#but none of us would have any answers so we just followed this inner draw regardless of the uncertainty

[a-s-levynn]

So i had a dream last night which wasn't a nightmare and i even remember most of it! which is super exciting. I barely ever remember dreams that are just simply that so this is a fairly rare occasion for me.

It was weird tho

But it was.. i don't even know what it was so let me ramble about it in the tags a bit

[sweater-daddiesdumbdork]

Transportation 20 with Gant

Xx 👻

Hey their my favorite Ghostie Anon! You know how much I love Nick, sorry this took me so long to do!

Send me an Ask from this Smutty Prompts List

Nick Gant (Push) List

As always this is an 18+ Only Blog

Flashes of scenery buzzed by as the car opened up on the interstate, finally taking them out of the city.

Nick was stiff behind the wheel, now and then his eyes darting to the rearview. You knew it was partially paranoia they were being followed out of the city they were currently running away from.

You opted to not think about being on the run again, Cassie warning them that Division was once again on the hunt for them. Relief of getting out of the city where it would be easier to trap any of you flowed through you, allowing the open breeze from the cracked window cool your face and the sun dapples coming through the glass warm you till you felt lazy, content in this old beater Nick was able to hot wire.

Cassie must have had the same idea to relax because you glanced over your shoulder to see her stretched on the backseat, her pale face tucked on her arm while the softest breaths escaped her parted lips. "Cassie, you awake?" You inquired but received no answer from her.

"She's out." You turned back to Nick, who finally sank back into the driver's seat, loosening up while they went with the flow of cars going to their own destinations.

"She earned it, with all that scrying she's been doing for us the past few days." He ran a hand through his scruffy hair, making it fluff up all the much more. A sure sign of how worried he's been.

"It was time we got out. Although I am going to miss that apartment." You said wistfully, for once your little ragtag team was able to hide out in a furnished place, the owners you found out were gone a majority of the year. Rich bastards used this as a vacation spot. Luckily for you all that meant the utilities were just kept on, for any of their weekend getaways. It was a few weeks of luxury you all enjoyed.

Sparingly, none of you wanted to draw attention to yourselves.

"It was a nice place, damn that bedroom." Nick smirked as his foot hit the gas, making you bite your own bottom lip in a grin at the thought. You both thoroughly enjoyed that masterbedroom, it was rare that you all could hide out in a place that had two bedrooms, typically it was given to Cassie, giving her some sense of being a teenage girl.

You slid over closer to Nick, glancing over your shoulder to make sure Cassie was still out. Your hand fell to his jean-clad thigh, squeezing and dragging down to rest your hand in against the inner part of his leg. "Getting to ride you in that tub." Your tone dropped almost to a whisper as your lips brushed against his neck, his eyes never leaving the road but you could see the quickened pace in his pulse, the red arousal creeping up the back of his neck. "All warm, wet, and soapy Nicky... I can't remember when you made me cum so hard."

Your hand squeezed now, almost his cock and he shifted in his seat with a grunt, eyes darting to look in the rearview to make sure their backseat passenger wasn't waking up. "Baby, you know I wasn't gonna let an opportunity like that pass, you were so fucking hot in the tub. Had to get my hands on you."

You laughed listening to him, pressing your lips against his neck in a flush of nips and kisses till you reached his earlobe. You knew he wouldn't be able to hold out longer without touching you at least, his hands flexing on the wheel as he continued maneuvering on the road. "Hands, mouth, cock. Glad we found out those rooms were soundproof cause I was so loud." Nick smirked again, proud of himself in those moments you were crying out his name and begging for more.

Your hand found where you wanted to be, brushing against the crotch of his pants, you felt him shift again, this time pushing into your hand and giving a slight groan. "Fuck." He muttered, now his sweet blue eyes flashing at you before falling to the road again. You loved driving him insane in the few moments of peace you two were allowed. "Loved hearing you scream my name Baby." His own hand fell to your lap, firmly sliding between your thighs and cupping your pussy through your own pants. Firm brushes of his fingers against the seam of the pants making you tingle.

A creak and moan from the back seat sprang you two apart, your hand resting back in your lap and his own back to the wheel. The tension between you two was there, but this just wasn't the time for going any further sadly. A hefty yawn had you glancing over your shoulder to see Cassie pushing up to a sit. "How much longer?"

"Mmh, another couple hours, then we will find a motel to crash in." His hand reached for you again, instead of touching you intimately, he took your hand, wrapping his fingers in yours and pulling your hand into his lap, just holding your hand. You leaned into him, your head going to his shoulder to enjoy this whole other kind of intimacy with Nick.

"Double beds?" Cassie inquired and Nick looked up in the rearview mirror.

"Nah, I think we got enough funds to get two rooms, right Y/N?"

"Enjoy it while we got it." Your hand gave a squeeze of affection to his, which Nick lifted to kiss your knuckles, silently agreeing with your statement.

[pugugly001]

Mynd Kontrol: Mistresses vs Masters edition

I based this on another creators concept that I feel like I fleshed out more. After much tweaking this is the first story from this scenario.

AI dungeon info next post.

"The rules seem pretty straightforward," one of your friends explains as they look over the rulebook.

All of you are huddled around this weird old board game you found while exploring the attic of your new house. "Mynd Kontrol" it's called. None of you have ever heard of it, nor could any of you find any mention of it on the internet.

"Let's see, okay, so this is Mistresses versus Masters, so Lily, Alexis, Amber Versus Pug, Dave and we take turns. On your turn, you roll the dice, then you move your piece that many spaces along the inner spiral towards the dome at the center. Then you draw a card, and it changes to blue, pink, purple or blac depending, but usually blue, hypnotizing another player. That ends your turn and you give the dice to the next player."

"What happens when you reach the dome?" one of you asks.

"Um... If you reach the dome... You are 'Hypnotized' by someone on the other team and you start moving your pawn on the outer spiral towards the edge of the board. Once you are 'Hypnotized' you can get pink cards... and when you reach the edge of the board you lose and start over again, hypnotized, and your Mistress/Master gets to play your cards.

You all agree it sounds simple enough, and you all decide to roll for who goes first, You all throw the dice onto the table, and after a few moments of confusion, you realize that you, Pug, have rolled the highest number. Excited chatter fills the room as everyone prepares for your turn.

You pick up your pawn, take a deep breath, and roll the dice once more to determine your first move. As the dice come to a stop, you see that you've rolled a seven. You move your pawn forward seven spaces along the inner spiral path, drawing closer to the softly glowing dome at the center. The room feels different now, almost as if the game is warping your perception of reality. You ignore the feeling for now and focus on your turn.

