an overnight bag with you and send Lucifer a hasty goodnight text before turning off your phone. You happily focus your attention back on the demon who pulls you onto his lap and eagerly picks up where he left off.

read more: obey me masterlist

[fairymousse]

Selia, Radahn and Miquella - My complete theory for the Vow

Spoilers and Warning: Long Post

Previous Theories

I do not think that Radahn initially refused Miquella's offer. I think he accepted it, and what he got out of it was important. I think that Miquella and Radahn were allies, for a time.

My main evidence for this is Radahn's remembrance swords, which are enchanted with Miquella's light, and are placed as being given to him before the Starscourge Conflict. This is emphasised by the Haligtree sigil on the back of Radahn's cloak in the Young Lions Set. These people were clearly allies. But, that didn't last.

I think Miquella was still willing to be a God under the Greater Will, when he was chosen as an Empyrean, and wanted Radahn to be his lord. This would make sense why he would wish to have a very strong ally as a lord, he would be able to admire his kindness, when he was still a Fundamentalist.

But Selia is when Radahn replaces his swords, and I think this is when Radahn refused to honour the vow. Radahn affirmed his allegiance to the current age, and sealed the fate in the night sky. This ideological difference causing fractures, due to Miquella's doubts in the Golden Order.

This, I think, is why Malenia tried to kill Radahn, as he had refused in life, but wouldn't refuse in death. Another reason for this is Gowry's dialogue about the Scarlet Rot being enhanced by betrayal. This is Malenia's first bloom, fighting a former ally. So, when we finally kill Radahn, his soul washes up in the Land of Shadow, and Miquella brings him back, to honour the vow. This is further emphasised by Miquella helping Radahn's wounded, most notably Frejya. I think Radahn then agrees to honour the vow, maybe charmed, maybe not

This is further accentuated through the narrative's framing. We do not fight Miquella alongside a vengeful Frejya, trying to preserve her lords dignity. We fight with Ansbach, fighting for Mohg's, a massive victim of Miquella's thoughtlessness, and Thiolier, fighting for St Trina, the remorse, doubts and kindness of the former Miquella, against a broken dream of a better world treading the path of so much cruelty of the old order. Radahn is the old order.

But, for many, it is more comfortable to assume that Miquella just manipulated everyone, no-one really loved him, he never really loved anyone, and "Chadahn" did nothing wrong. Which, as well as being thematically nonsense, is just a bit boring. Like, everyone is nuanced guys, even your fave.

[orangez3st]

All-Nighter Work High

Entry to @clonexocweek - 02.11.25: Quality Time | Event Masterlist

↤ Prev | Part 2 of 5 | Next ↦

Summary: One step closer to uncovering the truth. In the domestic comfort of her apartment, Lesiil unravels the web of reasons behind the murders while Marshal Commander Fox is finishing his mundane flimsiwork. Tags & Warnings: inaccurate criminal investigation & its related process, domestic fluff, "he fell first x she fell harder" kinda dynamic, wholesome convo, a smidge of grief and angst, lots of light friendly banter, serial killer case, author wrote an intense analytic background of the case, typical murder investigation, author watches true crime for reference Pairing: Fox × Det. Lesiil Thrace (OFC Crime Investigator) Word Count: 7.4k A/N: Second day of the event! This is one of my faves to write 😄 So giddy to find out you lot are enjoying the previous part so much! Here's fluff as a treat, hopefully you find them cute and amusing 🫶🏼 and a really comprehensive detail of the case for which I turned my braincells on.

𝑰'𝒎 𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒅𝒐

— Routines In The Night - Twenty One Pilots [X]

The initial drama that surrounds the case, Lesiil thinks, is utterly ridiculous.

The first time these murders - or more like the first ten or so victims - occured, the Grand Army of the Republic quite blatantly ignored the bleak reports. Because ten clones mysteriously killed during patrol usually meant nothing as they are always replaceable. At that time, the interval between the murders were quite far apart.

Until the number increased. Concerningly.

Twenty-eight more murders in one week, as if the Corrie Butcher himself took a day off work, took a walk, and went on a spree in that span of five days – five to six victims a day on average.

Naturally, it sparked attention from the inner circle of the Galactic Senate, the politicians feared whoever this serial killer was. If the Corrie Butcher targeted the shock troopers, who stood guard by these important figures, then there was a chance where they would be targeted as well. With that, the conflict won the ultimate scrutiny by the Supreme Chancellor himself that he issued a direct order for the Coruscant Guard to finally investigate the accumulated murders – a total of fifty-five cases by that time, after a whole month of being ignored.

And now, after three whole months, the number increases to a shocking total of 164 cases. Since Lesiil got assigned to the Coruscant Guard, three more of these troopers had fallen to the brutal stabbing of the Corrie Butcher, bringing the total to 167.

Not to mock Coruscant Guard’s previous investigation team, but what have they been doing all this time?

Lesiil had broken this down to the Marshal Commander in one of her daily reports.

