#but I didn’t want to give away any spoilers so some things aren’t mentioned

[sunfloweraro]

Request: Put the Stitched boys in the Cuddle Pile

Hi Paloma!! I’ve loved this request from the moment I got it and I’m so glad I finally got the chance to write it. Enjoy <33

***

All was quiet in LonLon Ranch. But it was never silent. Soft peeps escaped the sleeping chickens, crickets hummed their low, nightly song, and blankets rustled as they were thrown aside. A young head of blond hair peeked out from the blankets, eyes tired, lips twisted with frustration. An hour had passed, and yet sleep refused to find him. It had been months since the young boy had been left to sleep alone, and the quiet of the night left him tense where he had once preferred it. He missed the low rumble of the ocean, and now he missed the low rumble of his companions snoring.

With a scoff, he pushed himself to his feet, slipping out of the too-quiet spare guest room he had been given for the night. His companions lay spread out around the two-storey house, had earlier boasted their relief at finally having some privacy for the night. But Wind had never once had quiet, and it was too much for him to handle. A certain friend in the living room would understand; he had to.

When he arrived, the other was sitting up and awake, expectantly watching the open doorway. “Couldn’t sleep?”

Wind shuffled over to him, dragging blanket and pillow and setting up shop next to his close friend. “Not a wink.”

Warriors huffed a laugh, dragging a hand through his hair. “Same here. Not with you all…”

“I know.”

Wind had no qualms with flopping his tired body against his friend. With a huff of laughter, Warriors lay back into his pillows and blankets, and Wind shifted so his head lay on his friend’s stomach, feeling the rise and fall there, his shoulders relaxing.

Another voice swiftly piped up, though Wind didn’t open his eyes upon hearing it. “I see I’m not the first.”

“Not at all, Rancher. Come here.”

A soft sound, an unnatural clinking of diamonds and rattling of chains Wind had come to associate with Twilight transforming. And then soft fur pressed against his side, Twilight laying his furry face on Warriors’ chest next to Wind. As he relaxed, Wolfie’s head settled back to rest against Wind’s.

“You lot like using me as a pillow, don’t you?”

“Shhh.”

“Fine, fine. The weight helps, anyhow.”

“Good, because you’re stuck with us both night.”

Warriors laughed at that, his chest and belly moving in time with the sound and jostling Wind.

“Shhh,” he repeated, and Warriors was quick to settle down and quieten.

Wind had almost fallen asleep when he heard soft shuffling in the doorway. “Got room for two more?”

Wind peeked open an eye, spotting Sky standing in the doorway, Four standing close behind, rubbing an eye with one hand, the other grasping Sky’s hand.

“We couldn’t sleep at all,” Four groaned, his face souring. Wind huffed a laugh along with Warriors and Twilight, and then Warriors beckoned the other two closer. Sky settled on Warriors’ other side. Wind didn’t need to look to know he had drawn Four into his chest, chin over Four’s head protectively as their Smithy curled up in his arms.

Wind didn’t get the chance to close his eyes again before more shuffling of feet greeted his ears. Wild and Hyrule stood in the doorway this time, faces lighting up when they saw the five of them already in the living room. Warriors waved them over, now unable to get up from where he lay on his back, crushed beneath Wind and Wolfie, squashed in by Sky and Four. Wild and Hyrule were there in an instant, Wild sliding the last few feet across the wooden floor and crashing into Twilight and Wind. A murmured apology followed their growls and curses, and then Wild settled, curling into Wolfie, knees tucked up against Wind’s side. In the darkness, Wind couldn’t tell what earrings they were wearing, if they had worn any to bed at all; he would check come morning, once he was rested. Hyrule settled next to Wild so they lay back to back, his wings tucked away and his head angled so he wouldn’t hurt Wild with his antlers, growing larger by the day and glowing a faint amber in the darkness, a familiar comfort like the light of a fire. And then Hyrule waved at the doorway, to Wind’s confusion.

A beat passed. Then Wind spotted another one of them shambling into view, his arms curled around his middle with discomfort, the space beneath his eyes laden with darkness. Legend made his way over, avoiding Wind’s gaze, pausing briefly to stare at Warriors, as if wishing he could fit himself in there somehow, be close to Warriors, Hyrule and Four. Finally, Legend settled down by Hyrule, giving himself a little space as he preferred. Hyrule stretched an arm out, and with a roll of his eyes, Legend took his hand. Hyrule linked their fingers together, before the both of them settled.

Wind closed his eyes again, breaths evening out swiftly.

Soft murmurs awoke Wind a little while later, followed by rustling. He glanced up, curious, meeting Time’s eye.

“Oh, sorry, my dear,” Malon whispered, and it was then Wind realised she was there too.

“Get some rest, Sailor,” Time murmured as he and Malon settled onto the couch. Malon lay on her back, Time settling into the space between herself and the couch and immediately being wrapped up in her arms. As they settled, warmed by each other’s presence, one of Time’s arms came the hang down to the ground, an invitation. Wind reached out slowly, past Wolfie and Warriors, still snoring softly, and pressed a finger to Time’s, all he could reach from his position. Time pressed back, a gentle push of acknowledgement, and he left his hand there for Wind; for himself.

Wind drifted off again swiftly, warmed by the presence of his new family away from home.

[bunni-v1]

hii, can I request "First Years Finding Out Your A Girl" with sebek and ortho please?

Ortho and Sebek Find out You’re a Girl?!?!?! (NOT CLICKBAIT!!!)

TW: Swearing (as usual lol); Ortho being creepy; Misogyny mention <3; Reader goes by she/her and is biologically female; Book 6 spoilers (very light, but still there); Bunni hasn't read Book 7 and therefore doesn't know what they're talking about :)

Info: Ortho x Reader; Sebek x Reader; Fem!Reader; Platonic

🍓Hi. If you’ve read the first part of this, I copy pasted the intro. Not because I’m lazy or anything (I’m a little lazy, but I’m a full-time college student who also has a part-time job, so I think I can be excused.) It’s mostly because… It’s a good intro. If people are just discovering this stuff then they can read it, but if you’ve read the first part you can just skip to the good good yk. Anyway, long-ass babble session, but I didn’t include Ortho and Sebek initially because they’re kind of new to the First year group so idk. Felt weird including them. Also, I haven’t read book seven so Sebek I bullshit a lot lol. Anyway, they’re here now, and I absolutely ADORE Ortho, so sorry if my favoritism shows.

First Years

Second Years

Third Years

Dorm Leaders

-Okay so, I know we’re all wondering, how the hell do you get away with hiding your gender for so damn long?

-Firstly, those ceremonial robes do great at hiding the figure. The only tell would maybe be your hair, but feminine men aren’t unwelcome at Nightraven College, so you mostly get a few questioning stares and that’s it.

-Secondly, Crowley wants to save his own fucking ass. He already has to hide from the press that he has a MAGICLESS student from ANOTHER DIMENSION here, he doesn’t need the fact that you are a woman ALSO on his plate. So, obviously, he helps you hide your gender from others.

-Grim knows, of course, and he keeps his mouth shut for a few yummy cans of tuna (and threats of being expelled from Crowley <3)

-Even when you were just a janitor, he couldn’t have the rumor that he put a “helpless” young woman to work. (Like it wouldn’t be expected.)

-So how do you two do it?

-Baggy ass uniform. Crowley gave you at least three sizes too big.

-Your figure is completely hidden. Sure, you look completely homeless, but at least you’re hidden.

-For your voice, you simply deepen it. After some point, you blackmail Crowley into giving you a potion to help with it, since it's so taxing on your voice. (Or maybe your voice is naturally deep!)

-Sam provides you (for an unfairly pretty penny (not too different from your original world…)) any feminine hygiene products you might need.

-Honestly, you’re set for being cared for, but it’s the adjustment period that’s the hardest part. 

-Truly, it’s very jarring to suddenly be thrown into both a magical world and be isolated in a man's world with nowhere to hide.

-At least in your world you had other women who could understand your struggles. Here though? You’re completely alone.

-You notice how… messy some of these guys could be. How some of them smell… really rancid. -How rough they were with you and each other.

-Honestly, it’s kinda eye-opening. The way men show affection to each other is oddly refreshing to watch and experience!

-Ace and Deuce specifically are a good… trial run.

-That’s not what we’re here to talk about though…

-For the most part, it's incredibly easy to hide yourself for the first while on campus. Everyone on campus is so self-absorbed that they don’t bother questioning you.

-Your only real risk factor is Savannaclaw, but it's easy to avoid those guys (minus Jack, of course).

-However, you can only hide your gender for so long… It’s mentally draining to keep up this facade all the time around people you care about.

-So… how do they find out?

Ortho 

-Okay, so Ortho is a little creepy weirdo. He’s a highly advanced robot who likely has autism, and loves his big brother a whole fucking lot. 

-(Side note: Can a robot, child, or thing have autism? Does that mean Idia programmed Ortho to be autistic? How silly of him.)

-It’s my personal head cannon that Idia DECKED this kid out in as much high-tech gear as he could get his hands on. 

-He’s equipped with some of the most complex medical features, therefore he has access to a database of all students at NRC’s medical files. (This is not legal, but he does not care for the law.)

-“But Bunni, what does that have to do with the prefect?” Well, Ortho is ALSO equipped with the latest medical scanner on the market.

-Think like Baymax, yeah? He can scan everyone one time and know every piece of medical knowledge readily available.

-Well, Ortho, the sweet little creep he is, automatically scans the medical information of any new person he sees/meets into his database — just in case it may come in handy.

-So, before he even KNOWS you. Before he speaks a single word to you, he knows you’re biologically a female.

-He scanned you without thinking and just shrugged his shoulders at it.

-You’re not from here, and you got thrown into this, so you being a woman doesn’t really matter too much to you being at NRC. 

-It honestly could’ve been anyone getting stuck here, so why should he question it?

-However, he notices that you are referred to with exclusively “male” pronouns, so he marks in your file that you are trans and moves on. 

-Again, who cares? He’s a magical robot guy based on his brother's dead brother. Who was he to judge?

-When he finally ACTUALLY gets to interact with you after being welcomed into the first-year squad, he’s very respectful of your gender.

-You are a man to him, therefore he refers to you with exclusively masculine pronouns.

-However, everyone in your little group already knows, and they assume that Ortho knows. So when they speak about you, they use feminine pronouns.

-Ortho, sweet as he is, immediately questions everyone as to why they’re misgendering you.

-Protective of the people he cares for at heart, he doesn’t like the idea that your so-called closest friends are misgendering you behind your back.

-Doesn’t believe them completely when they explain, so he goes to you because you’re the only one who knows who you really are.

-“Prefect!”

“Hey, Ortho! What’s up? Miss me?”

“Of course I do, but I have a very important question.”

“Sure, what do ya need?”

“Are you a woman?”

-At this point 90% of your friends know, but there is a handful that doesn’t… and you can’t be having that.

-You, of course, assure Ortho that you are not only a woman, but that your friends are not misgendering you behind your back.

-Relieved, he takes several of your friends off a hit list and removes the trans man label on your medical chart.

-Asks why you hid your gender in the first place.

-Promptly adds Crowley to a hit list (again).

-Ortho, out of EVERYONE at NRC, has absolutely zero behavior changes toward you. 

-He’s equally protective as he was before, he spends the same amount of time with you as usual, he doesn’t suddenly have some weird crush on you, and he’s still trying to set you up with Idia.

-Honestly, everyone should take notes from Ortho. He’s the best at this whole thing.

Sebek

-On the other hand… do not take notes from Sebek! He sucks at this! He sucks really badly!

-Out of all the first years, Sebek is not only the least close to you, but he is also incredibly mean. So you just… feel no obligation to tell him.

-In fact, you kind of… sort of… actively leave him out of the loop for a really long time.

-I mean, it's not an unreasonable thing to do. He is constantly berating you and putting you down for being human. You have no idea how he feels about women and you don’t want to find out first hand.

-In all honesty, he is the only person (other than Azul and the twins) that you’re really scared of finding out, and take extra precautions to ensure he doesn’t find out.

-However, you attend NRC, and nothing ever goes your way at NRC.

-Despite every precaution you take to keep your gender under lock and key, you overlook one thing.

-Malleus Draconia.

-His complete and total lack of social awareness is your downfall here. He finds out, and despite everything telling him to keep his mouth shut… he doesn’t. Because of course, he doesn’t.

-At this point, you’ve gone through most of your misadventures, and most — if not all — of your friends know you’re a girl.

-Hell, even Silver knows now. Everyone BUT Sebek knows.

-And he finds out because Malleus casually mentions it over dinner. Not even directly about your gender, he just uses she/her pronouns.

-Sebek, being Sebek, respectfully asks Malleus if he meant to say he. Malleus, of course, says no without a second thought.

-The shock and horror on Silver and Lilia’s faces was enough to be further confirmation.

-And Sebek’s world shatters.

-He was completely left out of the loop and also has a moral conflict now.

-As much shit, as I gave Sebek (as everyone gives Sebek) he RESPECTS women. His queen is a woman, and his mother is a woman. 

-In his eyes, women are some of the strongest people around. Regardless of if they’re human or not.

-You, on top of being a human from another realm who had successfully quelled several of the strangest students at NRC’s OVERBLOTS and came out on top, was also a woman.

-If that wasn’t strength, he didn’t know what it was.

-However, his bias against humans strongly clashes with his respect for women in this case.

-And it just… messes with his head. 

-He doesn’t treat you worse, in fact, he’s just… really awkward around you now.

-He doesn’t know if he should apologize or berate you for being a human, so he just stays stiff and glares at you.

-It's honestly more scary than him constantly talking down to you.

-However, once the two of you actually befriend one another, he apologizes to you. For everything, and explains where he’s coming from. Why he acted the way he did, how he really feels about you, and all that sweet shit.

-Afterwards, he is genuinely the best at keeping your secret (if he even needs to at this point).

-If there is anyone you can trust to keep his stupid mouth shut at NRC, it's Sebek. 

-His honor and pride force him into silence when it comes to secrets he promises to keep.

-In fact, if anyone is on your trail about it, he’s the first one to jump in the way and scare them off/shut them down.

[sheepispink]

A Pearl (1/2)

based on the song by mitski because i love mitski and hot traumatised men

Summary: Years of horrific memories still weigh down on him even as he promises to let you help him move on. All you want to do is help, but its not enough.

Part 2 Masterlist AO3

tags: Leon Kennedy/Reader, Hurt/No comfort, Angst, fem! reader, mentions of re4 (no specific spoilers dw guys), mentions of ptsd, heart wrenching angst 😘

other notes: for clarification, the timeline goes— after the raccoon city incident, then he goes on the re4 mission, then it’s like the smaller missions like damnation etc. Towards the end and next chapter it’s basically vendetta. But theres no actual spoilers bcus tbh.. i haven’t watched any of the movies except id 💀

Ch1: Before it Ended

Like a dream is how you’d always describe it. His coworkers, your friends —anyone who had heard of his name— would come up to you, fawning over your pretty looks and lovely personality. They’d ask you every time, “How did it happen?” And always, you’d replay that memory in your head.

“It was winter,” You’d begin by recounting the snow that fell upon your face that day, the breeze that bristled your bones, and the way his hair looked frozen in place. You’d remember the laughter that bubbled in your throat when you saw that and how his lips curved ever so slightly for what you believe was the first time. Some of the soft strands of your hair had itched your skin; It was messy from having been shaken from the depths of sleep, and now your fingers tuck the rogue locks behind your ear. Eyes like a pretty lake, hair like wheat, with his random strands and dirty blonde roots you would soon learn to run your fingers through. He stood before you, only the dim porch light illuminating him on that winter night. “Why are you out so late?” You had asked him, your hand reaching forward to tug him into the warmth of your apartment. Little did you know that’d tug him into your life as well.

The refusal was clear; he shook his head, puffs of warm air escaping as he explained that he had something to tell you. His clothes were dirty, scratched in places, and his combat knife was only hastily put away—just work, he explains, desperate to leave a good impression on you. He had finished, and he was sure that now that he’d have time, he’d be free from the shackles of the years that would creep up on him. Cheeks flushed and Adam’s apple bobbing—you still aren’t sure whether the cold or a blush caused that. “I know I’m always gone, and we dont see each other as often anymore, but I swear- I’ve sorted everything out. I’ve fixed it.” He says his words rushed and mumbled, like his heart was spilling out then and there.“I know this is sudden- i know, but- i just.. Will you marry me?” He blurts out and every puff of air that leaves his mouth feels like another log added to the fire you didn’t know was built in your heart for him. A campfire, as you’d always describe it, is comforting and warm, the perfect reassurance in cold times. Perhaps you should’ve chosen something detrimental to life, but you preferred the romantic speech.

Everyone loved the tale as you did, enamoured with how you managed to get the stoic agent to fall head over heels with you. He’d walk over right then, slinging an arm around your waist, giving you a tender kiss to your cheek, and plastering a smirk on his lips. “Still telling everyone that story?” He’d tease as his fingertips gently rubbed your side, the silver band on his ring finger twinkling with the same light his wine glass did. “As usual.” You’d reply, that same bubble of happiness rising in your throat again as you tilted your head upwards, waiting for the small peck that always came.

Always.

A year would go by, and you’d been learning more and more about each other. Nothing seemed to be too big of a step for you. Opposing voices, loud huffs, doors slamming shut until the other would open it quietly, apologise, crawl into the warmth of their shared bed, and work things out with sweet reassurances. Work was tough; he was on more missions than ever, being considered one of the greatest men to serve your country. Warmth that you always described as adoration filled your heart whenever you heard that phrase; you couldn’t be more proud of him for it.

Besides, not even that could tear you down; nothing could break the delicate encasing that surrounded the pair of you. A greenhouse, you’d say, because it held all the things that grew only with a person’s own nurture and care. Like your relationship, crafted and melded by your kind words and your soft voice. It’s a shame greenhouses are made of glass.

Weekends were quieter now, something you had decided to take in stride; you decided to plan something nice for when he returned. The he anniversary he had missed too. It’s been so long since you’ve seen him now, resorting to spraying his cologne on the pillows in that cold bed to retrieve some imaginary warmth. Then it came—the day he’d return. Open arms is what you welcomed him with; he had always loved to hug you, and holding you close was a remedy for his mind, he’d say. But those words stopped forming after some time. You ushered him into the shared bed that night, your arms curling around him after the nice surprise you had set up earlier had gone well. Perfect, you had thought. The bed was still cold, though. You thought about bringing it up with him but decided against it; the warmth of his arms was enough for you.

You should’ve brought it up with him, for the time would have entered where he couldn’t handle it. He had awoken with a jolt, sweat trickling like beads down his temples. Eyes wide and chest pounding, he sat there with eyes darting for a threat and hands searching for yours. Your fingers would intertwine with his, warm against his cold palms, as you sat up beside him. It’d be over soon; thats what you promised— you’d do this together.

Nights like those started occurring more often than ever, until one day, he’s awoken with a sharp jolt again. His movements are much more frantic, his hands searching and searching.

Though, this time, it doesn’t find itself in yours.

It’s tightly wrapped around your neck, his mind screaming to murder you. Bloodshot eyes and prominent streaks of black down your arms— the horrors he had tried so desperately to push away— return to his mind. Your breath wont come. No sweet words, and he looks down to see his hand contaminated with that same murky colour. The sink of his chest feels like a knife as he sees your arm grab out at him, like they did everywhere he went. Those creatures who would grab him, claw at him, and still threatened to take his life. They had destroyed his mind instead.

But there is no mutant, no bloodshot eyes and no streaks on your skin. All he sees is what he’s done to you, his body weight pressing on you as his hand keeps a firm grip around your neck. Your mouth begs for air, denying the sweet reassurance he needed as he sees you turn pale, your eyes flickering with tears. There’s no threat in here; not even the cold breeze from the open window chills his bones. Nothing can hurt more than the desperation in your eyes as your hands claw—No—plead at him for relief. He immediately lets go, scrambling to the other end of the bed as he watches you pant, his heart filled with fear. Fear of himself. You quickly turn to him, mustering out your honeyed phrases through choked breaths. But they’re just letters dancing about, barely going near his ears in the walls he had built between the two of you. Ignorance is bliss, but he can’t break his gaze when he sees the deep streaks of scarlet he left on your neck. Frozen in regret and shame, you tentatively wrap your arms around him to comfort the pair of you. But he feels your tears on his neck; the fear you felt eats at his gut and his conscience. You had never felt so cold before.