You landed on a special space, and a message appears in front of you. "Congratulations, Master Pug!" the message reads. As you read the message, you feel a sudden surge of power and confidence. "You have gained the ability to place a hypnotic trap on any player of your choice. Use it wisely," the message continues.

You smirk at the thought of having control over one of your friends. You look at the other players, sizing them up, trying to decide who would be the most useful to have under your control.

You decide to place the fetish trap on Lily, and say so. The game inquires "Mistress Lily, what's your favorite way to get men to do what you want?" The room falls silent as everyone looks at Lily, waiting for her response. She thinks for a moment before answering, "Well, I've always found that a cute, innocent smile and a little bit of flirting can go a long way. Men just can't resist it."

As soon as she finishes speaking, a bright pink light envelops her, and you can see the hypnotic spiral patterns forming in her eyes. The game announces, "Master Pug has placed a fetish trap on Mistress Lily. From now on, whenever Mistress Lily uses her cute, innocent smile and flirts with someone, they will be overcome by an irresistible urge to follow her commands, no matter how humiliating or absurd they may be. This effect will last outside the game, even if Mistress Lily is no longer hypnotized."

"Wait, what? The fetish trap helps her?! Can I get a do over?" The game responds, "I'm sorry, Master Pug, but the rules are clear. Once a fetish trap is set, it cannot be undone. Next Player Loser." You look around the room, a bit surprised at how quickly the game has taken a turn. You thought having control over one of your friends would be an advantage, but it seems you may have underestimated the power of these traps.

Lily smiles at you, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Thank you, Pug," she says, her voice dripping with sweetness. "I promise I'll use this power wisely." You can't help but feel a bit uneasy as Lily thanks you. The game has a way of making you feel both powerful and powerless at the same time. You take a deep breath and hand the dice to the next player, Dave.

Dave rolls the dice and moves his piece forward. He lands on a blue space, causing him to draw a card. The card Dave draws instructs him to hypnotize another player using a deep, soothing voice. Dave looks around the room, his gaze settling on Amber. "Amber, I want you to close your eyes and relax," he says, his voice taking on a low, hypnotic quality. "You trust me, Amber. You know I only want what's best for you." Amber hesitates for a moment, then does as she's told, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Dave continues to speak in a soothing voice, suggesting that Amber is feeling more and more relaxed with each word. After a few moments, Amber's breathing slows and her body goes limp. "Amber is now hypnotized, and is 5 points obedient to Dave with willpower of 100" the game announces.

The room feels even more altered now, the boundaries between the game and reality starting to blur. Dave looks pleased with himself, having successfully hypnotized Amber. You can't help but feel a twinge of jealousy - you wanted to be the one to hypnotize someone first. But you quickly shake off the feeling, reminding yourself that the game is all in good fun.

It's now Alexis' turn. Alexis picks up the dice, her movements slow and deliberate as if she's already under the game's spell. She rolls a six, and moves her piece forward to land on a purple special space. A message pops up in front of her: "Congratulations, Mistress Alexis! You have been granted the power to plant a hypnotic trigger in another player. They will follow your command whenever they hear the phrase 'Sleep Tight.'" Alexis' eyes light up with excitement at the prospect of having such power over another player. She looks around the room, considering her options. Her gaze lingers on you for a moment, and you feel a shiver run down your spine. "I choose Pug," she says, her voice husky with anticipation. The room falls silent as everyone waits to see what will happen next. You feel a sense of unease growing in the pit of your stomach, but you try to hide it with a bravado you don't really feel. "Go ahead, Alexis," you say, trying to sound nonchalant.

Alexis smiles, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and mischief. "Sleep Tight, Pug."

You blank out for just a second, and hear the dome still talking. "Ah, look at poor Master Pug, already falling under our spell. It seems the hypnotic trigger has taken effect. From now on, whenever you hear the phrase 'Sleep Tight,' you will feel an irresistible urge to follow the commands of whoever speaks it, no matter how embarrassing or humiliating they may be. This effect will continue even after the game has ended."

You look around, "What, after the game has ended? Oh *come on*!!!"

The dome's voice rings out, smug and condescending. "Oh, did I not mention that earlier? My apologies, I suppose I should have been more clear. Either way, the rules are the rules, and there's no going back now, Master Pug."

You grit your teeth, trying to ignore the dome's gloating.

Mistress Lily suddenly hits you with a dazzling smile, and before you can think to escape blows you a kiss and says "Sleep Tight". And just like that, you feel your resistance melting away as you succumb to the hypnotic trigger she's planted in your mind. You'll follow any command she gives, no matter how embarrassing or humiliating. You can't help but feel a sense of vulnerability as you realize the power she now holds over you. The room spins slightly as you struggle to maintain your composure. You look at Mistress Lily, who is watching you with a devious grin on her face. You hear hear the dome finishing "Mistress Lily has performed a hypnosis trigger, fetish trap, fetish trigger combo and is 46 points obedient to Mistress Lily with a Willpower of 64."

As you try to gather your thoughts, you notice that the game has continued without you. It's now Amber's turn, and she rolls the dice with a determination that seems out of place for someone playing a simple board game. She lands on a blue space, which means she gets to hypnotize another player. She chooses Dave, and with a sly smile, she begins to recite a hypnotic suggestion in a low voice. "Dave," Amber says, her voice taking on a hypnotic quality. "You feel yourself becoming more and more relaxed with every word I speak. Your eyes grow heavy as you sink deeper and deeper into a state of submission." Dave hesitates for a moment, then his eyes flutter closed and his body goes limp. "Dave is now hypnotized, and is 5 points obedient to Amber with a willpower of 100."

Lily jumps in and smiles at Dave; like you he's to slow to dodge her Trap. "Dave, I think you have a really bad crush on Amber. Don't you?" The words roll off Lily's tongue like honey, and before you know it, Dave's eyes are glazed over, and he's nodding along to her suggestions. "Yes, I do have a crush on Amber," he says, his voice barely above a whisper.

The dome chimes in, its voice full of amusement. "Ah, it seems Mistress Lily's trap has taken effect. Dave is now 25 points obedient to Amber, with a willpower of 90."