One; with 160 or so cases within three months, meaning 54 cases each month on average. The Corrie Butcher makes quick work with his killings, probably went on an uncontrollable and opportunistic spree in one of those nights, as he never sets a target of how many he wishes to kill in one night. There’s always another body near the first one, so the forensics and coroner are able to pinpoint the time of death, additionally with HUD timestamp. Following the victims’ patrol route, Lesiil concludes that the brutal Corrie Butcher is an opportunistic man. He’s aware of the intensity of Corrie patrol routine, blends with the dark, and strikes. Once he strikes, he sees another approaching, and repeats. Every other night – not only a serial killer – the Corrie Butcher is also a spree killer.

It’s as if these clones walk into their deaths, without even seeing it coming. All they saw was a hooded figure before choking on their own blood, the first strike being to the neck. 

Two; why shock troopers? This has been the question since the beginning. Although Lesiil has thought of several theories, nothing is certain, even when the variables aren’t deemed too abstract. She favors one that is most probable, though.

Coruscant Guard shock troopers would only have direct altercation with civilians during, most notably, riot control. Escalation of violence incites more pushed force from the Corries, and that incites more violence, but directed towards the troopers this time. Talking about the motive of personal vendetta; there should be something that might be related to the entire case about riot control in particular. Lesiil holds onto that belief, careful not to announce it aloud with utter confidence, yet.

Three; the obstacle that is the Corrie Butcher himself. His criminal record is squeaky clean, his DNA profile that some of the victims’ armor plate or gloves had acquired in shape of spit or sweat doesn't match anywhere in any police database. All that means he was once an innocent civilian, but then something happened, then his sanity was provoked. Right after that, he leaves 160 cases of serial murders across only three months for the Coruscant Guard to desperately chase after. A daring, heinous act like this…

If one wonders how Lesiil's mind works, that's it. For now.

So in conclusion; the Corrie Butcher, once was an unprovoked man, is now a merciless, opportunistic, trauma-driven serial killer who seeks vengeance to the Coruscant Guard. The deepest, darkest shadows of Coruscant had become his best friend, aiding him delivering that vengeful thirst while slipping through coverings beneath the dark and striking men who merely had only been doing their duty.

The Marshal Commander has been understanding and had taken her considerations to his own. Though, Lesiil knows better, so she refrains from being vocal until the situation needs her to – avoiding throwing caution to the wind. She works with her own mind, and her mind is hers only, not for others to judge. Lesiil knows her assumptions aren't for most people, since most people look at her assumptions like the dirtiest filth on their clothes. For these people, her spoken assumptions are nothing but krayt spit.

That's okay. Her mind is her own.

The next week, with the grim note that the victim count has escalated to 173, Lesiil is one step closer.

She had chosen to dive into her Corrie riot control theory. She can always assemble another probability if one fails, anyway.

Thorn kindly provided her with the necessary reports; a total of 11 times since exactly last standard year. From there, she filtered through. She looked for the ones where peace wasn't an option for these civilians – where violence had escalated to the point that non-lethal force had to be used.

She found 7.

Another filtering through. This time, she looked for the ones where people died unfortunately due to escalated violence.

She found 3.

The Marshal Commander glances back and forth between her and the datapad where she stores her findings of the day.

“These are all, Detective?”

Lesiil nods, keeping her expression neutral as always every time she sits for her daily end-of-the-day reports. A glance here and there to his demeanor and a little listening to his skeptical tone, she knows the Marshal remains cautious to her confidence. She's surprised he's got that amount of patience to face, as people dub it, her ‘krayt spit’.

“And where will you take this to?” the Marshal asks again.

“If it isn't troubling, sir,” she starts, “I would like to gain access to the citizen database so I'll be able to filter through again. I need to look at the profile of all these victims, aiming to see their names, physical features, associations, and familial connections.”

That's right. After jotting down the mentioned 3 riots, her search had to stop. To access the profile of these victims, she needs additional access to the central database of Coruscanti citizens. The party who may grant her that access is her own CO, no less.

Sighing, the Marshal leans back into his padded seat. “I can do that tomorrow,” he says finally.

“With all due respect, I need it tonight, sir,” Lesiil affirms, meeting his baffled expression. “Because if I’m right and we need to detain this individual as fast as possible, the whole process of obtaining a search and arrest warrant and assembling a house raid squad afterward takes time.”

The Marshal Commander waves her off. “No offense, Detective, but…” He trails off, glancing away momentarily, and lets out a long sigh. His hand goes to his face, dazedly rubbing his stubble in consideration. She waits. “How confident are you?” he then asks carefully.

“9 out of 10,” she says calmly, “And I am always right.”

A scoff escapes him as he shakes his head.

Lesiil's gaze remains stubbornly fixated onto the man.

Another sigh. “Very well,” he concedes, “But I have other matters to attend to.”

“Flimsiwork, I hope? Not patrol?”

He lets out a low chuckle, “Yeah. One of your luckiest nights.”

Lesiil feels her cheeks slightly heat up in embarrassment. Did she sound too desperate? Was there something the Marshal deemed amusing? Or is it about his crow's feet that emerge whenever he smiles? She won't lie, such a kind of smile that reaches one's eyes is attractive.

“How soon do you need it?” his voice breaks her trance.

“As soon as possible,” she replies calmly, “I'm already willing to work through the night till morning.”

The Marshal looks at her concerningly. “I won't, and can't, allow you to stay overnight here in HQ.”

Lesiil shrugs. She's grown a bit too casual with the Marshal this past week. “I've planned to continue working elsewhere.”

