#but then again -- i'm not too sure on the whole clan part...

[loriache]

Butch up that Elf: my Marcille manifesto

TBQH, this came into being because the Falin "dragoness" fanart rewired my brain completely. It's sillytimes, but we're going to make a serious argument: trying out being a little butch would Fix Her.

1. Marcille Gender Discomfort

Now, Marcille LOVES feminity. She loves playing dressup, she loves elaborate gowns, she spends her free time going to the spa - the absolute last thing I want is to deny that. However, there's also a definite vibe that this isn't just a preference. Specifically, the way that she pushes Falin towards femininity suggests that she isn't comfortable with gender nonconformity in the people around her.

If this was something she was 100% confident about ("I'm doing this for myself and nobody else!") surely what other people do wouldn't be a big deal? Of course, you can read this as a little bit of solipsism; "what works for me must work for you too! I think this is so cute and would suit you - wouldn't you agree?"

But for the sake of this argument, all I'm trying to suggest is that gender nonconformity (and probably sexual nonconformity... well, frankly, any kind of sexuality at all) is unlikely to be something that's on Marcille's "radar". She hasn't tried out other ways of presenting and decided she doesn't like them. I do think she'd be a very flamboyant butch - "ouji lolita" vibes, you know? It's a whole new set of wardrobe options she could play dress-up in, even.

After the story ends, she starts dressing like her mother in all black, which makes sense - her mother was also a court magician, so she's probably emulating her in order to project confidence and authority. But I can't say I think she should stick with this. Break away and be your own person, Marcille! Try a fancy waistcoat and frilled jacket!

2. Haircut

This is another potential hard sell, I'm sure. The people she loves doing her hair is a cute symbol of their care for her, and her hair is key to her magic - so there's plenty of reason for her to keep it long. But like... think practically. Having someone do your hair every morning, for the whole of her long life, while it gets messier over the day (because she can't remember to keep it neat)... That's got to be such a pain. My hair gets messy when I put a hoodie on. And I have short hair.

It would require her to go through a change of mind, and probably a little more growth in how secure she feels in her relationships, but - the hairdo's a symbol. The more important thing is the relationships themselves. Eventually I think there might be something liberating about cutting it off, even if she might eventually decide to grow it out again.

The lion, her trauma, took something away from her which was really important to her. The people around her are able to make that easier, and make up for it, and soften that loss, but... Mithrun isn't the person he was before, you know? He's a new person. The relationship he has with his brother is new, and I don't know if it's one that the person he was before could have had. If Falin hadn't died, they wouldn't have gone on that wonderful adventure! They wouldn't have met Senshi or saved Izutsumi and Laios and Marcille wouldn't have gotten so close. So I think it's totally congruent with the themes of the story that the burning away of this part of Marcille's self might eventually create the potential for new growth in a new direction, not clinging onto the parts that are gone.

This also isn't totally out of the norm for elven mages - both Otta and Flamela have short hair. Otta is canonically butch, and potentially Flamela reads that way to elves too, but the point is it clearly is possible to be an accomplished mage without long hair.

3. Desiring (to be) a chivalrous prince

Marcille's succubus is clearly General Halleus from her favourite book series, the Daltian Clan. The fact that this is her ideal man.... it certainly plays into readings of her as Not Straight. But at least, this conveys the way her conception of sex and romance is strongly idealised, dissociated from the bodily and from physical desire.

There are many ways to interpret that, including thinking about what types of desire this fixation is obstructing because she is not comfortable with it, but I am going to focus here on what this desire does signify. She likes the trappings of courtly romance, and is clearly comfortable putting herself in the role of the princess, being taken away on a white horse by a noble (but tormented; eyepatch has "death" on it lmao) prince. (Though I think he's actually the token male lead who isn't royalty; he's a General. There's always one in Romfan, lmao. IYKYK)

A kiss on the hand - this is so chaste, I think it's clear it's more about desire to play a role in a dynamic than it is about desire in a physical sense. There is undoubtedly a big part of Marcille that wants to be a beloved and chased-after princess, but I think it isn't at all impossible that she'd also enjoy being the powerful, cool, and chivalrous "prince" to someone (a pretty girl, perhaps) who needs her protection.

This is a little silly, because it's clearly just aping the shoujo artstyle that articulates basically the same idea as her succubus, that Marcille is attached to highly abstracted and idealised romantic (and Romantic) tropes and ideas. But the imaginary "successful" Marcille from chapter 4 looks quite similar to her succubus. (Another thing I noticed is that in the fantasy she has sharp ears... like full elves have. Despite what she says, I think the cultural messaging that this trait is "attractive" and hers are inferior got to her at least a bit. 😥)

Also, the way that she treats Falin, scolding her indulgently, trying to look after her and wanting to be looked up to and respected by her... that aligns more with the "masculine" role in the trope that her succubus is referencing. "What are we going to do with you...?" I can imagine her saying this to Falin, word for word. Whereas, if anyone real started talking down to her, even affectionately, I don't think she'd like it, given the negative way she reacts when people don't respect her or her skills. Especially after canon, given the way the Winged Lion was treating her.

Her attitude to Falin is partially down to her reluctance to acknowledge Falin as an adult, who is independent and can grow beyond her and leave her behind. But I think even as they move on from that unhealthy dynamic, Marcille is still going to get pleasure from feeling capable, reliable, able to look after and protect Falin. She'd like to pull the chair out for her in a restaurant on a date, you know?

4. Conclusion

Even after the growth she goes through during the story, there are parts of Marcille's character that are very much obstructed. Romance, sexuality, and gender, feel like one of those to me. The way that her discomfort with the messy origins of food betrayed a deeper, more significant discomfort with the cycles of life and death.

Much in the same way, I'd argue that the simplified, idealistic, and safely fantastical way that she views romance, as well as her very "safe" gender presentation and tendency to push it onto others as well, suggest an underlying discomfort in her own gender and sexuality. The character growth she goes through leaves her in a place where it may be possible to safely re-evaluate her relationship with Falin, as well as her choice of clothing and hairstyle, both things that go through a change at the end of the manga. Neither, I think, reach a sustainable stopping point that we see - there will be a point when it's more servants doing her hair than friends, just out of practicality, because they're all going to be so, so busy. The black clothing to copy her mum is cute, but once she gets some more self-confidence in her own skills as a court magician, I think she'll move on from it. And... who knows what direction her relationship with Falin will develop, over the years? I'm rooting for them, anyway.

In all those cases, I think moving outside of the things she's done before, into something really different from the things that are "safe" and expected, will be the most rewarding path for her. Like in the dungeon, things that she would initially reject were actually able to sustain her and broaden her tastes. She loves dressing up, looking after people, and "princely romance". So I say: Butch Marcille! It'll be good for her!!

[valeelavvale]

Glitter Heart

featuring : Oscar Piastri/reader; Oscar Piastri/family

summary : (requested by anonim) : Oscar wins again an he celebrates with his loved ones.

genre : romance/family

word count : 909

He could still hear the roar of the crowd outside, it echoed in his ears and it was a wonderful sound.

Oscar had started the season with a slip but, once he regained his balance, he started running like a flash. Two victories one after the other, the top of the championship. It still didn't seem real to him.

"It's not a dream," his girlfriend whispered in his ear, hugging him from behind while he was sitting.

"Come on, repeat it with me: it's really happening," she laughed again.

Oscar laughed shaking his head "I'm still not so sure," he joked.

"Well it is, it seems that on the track you are not the disaster you are at home!" Hattie, the eldest of his sisters, declared.

"Nicea s always Hat..." he replied sticking his tongue out at her.

"Kids!" Oscar's mother's voice echoed behind them "You are too good at putting up with all of us," she laughed at her son's girlfriend shaking her head.

"Oh, I'm used to you by now, Nicole, you know, I feel like part of the clan," y/n laughed amused "When I can, I even participate in the arguments!".

"I don't want to have to start scolding you too!" echoed the woman amused "I prefer when you help me put an end to these guys' arguments."

"I still think that we should swap her with Oscar, leave him at McLaren and keep her as a sister, we all gain," Edie commented without taking her eyes off her phone.

"I don't feel appreciated," Oscar exclaimed loudly.

"I appreciate you a lot," his girlfriend whispered in his ear amused without being heard by the rest of the family.

Oscar laughed, when he brought his parents and siblings along it was always a mess, when it was just y/n it was much quieter, but he had to admit that celebrating a victory with the whole clan, as y/n called it, wasn't so bad.

"Come on, we have a table reserved for dinner soon," she said giving him a kiss on the cheek "And I have to help your sisters choose what to wear first..." she laughed.

"All three? You know I'm jealous of my family lately, you spend much more time with them than with me and it doesn't make me happy," he joked turning his face to look at her.

"You should have seen the shopping I did with your mother this morning..." she laughed amused "Come on, from tomorrow it's just you and me again and we'll go out to celebrate without parents, little sisters..."

"... We can’t go out at all, we can celebrate at home," he smiled amused.

"Let's see how you behave tonight... If you argue with your sisters or not," she joked.

"Or what will you do, put me in time-out?" he teased getting up "I'm going to change," he continued giving her a kiss.

Y/n felt at home in that family, the fact that she had never known her mother and that her father had long been such an inconsistent presence in her life had pushed her to love even more the family atmosphere she breathed with those people.

With Oscar she felt at home, wherever she was, in any hotel, anywhere in the world.

It didn't bother her that his family was very present, that sometimes she had to consider sharing her boyfriend even when she might not have wanted to.

There were moments for them, they always managed to escape the confusion, close themselves at home, lying on the couch talking, watching dozens of episodes of TV series ignoring the phones that kept buzzing with messages.

She liked being the older sister that Hattie, Edie, and Mae pretended to desperately want instead of Oscar, when in reality, they adored no one as much as they adored their brother.

They had built the largest Barbie city in Mae's room, even Oscar once, when they were having lunch at his parents’ house, started playing with it (trying to build a city circuit to make Ken race).

Oscar loved that y/n didn't feel the weight of a family to which he, perhaps, was too attached.

Not that he didn't know how to set limits, but it was difficult to keep his sisters at home when their brother was traveling the world racing in a Formula 1.

-

After dinner, Oscar's parents and sisters had returned to the hotel, mainly to give the winner a break from the girls' chatter and to give him and y/n some time to celebrate the victory of a perfect Grand Prix together.

"In Miami, it will be just you and me," he commented passing an arm over her shoulders and stealing a kiss.

"I don't mind the idea at all, nothing against your family but... Sometimes I like having you just for myself," she smiled.

"When it's too much y/n, tell me..."

"...it's not too much, not now, okay? I love your family and I hope you've noticed how much your family loves me," she joked amused "It's okay like this, you're always traveling the world, I have to share you with so many people, the team, the journalists, the family... Then there's this little piece that remains for me and that I love to death," she smiled as he stopped to give her a kiss.

"I love you," the boy said with that simplicity he always had.

"Me too," y/n replied "And your sister stuck a glitter heart on your back," she laughed before kissing him again "I might have cut it out myself, a sign of my love, right?" she whispered.

"You're worse than them..." he muttered hugging her.

He was happy, really happy.

[animehideout]

Love Troops Suitable For JJK Men Part 1.

a/n: who should I write next?

part 2

gojo Satoru:

Enemies to Lovers.

Being the two strongest sorcerers always leads to heated arguments. Bickering over and over again over the slightest things and getting over the higher-ups nerves.

“Your techniques are rustle and old fashioned y/n you sure you can win?”

“Shut up Satoru or I'll beat your ass”

“Come one stop being a weakling, wait are you cryin?”

Secretly admires your techniques and strength.

But during a rough mission, you ended up getting badly injured and it revealed his true feelings towards you.

“y/n are you okay? Does it hurt? I'll take care of you I promise.. slowly..yeah lean on me princess”.

Toji Fushiguro:

Arranged Marriage.

You'd be set up to marry this man. You had feelings for him from the beginning but he didn't reciprocate. It was more like a deal to strengthen the relations between the two clans. He would ignore you, and tell you that he'll never love you, or consider you as a wife.

“Not because we're married means that you can start acting like my wife. I don't love you and I'll never will”

“Know your limits and don't come near me or get into my business y/n”.

You were too heartbroken, and you had to move on. so you started going out with someone else in order to forget Toji. And here you light up the flame of jealousy in him making him realize how much he wants you for himself only.

“Whos that?”

“None of your business Toji”

“Oh it is my business, I'm your fucking husband y/n”

“Oh I thought we had a deal and you know it's not a real marriage after all”

“from now on, it will be... you're mine”.

Megumi Fushiguro:

Opposites Attract

His calm demeanor met your lively spirit. You brought laugher and spontaneity and he brought quiet and peace. Like the moon and the sun.You were too expressive but he was always silent. He found your whole personality annoying at first, he wants to enjoy the tranquility but you've always had to interrupt it somehow.

“Can you lower your voice? it's annoying me!!”.

“Ugh you talk too much y/n, I can't focus”.

It was always that way untill you chose to go mute and never bother him again. Being an observer, he would notice your unusual quietness. He would miss the way you talk with passion about things you love or even stupid things. He would miss the way you try to annoy him for fun. He would miss your loud sweet laugh.

“Hey y/n, is everything okay? you'be been quiet for too long”

“mm”

“come on don't ignore me, I m-miss your l-laugh”.

[iscdisc]

2012 Oroku Saki ("The Shredder") Analysis / Also kind of Hamato Yoshi ("Master Splinter") too, but mainly Saki- Lmao || Part 2 !!

Here's Part two of my analysis on Oroku Saki and Hamato Yoshi within the 2012 series ! 👍✨

Are Hamato unreliable narrators within the story? Or the Foot Clan / Oroku?

This is kind of a yes and no thing for me personally. I feel like both sides have had their fair share of spreading misinformation or just not fully understanding certain events that occurred / painting them a particular way upon their recollection of them. My whole take on Hamato Uta and the centuries long Foot Clan / Hamato Clan fued shows this.

We already see this a lot with Shredder throughout the series as well, as he claims over and over again that Yoshi was the one who took Tang Shen's life even though the truth is that it was him all along. Telling himself this so much that he truly ends up believing it by the end of the series. He also blames Splinter for Karai's mutation, even though that was a tragedy of his own making since he's the one that put Karai in that position in the first place, not to mention the fact that he was the one that broke the chain that was suspending Karai over the mutagen vat himself.

However, I feel like we see this with Splinter during his recollection of past events as well.

When he's having his conversation with Karai during, "Vengeance is Mine" in Season 2, we are shown this shot which implies that Saki knowingly and deliberately attacked Yoshi AND Tang Shen during his fit of rage all those years ago. He also proceeds to claim that Saki deliberately burns their house down afterwards.

However, we know this isn't the case at all, since TOTY explicitly shows the chain of events that led to Tang Shen's death and you can see that this wasn't a deliberate action from Saki but rather a horrible circumstance. Both Yoshi and Saki witnessed Tang Shen walk away before they started their battle, so neither of them were expecting her to be there whatsoever. This is further reinforced by their shared shock at her death. We also see throughout their fight that the fire is caused directly from that altercation. Candles that were lit inside were being knocked over by them, which is what actually caused the fire that burned down Yoshi and Tang Shen's home.

I'm not saying Splinter necessarily lied to Karai or that the trauma of it all couldn't have caused Splinter to recall things poorly, since it's entirely plausible. It's also EXACTLY what Saki is doing / experiencing throughout the series. Cough cough. 🙃

And although I've already talked about it kind of extensively in the first part of this analysis, I feel like his relationship with Saki is another instance of him recalling things differently than how they actually were / happened. Which is how I want to pivot into talking about Splinter right now, since I'd like to give some attention to his "perception issue".

Hamato Yoshi / Master Splinter and his relationships with those around him:

I want to make it extensively clear that I personally really enjoy 2012 Splinter as a person and a character. I'm not saying that others can't dislike him or be critical of him or pick apart his character, because obviously you can and I would be super hypocritical for saying you can't considering that's what I do on a daily basis ! I'm also a firm believer of someone being critical of a character or a character's writing and that not necessarily meaning that they think the character is dogshit or an awful person necessarily. Sometimes being critical or analytical of something is how we express our love or interest for it (Like me with this entire decade old series- LMAO) ! But I just wanted to put that out there, since I'm not necessarily going to agree with any negativity or hate comments directed at 2012 Splinter as a character. I just blatantly disagree with most of them, and I think it's okay to agree to disagree if you feel that way. I'm sure a lot of people feel that way about my takes on 2012 April and how I'm pretty overly critical of her and don't really think the best of her canonically. 👍✨

With that out of the way, I really really like talking about Splinter's perspective and how different it feels from perspectivea of the people in his life that he specifically claims to love and care about very much ! It was such a perfect opportunity to really delve into his character and how his relationships, specifically his relationship with his brother Saki, plays such a big role in the overarching plot line that is the 2012 series !

From TOTY, we see the two most important relationships that he currently has in his life (Not discounting his daughter Miwa, but she's still an infant at this point so it's not like they've had many deep conversations- Lmao). Two relationships that, from his perspective, are relatively strong and healthy and wouldn't collapse in the near future whatsoever. I think it's safe to assume that prior to the events of TOTY, before all these issues started flaring up, that this was his mindset completely. I feel like this is also reflected in his mannerisms, and how he comes across so airy and carefree when talking to Saki during their conversation about Yokai with their Father. To Saki, he's being condescending and undermining his opinions / experiences yet again, but to Yoshi he's just shooting the shit with him and having a friendly brotherly interaction. Yoshi's disposition only shifts when Saki pushes further about never listening to others and of course when he brings Tang Shen into the equation. Something similar happens with Tang Shen as well. Yoshi's content and happy being with her and their daughter on their late night stroll, and it's not until Tang Shen brings up wanting to move away that Yoshi shifts once again.

Which leads me to wonder why in his eyes things are completely copesthetic until these problems come up? In both these instances, it seems as though Yoshi just expects them to "understand" rather than meeting them in the middle and actually having a conversation about these things. He wants his Brother to understand that he's always been there for him, despite Saki expressing the opposite which stems from lived experience it seems, and he wants his Wife to understand that he has responsibilities to this Clan and that he can't abandon them. Not that this is an excuse, because I absolutely don't think it is, but part of me feels like this is just a reflection of how he was raised by their Father, Hamato Uta. Where Yoshi was constantly forced to "just understand" when he was burdened with something or forced to bear something, like being the next head of the Clan. That he was "meant to understand" when his Father wouldn't give him the time of day because he was a busy man. Etc.

Through this, you can definitely draw a parallel between Yoshi / Splinter and Leo. Always feeling this need to be perfect, to maintain the vision that your Father has for you, to bear the burden of something that you didn't ask for and not expect any grace or understanding from others in return (Something Splinter expressed to Leo in, "New Girl in Town"-). To sacrifice your wants for what is needed of you, like your individualism and freedom to live your life outside of these responsibilities. I feel like this can be tied to Yoshi very well actually, since we don't exactly get a lot of insight on his feelings and opinions about being the next head of the Hamato Clan,, We honestly don't even know if that's something that he really even wanted. Not that it makes the scene any different, but it's interesting to view his exasperation with Tang Shen's asking to leave from that particular lens. How even if he does feel the same way she does and agrees with her completely, he doesn't believe he's allowed to say that. He doesn't feel like he's allowed to have any dreams or wants outside of this Clan, because those in it depend on him. Yoshi also brings up how this Clan is the last of its kind and that being a big reason why it must endure, which also adds a whole other level of stress,,

Like I said earlier, I don't think this excuses his poor management of his relationships with his Brother and his Wife, but I think it does give a little more insight (Or potential insight-) as to why that was. It also speaks volumes to the way Saki is so gentle and open-minded it seems compared to Yoshi, who comes off cold and emotionally unavailable, during this time (Primarily in his interactions with Tang Shen during TOTY-). In this way, I truly feel like Saki and Raph paralleled one another. I wouldn't be surprised if Saki was actually surprisingly in tune with nature and very respectful of the earth and the universe. That he felt much harder than most people, like Raph, which is why he was so emotionally reactive. That he was actually a lot more receptive than we ever got to know.