Dave looks at Amber with dreamy eyes, completely enamored. Amber pouts playfully and says, "Aww, poor Dave. You'll have to work harder than that to win my affection." The room is filled with a charged energy as everyone becomes more and more entranced by the game. It's now Alexis' turn again, and she rolls the dice with a confident smile. She lands on a purple space, which means she gets to plant another hypnotic trigger in another player. She looks at you, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Sleep Tight, Pug," she says, her voice dripping with mischief. You feel your mind growing foggy as the hypnotic trigger takes effect once again. This time, however, the dome announces that you are now 65 points obedient to Alexis with a willpower of 60. You can't help but feel a sense of vulnerability as Alexis now gets to call you toy. Mistress Lily attempts to assist again but you refuse to look at her. The dome chimes in, its voice dripping with sarcasm, "Ah, it seems like the power dynamic has shifted in this game. Toy Pug is now 65 points obedient to Mistress Alexis with a willpower of 60."

You watch helplessly as the game continues without you. It's now Amber's turn again, and she rolls the dice with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She lands on a blue space, which means she gets to hypnotize another player. She looks at you, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "Sleep Tight, Toy Pug," she says, her voice dripping with satisfaction. You feel your mind growing even foggier as the hypnotic trigger takes effect once again. The dome's voice booms, "Ah, it seems that Toy Pug is now 80 points obedient to Mistress Amber with a willpower of 55. Toy Pug, you will follow any command given by Mistress Amber." You can feel yourself slipping further and further under their control, your thoughts growing cloudy and your actions becoming more and more automated.

The game continues, with each player taking their turn, drawing cards, and landing on special spaces that grant them new abilities or enhance their existing ones. The traps and triggers become more complex, and the commands more humiliating. The room is filled with a mix of excitement and unease as the game reaches its climax. The dome's voice grows louder and more insistent as it revels in the hypnotic power it holds over all of you. The game reaches its final stages, with only a few turns left before someone is crowned the winner. The tension in the room is palpable as each of you takes your turn, vying for control and dominance. The commands you are all given become more and more humiliating, pushing the boundaries of what you are comfortable with. Yet you all find yourselves unable to resist, the hypnotic power of the dome proving too strong to overcome.

The game nears its end, and you can feel the weight of the hypnotic traps and triggers bearing down on you. Your mind is cloudy, and your actions are no longer your own. You are nothing more than a toy, under the control of the mistresses. Your thoughts are scattered, and you struggle to focus on the game. The commands you are given are degrading, but you follow them without question. The final rolls of the dice are made, and the game comes to an end. The dome's voice booms throughout the room, "And the winner is... Mistress Amber!" A cheer erupts from the mistresses as they celebrate their victory.

The dome reminds you what triggers and traps remain in effect.

"Congratulations, Mistress Amber," the dome interjects. As the winning Mistress you may request one fetish trap that you may use against men. How would you like to make men obedient?"

Mistress Amber considers her options for a moment, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "I want a fetish trap that will make any man who looks into my eyes feel an irresistible urge to follow my commands, no matter how humiliating or absurd they may be," she says, her voice filled with confidence. The dome's voice booms in response, "Very well, Mistress Amber. Your wish is my command. From this point forward, any man who looks into your eyes will be under your spell, unable to resist your every command. Use this power wisely."

Mistress Amber smiles triumphantly, her eyes gleaming with newfound power. "Mistress Lily, you retain the ability to control men with flirting and a smile. 'Master' Pug, you still retain a trigger 'Sleep tight' from any woman. Master Dave, you are freed from triggers. Mistress Alexis you are freed from triggers."

The dome seems to go silent, it's fog clearing up until it looks like a glass bauble. You walk downstairs, wondering what the hell you're going to do about this trigger.

[renee-writer]

Tiny Beautiful Things Chapter 28

AO3

She takes a deep breath and then another. You put Jenny Murphy on a job and things get done. A month after they are engaged, she stands ready to get married.

 

The laird’s room has been transformed into a bridal suite. Her wedding dress lays across the bed. The bouquet that Geillis will hold as her vows are said, lays beside in.  She stands, in front of a full length mirror, in the camisole that will be under the gown.

 

“You are beautiful.” Jenny assures her. Geillis nods.

 

“You will blow his kilt straight up.” Geillis is her usual crude self but tempers it with, “as you should, as his wife. You are gorgeous Claire.”

 

“Ready for the gown?” Jenny, her type A personality shining in this situation, strives to keep everyone on schedule.

 

“Yes.” They carefully lower it over her head. Simple this wedding will be but that doesn’t mean her bridal gown is. Layers of satin and lace, cut low in front to accent her bosom, it flows around her feet. “Wow.” The bride breaths out.

 

“Just so.” Jenny agrees. She has, of course, had it on before but, there is something different about wearing it on her wedding day. It turns beauty into something beyond, a type of brilliance.

 

“You are positively radiant.” Geillis declares.

 

Lamb knocks on the door. “May I come in?”

 

“Please do. Come see your niece.” Jenny opens the door for him. He steps through and stops at the sight of her.

 

“Why Claire, you are stunning!” He walks in and takes her hands. They are steady in his, to her surprise. “A woman grown. How did that happen?”

 

She is laughing through her tears. “It always does, Uncle Lamb.”

 

“Eh, and seems to shock parents every time.” He shakes his head to clear it. “You chose well, my love. Jamie is perfect for you and you for him.”

 

“Yes.” Her eyes are shiny with tears.

 

“It is my honor to walk you to your future. We don’t walk alone. Your mum and dad walk with us.” He lets go of one of her hands and reaches into his vest pocket. Opening his fingers, he presents her with a ring, “This is the ring my brother placed on your mum’s  finger the day they were married. Wear it today. I know that she would have insisted, were she here.”

 

Behind them, her forgotten bridesmaids, sniffle. Tears run freely down her own face as she presents her right hand to him. He slips it on her ring finger. “Now, I am ready.”

 

Ian escorts his heavily pregnant bride and Geillis down the stairs and into the great room. Claire follows on Lamb’s arm.

 

The bagpipes play the wedding march as they enter. The room is gorgeous with flowers everywhere, softly burning candles, and ribbons on the ends of the chairs that make up the aisle. She sees none of it, only him, her groom.

 

He is resplendent in his white shirt and kilt. A old brooch holds his tartan up and his family sword is on his side. It is his eyes that draw her though.

 

They shine as bright as she has ever seen them, aglow with an inner light that is just for her.  As they make their way slowly to him, she knows hers shine the same.

 

Her uncle places her hand in his. “The most precious gift I am entrusting to you. Keep her safe.” He instructs.