“Where?”

“Why, my apartment, of course,” she answers lightheartedly, “24-hour public co-working space is costly, and while my own dwelling is free, I'd hate spending credits for something I do have myself; private space.”

The crease between his eyebrows deepens in thought. She notices a brewing conflict in his amber eyes, sparking and reflecting the lighting of his office. His luscious dark curls have long forgotten to be combed back and fallen to his brows, the silvery strands kissing his eyelids, making her wonder why he isn't choosing the regulatory haircut. But if it's personal preference and is a quirk, among millions of clones, she's glad her CO is a little rebel himself when it comes to his hair underneath that helmet.

“So,” she interrupts softly to not startle him, “Is it a yes, sir?”

His amber eyes pierce her with an intensity she can't quite define. “That data is sensitive and prone enough to security breach. I can't risk it, so as your CO, I’ll have to supervise you while you work and make sure you utilize it accordingly.”

Lesiil hums, nodding. “I’ll brew you some caf, then.”

“It's not–” the Marshal lets out a long sigh, closing his eyes momentarily. He places his jaw in his hand propped on the arm of his padded chair. “It won't look appropriate,” he mutters.

That's what he's worried about?

“I don't see any issue? I work, you watch me work, and we will be doing that till sunrise or till I can't help my fatigue, or you with yours,” she demands, “I solemnly promise I won't continue my work if you somehow fall asleep.”

The Marshal remains unamused. “You could just wake me up, Detective.”

“Could I?”

“I'm serious, Thrace.”

“I am as well, sir,” she counters as respectfully as she can, “Maker knows how many hundred hours of sleep you've lost. If you fall asleep, I will take a break as well and retreat to my room.”

Another pause as he takes it into deep consideration. Lesiil steals the moment to appreciate his pronounced jawline, how the lighting graciously gives his bronze skin a mysterious silhouette despite his caf-less and fatigued countenance, and the white scar across his nose.

It's an old wound for sure, but she silently wonders if it's still sensitive to the touch.

Before she knows it, those amber eyes are already staring at her, one scarred eyebrow slightly raised in question.

The Marshal catches her staring.

“You're gonna have to brew me that caf,” his gruff voice says with a certain inflection that indicates total smugness in her book.

Refusing to give away any cadence that signals shame and embarrassment, Lesiil lets a smile slide seamlessly into her face. “A deal's a deal, Marshal.”

Fox regrets taking that deal.

Lesiil Thrace’s apartment radiates nothing but comfort, haze, and warmth that once he took off his helmet and stepped foot inside, the serene ambience itself lulls him, persuading him to plop down onto one of the plush seatings and then catch some z’s. Upon the invitation she had said to make himself at home, he was actually tempted to lay down and pass out.

Their respective piles of datapads sit on the cleared dining table, flimsiwork ready to be tended to. What's funny for him is that the table is so huge he could dine there with the usual command vode, despite the fact that the detective lives alone.

BD-6 hops onto the table.

Well. Alone, with the droid.

While the host and current occupant of the refresher down the hall is not around, Fox takes the unspoken invitation to observe and prod about the space. One section of the apartment that intrigues him is the spot where he now sets his feet on, the eyes within hung holostills on the wall staring back at him.

They're all, as expected, images of family and coworkers. There are several holostills of the detective and two people which he easily identifies as her buire and there are another of her with a man about her age, all ranged from the age of childhood to maturity, one of those images is them posing in their university graduation toga, wide grins adoring both faces.

Vod.

Just one, instead of millions.

Soft pitter-patter echoing down the hall catches his attention. Detective Thrace adorns some casual set of sleeved shirt and long pajama trousers, void of any patterns, stripped from the usual sight of a punctual set of shirt and jacket and trousers usually seen in HQ. Dark curly tresses, thick and unbound and looks like just has been blow-dried, fans about her shoulders voluminously.

Thrace is heading down the kitchen, not paying a second glance at him standing by that part of the apartment, and straight up switches on the caf machine.

“Is that your brother?” Fox asks to break the silence.

Thrace grabs two mugs from the top cabinet. “Yes. My twin, actually. Railuu Thrace,” she answers, her back to him as she busies herself. “Friendly to everyone he met. Sociable. Silly man, he was.”

Fox tilts his head down upon instinct.

“Was he a detective too?”

“No, sir.” Thrace finally turns around, leaning back against the counter, hands joined in front of her. “But he served aboard the Triumphant as the one and only natborn deck officer. I believe you’re familiar with Jedi General Plo Koon’s flagship incident?”

He stills. “Abregado... yeah.”

Thrace nods absentmindedly, her storm grey eyes fixing elsewhere. “The General personally delivered the news to our family. He was fond of Railuu, and said his sincerest apologies for being unable to retrieve the body due to the… tragic incident.” She looks up at him with a faint smile. “Railuu was as close as family to the entire 104th. He never stopped talking about the unit whenever we got on holocall.”

He wonders if she had befriended a certain commander of his corps because the man reminds her of her late twin brother.

“My condolences,” he offers quietly, “Must be a good man to earn the favor of a Jedi General and his entire battalion.”

“Thank you,” Thrace nods solemnly, “He was. Really was.”