The days he had left for missions were the worst nights of your life, you’d say, having been away from your heart for so long. But even as you see him drinking his morning coffee, those eye bags prominent, you think your heart might be buried in Spain, infected with the plagas of love that died out.

Unspoken was what had happened that night— a silent promise between the pair of you with small random affections to bandage up the wound he had inflicted. He was still going on the small missions, but they were shorter, and he was back to fill the bed every night. The flowers in the vase never died—a different shade, flower, or even scent every week. A different kind of love.

This continued for weeks, up until you were out with some friends, each talking about their love lives, which was always a topic between the three of you. One of them gushes about how their husband’s love language is gift-giving, describing each and every homemade affection they receive on the daily. Soon it gets around to your turn, and when you speak about his love language, physical touch comes to mind again. Whether it was playing with your hair, rubbing your hands as you walked in the cold, or leaning on you after hard days, he always wanted to be near you. Your mouth fails to respond; no words form yet no examples are recalled in your brain either. You laugh sheepishly, trying hard to wrack your head for something sweet he’s done, until you just laugh it off and talk about how you love him again.

The bed’s empty when you slip inside it; he hasn’t returned yet and he won’t be back for another hour or so. The ceiling accompanies you as you desperately try to remember an act of affection in the last few weeks. It’s only now that it finally hits you, like a tonne of bricks through your skull—

He’s been distancing himself from you.

Knowing that you get caught up in little things, he occupied your mind with flowers and sweet notes. Not once have you actually heard him say any of it or felt his touch, if not accidental. He sleeps at a distance at night, and even when you shuffle closer somehow, you wake up further apart than before. You havent had a meal with him in weeks and you haven’t actually heard that raspy voice you remember as he complains about his day. You cannot remember the last time you felt warmth, and you can’t remember when you last cried this hard.

You’re in the bathroom, wiping away the stray tears as you look at yourself in the mirror. A heavy ache that still scrapes against the walls of your heart, unsure if you feel better or worse after coming to terms with this. Every pump feels like it’s dragging you down instead of keeping you alive. The rush of blood is like-

The front door clicks open.

You almost freak out and you’re not even sure why you would. Why are you scared of this? Why are you suddenly scared of him? Your feet hurries you back to your shared bed, settling under the covers once more to try to play it off as just tiredness. You still can’t figure out why you’re doing all this or why you start to form excuses for your behaviour in your mind. He never does. So why would you? The footsteps draw closer; they’re just slightly heavy, much softer than when he wears his boots. You hear the bedroom door unclick and your shoulders tense with every second.

But you dont see him enter. Slow breathing and closed eyes— you’re even lying on your side as you pretend to be asleep.

————————————————————————

Leon breathes out a heavy sigh, his chest sinking to drain out all his exhaustion from today. There’s a rustle of clothing as he undresses, pulling on some random sweatpants and a spare shirt for the night. Why should he even care if its clean or not? He walks over to his side of the bed, rummaging around the bedside table for something. Then he pauses, his eyes catching onto something in his peripheral view. Tear stains?

You hear the creak on the bed as he leans half his weight on it, about to reach out to you. Your heart beats faster. Is it because you dont want to worry him with your tears, or are you afraid of him? You don’t know. His fingers brush your cheek ever so gently, his voice echoing out your name so, so softly.

“Hey.. you awake?” He asks, and even though your heart is melting into a little puddle so easily, some stubborn stick clogs your throat. His sigh fills the room again and he pulls the blanket over you, tucking it snugly over you before brushing the hair out of your face. Maybe he’s just tired these days, you think. He’s been through a lot after all; it explains all of it. Really, you shouldn’t have been so upset at all—his work and life are on an entirely different level for you.

You’re about to open your eyes, pretend you woke up, and give him a sleepy smile. Images of him giving you a tight hug and one hand rubbing the small of your back as he tells you to fall asleep again fills your mind.

Then he speaks again, the bed creaking as he steps back off of the bed, the warmth leaving as fast as it came. “She’s really knocked out.? Phew.. I do not want to deal with some stupid tears..” He mutters out, his raspy voice much lower and breathless—almost exasperated. A low groan leaves him as he dumps his work clothes somewhere. Then, the bed screams again as he lays his weight on it before he shuffles himself to the end of the bed. He looks back at the space between them, another huff of air leaving his lips.

“That’s good enough. I fucking hate being woken to push her away from me..” Eventually, his breathing evens out, and his shoulders are still tight and tense as his body relaxes into the bed. The night falls quieter, and your mind feels blank.

You don’t know when you fell asleep or if he saw your fresh tears when he woke that morning.

Next

[jazzajazzjazz]

My thoughts on DAV for anyone who gives a shit:

Heavy spoilers under cut (read at your own risk)

Stuff I liked:

* The abundance of book/comic characters that made appearances. I really enjoyed meeting a character and excitedly saying ‘oh it’s [NAME]!’ Evka and Antoine were absolutely wonderful and I adore them and would die for them

* The environments are stunningly beautiful, particularly Treviso. I also love how darkly oppressive and hopeless Hossberg felt. And the Necropolis are you KIDDING ME 😭😍

* Generally speaking I enjoyed the companions and how they were written. Emmrich was absolutely my favourite but I also loved Davrin and Bellara, and I found Neve and Lucanis very endearing also.

* Bellara being more than the token quirky girl was such a wonderful surprise

* The CC is SO fun to play with like wow

* Boss fights are pretty cool

* Act 3 battle in Minrathous was a lot of fun

* English fem Rook’s voice is fantastic and it’s so refreshing to hear a Geordie accent (my own accent, no less!) in DA

* Combat is a lot of fun and for the first time playing a mage in DA I actually felt dangerous.

* Ghilly is just so cool and utterly unhinged. I dreaded her next scene because I wondered what other abominable shit she could possibly do

Stuff I disliked:

* The romances are utterly lackluster. I romanced Davrin and while I adore the man and enjoyed the scenes I got with him there was barely any chemistry between he and Rook. By the time they slept together they had kissed twice (and that was in ONE scene). The flirty lines are barely even flirtatious at all. And why can’t we kiss our LI’s whenever we want? Why would you take that away???

* Why isn’t there any option to just….talk to your companions? Ask them questions? Ask Neve about her most infamous cases, her upbringing, who designed her badass prosthetic. Ask Davrin about his clan, how long he’s been a Warden, and about some of the monsters he’s hunted. Make the companions feel like they have….I dunno, lives?

* Why boast that your game has nudity when it doesn’t even make an appearance outside of the CC? Even then it was just tits?

* Where is the cruelty of Thedas? The injustice? The slavery? The racism? My Rook is an elf from Minrathous for goodness sake. (and don’t use this point of mine to accuse me of ‘fantasising about racism’ like one smoothbrained fuck on reddit did) But if you’re gonna establish that your world has these terrible things and then said terrible things just sort of vanish or aren’t mentioned then it looks like HR was in the room with the writers.

* Taash’s weird ass writing

* Inconsistencies in the quality of voice acting. I’m not talking about audio but the acting itself. Sometimes Neve’s performance was very weak.

* The music is completely forgettable and Trevor Morris should have been brought back. The theme that played during the boss fight with Ghilly made me exclaim (OUT LOUD) ‘The fuck is this shit ass music?’

* Why didn’t Maevaris have her gorgeous blonde curls what did you do to her

* Dorian was just there because Dorian. Same with Isabela. Thank god they didn’t bring Fenris back 🙏

* The Varric twist is just kinda dumb

* Solas doesn’t really act very Solas-y? 🤷🏻‍♀️

* Having to choose between Davrin or Harding felt so forced to me. Making it so the one you pick can die if you haven’t built up their loyalty? Okay, I can buy that. Especially since late act 2/act 3 of this game is very much a DA version of ME2. But I guess Harding will always be my choice because honestly even with the Titan stuff I found her boring

* Basically everything coming back to ‘it was the Elves!!!!’ is boring

* Rendering the previous games obsolete/pointless was a spineless decision made by the writers and I hope they feel bad about it

* The Executors twist is pathetic and ridiculous and I completely disregard it

* We could have had a quest where we rescue/encounter whoever was left behind in the Fade in DAI? Wow fuck you too

Companion Ranking

1 - Emmrich - everything I hoped for and more. He’s eccentric, he’s goth af, he’s almost excessively polite, and he is just an absolute delight to be around. He’s wonderful and I adore him. I will absolutely be romancing him next when I feel like doing another playthrough.

2 - Davrin - I’ll readily admit that I’m a bit biased because Davrin was my LI and is utterly gorgeous but that being said I love him to bits. I love his arc of basically working out how to be a dad to Assan. I love his confidence, and I’m a sucker for a tough guy character with a cute hobby. And I was HELLA invested in getting those damn griffons back.

3 - Bellara - I mentioned above that I was relieved that Bel was so much more than the token quirky girl and my god was she a breath of fresh air. At first I still wasn’t sold on her because of that tonal whiplash in Act 1 but once I gave her the time she needed I related to her more and more.

4 - Neve - Again I may be biased as I played a SD Rook and I love detective characters but I thought Neve was great. Her relationship with my Rook was like that of a big sister and I bought it completely. I love how she wonders aloud about problems and mysteries.

5 - Lucanis - I like Lucanis, don’t get me wrong. But I feel like he’s easily the most half baked and under-utilised companion in DAV by a country mile. So much of him just doesn’t feel finished, and Spite is just….barely there. He deserved better. Also, I get it. He likes coffee. Quit mentioning it all the damn time, game.

6 - Harding - Boring. Simple as that. I didn’t give a shit about Harding in DAI but at least she had a personality? Her whole thing relates to the Titans, one of most interesting pieces of lore in the DA universe, and they managed to make her completely forgettable. 🥱

7 - Taash - Felt like Taash’s entire existence is as an after school special/self insert. Their ‘growth’ was paced weirdly and their hypocritical attitude stinks. They came across so well in Vows & Vengeance and I was really looking forward to meeting them and was very disappointed. They do get better as the game progresses but it felt like it was too little, too late.

Final Thoughts

I don’t think this is a bad game, and I’m an OG DA fan who has been here from the very beginning. I think it’s a much better DA game than Andromeda was as a ME game and I maintain that there are plenty of things to enjoy about Veilguard. I will play it again.

THAT BEING SAID there are a ton of things I had to purposely ignore (retconning, weird dialog, characters acting out of character, etc) in order to enjoy certain parts of the game and I shouldn’t have to do that. It’s very apparent that long term fans of the series aren’t the target audience anymore and that ultimately feels like a betrayal. It stings.

I’m not giving a rating because I don’t do that but yeah those are my thoughts. I genuinely enjoyed most of my time with this game but I mourn what this series has become and what could have been. So much of this game just feels….unfinished.

[cherrixxox]

In Princess Zelda’s defense: Misogyny in the Legend of Zelda (and every fandom really)

(Spoiler Warning for BOTW and TOTK)

One thing I’ve noticed as Tears Of the Kingdom has come out, is this incredibly shameless irritable misogyny in the Legend of Zelda fandom. With fandom and internet culture really boosting in the last decade, I feel as if people are less fearful of what they say, and I’ve noticed it in the fandoms I love, like Legend of Zelda specifically.

What could I possibly mean? Doesn’t everybody love Zelda? You’d be incredibly surprised what people say about her.

I can’t image why. She’s incredibly kind, smart, interesting and an emotionally complicated character, which I personally find endearing and not at all bland. However, I think I’ve finally come to understand *why* she’s so hated in the fandom as of this last couple weeks. I think I finally get it.

Zelda is a complex character. I know this doesn’t fit with some of the fandoms fantasy of her being “boring”, but I challenge that with a question. Why is it that every female character, regardless of personality, backstory and upbringing, actions and speech patterns are all boring to you? Is it because they’re actually boring? Or is it because female characters, no matter how developed, will always take the back seat to male characters even with less complexities?

I think I would be remiss if I didn’t mention shipping culture playing a huge part. It’s unfortunate, because, as a gay person, I do think that a lot of the fujoshi/bl community is misogynistic and hates admitting that: so they turn towards the only thing they can- picking and choosing small scenes and lines out of context to demonize a perfectly fine character.

Let me remind you all that I don’t care about harmless shipping. Mostly everyone in fandom ships characters. It’s normal and as long as you aren’t being weird about it and everything is morally correct: who cares. However, I do think that shipping culture has made is hard for people in fandom to correctly distinguish media in any other way. And that’s unfortunate. But I’ll come back to my shipping point later.

Zelda, for instance, is not fond of Link in the beginning of the TOTK/BOTW/Age of Calamity timeline. That’s very apparent from the very first memory in order from Breath of the Wild. In context, that all makes sense why and it’s explained very well. She very quickly after takes a liking to Link, and the rest is history.

However, you have people saying that she’s awful, hates Link, treats him badly, etc. She’s being treated like she’s helpless, something that, in game, she despises feeling. If you can’t tell from context, many times it’s said out loud and in your face. Take this memory with Urbosa for example:

She feels like a failure and Link being appointed to her just reminds her of that feeling.

Despite feeling this way, she’s proven to be a character that can grow and develop. She takes a liking to Link, as previously mentioned before, shortly after said scene with Urbosa explaining to link why she is the way she is. After her heart crushing memory where she’s sobbing about how she couldn’t save her father, the champions or Hyrule, Link is in danger. He is close to death and still he refuses to give up. At the very moment he is going to die. Zelda *finally* is able to release her power, after many many years, and in turn, his life. Why? Because she loves him.

Mipha hints at this being the way she can release her power. Though she doesn’t outright say it, it’s incredibly obvious she’s trying to get across that Zelda think about love and who she cares for.

I feel like if a man had that same backstory, people would acknowledge how incredibly complex of a character he was. They never do this with female characters, and instead take their emotions at face value, like how Zelda has multiple scenes where her determinations, wants and hopes are explained with heavy emotion and people throw it all away for some screwed up, incorrect perception of a character who is more multifaceted then they can ever comprehend.

And why do I think people refuse to look at the truth when it comes to Zelda? Yep, I’m going back to shipping. Like I mentioned before, specifically the fujoshi shipping community seems to be incredibly misogynistic as a whole. And if you self identify as a fujoshi, please stop. It’s not a good term or a nice term. Obviously this isn’t about people who enjoy gay ships in general as I don’t see any harm in shipping whatever you want as long as it’s not morally wrong. However, as someone who has been heavily engrained in fandom culture for the majority of my life: women are second rate citizens to the vast majority of these people.

With the appearance of Sidon in BOTW came a brand new ship that, though I think it’s a very very weird ship considering that Sidon looks like this when Link first meets him:

I never had anything much to say about it. I didn’t ship it, but to each their own since Sidon is very much an adult in current day BOTW/TOTK.

However, the birth is Sidon as a character has incredibly turned the tide when it comes to how people view Zelda. Every bit of character growth and backstory has been dismantled because they see her as a “home-wrecker” to this very much headcanoned ship. I genuinely think people who do this have very little ability to understand female characters in any piece of media, but Zelda is a great example of this. Now that TOTK has come out and Sidon (reminder from the beginning of this post, that I said there would be spoilers) canonically has a Fiance, I feel like this misunderstanding of female characters has just completely gone off the rails and people are now just saying things completely untrue.

For one: I don’t think arranged marriages are ever the best way to try to convince an audience that two characters are in love, and I give that to the shipping community completely. Arranged marriages are not good 9/10 times. Though, sometimes they work out, it’s often for political reasons, and almost never are these two people in love. It’s not a good trope. *However*

Sidons case is different. Yona, a brand new character in the series, is his fiancé. She’s, in my opinion, is quite pretty and helpful to the Zora community, as she seems to be their main healer in the domain.

A lot of the fandom is taking the fact that he saw her as a sister when he was a CHILD out of context as he quite literally says in the next paragraph that his feelings for her start to change and become “difficult to quantify” which clearly, in this case, means that those feelings are changing. And then, he seems to get to embarrassed to go further as those are for more private thoughts. Not only that, but Sidon very clearly calls her his love multiple times, even when she isn’t around.

And how does this character, the kind and caring Yona get treated?

Badly. Just from the first month of this game being out I’ve heard that she should die, she’s a dumb bitch, she’s ugly, she’s boring (how creative), etc.

I can’t help but notice that these comments are clearly coming from a place of distain that Sidon isn’t a free man, and believe it or not hating a female character because she gets in the way of your ships is misogynistic whether or not you think it is!

Now that Sidon isn’t free for grabs, I feel like that brings considerably more backlash upon Zelda yet again because she’s just not a character that can be ignored in favor of Sidon anymore. I’ve noticed an incredible increase of this hate that just doesn’t make any sense to me.

Hating female characters just because they get in the way of your ships will never be cool, but will always unfortunately be a part of fandom that I will refuse to get behind. It’s not just The Legend of Zelda fandom. I can name multiple female characters who get hate for the same exact thing.

This may have just been a rant that went on too long, maybe a mini essay, I’m not sure, but I genuinely challenge the Zelda community to interact more with the actual game over who belongs with who and stop picking at straws to find faults in characters that ruin your perfect perception of who you want to be with who. And please, judge the female characters the same way you’d judge the male characters.

-Cherri 🍒

[ceruleanwhore]

As someone who has never liked Jin since I first started ikepri, I recently was convinced to attempt to make my way through his romantic route after reading @randonauticrap’s wonderful and very compelling fanfic about him and now, as I finish his story, I wanted to take a very long minute to talk about it. I’d like to start with a bit of context before really getting into things, though. (Major spoilers for Luke and Jin’s routes below the cut.)

A few months ago, I saw a post somewhere on here that mentioned what, for me at the time, was a massive spoiler, that Jin killed Luke’s sister. At the time, I was in the middle of another route so I immediately took to YouTube to find a playlist of Jin’s route because my thought at the time was that I wanted to read it. However, I very quickly decided that I hated it, and then I kind of just flipped through some of the following chapters, kind of scanning for the stuff with Luke’s sister and not finding it, so then I just ended up skipping to the last 8 chapters and slogging through those. It is also worth mentioning that the only ending on YouTube was his dramatic ending.

Now, that whole experience sucked beyond belief and I came out of it deeply, passionately hating Jin because really all I saw was his awful, disrespectful behavior at the very beginning and that horrid shit he pulls both in ch 19 and then in the actual ending. A while after this whole ordeal, I did get around to reading Luke’s route, which made me hate Jin even more because, in the part where Jin is finally explaining what happened on Bloodstained Rose Day and we get his own flashback, there’s no dialogue, like he pulls this injured little girl from the rubble and then just slices her throat without her ever saying anything. Between that and what sure seemed like sexism from what bits and pieces of Jin’s route I’d seen, it gave me this idea that Leyla was straight up unconscious and he just decided to slice her throat like that because, in truth, he just wanted her out of the way and didn’t want to have to deal with her during the fighting but obviously he’d tell himself that it was for her sake or some shit. There’s still a bunch I’m missing with that but I’m about to get way more into this shit so I’m not concerned, but tldr I fucking hated this guy and I thought he was the worst kind of scum coming out of Luke’s route, especially since so many other people in the fandom have talked about how much he gives them the ick.

So now, at the end of his romantic route, I still don’t like him and I really think I was just bewitched by the beautiful things that @randonauticrap has written about him, but I don’t truly hate him anymore. I think I’m going to just list off my issues with his character as quickly as possible to just really show how much there is that I take issue with here without going on about it for an eternity.

First is the way he talks about women (i.e. comments about how he’s never seen such an impressive “rack” before.) More importantly, there’s how he’s sexualizing women in totally inappropriate contexts where there really aren’t any women present, like when he’s training his troops or when he goes to deal with that issue on the border and is addressing those kids from Obsidian. This particularly is disturbing to me because there’s already a longstanding history of men conflating sexual violence with the violence of war and for Jin to, however unintentionally, draw that direct of a connection between fighting in war and having sex with women is something I cannot abide by.