This moment from Season 2 ("Vengeance is Mine") always stuck out to me with Saki / Shredder for that very reason. When he's pleading with Karai and expressing how he doesn't want to lock her away (Even though he currently is- 💀 Lmao). Up until this point in the series, this had been the gentlest we had ever seen him. Like a part of his old self was really shining through in this moment,,

But circling back to Yoshi / Splinter, part of me wonders if he was somewhat aware of the state that his relationships were in-? Maybe he was already stressed enough that he just couldn't bring himself to address it without falling apart or feeling like the ground is caving underneath him. So to the detriment of his Brother and his Wife, he maintained this almost aloof attitude towards their concerns as a means of holding himself together. Maybe he didn't feel like he was strong enough to face these problems at the time. This issue clearly wasn't resolved by the time we reach the beginning of the events of the series either, since we can still see this very present in Splinter and how he behaves with his Sons. Regardless of my opinions about April's position here during this conversation (Lmao), I think her questioning of Splinter during the Season 1 finale is a great example of this. His tone and body language truly reflects something almost akin to escapism in my opinion. The way Leo had to pester him constantly for him to open up about Karai being his daughter. The way Splinter seemingly shut down after Karai got recaptured after she finally learned the truth and it seemed like she was within reach for the first time in ages, and Leo was constantly talking about how worried he was about their Father's mental well-being. How Splinter also became kind of closed off yet again after Karai's mutation (And if we're being entirely honest, I wouldn't be surprised if Splinter was a little upset with Leo during this time, which also contributed to his lack of communicating with him-) + a majority of Season 3 due to Karai's new situation. Like I brought up earlier about his upbringing, it seems like Splinter has a hard time really communicating about anything emotionally charged and would rather maintain this composed disposition than to actually confront these things and, quite honestly, cry...

He's eluded to having temperamental tendencies in the past (Like when he was trying to verbally express a lesson to Raph about managing anger in, "Turtle Temper"-), and I wouldn't be surprised if this is something that he's learned to suppress over time. Especially with the "guidance" (so to speak) of their Father, since that most likely contradicted with what he wanted for Yoshi if he were meant to be the next head of the Clan. But Yoshi's not a robot and he shouldn't have been treated like one (If any of my theory were to actually hold up-).

Reasons like this are exactly why I feel like this should have been Splinter's whole Character Arc throughout the 2012 series. How building his relationship with Saki once again would be both a literal battle and a mental / emotional battle. Shedding light on how difficult it can be to overcome emotional pain and mending relationships that you had a lot of fault in, even if you didn't mean it,,

This Character Development Arc absolutely should have started with his Sons (And Daughter, but given the events of the show, I think it would be more feasible to start with his Sons- Lmao) first and foremost. I think having some kind of epiphany through them about his relationships with those he cares about should have been the catalyst for him viewing this entire situation with Saki a completely different way. I think giving the Turtles an opportunity to be more openly honest about how they view him as a Father and how they feel he views them as his Sons would have been the best way to go about that. For Splinter to have a moment where he realizes that maybe the people that he loves and cares about in his life don't always know that he does. Maybe it's obvious to him, since it's his perspective and his actions, but it's not always obvious to them and he needs to consider that more. This should definitely cause him to make connections to his past with Tang Shen and Saki,, Realizing that there actually was some truth to Saki claiming that he doesn't care for anyone but himself. Understanding now why Tang Shen worried about whether or not he would've been a good Father to Miwa, especially in relation to his role in the Hamato Clan. This, of course, wasn't something that he wanted or meant to do, but it still happened,, And he has to face that now.

I also love how having this moment with his Sons would helped break some stigma around masculinity and the relationships that Fathers can have with their Sons. They should be allowed to be emotional together. They should be allowed to have meaningful conversations about their relationships,,

I also feel like this would have been a great way to have more of a discussion about Splinter's position as a Father, and the toll losing his first daughter and abruptly gaining four Sons had on him. I don't think anybody could cope with that very well, and I feel like that should have been reflected in his parenting and how he tackled this new family dynamic. That's honestly why I kind of enjoy the fact that Splinter isn't this "perfect Father", because why would he be? That would make no sense- He has as much growing to do as everybody else in the show- LMAO 😔👍

I think it would have been super interesting to see Yoshi and Saki interact with each other very differently throughout the series in small increments. In Season 1, during the finale, we can see Splinter try to converse with Shredder (Saki) rather than immediately jumping into combat. Again, I'm not saying this couldn't have just been a stall tactic on his end, but I like to think that maybe that was his attempt at trying to be more civil despite everything that's happened. Saki's the one hunting him down, not the other way around, you know? I would have liked to see way more interactions with Splinter and Saki where Splinter truly is just trying to talk to him and reach some kind of understanding. Naturally, this wouldn't yield any results since he hasn't done any reflecting about their positions and their past yet, so his approach would be ineffective. But after Splinter realizes the part that he's played in where they both are right now in their lives, I think he would get through to Saki a lot more. Being more willing to apologize. To understand why Saki is so upset, as opposed to before where he behaved as though he didn't understand why Saki was doing this. To admit that he didn't know about his post and Saki's Father, and he how should've tried harder to make him feel seen (Which I want to add that it would have been absolutely chef's kiss for us to see Splinter actively do more research into the Foot Caln and Hamato Clan past before approaching Saki and trying to fix things- It would truly show how much Splinter means what he's saying and that he actually cares-!) . To reaffirm to Saki that he's a human being just as much as he is, and that Saki has a right to exist without being labeled (Referring to his Foot Clan heritage-). Since Saki's predicament truly feels like the epitome of, "They labeled me a monster, so I became one.", you know?

I also think it would have been interesting for Splinter to grow to view his predicament in a positive way-! Like, if what had happened between him and Saki hadn't happened, he never would have been free from becoming the head of the Hamato Clan and he would have had to wear those metaphorical shackles for the rest of his life. In a way, Saki kind of saved him from that timeline, you know? Which obviously would be bittersweet considering the position that Saki is in currently and the fact that Tang Shen is gone now, but you know- 😭 Lmao

And from Saki's side, it would have been interesting to see him slowly give in to these attempts from Splinter to make amends and fix their relationship. Sparing him more and more despite how often he's threatening Splinter. There being a lot of hesitance in some of Saki's actions. During Season 3, when Splinter was mentally absent and reduced at a rat in the most literal sense ("Return to New York", where the second picture comes from-), what if Shredder had felt guilt and sorrow for him-? To see him in such a state was more painful than it was gratifying, you know? Imagine he took care of Splinter in secret during that time, as to avoid having a confusing and complicated conversation with his followers- It's small details like that that I think would have made all the difference.

This also makes me wish this particular moment from S4 went differently for Yoshi and Saki. For Yoshi to want to help his brother now more than ever, seeing how far he's plunged into this darkness. Saki needed someone . He needed help . He needed support and understanding and a real family .

This would've been such a great parallel to Karai as well, since she too needed help and genuine support,,

I just can't help but think about how great it would have been if Saki was allowed to change and heal alongside Yoshi. So they could be Brothers again. So Yoshi's children didn't have to be subjected to this pain and suffering through their situation anymore. They could all learn to be better from this fucked up situation, you know?

Instead of having one child, Saki can have five (As their Uncle, of course-) ! He can share so many things with them, things that he wanted to as a Father (Figure) but never could properly with Karai (Miwa) for the longest time. The Turtles and Karai can see how human Saki truly is, with Karai going through the motions alongside him given she walked his path the most and I'm sure she has her own set of insecurities that come with that. For Raph to feel the most seen by Karai and Saki in particular. To acknowledge just how much Saki's interactions with Yoshi had paralleled (And somewhat continue to parallel-) his own with Leo. For them find better ways of dealing with their emotional "sensitivity" (so to speak) but also not feel ashamed for being so emotionally intuitive either. For Saki to genuinely laugh for the first time in nearly a decade and a half because of Mikey. I bet Saki would have no problem openly gloating about Mikey's raw potential as a ninja / martial artist, perhaps being super eager to be a mentor for him ! For Donnie to have an Uncle that supports his efforts through giving him access to a top tier lab set up and genuinely showing how impressed he is at Donnie's abilities. For Donnie to have yeah another parental figure that shares in love of love / romance- I'm sure Saki would have many fond stories to share about Tang Shen,, For Yoshi and Saki to both encourage Karai and Leo's individuality and to make strong efforts to unteach any thoughts about barring burdens and heading clans (Which would apply to themselves just as much-). For Karai to have her Father and her Uncle in her life again and it not be for negative reasons. For all of them to visit Tang Shen's grave monthly,,

LIKE, HOW CAN YOU NOT WANT THIS FOR THEM?? 🗣️🗣️

Anyway, this is the conclusion of my analysis (For now anyway-) ! Thank you for reading, as always ! 😌👍✨

[laikabu]

sorry but would you be willing to elaborate on Kabru being a trans allegory? I'm trans myself + a Kabru fan but this never really occurred to me (just thought people made him trans since it's cool)

the whole thing with milsiril and all the doll imagery associated with her as symbolism of how she sees him as a doll she wants to keep and take care of is something a lot of transmascs can relate to. even though he loves her, he does NOT want to go back home to live with her again.

also him needing to mask and adapt his personality to certain people can mean a LOT of things, but you can visualize that a stealth trans guy would want to do this sort of thing for safety reasons

and to the shallower, surface level visual stuff:

he looked very feminine as a child and wore a dress. elf males can wear skirts/dresses, but you can infer that he didn’t like wearing one as you see him wearing shorts as an older child

he’s 170cm(average tallman female height) of course you can say “that doesn’t mean anything” but it’s a funny coincidence, don’t think too much about it.

okay this is just me hypothesizing through the existing text:

you can assume that elves view tallmen as inherently masculine the way dwarves see them as inherently feminine as marcille feels like the actors for the tallman adaptation of the daltian clan don’t fit elf beauty standards, so he didn’t have trouble being seen as a boy while living with milsiril

he spent four years living independently before the story starts. i’m sure he’d have access to masculinizing medicine during that time

of course, this all can be applied to other parts of his character, but there’s nothing that contradicts this headcanon. an allegory doesn’t always have to be intentional after all, but seeing how ryoko kui has made one-shot manga about unambiguously transgender/genderqueer characters, it’s really not impossible to have this reading of him.

obviously, you can still headcanon a character as trans without any “evidence” or even if it’s contradictory with their backstory, but it’s neat how all the puzzle pieces fall into place

[gardenladysworld]

Starbound Hearts

Status: I'm working on it

Pairings: Neteyam x human!f!reader

Aged up characters!

Genre/Warnings: fluff, slow burn, oblivious characters, light angst, hurt/comfort, pining

Summary: In the breathtaking, untamed beauty of Pandora, two souls from different worlds find themselves drawn together against all odds. Neteyam, the dutiful future olo'eyktan of the Omaticaya clan, is bound by the expectations of his people and the traditions of his ancestors. She, a human scientist with a love for Pandora’s wonders, sees herself as an outsider, unworthy of the connection she craves.

Tags: @nerdylawyerbanditprofessor-blog, @ratchetprime211, @poppyseed1031, @redflashoftheleaf, @nikipuppeteer

Part 13: To kiss

Part 14: To sneak

The lab was alive with the hum of machines, the glow of datapads, and the occasional chatter of the xenobotany team. But amidst the usual commotion, all eyes seemed to drift now and then toward the far corner of the room, where Neteyam crouched next to her. His large frame seemed out of place in the compact, human-scaled lab, but the way he leaned in close to her, his attention entirely focused, made it look as though he belonged there.

She looked up at him, her eyes bright with some explanation about the latest plant sample they were analyzing. He didn’t say much, but the slight tilt of his head, the way his tail lazily swayed behind him, and the soft smile tugging at his lips spoke volumes. It was as if they were having an entire conversation in their own language, one that didn’t require words.

Kate, seated a few feet away, nudged Norm with her elbow. “Look at them. I mean, seriously. You’d think they’d been mated for twenty years already.”

Norm chuckled, his gaze following hers. “And yet, somehow, it’s still kind of sweet.”

Kate smirked. “You’re just saying that because you saw their first kiss on the CCTV footage last week.”

“Okay, first of all,” Norm said, lowering his voice to a whisper, “I didn’t mean to see it. The cameras are for lab security, not spying.”

“Sure, Norm,” Kate teased, her grin widening. “And I didn’t hear you gush about how romantic it was. She’s a goner,” Kate remarked quietly, glancing at Max. “But who wouldn’t be? I mean, look at him.”

Max chuckled, his gaze softening as he watched the pair. “It’s not just her, though. He looks at her like she’s the only thing in the world that matters.”

Max leaned closer, lowering his voice. “You know Jake’s been piling work on him lately, right? Testing him like crazy. And yet, somehow, Neteyam still makes time to come here. Every day.”

Kate raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

Norm nodded, a knowing smile tugging at his lips. “Without fail. Even if he’s exhausted, he shows up. I don’t know how he does it.”

Kate glanced over again, catching the moment when she stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss to Neteyam’s cheek. His tail flicked playfully in response, brushing against her legs and making her giggle. “Okay, I’ll admit it,” Kate said with a laugh. “They’re disgustingly cute.”

The others chuckled, though none of them looked away. There was something mesmerizing about the way they moved together. If she shifted, he shifted too, his body naturally adjusting to hers as though they were two parts of a single whole. And when she laughed—soft, unguarded, and full of joy—it was clear to everyone in the room that she wasn’t just happy. She was in love.

And Neteyam? The way his golden eyes softened every time he looked at her, the way his tail flicked lazily behind him, and the way his entire frame seemed to relax in her presence said everything that needed to be said.

Kate rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress her grin. “It’s disgustingly sweet. But good for her. I mean, she got herself the literal Omaticaya prince. That’s like winning the intergalactic lottery.”

Brian leaned on his station, adding in a mock whisper, “But you can tell his title doesn’t mean anything to her. She’s so in love with him, it’s ridiculous.”

At that moment, she giggled, her laughter light and musical, as Neteyam’s tail playfully swiped against her side. She swatted at him halfheartedly, her cheeks dimpling with amusement. “Neteyam!” she scolded, her voice laced with affection.

Kate snickered. “Yup. Ridiculous.”

Norm, always the quieter observer, tilted his head as he watched Neteyam lean closer, speaking to her in a low, rumbling tone that none of them could hear. Neteyam turned slightly, crouched tightly beside her, his golden eyes never leaving her face. She tilted her head up, standing on her tiptoes again to press a quick kiss to his flat nose. He chuckled, low and deep, his hand brushing against her waist as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Kate sighed dramatically, waving a hand in the air. “All right, I’m officially done. Someone get me an insulin shot.”

Norm smirked. “Jealous, Kate?”

“Of her? Nah.” Kate’s grin widened. “But I’ll admit, it’s kind of awesome seeing them like this. She deserves it. They both do.”

Kate raised an eyebrow and turned to Max. “If this doesn’t make you believe in soulmates, I don’t know what will.”

Max grinned but stayed quiet, watching as Neteyam’s hand lingered at the side of her face. She leaned into his touch instinctively, her eyes sparkling as she gazed up at him. There was no denying it—they moved together as if tied by an invisible thread, perfectly attuned to each other in a way that felt almost otherworldly.

“She’s completely gone for him,” Norm observed quietly, his voice tinged with genuine happiness. “And you can see it’s mutual. She’s not even guarded around him anymore.”

“Yeah,” Kate agreed, her tone softer now as she watched them. “It’s nice to see her like this. I mean, we all knew she was head over heels for him, but now she’s just... glowing. She’s happy.”

“And he’s different, too,” Max added thoughtfully. “Not just the dutiful warrior anymore. He looks... at peace when he’s with her.”

As the group went back to their tasks, their teasing subsiding into fond smiles, the pair remained lost in their own little world. Neteyam reached for her hand, her much smaller fingers slotting between his effortlessly. For a moment, the noise and chaos of the lab faded, leaving only the quiet warmth they shared. And for everyone watching, it was impossible not to feel a little lighter, a little brighter, in the glow of their happiness.

The lab was hushed as the last of the team headed off to their bunks, leaving only the faint hum of machinery and the soft glow of the bioluminescent samples. Neteyam stayed close, his presence a steady warmth beside you as you focused on your datapad, scrolling through the day’s results. It was late—too late, really—but you were used to long nights.

“Come with me,” he said suddenly, his voice soft but insistent.

You blinked, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. “What?”

Neteyam crouched beside your chair, his golden eyes gleaming in the faint light. “Come with me. I want to show you something.”

You scoffed, shaking your head. “Neteyam, it’s the middle of the night. Do you know what Norm would do to me if I left the outpost? He’d lose his mind. Not to mention the forest is... well, you know, dangerous. Especially for me.”

His ears twitched, the faintest flick that betrayed his amusement. “Norm won’t know.”

“Because I’d be dead before I could tell him,” you shot back, your tone dry. You set the datapad aside and crossed your arms, giving him a pointed look.

He crouched beside you, his face level with yours, and the intensity of his expression made you falter. “You’ll be safe with me,” he assured you, his voice low but filled with conviction. “I promise.”

You sighed, leaning back in your chair and crossing your arms. “The golden child himself, encouraging reckless behavior? What would Jake say?”

His lips twitched into a faint smile, but he didn’t back down. “He doesn’t have to know.”

You gave him a pointed look, your tone light but tinged with concern. “Neteyam, you should be sleeping. You’ve been running yourself ragged, and I don’t care how much you try to hide it—I see it.”

Your words softened his smile, but he didn’t waver. Instead, he tilted his head, his ears flicking slightly downward, and his wide, pleading eyes met yours with a look that made your chest tighten. “Please,” he murmured. “It’s important.”

You groaned, running a hand through your hair. “You’re a monster,” you muttered, but the warmth in your voice betrayed your affection. “Fine. Let me grab my mask.”

His face lit up, and the flick of his tail behind him made you laugh despite yourself. You followed him out of the lab toward the airgate, muttering under your breath about how you must have lost your mind, but there was no real resistance in your steps. You grabbed your exo-mask from the wall and secure it on your head. The hissing of the compressed air relaed you slightly before you waited the airgate to open. You found yourself drawn to his excitement, even if you couldn’t fully understand what had him so eager.

“If I die, Norm is going to kill you. We are understaffed.”

“I’d like to see him try,” Neteyam teased, his tail swishing behind him as he led the way through the dimly lit outpost.

You reached the edge of the clearing where his ikran waited, its sleek, powerful form glowing faintly in the bioluminescent light of the forest. The sky above was thick with clouds, the faint rumble of distant thunder hinting at rain later. You paused, looking up at the looming sky with an uneasy expression.

“This feels like the setup to a bad horror movie,” you said, glancing at him. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

Neteyam chuckled, his voice warm and reassuring. “You worry too much.”

He extended his hand to you, his smile softening as he added, “Trust me.”

You hesitated for a moment, looking at the outstretched hand, then at his ikran, and finally back at his face. His earnest expression, the way his golden eyes searched yours with quiet confidence, was impossible to resist. With a sigh, you placed your hand in his.

“I must be insane,” you muttered as he helped you onto his ikran, his steady hands guiding you with care.

“You’ll see,” he said as he climbed up behind you, his arms securing you safely in place pulling you closer to his chest. “It’ll be worth it.”