At the given silence once she turns her back on him again, he can't help but think.

Is that why she regards the clones with so much respect, unlike most people?

Thrace calls out from the kitchen, “I hope you're hungry, Marshal, because I'm starving.” She gets back to her feet after retrieving ingredients from the food preservator, smiling his way welcomingly. “I suppose a little break from mess rations wouldn't hurt, would you agree, sir?”

Fox allows himself a small chuckle. Who, even among clones, would deny a good home-cooked dish?

“Drop the ‘sir’,” he says curtly as he makes his way to sit at the dining table, “We're not in HQ. Fox is fine.”

Thrace turns around. “But we're working.”

He gives a pointed gaze at the half-chopped vegetables.

“Later,” Thrace insists, turning back around to resume her food cutting endeavor. “I may be the host tonight, but you remain my commanding officer.”

BD-6 beeps from his current spot on one of the chairs, something about him making Thrace glaring subtly at him.

“What did he say?” Fox prompts.

Thrace openly lets out a long sigh. “Beedee said he took your side, that I should loosen up now that I'm in my own home.”

“Even the droid gets it,” Fox says, nodding towards the droid, “Why wouldn't you? Should I make it an order?”

She lets out a dry laugh. “I do not think it's necessary, sir.”

From this angle, he can't quite see her from his seat, but he'd be willing to bet she's slightly blushing, if not. Merciful as he is towards his coworkers (that's a lie), he decides to drop it altogether and reaches for the top datapads of his pile to start working on awaiting spreadsheets, settling comfortably on the padded chair, the absence of his top armor has never been so relieving.

Within the hour, they have a quiet hearty dinner, clear the table once again, and start working.

Fox tosses her a data stick. “That’s the key to gain access to the database. I'll have to have my eyes on you while you work,” he reminds her.

Thrace, on her way now to her working space to grab her holocomputer, nods in acknowledgment.

He goes back to his mundane spreadsheet. Letters and numbers and statistics hold a menacing glare at him, promptly smacking him right in the nose for even sighing.

They had collectively decided that working on the dining table isn't helping for the back and shoulder pain that pop up after two hours of sitting. And so they’d moved to the living area and settled down on the rug, legs tucked underneath the caf table while leaning back against the couch.

The Marshal had thrown most courtesy and air of professionalism out of the airlock, seeing him now casually lounging across the plush couch by absolute not pulling ranks earlier.

“Getting comfortable are we, sir?” Lesiil teases without looking away from her datapads.

“Can't resist a good couch, DT,” the Marshal then yawns. Taking it as a cue, Lesiil pushes his caf mug an inch further towards him.

The Marshal sits up and reaches for the mug, observing it for a few seconds before sipping. “Do all your caf mugs have poor police puns like this?”

You have the right to remain silent sleeping

Lesiil chuckles softly. “If that’s your way of saying that I have an excellent sense of humor, Marshal, then I appreciate the recognition.”

He looks at her in disbelief. “No way you made these lines.”

“Of course not. Don't be silly, Marshal. I don't make jokes.”

“Understood. No humor coming from you then, DT,” the Marshal sulks.

“Huh. So you believe that, sir?”

“...I appreciate your humor now.”

“Why, thank you,” she grins widely, but then suddenly she grows concerned. “Are you certain you aren't as jittery as supposed from someone being so high on caf, sir? Because this is very highly out of character for you.”

The Marshal pointedly takes another sip. “Not strong enough to break my character. And did you just say I was never funny?”

“Thorn once said you're ruthless and very exhausted that you never have time to make jokes.”

Her guest and commanding officer merely scoffs, replacing his mug, and reclines back on the couch to return to his mundane flimsiwork.

“Thorn told me you're from Alderaan,” he says a minute later, “You a member of the noble houses?”

Lesiil, not even turning slightly to face him as she's still busy on her works, explains, “I was, but I renounced all my royal titles and the duty that followed. I’ve chosen to serve the people by doing the field work. Not too keen on forever being prim and proper.”

The Marshal goes quiet behind her, probably surprised and all learning the new information. “Is that why you sound too formal to everyone's liking when you speak?” he asks again.

She nods. “I was taught such etiquettes, yes.”

Silence for a beat or two, and then…

“Do you swear?” the Marshal prods again.

Lesiil rolls her eyes. “Internally.”

“Really?” he lets out bemused chuckles, “Like what?”

“If I’m not mistaken, Marshal, I do not owe you anything to the point I have to disclose what swear words I use whenever I like.”

“What, afraid to break character?”

“I’ve always been like this.”

The Marshall snorts. “Krayt spit.”

Lesiil shrugs. “Colloquial speech has just never been in my favor, sir.”

“Drop the ‘sir’,” he insists, his tone serious coming from behind her, “Just Fox.”

A loud sigh flies off her lips. “If I call you by your name, will you stop pestering me about my use of swear words?”

“I solemnly swear,” he mimics her saying earlier.

Another sigh.

“Okay, Fox.”

The Marshal bursts out into a fit of cackles. “Yeah, it doesn't suit you.” He coughs, clutching his stomach. “Sounds kriffing weird comin’ from you. And it's just a single word. It's like your accent just changed, too.”

Despite the sheer embarrassment for being so bold, Lesiil merely shakes it away and sends him a smirk instead. “I believe you see why now, Marshal.”