Also with his lack of respect of women is how he demands and abuses Emma’s time at the start of his route. It’s bad enough to put her in that god-awful position in the first place with Sariel and all that, but to then drag her away from the hard work she has to put in because of him just to make her spend an entire day watching him go around hitting on other women is beyond disrespectful. The other thing that really irks me is how he continues to hit on Emma after she’s made it super clear that, unlike the women he has relations with, she truly believes that such relations exclusively accompany real feelings. He acknowledges that she’s a true romantic and then is out here like “where’s my hug” and it makes me feel violent. I originally wasn’t totally against how he talks to women, since in canon all those faceless nameless side characters he fucks seem to be into it and I thought he was a consent king who stops if the woman clearly isn’t interested and only ever pursues women who are really into what he’s offering but apparently not.

Then there’s everything with Clause 99. First off, him putting in the clause basically reflects that his biggest fear is history repeating itself with his parents’ relationship and Clause 99 puts ALL of that responsibility on the women who will serve as Belle in the future. Secondly, this is backed by his hypocritical behavior throughout the different routes. In Luke’s route, he outright encourages Luke to pursue Emma in spite of making this clause and he easily yields to his other brothers when, in their own routes, they decide they want to revoke the clause, and yet Emma herself gets Clause 99 looming over her head throughout all of the routes. The conclusion which I believe is actually meant to be canon with this is that women are fragile little flowers who need extra special protection from the big, bad men and they need a fucking man to provide that protection. Rather than putting in any amount of effort at all whatsoever to make himself and his brothers and future generations of their family better, he’s putting all this serious, overwhelming pressure on the women. Also, the clause does jack shit to help mitigate the development of such emotions, so it literally just serves to put pressure and responsibility on women about things beyond their control while accomplishing nothing other than turning them into scapegoats.

Okay so then I really need to talk about Luke’s sister. So, as I started to talk about before, I now know that the flashback in Luke’s route was incomplete and that Leyla did actually beg for death, but even with that being the case there are still some major ethical issues here. For example, can a ~8 year old child have the bodily autonomy to actually request assisted suicide and should they? Does said child have enough knowledge of pain and injury to know when they’re actually about to die or not? Should a grown ass man actually heed a child’s request for death without even so much as having a doctor spare said child a glance first? But then after he killed her, he went and stole her body to go bury her in the woods, clearly just deciding that her dead body should go to him to use to try and make himself feel better. Those graves that are hidden where only he can find them do nothing for Leyla or for Luke; they exclusively exist for Jin. They are there solely for him to use to try and alleviate his guilt over time, like props. 

Then, there’s the part in Luke’s route where he discovers the truth about Jin, so Jin takes him on a walk to those graves and tells the story of how he killed Leyla before he then tries to get Luke to kill him. Once again, this has nothing at all to do with trying to give Luke justice or closure and it has everything to do with Jin making everything about himself. There’s even a bit in there where Jin basically phrases it like he’s asking Luke to do him a favor and hear him out, making it clear that this is not at all for Luke’s benefit. Likewise, if he really cared about Luke getting real, meaningful justice and closure, he wouldn’t be trying to get Luke to murder him, putting all that blood directly on his hands, giving him further pain and trauma, and also ensuring that Chevalier would then kill Luke because of course he would.

Another thing I want to add, going off of that, is how very badly Jin sucks at conflict resolution, which we see multiple times between his route and Luke’s, whether it’s his conflict with Luke or how he handles shit so utterly fucking terribly with Emma or even that bullshit at the border with Obsidian at the end of his route. This man isn’t just shit at conflict resolution, he’s thoroughly proven that all attempts he makes at it are just variations of the same shit: self sacrifice fueled by ego dressed up to look like it’s heroic and really meant for the benefit of others that only actually harms those it’s supposedly meant to protect.

So I think my final takeaway with his character is that he is inherently very selfish but he has no self awareness about that selfishness and genuinely believes everything he’s doing is for other people. Another thing I want to talk about is that I saw a video the other day that also has softened my overall feelings about Jin, and that video was talking about the lack of self awareness of male feminists. This video talke about how some of these men who are out here making online content around ‘educating’ other men about feminism and respecting women will sometimes share this sentiment like “women have all been traumatized by the bad men out there so you just need to be patient with them” and how condescending it is. The issue here is that, when men say this, they are refusing to acknowledge that even as a good ol feminist ally, their own behavior can come across as sexist and they themselves can give us the ick or make us feel unsafe. 

I bring this up because, with Jin, I originally thought he was a sexist dick hiding behind a very thin facade of “but I love women,” but now I think it really is just a complete lack of self awareness where, like the men that video talked about, he sees himself as a feminist who loves women, so he doesn’t see how his words and actions can make it seem as though he’s violently sexist. So, to sum everything up, when I first found @randonauticrap’s stuff and then subsequently decided to read Jin’s story, I genuinely hated him because I saw him as dangerously sexist and selfish but now, as I finish his route, I don’t like him but I no longer hate him the way I did. Now I see him as capable of change and I think that like after the end of the story, a good person like the one he’s in a relationship with could successfully help him grow and change into a better person.

[molinaskies]

I Love You - Come With Me

46k words

There’s no “me,” anymore. In a way, there’s only “Sonic the Hedgehog,” and that hedgehog, somehow, isn’t me.

I keep telling myself that I’m zipping around the world with Amy because she needed a break and she wanted to get away from a desk and that all of this is for her, but is that entirely true? I guess it’s a symbiotic situation–-it’s not like I’m not enjoying myself–-but she needed this more than me… Right?

What if when Sonic asks Amy to go with him on an adventure, she says yes? They’ve always been inseparable kindred spirits, but what exactly makes their bond so unique, and where do they make each other stronger?

This is my Sonamy Thesis. This is that story.

I Love You - Come With Me: FF.net

I Love You - Come With Me: AO3

Surprise! I made cover art! Hehe ✨

Two years ago, I wrote I Love You - Come With Me as the cap to my “Summer of Sonic,” where I’ve revisited and fallen back in love with this franchise, this relationship, and these characters, as individuals. I feel like I’ve really grown to understand the nuance of SONIC, the kid and the franchise. This, to me, is my Sonamy and Sonic Thesis - THIS is why these characters are poetry in motion, and THIS is why Sonic is a beautiful character.

This is technically set in the IDW universe, but I don’t find that information all that important to the story. There aren’t any major spoilers, no IDW exclusive characters come up beyond brief mentions, and you don’t need to be caught up over there for any part of this to make sense. Some minor plot points and locations are referenced, but most of the locations are original. “Inspired” might be a better word than “set.”

I’m touched to say that my work has impacted so, so many of you ♥️ you all have giving me an fun, kind space to share in the thing I love the most, so thank you all for being you!

Chapter One - “I Love You” - Below

“I love you, Sawn.”

In front of her small suburban home in Central City, Amy’s lips curl into a small, shy smile. The rays of the setting sun illuminate her face, showcasing the soft blush that tints her cheeks. Her right hand fiddles with the gold bracelet adorning her left wrist, and while she’s certainly trying to fight it, she slowly shifts her weight from one heel to the other. I might not’ve noticed if the fabric of her dress didn’t flow with her movements.

Amy, despite her affectionate streak, doesn’t say those words often. She doesn’t need to say them because she knows that I know how she feels.

I just wish I knew what to say back.

I know what my response is, but something about saying it makes my throat clamp shut, my quills stand on end, and my mind shut down.

So, I stand here, tongue-tied and flustered, staring into those sparkling jade eyes—eyes that haven’t sparkled in months.

Whenever we’ve seen each other recently, which has become increasingly rare over the better part of a year, she either hasn’t slept in days or is in the middle of something: paperwork, preparing for an outreach mission, a well-deserved power nap on the Restoration lobby sofa—something. Whenever I want to check on her, the headquarters in Emeraldville is always my first and only stop. I haven’t seen her outside of the building in weeks.

Today, though, she found me in Tails’ workshop—she just walked right in and called my name. I all but jumped out of bed and down the stairs because I thought something was wrong. But no—she just winked, said she has some free time, and told me to walk her home.

All the way, she’s been her bubbly, witty, silly self, again. It’s been a long time since this much of her attention’s been on nothing but me. It’s intimidating. It’s… nice.

“Then, come with me,” I say. With half-lidded eyes and a smile that doesn’t quite radiate the warmth I feel inside, I extend a hand to her. “Let’s follow the wind and see where we go.”

Amy’s wide eyes dart between my face and my open hand. She takes the smallest step and extends her hand, but just when her fingers graze mine, she rips them and her gaze away.

“I… I don’t know,” she whispers. My smile falters, but I keep my hand outstretched. More to herself than anyone, Amy continues. “I can’t leave if I’m needed here.”

My face softens at her admission. Selfless to a fault.

“Well, how’s Jewel settling under the Restoration crown?” I ask. Amy snorts to herself.

“Like a natural,” she says. “She’s a better lead organizer than I was.”

“Does the Restoration need any extra hands?” I ask.

“Well, no.” Amy pauses. “We’ve gotten a new wave of volunteers.”

“And how are the Rabbits doing?”

“…Cream and Vanilla are fine.” Amy glances away, biting back her smile.

“Then, you’ve clearly worked your magic here,” I whisper as I close the gap between us and take her hand in mine. “Come with me, Ame. Take some time to yourself and come with me.”

Amy’s gaze meets mine again, and I can’t look away as she intertwines our fingers.

“Okay.”

[ryloriee678999]

I’m Hoping I Can’t Survive This (Wanda Maximoff x Reader)

Summary: You and Wanda stand in the Darkhold castle after not seeing each other for years. (700 words)

Warnings: DSMOM Spoilers, angst, major character death.

A/N: Small thing I wrote because I forgot to post my other fic today. Hope its not too bad, I feel like I'm flopping lmao.

-

Reuniting isn't always a good thing. Especially when life hasn't treated either of you well.

You weren't sure how you got here, but the alarming sound from Stephen Strange was enough to bring you here. He mentioned something about Wanda and thought you could talk to her. You hesitated because you hadn't seen her since the blip but you pushed your feelings aside and found yourself in some sort of castle. 

You stood there with her, no one here but the two of you. At first glance, you couldn't tell who she was and you could sense Wanda wasn't Wanda anymore. She was so unrecognizable, almost as if she was corrupted.

“Where were you when I created the Hex?” Wanda questioned. You wanted to cry at the sound of pain in her voice, the pain you only added to. “Where did you even go?”

You stood there in silence, both hands holding a gun that was aimed at her. A small bullet wouldn't stop the Scarlet Witch but you still held your stance, you were determined to get her out of Wundagore.

“I know It’s easy to forget about me when you've got so much on your plate,” she says. “But you could have at least reached out.”

You were quick to prove her statement wrong. Of course, you wanted to reach out, but you were never sure what to say when it came to it. Often you’d call but hang up before she answered and whenever she moved, you found out where she lived. “I saw you on the news Wanda, I wanted to reach out but I couldn't.”

More tears fell down the woman's face as she nodded. “Yeah, you couldn't.” She had a tough time believing you after numerous times of being let down. “But what exactly stopped you?” She asked.

You kept silent again only for her to scoff at you. You didn't want to make her feel worse than she already did, after all, she just lost her kids. You just being here was making things worse, but you had to get her out of here.

“That’s what I thought,” she whispers to herself. Slowly she inches toward you, causing you to back up. Her hands are up, trying to look disarming if that's even possible in the state she's in right now. “You can put the gun down now, I’m not going to hurt anyone else.”

You were about to put it back into its holster but then you noticed the rock around you start to crack. It looked like this place could fall apart at any moment but you weren't going to leave without Wanda. “We have to get out of here,” you say but she doesn't move. 

“You need to get out of here,” Wanda responds. You figured out that this was her doing from the red lingering around her fingers. You threw the gun down on the floor to try and stop her, but the moment you get arm's length, Wanda threw you backwards. Her magic drags you all the way across the floor until you get to the edge of the mountain. 

You watched the walls of the castle start to shake. Large pieces of concrete crumbled and fell down around her. “Wanda, please stop,” you begged as you stood up quickly.

Wanda ignored you and continued to focus on breaking the castle. Both of her arms went up, red power spilling out of her hands and into her surroundings. You run towards her, and try grabbing onto her wrists. She doesn't budge and you’re not strong enough to make her. “Why aren't you listening? We have to leave, Wanda please.”

Finally, she looks down at you and you are caught by surprise. Up close, Wanda looked so sad, you just wanted to hug her like you used to. “Go,” she whisperers. Your grip tightens around her wrists but a large piece of rock falling from above causes you to step back. It lands in between you with a large thud and Wanda gives you another look. Only now do you realize that your words weren't enough to stop her.

You beg her one last time before slowly backing away. Once you’re at the edge of the mountain, you could only catch one more look at her before the castle completely buried her. The entire building fell apart and whispers of red strands came out from the rock pile until they dissolved into the air. 

You look at the mess, taking in that under everything Wanda’s still there. Wanda was buried, not the Scarlet Witch.

[beananacake]

Savior (Part 5)

Ikaris x Reader

Summary: Ikaris has felt a hum for millennia and he's never questioned it, until he found he source.

Chapter Summary: Ikaris tries once again to apologize. You learn what happened to Thena.

Word Count: 4.3k words

Warnings: MAJOR MOVIE SPOILERS!! (read at ur own risk, some dialogues are lifted from the movie lol), mentions of mental illness/health, nothing much ig??

A/N: hey, everyone! Quick note: updates for this and uploads for my other one shots would take a bit longer. I'm getting back on my treatment and i feel like sht during the first few weeks so chapters might not be coherent or stellar. I also reached 300 followers. Ur all blowing my mind! I love reading your comments. If I have some unanswered asks, its bc I don't want to give some stuff away ;) Reviews, comments, suggestions, asks, requests (and reblogs) are welcomed and accepted! This is never gonna be beta'd so all mistakes are mine. Part of 5 of Savior, everybody! Enjoy!

Masterlist

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | One Shot: Dear Diary

He had never worked for an apology before. He never had any need to because all of his actions were justified. He followed orders thoroughly and that saved him from ever apologizing. But you, this slip of an angel, you had the guts to ask him to mean his apology, whatever it was. Why you hurt was beyond him and he didn’t want to understand it more. All he had to do, after all, was to work on an apology to you.

Ikaris watched as you interacted with everyone on the flight except for him. He tried inserting himself to any of your conversations and while you were warm with others, you were cold with him. It was difficult to understand you because you would be so caring and open one minute and then you would be unforgiving the next, pun intended.

“No way!” You exclaimed and he looked over to find you talking to Kingo again. You had singled him out throughout the flight, making him stop doing his documentary of the Eternals, and had been talking to him about anything at all that you found interesting. It irked him that you asked for everyone else’s input except for his about Kingo’s movies, even if he had seen them all in support of his friend. It galled him more that you didn’t even once try to approach him again even as he tried apologizing once again.

“Yes, way! Who knew Aishwarya Rai wanted to be in a movie with me!” Kingo exclaimed, which had you giggling again.

Ikaris took to his drink once more, looking anywhere but at you. You’ve called and cussed him out since the moment you two had officially met. As his guardian angel, he was expecting of you to be drawn to him more considering you had sworn to protect him. But instead, your words had maimed and made him doubt himself, he was loathe to admit. If anything, you weren’t protective of him at all, other than that time in South Dakota.

“How does one work for an apology?” he asked Sersi as she sat back beside him.

If there was someone who knew of emotions and empathy, it was Sersi. He trusted Sersi and her judgement. After all, they had been partners for over five thousand years.

“Well,” she said as she buckled herself in her seat. “If we’re talking about Y/N, I would assume she would want for you to be more… feeling towards her.”

“Did that work for you and your human?”

“Dane,” she said. “His name is Dane and no. It’s different for everyone.”

“Different?” He turned to her. “Aren’t they all the same?”

She smiled at him piteously. “You are so out of touch with the world, Ikaris. A lot has changed. We all have changed and you still stay the same.”

“And do you think that’s a bad thing?” He found routine and constancy safe. Anything straying from that felt abnormal.

“There are some good and bad to it. It’s good you remained the same because you’ve always been loyal.”

He nodded. He was loyal to his duty. “And the bad?”

“The bad thing is also the good thing about you. You’re fiercely loyal that sometimes you don’t see anything else beyond your duty.”

He only raised a brow.

“It’s hard to explain but I said what I said. Your loyalty is your strength and your downfall.” She patted his hand.

“How do you apologize to your human?” he asked as he put down his drink.

“Call him Dane, Ikaris. He isn’t some pet and he isn’t mine.” She sighed. “When we apologize, we acknowledge our mistakes. We try to understand where we went wrong then we work on it.”

“But how?”

She was silent for a while. “Well, when I was late for my class one time, I had Dane come and cover for me until I arrived. I made it up to him by treating him out to dinner and also setting my alarm earlier than my usual so I wasn’t late again. It wasn’t a big problem or a fight but I apologized because I was in the wrong. I also find that changed behavior is the best form of apology.”

He only hummed as his eyes went back to you. Kingo was teaching you the dance sequence to one of his movies. He stood behind you as he instructed, holding your hand in his as he put you into position. His other hand went on your hip and that was enough for Ikaris to stand and put an end to it.

“Kingo,” he called as he made his way to you.

Every time he neared you, your power hummed around him. They were like little fires that licked on his skin, whispering when he was far but increasing in intensity when he was with you. He seemed to be the only one having that kind of reaction around you because none of the other Eternals were as electrified with you as he was. You made his skin aflame when you were just there but he felt the fervor of you whenever you looked at him.

“Yeah, boss?” Kingo said.

Ikaris looked at his friend and brought a hand down his shoulder, gently shoving him away from you. “Tell me about this new movie about me.”

Australia was okay for most part. Well, most being the operative word. You were fine with the heat and the climate and the people. Animals? Not so much. Almost anything that wasn’t a pet could potentially injure you. You had your wings out in case you needed a bit of lifting from the ground. You didn’t really do well with snakes and scorpions and whatever small creepy crawlies that escaped from Satan’s desktop aquarium.

“Is this the Deviant you found in London?” Kingo asked.

Thena and Gilgamesh settled in an arid place. Not much creature, save for some lost scorpions and maybe a snake or two. There were lots of unusual things strewn about the place that even the dead Deviant didn’t seem abnormal. If they were going for the post-apocalyptic vibe, they definitely got it down pat, you thought to yourself.

“No, it’s different,” Sprite said as she kicked the felled creature in the snout. “This looks uglier.”

“There must more out there than we thought,” Ikaris said as he walked ahead of your small group.

“Is this a Deviant, sir?” You heard Karun ask from behind you.

You had taken your spot behind Ikaris, powers at the ready for any lurking Deviants. Kingo was a great fighter but if he was busy with his documentary, the next best thing was you to defend Sersi and Sprite.

Kingo had started talking again, working on his documentary and you grinned despite the situation you were in. He was absolutely fun to talk to. He alleviated most of the heavy situations with his quips and he was much easier to be around with. Sure, he was a bit shallow but it was only because he was a superstar. You’ve learned on your way here that he was more than just the glitz and glamor of Bollywood. He cared for his co-stars and the extras of his new movie. He was almost like a philanthropist in that sense, making sure that the people who worked with and under him had pay before he left them to go do his other thing: being a bad ass Eternal.

Ikaris, however, you’ve ignored for most of the trip. You refused to notice the way you were drawn to him despite being angry at him. Maybe not angry. Just… disappointed. You knew he was a soldier and he was rigid as hell but you never expected the coldness in him after watching him for so long. And it was so contradictory because he appeared cool and uncaring to you but the way you were drawn to him was like a moth to a flame. You felt warm and tingly and you didn’t miss how your stomach fluttered whenever you catch him looking at you or calling your attention. The last time you felt this way, the effect had been near disastrous for you.

Ikaris knocked on the door just as Kingo called out his friend’s name with a flourish. He tried once again before the door opened.

And Gilgamesh, the most powerful of all the Eternals, stepped out in a dirtied apron.

He still looked big and formidable like always but seeing him in this state was comforting. He exuded that aura of protection that even you, an angel who people sought out for comfort, were soothed.

“What took you so long?” he said by way of greeting. When he saw the camera Karun was holding, he waved a hand away as if to swat it from him. You stepped aside, closer to Sersi so as not to be in his way.

“You look younger today, Sprite,” Gilgamesh said, as he wandered over to his outdoor oven. Whatever it was he was cooking smelt delicious.