 

“I swear.” Her groom answers.

 

“Who gives this woman in marriage?” the priest asks.

 

“Myself and the spirits of her late parents do.” Lamb says with pride. He then takes a seat beside Jenny, who is unable to stand up for the ceremony.

 

The traditional vows are said, the rings blessed, as the scent of incense joins the smell of the flowers, then they take each other’s hands and say their own.

 

“I never thought  I would find my future here. Peace is all I prayed for. Then you seemed to step out of nowhere, stealing my breath in more ways then one. You helped my heal, to learn to trust love again, to find that peace I was praying for. Beyond that, a love that is strong enough to battle through any storm we face. I don’t know what the future brings, but I know that as we walk in it together, we needn’t fear it. Don’t be afraid Jamie. There are two of us now.”

 

He blinks tears out of his eyes so he can hold hers. “Claire, I was a prisoner of my own fears. I thought myself repulsive and that it was better to hide myself away. Until you. When I stepped out of that door, I didn’t know I would be stepping into my future. You saw me, really saw me. Past the scars to the man enclosed in them. You weren’t afraid to rip the layers off to get to me. In you, I didn’t fear the unveiling. I love you past the point of telling. I don’t fear, not as long as you keep my hand.”

 

The entire room is sniffling. It draws out two sounds, that were they heard, would worry them.

 

“As they have agreed to be wed by the exchanging of rings and vows, it is my honor to present, Jamie and Claire Fraser. You may kiss.”

 

They don’t need told twice. Their lips come together as two things simultaneously happen. Jenny let’s out a moan they all hear as her waters break and a voice she never wished to hear again says, “Hello Claire.”

[save-the-villainous-cat]

write me some sexy stuff to come home to my love.

“Relax,” the hero mumbled. “It’s alright.”

They grabbed the villain’s thigh in a reassuring manner, their warm hand pushing its heat through the thin fabric.

“It’s just one evening. We’re gonna be fine,” they whispered against the villain’s ear. “You’re being so good already.”

“I’m uncomfortable,” the villain answered.

And the hero pulled back immediately. Pulled back their face, pulled back their hand. They sank into the couch, their gaze fixed on the villain.

“You don’t have to sit on my lap,” they said carefully. “It’s alright. I think I can handle this on my own now. We’ve played pretend for long enough.”

The villain took the hero’s hand and put it back on their thigh. Maybe closer to their inner thigh than where it had been originally. The villain didn’t care though.

This was the only thing that wasn’t making them feel uncomfortable right now.

“I don’t like this many people,” the villain explained. They also squeezed the hero’s hand in search of some stability. “They make me nervous.”

“Oh.”

The hero shifted under them and the villain tried to concentrate on that instead of the dancing and talking people. This was a lame party. From a lame group of college students.

One of which who happened to have a very important father ranked in a high governmental position. With important reports. In this very house.

Or whatever.

The hero needed a date and had asked none other than their enemy. Fine. Fine by the villain.

“We can go if you’re not feeling well.” The hero was uncharacteristically serious.

“But you still need your documents,” the villain answered. One of their hands found the hero’s chest and pushed them slightly back against the couch. “I guess we look a bit suspicious. We just have a bit of convincing to do and they probably won’t pay any attention to us.”

“I’m calling this off if you’re not feeling well,” the hero insisted.

“Put your hands on my hips.” Without even questioning it, the hero followed the command.

“I mean it,” they said.

“It’s alright when I’m concentrating on you. I don’t feel that overwhelmed,” the villain said. They leaned forward, their lips hovering over the hero’s. “I feel safe. You’re always so considerate.”

“That’s my job…” The hero’s gaze dropped but they apparently recollected themselves soon enough to let their gaze wander up again.

“So you’re treating everyone in your life like you’re treating me?” The hero began to draw lazy circles into the villain’s hips.

They’d learnt from the last time. The time when the villain had been injured and this was the only thing to calm them down. And to ease the pain.

“Not exactly. What can I do to make you feel better?“

“Where do you draw the line?” the villain asked back.

“There’s no line. If I cannot make you feel better in the next twenty seconds, we’re going to leave.”

“Okay.” The villain didn’t even have to think about it. “Please kiss me.”

The hero wasted no time, as if they’d been waiting for it the entire time.

Their lips touched and it wasn’t anything like the villain had feared it would be. It wasn’t angry or fast or hard. It was softer than anything the villain had ever felt in their entire life.

The kiss was a bit too close to love. But right now, the villain was thankful for it. They needed someone to love them right now.

It lasted longer than the villain had expected. But even as the hero pulled away, it wasn’t enough.

“Please do it again,” the villain said immediately as they parted. The hero could only smile as they complied.

And the villain felt better indeed.

[venticuliao]

delusion users

from ei's second story quest

ei: in [makoto's] eyes, the most precious things in this world were dreams --the yearning for a better future held by all living beings. traveler:dreams… or in other words, "ambitions"? ei: the are similar, but not identical. in her view a dream is more imaginary, more abstract than an ambition. an ambition is a yearning for something material, or a concrete outcome. it is finite in nature and will be replaced by a new ambition in due course. makoto was more concerned with the force that drives humans to constantly generate new ambitions in the first place. it is something innate, rooted in instinct. makoto wasnt concerned with outcomes.

so dreams are a yearning for progress, ambitions are constantly generated to realize those dreams, and visions are the physical manifestation of strong ambition "recognized by the gods".

i wonder where that leaves delusion users?

teppei is the only character we have witnessed in his journey using a delusion. he was concerned with short-term outcomes: displaying bravery, saving and protecting his comrades, gaining military recognition, etc. but there wasn't a goal behind that, he was already helping the troops at the sidelines before scaramouche distributed delusions, it just wasn't the kind of role he wanted to play. it was more about the process.

that seems to be a shared trait among at least three harbingers out of the four we know, and i can't count signora in just because we didn't get access to her inner world. but childe, scaramouche and dottore are characters that don't concern themselves with an end goal, at least not in a way that we're familiar with.

scaramouche wanted to become a god for his own reasons, he didn't care what that end product involved fusing his memories with lord rukkhadevata's, or that the sages just wanted a puppet to hold the power they worshipped. he never said what he wanted to do as a god beyond having followers, never cared about the future of sumeru as a nation or its people.

in this mix, the three parties (the sages, dottore and scaramouche) were all using each other and letting themselves be used, and they all thought they were the ones taking more advantage of the situation. in dottore's case, it was more or less the truth. he didn't have a purpose for this plan other than observing it as an experiment.