Good food. Good caf. Good couch. Good company.

Fox is spoiled as kriff.

If he'd rejected this idea earlier, he'd be stuck in his office till late without selfishly getting familiar with such domestic comfort. He's sure if he'd rejected this idea earlier he'd be dead by now by the rawest form of sole regret alone.

The chronometer now shows 0140.

Fox stretches. “You don't wanna take a break?” he asks the detective.

Thrace huffs quietly. “I’m still trudging through these 52 victims one by one and copying the essentials manually to my datapads because the access key is not even giving me full access.”

“Protocols, Detective,” he reminds her, “Can't give you full access.”

She nods. “Perfectly understood, Marshal.”

“Call me Fox,” he says curtly after rolling his eyes.

“Yes, Fox.”

Then before he can stop it, “Can I call you Lesiil?”

Her tone earlier had been meaning to be deadpanning. He knows it. She only wishes to focus on her work.

But the detective now slowly turns to face him, grey eyes greeting his amber ones. The edge of her lips lift momentarily, driving him to glance at them hoping she doesn't notice. But of course, with the Lorrdian blood, maybe she does? Remembering just that, and how accurate the read can be, he suddenly feels his cheek burn the life out of him. But he never backs down from a challenge. He stands his ground.

Accompanied by a certain twinkle in her stormy orbs underneath the warm lighting of her dwelling, he lets himself think he's certain that he's lost it when her voice, absent of any apathetic deadpan and formality, comes out as soft and sincere.

“Yes you can, Fox.”

He holds her gaze steadfastly, relishing how his given Basic name had rolled off her courteous tongue.

“Well,” he starts, leaning away, “I'm taking a break for an hour, Lesiil. If I suddenly stop talking, don't wake me.”

Lesiil smirks cheekily before turning away. “Never planned to, Fox.”

Seemingly grateful for the eventual silence, Fox notices Lesiil is working almost twice as fast, leaving him almost feeling guilty for distracting her, although the purpose was to build a friendlier rapport. Now watching her tapping and running her dainty fingers across datapads, he considers it somehow as a therapy and, really, a break.

After what must've been half an hour of being awake thanks to Lesiil's good caf still running through his system, suddenly she turns to face him again.

He almost scowls. “What?”

Lesiil rolls her eyes. “First off, that tone is unnecessarily rude,” she says calmly, “Second off, I was just checking if you had fallen asleep. As promised, if you do, I will stop as well and take a break.”

“Why break?” Fox mumbles into the throw pillow under his cheek, “Why not a nap?”

“Caf is running within my veins as we speak. I am now quite awake,” she explains gently, the grey storm in her orbs sparkling at the right angle, “And I do not have the mighty tolerance as you do.”

He smirks. “Just watching you work as I'm supposed to do, Detective. It's not as boring as my reports.”

“It is mentally stimulating,” Lesiil admits with a nod of agreement, “It’s always either something new or something familiar, whilst yours is always the latter.”

“That supposed to mean as an insult?”

“What an outrageous accusation, Marshal.” She turns away, unable to hide her smirk. “I would never insult the very system I am working in.” For yet another minute or two, she finally sighs loudly. “And we're now finished. Finally. Beedee!”

The droid, faraway, trills in attention and immediately makes his way over.

Currently, the chronometer shows 0238.

“What will you do now?” Fox asks when BD-6 starts to tinker about datapads.

Lesiil is still acknowledging the droid's questioning boops before answering him, “Beedee will be helping me with the compartmentalizing as usual. This time we're cataloguing the cause of death of these 52 profiles.” She disengages the data stick from the holocomputer. “It’s a quick process, then we narrow it all down.”

He watches her sipping her caf and sighing afterward. “Isn’t 52 too much?” he asks, concern tinged in his voice.

“I admit, yes,” she says, “I would gladly take your generous helping hand if you are offering.”

Wordlessly, he plops down next to her and takes the datapad she hands him. “Catch me up to your thinking, DT. What should I be looking for?”

“Something that catches your eye,” she answers vaguely, “We’ll wait for Beedee first.” Then, as if cued, their datapads ping. BD-6 beeps in confirmation. Lesiil pats his head. “Thanks, Beedee. Now, let’s sort.”

Fox gobbles down the list, swallowing every now and then as he skims through the written manner of death – which all of them were deemed as accidental – and the cause of death – which varies through traumatic asphyxia to blunt force trauma to cardiac arrest.

“What about parents?” he blurts out as he stares at a still of a senior citizen. “What if parents?”

“Statistics show a person is likely to be reacting more emotionally to the death of spouse or spawn. But there have been more cases involving a murderous parent of a dead child,” Lesiil asserts, “So we're using this as the base of our assumptions that we may be looking for someone younger.”

Acknowledging, Fox manages to cross off a third of the list which consists of senior citizens.

“Some of these are parentless,” he says again, “We're looking for someone that comes out of legal marriages?”

Lesiil looks at him with thought. “If we are dedicated enough to go along with this theory, then yes. Good observation, sir. Fox.”

He scoffs, both at her statement and her slipup. “Still a theory, huh?”