“I have the same apron,” Karun said as he followed the mighty Eternal to the kitchen.

“Who the hell are you?” he asked as he checked on a pot.

“I’m Karun,” the stout man said with an easy smile. “I’m Kingo’s valet.”

“Oh, a val-ey, like Alfred in Batman!” Gilgamesh said with a grin.

“Gilgamesh,” Ikaris said in his no-nonsense tone. “The Deviants are back.”

“Yeah, no shit.” He said and you grinned. You knew you and the warrior would get along pretty well. “I could have used some help.”

“We were attacked by a Deviant in London,” Sprite said.

“Us too, in South Dakota.” You piped up. “We had two.”

“Who’s that? A new Eternal?” Gilgamesh asked and you stepped into his view.

“No. I’m an an—”

“Angel,” he said with awe.

You smiled. “Call me Y/N. I’m Ikaris’s guardian angel. Angel feels like a nickname.” You held out your hand to him and he shook it.

“You can see her wings?” Sprite asked.

You raised an eyebrow, not realizing immediately that he called you for what you were.

“I’ve never seen anything whiter than snow.” He moved to touch your wing.

“Don’t touch her wing, Gil,” Ikaris warned frostily. You only raised your brow at his tone.

Gilgamesh looked at you before drawing back. “Sorry. I thought angels were fictional.”

“So were superheroes but here you all are,” you said easily. “And it’s fine. I know you won’t hurt me.” You reached out your wing to his hand, gently tapping it. When he opened it, you tapped at his palm with a feather. The way he grinned at the contact made you smile. He looked like a kid at Christmas.

“I’m sorry, Gil,” Ikaris said from behind you. “Ajak’s dead.”

Gil drew back from you, looking at his friends, unbelieving. “What?”

“It’s true, buddy. We lost her,” Sprite said.

Gil frowned as he sat on the chair, burying his face in his hands. You touched his shoulder lightly, infusing your calming power to him. You squatted beside him, face near his.

“Even in her death, she spoke of her family.” You told him. He looked at you. “I was there when she died. All she wanted was for all of you to find each other and keep each other safe.”

He peeked at you and you smiled softly at him. “I’ll keep all of you safe if I have to.” You promised him.

He bobbed his head in acknowledgement. “Thank you, Y/N. I have to tell Thena.”

You moved aside from him as he stood and made his way to the lone standing tree in the land. There was a small lump of white at the base of it and when you walked closer, you saw that it was Thena crouched before the tree. Her hands were moving erratically across the papers.

“Stay back. The attack triggered her. She’s no fun to be around with right now.” Gil said as he led your group to the other warrior.

“Hey, Thena,” Gil called out. “Look who’s here. Give me your hand.”

You heard the whirring of powers before she even turned around. You stood in front of Ikaris and held out your hands, a force field shielding you and the people behind you from an incoming attack. You had seen Thena in combat. She yielded her weapons out of thin air and each one had been different for every attack. The best you could do was only to parry without causing injury to her. She already looked fragile. There was no need to further hurt her.

Gil only held out his arm to shield the mystical weapon. Thena’s eyes were completely white, like they had been possessed.

“Everyone in Centauri-6 is going to die,” she said.

Or haunted by a memory.

“It’s too late.” She said with a tone of regret and pain. “We can’t save them.”

It was definitely a memory of a sort. No one seemed to notice it but you knew. You knew what it was to be haunted by memories of the past. You had to help her in any way you can.

Suddenly, the environment started to change. You were enclosed in a lair of sorts, dark and robotic. In the middle of it stood a sculpture of a being. It looked otherworldly in this place but the Eternals looked right at home. Sprite’s illusion started to dance in the air around you.

“Thena, we came to Earth together on our ship. You’re an Eternal, the greatest warrior in Olympia, the legendary protector of Athens. The goddess of War.” Sprite said.

The illusions changed into Thena fighting a Deviant. You watched her prowess with admiration, even if it was just from Sprite’s imagery.

“Remember who you are,” Sprite said.

You lowered your shield as you saw Thena draw back her weapon.

Gil reached out again. “Remember,” he said as he intertwined their hands together.

Sprite drew back the illusion and you were once again back in the Devil’s backyard that is Australia. Somehow, you liked the illusion better even if it was dark.

Thena pried her eyes away from the warrior and when they landed on you, she tilted her head to the side. “Hello,” she called out.

You waved. “Hello, Thena. My name is Y/N.”

She pulled away from Gil and walked over to you. Her eyes roamed over your wings before landing back to yours. “Why are you here?”

“I’m Ikaris’s guardian angel.” You told her. You looked up at her eyes and held out your hand to her. “What happened to you?”

“She has Mahd Wy’ry.” Gil supplied from beside you.

“What’s that?” You asked.

“Her mind is fractured. She suffers from the weight of her memories.” he told you.

You nodded and looked at the goddess. “Tell me about Centauri-6. What happened?”

“Y/N—”

There was whirring once more and Thena produced another weapon, drawing back to hit you. You only raised your hand and summoned a shield to block her.

Her weapon broke through your barrier and you drew back, summoning your power to your fingertips. Thena came at you again, changing her weapon for a mace. When she moved to attack, you grabbed her wrist and passed your power to her.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Thena.” You said as calmly as you can. You held firm as she tried to wiggle away.

Mahd Wy’ry. Thena was sick. Gilgamesh had done a great job at keeping her sane but she needed someone to talk to. Someone who was willing to listen to her memories. From the looks of it, they weren’t ready for whatever it was she wanted to say. They were only keeping her from fully realizing her memories. You felt like you were the only objective one.

“Y/N,” you heard Ikaris say from behind you and you only shook your head. “Thena will—”

“No. Thena won’t. I’m not a threat.” You kept your eyes to the warrior. You gestured to yourself with your free hand. “I’m not a threat.” As if to show that you come in peace, you let go of her wrist and held your palms out to her.

“We’ll talk in private if you don’t want them to hear.” You told her gently. “I won’t hurt you even if you hurt me.”

“I don’t think that’s wise, Y/N,” Kingo told you.

“I’ll take the chance,” you called out.

Something shifted in Thena’s eyes and she changed back, looking at you now with her brown gaze. “Gilgamesh took the chance on me so I can keep my memories.” She said and looked at the other warrior on your right-hand side and smiled.

“Then you should know you could trust me.” You held out your hand to her again. “If I ever become a threat to you, just aim for my wings to cripple or kill me.” As if to make a point, you unfurled your wings wider to her. The dust swirled around your feet at the action.

“Y/N,” there was a warning tone to Ikaris’s voice. You ignored him.

“Gilgamesh? Do you think you can find something to do with the others while I talk with Thena?” You turned to the other Eternal, who watched you with respect for your bravery.

“Of course.” He nodded to you and then turned to the others. “Let’s go.”

Ikaris watched you from his seat at the table. You and Thena had returned after being gone for a while, talking about whatever it was the Mahd Wy’ry had wormed into her head. Ajak had told them it was the weight of her memories that her mind cannot handle. The only solution for it was to have her memory wiped but she had refused.

You and Thena had struck up a different kind of camaraderie after your conversation. He had been ready to step in when he saw the way Thena moved to attack you but you stood your ground. Gilgamesh had been the only strong one to elude her attacks but the way you calmly talked to her proved otherwise. There was something about you that brought a tranquility to everyone, excluding him. You only brought uproar in him.

“Is this what you guys eat everyday?” Kingo asked as he passed around the platter of beef. “This is amazing.”

“Thank you for this,” Ikaris said to Gil as he looked at his friend.

“You’re welcome. Help yourselves,” Gil replied and walked over to you, who had brought out the pie that was still baking when they started to eat. “Y/N, let me take care of serving. You have a seat.”

Sersi cleared her throat and Ikaris looked at her, watching as she gestured discreetly to you. He looked at you once again before clearing his own throat.

“Y/N. Have a seat.” He said as you turned to him at the mention of your name.

“Yeah, Y/N. I have a spot here for you,” Kingo said and he moved to make room for you beside him.

Ikaris speared his friend a glance. If Kingo were to always intervene, he wouldn’t have the chance to apologize. He was going to tell him off when Thena came and sat on that space. The only available space was the one between him and Sprite and he moved to make it bigger for you to move into.

Gil brought over a pitcher, claiming it was a drink worthy of the soldiers of the battle of Troy and placed it down in front of Karun.

“Should she be drinking?” Kingo asked as he looked at Thena.

Ikaris poured more of the drink in another cup and passed it to you. You looked up at him in surprise before you mouth twisted in a smile. He found himself looking at your lips for longer than the usual.

“You know,” you said as you took the drink from his hand. There were invisible sparks when your fingers touched his and he felt them all over his body. “You look good without the asshole shtick.”

“Y/N makes you more bearable,” Thena commented as she chewed on her meat.

The grin you gave the goddess warrior turned his wine sweet on his lips. “I keep him in line.” You said and looked at him as you drank.

He took a deep breath before turning away, balling his other fist under the table. There were some gibes at Sprite because whatever Gilgamesh said made her turn his clothes into that of a big baby. The table laughed when they saw and he watched the way you chuckled. There was something about the way you viewed the world. It wasn’t that he did not find Sprite’s prank funny but it was how you did. Every little thing for you mattered.

“Now that Captain Rogers and Iron Man are both gone, who do you think’s gonna lead the Avengers?” Sprite asked.

“I could lead them,” he said as he speared his food. “I figured I’d be good at that.”

“Sure, and give me a hard time catching up with you to keep you safe,” you snorted. “I better be paid for overtime.”

Everyone chuckled at you. You only raised your eyebrow at him in challenge.

“Ajak didn’t even ask you to lead us,” added Gil and the table erupted into noises of dissent. You were the only one who gave the warrior Eternal a fist bump.

“Ouch,” Ikaris said. “I’m going to let that one slide.”

A chair scraped against the floor and he looked over to see Sersi head for the door.

“Where are you going?” he asked. He felt you rise beside him but Gilgamesh pushed you back down on your seat.

“I just need some air,” Sersi said before leaving.

He knew better than to follow her. Sersi had chosen by Ajak as her successor as the Prime Eternal and he knew it must have been a daunting task for someone like her. He was a natural leader and Sersi wasn’t. He knew she was just coming into terms with her new assignment.

“This is really good, Gil,” Kingo said and everyone turned to him. “I could just paste my face in a bottle of this and you can sell some units.”

“Thank you. I chewed every single corn kernel and fermented it in my spit.” Gil said, proud.

You choked beside him and he looked over at you. Kingo spit back his on his mug.

“I mean, whatever works, right?” You remarked as you wiped your mouth dry. “Pretty good stuff, Gil.”

When the feast was done, you took it to yourself to fix and clean the plates. Kingo offered to help you—Karun insisted because empathy looked good on camera—but Ikaris had told him he would instead.

Changed behavior is the best form of apology, Sersi told him. If he wanted to properly apologize to you, he would have to get down from his proverbial high horse as you so eloquently put it and see the world as how you do.

“Have you ever done the dishes before?” You asked as you brought the dirtied dishes to the sink. “Because if you’re just going to mess up, I’d be cleaning twice more.”

“I thought you watched over me,” he stood beside you and took the dish towel.

“Dude, you’re not my 24/7 job.” You started scrubbing. “Technically, you are, but I need a life too.”

He only hummed and wiped down the plate you washed.

“If this is tedious for you, just go.” You said after a while.

“Why do you make it so hard for me to apologize?”

“Oh, this is you apologizing? I thought this was you showing basic human decency.” You passed a mug to him.

“I’m not human.”

“So am I but it’s hard to tell difference, no?” You washed. “Why do you think this is the best way to apologize?”

“How else do you want me to?”

“If I tell you, would that count as apologizing still?” You sighed. “Tell me, Ikaris.”

He turned his body to you, looking at your face. In the faint light of the setting Australian sun, you looked ethereal.

“Tell me why you can’t mix emotions and your duties.” You closed the tap and turned to him. “Sersi can. The others looked like they could. Why can’t you?”

He reached towards your cheek to push your hair away from your face. He saw the way your pupils dilated and he was sure he had the same reaction.

“It complicates matters,” he said.

“I don’t think it does.” You uttered. “If anything, it would make things clearer. You know what you’re fighting for.”

“Okay. If that’s what you think, is it working for you? Is it hard to be my angel when you so clearly loathe to be around me?”

You raised a delicate brow. “I wonder why that is,” you said coyly and smiled.

He felt himself smile with you.

“I don’t loathe you, Ikaris. I don’t even hate you.” You stepped closer to him, looking up at his eyes. “I pity you.”

“Pity me?”

You brought a finger to his chest and jabbed it at where his heart was. It sent a current across his body. “I pity this heart that refuses to feel.” You placed your palm against it. “You say you do but I don’t think you know how it truly is. I’m sure you love Sersi and had been in love with her for thousands of years but she’s moved on.”

He placed his hand on top of yours and looked down at you.

“You’re allowed to feel pain and anger and regret and love. No one will call you out for it.” You took a deep breath, your chest rising and he became hyperaware of how close you were to him.

“When you feel, it will set you free.”

Ikaris felt himself leaning towards you, watching your eyes as his head bent down closer to yours. You rose up to meet him halfway. So close that he was about to lay his lips on yours when Gilgamesh entered the kitchen.

“We need to talk. Sersi just spoke with Arishem.”

[the-lone-witch-and-secret-room]

Camila Noceda and Flawed Parenting

A perspective by a flawed person with loving but extremely flawed parents

I’m genuinely baffled at some people’s hostile reaction towards Camila. Like… do any of you have flawless parents that always know the best solution instantly, make no mistakes and never get emotional?

My parents are great. They’re super supportive and I love them very, very much. Overall I think I got very lucky in the parents department.

But god, they are far from flawless. I still live at home, and despite all the good, there’s moments when I can’t take my dad anymore. He’s the kind of dad that stayed up until two am to help me with homework when I was in school, and he does so, so many things to make sure I’m happy. I know that. But despite all of this, I have told my mom in emotional moments before that I’m not sure if I can keep living with him, because for all his good sides, he has a couple of fatal flaws that sometimes make him unbearable.

My mom listens to me and is very open to being educated on certain topics, but she has her flaws, too. She hates when I fight with my dad, and gets so torn up about it that I’ve once apologized to my dad out of fear of her getting into a car crash otherwise. She’s very vocal about certain flaws of mine, and sometimes uses the things she does for me as leverage against me when she gets very emotional.

And both of my parents pay a lot more attention to my brother because he needs it more, because he’s more of a “problem child” while I “seem so capable” even when I’m not.

And guess what? I’m not a perfect child. I make mistakes sometimes, some of them pretty severe. Just like Luz, I’m the kind of person that struggles to communicate certain issues of mine to her parents. I’m stubborn, and when I get emotional, I say very hurtful things sometimes. So do they.

And this has nothing to do with my parents being horrible or abusive. They’re neither of those things.

The takeaway from this should not be that my entire family is made up of terrible people, but that we’re all flawed in our own ways, despite loving each other and trying our best. There’s things about my parents I wish I could change, and there are things about me that my parents wish they could change. And to an extent, that’s perfectly normal.

In our strengths and flaws and frustration with each other, we’re all human.

Specific, spoiler-y Camila and Luz things under the cut since this got very long.

We have no indication that Camila has a pattern of emotionally manipulating Luz. Her “emotional manipulation” as I’ve seen some people put it, is people for some reason thinking that the second you become an adult, you’re suddenly perfect and can no longer make mistakes, lest you’ll be dubbed horrible and abusive.

The whole concept is absurd to me. There is no perfect way to parent. There simply isn’t. Of course, there’s some genuinely abusive patterns that are horrible and inexcusable. But out of the parenting styles that aren’t, which one works depends on a number of factors, one of which absolutely includes that every child is different and has different needs. Camila is an amazing parent for Vee, giving the kid everything she’s ever longed for. She’s not an ideal parent for Luz. And that’s because Luz and Vee have fundamentally different needs.

Likewise, Luz is a pretty great child for Eda, but not a perfect fit for Camila. Luz relates to Eda a lot more than she relates to her mom, and that’s why the two of them have an easier time understanding each other. Both of these mother-child relationships exist, and one is not more doomed to fail than the other, but I think you’ll agree that the better you understand someone and where they’re coming from, the easier it is to communicate, pick up on certain signs, etc.

As mom and daughter, Camila and Luz are both flawed and have issues seeing the other’s perspective because of how different they are. And we should simultaneously acknowledge both of their roles in the issue and give both of them the space to learn and grow past those issues.

Luz struggles to communicate her problems. She doesn’t want to burden people in the demon realm, and it’s a given that this started out as not wanting to burden her mom. So she keeps quiet about her issues. Camila tries hard but can’t read her daughter’s mind, so there’s only so much she can do to understand and help the way Luz needs her to. Hell, Eda, who Luz is a lot more open with than her mom, struggles to help her, because Luz doesn’t tell her what’s wrong. I don’t see anyone calling Eda a terrible mom for that.

Camila tries her best, but she struggles to understand her daughter because of this, and because of how fundamentally different they are. She loves Luz’s creativity, we actively see her supporting it in the new episode—she keeps the weird stuff Luz made because she thinks Luz will regret throwing it away, and even plays along in what she assumes to be some elaborate role play because “she’s glad Luz kept her creativity even though it’s not made things easy for her at school”. But at the beginning of the show, said creativity got out of hand and people got hurt. Luz could’ve gotten hurt. So of course Camila had to interfere. I love Luz dearly, but she thought it was okay to bring snakes to school and set off fireworks inside a school building. Creativity is great. Doing reckless stuff that causes people to get hurt is not.

In sending Luz to camp, Camila tried to have someone else fix her issue because she didn’t know how to help Luz. That was a mistake, and a bad one at that, but she’s realizing that. She looks disheartened when Vee tries to throw out Luz’s stuff, because she never meant to change her daughter or take that part of her away. She just thought Luz needed a reality check—which, for the record, is something the narrative actually agrees with.

Luz spends her time in the demon realm getting reality check after reality check, realizing that even her ideal fantasy world where she has everything she always wanted doesn’t mean she’s free of consequences. She goes overboard constantly, causing:

-Eda to be forced to fly into a trap because Luz is chasing a fantasy (Witches before Wizards)

-Eda to almost be branded by her sister because Luz doesn’t think through why Eda doesn’t use magic to publicly announce her presence constantly (Once Upon a Swap)

-Eda and the twins to get kidnapped by a Slitherbeast because Luz stole Amity’s wand (Adventures in the Elements)

-Her friends to get hurt when she goes overboard trying to help Willow (Wing it like Witches)

-Eda to be captured and almost petrified because Luz thought she could just steal from the Emperor with no consequences in an attempt to help (Agony of a Witch)

I’m like 90% sure these aren’t even all. None of those make her a terrible person, for the record, but as all humans are, she is flawed and makes bad choices. She learns from these experiences and matures, just like her mom had hoped she would at camp. She’s also made friends there, which was another thing Camila wanted for her daughter.

You’ll probably realize that a lot of Luz’s behaviors I mentioned follow one of two patterns: 1. Luz’s idealized fantasy world causing problems, when she walks around with rose tinted glasses and gets people in trouble in the process because she hasn’t thought about the consequences, and 2. Luz trying to help someone she loves, but instead making things worse in the progress. The issue with this one is often that she doesn’t communicate her ideas/listen to the people she’s trying to help—like when Willow and Gus said they’ve had enough of Grudgby, or how she never actually talks to Eda about the healing hat idea before doing something reckless.

…does the latter one sound familiar to you at all? No? Because it’s the exact same thing that Camila did.

Some of the things Luz does are reckless and actively endanger others and herself, and that’s something that I think we need to acknowledge before judging Camila. As Luz’s mom, it’s Camila’s job to interfere in those situations. That she made a mistake while trying to protect Luz doesn’t make her a terrible person, especially as, again, the narrative proves her right to an extent.

I’m not saying her making Luz promise to come back and stay isn’t something that hurt Luz—it absolutely is. But it was born out of desperation. She’s emotional and in shock. She’s so full of pain and regret. She just wants her fourteen year old daughter home safe, and there’s nothing abusive or even morally ambiguous about that.