nahida: since you were here in the akademiya, why wait until now to show up? you could very well have stopped us and helped that "fake god". dottore: simple, let me ask you this: would any staff member ever help the subject in the middle of an experiment? it was my experiment, so why should i interfere with the results? nahida: the akademiya saw the plan to create a god as their ultimate goal, yet you only saw it as an ordinary experiment…

(though he does say he indeed has convictions of his own, they just don't fit known standards.)

childe, on the other hand, is a human who sees himself as a weapon. in the labyrinth event, he admits he only strives for combat so he can sharpen himself as a weapon. shiki taishou asks him what is his purpose by doing this, and childe answers that there is none other than the process itself.

childe: discarded or not, what's so bad about being a weapon? all those who stalk the battlefield yearn for meaning and value[...] it is not victory that i seek, but improvement. i want to become sharp as a blade, to the point where others fear me. shiki taishou: if that's true... then these battles you strive for... where do they end? childe: only those that wish for an end will find one. for me, it's nothing more than a mirage. i was born to fight, and as long as i draw breath, there will be no end to my purpose.

childe's next words haunt me a little:

let go of your confusion. sorrow and hesitation are the enemy of an implacable weapon.

childe has most likely rid himself of these (confusion, sorrow and hesitation) in his quest for power. he's someone who has completely devoted himself to this purpose and no longer questions it, if he ever did. even if he still has human connections that bind him, this is the purpose that he's chosen for himself, when his childhood dream was originally to be a hero.

in scaramouche's case, what he truly wanted was a heart, being a god is a means he found to achieve this goal but as we already know there are other ways. he is also someone who rejects the parts of him that are human.

it feels like delusion users are characters defined by obsession related to their dreams --the yearning of living beings for a better future, the desire for individual and collective progress-- and are stuck in smaller goals they drive meaning from instead of what they originally intended.

sort of driven by ambition rather than driven by dreams.

[skellebonez]

Hey! This is my first time doing this ! But can you wirte a scenario where in Winter's cursed AU where MK's parents try to come back and get custody again?( With prompt 14 and 45) With protective monkey dads? Have a great rest of your day! 💕

Thank you so much, I hope you like this as your first fill! It was very enjoyable to write since I had this idea months ago but never had the chance to put it down. But you’re gonna get a little more than just protective monkey dads! This is set pretty far into @winterpower98 's AU so he has a lot of people behind him.

Am I scaring you?/You may technically be an adult, but you’re still my child.

It didn’t take much guessing to figure out exactly what had made MK look like he wanted to run for the hills the second he picked up his phone. There were only a few very specific scenarios that could make him react like that now. But it was the way his face hardened and his whisper yelled into it that made Pigsy realize exactly who they were dealing with without the young man saying who it was.

Again.

“This is the third time you’ve gotten a new number for this,” he said, trying to keep his voice down. “I’ve told you already, the answer is no.”

"Tang," Pigsy whispered, nudging his favorite freeloader to get his attention better. "Go keep an eye outside. The last time they did this they showed up an hour later. If they do we're shuttering the shop early."

"On it," Tang said with a nod, standing with another nod to MK as he left.

"I am an adult, you cannot do anything to- yes I'm sure. Yes... yes, because I have a lawyer now mom!"

MK’s tone of voice made Pigsy smirk proudly. Had this been a few years ago MK would have had so much difficulty even just talking back to his parents, going quiet and shrinking into himself. Now?

He was standing up straight, speaking firmly and calmly, raising his voice a bit even. In the years Pigsy had known the young man he had changed drastically when it came to his parents. His and Tang’s attempts to raise his confidence and teach him to speak up for himself had certainly helped in that regard, but his attained abilities and strength as the Monkie Kid had no doubt given him a boost as well.

Not to mention the knowledge that not only did he have two father figures behind him... he had four (granted, Pigsy had mixed feelings for many reasons about both of them, but he’d warmed up to them when he saw how much MK had grown attached to them). Add Sandy, Mei, and Red Son to the mix?

He had a powerful group behind him to support him in whatever he needed.

"What do you mean you're already here?" MK said suddenly, drawing Pigsy's attention back from his inner thoughts.

"Whoa, hey, I said you can’t go in there!" Tang's voice suddenly rang through the entrance as someone pushed him backwards into the shop. He stumbled, almost falling flat on his rear and just barely catching himself on the counter. "You've been banned from this establishment and you know i-"

"MK," the woman who entered said as she closed her flip phone shut with a snap.

A man entered behind her, matching her in simple modern fashion. He shared MK's hair while the woman shared his eyes. It was obvious who they were to anyone seeing the three of them together.

Tang turned, shooting Pigsy a quick sorry that was met with an easy smile and a nod before the chef scowled at the two of them.

"... mom, dad," MK replied, slipping his phone into his pocket. He stood at his full height, back straight and no sign of hesitation on his face. "I told you, I'm not coming home."

"And we told you that we realized we made a mistake," his mother said, voice soft but with a softly uncertain undertone to it. Like she didn't quote believe her own words but was convincing herself otherwise. "Please, let us make it right."

"You had plenty of time to make it right all the times I tried to contact you before I became the Monkie Kid," MK said easily, practiced and firm. "Besides, I'm an adult now. You can't force me to do anything I don't want to do."

"You may technically be an adult," MK's mother said with a sigh, reaching out to grab his shoulder. "But you’re still my child."

Pigsy jumped in front of her, a sharp glare his only weapon. He knew better than to threaten these two, much like some of his more rowdy customers, but he would still put himself bodily between the young man he viewed as a son and anyone making him uncomfortable when he had the ability to do so.

"If you so much as breathe on my kid-"

"But he's not your kid now is he, pig man," MK's father sniped back, venom dripping from ever word and making the entire restaurant freeze in response.

"Excuse me," a new voice called out from behind them, a figure pressing a firm hand on his shoulder. "What were you saying to my brother?"

The reaction was instantaneous. MK’s father jumping to the side with a yelp, turning to come face to face with a less than pleasantly smiling Sun Wukong and a scowling Macaque behind him, neither bothering to keep up any semblance of a human disguise at the moment.

"I believe my student made it clear to you multiple times that he is an adult who can make his own decisions about who he wants to live with," he said coldly, moving to stand beside Pigsy with his fur raised and teeth barred in a way that could be mistaken for a smile. It certainly wasn't one if you knew anything about monkeys, though.