You paused, glancing up at the dark sky. “You’re aware it’s probably going to rain, right? This feels less like a romantic adventure and more like a guaranteed soaking.”

Neteyam laughed softly, his hand resting on Tawkami’s neck as he reached behind himself to grab his kuru. “A little rain won’t hurt,” he said, his voice light with amusement as he made the bond with his ikran. “Besides, you trust me, don’t you?”

You sighed dramatically, though your smile lingered. “Unfortunately for my better judgment, I do.”

As you took off into the night, the wind rushing past you and the forest stretching out below, you couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and unease. Whatever he wanted to show you, you hoped it was as important as he seemed to think it was.

The cool wind would whipped against your face harshly if you wouldn’t wear the mask as the ikran soared through the darkened sky, its wings slicing through the clouds with a quiet power that left you in awe. You clung to Neteyam, your arms wrapped tightly around his arm, your heart thundering as the dense forest below blurred into an endless expanse of glowing greens and blues. The faint rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, a reminder of the coming storm.

You had no idea where he was taking you, and despite the comfort of his warmth against your back, unease prickled at the edges of your thoughts. Why did I agree to this? The forest was dangerous enough during the day, let alone at night, and the storm on the horizon didn’t help ease your nerves. But then you’d think of the way his eyes had silently begged you to follow him, the quiet desperation in his voice when he’d asked you to trust him, and you couldn’t bring yourself to say no.

His ikran let out a soft screech, tilting slightly as Neteyam adjusted its path. The wind grew colder, and you glanced overthe ikran’s shoulder, your breath catching as you spotted the faint glow of something ahead. As the ikran descended, the sight became clearer, and your unease melted into awe.

The Tree of Voice.

Even in your studies, you’d heard of this place—one of the most sacred site of the Omaticaya, the heart of Eywa’s connection to Pandora. Few humans had ever seen it, their stories now no more than whispered memories. But here it was, glowing softly against the darkness like a beacon, its long pink tendrils swaying gently in the breeze.

The ikran landed smoothly, its talons gripping the soft earth near the base of one of the smaller trees. Neteyam dismounted first, his movements fluid and precise as always, before turning to help you down. His hands were strong and steady as they guided you to the ground, your boots sinking slightly into the mossy soil. The air here was electric, charged not only by the approaching storm but by something deeper, something alive.

You turned in a slow circle, taking in the sight around you. The remains of the larger trees, destroyed long ago by the RDA, still stood as solemn reminders of that dark time, their trunks hollowed and charred. The war was 20 years ago. But nature had fought back. Around those lifeless husks, smaller trees had sprung up, their glowing tendrils dancing in the wind, pulsing softly with life. It was as if Eywa herself had ensured this sacred place was reborn, stronger than ever.

“It’s... incredible,” you murmured, unable to find words that did justice to what you were seeing. “Neteyam,” you whispered, your voice barely audible above the wind. “I shouldn’t—”

He cut you off with a gentle look and reached for one of the glowing tendrils, his fingers brushing it with reverence. The tendril responded to his touch, its movement graceful and alive. He glanced back at you, his golden eyes soft and thoughtful. “It is said to be a place for prayers to be heard,” he said, his voice quieter now, as if speaking louder would disturb the sacredness of the moment. “And sometimes... answered.”

You watched, transfixed, as he brought his neural queue forward. The strands of his kuru intertwined with the tendril, the connection seamless and natural. His eyes fluttered closed, his expression softening as if he were listening to a song only he could hear.

“They live within Eywa,” he murmured, the words carrying a depth of meaning that made your chest tighten.

You couldn’t take your eyes off him. The way the soft light of the tree illuminated his features, the serenity in his expression—it was like you were seeing a part of him you hadn’t fully known before. When he opened his eyes and looked at you again, a small smile tugged at your lips.

This is sacred to him. And he’s sharing it with me.

Without thinking, you reached out to one of the tendrils, your hand trembling slightly. Can I? Should I? The glowing pink strand seemed to move on its own, its gentle sway aligning with your hesitant motion. When your palm made contact, a jolt of warmth pulsed through you, startling but not unpleasant. The tendril pulsed faintly under your hand, alive and vibrant, and for a moment, you forgot to breathe.

“It’s alive,” you whispered, your voice filled with awe. You smiled, unable to help yourself, as you watched the tendril respond to your touch. No, you couldn’t connect with the ancestors like the Na’vi, but you could feel the vitality of this place, its sacredness. You glanced back at Neteyam, who was watching you now, his golden eyes filled with something you couldn’t quite name.

Neteyam opened his eyes, his gaze immediately finding you. The warmth in his expression made your heart race, and you couldn’t help but feel that this moment was something rare, something you would never forget.

Neteyam’s heart swelled as he watched you standing beneath the glowing tendrils of the Tree of Voices. The bioluminescent light bathed you in soft pink hues, reflecting in your eyes as you gazed in awe at the sacred place. He’d dreamt of this moment, of sharing this part of himself with you, and now that it was happening, it felt more profound than he’d imagined.

Bringing you here wasn’t a decision he had made lightly. This place was the heart of his people, the connection to their ancestors and Eywa herself. It was sacred, almost untouchable, and to bring a human here was unthinkable to many—including his own mother. But to him, you weren’t just a human. You were his. His heart, his balance, his anchor in a life that sometimes felt overwhelming.

As he stood there, the wind tugging at his braids, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride and gratitude that you were here with him.

“You’re beautiful in this light,” he said softly, breaking the silence between you. His voice carried easily in the stillness, and he saw the way your cheeks flushed faintly at his words.

You smiled, glancing at him. “I think you’re the one who fits here, Neteyam. Not me. This place feels... too sacred for someone like me.”

He looked at you as if you were the most precious thing in the world, and you couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in his mind.

“Neteyam,” you said softly, breaking the silence. The wind played with your hair, carrying your voice to him. “Why did you bring me here? Really?”

For a moment, he didn’t respond. His gaze shifted to the glowing tendrils swaying in the breeze, and his jaw tightened as if he were searching for the right words. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet but steady, laced with something that sounded almost like reverence.

“I heard you,” he said, his gaze flicking back to you. “A few days ago. With Kate.”

Your brows furrowed in confusion, and you tilted your head slightly. “You heard me?” you repeated, unsure of where this was going.

He nodded, his ears flicking slightly downward in a gesture of vulnerability. “You said... you said you would never truly be a part of Pandora. That you could never fully understand this place. That no matter how long you lived here, it wouldn’t matter.”

Oh. The memory rushed back to you, unbidden. You and Kate had been joking—lighthearted banter about how Pandora seemed to resist human understanding when someone doing their job, how even the most advanced research couldn’t capture the soul of the planet. But the weight in Neteyam’s voice told you he hadn’t taken it as a joke.

You opened your mouth to explain, but he held up a hand, stopping you. His expression was calm, but there was a fire in his eyes that made your heart race.

“You’re wrong,” he said, his voice firmer now. “Pandora isn’t about understanding. It’s about feeling. About connection. And you—” He paused, his jaw tightening briefly before he continued. “You are a part of this place. Whether you see it or not.”

Realization dawned on you, and your chest tightened with a mix of guilt and defensiveness. “Neteyam, that was just... I didn’t mean it seriously. We were joking.”

But his expression didn’t change. His ears twitched slightly, and his tail flicked once behind him—a sign, you’d learned, of quiet determination. “You may have been joking,” he said softly, “but I don’t think you believed it was entirely untrue.”

You opened your mouth to protest, but the words caught in your throat. He was right, in a way. There was a part of you that had always felt out of place here, like you were borrowing space in a world that didn’t belong to you. A world that, no matter how much you learned or loved it, might never fully accept you.

“I brought you here because I want you to see something,” he continued, his voice quiet but steady. “This place... it is the heart of my people. It is where we come to pray, to ask for guidance, to feel Eywa’s presence. And it is where I came before I met you. I prayed to Eywa to show me my path, to help me become the leader my father expects me to be.”

You tilted your head, your mask glinted in the light of the bioluminescent tendrils, curiosity replacing some of your unease. “Before you met me?”

Neteyam nodded, his gaze distant for a moment as if he were looking back on a memory. “It was a time when I was lost, unsure of the path ahead. I came here to ask Eywa for guidance—for a sign of what my life was meant to be. And then... I met you.”

The weight of his words settled over you like a warm blanket, and your breath hitched. “Neteyam...” you whispered, but he shook his head gently, urging you to let him finish.

“I didn’t understand it at first,” he admitted, his eyes locking onto yours. “Why Eywa would place someone like you—someone so different, so human—on my path. But the more I came to know you, the more I realized that it was not a mistake. It was her will.”

You blinked up at him, your heart racing as he continued. “From the moment I met you, you have been a part of this world. Not because of where you were born or what body you were given, but because of what’s here.” He crouched down before your, reached out and pressing a big hand gently over your heart. “Because of the way you see things. The way you care, the way you listen.”

His hand lingered, warm and steady, before he let it fall back to his side. “Eywa does not make mistakes,” he said quietly, his voice carrying a reverence that sent a shiver down your spine. “She brought you here. To me. That is all the proof I need.”

You stared at him, your breath caught in your throat. The weight of his words, the raw honesty in his gaze, left you speechless. He truly believed it—that Eywa, the great life force of Pandora, had guided you into his life. That you were meant to be here, with him. The thought was overwhelming, humbling, and impossibly beautiful.

The depth of his words, the raw vulnerability in his gaze, left you speechless. You searched his face, looking for any hint of doubt, but there was none. He truly believed every word he had said.

“I never thought...” you began, but your voice broke, and you shook your head, trying to find the right words. “I never thought someone like you—someone so deeply connected to this world—could see me as anything more than... an intruder.”

“You are not an intruder,” he said firmly, his hand tightening slightly on your cheek. “You are a gift. I didn’t bring you here just to show you this place,” he continued, his voice softening. “I brought you here because this is where everything began for me. This is where I asked for guidance, and this is where I realized that you... you are my answer.”

His movements slow and deliberate, as though he were afraid of breaking the moment. His large hands found your arms gently, his touch grounding you as he brought his forehead to your mask. Overwhelmed by the closeness, the intimacy of the gesture, you closed your eyes.

“You are my prayer answered,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “You are the peace I didn’t know I was searching for.”

Your hands trembled as they rose to his shoulders, gripping him tightly as though to anchor yourself. Tears slipped down your cheeks, but you didn’t care. The wind whipped around you, the storm drawing closer, but in that moment, the world felt still, as though it were holding its breath for the two of you.

“Neteyam,” you whispered, your voice trembling. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Say nothing,” he murmured, his voice soothing. “Just stay here, with me.”

The wind stirred gently around you, carrying with it the faint hum of life emanating from the Tree of Voices. Your masked head remained pressed against Neteyam’s, his warmth grounding - even through the thin glass-  you as his words echoed in your mind, a profound declaration that left your heart aching in the best way. His hands rested lightly on your arms, his thumbs brushing soothing circles against your skin.

Your eyes remained closed, tears drying against your cheeks as you let yourself be present in the moment, his presence filling you with a sense of peace you’d never known.

When Neteyam opened his eyes, intending to take in your face, his breath caught. His golden gaze widened in shock, his entire frame stiffening as his focus shifted over your head.

“Eywa,” he whispered, the word reverent and filled with awe.

“What?” you murmured, your eyes fluttering open at the sound of his voice. You pulled back slightly, confused by the look of utter wonder on his face.

Neteyam didn’t respond immediately. Instead, his gaze remained fixed on the small, glowing spirit drifting gracefully through the air toward you. An atokirina—one of Eywa’s seeds, a sign of the Great Mother’s favor. The luminous tendrils of the seed pulsed faintly as it floated closer, glowing softly against the darkened backdrop of the sacred grove.

You froze, your breath catching in your throat as the atokirina descended. It hovered for a moment before settling lightly against your head, its tendrils brushing your hair with a gentle, otherworldly touch.

Neteyam’s lips parted, his ears twitching as his tail gave a subtle flick of astonishment. “I knew it,” he murmured, his voice a blend of awe and quiet conviction. His golden eyes burned with emotion as they met yours, his expression a mixture of pride, reverence, and love. “I knew Eywa brought you to me.”

Your heart thundered in your chest, overwhelmed by the weight of his words and the sight of the sacred seed resting against you. You lifted a trembling hand toward the atokirina, though you didn’t dare touch it, afraid to disturb the delicate moment. It lingered for a few heartbeats longer before floating upward, its tendrils swaying in the breeze as it rejoined the others dancing around the Tree of Voices.

“Neteyam,” you began, your voice trembling with disbelief. “What... what does this mean?”

He cupped your head gently, his touch firm yet tender as his thumbs brushed your temples just right behind the mask. “It means,” he said softly, his golden eyes boring into yours with an intensity that left you breathless, “that you are not just mine by chance. You are mine because Eywa willed it. She brought you to me for a reason.”

You couldn’t speak, the weight of his words and the sacredness of the moment rendering you silent.

“I’ve always believed it,” he whispered, his voice rough with emotion. “But now I know, without a doubt, that you are meant to be with me. Eywa has seen your heart, your spirit... and she accepts you.”

Your hands clutched his arms, seeking stability as your knees threatened to give out. “Neteyam,” you managed, your voice breaking. “I don’t know how to... I’m just—”

“You are enough,” he interrupted gently, his tone firm yet soothing. “You have always been enough.”

The wind shifted again, stronger this time as the impending storm drew nearer, but neither of you moved. The sacred grove seemed to pulse with life around you, as though the forest itself was acknowledging the connection between you.

And in that moment, standing in the heart of Eywa’s blessing, you felt it too—you belonged here, with him.

The first drops of rain fell like tiny cold pinpricks, pattering against the leaves and the glowing tendrils of the Tree of Voices. You tilted your head upward, squinting at the darkened sky as the rain intensified into a steady downpour. Within moments, the world blurred around you, the heavy rain making everything seem like a hazy dream.

You couldn’t help but laugh, a soft, breathless sound that bubbled out despite the chill settling in. “I told you so,” you teased, brushing wet strands of hair out of your mask’s glass. The rain plastered your clothes to your body, the chill seeping into your skin, but the exhilaration of the moment kept you from caring too much.

Neteyam, soaked and unbothered, stood beside you, his hair clinging to his face, droplets catching on his bioluminescent freckles. He looked at you with a mix of amusement and exasperation before glancing at his restless ikran. The storm, with its rolling thunder and flashing lightning, made the creature uneasy, its wings flexing as it let out a low, nervous chirp.

“We can’t fly in this,” Neteyam said, his voice steady despite the weather. “It’s too dangerous.”

You nodded, glancing at the dark sky and the flashes of lightning in the distance. The wind whipped around you, pulling at your damp clothes and making you shiver. “So, what’s the plan?” you asked, wrapping your arms around yourself for warmth.

Neteyam tilted his head, his golden eyes scanning the forest as the rain poured down harder. “There’s a hunter’s hut nearby,” he said after a moment. “We’ll wait out the storm there.”

Before you could protest, he was already helping you onto his ikran. The creature’s discomfort was evident as it shifted and chirped uneasily, but it took off smoothly under Neteyam’s guidance after the bond, its powerful wings cutting through the rain-soaked air.

The flight was short but tense, the storm intensifying around you. Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the forest below in sharp flashes. The rain stung your skin, and you clung to Neteyam’s arm, trusting him to guide you through the chaos. Finally, the ikran swooped down toward a sturdy tree where a small hut was built high above the ground. It was simple but well-constructed, designed to offer shelter for hunters caught in bad weather.

Once you were safely inside, you collapsed onto the woven floor, panting and dripping wet. The rain hammered against the roof, the sound a constant, soothing rhythm despite the storm raging outside. Neteyam secured the hut’s door and knelt by the small fire pit in the center, quickly lighting it to bring some warmth to the chilly air.

You turned to him, your clothes dripping water onto the wooden floor as you crossed your arms and gave him a pointed look but after a few moment you rached up just to wipe the glass of your mask. “I hope you’re happy,” you said, a teasing edge to your tone. “This is officially my last night alive, and I’m spending it with you.”

Neteyam arched a brow, clearly amused despite the storm raging outside. “Your last night alive?” he repeated, his voice warm and soft with mock offense.

“Yes,” you said with dramatic flair, stepping closer to him as you wrung water from your sleeves. “Because when I get back to the outpost, Norm is going to skin me alive for being out here in the middle of the night. He’ll probably hang my remains in the lab as a warning to others.”

Neteyam chuckled, his tail flicking slightly as he reached out to tuck a damp strand of hair behind your ear. “Then I’ll just have to make sure you don’t regret spending your last night with me.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at your lips. The storm continued to howl outside, but in the quiet safety of the hut, his presence made it feel like nothing else mattered.

The fire crackled softly in the center of the small hunter’s hut, casting flickering shadows on the woven walls as rain lashed against the roof. You sat close to it, trembling slightly, your soaked clothes clinging uncomfortably to your skin. The chill had seeped into your bones, making it impossible to stop shivering.

Without much thought, you reached for the hem of your shirt and tugged it over your head, tossing the wet fabric aside. Your pants followed, leaving you in nothing but your underwear.

You didn’t realize what you’d done until you looked up and caught Neteyam’s gaze. He was staring at you, his golden eyes wide and unblinking, his expression unreadable. Heat rushed to your cheeks, and suddenly, you felt unbearably self-conscious. Wrapping your arms around yourself, you grabbed the crumpled woven blanket from the floor and quickly draped it over your shoulders, pulling it tightly around your body like a shield.

“How do you not freeze?” you asked, squinting at him through the dim firelight, your voice more accusatory than you intended. He was still soaking wet, his inky braids dripping onto his broad shoulders, and yet he didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. Like most Na’vi, he only wore a loincloth, his blue skin slick with rainwater, but he looked completely unaffected by the chill.

Neteyam tilted his head, a small, amused smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Our bodies are different,” he said simply, his voice low and calm, though there was a flicker of warmth in his eyes that made your cheeks burn even more. “We’re used to this.”

You huffed, clutching the blanket tighter around yourself. “Well, I’m not,” you muttered, shivering despite the fire’s heat.

Neteyam’s smile widened, and he extended a hand, his long fingers curling slightly in a beckoning gesture. “Come here,” he said softly, his voice carrying an unmistakable note of warmth and invitation.

You hesitated, your grip on the blanket tightening. “I’m fine,” you said quickly, though your chattering teeth betrayed you.

“Come here,” he repeated, more firmly this time, his golden eyes steady and patient as they held yours. There was no judgment in his gaze, no teasing—just quiet concern and an unspoken promise of warmth. “You’ll be warmer.”

Reluctantly, you shuffled closer to him, dragging the blanket with you. As you reached him, he uncrossed his legs slightly, creating space for you to sit between them. You settled hesitantly, tucking the blanket around yourself as you leaned against him.

The moment your back pressed against his chest, you felt his warmth envelop you like a cocoon. He was like a furnace, his body radiating heat that seeped into your chilled skin almost immediately. You let out a soft, involuntary sigh as the tension in your muscles began to melt away, your shivering subsiding. His arms came around you instinctively, his large hands resting lightly on your hips as he pulled you closer, and you felt his chin rest gently against the top of your still wet head.

“Better?” he asked, his voice a low rumble against your ear.

You nodded, your eyes fluttering shut as you let yourself relax against him. “You’re not just warm,” you mumbled, your voice muffled against the blanket. “You’re unfairly warm. It’s not natural.”

Neteyam chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through his chest and into your back. “Unnatural?” he teased, his hands smoothing over the blanket covering you. “Or just lucky for you?”

You smiled despite yourself, nuzzling closer to him. “Lucky, I guess,” you murmured, your voice barely above a whisper.