From Luz’s perspective, what she says is absolutely heartbreaking, but from Camila’s, it’s perfectly reasonable. I doubt Camila has the full picture, but even if she does, she’s had a full fifteen seconds to process that her daughter has not only been lying to her for months, but chose to leave her, and is in the demon realm of all places. Of course she’d be emotional and upset about that! Who wouldn’t? Camila isn’t a robot. If she’d been calm about this I’d be way more concerned, honestly.

My parents don’t get mad that easily, but if I would lie to them for weeks on end, they’d be pissed off too, not even taking the running away from home part into account. That’s a normal thing. People don’t like being lied to. Camila is absolutely devastated in that moment because she’s scared that Luz left because she hates her, when Luz actively states that her leaving wasn’t about her mom—which is another thing we should really be acknowledging.

Abusive parents suck and abuse should obviously never be apologized or trivialized, but saying something hurtful in the heat of the moment isn’t the same thing as being an abusive parent. My parents have done this. I’ve done this. And yes, those things can be emotionally manipulative, but there’s a huge difference in whether that’s a habit or a person speaking out of hurt and desperation in a very specific context. I doubt there’s anyone on the entire planet that hasn’t had a bad moment where they’ve said something like this because they were hurting. People lash out when they hurt, and they beg for reassurance when they’re scared. That’s something we all do.

The whole mindset of “all parents have to be perfect and can never get upset or make any mistakes” is harmful as hell, and honestly also very unrealistic. No parent is perfect, and especially people like me who have a relationship with their parents that’s very good overall should know that.

Once you have a child, parenting is a non-stop learning process, every day for the rest of your life. Taking away that room to grow and expecting perfection isn’t helping anyone, especially not struggling single parents.

And I see Camila as someone who is very willing to learn, because at the end of the day, all she wants is for Luz to be happy. Let’s give her some time to wrap her head around this whole situation. Let’s see what she says once she sees for herself how happy Luz is in that world, may it be via the videos eventually coming through or Camila visiting and meeting Luz’s found family, her friends and her girlfriend.

Ultimately, I don’t think Camila will force Luz to stay at home, but we have to give her some time. She wants what’s best for Luz, and she’s gonna need some convincing that a dangerous magical world is what’s best. I feel like that’s very normal considering the circumstances.

Her and Luz need to work on their communication on both ends, they both have things to learn, but I’m certain they’ll manage to fix their relationship in the long run.

If the bunk bed is any indication, I think Vee is gonna stay in the human realm permanently while Luz sleeps at home but keeps attending Hexside in the daytime. That feels like a solution that keeps everyone happy, and allows Luz to spend time with all the people she loves. I can’t see her being forced to choose at the end.

As a closing statement: Eda isn’t an ideal mom, Amity isn’t an ideal friend or girlfriend and neither is Luz, Lilith isn’t an ideal sister… but that’s because no one is ever an ideal anything. Being flawed is a big part of being human. Everyone has different facets to their personality. Their flaws are what makes them such great, relatable, believable characters.

And I feel the same way about Camila. She’s an extremely believable character that reminds me of my own parents, flawed but very loving nonetheless.

(Also honestly, I think it’s pretty telling that some of you guys immediately bash the black single mom that’s obviously trying her hardest while giving the benefit of the doubt to Alador, who has been portrayed as neglecting and threatened his six year old daughter on screen. This was already a thing before we knew much about either of them, and I’m disappointed but unfortunately not very surprised that it still is.)

[cjsinkythoughts]

Right From Left

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Reader

Word Count: 3085

Warnings: !FATWS SPOILERS!, Cursing, Zemo being a punk, Bucky getting a little scary, some feelings, Sam being his fantastic, amazing, caring for everyone self

A/N: Here it is! At long last! I’ve been waiting for this episode and it was…holy fuck. I barely have words. And I can’t start or else I’ll be ranting for pages. Anyways, I know this Part is a little on the shorter side - not by much, but it still is - and it doesn’t even cover half the episode, but I’ve had a long day and I’m tired, so I’m going to sleep. I wanted to stop before Walker entered the picture too, because then I’m just gonna get more riled up and I’m working later. I’ll probably have another part out today, and then I’ll finish it tomorrow. Unless I can finish it today. I’ll try, but no promises.

Feel free to rant to me about the episode or the show, too, guys! My friends and I have been going back and forth about it for the past few hours. I’d love to hear your thoughts! I think that’s all for now.

As always, this isn’t beta’d so please excuse any mistakes! Thank you for reading, be kind to yourself and others, enjoy this part and stay tuned!

FATWS Masterlist

cjsinkythoughts Masterlist

!SPOILERS BELOW CUT!

You were avoiding him.

When you first got to Latvia, he had pulled you aside, eyes wide and pleading. “Doll, listen-”

“I really don’t think right now is the time to have the discussion we’re about to have.” Shaking your head, you avoided his gaze, your stomach twisting into knots. It was too much for you to handle; you couldn’t focus on the mission at hand and try to unravel the emotions that were making your gut flip like a gymnast. There were too many thoughts in your head, and you needed a clear mind.

“But-”

“Once this is all done, and our lives aren’t in danger. Once we’re back home, then we can talk, okay? Just…please. Not here. Not now.”

And he dropped it. 

It wasn’t that you didn’t want to talk about it. You just couldn’t. You had always been a ‘leave your baggage at the door’ type of person. Don’t mix work with personal. Not like you had much “personal” anyways when you first decided that was how it should be. And then your coworkers became family and your motto got a lot harder to follow. But you still followed it. And you would continue to follow it.

But that made you start avoiding him. Whether you meant to or not, everyone noticed, but no one said anything. Sam shot you a look when you didn’t offer to go with Bucky when he had to check something out. Zemo raised an eyebrow when he came back and, instead of immediately questioning him, you sat still on the couch, eyes glancing up briefly, before going back to playing with the strings of your hoodie.

You were paying attention to their conversation, especially when Karli Morgenthau was brought up, you just didn’t join in. Not even when Zemo mentioned the Avengers, eyeing you to see your reaction.

Honestly, you were tired, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Your shoulder hurt, your brain couldn’t process what the guys were talking about, and your heart couldn’t take any more hits.

It was something you’d been thinking about…you just thought it’d come after this mission.

“She will not stop. She will escalate until you kill her…or she kills you.”

“Maybe you’re wrong Zemo. The Serum never corrupted Steve.”

For the first time since he first walked in, your eyes met Bucky’s. “Touche.” Zemo pointed at Bucky with a pastry around his finger. “But there has never been another Steve Rogers, has there?”

But you couldn’t wait until after this mission. Not when he was so connected to it. “I think I’m gonna go home.” You blurted out before Zemo and Bucky could argue further, Bucky slumping down onto the opposite side of the couch.

The moment the words left your lips, Sam and Bucky shot up, staring at you in disbelief.

“Wait, hold up. What? Now? We’re so close-”

“Why? Is it your arm? Is it hurting? You should’ve told us-”

“I’m just tired.” You cut in, shaking your head. “That’s all. I didn’t expect this to be drawn out this long when you called, Sammy.”

Bucky’s hand twitched as he hesitatingly scooted closer to you. “Doll, if this is because what happened on the jet-”

“It’s not, Buck.” You tried to give him a convincing smile, but you knew by the look in his eyes that he didn’t buy it for one second. You reached over to squeeze his hand, and when you pulled back, he held on tighter, a sigh escaping his lips as he stared down at your linked hands.

“Okay…if you wanna go home, we can get you home. Just…” His head turned back to you, a pleading pout on his features. “Just…stay. Another day. Please. You can keep avoiding me, I won’t even say another word to you if you don’t want. But stay. Just for one more day.”

Chewing on your cheek, you finally nodded slightly. “Okay. One more day.”

His eyes lit up, before his face fell again when you took your hand back and curled into the corner of the couch. “Let’s talk shop, boys.”

“Okay. So, from my understanding, Donya is like a pillar of the community, right?” Sam easily changed the topic back to the situation at hand, giving you a reassuring wink when you smiled at him gratefully. “So when I was a kid, my Tee Tee passed away.”

Bucky screwed his face up in confusion, straightening his head from where he had it leaned back. “Your - your Tee Tee?”

Sam gave him a look. “Yeah. My-my Tee Tee, yeah.”

Bucky looked at him weirdly. “Who is your Tee Tee?”

The exchange made you giggle a little bit, shaking your head. “Bucky’s a city boy from the 40’s, remember, Sammy?”

“Fine.” Sam rolled his eyes. “When I was a kid my aunt passed away.”

Bucky gave a slight huff, making you chuckle again. You stopped when he smiled over at you, but your grin didn’t leave your face. Even when they were the ones to give you a headache, your fellas were damn entertaining, that’s for sure.

With a sort-of plan in place - the gathering for Donya being no more than a theory, but the only idea you really had - you stretched out from your spot on the couch, twisting to crack your back. “Zemo.” The man stopped his rummaging through the cabinets and looked over his shoulder at you, an eyebrow raised. “Go put some clothes on. We’ve got work to do.”

He gave you an unimpressed look, opening his mouth, but Sam beat him to the punch. “Do as the lady says, man. You’re already walking on a tightrope after you shot Nagel!” Zemo waved dismissively at Sam’s exclamation, heading into a separate room to change out of his robe. “That guy is gonna drive me up the wall.”

“Don’t let him get to that pretty head of yours, Sammy.” You hummed, standing up, wincing slightly as you stretched your sore shoulder over your head.

You could tell Bucky wanted to say something, the way he snapped forwards, hands moving down his thigh like he was leaning over to reach for you, his eyes locked on your injured joint, but, just as he said earlier, he didn’t say a word. But the part that made you upset was…you didn’t stop him. You didn’t tell him it was okay for him to talk to you. You didn’t reassure him that you weren’t purposely trying to avoid him. You simply moved over to the kitchen to get something to drink.

It hurt worse than your shoulder, but you couldn’t handle it. Not then. Not with such an important part of the mission coming up. So you didn’t say anything. You just sipped your water, switching into tactic mode as your mind ran through the scenarios of what could possibly go down in the next 24 hours before you went home.

*************************

Walking under the arch, you couldn’t help but feel saddened as Zemo told you about what the courtyard used to look like. Thanos messed the world up so much more than you realized and, as much as you hated to admit it, the Avengers did have a part in it. Not that they - you - were in the wrong, necessarily. You truly believed you did what anyone in that situation, with the skills and abilities and knowledge the team had, would do what you did. Or tried to do.

“I’m gonna take a look around upstairs.” Sam stated, looking up at the upper stories of the building, before glancing at Bucky. “See what you can find out here. And keep an eye on him.”

“I’ll come with you.” You said, turning on your heel to follow Sam. The back of Bucky’s gloved hand brushed against yours, and instinctually you turned your palm to link your fingers and squeezing. You let go quickly once you realized what you were doing, nearly tripping up the stairs to get to Sam, not daring to wait for Bucky’s reaction.

“You’re an idiot.” He stated simply as soon as you met him at the top of the stairs.

“Can we focus on finding Donya right now, please?” You grumbled, moving forwards cautiously, peeking around the corner. You frowned when you saw two guys at the end of the hallway, looking back at you and Sam warily.

“You need to hear what he has to say, cher.”

You sighed, rubbing your forehead. “I know I do. I know. But I can’t. Not right now. I’m just trying to get this over with first. I don’t want too many things on my plate. I might choke.” It already felt like you were drowning most nights.

He paused at your words, giving you a once over, before nodding. “Okay. I can respect that.”

“Thank you.” You told him earnestly. “Now let’s try to get something from these people.”

He nodded in agreement and you two continued forwards with your search. Room after room, people walked out before you could get anything from them, locking doors behind them. The Flag Smashers logo was everywhere, but you expected nothing less from a refugee camp that practically worshipped what they were doing.

Even when you did get a guy to talk to you, he immediately shut you down, leaving you and Sam dejected. The fact that the world had gotten so bad that these people couldn’t trust you and Sam - Avengers; people who used to be heroes and bring hope to others - it made your heart sink.

“C’mon, Y/N.”

“Are we wrong?”

He froze at your question, his lips pressing together. “About what, exactly?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know. I just…I guess I can’t tell right from left anymore. I always assumed that the Avengers were the good guys. That the actions we’ve taken in the past were us making the world a better place, but…Sokovia and Ultron. Germany and the whole civil war thing we had going on. The entire world and Thanos. We don’t truly ever win. Do we?”

“I can’t answer that for you.” Sam shook his head. “I can’t tell you what to believe or who to believe in. But I can tell you that we’ve made a difference. Steve, Nat, Tony…they made a difference.”

“But was it a good difference? Was it a change? There’s a difference between changing the world and just making it different, Sam.”

He blinked at you, nodding slowly. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. And I don’t have that answer for you either. But they tried. They did what they thought was right. No matter if it was or not. And isn’t that all we can do? Try?”

His words made you think back to the conversation you had with Bucky once he learned about John Walker, which seemed so long ago. When you told him it wasn’t Sam’s fault. That he was just trying. That he did what he thought was right. 

And maybe he was wrong. But he made a decision. It was his decision. To do the right thing. And right then, not for the first time, you could see exactly what Steve saw in the man in front of you.

“You’re a good man, Sam.”

Sam grinned, slinging an arm around your shoulders and squeezing. “And you’re an incredible person, Y/N. Let’s go see if Bucky and the Baron got anything.”

You snickered at his mocking tone towards Zemo and nodded. “Yeah. Okay.”

*****************************

You didn’t like it. You didn’t like it one bit. So far, Zemo kept proving you wrong. Even when it seemed like he was about to jump ship, he came back. No matter how many opportunities he had to escape, he never did. And it was making you even more suspicious.

You stayed out of Bucky and Sam’s conversation, although you had to agree with Sam’s point, especially with the conversation you just had.

Your thoughts were running a thousand miles a minute, only to be interrupted by Zemo information about the funeral this afternoon. Guess a snake will always be a snake.

“And you, uh, didn’t think this was important information?” You questioned, eyes narrowed and brow pinched.

He shrugged. “You have it now, don’t you, princess?”

Bucky growled at the nickname, leaning back on the couch, threatening Zemo with the Dora Milaje.

You can’t remember a time you’ve ever been scared of Bucky. Maybe a little threatened and intimidated by the Winter Soldier, but never scared of Bucky. And when he stood up after Zemo mentioned leverage, you didn’t expect anything from it; maybe another choke hold or something. So the glass hitting the wall, the clench in his jaw as he spoke gruffly to the Baron, for a mere second, he kind of frightened you. Maybe it was all the emotions you’d been through the past few weeks or maybe it was the adrenaline that seemed to be pulsing through your veins 24/7 nowadays. Whatever it was, it made you flinch, bolting up as Sam did.

You left the room quickly, hearing Sam say something about making a call, hoping to calm your racing heart.

“Doll?” You sat up from the bed you were laying on, legs hanging off the edge. Bucky stood in the doorway, nervously shifting his feet. “I know I said I’d leave you alone, but…”

You gave the bed a pat next to you and he gladly accepted the invitation, padding over to sit besides you. “I don’t want you to leave me alone, Buck. You’re my best friend. I-I just need to take it one thing at a time right now.”

He nodded. “I get it. I wasn’t…I wasn’t coming in to talk to you about that. You said we’ll talk about it later, so we’ll talk about it later.”

“I appreciate that, Bucky.” You smiled at him, before frowning. “What did you wanna talk about then? Are you okay?”

“Did I…did I scare you?”

You blinked at his question, tilting your head. “What?”

Jerking his head to the doorway he explained, “just then. With Zemo. Your heart spiked.”

“No.” You answered immediately. You would never ever admit that he kind of did scare you. It was just for a second and you knew how his brain worked; he’d beat himself up over it, go over his actions for hours instead of getting the rest he so desperately needs and deserves. He didn’t need that on his conscience right now. “I wasn’t - I just…you startled me. I wasn’t expecting that reaction-”

“I didn’t like the way he talked to you.” He spat out, glaring at his hands in his lap. “And then the smug bastard thought he was gonna get away with holding back information like that and I just…I dunno.”

His hand came off his thigh, but he hesitated. Before he could put it down again, you slipped your hand under his, linking your fingers, running your thumb in circles against his palm. “Don’t let him get to you, Buck. Don’t give him the satisfaction.”

A sigh left his lips and he nodded. “I know, I know. It’s just…hard. After everything he put me through - put us through - I…I just hate that he’s really our only option.”

You frowned, shifting on the bed to face him, one leg bending beneath you while the other still hung over. “Why are you so obsessed with catching these guys?”

“I wanna do something right.” He murmured, playing with your fingers. “I’ve done so much wrong…I just wanna do something right. And I feel...responsible for it, I guess. In a way. It’s Super Soldier Serum. I thought I was the only one after Steve…” He froze at the blonde’s mention, giving you a side-eyed glance. You nudged him, silently telling him to continue, that it was okay to talk about him. “And Sam’s right, you know. She’s just a kid. So…I dunno. I wanna help. I wanna do something right. And catching them would help. It’s right. Right?”

You nodded firmly. “I understand where they’re coming from. Karli’s just trying to help the world. But she’s doing it wrong. And that I know for absolute certainty. Which is good, I guess. I was talking to Sam early and I mentioned not knowing my right from my left recently. It’s good I know something, huh? And for you it should be easy telling your right from your left.” You joked, tracing the gold lines on his metal arm. “I guess you’re just gonna have to stay besides me to help me remember.”

Looking up, you found Bucky staring at you with something you recognized in his eyes, but didn’t want to name. “Three hours, forty two minutes and thirty one seconds.”

“What?”

“That’s how long I didn’t talk to you. It was too long.”

You sighed, ducking your head. “Bucky, I’m sorry-”

“I’m sorry. For anything and everything I’ve ever done wrong. I won’t mention the plane or anything we’ve talked about until you bring it up first. I promise. Just…just don’t ignore me anymore? I'm not sure I can handle it for much longer.”

You nodded, watching your fingertips dance along his scruffy jaw. “I won’t.” He caught your wrist, opening his mouth, before shaking his head and closing it. “What?”

He shook his head again. “Not until you bring it up.”

“We will talk, James. I promise.”

“You don’t have to explain. I get it. I really do. It’s okay. As long as we’re okay for right now, I can hold it in a bit longer.”

You nearly asked him what he was holding in, but you quickly shoved the question out of your mind, knowing it would take you down a conversation you couldn’t possibly have right then. “How long do you think we have?”

He shrugged. “I dunno. Zemo just said that it’s this afternoon. Why?”

“I started reading The Great Gatsby on the plane. I’ve got it on my phone. It kinda reminds me of you. Do you-do you think we have time to read some? Only if you want, I mean. Like we used to do in Wakanda?”

He grinned and nodded, scooting up on the bed and flopping down into the pillows. You smiled back, following his lead. Once you were comfortable, your phone out with the chapter you were on, Bucky scooted closer, laying his head on your stomach, hugging your waist. 

“Is this okay?”

Your fingers found home in his hair and you nodded when he looked up at you for an answer. “Yeah. It’s perfect, Buckaroo.”

[ayamturd]

late│technoblade

summary: three times you said i love you, and the one time technoblade says it back

prompt: “I’d do anything for you, whether or not you ask me to”

warnings: fluff and major angst, blood and death descriptions, dsmp spoilers

pairing: in-game romantic!technoblade

a/n: this is my entry for @burntcilantro​‘s 500 writing event!! much love and congratulatory to min, they’re an amazing writer and an even better person (they’re so nice, give them the support they deserve)

also i separated some of the dsmp events and spaced them out (so there’s more time between for plot purposes lol)

wc: (2.0k) - m.list

“Why are you so stupid?”

You were sat on top of a chest, holding one leg with your arms while the other was currently being wrapped by Technoblade. While you giggled at his insult, you winced once he tightened the gauze on your ankle with a glare. 

“It’s not funny, y/n.” He leaned down to bite off the rest of the wrapping, finishing the fold as you huffed at his seriousness.

“I told you to watch the house, not climb onto the roof and play a fun game of risk. What were you thinking?”

His stare was heavy and made you feel little as he looked down at you. The tone of the room changed as you lost the humor in the situation, his concern overpowered by the anger laced in his voice.

“I just wanted to help,” you stated, turning your face away, discouraged, with your arms crossed. “You’ve been getting the all the resources lately and haven’t let me even step off the damn property.”