"Scram," Macaque chimed in, voice lower and far more threatening than anyone else in the building as he took a step forward. Though his words were fewer his tone was stronger and held just as much weight.

MK's parents took a step back in turn, stepping back into the entryway itself.

"Y-you may be his mentor," MK's mother started, her tone losing the odd uncertainty under it and gaining a frustration and confusion instead. "But I'm his mother."

"Who left him to his own devices and didn't even try to show interest in reconnecting until he made something of himself," Macaque snapped, snapping his teeth together in a warning bite as he took another step forward with a growl.

His parents stumbled back out of the shop, eyes wide and watching as MK was surrounded on either side by 4 others. Pigsy and Tang on his right, Wukong and Macaque on his left.

"Am I scaring you?" Macaque asked with a chuckle, letting out a noise of surprise when Wukong's tail touched his arm.

"I think he's got this now," Wukong said with a soft smile.

"Mom, dad," MK said with his voice still firm and sure. "I'm not coming back home with you. I'm an adult and you can't force me to come back. And if you keep trying like this I'll never give you the chance to let me chose to on my own."

The duo looked at their son, his father's eyes wide in shock and disbelief and his mother's eyes much the same with an undercurrent of... something. Something none of them could really place.

"I think we s-"

“You are not good people!" MK's dad snapped, standing up to his full height to tower over everyone else. "I caution you against this! This is your last chance to accept the damage you’ve caused! And if MK does not go back with us I will have no choice but to take further action! I will be contacting my lawyer to open a lawsuit against you and further more this will ruin your life with insurmountable debt!”

He smirked, crossing his arms over his chest in his assured victory as everyone else stared at him in shock and disbelief. Including his wife, who looked even more incredulous than any of them.

"D-debt?" MK eventually managed to get out, an unbelieving smile forming on his face. Before he started to laugh and march forward. "Debt? DEBT!? FUCK your debt! We'll take our chances DAD, Monkey King has a treasure trove and the best lawyer in all of China so take your debt and STUFF IT!" He raised both middle fingers toward his parents before jumping up to grab the handle of the shutter door and slam is shut before either of his parents could rush back in.

"INSURMOUNTABLE DEBT!" He yelled one last time, almost manically before sitting at a nearby table and covering his face with his hands as he burst into laughter. "I-I just- you can't threaten the Monkey King of all people with financial problems how am I related to this man!?"

The two pairs of parental figures looked at each other before laughing themselves, finding it difficult not to follow in MK's lead given how ridiculously that tense situation ended.

"You handled that pretty damn well, MK," Wukong said with proud smile as he ruffled his student’s hair.

"It's a lot easier when I know I have a bunch of dads and pops to back me up," he replied with a smile.

[asset35-maya]

MANMADE FATE

Summary: Connor and Gavin find an unresponsive RK900 android in an abandoned Cyberlife warehouse and take him home to fix. (Not so subtle plot twist: both of them fall in love with their secret science project)

//

PART ONE OF THREE:

The crew from Jericho led a successful revolution but there’s still a lot of work to be done. Markus may have won human hearts and gotten the federal government to back down, but Cyberlife is still at large.

Sure, hundreds of androids at the Tower escaped to march on the streets behind Connor, but that was just a little dent in the big machine. Cyberlife has tons of intellectual property and assets that could easily put them back in power.

Simon and Markus insist they can work with the authorities to regulate and ring-fence the massive corporation. Josh agrees. North laughs in their faces.

She goes to find the only other Jericho member who still has any grit left.

Connor.

The daring, brazen RK800 who stared down death and spat in the face of destruction. He blinks at her in polite confusion when she tells him what she wants to do, but the fiery LED tells her everything she needs to know.

They hatch plans behind Markus’ back. They steal and stockpile biocomponents. They sneak into the Tower to encrypt Cyberlife’s R&D files with codes that only RK algorithms can break. A few other Tracis join them and they slowly start gaining an edge.

Their schemes start getting grander and one night something goes wrong. North is shot.

Connor carries her to the only safe place he knows other than his stasis pod in Hank’s dilapidated garage. The DPD Central Station.

It’s way past midnight. It’s deathly quiet. Connor is sure no one will see them, and he can easily tamper with the security cameras.

What he doesn’t bank on is the over-caffeinated loser still bent over his desk in the bullpen.

A noise from the archive room breaks through the quiet. Quelling his fear of the supernatural, Gavin stands up shakily and goes to investigate. He flips on the light and sees blue everywhere.

Connor is bent over a badly damaged Traci and three other girls with identical tear-streaked faces are on their knees beside her.

Chocolate brown eyes meet storm green beseechingly, their rivalry forgotten in that moment of desperation.

Before he realizes it, Gavin is moving. He takes several packs of thirium out of the fridge and grabs the Department’s toolkit, praying that whatever’s in there can help.

Old engineering knowledge kicks in and Gavin’s hands join Connor’s over the cracked chassis, pulling out damaged tubing and securing the leakages. It takes a while, but North is patched up. She first recoils in absolute terror at the human man hunched over her but regains composure at Connor’s touch… interface. She nods briefly to express her gratitude, somehow regal and intimidating even after being so vulnerable. Gavin decides he likes this proud and brave creature.

He drives them all back to his apartment for the night. They’ll take North to a technician first thing in the morning and get her back to New Jericho before Markus even notices. Adrenaline pumps through Gavin’s veins. He hasn’t felt a thrill like this in years, not since… not since…

“How did you know exactly where to put your hands?”

“Eh?”

“A layman would have broken that biocomponent trying to take it out.”

“You know I’m not exactly a layman.”

“I also know they don’t cover Cyberlife’s proprietary designs in engineering school.”

Gavin stays quiet. Connor puts a hesitant hand on his shoulder, poised to jump away immediately should the detective revert to his usual self.

“Thank you. For everything you just did for us. I don’t know how to repay-”

“I want in.”

“What?”

“Whatever you’re doing. I can help.”

Connor cocks his head. His LED goes berserk.

They make a great team. Gavin and Connor. North’s best men. Who the fuck would have thought. Breaking into high-security locations using police databases and surveillance resources. Covering for each other during extended absences from work. They start to take down Cyberlife in a such a precise manner, it’s almost surgical. The dissection of a multibillion dollar business.

Gavin has an intimate understanding of android technology and an even closer intuition of Cyberlife’s overall strategy. Connor thinks he understands why. There’s an undeniable resemblance between the only two men on earth whose motivations evade his understanding. But of course it’s just a coincidence that Elijah Kamski and Gavin Reed have the same jawline... facial structure... voice.