For a while, neither of you spoke. The storm continued to rage outside, the rain lashing against the hut and the wind howling through the trees, but it all felt distant now. All you could focus on was the steady rise and fall of Neteyam’s chest behind you, the rhythmic thrum of his heartbeat against your back, and the way his arms held you so securely, as though he never wanted to let you go.

"Even when I won’t see the sunset anymore,” you said dramatically, your voice muffled as you nuzzled into his chest. “Because Norm will make me so dead.”

Neteyam tilted his head to look down at you, his golden eyes shimmering with amusement. “Norm wouldn’t dare,” he said, a playful edge to his tone. “I’d stop him.”

You laughed, the sound light and sweet, filling the small space of the hunter’s hut. “Oh, sure. But I bet Jake will lecture you into the next week. So, even just for a tiny bit, we’ll be even. Perfectly balanced,” you added with a smirk, “as all things should be.”

His smile widened, and he shook his head slightly, his braids shifting with the movement. “I’d take a thousand lectures from my father if it means spending a night like this with you.”

The sincerity in his voice caught you off guard, and for a moment, your teasing expression softened. You reached up, your fingers brushing lightly against his jaw, tracing the strong line of it before letting your hand rest on his shoulder.

“Well, aren’t you just the sweetest thing?” you said with a small, shy smile. But your tone was soft now, lacking its usual teasing bite, and your gaze lingered on his face for a moment longer than usual.

Neteyam’s eyes flicked to yours, his expression tender, and he leaned down to press his forehead gently against your mask. “I mean it,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble. “Every moment with you is worth it.”

You felt your cheeks heat under his gaze, and you broke eye contact, nuzzling into his chest to hide your flustered expression. Absentmindedly, you reached for the blanket draped over you and pulled it up higher, tucking it around his broad shoulders as well as your own.

“You’re impossible,” you muttered, your voice wavering. “Completely unfair.”

Neteyam’s arms tightened around you, his tail giving a lazy flick behind him. “Unfair?” he echoed, a smile tugging at his lips. “And yet, you’re the one making my heart race like this.”

You let out a quiet laugh, shaking your head. “Stop being so smooth,” you said lightly, though the warmth in your voice betrayed the affection behind the words. You tilted your head up slightly, your mask brushing against his collarbone as you glanced up at him with a soft, playful smile.

He chuckled, his breath warm against your hair, and pressed a kiss to your temple. “Never,” he whispered, holding you close as the storm raged on outside, the world beyond the hut feeling far, far away.

As you rested your head against his chest once more, your fingers tracing lazy patterns over the blanket, you couldn’t help but think that, no matter how angry Norm might be—or how long Jake’s inevitable lecture might last—this moment was worth it. Every second of it.

Part 15: To linger

[mixelation]

I feel like the opinion on itatori varies a lot. People who don't really know Itachi outside of reputation and have never met Tori are just like "oh, the genin teammate romance, tale as old as time very romantic" and don't think much more of it. There are quite possibly thinly veiled rpf novels about it? Whereas yeah Itachi's ANBU team is kind of like "wait so she already KNEW you. and she was still like 'more!'???". I feel like the perspective of the people who know Tori through R&D but don't know Itachi is interesting. She has her loyal minions who are like yes my great boss deserves a hot rich bf but I hope this romance does not take her out of the lab. But people who like her less or at least don't work for her are like. Wow, The Genin Teammate Effect is REALLY powerful, huh. The Uchiha are kind of like, whyyy. But also like well. Who else can put up with him. But they have too much clan pride to say that to non uchiha.

ALL VERY GOOD POINTS

i think i need to rotate WTF is going on in R&D a bit because

i think kushina and deidara are both technically part of it? or some sort of adjacent thing? kushina is head of fuinjutsu, but i think this is probably either a very new, very tiny department, or else she's technically a branch of R&D that gets her own office in hokage tower because she's sleeping with the boss. deidara has a similar albeit more junior vibe where minato is like "oh yeah, please develop your insane jutsu as much as you want," and deidara gets funding/resources via an R&D mechanism. deidara probably does his best to stay clear of the research side of things, so idk if the core of R&D knows that much about him. kushina probably has to consult a lot

i've been debating the approach to the Orochimaru Thing and what i go for in most AUs is: orochimaru going missing-nin resulted in a lot of trust in research being diminished and a lot of people he trained being sanctioned/investigated. it's been like ~10 years when tori joins, so the department is running properly again, but there's a definite shadow. minato decides to keep her being from oto pretty hush-hush but it's not hard to figure out if you decide to actively investigate tori, so she probably occasionally runs into weird problems

i do want to have a whole ongoing Arc about tori learning to be a competent leader but i'm not sure what the timescale is. i think right now i have it: tori gets some sort of minor leadership position in r&d. having some sort of power exacerbates the issue where she sees any sort of hierarchy as a challenge rather than a social framework she should respect (AKA she can fuck shut up more easily and with greater consequence). minato goes "for FUCK'S sake, tori" and demotes her. tori's sudden absence makes a small number of people go "wait but,, we want her back,," also during her demotion a bunch fo shit hits the fan which are meant to narratively solidify her as coming into her own as a ninja, including learning hiraishin, the wave arc, and the konoha chunin exams. so now multiple people are like: tori what if you.... what if you worked on like. being an ACTUAL leader?

and then there's some road bumps but R&D comes around to her!!! i think her trajectory is becoming head of R&D at some point

but anyway she starts dating itachi BEFORE her demotion. however i'm not sure when it actually becomes public knowledge, despite their best efforts. in my mind they're on and off a bit for a while because they both think it's a temporary thing while itachi figures out a solution.

so itatori is just like. a thing. for most of her rise through the ranks of R&D. so im not sure how that would shape opinions?

tori at the department party: oh yeah, and this is my loser boyfriend her coworker:

[netexyy]

Part 2 || Wrong universe, right guy

 ⁠ﾐ⁠ what happens when you suddenly wake up in the Pandora instead of your usual bed on the earth after reading 10+ ff of neteyam? Obviously something very weird but interesting, right?

Neteyam x reader

Word count: 3.7k

Summary: after staying up all night reading Avatar: The Way of Water fanfics, Y/N wakes up as a female Na'vi in Pandora and realizes she's somehow become part of the world she obsessed over.

Author note: it's next part bbs, check out part 1 to make out some sense. I'm not satisfied with this one, kinda really hate it , but i will make sure to improve my stories and writings in the future. Enjoy!

( hope there's no major mistakes, i don't have energy to reread again 😭)