Looking down, you fiddled with your fingers as to avoid his gaze. “I wanted to try and fix the wood panelings that have been leaking, that’s all.” 

The silence was harsh, and you swallowed deeply at how uncomfortably stiff the air became. Technoblade opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it shut with no words to voice.

With a shaky breath, you gripped the edge of the wood and slowly lowered yourself onto your foot; you didn’t plan on staying here just so he couldn’t say anything more. Technoblade was quick to steady his arms around you in case you fell, but you immediately pushed his hand away aggressively and stood with all your weight on your healthy foot.

Arms out to balance, as you tried to take the first step on your bad foot, you crumpled into your self with a yelp from the pain and collapsed. Ready as always, Techno caught you from behind and guided you to the nearest chair. 

You flinched from the small movement but sighed once sitting again. Techno crouched in front of you to check how you physically were, but your eyes were closed shut as you tried to collect your breathing. 

“Y/n,” Techno call out. Calming yourself down, you opened your eyes to meet his; he was much more sincere before, his face soft as he spoke gently to you. 

“Hey, I’m sorry.” Looking down, Technoblade paused as to gather his thoughts before explaining himself further. 

“I know I’ve been overbearing since the attempted execution,” you reached a hand towards his cheek when he mentioned the recent event, which he leaned into as he continued with closed eyes, “but please know it’s from a place of concern. I just- I don’t want anything to happen to you. I can’t let anything happen to you. I-I…”

“I know. Trust me, I know.” You spoke for him as you pulled him into your chest, hugging his large frame as best as you could. He relaxed into your hold with a sigh of relief. 

“I love you, Techno.” You kissed the top of his head, and he only burrowed himself deeper into the hug.

“I’m so sorry, love.”

Technoblade was hunched over on the front lawn, hands on his head while trembling from the overwhelming pain of the voices. He whimpered at your words, indicating he heard you to some extent.

He had come home, alone, and fell to his knees at the sight of you when you opened the door. Immediately, you had rushed over to him and skid to your own knees to comfort him, but he grunted from your attempts to touch him; even when under the influence, he was still conscious enough to fear for your own safety relative to the blind rage of the voices. 

You had tried talking to him, attempted to get him to give you any context to what was causing his anger, which he answered with snarling growls in return. “Tommy… left… betrayed. Chose government.” 

While broken into murmured words, you understood instantly and tried to bring him back in spite needing to quench your own anger from Tommy’s departure. You rested your palms into the snow, lowering your head as much as possible to meet his bowed head. 

You peered up at him despite his own eyes screwed shut from the unbearable chaos that roared within his head, and called out to him as softly as you could. It was a stretch, but you hoped you could soothe him down by talking.

“Hey bubs, just listen to my voice, alright? You hear me now yes? You can understand what I’m saying?” Patiently waiting, you watched him closely until he gave the smallest nod, fists still pushed against his skull and twisting from the ache. 

“That’s good, that’s really good, love. You hear my voice, now listen to my words.” Slowly, you leaned close enough to whisper to him directly. 

“I’m here, okay? I’m so sorry about Tommy, I know how much you cared for him. I still care for him too, and I know it hurts right now, but rest assured I’m still here. I’m here Techno, and I’m never leaving you.”

With clenched teeth, he let out a sob at your declaration and pushed his head against you. You took his permission to touch him promptly, gripping him with as much strength as you could carry so he felt stable and secure. 

You squeezed him, desperate to ground him from slipping further, and rocked the both of you. He released a shuttered breath, and you kissed his skin gently.

“I love you, you know? I will always be here and I’ll always love you, no matter what.”

He clutched you with his entire being, your words and presence more than he could ever ask and want. 

“Why do you have to be too reckless for your own good?”

You grinned widely at his words, smile almost sadistic as you glanced at him with your arms propped on the axe you carried above your shoulders. 

“What ever could you mean?” Despite the roll of his eyes, he did nothing to hide his own amusement to your eagerness to the upcoming destruction you were to bring. He chuckled, his deep laughter making you smile more softly to how genuine he was as you walked besides him. Hand raised to wave his rocket launcher, he focused ahead proud. 

“We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?” Turning to look at you again, you stared at him adoringly and smirked slightly while bashful to his confident manner. “We are indeed.”

It became relatively silent as you walked through the layered snow, feet crunching from your steady pace. You continued to take random glances at him, Technoblade doing the same until you both heard a loud groan. 

“My god, you two are insufferable, I can’t deal with this right now.” Dream sneered at you specifically, as if you were the cause for his own discomfort, and walked through you both.

“I’ll meet you guys there instead, but hurry.” Swiftly, he pulled out an ender pearl and threw it a few yards ahead towards the portal, his figure disappearing altogether. 

You stared in disbelief from his actions until a cough interrupted your thoughts once more. “You know what,” Phil avoided looking at you both, his hands tapping together awkwardly as he walked ahead as well but turned to address you while moving backwards. 

“I’ll see you guys there too, just, be sure to be quick?” You both nodded wordlessly, and he took his leave in fast haste. 

Standing there alone, you risked another glance at him and met his eyes, laughing loudly at the circumstances. 

Technoblade held a hand to his face, body shaking from his laughter while you were endlessly giggling, holding your stomach from the pain. Eventually, your fits faded with large smiles, and you faced him with a shake of your head. 

“I didn’t realize we’d be one of those couples.” Technoblade sighed, though you could tell it was for play, and nodded. “A shame really, I never thought this day would come.” 

You giggled again, and chose to move closer, tilting your head upwards at him with a sweet beam while leaning onto your axe. He gave you a small smile in return, however his faded immediately after. 

Lifting his open hand, he cupped your cheek and bent down to kiss your forehead, touching yours together after with his eyes closed. “Promise me you’ll be safe? I trust you to protect yourself, but for me, stay safe when things start to go bad?”

While you knew it was impossible to guarantee you’d stay away from the majority of the danger, you knew better than to leave his concern unanswered and open. 

“I promise,” you murmured, “for you, I promise.”

He pulled you against his chest this time, engulfing you completely and holding the back of your head earnestly to his heart. 

“I love you,” you voiced, your words muffled into his armor and coat. He hummed while looking ahead, his eyes trained on the glowing portal that called towards him. This was a war he refused to leave with mercy, the price of your peaceful lives together on the line. 

“No…”

There was too much blood. The thick liquid stained every surface and soaked through his coat that he pushed against your wound. 

Internally panicking from your tight expressions of discomfort, Technoblade desperately searched through his inventory for something, anything, that could heal or at the very least help you. He was forced to face the reality that he used all his potions during the midst of battle and combat. He couldn’t do anything. 

“Why, why why,” he snarled, his eyes clouding with an outset of tears he couldn’t care for. “Why are you so stupid.” His voice caught in his throat from his conflicted emotions and he tightened his hold on the fabric pushed against your stomach; the pain had faded at this point, and you were numb to the constant pressure he tried to hold. 

“I’m so sorry, love. I lied.” Your voice was light and strained, but Technoblade refused to accept the situation for what it was. He turned to a perched crow, screaming at it to get Phil and scaring it away with a slash of his sword, before tucking his head down in an almost silent plea. 

“Why do you have to be too reckless for your own good?” he whispered. Though he tried to be delicate, he couldn’t help how tight he held your hand. 

“I’d do anything for you, whether or not you ask me to.” You gave a tired grin as your eyes began to droop, hand tightening on his, however incredibly weak in comparison. 

“I asked you to be safe,” he cried, body stricken with grief as he abandoned his hold on your stomach and instead shakily held your face, your own blood smearing against your skin from his callous fingers. “I needed you safe.”

You placed a hand over his, using all your strength to relish in his touch and kissing the inner of his palm. “Yet you needed my love more.” 

He choked out a sob from your admittance, and pulled you into his chest, your body limp, as he rocked you slightly. “I’ll always be there for you, and love you more than I could for my own safety.”

The ruins echoed the wails of a tormented heart on the broken landscape of a haunted battlefield that called for death and devastation. The smoke and clouds of destruction reigned above, and despite the final end to the corrupted nation that was built on nothing but lies and deceit after a helpless man’s death, Technoblade couldn’t bring himself to care. 

“I love you,” he uttered, the words he struggled for oh so long to express finally free from its cage. “I love you, y/n. I love you so much.”

His words fell on deaf ears, and he screamed in agony at the truth that laid before him.

He was too late.

[dreamkidddream]

I’m the Doll!MC Anon and I just wanna say I’m so glad that you enjoy a soft/delicate!MC and I really didn’t expect it to get so much love!

Since I kinda want to be evil and see the boys be overprotective, can I request hc’s of them seeing Doll!MC getting hurt by some lesser demon that bumps her into the ground and she gets a bruise? 🌚

Omg Doll Anon I wasn’t expecting it to get so much love either (here’s the original Doll!MC HCs if anyone wants to read)!! So I actually had your request saved for when I was done with the prompt special bc it’s so good, so I decided to combine them and I have definitely been waiting to write this 😈😈 Reader is gender neutral!

CW: mention of blood (nothing graphic) and spoilers for Lesson 16 (Lucifer, Mammon, Beel, and Belphie’s part)

The Brothers and Diavolo with Doll!MC who Gets Hurt

Lucifer

Okay whoever is dumb enough to hurt you in front of him deserves this 100%

The air around this man is already more than intimidating, so whoever tries this is a poor, stupid soul

When he saw you fall down the stairs, he felt his stomach turn. He already caught you before you could injure yourself further, but after seeing the blood coming down your face, the damage was already done

Now, Lucifer is the brother who always has control over himself and what he does. But, we also know that how his temper can get, especially when it comes to his family

This demon is dumb enough to push you but not dumb enough to crack a smile in front of him, especially with how tense Lucifer is getting right now

He sat you up and tried to remember some first aid techniques to stop the bleeding. You’re on the verge of losing consciousness, but you’re okay right now. He’ll take you home, but first-

His glare is making the demon freeze in place right now, and the anger radiating off of him is petrifying

How dare- how dare this fool harm you, in front of him no less?! Did they think that he wouldn’t do anything? That Lucifer, the Avatar of Pride, one of the strongest demons to ever grace the Devildom, would just idly stand by and let this happen?

He’s stalking towards them, and he can feel his fangs showing and his diamond appearing on his forehead, growling out how they will pay for this-

But he’s stopped by Lord Diavolo, who was shocked by the scene. You’re unconscious, and Lucifer has this poor student hanging in the air by their uniform, claws ready to slice through them. Needless to say, he understands why his close friend is upset, but for everyone’s safety he should just take you home like planned

You thought Lucifer was a helicopter parent before? You haven’t seen NOTHING yet

He would start inviting you more to his room to sleep in his bed while he works away, and it started happening so much that he didn’t even ask anymore and started expecting you to always be in there

So instead of him being glued by your side, you’re glued to his. It’s obvious that he can’t let you out of his sight without something happening (again), so hope you’re ready to see experience Lucifer’s daily routine from sunrise to sunset and a whole new set of rules. Basically playing follow the leader, but with a lot more handholding and kisses

You had to practically beg to be back into the kitchen, and he only relented when he could be the one to supervise you, and even then he still didn’t want to hold anything sharp or be near anything that could injure you (which is pretty much everything)

The main one to put a stop to his brothers’ schemes, handing out harsher punishments than before each time they try to involve you. This man is not playing any games with anyone

You know he means well, he was already overprotective from the start, and this is just his way of showing that he cares about you. You can tell every time he gives you that soft look in his eyes, and the regret that he shows every time he catches sight of your bruise. He may not like to be vulnerable, but he couldn’t hide his emotions from you too long. You’re like a weakness to him, one that he isn’t against indulging in

And he hasn’t forgotten about that student, oh no. He made sure to have a nice lengthy chat with them when you both returned to RAD. You didn’t question it when he informed you that the student had been rightfully punished and no longer an issue, and you tried to ignore the red dots splattered on his shoes, or that sadistic gleam in his eyes...

Mammon

This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening, this isn’t happening-

The blood is pouring from your head, and your eyes are closing too fast for him, and his heart stops

You look lifeless, like when Belphie killed you, when he was too late to save you-

He’ll never forget that image, it’s drilled deep into his mind, forever a reminder of his failure to protect you. And now he failed again-

This demon is gloating about this, and that’s when he snaps

He was already in his demon form and beating the life out of them when he was restrained. Many people were shocked that he was capable of this, that Mammon the scumbag, Mammon the dummy, Mammon the punching bag was capable enough to be this dangerous, this deadly. He’s the second born after all, and he’s the strongest right under Lucifer himself, and he holds a lot in

He could- he would do a lot more because they deserve it, but just seeing you so still, it snaps him out of it. You’re more important to him than getting his anger out, and you’re the one he needs to be focusing on right now. But rest asssured, this isn’t over

You thought he was attached to you before? He is glued to your side 24/7 and will not be leaving anytime soon. Ever since you woke up he never let go of you, calling you “his human” and just hugging you tight

Also if you have to go down the stairs you guys are FLYING no exceptions! The stairs are the devil in his eyes (how ironic) and he will not be risking anything with you

If you guys aren’t out and about under his careful and watchful eye (and I mean very careful, he’s like your very own bodyguard but with a lot more growling and snapping on strangers than usual), then you’re in his room doing whatever. Watching movies, playing cards and somehow beating him every time (he swears that he isn’t letting you win! Lies), whatever you wanna do. As long as you’re with him, giggling and safe, he’s happy and stress free

You mean so much to Mammon MC, he can’t even tell you if he tries. Under his tsundere traits, he really loves you, like really loves you! He’s just so scared of being rejected and losing you a second time. But now that he knows you’ll always be there for him, he’s going to do the same for you (but he already was even if you didn’t like him) He hates looking at that bruise right now, but it’s set as a reminder to not let something happen to you again

Also, another thing that people forget about Mammon is that he can talk to crows. So it wasn’t much to have them track down the person who caused you pain, and it didn’t take long for him to find them either. He thinks that the aftermath will set a good lesson for everyone else who continues to underestimate him when it comes to you: don’t

Leviathan

See, this is why he never leaves his safe haven AKA his room!

After he saw your head hit the ground hard, he was freaking out. He doesn’t know what to do, he wasn’t prepared for this! He tried shaking you to keep you awake, but your eyes were steady closing

Everything is happening in slow motion. You’re slumped over on the ground while the person who did it is laughing at him

If anything, the person who did it should be the one on the ground, not you, not his Henry. It’s not fair, it’s not fair, it’s not fair!

The demon stopped laughing when their windpipe was getting crushed by the second. They couldn’t even try to loosen the grip, Levi’s tail is rather strong, and so is he. He is the third strongest out of his family and the Grand Admiral of the Navy, yet people tend to forget that

Everyone knows how bad Levi’s tantrums can be, but this isn’t just a tantrum, it’s much worse. Had the brothers not intervene, he would have done much worse than summoning Lotan (which he was on the brink of doing anyway)

When you did wake up, he was so upset. Of course he let this happen, he’s just a worthless otaku who couldn’t even keep his crush safe-

OMG why are you hugging him and patting his head?! Quit it- well wait, this does feel kinda nice...Ugh you’re such a normie! Getting hurt so easily and still trying to put a smile on his face. But it does make him feel better

He rarely left his room before, and you guys are definitely not leaving it now. It’s like having a sleepover, but it never ends. That sounds great, right MC? Endless marathons of TSL and other anime, co-op video games, trying on his cosplay outfits that he made (some even made just for you and he needs to cover that bruise somehow), it’s going to be so fun and you’ll be safe with him! Who wouldn’t want that??

We all know that Levi is very self conscious. He knows that he isn’t confident like Lucifer and Mammon, or attractive like Asmo, or smart like Satan or Belphie, or physically fit like Beel, he knows. But every time you listen to him ramble on about this new anime show that he wants you guys to binge, or when he rants about a stupid move his teammate did in an online match, he feels valued. He feels loved. And while it’s hard for him to express his feelings, it’s no doubt in his mind that you’re important to him, and that he’s beyond happy that someone like you is his best friend

One day he’ll get the courage to say those three words, but he hopes that you already know with everything that he does for you

For example, Levi is an aquatic demon, and he has the ability to communicate with all types of sea creatures. Granted, he knows right from wrong, but in his eyes he’s taking care of the problem. So it wouldn’t be a huge issue if he used them to clean up the remaining mess of said problem, right? I mean, his venom can only do so much, and he doesn’t need anyone questioning him, and Lotan does get hungry...

Satan

He could only see red. Both from his anger surfacing and from the fact that you’re bleeding

He had his claws wrapped around the neck of the one responsible before they could even think about running. This- this filth dared tried to escape after he hurt you? And they thought that Satan would just let them get away with it?

They must forget that he’s the Avatar of Wrath, the one who doesn’t show mercy

He just kept pounding the demon into the ground, over and over and over and over. He didn’t even care about the blood splatter it was leaving on the lockers or on him

He was this close to finishing them off when he heard you call out for him, and it took everything in him to drop them. He squeezed their neck a final time, not even close to being satisfied with the whimper he heard, and growled out a promise of that he will find them and will make sure that they suffer before he threw them down. They better count themselves lucky that they get to crawl away in one piece (for now), because had you not been there-

Oh, he is seething the more he thinks about it

But you bleeding is a distraction from it, even if it is making his stomach turn, it’s helping him know that he needs to help you now

He didn’t have to let his brothers know as they came to see what the commotion was, and Lucifer (even if he didn’t want to believe it himself) was anxious that he was the cause of it. But after he saw the hold he had on you and another demon barely clinging onto life, he knew otherwise

It was decided that you two going home would be the best course of action (which it didn’t matter to Satan, you both weren’t going to stay here whether it was demanded or not), and he calmed down enough to properly treat you

You didn’t leave his room for the rest of the day, and he even gave up his bed for you to lie in so that he can do some research. The human body is a complicated thing, but Satan can learn it like the back of his hand just for you. So just go ahead and rest for now MC- or maybe not, you might have a concussion according to this book and if you do he needs to monitor your condition!

Even after you were healed, he didn’t let you out of his sight and daily checkups were a must. Dr. Satan is in the building!

You eventually moved back into your room (you would have stayed longer but he’s a little nervous with his towering stacks of books and doesn’t want anymore accidents), but he practically moved in with you with how much he comes over, either falling asleep at your desk reading a book or falling asleep in your chair right next to your bed

Very reluctant to have you around stairs, it makes the hairs on his neck stand up. He’ll let you go down the stairs ONLY if you’re holding his hand. If you’re upset with those conditions (spoiler alert you’re not), then you better be ready to learn some teleportation spells (but even then he’s still not leaving your side)

He doesn’t hold his temper back with the others when it comes to you for the time being. If he even senses that Mammon, Asmo, or Levi is coming to you with something that can cause trouble, he’s growling at them to leave you alone, horns slowly coming out and tail whipping furiously

However, he tries not to lash out in front of you. He realizes that he lost control with that demon, and how it could have terrified you had you been fully conscious, but he doesn’t want you to think that he’s just a monster. He wants you to continue to treat him like you do now, and not have the image of bashing someone’s bloody body on the floor repeatedly

Speaking of bashing someone, Satan made well on his promise of coming back. The demon thought that avoiding coming back to school would save them, but Satan is a genius, and has many associates that he can sweet talk to get what he wants. It didn’t take much to figure out where they went, and he made sure to get out all of his pent-up frustrations from that fateful day. He felt better when he came home, but he needed to take a shower before he went to see you...

Besides from that, he does appreciate the peace that you do bring him. You just have this aura around you that’s so calming to him, and he needs to steal you away more he realizes

Also you make better cat-themed desserts than the cafe and he can’t risk Beel eating them all again

Asmodeus

He’s shook, and not in the good way

He just had your hand in his, complaining about how you cuticles look so good and his is lacking and how guys have to go to the nail salon after class, and then your hand is jerked from his, your form at the bottom of the stairs

The blood staining your uniform is alarming, but he can’t worry about that now. He’s trying to keep you talking, but you’re already on the verge of passing out

“MC, you can’t sleep yet! We have plans to go to the nail salon remember? And I need you awake so we can talk about what matching color we’re getting! So what color should we get now, MC? MC? MC!”