“We’re utilizing whatever data is available and making sensible assumptions. Seeing that we have nothing on the Corrie Butcher, not even a clear screencap of an entire face let alone a name, we take another route to find who his name is and what he looks like.” She gives him a look. “No thanks to your hasty investigation team to overlook everything else there is.”

Fox resists rolling his eyes. “In our defense, we were processing this strictly by the book.”

“The book sometimes hinders you,” declares Lesiil, looking deep into his eyes, “If there's another angle, however improbable or implausible that is, rather than wasting time mulling over nonexistent data and waiting for it to pop up, one must dedicate themselves to approach that angle.”

A smirk slides into his face. “Wise words, Lesii.”

“Those wise words circulate around the Criminal Investigations Department quite regularly since it takes shape as our very job description,” she deadpans, then does a double take. “And did you just call me Lesii?”

“What? Don't like it? Own it.”

She chuckles, shaking her head. “Sir, yes sir.”

His gaze on her lingers on her and her luscious coiled hair for a little longer before he reels himself away from the trance, and begins working on his share.

Emptying his already full cup; that's what he's doing right now. Dipping his hands into investigative police work, a far cry from his usuals; planning senate security detail, mapping out patrol routes, sniffing criminal activity, studying the cruel and hazardous structures of the underworld, securing every sort of security breaches in a moment's notice, bringing in enemies of the state. As quick and intelligent as he is trained, he can never match Lesiil Thrace's level of intellect.

Working with the woman has been pleasant, albeit the presumptive rambling and mind maps at the end of any day. Lesiil knows what to anticipate, what's sensible, and what's critical to prioritize firsthand. The trait puts her several steps ahead.

It's only been a week, not even a month, since her arrival, and now Fox is presented with a good chance of identifying his brothers’ killer at any moment.

Had she been brought in much earlier… many wouldn't have to die in the hands of this ruthless individual.

“Intriguing,” Lesiil hums next to him.

Fox perks up, leaning closer. “What?”

She tilts her datapad in his direction. “This one. Female, Kayl Brando.” A still of a blonde woman. “Her name had been mentioned in the media. Her family sued the Coruscant Guard for her death, caused by asphyxia, because she attended one of the riots where your division had to use tear gas. The media, backed up by the family's given statement and medical records, mentioned she had a generational severe lung injury so the use of your tear gas had been fatal.”

Fox rubs a hand over his stubble as he recalls. “I remember that, yeah. That was seven months ago.”

Lesiil scrolls more. “Seven months ago, correct,” she confirms, shifting slightly to face him. “Could you please provide more context?”

Fox lets out a long sigh as he runs a hand through his curls. “Charges were dropped. Using tear gas when violence escalates is simply within regulations. Technically not our fault she had that injury in the first place.” He shakes his head. “But if I'm not mistaken, that family had been vocal. Raising awareness from the empathic community and pushing more hostility towards the Corries.”

Lesiil takes another glimpse at the shown data. “And right after that, the trend dies, the talks dwindled to nonexistence,” she nods in confirmation, “It seems everything went into a downward spiral for this family.”

Fox shrugs. “Well, they already lost the lawsuit before it even began. Charges were dropped ‘cause the Coruscant Guard, or GAR, did nothing wrong.”

They continue searching. Fox goes to refill his mug with that beautiful caf blend and snatches a packet of Saleucami cheese biscuits from the little basket on the kitchen counter. Lesiil notices but says nothing, yet the look in her eyes is quite encouraging.

Welcome to my humble abode, Marshal. Make yourself comfortable. And I'd very much like your boots off, please. Refresher’s just down the hall.

He meets her gaze daringly, walks backwards to her food conservator, and opens it.

He gasps.

“Never thought of you as a beer drinker, DT,” Fox eyes the three glass bottles inside. “Stressful times call for desperate measures, huh?”

“You may take one if you'd like, Fox.”

“Tempting. Sticking with caf tonight. Maybe another time.”

Lesiil smiles, but says nothing.

About ten minutes later, she asks again, “Did you find anything yourself, sir?”

Gulping down the last of the cheese biscuits, Fox hums in confirmation next to her. “5 more people followed the notion of that lawsuit.”

Looking down at her own datapad, Lesiil skims through the marked profiles, taking the typed footnotes into careful consideration. Maybe there are actual gears inside her head that whir whenever she thinks, Fox thinks.

“Then we are rounding this up,” she says suddenly.

He does a double take. “We're done?” 

“Hm, not quite.”

It's 0317 now. Lesiil grabs her work commlink. 

“I have to make a few calls to the forensics at CSF and my supervisor beforehand, for the permit and the go. We still have to match DNA samples between these victims and the Corrie Butcher with hopes we’re about to get somewhere.” She looks up at him and Fox catches her knowing smirk. “That must interest you.”

“Yeah, finally, something by the book,” Fox deadpans. “Will that take more time?”

Lesiil shrugs, leaning back against the couch. “I have friends in the division whose sleep I am allowed to interrupt for all I care. This is for a high-profile case, after all.”

“So now they're doing the work? Thank Prime. I'd really like to catch that break right now.”

“Was all that not ‘break’ enough for you, Fox?”

“Oh, it was refreshing, but if I spend another minute looking at a screen, I think I'm gonna develop aneurysm on the spot.”