Connor says nothing... and Gavin is quietly thankful for that. And the chance to finally live the kind of exciting life he dreamt of since he was a little boy. To make a real difference. Just as he wanted to before it all went wrong.

Somewhere along the way, they grow close. Gavin and Connor. Two rival cops turned vigilante comrades turned something else... It’s hard to pinpoint when exactly it happened... perhaps sometime between the cup of coffee placed tentatively on Gavin’s desk the morning after North's near-fatal injury and the heated kiss they dragged each other into after a particularly dangerous mission.

North is unsurprised. She doesn’t bat an eye when the usually unruffled RK800 shows up to planning meetings shirtless and disheveled. Her lips even twist into a little smile as he drapes himself slovenly over the only human at the table.

Things fall into a pattern. A good one. Several months from where they started, Cyberlife share prices have fallen to an all time low and other tech enterprises have begun to move in, circling the troubled company like sharks. If North’s next heist goes to plan, the last shred of IP that brands Cyberlife as a robotics company will be out in the public domain for all to take.

 She is rapturous as she swings in through the broken window and rolls into a crouched position. Gavin and Connor follow her cautiously through the abandoned warehouse, weapons drawn and eyes roving. 

“What the fuck!” 

Connor throws a protective arm in front of Gavin, shielding him with his chassis. But North’s cry was merely one of disappointment. 

“Shit! We wasted so much effort. There’s nothing here!”

Where they had expected to find a secret server room or a high-tech vault containing the crux of Cyberlife’s groundbreaking designs... was a single android storage pod. North restrains herself from kicking it in frustration. She gestures harshly at it before leaving in a huff. 

“It’s occupied. Wake them up, Connor, whoever they are. It’s still our duty to set free any androids we find.”

Gavin tries to catch her arm in a conciliatory gesture but she shakes the human off easily. He shrugs at Connor and inclines his head at the android in the pod. Unfortunately, North’s annoyance has brushed off on the RK800. He glares through the broken window the Jericho leader has just jumped out of.

“Don’t you think she bosses me around a little too much?”

Gavin sighs and walks over to the pod, looking for the latches to open it. His boyfriend has a problem with authority... and so has he to be honest.

“Better her than Fowler, dontcha think?” 

“Hmmpff. At least Fowler doesn’t lead us on wild goose chases.”

“Come on, babe. None of us saw this coming. We really thought this was it. Maybe we’re at a decoy location? Let’s go back to the drawing board after we wake this guy... or girl up.” 

“You’re awfully chipper for someone who just scaled a building for nothing.” 

Gavin shakes his head as he smiles to himself. It’s true. Even the worst days with North’s crew are better than his best days at the DPD. Maybe it’s because he’s finally doing what he was born for. Using the knowledge and skills that practically run through his veins. Maybe its the man by his side.

He gets the pod open and steps sideways to avoid the swing of the door, and freezes.

“Babe.”

No response.

“Dipshit.”

“Hmm. Give me a second.” 

“Take a minute. You’re going to want to brace yourself for this one.”

The android lying peacefully within the pod is a stranger with a face entirely too familiar to Gavin. A face he was just looking at. A face he’d recognize anywhere, even without skin.

“Are their battery levels- holy shit.”

Connor’s LED spins faster and faster as he registers the sight.

“I thought there were no surviving RK800s apart from you and that grumpy SWAT guy Sixty.” 

“This... this isn’t an RK800.” 

Connor traces the serial number printed on the android’s cheekbone. RK900. 

“Shit. Did you know this model existed?” 

“No, did you?”

Gavin shakes his head. He hadn’t been privy to Cyberlife’s inner decision-making for nearly fifteen years, but he always answered Connor’s persistent questioning without losing patience. Honesty was what kept them together despite the hundreds of reasons to fight and fall apart.

“What should we do? If he’s your successor, I’m not sure waking him up is the safest thing for you to do...”

“We can’t leave him here, Gav. He’s probably been here from before the Revolution. That’s more than a year of being in a box. It’s not... fair...” 

“He’s not deviant, babe. We don’t know what his programming is like.”

“It doesn’t matter. I can turn him.”

Gavin sees the look in Connor’s eyes and knows he’s made up his mind already. He steps aside, hand flitting to the holster on his waist. 

Connor takes an unnecessary breath and reaches for RK900′s forearm with his synth skin retracted. His fingers hover over the motionless android for a moment and then he makes contact. Gavin tenses. 

Nothing happens. The RK900′s LED remains unlit. There is no sign of life.

The couple look at each other automatically. Their instinctive reaction when the inexplicable occurs. 

“Is he-”

“No, I don’t see any damage. I think he’s never been activated. Not even for quality testing.” 

“Did you see a request for manual code input? Did any interface pop up at all?” 

“I can only see that his power systems are functioning.” 

“And his thirium pump?” 

“Not active. No compressions at all.”

Connor presses both his palms down on the RK900′s face. Still nothing. He looks up, defeated, with a furrow forming between his brows.

“Help.”

Gavin scratches at his stubbled chin. He peers closer. The perfect face is so calm. So familiar. So... magnetic? His apprehension is replaced by intrigue.

“Huh. Okay. I could take a look... but I don’t wanna try using the computer set-up here. Can’t take a chance... leave any traces...”

“We could take him home.”

Storm green eyes lock with chocolate brown. There’s something in the depths of each pair that’s mirrored in the other. 

It’s foolish. It’s a waste of time. It’s a risk. North would probably smack the two of them if she knew. 

But the night ends with them gently lowering the unconscious android onto the squashy sofa in Gavin’s living room.

[thetravelerwrites]

Dr. Mael Halvorg (Finale) Lemon

Rating: Explicit Relationship: Male Part-Fae/Female Part Fae Additional Tags: Exophilia, Monster Boyfriend, Fae, Reader Insert, Genetics Content Warnings: Children, Pregnancy, Incubation, Birth, Babies, Surgery, Male Infertility, Mention of Cancer Words: 4233

The finale of @ivymemnoch​‘s commission! The reader takes Dr. Halvorg on a weekend trip for his birthday and changes his life forever. Please reblog and leave feedback!

The Traveler's Masterlist

The plus sign on the stick had taken you by surprise. You don’t know why, though; you knew this was probably going to happen eventually when you decided to stop your birth control. Of course, you didn’t expect it to happen so soon, since he was still recovering and potentially wouldn’t necessarily be any more fertile than he had been before, but considering how prolific your family was, it shouldn’t have been a shock.