He’s trying to keep himself from panicking, but he can’t help it! You’re suppose to be smiling and laughing with you, loving him, but you’re unconscious on the ground, and he’s scared

Quickly dials Lucifer and tells him the whole situation, and he’s surprised to find himself blinking back tears

The demon who did this is long gone by the time Lucifer and Diavolo come, but he remembers the face, and he has something exciting planned when he comes face to face with them

Obviously you have to go home, but Asmo is so distraught that he has to go home with you. But when you wake up, prepare to be tackled to the bed with him crying his eyes out. All you can do is try to comfort him and tell him that okay, giving him little kisses on his cheek

But now that the sadness is out of the way (all this crying and worrying is causing him stress wrinkles), it’s time for a makeover/stress relief!

Fashion shows, makeovers, painting nails, face masks, the whole nine yards. All in the comfort of his dazzling room!

It’ll make you both feel and look better, and honestly you two need that right now. It also gives him the opportunity to cover that unappealing bruise. Your beauty outshines it but it’ll be best to cover it up for your and his sake (mainly his)

Every time Asmo sees your bruise, he gets upset and he’s tired of being reminded of what happened. He knows that he’s only loved for his looks, his vanity, but you see more in him than that

You’re...you’re the first person that loves him for him entirely, not because of his features. And when he tells you that he loves you, he honestly means it. He would have never thought he would fall so deep for someone, let alone a human, but...he’s glad that it’s you. He’s happy that it’s you

Which is why he wants to keep you safe and injury-free. Plus, your skin is too pretty and doll-like to be roughed up!

You guys still go out of course, he just has a better eye on you now. This one incident isn’t going to hold him back for picking out new cute outfits for you!

And don’t think he forgot about that demon who caused all of this in the first place. He actually waited by their locker, and convinced them to come with him. But what should Asmo do with them? He could always have them steal Beel’s food, annoy Lucifer, say something horrible about Ruri-Chan, the possibilities are endless! As long as they don’t cause him to get dirty, of course

Or maybe they should do something so severe that they have no reason than to leave RAD forever, or even leave the Devildom forever, depending on how far he’s willing to take it. He’ll do anything if it means you’re safe and he gets to keep you all to himself

Beelzebub

He thought it was an accident at first, you get so excited about things that you stumble over your own feet sometimes, but he’s always there to catch you or pick you up

You keep saying that you’re okay as he’s holding onto you, and after he sits you up he’s confused because he smells blood. His heart is beating a little quicker, and you’re not talking anymore, and your head is drooping, and that’s when he sees the blood running down the side of your face

He’s starting to panic, and he’s so scared that if he tightens his hold against you he’ll just make things worse, that he’ll just hurt you more. But he needs to go find Lucifer, he needs to get you help, you’re feeling so light in his arms and it reminds him of the Celestial War when he witnessed his sister dying-

He hears someone snickering behind him, and that’s when he loses his temper

You’re a part of his family now, someone that he loves and cares for more than he can describe, and they did this to you? Someone who wouldn’t even squish a bug, someone who made him late night snacks without even asking, always there to give him hugs after his games no matter how sweaty, someone that put his family back together and they did this to you?

Lucifer and Mammon struggled to hold him back after they found the demon flung through the wall, laying under the rubble. Beel just kept growling, fangs bared and wings buzzing. He won’t stop trying to get out of their hold, and he keeps inching closer and closer to the demon, and it’s only a matter of time before he finishes what he started

You were already in the infirmary getting treated, and Beel isn’t calming down anytime soon so you were both escorted home

You woke up to Beel upset and pouting. He’s so worried about you that he couldn’t even eat. Beelzebub could not eat, that’s how you knew this was a something serious

Poor Beel was so terrified of hurting you himself that he failed to protect you from the people that do want to hurt you, or worse

But this won’t happen again, he swears, both to you and himself. Move over Mammon, Beel is officially your new bodyguard!

Wherever you go, Beel is right behind you, literally. He’s like your shadow, just bigger and a lot more...menacing. Also isn’t taking any chances with Mammon’s schemes, just carrying you away before he can even open his mouth about another get rich quick plan

Speaking of carrying, you are not allowed to walk down the stairs anymore. As soon as you step near some you find yourself in his arms like it’s nothing. Both at home and at school, it doesn’t matter to him

Also he’s very cautious to have you around people besides his brothers, and the exchange students (but he’s still hesitant about Solomon, anyone who can cook food like him is automatically getting the side eye)

Also you practically moved in with the twins, and it’s nothing compared to the sleepovers before. Belphie sleeps easier, Beel’s stomach is satisfied (eating your homemade sweets with you is better than everything combined at Hell’s Kitchen, and trust me he knows) he feels all warm inside, and you’re protected. Everyone’s happy!

Beel is a sweet guy, just don’t come in between his family or his food. After that whole incident with the demon, everyone has come to understand that, especially after seeing just how much damage he caused both to the demon and the school in so little time...

Belphegor

If he was sleepy before, he’s completely awake now

You’re holding the side of your head, and he can see the blood seeping through your fingers, groaning in pain. You keep trying to say that you’re okay, but your words are starting to slur and he’s getting nervous, he’s getting scared

It’s reminding him too much of his worst mistake, of what he did to you, when he murdered-

No. He doesn’t need to be thinking about that right now, especially when the person who did this is bragging about it while your body is slumped over. Right there, he knows what exactly needs to be done

Belphie was already in front of them before they even registered it, and didn’t give him any time to form an excuse. His claws were already at their throat, inching deeper and deeper the more they swallowed

“I should just slit your throat now, it’ll be easy and not a lot of work. But you deserve much worse than that. You’ll wish I did by the end of this.”

After a tap to the demon’s forehead, they just collapsed before him, unmoving. He didn’t even look down when he stepped over them (or rather stepped on them) to get to you. You’re passed out, but still breathing. You can’t stay here like this, and he refuses to tell Diavolo or Lucifer. He’ll figure something out, maybe Satan has some books in his room on what to do...

When you woke up, you found yourself wrapped in blankets and Belphie sleeping beside you, arms wrapped tight. You were confused, when did you get home? You remember walking with him down the stairs, but everything was blurry after that. What happen-

“You’re always thinking so hard MC, you’ll never be able to get good rest if you keep that up. But Satan did say to check on you every couple of hours, so I guess it’s fine. And quit touching your head!”

“Oh, sorry Belphie, I didn’t mean to-”

“Tch, how annoying...”

But he’s lying. Even as he’s carefully re-wrapping the bandages, he’s relieved that you’re awake, that your eyes are still full of life, not like the dullness that he saw that fateful night

When Lucifer finds you he is not happy with Belphie, but he doesn’t care and tells him that everything is already under control and that he isn’t needed. Belphie didn’t miss the scowl that he sent his way, but he just smirked in response. You didn’t need Lucifer as Belphie is already taking care of you, as it should be

You know how he always carries around his favorite pillow? Yeah he’s doing that with you basically, minus the carrying. You’re practically attached to his side, wherever he goes you’re either right there with him or in his room, which is mainly just you two lazing around or sleeping (as usual)

Honestly, the only demons who he’s okay with disturbing you two is Beel and maybe Satan. Beel because that’s his twin and it’s his room too, and Satan only if he’s checking on you medically or if he has some new ideas to mess with Lucifer. Everyone else is just trying to bother you and be annoying, and you don’t need that

Of course he blames himself for this! How is he suppose to keep you safe, to make up for his mistake? But then it clicks

It’s not the fact that he’s weak, people think that he’s weak. But he realizes that this is fine, he’ll use that to his advantage.

Diavolo is upset and Lucifer is running out of excuses for him, but Belphie just plays stupid and says he can’t remember how to remove it (even though he does). Let the demon lose some more sleep until they learn their lesson, whether it’s from the constant nightmares or from sleep deprivation trying to stay awake to avoid said nightmares. He’ll remove it when he feels like it, and he doesn’t see that happening anytime soon

Let people think the Avatar of Sloth is weak, that he’s not a threat, and he can show them exactly how wrong they are. Better yet, this demon can be the perfect example, and many more if they become a bother to you (and him)

You’re too nice MC, too delicate. You treat him so good, like he’s not a demon, like he’s not the monster who took your life, and he has to thank you for that somehow. He feels like whatever he does won’t be enough for the kindness you give him, but protecting you from others who used to be like him could be a good start

Also now he can hog all of your head pats and cuddles for himself, and he doesn’t feel bad at all. Everyone else had their time with you when he was locked up, so he’s finally got the opportunity to be selfish

Diavolo

First of all...this demon is dumb enough to harm you in front of him??? The Demon LORD???? The FUTURE KING OF HELL??!

They have more than just a death wish

It all happened so quick, he just crossed paths with you in the hallways and started to ask about your day (and maybe invite you for a small tea date after school) but he didn’t even get the chance to open his mouth

One second he saw your eyes light up and hand extended to excitedly wave, then he saw your fragile form tumbling down the stairs

Barbatos was soon called to his side as Diavolo saw the red coating his palms and you barely staying conscious, trying to say that you’re okay and not to worry

See...he feared that this would be a problem. While Diavolo is a very kind and understanding ruler, there are still some demons out there who think he’s too lenient, too soft. But that’s where people are mistaken. Diavolo is kind, but do not mistake his kindness for weakness

He felt his anger rising, his demeanor starting to crack, but he set aside his emotions. You’re his first priority, and he needs to make sure that you’re okay! He’s still a ruler, and you’re his responsibility (and first love)

However, he made sure that Barbatos took the demon who did this and kept them in the dungeon until he was done treating you. He won’t let this go unpunished, he can’t and he won’t

You’re an important part of the exchange program, and you’re most important to him, and he’s upset with himself that you got hurt. You’re so delicate, and you don’t deserve any of this happening to you, but what can he do? While he trusts the brothers to keep you safe, he wants to keep an eye on you personally, but how?

Then it struck him

You liked to stay in the castle, always smiling and having fun whenever you spent time with him there, so why not relocate you there?? It’ll be like an extended sleepover/retreat with just you two!! You guys can do all of your favorite activities and won’t have to worry about going home because you won’t have to leave!! Why didn’t he think of this sooner?!

The brothers are very upset with this incident, and even more so when he announced this. Diavolo decided that your condition needed to be monitored closely, and since he’s the person directly in charge of the exchange program AND the ruler over the Devildom, there was no room to argue. You weren’t going to stay in the castle forever, just until he deemed it right to return to the HoL

Which would be...some time soon, maybe. He’s not really worried about that now, his number 1 concern is you after all!

You’re getting the royal treatment, literally. This is the chance that he gets to pamper you without interruptions and he is not wasting it!

You kept trying to convince him that you’re fine, but he wasn’t hearing any of it, especially after he sees the nasty bruise that was left. “MC, please! You still need to rest. How about I have Barbatos bring us some tea to help, and we can even have the royal staff bring us some outfits of your choosing if you like? Oo, we can even have our portrait painted!”

“Dia, I promise that I’m fine, you have more things to worry about than me-”

“Nonsense, MC. You’re what’s important to me, now and always. Don’t ever forget that.”

Even finished it with a hand kiss, UGH he really is a Prince Charming

Once you did return to RAD bruise free, Diavolo, being the gentleman that he is, walked with you everywhere in the beginning. Coming into the building, walking to class, lunch, even to the student council meeting, he was by your side. But he couldn’t avoid his duties forever (unfortunately), but he always made up for lost time afterwards

You never realized that when he wasn’t with you, someone else always was. Whether it be Lucifer who miraculously had spare time, or Barbatos who decided to escort you back to the castle to try a new recipe for his Lord, it was always one of them that stayed with you

Also, it never dawned on you why people were starting to be so nice to you. You thought it was because of what happened, not paying attention to how tense they would get, the fear in their eyes. You did notice that the demon who caused your fall never came back to class, and their desk is starting to collect dust...

When you did ask Diavolo about it, he just pat your head and said that what happened was unacceptable and that the demon has been dealt with accordingly.

You don’t need to hear about what really happened to them, he doesn’t want to scare you or taint your innocence! But he doesn’t mind if anyone else hears it, he’ll be more than happy to explain in full detail what happened and what will happen to demons that even think about attempting to harm you or think that he’s “too soft”. They won’t think he’s a soft ruler after that

Diavolo is a very sweet man, one that treats you as if you’re ruling by his side as his partner and one that you never have to be scared of, but even you didn’t miss the deadly glint in his eyes whenever he spoke about that demon...

But enough about that, he wants to try that new recipe that you made just for him!

He enjoys the time that he gets to spend with you, and after this, you’ll be in his company a lot more. He can’t risk having this happen again to his love- I MEAN favorite exchange student right?

[violettelueur]

FUSHIGURO MEGUMI || WHAT KIND OF WOMAN IS YOUR TYPE

| featuring : fushiguro megumi ft. kugisaki nobara + todo aoi + zenin mai from jujutsu kaisen

| warnings : grammar errors, she/her pronouns and spoilers from anime (if you haven’t watched ep 8)

| form : imagine

| word count : 2179

| published : 03 january

| synopsis : taking a short break from their training for the kyoto sister-school goodwill event, fushiguro and kugisaki are sent for fetch some drinks for everyone. however, it seemed like they were suddenly ambushed by a few students from kyoto tech leading for a question to be asked to fushiguro ‘what kind of woman is your type?’

| barista’s notes : well well well i think of a lot of fushiguro imagines don’t i? ʕ ㅇ ᴥ ㅇʔ but yeah this imagine idea has been in my mind for quite some time but i didn’t know when i could right it since it was during school when i first thought of it but here it is! right now, i am watching akudama drive and i am really enjoying it right now! other than that, i hope that you all enjoy this ‘on the house’ cup of classic black coffee and please come again soon!

“What kind of woman is your type?”

Perplexed, Fushiguro as well as Kugisaki, shifted their heads to the side trying to convey their confusion to the two students that were right in front of them.

From the beginning, since this absurd question was asked, the two first-year sorcerers were buying drinks for themselves and the second years as an errand due to them taking a short break from training since all of them were preparing for the annual Kyoto Sister-School Goodwill Event that was coming up in a few weeks.

However, unexpectedly it seemed like two of the Jujutsu Tech students from the Kyoto side decided to come to pay an uninformed visit to the Tokyo side to see what they were up against for this year since the usual third-years - who would have participated - were suspended for the time being as well as the main competition: Okkotsu Yuta being aboard right now for educational reasons.

“Depending on your answer, I’ll beat you half to death right here and drag Okkotsu, or at least the third-years, out to the exchange event,” the large Kyoto student threatened to Fushiguro as he then suddenly violently ripped his purple shirt, showcasing his large muscular body before positioning himself in his usual fighting stance as he then suddenly announced, “by the way, my type is a tall woman with a big ass!”.

“Why do I have to talk about my taste in women with a guy I just met?” Fushiguro annoyingly asked as he began to express an irritated expression on his face with the situation that was in hand.

“He’s right. That’s a tall hurdle for an antisocial guy,” Kugisaki unintentionally comedically commented as she pointed at her stoic classmate, leading Fushiguro to express a more vexed expression as he then stated, “you be quiet. This is confusing enough already. You’ll just make it more complicated,”.

“Kyoto, third-year, Todo Aoi,” the male sorcerer introduced himself. “Introduction over,” Todo then announced as he then continued by saying, “now we’re friends. Hurry up and answer, if you prefer men, that’s fine too,”.

“A person’s fetishes reflect everything about them,” Todo explained as he described the reasons why he was asking his question in the first place. “People with boring taste in women are boring people themselves,” Todo passionately expressed as if he was presenting a school project that he was extremely proud of as he then exclaimed, “I hate boring men.”

“The exchange event is where my soul can be free as blood boils and flesh clashes, who knows what I might do if my last exchange event ends up boring me?” Todo rhetorically questions himself as he stays in his fighting posture as if he was ready to pounce at any second with a confident smile on his face.

“Hey, aren’t the Jujutsu Tech schools four-year schools?” Kugisaki asked in a questionable tone since she was perplexed at the fact why Todo mentioned that it was his last exchange event when he was a third-year student.

“Only third-years and under can join the exchange event,” Fushiguro quickly answered Kugisaki’s question as she then let out an understandable ‘Hmm’ to inform her classmate that she acknowledged what he had just told her.

“As a show of kindness, I’ll let you off only half-dead right now,” Todo once again threatened before repeating the question that started this whole situation, “answer me, Fushiguro. What kind of woman is your type?”

“Is this some kind of comedy routine?” the shikigami user angrily asked, as he increasingly got annoyed at what was happening and was confused on why he was picked.

However, it seemed as if Kugisaki was more observant of the other student besides Todo as she started the other sorcerer’s uniform - who she quickly learned was named Zenin Mai and that she was also Zenin Maki’s twin sister. “Is that your summer uniform?” Kugisaki asked in a light tone, as she admired the outfit before continuing with “ticks me off, but it’s nice”.

Looking to the side, Fushiguro looked at his classmate as he began to analyse the situation that was currently going on. From what he could gather, Kugisaki was unarmed and didn’t have her usual hammer with her like she normally did meaning he was wanting to avoid any confrontation that could happen at this moment in time.

‘Not forgiving people isn’t a bad thing. That’s just part of your kindness, isn’t it?’

Well, that’s what his sister said to him one time.

However, before Fushiguro could finally give his answer to the third-year sorcerer, Kugisaki suddenly lifted her hand and pointed with her index finger to the Kyoto students causing expression of confusion to appear on Todo and Zenin’s faces as they didn’t know the reason for this action of hers.

“Fushiguro’s type of woman is behind you,” Kugisaki suddenly commented.

Unfortunately, before the Kyoto Jujutsu Tech students could even turn around to see what Kugisaki was pointing at, Todo suddenly felt something extremely quick and strong being swung across his face as he fell from the unexpected impact leading to Zenin to look at the scene in extreme shock before sighting a black trainer being placed on his cheek leading to her dark coloured eyes to look up to see who the assaulter was.

“Sorry, you were taking too long to move even though I tried to inform you that I was behind. But you continued chatting rubbish about woman type and fighting and whatever came after,” you commented as you looked down upon the fallen student.

In front of her was a female who was wearing a simple outfit which consisted of a pair of black trainers with the paring on the same coloured high-waisted track pants and crop-top, which Zenin wasn’t sure if it was long or short-sleeved since the female also had a bright red track top on to make sure she wasn’t completed covered in the midnight colour. 

Quickly, Zenin pulled out her gun she had hidden in her uniform out of instinct only for it to be suddenly snatched from her grasp, leading to her weapon to be intimidatingly being pointed at her - the complete opposite of what was supposed to be played out. “Too slow,” you quietly commented as you then turned to look at the second-year with a nonchalant expression on your face causing Zenin's face to twist into a fuming expression.

“L/N! Don’t worry, I got your water!” Kugisaki suddenly shouted, as her eyes shined at the scene that had unfolded right in front of her. There was no secret that Kugisaki admired you, even though you were in the same year as her. Since the day you arrived at Tokyo, Kugisaki immediately noticed how strong and knowledgeable you were as a sorcerer and was especially surprised at the fact when you told her you were a grade two sorcerer rather than the higher grade she thought you were. On the other hand, Kugisaki knew a person that admired you more than she ever could, causing her eyes to shift to the person next to her, only to find him looking at you with a shocked expression but also with bright sparkles in his eyes.

Turning to look at your two classmates, you gave them a small smile as you gave Zenin her gun back before you walked on top of Todo’s body to make your way towards them. “Don’t shoot me in the back,” you mentioned to the female Kyoto sorcerer, as you raised your hand up to wave her off before you grabbed the bottle of water Kugisaki had extended to you.

“Thanks,” you said with gratitude as you took a quick sip of the hydrating liquid, before turning back around to find Todo steadily putting himself back up on his feet as he wiped away the dust from your shoe off his cheek.

“What a roundhouse kick that was?” Todo groaned as he clicked his neck before looking at you with a smug look on his face. “So this is your type of woman Fushiguro?” Todo asked, causing you to look at the third-year sorcerer with a perplexed face before quickly turning to your friend, only to see him with his head turned to the side away from your gaze, viewing the nature scene that was in the open. Although, that didn’t hide the deep blush that coloured upon his cheeks.