Another new thing about the Marshal Lesiil has just learned tonight; several cups of caf does absolutely nothing to one extremely fatigued commander to the point she's actually concerned for the prospect of acid reflux.

That, and he is now asleep. Still in a seated position by her side on the rug, arms folded loosely across his chest, legs stretched out under the caf table, head back and flushed on the padded cushion of the couch.

And nothing seems to wake him, even as of now she's contacting her fellow detective partner.

“You’re lucky some of the guys in the lab are still up by this hour, Les,” Eisen the Nautolan speaks through her commlink, “They’re going through it as we speak. Inspector commed me earlier to supervise the whole thing for you as well. It's top priority now.”

“Thank you, Eisen,” Lesiil says in a low voice, being considerate to Fox's state either way, “And about the 6 profiles I've sent you? Is there anything you've found in your search?”

“Yeah. One of them, just recently. Last night, actually. Related to a, uh, Kayl Brando.”

Lesiil draws a sharp inhale. “Before you dive into the explanation, will you please kindly hold for a moment?”

“Yeah yeah, sure. I've got all day, Les. Or morning, whatever. It's 0400 anyway.”

She presses the mute button and turns to the sleeping commander.

“Marshal.” She grabs his forearm and shakes him. “Marshal, wake up.”

Still asleep like dead. She wonders if this is what it feels like to be in Thorn's position, though she's doing the exact opposite of what he'd do.

Lesiil reaches out, muttering an apology under her breath, before carefully pats his cheek. “Fox? Wake up, come on. Fox?”

The Marshal stirs just as she retracts her hand swiftly. But just for good measure, she keeps shaking him awake by the forearm. His lids crack open, drowsy amber eyes peeking through thick dark eyelashes.

“Wha’?”

“We’ve made progress,” Lesiil announces, “I’m currently in contact with my partner, he's gotten something.”

Fox merely nods, yawning and scrubbing his hands all over his face before sitting up properly and cracking his back.

Seeing him refreshed enough to listen to a whole critical conversation, Lesiil disables the mute button and raises her commlink near her mouth. “You may talk to me now, Eisen.”

“Okay, about this Kayl Brando,” the Nautolan instantly replies, “I'd like to confirm again that she really tragically passed away in that riot due to respiratory failure. Underlying cause, as written in her death certificate, is chemical irritant exposure. Tear gas. Right?”

Recognition sparks in Fox's amber brown eyes.

Lesiil locks her gaze with his. “That is correct.”

“That's what I found. Additionally; Kayl Brando was the only daughter to a now divorced couple, Jai Brando and Helne Firrda, both still living on Coruscant. And last night, Ms Firrda called our line to suggest a welfare check on her ex-husband’s house.”

Lesiil recognizes both names as the ones she saw in multiple holonews articles about their lawsuit. Fox wordlessly shares her expression.

“What for? Something happened?” she inquires hastily.

“Hadn't heard of him in three days. Usually they keep in touch, with her being some kind of a support system. According to her and a brief examination of Jai Brando's medical files…” Eisen lets out a long, heavy sigh, “He’s suffering from PTSD and dissociation. And hell of a track record of substance abuse to cope with his grief, too. As personal commentary, Les, I'd say this is chronically messed up.”

She takes a deep breath. “I have to agree.” Fox nods at her in agreement. “And the welfare check?”

“We had someone there just last night at, uh, they knocked on his residence at 2056. I can send you the bodycam feed and transcript real quick, if you're interested. It was just a brief interaction. The ex-wife calmed down.”

Sounds like another hour of observing, but this time with more certainty. “I'd very much appreciate that,” Lesiil says.

“Okay. Sending,” the Nautolan responds. Not long after, her holocomputer beeps in receival. “I'll keep in touch with you when the test results are in.”

“Thank you for your tremendous aid, Eisen.”

“And you doing great as always, partner.”

“What test results?” Fox asks her once the comm call ends.

“DNA, sir. I sent samples of the 5 victims, Kayl Brando included, and the unknown one found on the victims' bodies to the CSF forensics lab,” Lesiil kindly reminds him, leaning back and crossing her arms.

“Right,” he nods slowly, “So we're onto this guy?”

“For now, the anticipation is overbearing and I hope I am not wrong, or all this will be for nothing.”

“It won't be for nothing,” Fox disagrees, his unapproving gaze bearing down onto her, but there's a softness to it that she can only register as fondness. “It's still progress, Lesii. Don't be so hard on yourself.”

With her mug of caf running out two hours ago and the slower flow of adrenaline pumping through her veins, Lesiil allows her tense body to relax and let herself take a breath.

“Thank you, Fox.”

She meets his gaze lazily as the littlest bit of fatigue begins to catch up on her burnout body, with gratefulness blossoming inside her chest for his tremendous trust and support.

Marshal Commander Fox has been nothing but a man appreciative of everybody's work, even though in possession of a blunt mouth and patience as thin as flimsi. Weird, because Thorn said he's especially impatient with everyone, always urging them along and biting back with a bitter and snarky remark. But not with her.

He respects her in return, it makes her feel… recognized. Not recognized as in fame and notoriety, but for her genuineness, her tireless efforts to restore justice, and her sacrifices; time, mental, body, and shame, when bizarre looks are thrown her way whenever she opens her mouth.