Part 1

~~~

You should have been sleeping.

Instead, you sat by a glowing tree root like the dramatic protagonist you were, hugging your knees and trying not to cry over the fact that you were now a giant alien stuck in your favorite movie.

The forest pulsed around you—green, humming, a little too real.

You’d just spent the entire day pretending you were totally from a "legit" clan.

Neteyam hadn’t said much about it, but you could tell by the way he looked at you—curious, thoughtful, like he was trying to do a background check in his head—that he wasn’t buying it.

Then again, he didn’t not believe you. Yet.

“Can’t sleep?”

You turned. Neteyam was stepping softly through the roots, light casting a gentle glow on his shoulders. Of course he looked flawless in the dark. Of course.

You coughed and quickly wiped your face, trying to act casual. “Nah. Just… night owl things.”

“Night… owl?” he echoed.

Crap. “It’s a—uh—a creature from my clan’s forest. It stays up late. Hoots a lot. Kind of annoying.”

Neteyam gave a soft laugh and sat down beside you. Not too close. Just enough to make your heartbeat annoying.

“I haven’t heard of the coastal before,” he said calmly, like he was trying to be polite but couldn’t help investigating.

You forced a smile. “Yeah, we’re pretty… private. Very remote. Our whole thing is, like, secrecy and weird trees.”

His brow quirked. “Weird trees.”

You nodded. “Like bendy ones. And we don’t talk much to outsiders. It’s our vibe.”

He seemed amused, but didn’t call you out on it.

Instead, he said, “You’re different.”

Your stomach flipped. “Is that… bad?”

He shook his head. “No. Just rare.”

That shouldn’t have made your face feel like it was on fire. But it did.

You looked away and muttered, “You’re nice. Too nice.”

Neteyam tilted his head. “You say that like it’s a flaw.”

“It is,” you said, kicking a glowing leaf. “Where I come from, people like you get taken advantage of.”

There was a long pause. Then, quietly, “Then I’m glad I don’t come from there.”

You turned to look at him. His eyes were fixed on the tree roots ahead, golden and soft.

“I’m not dumb,” he said. “I know something’s off. But… you don’t feel like a threat. You feel like someone who’s lost.”

You didn’t answer. Couldn’t.

He glanced sideways. “You don’t have to explain. Just… be careful. My father might not be so trusting.”

Your throat felt tight. “Thanks.”

Another pause. Then, softly, “If you ever want to talk about… whatever it is, I’ll listen.”

You smiled, a little broken, a little grateful. “You really are too nice.”

He stood up and offered his hand. “Come back before someone thinks you wandered off and got eaten by a viperwolf.”

You took it, heart thudding as his fingers closed around yours.

“I’m not scared of viperwolves,” you lied.

“Good,” he said. “Because one’s been following you for half an hour.”

You nearly shrieked before you caught the grin tugging at his mouth.

“Oh my God—you suck.”

---

The next morning, Lo’ak dragged you into a game of don’t fall out of the tree, which you lost within five minutes.

“Do you guys just casually live thirty feet above the ground?” you groaned, hanging upside-down in a vine net after slipping off a branch.

Spider leaned over from another platform. “Welcome to Pandora. We fall with style.”

Kiri was trying to get you to identify which berries were edible.

“Okay,” she said, holding up two nearly identical fruits. “One of these tastes like honey. The other will make you hallucinate and forget how to breathe.”

You stared at them. “Why do you know this and still ask me?”

“For science.”

Lo’ak walked by, smirking. “Eat the wrong one and you might finally tell the truth about where you’re really from.”

You stuck your tongue out at him.

Kiri shrugged and tossed you the safe berry. “He’s not wrong. You’re like, hilariously suspicious.”

“I’m mysterious,” you corrected. “It’s different.”

Spider added, “You mutter weird things to yourself. Like ‘bro is literally canon’ and ‘oh my God he’s hot in person.’”

You choked. “I—THAT—no I don’t.”

They all gave you the same look.

Even Neteyam, who had just landed on the platform above.

You buried your face in your hands. “I want to die.”

---

Later, Neteyam found you sulking near a thick vine wall where the light filtered through like stained glass. You were doodling with a stick in the dirt, thinking about how much easier this all sounded in fanfic.

He sat beside you again. Quiet, steady.

“You’re not doing too bad,” he said.

You snorted. “I’ve fallen out of a tree, insulted a sacred plant by accident, and forgot how to drink from a leaf cup.”

“You only dropped it once,” he said, lips twitching. “That’s impressive for a foreigner.”

You looked up at him, frustrated. “Why are you being so nice to me? You don’t even know if I’m lying to you.”

Neteyam leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“Because you try,” he said. “You keep trying even though you’re terrible at blending in.”

“...Wow. Thanks.”

He smiled. “I meant that as a compliment.”

You rolled your eyes. “You have weird taste in people.”

“Maybe.” He glanced at you. “But you’re not boring.”

You were about to say something flirty and dumb when he added, “ you are come with me tonight, right? As we agreed”

You blinked. “of course I'm coming, i wouldn't dare to back off ?”

“Good, because i want to show you something.”

---

That night

He led you through a narrow vine path, up toward a high branch where the entire forest opened below like a sea of light. The trees glowed. The stars sparkled above.

And in the center of a small grove, a glowing tree with silver leaves shimmered in the wind.

You gasped.

“This place…” you whispered.

“It’s where I come when I need to think,” he said. “Or just… breathe.”

You stepped forward, awestruck. “It’s beautiful.”

He looked at you, not the tree. “It is.”

You stared up at the stars for a while, then said softly, “Sometimes I think I dreamed all of this. Like I’ll blink and wake up back where I don’t belong.”

Neteyam’s voice was gentle. “And where do you belong?”

You swallowed. “That’s the problem. I don’t know anymore.”

He stepped closer, not touching you, but near enough to feel the heat off his skin.

“If this is a dream,” he said, “I don’t want it to end.”

You looked at him. Really looked at him.

And for the first time since arriving, you forgot to be scared.

---

The night air was warm against your skin. You stood in Neteyam’s secret place, the glowing leaves of the sacred tree brushing your shoulders, and for a second, everything felt still.

Like maybe this was real.

Like maybe you belonged here.

Like maybe—just maybe—he was looking at you the way you always dreamed he would.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Neteyam said, quiet but certain.

You turned your head. “Even if I’m a total weirdo with a fake backstory and suspicious knowledge of your family?”

He laughed softly. “Especially because of that.”

Your chest did that dangerous flutter again.

Then—

The air shifted.

A flicker.

You blinked.

And for a split second, everything glitched.

The light of the tree dimmed. The stars warped. Neteyam’s figure wavered like bad reception. You blinked again, harder this time.

“...Did you see that?” you whispered.

Neteyam frowned. “See what?”

You stared at him. His edges had smoothed out again, like whatever just happened hadn’t touched him.

But you—your body felt wrong.

Unstable.

Fading.

Your hands trembled as you looked down—your fingers blinked in and out, just briefly, but it was enough to send panic crawling up your spine.

“No. No no no—” you muttered.

“Y/N?” Neteyam’s voice dropped, sharp with concern. “What’s happening?”

He stepped toward you.

You backed up, trying not to lose it. “I think—I think I’m waking up.”

His brow furrowed. “What does that mean?”

You swallowed hard, tears prickling the corners of your eyes. “I’m not from another clan. Not really. I lied.”

Silence.

“I’m not even from this world.”

His expression didn’t shift.

You laughed bitterly. “You think I’m crazy.”

“I’m listening,” he said firmly. “Tell me.”

You sat down on a root before your knees gave out. “I come from a place where all of this—Pandora, the Na’vi, you—it’s fiction. A story. A movie.”

His eyes narrowed. “A what?”

“I don’t know how I got here,” you rushed on. “I was reading fanfics—stories people made up about you—and then I fell asleep and woke up like this.”

You gestured at your tall, blue body like it personally offended you.

Neteyam didn’t move for a long moment.

Then he knelt beside you, voice cautious. “So you’re not really Na’vi.”

“Nope.”

“You don’t know how you got this body.”

“No clue.”

“And yet you’ve been here… living with us. Lying.”

“I didn’t mean to!” you snapped, then softened. “I was scared. You all meant so much to me. I couldn’t ruin it.”

He stared at you, unreadable.

You whispered, “I didn’t want to lose this.”

Another flicker.

This time, Neteyam did see it—your face blurred for a second, like static through glass.

His eyes widened. “You’re—fading.”

“I think I’m waking up,” you said again, voice cracking. “I think this dream is ending.”

He reached forward and grabbed your hand. “No.”

You blinked at him.

“You said this is just a story where you’re from,” he said. “But I’m real. Right now. You feel real to me.”

“I don’t want to go back,” you said, chest tight. “Back there, I’m just some ordinary girl obsessing over people who don’t even exist.”

He squeezed your hand. “You exist here.”

You met his eyes—and he was looking at you like you were something more than a glitch. Like you mattered. Like this wasn’t a dream.

“You make me feel seen,” he said. “Not as the perfect warrior, or the oldest son. Just… as me.”

Tears slipped down your cheeks. You didn’t even try to stop them.

“But if this is ending,” you whispered, “I want to say goodbye the right way.”

Neteyam leaned forward, his forehead brushing yours.

Then he kissed you.

Soft. Warm. Like leaves rustling in the wind. His hand cupped your cheek, anchoring you as the world began to tremble.

And when he pulled back, his voice broke.

“You were never just a dream.”

Then everything went white.

Next part

---

[belit0]

Indra family

But make it modern au

Any ideas? Will Indra be a ceo of a company? Or straight up mafia boss lol

Is Ivy a nurse? Doctor? Or she owns a bakery? Kwkdkskdk I'm curious

In fact: yes, and it's something I worked on a long time ago.

And right now I'm going to remove from my masterlist to rebuild it completely ajhdkajshdas

This is not only Indra, this is the whole Uchiha clan, Mafia AU

The Inner Circle (leader, right hand, left hand).

The air inside Indra’s office is thick with the scent of aged whiskey and the faint trace of cigars, though only his is lit. A single dim lamp casts elongated shadows against the mahogany walls, making the room feel even heavier. Stacks of documents and ledgers lay open on the table, pages marked with numbers, names.

Silent warnings.

Indra leans back in his chair, playing with a lighter as he exhales the smoke from his cigar, his eyes scaning over the latest financial report.

Across from him, Madara sits with his usual composure, one arm resting lazily over the back of the leather couch, gaze sharp and unreadable.

Izuna, leaning against the window, flips a knife between his fingers, bored but listening.

-Money’s moving fine,- Madara states. -We’ve got a clean system. No interruptions from the cops, no sniffing around. The politicians we’ve bought are keeping their mouths shut.-

-The Nara clan is a different problem,- Izuna mutters, eyes flicking up. -They’re getting a little too comfortable negotiating with our rivals. Might be time to remind them who they answer to.-

Indra hums, considering.

His empire runs on precision, on control.

Everything must remain predictable, or it all crumbles.

-Handle it,- he says simply, and Izuna grins.

-With pleasure.

The Night Dealers (one for the pills, one for the smokables)

The bass thrums through the floor, vibrating up Obito’s spine as he weaves through the pulsing neon haze of the club.

Bodies press together in the dark, hands grasping, drinks spilling, the air laced with sweat and something more illicit.

Shisui moves beside him, grinning, a dancer’s ease in his steps.

A brush of fingers, a whispered exchange—small, clear packets disappear into eager hands, money sliding back in return.

They never linger too long in one place.

A nod here, a smirk there; it’s all part of the game.

-Eyes on us,- Shisui murmurs under his breath.

Obito doesn’t turn immediately, just laughs and leans against the bar as if ordering another drink.

His gaze flicks to the reflection in the mirror behind the counter—some undercover cop, probably new, trying too hard not to look interested.

-Rookie,- Obito mutters. -Give him something easy to follow. We’ll keep the real transactions quiet.-

Shisui tilts his head, considering, then nods.

Within moments, they’re ghosts again, slipping through the crowd, leaving nothing but shadows in their wake.

The Overseer (cargo)

Itachi watches as the cargo is unloaded, his sharp gaze taking in every movement, every exchange.

It’s late—moonlight spills over the docks, casting long silhouettes as crates are carried from ship to van.

A silent rhythm of efficiency.

-Make sure it’s counted twice,- he instructs one of the men. -I don’t want surprises later.-

The man nods hurriedly, disappearing into the maze of shipments.

Itachi exhales, adjusting the cuffs of his suit.

-We clear?- he asks the enforcer at his side.

The response is immediate. -No signs of interference. Everything’s smooth.-

Good.

Itachi prefers things this way—no disturbances, no loose ends.

The weight of his responsibility is a quiet one, but he bears it without hesitation.

The family’s success depends on it.

The Bakery (Indra's safe heaven)

The scent of vanilla and cinnamon fills the small, sunlit bakery, a stark contrast to the cold steel and shadows Indra is used to.

The bell above the door chimes as he steps inside, and immediately, three small figures come rushing forward.

-Dada!- Ame’s tiny hands latch onto his pant leg, her face beaming up at him.

Indra lets out a rare chuckle, kneeling down to her eye level before the twins swarm him next, each trying to claim his attention.

Ivy stands behind the counter, watching the scene unfold with an exasperated smile. -You know, you always come in right when they’re supposed to be helping.-

Indra merely smirks, lifting Ame effortlessly into his arms. -I prefer to supervise.-

Raizen, ever the responsible one, leans against the counter, unimpressed. -We were actually working, Dad.-

The twins squabble beside him, commenting on the tasks they completed as good employees.

Indra raises an eyebrow. -And yet, here you are, standing around, talking.-

Before Raizen can reply, Ivy slides a plate of fresh cookies across the counter. -Bribe?- she suggests lightly.

Indra takes one, biting into it as he meets her gaze. -Your mother always knows how to make me stay.-

She laughs, shaking her head, and for a moment, just a moment, he allows himself to exist in this quiet part of his world—away from blood, away from business.

Here, in the scent of sugar and laughter, where his children do not yet know the weight of his empire.

For now, at least, they are safe.

[13as07]

I’m Not Clingy #1

(Itachi Uchahi)

[Art work is not mine! Credit to Nikolaz Saavedra]

Requested by: the-fictional-wife (kind of)

Word Count: 3,466

Warnings and/or Pre-Notes:

First, still fully believe Uchahi's go through withdraws when away from their loved ones. Second, Itachi is an unemotional hardass 90% of his life, so I fully believe he's a clingy soft boy with his loved one.

———————————————————————

"Crow?" The name rings out, half registering in my still-asleep brain.

"I'm in the bathroom, Tach," I murmur, struggling to not fall back to sleep.

"Little crow?" He calls again, his voice laced with worry.

"Still in the bathroom, Itachi," I call again, my words getting muffled when I turn the sink on.

"My little crow?" He tries again, full panic in swing. I sigh to myself, deciding to leave it be. He can survive the sixty seconds it'll take me to wash my hands.

     The bathroom door slams open, banging against the wall. Maybe he can't survive it. "Crow," Itachi almost sobs, panic washing out his already pale face.

"Hello," I mutter, wiping the water off myself on the hand towel. Hands wrap around me, clinging to my nightshirt. "Hi baby," I coo, sliding my hands across his bare back.

Itachi's head buries into my neck, fingers still gripping my clothes. "You disappeared," he whines despite his effort to maintain his 'bad boy with no emotions' persona. His attempt at the normal monotoned voice he uses quickly cracks with the two words.

"I went to the bathroom, Love," I explain, lightly running my nails over his shoulders.

"I woke up and you weren't in bed. Why did you disappear?"

"Tachi, I had to pee."

"You should have woken me up." His hands loosen a bit, sliding down my shirt to cling to the hem of it.

"I should have woken you up to tell you I need to pee?" I ask, shrugging my shoulder in an attempt to look at him. He has to be joking.

Itachi lifts his head, the glow of his sharingans empathizing his panic. "Yes," he answers, his face fully serious as he looks at me.

"Why would I do that?" I sigh, dropping my head to his chest. I can't even pretend I have the patience for him right now, I'm too tired.

"So I can come with you."

"To the bathroom?"

"Yes."

I let out a deep sigh, choosing not to push the subject anymore. "Alright, Tachi."

His hands loosen again, going back to their normal lightness as he paws at my thighs. "Lay down with me."

"That's the plan."

His hands continue touching me as I slide past him, working my way back to our bed. The small walk is filled with soft gropes. Itachi's hands clinging to my arm, then my waist, then clinging to my shirt again.

After prying him off of me, I crawl across our bed, sliding under the sheets and getting comfortable. Itachi paces next to the mattress the whole time, impatiently waiting for me to get settled. Once I stop moving, he quickly crawls in after me.

I'm pawed at again, eager hands parting my thighs before he slides between them. Itachi's head rests on my stomach, arms wrapped around my leg. "What in the world are you doing?"

"Making sure you can't get up without me again."

"You're clingy, Love."

"I'm not clingy."

———————————

"Where are you going?" Itachi whines into my hair, hands tightening around my waist as I try walking down the street.

     "Tachi, you're making it difficult to shop."

     "No I'm not," he huffs, but does let go of me, not completely though. He keeps a hold of the end of my cloak, his eyes burning into his clan symbol stamped into the back of it.

     I roll my eyes at the clingy Uchahi, turning my attention back to my mental checklist.

     Oil for Deidara's clay - check.

     Pork for dinner - check.

     Lined paper for Kakuzu's finances - check.

    Matches for Hidan's dumb rituals - check.

    Bread for breakfast tomorrow - check.

     Fresh fish instead of pork for Kisme - check.

     Hair pins for Konan - check.

     Cloth for Sasori's puppets - not check.

    I stop in my tracks, an eager Itachi using it as a chance to wrap me in his arms again. I glance up the way, scanning the market for another craft table.

     How could I forget Sasori's fabric when I grabbed Deidara's oil? Why must I do the shopping? They're a group of murderers, can't they just steal what they need? Of course not because they're all dumb and don't ever remember what they need unless I ask. Oh gosh, I forgot sea salt for Pain's piercings too.

     "Pay attention to me," Itachi huffs, head buried in my neck as his fingers knead at my stomach.

     I let out a soft sigh, shifting in Itachi's hold. "Hello, Love," I coo, cupping his face in my hands. His eyes light up, one of his rare smiles crossing his face. "I appreciate you coming with me today," I praise, planting a handful of kisses on his nose.

     "Really, Little Crow?" He whispers, eyes sinking closed and face relaxing from my soft kisses.

     "Really," I answer, pecking his lips before turning away again. A disappointed huff spills from him, hand clinging to the pocket of my cloak as he trails behind me.

     Itachi bumps into me as we walk, glancing at me every time he does so. He might look like a black cat but he acts like a golden retriever. Definitely a 'don't judge a book by its cover' situation.

     My eyes land on a booth covered in yards of fabric. Maybe the universe doesn't hate me that much.

     I work my way through the crowd of people, Itachi huffy and puffy when someone cuts off his sight of me. "Stop running away," he groans, arms around my hips and tugging me against him.

     "I'm not running away. Sasori needs fabric," I explain, squirming out of his hold. He stays huffy but releases me. Even though I'm not being touched, Itachi is still very much present. He paces around me, watching as I toy with the fabrics, checking their patterns and the feel of the material. "Excuse me?" I call, looking for the booth owner.

     "Yes, Dear?" A small older woman calls, pulling back one of the fabric strands.

     "I need two yards of fabric. Do you sell them in half or full yards?"

     "Quarter, half, full, you name it, Dear."

     Itachi distracts himself as I talk to the saleswoman, his focus being on the fabric. "Crow?" He calls, lifting one of the yards so I can look it over. It's pretty, a rich blue coated in gold stars and swirls, reminding me of the night sky.

     "Can I have a yard of that pattern too?" I ask the lady, motioning towards my clingy black cat. Why Itachi wants it is beyond me but it's safe to assume he wants me to sew something new for him. What a needy little Uchahi.

     "Of course, Dear. Give me a couple of minutes to cut and wrap it all for you."

     "Thank you!" I chirp, quickly counting out the needed amount from the stash of cash Sasori handed me. I dip into my wallet, adding the amount for Itachi's fabric before handing it to the lady. "I'm going to pop over to a different booth if you don't mind."

     "That's fine dear. I'll see you soon."

     I thank the lady again before walking towards the next booth in search of sea salt. Why can't Pain just clean his piercings with normal water? Another apology from the universe, just one booth over is a mineral table, covered in different-sized and colored natural resources.

     "Hello," I call, walking up to the booth. I glance around it in search of Pain's dumb salt. "I'm looking for some sea salt."

     "Any specific reason?" The guy manning the booth asks.

     "Um... I think my friend - " that's not the right description "- dissolves it in water. He uses it to clean his piercings."

     "How often does he use it?"

    "Once a day I think. I have the tube from his last one," I explain, digging in my messenger bag for the container. When I find it I hand it to the man, letting him read it over. "Preferably, I would like enough to last at least - "

     "Crow?" Itachi's panicked voice calls out. I turn back towards the fabric booth, a smile crossing my face as he waddles around it, shifting strands of fabric in search of me.

     "That your friend?" The man asks, laughing a bit as we both watch Itachi search for me.

     "That's my partner. He's a little... attached."

     "Little Crow?" He says, head bobbing around as he looks through the waves of people for me.

     "Anyway, I only come to town once a week or so. A week's worth would be the minimum but a month's worth would be best."

     The guy nods his head, messing around with some of the minerals on his table. "Well I have a six oz tube that'll last about five months or you can get the twelve oz bottle. That should last ten months."

     "What's the price difference?"

     "Crow?" Itachi calls again, panic quickly soaking into his words.

     "I'm over here, Love," I coo, shifting around to try and fall into his attention.

     When I'm latched into his sight, the glow of his sharingans dull from the sun and concealment of his hat, Itachi quickly scurries over to me. Fingers cling to the back of my neck, forehead pressed to my shoulder when he comes into context with me. "You ran away," he whispers into my skin.

     "I didn't run away. I was only - what? - ten paces away from you?" The booth manager chuckles again, smiling ear to ear at my separation anxiety-riddled black cat. "You're just clingy, Love."

     "I'm not clingy."

———————————

     It's been a long week... almost two weeks since Itachi left for an away mission. He left ten days ago for some intel collection, ordered by Pain. Whether it's actually an intel mission or not is beyond me. I prefer not knowing what he does when he's away and he prefers not talking to me about it.

     Despite the time apart, Pain said Itachi and Kisame would be home today. Again, whether that's true or not is beyond me. Either way, I won't mind. I miss my clinger but I think the time apart helps me keep my patience with him.

     I stay busy when the boys of my focus are away. Groceries still need to be bought, food still needs to be cooked, chores still need to be done, and members still need medical attention. I like my life as a makeshift stay-at-home mom. It's like permitting playing housewife.

     Besides, when all the needs are met, it leaves me free time to enjoy my hobbies. Plus the salary Pain sets aside for me is pretty nice, even if Kakuzu bitches that I shouldn't be paid for my efforts. The old man is... well... old-fashioned. He believes it's a woman's job to tend to the household and the members of said household.

     "Where are you?" The old man calls, poking his head out the kitchen doors. "Your dumb shark boy and even dumber raven is home."

     "Itachi's birds are crows, not ravens," I correct, turning my attention to the ninety-year-old.

     "What's the difference?" He grumbles, face as pissy as ever.

     "Crows have straighter beaks than ravens. They also have smoother feathers, shorter wingspans, and softer coos."

     "Smartass," the money-obsessed man mumbles before leaving me alone on the porch again.

     I let my attention turn back to the project at hand. "Smartass," I mimick, talking to one of Itachi's crows. He has about ten of them, I think. Maybe more. Sometimes it's hard to tell them apart or to tell which ones are real.

     The only ones I can tell apart are his favorite one - Akako - who somehow has a sharingan and this one that I've named Kiko. Kiko has a small bell tied around his neck with a ribbon, Itachi's way of making it easy for me to find his bird. My bird. Kiko spends a lot of time with me, keeping me company when his master is away and delivering our letters back and forth.

     Kiko hops around in agreement with me, flapping his wings a bit before settling down again. "I know, right?" I huff, rolling my eyes at the old fashion-man. "He's just mad I'm smarter."  Again, the bird jumps around and flaps his wings.