“Even though your type disappoints me based on her physical appearance,” Todo stated, causing you to have an irked expression on your face, which was truly evidenced with the clear creases on your forehead before the grade-one sorcerer saved himself from your wrath by commenting, “but she is my type on the way she fights, it is very interesting,”.

This comment of his caused you to instantly prepare yourself for an attack due to the statement sounding menacing leading to your curse energy to flow down to your arms and hands as you were ready to cast any spell that was needed to defend both you and your classmates.

“Are you perhaps L/N Y/N?” Todo questioned as he pointed at you, leading you to look at the sorcerer with a surprised look before nodding slowly at his question as your answer. “So you’re the new famous sorcerer that nearly took down Sukuna at that mission ha? The one that uses her curse energy for casting spells as well as creating curse weapons, no wonder why you took me down with a kick!” Todo exclaimed in glee as he picked up his jacket from the ground before turning his back on you.

“Looks like I won’t be bored the whole time,” Todo fondly mentioned as he turned his head back to look at you before starting to make his way to the exit with Zenin right behind, leaving you, Fushiguro and Kugisaki in confusion on what just happened.

“Since when was I your type Megumi?” you quickly asked Fushiguro, once you saw the Kyoto students disappear from your sights leading to the shikigami user to give Kugisaki the side glare since she was the one that revealed his whole secret crush on you.

“Since the day he met you L/N,” Kugisaki teasing answered for him before she started to make her way back to the track field, leaving you and Fushiguro by yourselves in an awkward situation for the dark-haired boy.

Kugisaki wasn’t wrong. Fushiguro really did like you the second you arrived at Tokyo when you had finally enrolled to Toyko Metropolitan Curse Technical College and quickly admire you as a sorcerer when you were to pass Gojo’s field test extremely quickly, surprising the other first-years since you were the last one to arrive. His admiration and love for you only continued to grow when you were fighting with Sukuna back at Eishu Juvenile Detention Center and somehow managed to go toe to toe with the King of Curses like you and him were on the same level.

“Don’t blush now Megumi,” you cutely commented as you poked his pale pink cheek leading him to give you an offended look before relaxing his express once he saw your smile. “So I’m your type ha?” you asked again in a playful tone causing Fushiguro’s blush to deepen before he began to rub the back of his neck in nervousness.

“Come on, come on,” you pressed on as you desperately tried to get an answer from Fushiguro while a glimmer of hope shone through your eyes hoping what you heard from both Kugisaki and Todo was true.

“Yeah...you are my type,” Fushiguro quietly mentioned as he shyly looked at you in the eye leading you to clearly see his handsome face. You couldn’t help but smile brightly at the sight, even though he was gazing at you like he was confident, you acknowledged it was the opposite and really appreciated how he was coming out of his shell to tell you how he really felt about you. 

Wanting to calm the dark-haired sorcerer, you flicked your finger in the middle of his forehead leading to Fushiguro looking at you in surprise at the sudden action, before you softly mentioned, “you’re my type too Megumi. Come on, the others are probably waiting for us.” 

Gently taking his hand in yours, you began dragging him the same way Kugisaki left you both since you both needed to make it back to the track field. “Also, thank you for buying me the bottle of water,” you suddenly mentioned, which once again, led Fushiguro to look towards you in surprise since it was Kugisaki that told you that she had got it for you.

“I know Kugisaki is a bit too stingy to buy me anything except when it comes to our girl shopping trips, so I already knew it was you that bought me the bottle,” you explained, as you turned to look at him showing the water bottle in your other hand, causing the shikigami user to uncharacteristically smiles at you back.

Yeah, his type of woman was you.

[idontblushsrry]

Love Language|| Jujutsu Kaisen

“I wanna be fluent in your love language. Learning your love language.” 

A/N: If you didn’t guess from the tagline this is inspired by the song love language by Kehlani. I’ll probably do more of these with different shows and what not because why not. If I missed anyone lmk and I can make a part 2. Also please tag spoilers appropriately esp for manga readers, that being said spoilers for the prequel? manga on Yuuta’s part.

Characters: Itadori, Fushiguro, Kugisaki, Maki, Inumaki, Okkotsu, Gojo, Nanami, Sukuna

Warnings: said it b4 but spoiler warnings in general but esp on Yuuji, Yuuta, and Maki’s parts

Plot synopsis: The 5 love languages; physical affection, quality time, words of affirmation, gift giving and acts of service, and how each jujutsu kaisen character shows their love and affection for you. Ft. a gender neutral reader!

Word count: 2352

Itadori Yuuji

Love Language: Quality time and physical affection

Ok listen-

So for physical affection, Yuuji’s just that kind of person

He is all about giving to you

He’s holding hands with you if you’re ever walking anywhere, and if you’re not a hand holder pls pls pls let him hold your pinky he likes the reassurance

No but seriously he loves to hold you like yall could be walking in completely opposite directions and he’ll try to find some way to hold onto you until the very last second

And even then he’s all ‘:( babe imy’

‘Yuuji we just talked 2 minutes ago’

Another way he shows his love is through quality time

I think for him this is the biggest thing overall, esp as a jujutsu sorcerer bcus you never know yk but also because you’re important to him

Like remember how he literally went to occult club so that he could get out of school in time to go visit his grandpa...ye :(

He also loves finding dumb touristy things to do with you while in Tokyo or anywhere yall go together on a mission 

If you get together before he died and came back then that time he had to spend away from you literally killed him

Like my mans was goin THROUGH it

He almost considered spoiling Gojo’s secret

When he sees you again, he’s not gonna let go for like a solid day

Fushiguro Megumi

Love Language: acts of service and words of affirmation

This boy loves you so much

He loves to tell you all the things he loves about you when you’re alone

But he’s a little awkward with his words sometimes, hence where acts of service come in

He’ll immediately offer to hold your things, run to help you train or study, and if you’re cold? He’s fully prepared to never see his jacket again

Also he can’t cook but he’s fully prepared to suffer hearing Sukuna and suffering through Yuuji’s antics if it means he can learn how to make your favorite food

He also will surprise you by making you a playlist of all the songs that you’ve had stuck in your head and sends it to you randomly out of the blue one day like ‘thought you might like this’

However the best of both worlds is when he leaves you little notes throughout the day or sends you texts asking if you need anything or just encouraging you to keep going 

Negl he’s lowkey the president of the Y/N support club bcus-

You need anything? It’s yours

Cravings? Sad? Angry? What do you need bby, I’ve got it for you

Also he’s totally the type to be like you need help fuckin this person up? 

Also before yall started dating, Fushiguro was a mess

He was constantly asking to spar with you and go on missions, basically anything he could do to be near you  

End of the day, Fushiguro loves you and makes sure you know it whether it’s through his actions or his words

Kugisaki Nobara

Love Language: physical affection

So, she’s not the best with words, she tries but like someone help her bcus she is LOST

Like when she had a crush on you she was like “c’mere dumbass i wanna give you a hug”

In fact, she still is like “c’mere” but now you are dating :)

She loves you though and at first she doesn’t really know how to show it 

But one day you both come home from training and you just look at each other like ‘yeah today sucks’ and yall both just held each other for the rest of the day 

After that, she decided that she wants to do that with you but like always

She’s holding your hand, kissing your cheek when you go shopping, etc. etc.

She really loves to cling to you because she always has this fear that maybe one day you’ll get killed or just disappear so she figures might as well hold onto you for as long as we’ve got

After missions, she’s running up to you and if you aren’t prepared for the tackle, you’re probably gonna fall

On dates too, like if you guys have to meet up for a date, she’s tackling you

On the subject of dates...

She doesn’t mind PDA, and while she might hold your hand or arm so that you don’t get separated

She also doesn’t mind wiping food off your face and eating it, only to then kiss the spot on your face the food was previously at

She will split her shopping load between the two of you, however she will be slightly pouty if she’s carrying more than you (she then cheers up when she realizes she can do more shopping to “balance” the two of you)

In private she’s very cuddly and kissy which honestly isn’t that bad until it gets hot

At which point she’ll just say turn on the ac or convince you to walk around in a tank top (or something like it) so that she can continue holding you

Tbh she prefers the big spoon, but if she’s ever upset you let her be the little spoon >:(

All in all a very loving girlfriend who tries her best to show how much she loves you by glomping you at any given moment. 

Zenin Maki

Love language: acts of service and quality time

So you’re telling me that Maki wouldn’t immediately go out of her way to make sure her and her s/o can spend as much time together as possible?????

Like she’s super observant (which can cause her to be a bit harsh, see Yuuta) but she can always tell what’s bothering you

So if you’re upset that you haven’t been spending enough time together due to her being out on missions or otherwise busy she’s immediately running to finish her stuff and spend time with you.

((She’s very sorry, but on the bright side she brought your favorites!))

Maki is also an acts of service type

This mostly ties in with her kind of direct action way of thinking

She thinks she’s slick but you can always see her sneaking around to do small things like grabbing your laundry for you and folding it

She’s very much like if you love someone, you gotta prove it

Overall, dates with her are very intimate and personal to the two of you

Like she’ll take you to a frog pond you landed in during a fight once

Or you’ll take her to a street fair that serves this exclusive food that Maki mentioned wanting to try 

However, Maki shows her love through quality time and acts of service and while she does receive love from these to a degree, she is very much a words of affirmation gal

She’s not insecure in her day to day life but she has her moments, everyone does

Sometimes, she’ll feel like shit and a failure and all she wants is for you to say that she’s doing amazing and that she’s a great girlfriend.

Inumaki Toge

Love language: Physical affection

Because of his curse, he can’t exactly express how he feels about you through words

He does text you frequently throughout the day (I’ll have to do a hc abt that someday)

But he’d prefer not to be on his phone to communicate if you’re right in front of him

So he does the next best thing and just smothers you in physical affection

He loves kissing you the most

Like he could spend hours just kissing you if you let him (please let him)

But in public, he gets if you’re not a big fan of pda he’s willing to tone it down as long as he gets kisses later in private

He’d still prefer it if you held his hand or linked pinkies maintaining touch in some way

Also, unrelated, but it means so much to him if you try to understand his sushi language

He knows realistically the foundation of any relationship is communication so already he’s at a disadvantage because of his curse 

But if he sees you like take notes after he says something or start to need him to text you to translate, his heart is swelling

Like ‘omg this person loves me enough to learn a whole new language <333′

Another tangent but before you were together he was struggling so muchhhh

Like how does one express their feelings for someone without words?

If you’re Inumaki, you buy some flowers and text said person to meet you at a cafe

It took an embarrassingly long time for you to realize it was a date, but once you did, you ever so gently linked pinkies with Toge

Okkotsu Yuuta

Love language: words. of. affirmation. 

He’s literally so sensitive please tell him you love him regularly

In return he’ll be sure to tell you how much he loves you too

He knows that he can’t really be there for you as much as he’d like but he likes to let you know that he’s thinking of you

Doesn’t matter the time, if you call, he’s answering

If he doesn’t he’ll cry he’ll immediately call you back and is apologizing for missing your call

You assure him it’s no big deal but the man has his volume turned all the way up and changed your ringtone to one specific for you by the time you’ve even said hey

Aside from that, he really is sensitive

He’s been through a lot especially with Rika as well as growing up alone and bullied 

So for him, it’s everything to hear that you like having him around and don’t think he’s too much or anything like that

Of course, he gets better with time, trusting you and having the confidence in himself to not need constant assurance

That being said, if you ever just whisper in his ear, “I love you, Yuuta.”

That’s not your boyfriend, that’s a puddle of love on the floor

(Maki, Panda, and Inumaki had a field day when they saw him, Fushiguro now questions if Yuuta really is a respectable 2nd year.)

Gojo Satoru

Love language: gift giving and quality time

So Gojo doesn’t exactly get to spend a ton of time

Between missions, him beefing with higher ups, and you and him playing parent the baby sorcerers yall don’t exactly get time to go out much

In which case Gojo tends to default to two options:

He’ll either go the extra mile to try and spend time with you 

Whether that be an at home date where he tries and fails to surprise you with a home cooked meal

Or a date out at a restaurant or cafe (which you tend to visit after his home cooking efforts)

OR he’ll bring you various souvenirs from his missions

He loves to spoil you, and if he could he’d probably bring you back a whole store’s worth of stuff

But alas, airport security regulations

Anyways, he loves to spoil you especially if he can spoil you with sweets because it benefits him in two ways 

He treasures all the time you spend together, and he does try to overcompensate for his absence with gifts

Despite your assurances, it’s kind of a guilty pleasure at this point (just let him, trying to argue just goads him on further)

He doesn’t only buy you small things, he enjoys buying you outfits

And he especially likes seeing you in them 

Kento Nanami

Love Language: acts of service

Y’all remember the episode where he killed that curse that was bothering that baker lady?? Yea that

He’s literally such an acts of service boyfriend it’s not even funny

Before you got together, he would memorize your coffee order and bring you a cup pretty much everyday like clockwork

Now that you’re togehter, he wakes up before you so h=that when you wake up there’s the smell of coffee throughout the house

When you come out of you’re shared bedroom and he’s just scrooling through his phone like “mornin’”

Of course you already made the bed and ironed his clothes because relationships are give and take

And then when you leave for your jobs in the morning, he kisses you and holds the door open for you

He’ll draw a bath for you if he gets home before you, if you let him join or not is up to you

Also, if you ever get sick, he’s actually the best

Like he isn’t the best cook but he can heat up soup and tea

He’ll run to the store while you’re asleep and when you wake up, there’s like a whole tray of food in front of you and he’s like ‘it’s important to eat and drink so your body can heal’

And when you inevitably fall asleep after eating and taking medicine at his insistence, he tucks you in and clears away the dishes, exiting with little more than a kiss to your head

Ryoumen Sukuna

Love Language: gift giving and acts of service

So like Sukuna never says he loves you...ever

But he does notice if someone or something’s making you uncomfortable, and if so, said entity’s head will be presented to you later that day

You also just so happen to be the only person he can tolerate being around him for longer than 20 seconds

He also loves to give you jewelry, he likes seeing you adorned in something from him

He also isn’t gonna just handle all your problems for you, he will push you to become stronger by training with you 

He’ll also expect this energy to be reciprocated, as long as you’re pushing yourself to be better, he’s content with that

(He wants to see you grow because he’s scared that if he ever gets caught lackin one day you’ll end up dead)

He’ll never tell you or admit it, but Sukuna truly does care for you and hold you in a regard that he doesn’t have for others

So be grateful jkjk

[moririki]

⤷ A DEVIL, THEN A MAN

DENJI X READER -> 1.2K there's only so much blood and killing that you can take

REQUEST -> ✰ CONTAINS -> nonspecific gore and mentions of blood, basically you are like reze but perfectly normal (spoiler alert), uhhhh heavy on the angst :(, mentions of death, mostly consisting of flashbacks in italics, one (1) awkward ass joke, shit writing honestly, i omitted one of the prompts anon im sorry!!! MORI'S THOUGHTS -> i'm so sorry for this one but i didn’t know what else to write!! denji smut coming soon <3

YOU'VE HEARD YOUR FAIR SHARE OF HORROR STORIES ABOUT WORKING A GRAVEYARD SHIFT. under the guise of a pitch black sky, all manners of people started crawling around, hungry for something. and with you being a waitress at a diner, it was safe to say that you'd see a good selection of said people.

you didn't exactly work in the safest neighbourhood, and you've learnt that it's best to keep your head down while you took orders. the words avoid confrontation were pretty prominent in your mind when your eyes zeroed in on questionably coloured stains or bloodied hands. it wasn't your business, after all. and hey, some of them even tipped well.

it was a pretty good rule to follow. so in a way, you only really had yourself to blame for the following events that occured over the span of these last two weeks.

it had all started so ordinarily. you had been wiping down a freshly vacated table in an otherwise empty diner when you heard the chime of the front door as someone new came in.

"hi, how can i help y-" as your eyes caught up with your mouth, words died on your tongue as you took in the sight in front of you. a boy, wearing a shirt and tie, completely covered in blood from head to toe. if you looked past all the red, you could see his blond hair, and that he looked to be around your age.

"oh my god." you stood up straight, feeling panic set in as you saw just how much blood there was. "do you need me to call an ambulance?" the boy just shook his head, even smiling, before walking up to the counter and taking a seat.

"i'm good, can i just get a burger?"

that seemed so long ago. in reality, it had only been two weeks. against, your better judgement, you decided to take his order and leave him be. for the most part, anyway.

"what's your name?" you couldn't help but blurt it out. you had just set the burger that the boy had ordered down in front of him, and the additional question spilled out. his hands were already picking it up, but he paused and looked at you, mildly surprised.

"it's denji."

that information was like a key to open some floodgates, and it was a bitter memory of yours.

the food here must have been better than you thought, because denji was back. though this time the sun was still up, and his shirt and tie were devoid of any blood or guts.

you couldn't help your smile when you turned your head towards the ringing bell of the front door and spotted his familiar face. you finished taking the order of the family sat at the table in front of you, before sauntering over to where denji was. funnily enough, it was the exact same spot as last time.

"hey, stranger." denji perked up at your voice, almost like he'd been waiting for you. you smiled at the thought, taking out your notepad to keep your mind busy. "how can i help you?" denji smiled up at you, shamelessly.

"well, you could tell me your name. i never got it last time." he made you laugh, and you bit your lip as you tapped your nametag with your pen.

"it's right here, mister."

"i can't read."

you went bright red at that, feeling embarrassed about your blunder. the feeling only worsened when denji laughed at your face, resting his chin on one of his hands. you covered your face with your own, peeking out at him between two fingers.

"it's y/n," you mumbled, voice muffled by your palms.

as you sat curled in front of your tv, eyes widened in horror as you took in the content of the news report, you found yourself wondering whether denji was really as harmless as he let on.

“so, denji, what do you do?” your favourite customer was back, though it was just for a bowl of fries this time. he held one between his fingers, though his attention was still trained on you.

“what do you mean?”

you giggled, sliding into a seat next to him. it was late, and he was the only one left. with the cook out back for a smoke break, you were effectively the only two in the building. not that you minded.

“i mean, where else do you go when you aren’t here?”

“i’m a devil for hire.”

you thought he was just joking at the time, but with the news reporter’s voice rattling off a list of casualties, things seemed to be slotting into place. there was a bigger picture forming, and you didn’t like it.

the last time denji visited you while you worked, it was a lot more different than the other times.

for starters, his presence didn’t make a smile spread across your face. you almost dreaded the bell, and having to turn to see his cheery face and just act like everything was okay.

he was perceptive. the smile from his face dropped, and you approached his table on shaky legs.

“can i take your order?” your tone was a lot more clipped, completely devoid of any previous warmth. denji recoiled, like you had reached across the counter and slapped him. 

“are you alright?” his voice was tentative, and you were glad that there weren’t any other customers in the diner right now. it really had been just denji these past few days. and try as you might, you just couldn't bring yourself to hate him.

even if the news reports coming in every day spoke of the violence used by a chainsaw devil, one who was sat right in front of you, your head and heart couldn't make the distinction between denji and that thing.

"i don't know who you are any more." your voice sounded hollow, and the blond boy's eyes widened in panic.

"y/n? what do you mean?" the panic in his tone sounded so genuine, so human, and it was messing with your head. surely, he was anything but.

"the news, denji. i hear stories of some chainsaw devil mowing down so many people. it's you, isn't it?" the boy was silent, now, and it spoke louder than any words could. you felt your pen and notepad slip from your grasp, one of your hands covering your mouth as you felt your lip tremble. as if moving on strings, you started staggering away from denji's seats, feeling tears start to well up in your eyes as it dawned on you.

"i'm sorry," denji tried. he was out of his seat by now, torn between wanting to go to you or respect the fact that he was the last person that you wanted to see right now. you shook your head at his outstretched hand, vehemently, and denji withdrew it like you had slapped him.

you couldn't bring yourself to look into his eyes.

eyes that had been so delicate and warm when you first met him, and then kept meeting him. eyes that lit up whenever you spoke to him, ones that you never thought belonged to a murderer.

eyes that now looked like they had been extinguished as denji nodded, an air of finality to the motion.

you could only watch his back as he headed to the door, not even giving you a second glance as the bell chimed and the door slammed shut behind him one final time.

take a look at the menu - ,, 🫀 ·˚ ༘ ꒱