But why treat her like she's anybody different?

Among clones, it's understandable.

But when it's only the two of them like this?

Lesiil is no idiot. She notices his signs. The Marshal has been holding himself back. Sitting an inch closer, peering in when interested, acting so freely and relaxed, holding her gaze a bit longer than supposed to, his beautiful amber eyes softening, catching her lips for a split second just a little while ago. The ridiculous amount of trust and bluntness, as if exhibiting his true self behind all the hard shell of a stoic commander of his corps.

Maybe there will be a time, when it's right, when it's fitting, to give in.

But not now.

As much as she perhaps wishes to curl her fingers into his luscious curls, mindlessly counting each of his silvery strands with the pad of her thumb, caressing his shapely jawlines, tracing his scars and kissing every inch of his skin…

It's not now.

Now, there's murder to solve. A serial murder of Fox's own brothers. Thinking about them makes her think about her own brother, who died along with the crew aboard the Triumphant. Railuu loved the 104th like they were his own brothers. To honor his beautiful memory, maybe she would be willing to completely open up so she can share that fondness with the Coruscant Guard and its Marshal Commander as well.

Fox gets up, his mug and hers in his hands. “I’ll get you more caf, DT.”

A small laugh escapes her. “Ah please, no more. Or I’ll be jittery for the whole day. I prefer not to.”

Not saying anything, he continues his pace towards the caf machine for his refill. As the rich liquid pours in, Fox puts her caf mug in the sink and retrieves a new one from the top cabinet before filling it with cool water.

“We still have work to do, Detective,” he says when he returns to his seat next to her. Her glass of water sits nearby. “Don't fall asleep on me.”

Lesiil had been putting her head on her folded arms atop the table. “I am falling asleep on the table as we speak,” she mutters, letting the caf-induced uneasiness in her body calm down.

“The point stands,” Fox says firmly, almost commanding, “I don't want you sleeping when we're one step closer to the truth.”

Her dark curls form a curtain before her eyes as she shifts. “Possible truth.”

“You're the one 100% confident about this, Lesiil.” His tone gradually grows sharper. “Since when we trade places? I'm the one convincing you now?”

She blinks away her fatigue and sits up straight. “Yes, sir. Apologies,” she mumbles, scooting closer to the holocomputer.

His glare on her dissipates. “Don't sulk. Don't be insecure,” he encourages, “Won't do good for morale. You're doing well.”

Because of all that he is, the smile she directs at him is wider and glowing with genuineness.

“Thank you.”

Suddenly her commlink beeps, startling the serene atmosphere.

“Thrace,” she answers.

“Les, have you watched the footage?” Eisen’s voice rings through.

“Just about to.” She catches urgency in his tone. “Has something come up with the tests?”

“That's the thing. You haven't watched it right? I have, so here I'll save you some time.” Eisen takes a big breath. “The guys checked on Brando. He was cooperative at first, but when they asked about how he's been coping with the loss because the ex-wife mentioned it during the call, he straight up went defensive. There was a bit of verbal altercation, but the worse is when he spat on them. Like, literally. Literal ball of spit.”

Lesiil scrambles up and begins to pace. “Please tell me you took it down as a sample.”

“Oh yeah, they did,” the Nautolan tells her smugly, “Wiped it down and sent it to the lab, initially to put it in the system in case they wanted to press charges against him for assault. I love these guys, alright? Karking smart. They didn't even know this gotta be related to the Corrie Butcher case, and the coincidence is amazing. Ocean spirits are loving me right now.”

“Eisen, I am aware your jittery is most likely caf-induced now, but please can we swerve back on track?”

“Sorry sorry, I'm just excited.” He clears his throat. “So yeah, all that. And I didn't even know about it until like, forty seconds ago. Labs done, by the way.”

Fox's eyes are trained on her, his body rigid in anticipation for what's to come.

“And the results?” she asks.

There's a sniffle. “Oh they're positive, Les!” Eisen exclaims into the commlink, “Everything! Everything came back positive. Everything matched. The DNA found on the dead troopers, Kayl Brando's DNA, her dad's DNA. Everything matched, Les!”

Lesiil is already running to change.

“Jai Brando is the Corrie Butcher!”

“Search and arrest warrant has been obtained,” Fox says to his commlink, the machinery hum of Lesiil's speeder filling the space around him, “The Detective and I are heading down to the suspect's dwelling to arrest him as we speak.”

Thorn acknowledges from the other side. “We'll take over everything here in your place, vod. Stay safe.”

The sun is barely on the horizon as Lesiil expertly swerves her speeder through the early morning traffic with lights and sirens, the air of urgency blaring louder and louder every second.

“I must ask you to relax, sir,” she says from beside him, eyes focused on the front.

Fox doesn't even realize he's anxious until he stops his fingers from tapping against his thigh plate, bucket already donned upon his shoulders.

“Brando isn't going anywhere,” she assures him. “We’ll be having an entry team and the command post ready in no time.”

“You're handling this right,” he dryly comments, not knowing what to say.

“It's standard, sir. And, not meaning to set a joyous atmosphere in the middle of a grim setting, but,” Lesiil offers him a reassuring smile, “I hope you’re ready for your first ever civilian house raid experience, Marshal.”

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