     "My little crow, was I really away long enough for you to lose your sanity?" Itachi says, his usual monotoned voice in place instead of the needy whiney one he uses around me.

     "No, Kiko and I have conversations every day," I answer, smiling at the exhausted-looking man in the doorway. "He's better to talk to than most of the Akatsuki members."

     "Well, I am home. You can talk to me now."

     "I think I prefer talking to the bird," I tease, once again abandoning my project.

     "You don't mean that," he says, words shifting to a whimper by the end.

     Itachi is quickly at my side, sunk to his knees on the porch. His arms wrap around my legs, head prompted in my lap as he rests against me. "No, I don't mean it," I soothe, fingers running through his hair and softly massaging the roots of it.

     Heat rolls off of him, coating me, threatening to cause blisters even though I'm not the one with a fever. The sweat-coating Itachi makes his skin sticky, suctioning him to me without trying. "Are you sick-sick or longing-sick?" I ask, tugging his headband off. I busy my hands, smoothing his hair out and holding it in a bun before peppering kisses across his forehead. His sweat leaves a salting taste on my lips.

     "Longing-sick," he mutters, fingers shaking as they cling behind my knees.

     "Do you want to go lay down? We can take a nap if you'd like." Itachi hums a yes, trying to bury himself deeper into me. I swear the man would crawl into my skin if he could. "Alrighty, clinger, let's go take a nap."

     "I'm not clingy."

———————————

The weight of Itachi presses into my chest, the whole of him wrapped around me like a blanket. Arms clinging to my sides promise finger bruises to be there next time I take my shirt off. Head tucked into my neck, chest to chest as he lays on top of me.

His fever has gone down and he stopped shaking a couple of hours ago. Despite him being better, I don't have the heart to wake him. Instead, I stay still under him, letting him crush my lungs under his weight.

There's a knock at the door, making Itachi stir a bit. "Come in," I call softly, turning towards the door the best I can.

The door creaks open before I'm met with Hidan's and Deidara's heads poking into the room. "Lady Uchahi," Deidara calls, face scrunching up as he looks at Itachi. "When are you going to start dinner?"

"Ya, we're hungry and you promised yakitori for dinner," Hidan adds, also a bit flabbergasted at the sight in front of him.

"Ya, I know. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll start dinner. Are you guys going to help?"

"Yes!" Deidara cheers, making Itachi stir again. His hold loosens, bringing relief to my aching sides.

"Do I have to?" Hidan groans, sulking at my request.

"No, you don't," I answer, chuckling a little at the whining immortal. "I just figured you'd enjoy stabbing the skewers through the food."

The voodoo doll cheers up at my words, his creepy 'trying to show happiness' smile on his face. "I guess I can help." Hidan hurries away, a bitching Deidara in tow by his shirt collar.

Once they're gone, I soak in the feeling of Itachi's weight and his body heat for another minute or two before I try shimming out from under him. It takes a while and a few uncomfortable positions to wiggle out without waking him, but I do manage to get free.

     My mission doesn't last long, arms wrapping around me as I go to push the kitchen door open.

     "Where are you going?" Itachi whispers, sleep-filled kisses being pressed into any part of me he can reach.

     "To make dinner. People are getting hungry."

     "I need you," he almost sobs, rubbing his nose against my shoulder before pressing a kiss to my jaw. "Come lay back down."

     "My love," I call, trying to soothe the half asleep about to cry Itachi clinging to me like a lifeline. "It'll only be half an hour. You can survive thirty minutes."

     "And they can survive giving you one night off," he huffs, hands dropping to cup my thighs. "Please?"

     "Tach-"

     "Pretty please? I need you, Little Crow. I miss you. Just a little longer. Please?" He begs, tears spilling over and soaking into my shirt.

     "Alright clingy, let's go lay back down."

     "I'm not clingy," he whimpers, tears still striking down his face as he lifts me.

     "If you say so, Love," I tease, wrapping my legs around his waist before littering him in soft kisses.

———————————

     "Jesus Christ," Kisame groans, getting a disappointed huff from Itachi as he pulls away from me.

     After Itachi's breakdown, Pain decided to try sending me on his next away mission. It left me with a lot of prep work, making sure no one would need anything when I was gone, leaving instructions and timers to make sure everyone takes their meds, and meal prepping for everyone.

     Meal prepping was probably the most work. Partly because of everyone's different diets and partly because I didn't want anything going bad while I was away. Plus, I don't fully believe any of them besides maybe Sasori can do anything besides popping a dish in the oven.

     Itachi mumbles to himself but pulls away from me a bit, fingers still tangled in the ends of my hair. "I'm sorry, Kisame," I say, smiling at the tall shark man.

     "It's not your fault Itachi sex driven," he grumbles, rolling his eyes.

     "Don't say that," Itachi mumbles, nose scrunching up in disgust. His focus stays on me, playing with my locks as we continue walking. He must like Kisame if he's willing to love on me. Or maybe he's just happy he doesn't have to deal with his withdrawals this trip.

     "We are getting separate rooms, right?" The older man asks, glancing between us.

     "Why would we do that?" Tachi asks, hands clenching and releasing my shirt as they shift around my back. "It's cheaper to get one room."

     "Because I'm not listening to you two going at it for the next week."

     My cheeks heat up at Kisame's teasing, embarrassment crawling up my spine alongside Itachi's hands. "It's... we don't... Itachi is just clingy."

     "I'm not clingy," he answers, trying - and succeeding - at hiding the usual whine that follows it.

“Ya, and I’m not fucking green,” Kisame mumbles, getting a glare from Itachi.

“I’m not clingy,” Itachi hisses again, hands gripping my shoulders, and tugging me closer to him, causing me to constantly bump into him as we walk.

“Ya, okay,” Kisame continues, rolling his eyes again before chuckling to himself.

“You’re not making the best case for yourself, Love,” I tease, shaking my shoulders.

Itachi’s head dips, his lips brushing my ear as he talks, “I’m not clingy.”

———————————

Open-mouth kisses press against my collarbone, small nips following each one. Itachi is soaking in the ten minutes we have alone, hands gripping my thighs, playfully tugging them open before I let them fall closed again.

“I need you,” he whimpers, wiggling against me as his lips shift further down. His legs are tangled in mine as he grinds himself against my hip.

“I’m right here, Tach,” I hum, littering kisses across his forehead.

“Not how I meant,” he mutters, shifting himself on top of me. Itachi secures my legs around himself, pressing his growing hard-on against me. “Please?” He begs, hands slithering up my sleep shirt. He gropes my chest, impatient kisses pressed into any ounce of skin he comes in contact with.

“I thought you weren’t clingy?” Kisame calls from the now-open bathroom door.

Embarrassment climbs up to my cheeks for the hundredth time today, making my skin warm as it moves up my body. I try to ball myself up, failing miserably with Itachi still secured between my legs.

“I’m not,” Itachi mutters, hands still kneading at my breasts.

“Knock it off,” I hiss, shifting myself so my knees are pressed to his chest.

“You’re actively fondling her chest. World-class clinger if I’ve ever seen one,” Kisame says, chuckling as he flops on his bed. “Attached at the tit.”

“I’m not clingy!” Itachi bitches, tossing a pillow at his partner. Kisame and I both laugh at Tachi’s tantrum. My lovely clinger and his pet shark.

———————————————————————

[hath-e]

Mobile Suit Gundam Gquuuuuux, episode 4: Witch's War

(source, Gundam Gqux trailer)

So stop me if you heard this, but, another banger this week. And damn do I love the Gelgoog design, and like I said in my original prediction post the GM equivalent does fuck.

I predicted that Gqux would jump it's way into my top 5 Gundam series and I sure was right so far. But speaking specifically of this episode I do love all the themes present and the future implication, and I also like the setup for the whole series that we got this week.

Spoiler yap below cut, thanks you for reading:

Soooooooooooo, this week hits us with two very important things:

The long term goal of getting to earth from Shuji, or at least the Red Gundam, which means the story will continue to be told through the Clan Battles. I have a theory about this so I'll get back to this slightly later.

And this weeks theme of obsession, with Shiiko and her obsession on killing the Red Gundam.

But I'll come back to both of these after I mention all the other stuff in this episode I want to talk about:

Firstly, Challia seems really upbeat about the Gqux performance being mastered, even though everyone in the know seems to be worried more about the Zeknova happening again. This of course leads me to conclude that he knows a lot more about what happened during the Zeknova than most. And that leads me to believe that it wasn't an accident at all, and is just Axis-shock, centralized and done on purpose by bby girl.

Seeing Side 6 protest Zeon's presence is a good sign and shows that the show won't be heading in the Zeon-apolgia direction.

Speaking of that scene, of course the Zabi's are now beefing with each other, that was obviously bound to happen, so good on Garma for getting out. And good on Char for turning himself into a Gundam so he can keep away from the politics of it while still throwing a wrench into things.

GAMBLING!!!!!!!

No matter the Universe the girls will always be obsessed with Char, good on you Machu for keeping up the stereotype.

But on the same scene, I don't know if I'm reading too much into it but I think that Nyaan might have some jealousy issues when it comes to Machu, at least that's the vibe I'm getting. So maybeeeeee another Yuri, and maybe even another poly relationship?

So I've been looking for some meaning to Shuji's alias of Hara Herimushi, and Hara is a word in Japanese referring specifically to the lower abdomen or someone's center of gravity and true self. The word also has meanings in Māori and Hinduism that drew my attention:

In Māori the word refers to sin and crime, while in Hinduism it's the name of Shiva, meaning destroyer. If I am wrong on this I most apologize but that's just where my research led me to, any corrections are appreciated.

So this leads me to draw this slightly obtuse conclusion, Shuji's true nature is war. Which to further leads to me to believe that there was some newtype program which got scrapped at some point that Shuji was a part of and then Char after turning himself into the Red Gundam gifted it or himself, to Shuji seeing his strength. It just so happen that this powerful newtype is a sopping raccoon of a guy.

As for Herimushi I drew a blank so if I'm missing or forgetting something feel free to inform me.

So Shiiko, let me preface that I do know of the connection to Shin Kamen Rider, however I haven't watched this so I can make no reference, I would however love to hear what those who have watched think.

But now that I've brought her up we can talk about the whole theme of obsession.

Shiiko Sugai has the almost perfect life and yet she still chooses to bet it on killing the Red Gundam, that trauma from the OYW still sticking with her, even though she was THE BEST of the Feddies and no one could have wanted more from her. She is still dead set on getting revenge. This sort of theme of the blinding revenge is a consonant in Gundam, I mean hey let this blogs driving force of Hathaway Noa speak on this. So it's no surprise that even with her skill, strategies and Newtype prowess she still bit it, and in a quite the spectacular way being the first kill of the show (outside of the 2nd episode) and more than likely setting a tonal shift for next week.

But stepping away from the topic I did want to talk some more about the Gelgoog. I love how even though the MP Zeon suit production was mostly stopped, even though we still got the Dom. The names still remained. But besides the name I love love love love love the vibe of the suit, it's literally just the GM but in the new artstyle and I have nothing to complain about.

But one last thin before I get to the Earth plan, and it's Bocata, I just want to say that I'm a big fan of the expansive female character list even if she didn't get to do all that much.

It is clear to me that Shuji could not care any less about his own ambitions beyond the Red Gundam, as such it is Char who wants to go to Earth. Which means that he knows that either Ghiren or Kycilia are scheming something down there. My original thought was also Jaburo, but judging by how the Feddies lost I would doubt that's his primary target. And what's the goal of getting there? Setting of another Zeknova to destroy/damage whatever the Zabi's are plotting to stop them. I might be forgetting something form 0079 as I'll admit I don't have the time to rewatch the whole thing for these posts, so if anyone has opinions on this I would greatly appreciate them.

Either way, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the yap, I will be here again next week.

Till then :>

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed, Episode 40 part two

(Masterpost) (Pinboard)  (whole thing on AO3)

Warning! Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

What a Relief

After spending a few weeks in Gusu doing...stuff, our trio comes to Jinlintai for the discussion conference. Unusually for a CQL stair-climbing scene, nobody is planning to murder anyone once they get to the top.

Our crew walks up the stairs past 3 massive sculpted reliefs featuring Jin Guangyao.

First and most important, I have to point out that the sculpture version of Lan Xichen [edit: Nie Mingjue actually, whoops] is wearing a sash that looks like this:

*cough*

Meanwhile, for the picture with the sword and flames, qhanzi.com tells me that the written characters are 伏殺, fú shā; Google translate tells me this means "ambush." Specifically Fu=conceal, Sha=kill. Ballsy to have a monumental artwork on your front steps announcing that you're a backstabbing turncoat, Jin Guangyao.

Speaking of balls, Jiang Cheng jumps at the opportunity to bust some when the Lan bros arrive with Wei Wuxian in tow. He pretends not to know who Wei Wuxian is, but obviously does know something, given how bitchily he asks to be introduced. Lan Wangji continues his 13-year-long silent treatment of JC while Lan Xichen tries to figure out which bland smile he's meant to be deploying in this situation.

(more after the cut!)

They're all rescued by the appearance of Jin Guangyao 3.0, who has discarded his Nie braids and his Wen hotness in favor of Jin ostentatiousness.

He's no longer wearing the v-neck robe and topknot crown that we associate with the cultivation sects. Instead he's wearing a hat and a round-necked robe with a big embroidered design on the chest, that resembles the clothing style of a court official.

Some people see JGY's bureaucratic wardrobe as signaling that he's an unassuming administrator, someone who is not threatening to the power structure or is not ambitious. I see it more as conveying that his ambition reaches beyond the cultivation sects into the realm of dynastic/imperial politics.

Anyway, Jiang Cheng turns his ire towards his nephew, and Lan Xichen relaxes again. Possibly he is a little too relaxed, judging by how he's ogling Jiang Cheng.

I'm high as a kite, I just might stop to check you out

Party Monster

Fanfics are often accused of giving us an out-of-character (OOC) Wei Wuxian, but no fanfic Wei Wuxian is as OOC as the Wei Wuxian who attends this banquet. Normally Wei Wuxian is a mildly annoying flirt, but as soon as soon as he arrives in Koi tower he is (presumably) possessed by the spirit of Jin Guangshan, and becomes a gross sex pest.

He goes out of his way to hit on the wife of the clan leader and make googly eyes at all of the maids, whose social status doesn't allow them to be rude to him. And he does it in front of his date! What the hell, possessed Wei Wuxian.

While oblivious to Lan Wangji's jealousy, Wei Wuxian does check in with him to make sure it's ok to put on his "crazy Mo Xuanyu" act. LWJ replies with a certain amount of salt, but once Wei Wuxian makes it clear he's thinking about Lan Wangji's public face, LWJ chills out and answers him normally.

Side note: in no universe would this cute lil maid be making eyes at heavily-masked Mo Xuanyu when unmasked, radiant, filthy-rich Lan Wangji is right there to be smiled at.

Jin Guangyao greets everyone and some dancers start doing their thing; mercifully, possessed Wei Wuxian refrains from hitting on the dancers. As soon as Jin Guangyao starts to circulate through the room, Nie Huaisang has an epic nervous breakdown all over him, which is even better entertainment than the dancers.

This gives Wei Wuxian the cover he needs to slip out of the hall unnoticed. Well, as long as nobody notices Lan Wangji's obvious pining.

Fight Club

The prophecy foretells that into each generation of Jins will be born one douchebag cousin. Jin Chan is the douchebag cousin of his generation.

Jin Chan accuses "Mo Xuanyu" of being a sex pest, and Wei Wuxian suddenly understands why the plot made him act so OOC at the party. Mo Xuanyu wasn't really a sex pest; he was a regular pest, trying to get information out of Qin Su, not trying to seduce her. But he doesn't know that yet. In other adaptations Mo Xuanyu is gay, but CQL exists in a strange censorship-created realm in which gayness is pervasive but never mentioned, and therefore there is no homophobia. So nobody would care if Mo Xuanyu was gay.

When Wei Wuxian realizes what Mo Xuanyu did, he thinks "Mo Xuanyu, do you want to die?"

Nice choice of idiom, Wei Wuxian. I believe we have firmly established that yes, Mo Xuanyu absolutely did want to die.

The show is kind of vague, verbally, about whether Wei Wuxian 2.0 has a golden core. But there are a lot of moments that strongly suggest he does, at this point, have a functioning core.

This rock attack is, I hope, one of those moments, or else Jin Chan is a total pussy, getting knocked back by landscape gravel.

Next, Wei Wuxian shows Jin Ling the super-secret move known as "arm twisting," which Jin Ling, as an only child, has never encountered before.

Anyone with siblings is very familiar with this move.

Because this is The Untamed, this move should be executed with extra spinning whenever possible.

Jin Ling learns the move right away, and uses it to win the scuffle.

Avuncular

After the fight, Wei Wuxian sits with Jin Ling for a chat, and gives him the classic uncle advice "have as many fights as possible while you're young, because when you're older you'll have to be mature and get along with people."

I love Wei Wuxian so much.

For contrast, Jin Ling says that Jin Guangyao tells him not to get in fights. This makes Wei Wuxian seem like the cooler elder, but it also has a more sinister element, of Jin Guangyao holding Jin Ling back. Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian grew up constantly fighting with each other--sparring as well as informal fights, presumably. And their cultivation was super strong, partly as a result of that.

Wei Wuxian takes the opportunity to tell Jin Ling that he's not in love with Qin Su any more, because he's transferred his affections to someone else. Obviously Hanguang-Jun is the someone else, given that they've been inseparable for weeks. To keep Jin Ling from yelling while he explains, he clamps his hand over Jin Ling's mouth.

The thing is, in order to effectively clamp your hand over someone's mouth, there has to be something behind them--a wall, the mattress, your own torso, or something else solid. Otherwise they can just jerk their head backwards to get away from your hand. Or they can stand up and walk away, even.

Jin Ling, hilariously, does not realize this, and spends a ridiculously long time sitting still and making angry faces while Wei Wuxian rests his hand on his face.

Spy Game

Later that night, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji get ready for some shenanigans.

Not the sexy kind, alas, just some paperman snooping.

Wei Wuxian, because he's facing serious danger, is feeling extra playful and cute, and he takes time to goof around with Lan Wangji before getting down to business.

In paperman form, he's able to do some things that the censors overlook, including tugging on Lan Wangji's headband and apparently blowing him a kiss. In the book and the donghua, he catches onto Lan Wangji's lip on his way down his face, too.

One thing that's kind of muted in the live action as compared to the novel is how much Lan Wangji enjoys Wei Wuxian's childish and playful behavior. Lan Wangji never got to be playful as a child, but with Wei Wuxian he can cut loose--which he does mostly in the sack or when they're drinking together. But even when he stays in control of himself, he likes Wei Wuxian's silliness.

He tells Paper-Xian, tenderly, to be very careful, before he sends him on his way.

The Adventures of Paperman

The CGI department outdoes itself with paperman, making an animated character so adorable I'd be happy to watch a whole episode of him.

Paper-Xian sneaks into JGY's study and pokes around, finding an empty envelope. Then he listens and watches while Qin Su stumbles in, retching.

She's followed closely by Jin Guangyao; they proceed to have an absolutely fucking endless argument in which the words "sister," "brother," "incest" "rapist dad" are never said, instead using vagueburger phrasing like "this matter."

Jin Guangyao does freely admit to killing their kid, though, and wants to know who told Qin Su about it so he can kill them, too. She won't tell him, shockingly.

Jin Guangyao ends the fight by putting a paralysis spell on his wife and then making her go to sleep with another spell, which is the cultivator equivalent of saying "I've said what I had to say and I need some space."

He takes her into a secret room where he is also keeping a bunch of talisman-protected stuff and a shockingly small number of books.

Seriously, as a person who has way too many books, I am personally offended by the way Jin Guangyao wastes shelf space in his secret room.

As Paper-Xian sneaks around the room, Jin Guangyao helpfully pulls aside the curtain covering the shelf with Nie Mingjue's head on it, so he can grouse at NMJ for (figuratively) haunting him. Seriously? Dude, you keep a guy's head on your bookshelf, he gonna haunt ya.

The episode ends with Paper-Xian bowing (adorably) to Nie Mingjue, and then sitting laying on his face, which would make BOTH Lan brothers jealous if they found out.

Soundtrack: Ring the Alarm, by Beyonce; Blister in the Sun, by the Violent Femmes

[valyrielwrites]

A Facade of Frost and Flame

Part 2/? - < Previous - Next >

(full fic available on Ao3)

Relationship: Kaeya / Reader Word Count: 5062 Tags: Major Character Death, Royalty AU, Arranged Marriage, Multiple POV, Slow Burn, Forbidden Love, Prince Diluc, Knight Kaeya, Angst, 18+ Eventual Smut

❄️ Summary:

As Grand Duchess of Snezhnaya - daughter of the reigning monarch - you have always known that your fate was never your own to choose, yet found comfort in the sheltered life you had in the Winter Palace. However, your whole world is soon turned upside down when you are promised to a man you have never met, to become the future Queen Consort of a country that you’ve never been to, and be used as a pawn in a game that you have no desire to play.

In your despair, you take comfort in a man who shares the pain of being separated from one’s home.

"Are we nearly there yet?" Tonia whines weakly, closing her eyes and leaning back into the leather seat.

You notice the way that her face pales as the wheels of the carriage catch against loose stones and overgrown roots, every bump in the neglected road making her feel more nauseous than the unsettled waves of the open sea ever had.

Tartaglia peels the curtain back ever so slightly to reveal the amber hues of dusk that now paint the horizon, "Another hour at least," he tells her with a sympathetic smile and lets the fabric fall again.

"Where are we?" you ask, reaching for the curtain and pulling it back completely to get a better look outside.

"Close it. We don't want anyone to see -" your brother objects but you ignore him.

The wind is more settled here compared to the rough gales that carve their way along the coast. A gentle spring breeze bristles through sprawling vineyards that stretch as far as the eye can see, leading up to a grand manor that sits atop the hill a short distance from the road, bathed in the last golden light of the day

"... It's beautiful," you whisper to yourself, a strange lump forming in your throat. This is the ancestral homeland of your family - your mother - and yet it feels so foreign to you.

"Dawn Winery," he replies, drawing the curtain himself when he sees one of the workers in the field look up towards the procession. "It's monopoly is at the heart of Mondstadt's economy. As long as the wine flows from here, coin shall continue to trickle into the treasury - enriching the kingdom and the Ragnvindr clan alike."

"The King owns it then?" you ask.

"It's been in his clan for generations, even before the rebellion," he explains. "In the event that your fiancé isn't chosen to succeed his father, you are sill marrying into an exceptionally wealthy and influential family. Your future is assured."

Perhaps Tonia had been right back on the boat. Though you hadn't met him yet, becoming the wife of Prince Diluc Ragnvindr certainly seemed to be a favourable arrangement, but that fact alone wasn't enough to put you entirely at ease.

You hope that he's a decent man, hope that he is as people say he is. But you won't know for sure until it's too late to go back.

"You know a lot about this land, brother."

"It is my birthright after all... or was, once," he sighs. "Though, I never imagined I would actually ever set foot in this county unless it was with an army to reclaim it."

When Decarabian's only heir died, the line of succession naturally passed through your Mother to your brothers. The Tsesarevich already stood to inherit Snezhnaya, so Mondstadt had been promised to her second son, but that all fell apart when Decarabian's reign came to an abrupt end.

Grand Duke Tartaglia was left with nothing more than a stolen kingdom - and now, even this new alliance took that from him.

He releases a self-deprecatory laugh, "Now I'm here as an ambassador - a glorified delivery man."

Tonia feebly chuckles, limply lifting her head. Her face looks peaky, almost sickly in complexion now.

"If you need to stop, we can," you tell her, resting your hand against her knee.

She doesn't reply, squeezing her eyes shut and offering nothing more than a drawn-out hum as you cast a wary look toward your brother. He hesitates for a moment, weighing the risks, until he sees the way her head rolls forward. Before you even have time to react, his fist is already connecting with the wooden panel behind him to bring the driver to a halt.

He steps out of the carriage first to check your surroundings, hand gripping the hilt of his sword as you carefully guide Tonia out and head for the grassy slope at the side of the road. You quickly reach out to hold her hair in place as she doubles over and finally allows her nausea to win out.

"Are you all right, Tonia?" he calls after her, looking up and down the stretch of road before following.

The rest of the procession stops gradually, some of the knights on horseback sharing looks of annoyance and then confusion at the sight of royalty fussing over what they believe to be nothing more than a mere attendant.

A few of your own men begin to make their way over until Tartaglia shoos them away with an order: "Get her some water."

Tonia inhales deeply, her hands gripping the fabric of her skirts tightly as he rubs her back. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not," he replies, glancing at the vomit and wincing. "You should've said something earlier. I know that I'm being cautious but we could've taken a break. We have been on the road most of the day."

"Yeah, well -" she begins, but quickly loses the will to retort, "... I need to sit down."

You steady her as she slowly staggers a few metres away and sinks to the ground, crouched over as she takes another deep breath and settles in the grass, moving as if she was made of glass and might shatter at the slightest disturbance.

"Is everything alright, Your Highness?"

You hear a woman's voice from up ahead and turn to see Jean approaching from the front of the procession on horseback.

"My sister -" Tartaglia catches himself. "Her attendant has taken ill."

"I'll be fine, so long as I never have to go back in that carriage again," Tonia lets out a short laugh as Jean dismounts and kneels down to check her condition. "I only need a minute or two, my Lady. I won't cause any more disruption."

"Nonsense," Jean removes her glove and places the back of her hand against Tonia's forehead. "I apologise for the condition of the roads. The journey will be smoother as we approach the manor and head toward the city. We can stop for five minutes, if you are still not feeling well you may ride up front with me."

Tonia gives her a slight smile when she sees Jean pull out a flask of water from the inner pocket of her jacket.

"Thank you Lady Jean..." she pauses. "I'm sorry, I don't believe that I caught your family name to address you properly."

She hesitates. There's a small flash of doubt across her face when she glances toward you, as if she's trying to gauge what the response will be.

"I am heir to the Gunnhildr clan."

A descendant of one of your Great-Grandfather's usurpers then.

"Thank you for your assistance, Lady Gunnhildr," you keep your voice perfectly calm as you address her.

Healing and settling the wounds of the past - that is what your marriage to Diluc is supposed to do.

No matter how uncomfortable you might be in the presence of those families that betrayed yours once before, no matter how deserved that betrayal may or may not have been, you take care to remind yourself that they are not their ancestors and neither are you. Your survival here at court depends on it.

“Are the Knights so stretched that you can’t even maintain the roads that my ancestors built?” Tartaglia, it seems, is far less willing to let it go. “Perhaps I should write to the Empress and ask her to increase my dear sister’s already generous dowry.”  

“There will be no need, Your Highness,” Jean replies with a straight face, giving none of her disdain away, “the council is working on the matter. As I already said, the journey will be smoother as we approach the city, if you still find it to be unpleasant I suggest you and your ambassador file a complaint with them rather than discuss it with a lowly knight such as myself.”

Before he can say another word in response, Jean bows her head and walks away with her horse in tow, calling out to inform her men of the short disruption as if nothing had happened.

“Lowly Knight …” he scoffs, “she’s anything but.”

“She’s a bigger person than you at least,” Tonia hisses, taking a sip of the water that Jean left her. “Don’t antagonise them just because you’re tired and grumpy. ____ is the one that has to live here with the consequences after you go.”

The reminder stings a bit - that you won’t have your older brother there to take care of you once you’re married - but you still try not to show the apprehension on your face when he looks toward you apologetically.

He doesn’t say anything else.

Once the five minutes are up, you and Tartaglia reluctantly return to the carriage after watching one of the Knights give up his horse so that Tonia may ride up front whilst she recovers, already missing the way the light breeze feels soothing against your skin as you take your seat and close the door behind yourself.

The sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach deepens the moment you enter the old city, the sound of its people milling about outside unable to distract you from the sense of dread and expectation that have finally caught their way up to you.

You dare not peak out of the window this time, so see nothing of the famed grey watchtowers that once observed the lives of every citizen and guest amidst the walls of the capital during Decarabian's reign, the buildings and winding streets that were sectioned off into quarters to control the flow of people, nor the way that the extant sun begins to dip below the horizon to paint your arrival in shadow.

The wind roars across the bridge that guides you up to the palace, wrapping itself around the carriage to usher your precession along, until you hear the sound of great wrought iron gates opening onto an enormous courtyard as you finally arrive.

Your heart skips a beat when the carriage door is suddenly opened from the outside. You are greeted by a footman dressed in a black and red uniform, he looks you up and down with feigned disinterest and holds his hand out for you to take.

"No need, good sir!" Tartaglia brushes him away with a forced smile to mask his distaste for the whole affair. "I shall assist my dear sister myself."

So he does. The footman backs away without a word, his head bowed as he leaves the mounting block and allows Tartaglia to exit with you in tow.

Stormterror Palace towers over the centre of the city, although it's not as imposing or severe as you had anticipated it to be with a name like that.

Decarabian had built and designed it in the early days of his reign before your mother had even been born, built from cool grey stone with high domed observation towers that stretched to the heavens in the middle, yet compared to the grandeur of The Winter Palace back home it was fairly plain.

There are no outward signs of excessive opulence adorning the building or courtyard beyond the neatly kept gardens and trimmed fir trees that line the paved driveway. Only a few heraldic banners, marked with the red flamed bird of the Ragncindr clan against a black backdrop, are left to hang in the wind.

There was a simple elegance about the place that almost contradicted his reputation as a controlling autocrat - although this was all built before his decline.

You squeeze your brother's hand slightly, trying to swallow the lump in your throat as you slowly step forward together. You look around for Tonia to see her a short distance away, speaking with the man that you had mistaken for Diluc earlier in the day.

"Tonia!" Tartaglia calls out when he catches the way she smiles a little too sweetly at Kaeya, pulling her attention back to you. Maybe they had ridden together for the last part of the journey.

"She looks to be in better spirits," you snicker.

He rolls his eyes at you, "Shut up."

You watch as she hands the reins of her horse back and bows her head before briskly walking in your direction, Kaeya's following gaze finding you again as he lingers for a moment - curious perhaps, until he finally turns and walks away.

You make your way into the palace, escorted by the King's own personal guard into a great hall with high painted ceilings that depict the final battles of the rebellion - heroic figures on white horses with the wind of victory behind them, riding through shattered armies to restore peace and freedom to the land.

Your brother scoffs at how self-congratulatory the repainting of their history is, and you can't help but wonder which part of your own family's glorious legacy had been covered up to achieve it.

Making your way further into the hall, you notice an empty throne carved from grey marble atop the dais, resting before a giant open-winged statue of a spectacular dragon. This was the seat that the King of Gales, Decarabian, had sat in for so long, ruled over his subjects, and conquered the wind.

Now his descendants finally stood before it once more - replaced by those with blood unfamiliar to it.

You are guided through one of the doors at the back of the hall, grateful to leave the room that seems to be a monument to your family's demise in this kingdom, and find yourselves in a chamber set up for dining.

A long oak table occupies most of the space, although only four places are laid out at the far end toward the hearth. You glance apologetically toward Tonia, who doesn't seem to take it to heart, and watch as she is escorted by guards to dine separately.

Another door opens on the other side of the room, and two men enter.

The oldest, finely dressed in a black doublet with his long scarlet curls pulled back into a low ponytail and neatly trimmed beard, gives you a brief look over before a smile warms his handsome face.

Quickly stepping toward you and your brother with his arms wide and welcoming, he reaches forward to grasp Tartaglia's hand and introduce himself in a gesture that seems entirely inappropriate given your status - until you realise who this man must be.

"You must be the Grand Duke," he addresses your brother first and then turns to you, taking your hand in a firm yet reassuring grip as you see Tartaglia bow beside you, "... and this must be my future daughter-in-law, the Grand Duchess... even more beautiful than her portrait."

"Your Grace," The words feel heavy in your mouth as you curtsey.

King Crepus Ragnvindr is nothing like you had anticipated, although truth be told you hadn't really known what to expect before you arrived. He seemed genuinely glad to meet you despite the history between your families.

"It is a pleasure to have you here," he grins again before turning back toward the other younger man that lingers by the door. "Isn't it, Diluc?"

The sound of his name is enough to stop your breath - finally faced with the entire purpose of your journey, you look up and meet his gaze from across the room.

To your relief he doesn't look much older than yourself - perhaps twenty at most - his crimson eyes bright and full of youthful optimism as he slowly approaches his father's side.

The resemblance between them is striking, almost as if they were the same person only decades apart, although he wears his hair much longer and loose past his broad shoulders. Dressed in the same uniform as the rest of the Knights, his skin is pale and unblemished against the warm candlelight of the room, with shadows outlining his perfectly carved jawline as his lips curl into a nervous smile.

“Nothing brings me greater joy,” he replies, his voice eloquent and deep as he takes your hand and brings it up to his mouth, pressing his lips feather-light against your fingertips. “I trust that your journey was not too taxing?”

This was Mondstatd's prince. Your Prince, just as refined and polished on the outside as the rumours made him out to be and yet...

The tension in your chest doesn't dissipate as you hoped it would. The nerves that tremble in the pit of your stomach do not alight with excitement, the way that all those romantic novels led you to believe. You do not feel a sense of ease or reassurance as he pulls away from you.

There's no comfort in your encounter. Every eye in the room fixed upon the two of you, as if they expected you both to fall head over heels the moment that you met, the pressure weighing so heavily upon you that you cannot think of anything else.

"I-" you take your hand back slowly. "I must confess that we are weary from travelling, but it is an honour to finally meet you both as well."

You catch a defeated glimmer in his eye but he remains cordial, the easy smile on his face not breaking in front of his father and the rest of the guards.

Perhaps he had just been too forward too soon. Perhaps you really were tired. Perhaps you just need a little more time.

"Then please," Crepus gestures toward the table, "join us for a meal while your belongings are brought to your chambers. I apologise that we did not prepare a feast more befitting your status to greet you with, but I thought you may prefer a more private meeting before parading you in front of the rest of the court."

"We appreciate the consideration, Your Grace," Tartaglia smiles and follows, pulling a chair out for you to sit beside him. "Ambassador Krupp spoke well of your enthusiasm to secure this match."

The King sits at the head of the table to your brother's right side, and waves a hand toward the servants.

"Let us dispense with the formalities - we shall be family soon enough. Crepus is just fine."

"You are too kind," your brother replies.

You see a slender young woman approach with a decanter in hand, pouring wine into his goblet and going to do the same for everyone else at the table, until your brother darts his hand over the rim of your cup with a laugh, "My sister is not old enough to drink in this country."

Old enough to be offered up for marriage but not old enough to drink. You would roll your eyes if not for the others in the room.

"I heard that the drinking age is much lower in the North?" Diluc looks to you in an attempt to make conversation, politely shaking his head to refuse when the woman goes to fill his cup.

"Ah..." 'Gods, this is awkward,' you think, "I suppose alcohol helps people feel warmer when faced with the cold. Snezhnayan winters are notoriously hard, and its people even harder."

You may joke, but cannot blame them for seeking small comforts wherever possible, even if outsiders might find it strange.

"Do you drink much back home?"

"No, although I have tried vodka once before," you admit.

"Who gave you that?" Tartaglia raises a brow.

You turn to him and smile sweetly. "A dear friend."

"Tonia?" he asks, already knowing the answer.

Crepus lets out a hearty laugh at the way that you and your brother both look at each other in unspoken yet obvious disapproval. He leans back in his chair and asks, "So when will you come into your majority, my dear?"

"The end of spring," you address him directly.

"Wonderful. That gives us plenty of time to plan for the wedding."

You stifle a cough and glance over at Diluc, seeing the same flustered expression on his face that you surely wear on your own.

"Father, please-" he stiffens and nervously laughs, "they've only just arrived."

You're grateful for his intervention, even though you imagine he did it just as much for the sake of his own embarrassment rather than to offer you any comfort. He is clearly conscious of the others in the room as the servants begin to bring in platters of food.

Crepus sighs and looks toward his son with an apologetic grin. "Of course, I'm allowing myself to get carried away. We have many opportunities to discuss this further, but for now let us eat."

The rest of the meal is pleasant, if not slightly awkward, with polite conversation and a lot of good food. Crepus tries his best to include you rather than directing all his inquiries about yourself towards your brother like you had expected but, although you are glad of it, you soon find yourself less enthusiastic as the evening drags on.

Once the food is finished, the King and your brother pour themselves another drink, and it seems as if they’ve almost forgotten that the two of you are here. You sit and watch them laugh and bond as you struggle against the exhaustion that creeps up on you, and you wonder if the rest of your life will be spent like this - sitting on the sidelines with a forced smile in a home that is not your own.

"Having fun without me, Your Grace?" you hear that familiar male voice call out from the far doorway. "I'd hate to interrupt."

Kaeya grins as he walks into the room, his steps strolling and casual without a care for protocol, approaching the table without permission and stopping a few steps away from the King. His eye lingers on you for a moment before he raises his brow toward Diluc, who ever so slightly shakes his head in response.

These two are sworn brothers, and without having uttered a word to one another, you can already tell that they are perfectly in tune. Just one look from Diluc is all it took to tell him everything that he needs to know about how the evening is going.

"Kaeya!" Crepus claps his hands together a little too loudly. "My boy, have you eaten? Come, sit with us."

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm fine," he declines, placing his hand against his chest. "I only came to relay a message from Varka."

Crepus stiffens slightly, giving his son a knowing look, "Our guests must be tired after such a long journey, we have kept them long enough - my Son, would you please show them to their chambers?"

"I'm quite content to stay and enjoy the rest of this wine with you, if you'll allow me the honour." Tartaglia refuses to be hurried off.

"If you like I can arrange for another bottle to be brought to your room," Diluc stands from his seat and makes his way over to your side. "You'll be in the apartments in the central tower. The view of the city at night is breathtaking."

"There's no need for the charade. He already knows," Kaeya says, almost annoyed, "I'm not sure how His Highness is so well-connected in a country that he has never been to before, but I suppose it saves us having to come up with excuses."

He looks at the King again, this time waiting for the go-ahead. "The crowd has dispersed, and a few arrests have been made. There's some minor property damage, windows smashed and some looting, but the boats remain unharmed - the port will reopen as usual tomorrow morning."

"Any indication that it was planned?" Diluc asks. You feel your own throat tighten.

"Eroch is looking into it but I doubt it," he answers nonchalantly. "Just a few drunkards looking for a way to vent their impotent boredom," he turns to look directly at you now, still speaking to his brother even though you get the sense that he's addressing you personally, "... unrelated to our illustrious guests. Pathetic really."

You can't tell if he really means it, or if he added that last part to gauge what your reaction would be. As nervous as you are, you decide not to bite in front of everyone - willing a neutral expression as you give your best attempt at diplomacy.

"I am glad that the issue is resolved and hope that none were seriously injured."

"Thank you for your concern, my dear." Crepus gives you an approving smile and leans back against his chair in relief. "I assure you that this is not a regular occurrence in Mond, just poor timing. I apologise if this embarrassing affair has caused any distress."

You're not naive enough to believe him, even though it would bring you more comfort to continue on in ignorance.

It wasn't impossible that the people of Mondstadt were unhappy with the return of your family to their shores. This time it had been a disorganised public disturbance, but if you were unable to win them over, the next incident could have much more serious consequences.

Your stomach drops. Did your mother see you as nothing more than a sacrificial lamb when she sent you here? An asset worth risking, if it brought her native country into the sprawling empire that she had taken for herself?

"I have no intention of leaving my sister where she will not be safe from harm," Tartaglia warns as he finishes the rest of his drink and stands. "I trust that we will be able to work well together to ensure that this match brings stability and joy to the nation."

"The Knights are perfectly capable of handling things on their own." Diluc replies with a surprisingly ingenuine smile. You suppose it's because, as a Knight himself, he doesn't appreciate the implication that they're lacking in any way.

Crepus interrupts before your brother can offer a retort, his voice almost adopting the tone of a scolding parent reminding his children to play nicely. "Diluc, a little cooperation cannot hurt."

The young prince's brow furrows slightly but he relents. Some hills are not worth dying on, and you’re relieved that your fiancé seems mature enough to know that.

“Yes, Father.”

“... I’ll take my leave, Your Grace - apologies for killing the mood,” Kaeya bows low and deep, affording Crepus more respect than you expected considering the way that he had entered the room, giving you one last glance before he goes to depart. “Goodnight, Your Highness.”  

There’s little warmth in his farewell, nothing more than a hollow gesture for the rest of the people in the room, but you latch onto it anyway. You must win them over.

“Likewise, Sir…?”

“I have already told you my name,” he gives you a wry smile.

“Not your family name, though,” you explain.

Part of you wants to get it over with - meeting every single one of the usurpers' descendants. Considering that a mere low-ranking knight was able to speak to royalty in such a way with no consequence, you assume that he must come from an important family.

His jaw clenches slightly. “It's just Kaeya.”

Lowborn then, or perhaps some lord of the court’s bastard? Although it’s highly unlikely he would be so close to the royal family in that case, unless…

Just like how he had observed your own group on the beach, you cast a curious glance towards Diluc, then the King, and back towards Kaeya again to figure out how he fits - but see none of their prominent bloodline in his handsome face.

“Sir Kaeya,” you repeat, inclining your head slightly and then turn to address your fiancé instead. “The events of the day seem to have caught up with me, Prince Diluc. If we are all done for the evening, I would like to be shown to my chambers - if you’d be so kind?”

"Of course," Diluc's face softens as he looks to his father for approval, and then holds his arm for you to take as one of the servants pulls out your chair.

"Will you be going also?" Crepus asks your brother.

"If she needs me, otherwise, there are some matters that I wish to discuss with you privately."

"I will be fine," you tell him. He gives a quiet nod in response. "Enjoy the rest of your evening."

You and Diluc both bow together and leave the room with Kaeya, although he turns and heads down the corridor while you both make your way toward a vast marble staircase.

You do not speak to each other as you walk, the silence almost deafening as you allow your arms to drop to your side and step away from Diluc slightly, until you finally see a paid of grand oak doors at the end of the hall.

"Is everything alright?" he quietly asks.

"It's been a long day. Thank you, I'm simply tired."

You tell a white lie. Hardly untrue, just not the true reason for your unease, and Diluc picks right up on it.

"You're still worried about what happened at the port?"

You keep your voice calm, "Your people don't want me here, do they?" he stops in his tracks and hesitates to reply. You take it as an unspoken yes. "... I see."

"Is the feeling mutual?" his question catches you off guard as your hand rests against the cool metal handle of the door. His voice lowers as he leans in closer, so that the nearby guards cannot hear. "Just between us... Do you want to be here? Did you choose to marry me?"

Just like that - the thin veneer of protocol that had shielded you from the unbearable truth finally cracks, and in the second it takes you to weigh the pros and cons of continuing to lie, you realise that you've already given him the answer he seeks.

"... No."

You admit is so quietly that you barely hear yourself utter the word.

But he does.

Diluc says nothing as you push the door open and walk inside, and you don't turn back to see the numb expression on his face before you close it behind you and finally slump against the hard wood, the weight of it hitting you like a stone to the head.

< Previous - Next >

[redux-iterum]

Hmm, if someone was falsely accused / sentenced to death and had their names removed would Horoa’s hunters and him automatically know not to pursue this individual? Would they still be granted a spot to travel to StarClan even with their name loss?

And presumably if someone did have their names removed, was executed and individuals went on for a good while assuming that their spirit was destroyed by Horoa (which is usually the case)- what is the go-to for actions once the truth comes out that they were innocent? Do they just overboard use the cats name and hope they come back or?

StarClan and the Three know the truth, because they can see everything. If one spirit misses part of the story, someone else saw it and can relay that information until the whole picture is presented. The Three are molded by wisdom and clarity and justice, and with their own halls around to speak with them, it'd be impressive if a single lie gets past that line of defense. There's a lot of dedication to making sure the right thing is done up in the heavens, because StarClan especially does NOT want a soul to have injustice done to them forever. That's an unimaginable agony to them. Eternity is terrifying in the face of potentially being punished for something you didn't do and never getting away from it.

This does mean that cats who are executed unfairly, and who had their names taken away by the living, are guided to StarClan anyway and addressed with their name once they get there. I'm sure there's been a special case or two where a hall cat was sent to find someone as an order by one of the Three (most likely Horoa's doing; he does love the truth and justice more than the others). The cat's soul will know peace and happiness if those in the afterlife have anything to say about it. StarClan can't communicate with the living that easily, and sometimes their signs are unnoticed or they're too late to stop a tragedy, but once you're dead, they can help you, and they jump at the opportunity to do it. It's up to you whether you accept that help or not.

Now, in the case of the living discovering that their attempt at justice was a massive, collective error that can't be taken back... well, they can't take it back. The cat's dead. The Clan fucked up in a way there is no fixing. Not really fixing. The leader and seer can make speeches and prayers for forgiveness and peace for the wrongfully executed, but that's all they can do. That cat will be referred to again with their name that was taken, but it doesn't soothe anyone. Refusing to speak about a criminal is, while painful and difficult on one's emotional state, not as bad as having a cat you should talk about that you spent god knows how long ignoring. The guilt, the shame, the grief... it's being forced to face an uncomfortable topic head-on - which, as we've stated on this blog, is something Clan cats don't do willingly. I think it would hurt a lot more than if they truly were guilty. At least then you can sit on your high horse and feel proud that you were right.

[kel-lance]

JJK Mafia Au (JJK x Reader) PART 4

(quick chapter//moving plot)

Warnings:

- TW: Dead dove dont read (DDDR) Minors do not interact (MDNI): SA, Physical Assault, DubCon, NonCon, Mindbreak, Public Humiliation, Breeding, Ownership, Gaslighting, Multiple manipulation, RWORD, PTSD, a lot more toxic sh.

Premise:

Reader lives in a city where the two biggest gangs keep things line until the third gang showed up. That had nothing to do with you though, until dumb luck just happened to favor you one day. Basically You’re picked up and used by every dangerous criminal within the clans due to some alliances they had to create due to some members messing up the previous alliances. ((Almost everyone’s gonna have a turn 🤗)) ( i have 12 chapters planned out right now meaning after i write those ill still be writing more.)

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AN: Sorry for the long update i'm trying not to get evicted bc i was fired a while ago bc of a protest (surprise surprise big companies don't like or care about palestine or other places like it.) but i had to give away my cats and am still struggling i have my socials in my masterpost if you could help if not its okay ily, I hope you like it

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After the three took a break from you, Sukuna pushed Yuuji towards you. Todo just follows along, trying to make sure Sukuna doesn't kill Yuuji as they just don't know what Sukuna could be thinking at times like these.

You lay a top the bed, sheets strayed, your hair messy, your whole body sweaty and broken, you entirely were weak, and Yuuji couldn't stop saying sorry to your fucked out face. "Let's see what you got."

You didn't feel anything for a few minutes until Todo broke the silence. "You've got to do something, brother, you know I'll back you up."

Yuuji just continued to stand there. If he were to fight Sukuna with Todo on his back, he wouldn't know who else would fight with them. Todo would lose everything he already has and would blindly die for him, which he would never ask for. But if he were to go through with fucking you again for Sukuna's enjoyment, Todo would also have to add himself into the situation. This double edged sword was going to stab him either way, but which would hurt you less?

"Don't take too long..." The leader made motion that he was going to start walking towards you two. "NO." Yuuji covered you on the bed, staring off back at his older brother. Todo comes behind Yuuji, putting a hand on his shoulder before giving him a look, and sighing understandingly as he stripped off his shirt.

Todo and Yuuji's was almost awfully awkward at first. They just felt bad, not being able to tell if you were even conscious anymore and continuing to do to you what they were doing.

Really they weren’t allowed to stop until Sukuna was satisfied. Until Yuuji was sobbing, begging him to give you and everyone else a rest. He was asking what would it take to stop this?

The older brother taunts, “Maybe we’ll keep her til she births one of our children, or multiple if she can create sufficient and strong offspring. I don’t know, Yuuji, should I start a farm because of you? I heard the Zenin clan is somewhat similar…”

“Please, please, Sukuna what do you want?” He was breathless. “This has to stop, you can’t-.”

He stops his younger brother, “I have, I did, and I can continue this for as long as you both live. I think that may be the conclusion I’ll come to, don’t you think it would be fun to be an uncle?” His big hands caress your stomach, feigning tenderness to his soon to be child or “sibling’s” child.

- You go back to your room where you stay in for a week.

- A random night, someone breaks in and tries to kidnap you and you didn’t know who it was, obviously you weren’t going with them without an explanation.

-That caused you to fight back as your dealing with everything so far, you were getting pissed being treated like a doll. The person who broke in gets captured, just before he says “Yuuji’s waiting outside, trust me.”

- Sukuna's family come in trying to make sense of the situation and the others had captured the mystery guy

- That's not before he throws you to two female ninjas. They secure you quickly and run back to their master Toji.

- their clan/gang is super powerful, the twins you can guess are Maki and Mai, and Sukuna (the new head of one of the three big families that control the large part of the area, the head of the Kamo gang) had just kidnapped their son, even if he did happen to barge in.

- Megumi’s been friends w Yuuji since they were kids but they never shared that.

- they met bc they were fighting bc yuuji was taught to fight ppl who give them looks (Sukuna wanted him to protect the family name no matter what, and megumi just had that face… and when they realized that they were part of the other side they had to come to extremes before realizing they were different from their families.

- they knocked each other out senseless and somehow one was still alive, megumi sat with yuuji while he regained consciousness and they started to talk more. Battered and bloodied but Yuuji finding the humor in it while Megumi thinks enough to like his character and realizes he’s just a big strong idiot.

- Maki and Mai are close, as sisters should be and they both have their loves (nobara and momo) and we all have to go team up with the gojo clan in order to make sure this trade off is safe and megumi and yuuji aren’t dead

- because now yuuji is with you at the toji clan too, it was supposed to be just you getting captured and then yuuji leaves to live his own life but now he’s in front of toji saying it was his fault that megumi’s now with his brother (sukuna)

- Yuuji explains that he and his son were friends since childhood, he says everything and everyone's on edge bc toji does what he wants, whenever, whatever, really anything for money.

- He says he knows he doesn’t have money, but the only thing he does have was something they both risked their lives for, so toji gets curious and wants to try you out.

- Toji fucks you senseless, making you think the train ran on you were more merciful. He was trying every hole, every position, just dressing you up and doing whatever he could with you, you were actually at your limit with him, enough to bring you back enough to start fighting again. You were getting sick of it, actually you think you were getting sick.

His inconsideration was on par with Sukuna's, though Sukuna cared more about his new objects while Toji wants them to know their place and to leave when he tells them to. He had to know why they would do all that for you//how did you survive so long in that clan he just has to see how durable you are and he’s LOVING IT.

- He asks you what you’ve been through and you don’t respond so he hits you again and again but you don’t cry so he does it AGAIN and you flinch enough to stop him, and start taking off his pants. His only response was "e’s like "Oh so they already trained you."

- You suck his dick and he pulls you up to kiss him, by your neck and places you on his dick and fucks you in the air, using gravity to its full advantage, that was the start of it all before the days of relentless attention and use, you were more sore than any of them have put you in. The hitting, cuts, just the amount of violence he's integrated into your sessions felt like training again, but worse.

- He’s wondering if he could keep you as his slut but remembered that it would be stupid to start a war when his kid couldn’t keep it in his pants. He blames Megumi for having a cold heart compared to his father's icy one.

- Toji makes up his mind to help and plans to betray/kill the sukuna clan when they get megumi back bc he doesn’t care but doesn’t say that.

-He plans a meeting with the other clan the top three have been fighting over the position of this location for years and now and ofc they’re all on edge.

- Gojo comes to the meeting with his clan, they’re not worried bc they know some of their clan can befriend some of the others involved. No ones been dead so they have some sort of unspoken treaty to leave each other alone but they never asked much from the other ever.

- Gojo settles down with his group, smug and tired bc everyone needs them to fix other peoples' problems for them. The community relied on the Gojo Clan to protect them when they also work with the Kamo and Zenin gangs, the people outside are just as gullible. He sits down and asks what could big ol Toji need from him,

- “It’s Megumi”

- Gojo drops his smile. Their other unspoken alliance was when Megumi was beaten up at a really young age bc of his status and itadori happened to be there too (same elementary school). Gojo beats the fuck out of the people who targeted the kids/second to heir the clans, and left, but Megumi finds him and asks why would he help them.

- Gojo said he can’t have his competition get angry, his people are at stake. (referencing to the shifting power in-between the gangs that they didn't know about yet, and that his person was leaving his clan to join the other, he didn't know why he was doing anything anymore at that point but he couldn't let more powerless powerful children get hated on.) Megumi says thank you and takes Itadori back near his gang before disappearing back to his clan.

- Gojo actually has been in contact with his friend who's joined the other clan. That's how he knows what's usually going on with them to keep them rangled up and behaving as much as they could to not cause trouble or cause attention to groups like theirs.

Gojo and Geto were very young when they met, and since their lives were everything but normal, they were given the chance to take in more young bodies to add to their clan. They raised them together, but geto left.

Gojo begged for days for him to reconsider, they day he left he was inconsolable, especially since he took the twins too. Geto couldn't separate the girls, but he could separate himself from Gojo, in his head it's to help Gojo in the future because of the power he'll have.

Gojo didn't care about that, he didn't want help he just wanted Geto. That was all he needed, he had decided. He could have ruled the world and done it confidently if he had Geto by his side, but things don't go through when you're young, and now you're about to catch as many years he hadn't been able to get out.

- He's not nice at all when you're under his care. With Geto leaving at a critical age in learning, his feelings had been all over the place. He was completely disordered, his goals and morals and everything went awry, with the years he couldn't get himself out of the timestamp of when he knew happiness.

- So he asks you about Geto, his best friend, the only one that could make him feel real again. The one person who didn't do things for him because of his name and status, and yet left with the excuse of protecting Gojo from future evil. It was enough to drive the strongest insane.

- He asks you everything by torture, not too physical that anyone can see. WHen trading you back you should at least look and act like you're in the same condition, if not better than what you were when they traded you off. Just anything that Toji didn't already give you, Gojo would have mindless enjoyment from digging his fingers into the fatter parts of your belly, legs, and forearms.

- He’s only doing this to see Geto again. He just wants to pass the time until he can finally feel good again. He's strong, he's smart, he's beautiful, when would life be good to him instead of him making everyone else's lives better just by being there. It made him coky, it made him secretly weak willed to his own desires, so his processing was different than most.

- He asks u what he looked like and everything about him while fucking you. it was the closest he’s got rn. "I don't know's" made him reel back more, his strikes becoming almost boneshaking and shattering. He was making Toji seem gentle. Now that something he cares about is just a memory away, he just couldn't stop himself.

-You were so close to him, even if you never spoke to him, even if you never saw him in the maybe month you were staying at the Pink haired clan. But his aura seemed to have darkened when you mentioned twins. There were just so many either of you could have known but it just seemed to rile him up more. Seriously you would need a doctor and healing time after this. You couldn't let that happen again.

-There was nothing else to take from it, it was a hell you would only wish for the person already committing it. It made you miss the tenderness of Sukuna and the warmth of Toji, it didn't matter what they did or how you got there, anything sounded better than Gojo being without his favorite things. And you were barely part of it.

[letskittythis]

After they eloped? Adi and Tomika

Hiii guys! I bring you a little tidbit! This time, with Adi and Tomi. It is quite a SFW one, there's no swearing at all, only a slight mention to spice! Enjoy!

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'Twas a cold early morning, that September 3rd. Well, normal, considered it was 4.30am, literally before the crack of dawn.

Adi woke up right before the alarm clock went off, quickly silencing it. Glancing to their left, they sighed in relief as their dear husband seemed to not have noticed the alarm. 'Good. Just what time was it when you got home? 3.30am, if I'm not mistaken.'

Slowly and carefully, Adi slid their arm from their husband's hold, sitting on the bed and watching Tomi sleep for a moment. Too cute, damn them, their husband was just too cute. No wonder nobody believed Tomika was 37. He didn't look it, not by a long shot. Adi smiled as Tomi softly called for them in his sleep, frowning.

"...tora…"

That frown quickly disappeared as Adi lightly caressed Tomi's face. A sigh of relief followed the sweet touch, and Tomi's sleep became much more relaxed.

'Yeah, no way I'm waking you up at 8. You're sleeping all you need today, tawodi, I shall make sure of it.'

Adi kissed Tomi's temple, then got up, getting their running sweats on.

As was their routine since they remembered, Adi went out for a run.

Believe it if you might, but there really is something nice about jogging before 5am, when most people are still snoring away in their beds. The peace and quiet are Adi's favourite part, as they take the chance to muse on their options going forward.

Adi's teachers had been rabid mad over the whole "staying out all night and eloping" deal. Well, not like they had a choice in the staying out all night… per se. It had been Adi's actions which had led to spending the night at the Mizune Clan's manor.

Eloping was just… well, honestly, was sort of a spur of the moment decision.

Not knowing if they'd leave the manor together, let alone alive, Tomi and Adi just bit the bullet and went for it.

Soon after the alarm in Tomi's phone went off at midnight, they talked and decided to just elope… and elope they did. Adi couldn't have asked for a better 18th birthday present. Tomi gave them the very wish of their heart: himself, body and soul. No, Adi really couldn't ask for more.

They smiled as they remembered that night. Tomi's sighs and moans… gods Tomika could make enough noise for the two of them, no doubt of it; the beet red faces of the poor suckers whom had to keep guard of their quarters that night were proof enough that they indeed had been heard loud and clear, those poor sobs knew very well what had transpired in there, hell, Tomika's loud shouting sure left no doubts of all they did before effectively sleeping.

It had been funny to watch their teacher's faces as they walked back into the hotel's lobby that afternoon, hand in hand with their husband; and even funnier when they moved their things out of the shared bedroom into the hotel's one and only penthouse. Not so fun? To explain what they had been up to, nor the two hour long ear bashing and ranting they had to put up with until they got ahold of their dad on the PlumPad Air of one of them.

Then it got funny again, as Wolfgang totally dismissed the teacher's concerns and congratulated Adi on their marriage, promptly asking all sorts of utterly inappropriate questions about the wedding night… Oh, their teacher's faces… A pity Adi was too busy dodging Wolf's questioning to snap a photo of those jaws hitting the floor…

The sound of a truck awoke Adi from their musings. Checking their watch, they silently cursed and took the road back home, as it was already 6.10am. Dammit, they still had some studying to do, not to say they didn't enjoy a rushed shower in the morn. Still, managing to sprint back in 10 minutes felt great. After a good relaxing bath, Adi headed downstairs, taking Tomika's phone with them, just in case somebody called.

One could do a zillion things with their mornings. Adi? After the crack of dawn run and a good bath, there was nothing Adi loved more than reading a good book. Thankfully, their studying was… reading and analysing "The Night the Moon Forgot to Shine".  Uh, not their usual choice of reading, but… better get it over with, their teachers would sure slap a surprise questionnaire on first day to find out whom did and didn't do their homework.

The morning flew that way. When Adi next checked their watch, they rolled their eyes: 11am, already. Tomi was still asleep? Yeah… well…

'Uhh, better cook lunch before I wake him up. Let's see… Ah! Aubergine Parmesan, seems easy enough.'

While not as comfortable in the kitchen as Tomi, mama and dad, Adi sure could manage themself without burning down the house. Funny, as they could whip up just any drink easily, but cooking… well, if they must.

'Oh, perfect. Now to set the table, let's see. Yep, this will do nicely and… ah, nice, I didn't know we had this cider. Going on the table, too.'

Adi put down the bottle and nodded approvingly at their work. Yep, good. Food's on the table and served, a good cider to accompany it.

Their husband deserved this and so much more for putting up with their constant mischief. But hey, as that song went, neither of them could sleep without feeling the other's touch. Funny, uh?

It was with this in their head that Adi made their way upstairs to wake their husband. Ugh, now the hard part… Adi HATED to wake Tomi up when he so badly needed his rest. But what Tomi needed even more was a proper meal in his stomach, as his last good meal was yesterday's lunch… Not good.

Adi whistled softly, to which Tomi stirred a little, rolling onto his side. Sitting on the bed, Adi caressed Tomi's hand while whistling again, urging him to wake up.

"…uhhh… tora…? Imananjidesuka…?" (What time is it?) Adi smiled before slowly moving their lips. «Nearly midday. Hungry?» "Midday…? Oh, gods… and I don't feel like cooking…" «Lunch is sorted.» "Oh. Did you…?"

Adi's smile was answer enough. Tomi caressed Adi's face tenderly. 'What would I do without you, my sweet Adi…' He watched as Adi kissed his palm, then his wrist. "You know you could have awaken me earlier, right?" Adi nodded. "Then why didn't you?" Just another smile. And Tomi got it.

"Yes, silly question. I know why. Arigatō, watashi no aisuru haigūsha. Haigūsha… it still feels like a dream, to be able to call you my spouse, Adi. Will I awake from it? Find this is but a dream? If this is a dream, Adi, don't let me wake up." (Thank you, my dear spouse) Adi's lips moved. «I won't, my Tomika. Watashi no aisuru otto.» (My beloved husband)

The kiss they then shared had the very same unhurried sweetness of that special night back in July. But Adi stopped, sitting back up.

«Sorry, love, we have to stop for now. The food's getting cold.» "Oh, my bad. Give me a minute to get dressed?" «Sure. Thank you, love. For putting up with me.» It was Tomi's turn to answer with a smile. "Would you mind we stopped by the gym later? I could do with a little workout." Adi's characteristic 'Okay' whistle had Tomi reaching for the top shelf. 'Dammit, why do I insist on storing my clothes where I can barely reach?!'

As he entered the kitchen a few minutes later, Tomika was stunned.

"Oh my goodness, Adi. You didn't have to go this far, saiai no. Really." «Thanks. I tried my best. And managed to not cook a lump of coal.» "Seriously, Adi, you didn't have to do all this. We could've just ordered something to be delivered." «Now what fun would be in that? Your surprised face was wonderful!» "Alright, you sure got me this time. But dinner's on me, okay? I can't just count on your luck to keep the house from burning into a crisp." «Maybe, but I do enjoy surprising you. Not an easy feat and it's totally worth the effort.» "Thank you, dearest. Let me… Oh! It's delicious, tora!"

A pleasant lunch later, Adi and Tomi could easily be found enjoying each other's company at the nearby gazebo.

"You now, Adi, I was thinking about a little investment adventure. I'd like to know your opinion on it." «Really? What kind of investment?» "I was thinking about buying off one of those old traditional houses down in Brindleton, rearrange it a bit to turn the ground level into a nice little coffee shop and the upstairs could become a cozy apartment. Much like your uncles' house in Windenburg."

«That sounds real good, love. But, a coffee shop? Why not a bar or lounge?» "Because, my dearest chīsana tora, I could do with a quieter business. I have enough headaches from the club, I have even considered closing it and renovating it into something else. Something useful and legal which won't have old Arturo Linh glaring daggers at me all the time. I quite like that old man, but I've grown tired of always having him chastising me for, apparently, 'corrupting' you by hiring you as a barista to the club. And also because I want to run something nice with you. Is it so strange?"

«No, not really. I actually like that idea. But we can't just sell coffee, love, like uncle Max keeps saying, 'we gotta have variety or it will not be viable'. He has a point, you know. He might be an iceberg to everyone aside from uncle Lucas, but he gives solid advice, even dad takes his words seriously.» "Well, yes. I could bake the cakes we'd sell there. Maybe make some Komorebi sweets once in a while. And I'd spend more time with you."

«That sounds lovely, but how will we pull that off with me still having to spend another year in school, Tomi? Brindleton is a little bit too far for it to be viable right now, love. I'm sorry, but I don't see how we'd pull this off while I'm still tied down here.» "I know, tora. Which is why I'm running this by you. I want it to be ready to open up next summer, right after you finish school."

«And what if I want to go to college? Then what?» "Then, we'll actually be closer to Britechester in Brindleton than here. It's a fifteen minutes ride by the highway. If we stay here, you'd have to drive for two hours. Or move into a dorm there."

«Hell, no, not a dorm. I'm not gonna spend four years away from you, perish the thought!» "And THAT, dearest, is why I'm suggesting we move to Brindleton. We can keep this house and return whenever. Maybe Alec could stop over once in a while and look after it? It'd be way easier on him, as he could just walk the short distance from here to school."

«You're willing to leave a fifteen years old looking after our house on his own? Are you going senile?» "You jest, tora. Of course I'll also leave a key with your parents. I'm just saying your brother could stay once in a while, when needed."

«Well, if you're so sure, then why not. But it still leaves us with a little problem called the club.» "Not a problem. I've already planned the transition. Some of the guys are gonna go. Others will stay and man whatever I turn the club into. It'll also be my chance to rest up a bit, I've had next to zero days off since I opened that place."

«Which reminds me, dad said he wants us to spend the Winterfest holidays with them in Sulani. And great-grandfather wants us to spend it in Komorebi. What will we do?» "Hmmm, well... great-uncle is the trouble here, Wolf's fine with whatever we decide, so…" «I know that face of yours. What's the plan?» "How about… neither of them. We'll spend it by ourselves in Brindleton, see some houses and decide on which one to buy while touring the place."

Adi smiled and shook their head. So like their husband, to evade everyone right under their noses and cook up his own little plan. With a nod, Adi pulled Tomi to straddle their lap. "So… am I mistaken or… there won't be a visit to the gym today?" Yes, their husband knew them well enough. «Nope.» "Ah, well. We can always go tomorrow." «If you can walk.» "Yeah, if I can wal… Wait, what?! ADI!!"

Tomika shut up once he felt Adi's lips on his, not taking long to melt into the kiss and practically forget Adi's threat. Which he remembered as he felt Adi easily lifting him up and carrying him home.

He couldn't help the laughing fit that seized him. His dear little tiger, so insanely strong! He was no lightweight at all, but to be carried as easily as a toddler… it was too funny, even to him.

~The End~

BONUS

Ohhhh, yes! Finally got it done! I was just lacking a lil detail when my patreon pinged and... @herecirmsims saved the day with the wonderful "Romance Me" pose pack! Thank you, darling!

So let us start, cuz... this time I DID remember to make a list of the posepacks used! They were by: drumroll please

@herecirmsims, @snarky-sims-creations, @rebouks, @raspberrywhimss, @simmireen, @r-jayden, Erica_Craft (sorry, I can't find a link, I think I found the posepack on pintrest, but can't find it right now).

Not to forget, a mega thank-you to all the CC creators! Every single one of you, regardless of already being well-known or having just started! You're all amazing!

Thank you guys, for your amazing work.

And a special, GIANT of a THANK YOU to Simmireen, for all the love poured into the lovely ASL Couch Conversations posepack which allowed me to finally have Adi actually communicating. You did such a wonderful job, Irene, it's no wonder Adi insists to use the "I love you" sign to refer to you! And I'm afraid the rest of the family is picking up on it, they're also starting to sign "I love you" whenever I'm trying to decide on a pose that suits a particular moment and yours fit to a T!

I hope you enjoyed this little story, taken directly from my little notebook with the full story of my beloved main save.

If you haven't read about them yet, here's links for the profiles: Adi Tomika As for their couple profile, the template of which is courtesy of the sweet @misspepeshi, you can find it HERE!

Love to you all Luna