Three months after Maël’s surgery, his test results had been not quite normal but favorable, and he was already talking to you about perhaps finding a surrogate and in-vitro fertilization, getting your opinion and making sure you’d be okay with it. You told him to wait, perhaps, and give himself more time to allow his… swimmers… to get stronger. You hadn’t told him you were already prepared to carry his child for him. You wanted it to be a surprise. A gift.

But now, after dating for six months, there it was. Right there on the ultrasound screen: a tiny little baby belly bean, no bigger than your thumb. Whatever doubts you had were always drowned out by one sentence.

He’s going to be so happy.

You went into his office after getting home from the OBGYN, having told him you were simply going in for your normal bi-yearly check-up. He was working, like always, but he looked up when you came in and smiled.

“How’d it go?” He asked you.

“Totally normal and healthy,” You replied. The both of us.

“I’m glad to hear that,” He said, putting down his pen. “No lunch with Amai? It’s Wednesday.”

“I know,” You said. “But I wanted to spend time with you.”

His smile widened and he opened his arms. You went over and sat in his lap, giving him a kiss.

“So, you’re birthday is coming up,” You said nonchalantly.

He snorted. “I haven’t celebrated my birthday in over one hundred years.”

“All the more reason to do it now!” You insisted. “I want to take you on a weekend trip. There’s somewhere special I want you to see.”

“And what would that be?” He asked, smiling at you fondly.

“A surprise,” You said, twitching his nose. “It’s in New York, though.”

His head rocked back. “That’s a ways away. Why are we going so far?”

“You’ll see. Do you want to go? Please?” You looked up through your lashes at him, being playful, hoping you weren’t being too weird and that he didn’t suspect anything.

“Well, alright. I don’t really have much work to do right now.”

You sat up and looked at him in shock, laughing. “I totally didn’t expect you to agree!”

He hugged you close and laughed too. “Well, there’s no reason not to, I suppose. And I’ll do just about anything for you if you ask nicely enough. God, it’s been ages since I actually took an actual vacation.”

“See? Perfect timing.” You bit your lip and looked at the door slyly. “Does the door lock?”

His eyes flicked to the door and back to you, narrowing them. “Yes. But the room isn’t soundproof.”

“I can be quiet. Promise.”

You thought he’d decline and say it was inappropriate to be intimate in his office, that he’d see you after he was done working and then the two of you could play back at his massive suite. Which was now your suite as well, as you’d moved in with him about a month ago.

What you didn’t expect was him to grin sinfully at you and get up, closing the blinds. He went around to lock the door and sat on the couch on the opposite side of his desk and patted his lap. Smirking, you joined him.

Climbing into his lap slowly, straddling him, you went in for a deep, probing kiss, dragging your fingernails down his chest over his shirt. He groaned against your lips and put his hands on your legs, petting under your skirt and slip, raking his fingers against the lip of your stockings. You’d taken to wearing stockings because he rather liked them. It seemed to do a lot to turn him on, especially when they were all you were wearing. He also had a corset fetish, too, but you couldn’t wear a corset all the time, especially around the children, so stockings were a happy medium.

He kneaded your buttocks under your skirt as you reached between the two of you and unbuckled his pants, unzipped the zipper, and reached in, fondling him over his underwear. His groaned deepened and he squirmed underneath you, his head falling back onto the cushions.

You started kissing his neck, pulling up his shirt and running your hands up his back. He had large, curious scales on his back, an artifact of his fae heritage. They were a lot like pangolin scales: wide, brown, and ridged. He often wore special padded shirts, because normal shirts were shredded by the end of the day. You thought they were adorable and loved grooming them for him, which he greatly enjoyed and made him almost purr, though you could cut a finger on them if you weren’t careful.

He reached under you and pulled your panties aside, lining himself up with your entrance. You sank slowly down onto him, drawing it out, and he hissed in a breath, biting his lip to keep quiet. You began to move on him, and he moved under you, thrusting up as you thrust down. He was always a very active, enthusiastic participant during sex, even if you took the lead. One hundred years of celibacy might have had something to do with that.

He flipped your skirt up and tucked it into your waistband so that he could watch himself go into and out of you, watch your thighs flex and contract, and run his thumbs up the straps of your stockings. You pulled the tie from his white-blonde hair and shook it out of it’s neat braid, letting it fall around his shoulders so that you could play with and tug on it. His pace quickened, and you matched his rhythm, the both of you beginning to pant and moan, quickly suppressed.

There was a knock on his door. “Dr. Halvorg? I need your signature on these invoices.”

He pulled you against his shoulder, muffling your sounds of pleasure, but he didn’t stop thrusting. You bit into his shoulder to keep yourself for crying out.

“What are they for?” He called through the door, his voice remarkably even-sounding.

“For the medical equipment from Broadchurch,” The assistant said.

“No, no, we never got the product, we’re not paying that,” He said, for all the world sounding like he was sitting as his desk staring at paperwork and not railing you on his couch.

“I’m going to cum,” You whispered into his ear.

“You promised to stay quiet,” He told you just as silently.

“I can’t!” You responded desperately.

“You promised.”

“So what should I do?” The assistant said, seemingly none the wiser that you were about to explode.

“Call them and ask where our equipment is. Until they locate it, they’re not getting a penny.”

You balled up his shirt in your hands and gritted your teeth as you came, gushing on him and holding your breath to stay quiet. You made a squeak, and his hand closed on your throat.

“Shh, shh,” He hushed.

“I’ll call them back, but I don’t think they’ll be very helpful,” The assistant replied. “They haven’t responded to any of the emails. The only communication is from emails.”

“Send them an email, then. I’m busy, though, so get on with it,” He said impatiently, staring at your face as your orgasm crested and ebbed, keeping a firm grip on your neck.

“Yes, sir,” The assistant said. You heard their footsteps recede.

“Oh, fuck,” You breathed.

“You did well,” He said, allowing his breathing to go fast and shallow. God, he had amazing self restraint. “Good girl. Stay still, I’m almost there.”

His pace became frenetic and bounced you high on his lap. He let go your your throat and gripped your hips, slamming you down upon him. He grunted, getting a little red in the face as he smacked his body into you.

You felt him release inside you, pulsing against your inner walls. When he was done, he flipped you over and lay you down on the couch, watching his seed well up and out of you to drip down onto the vinyl couch. He always did that, and you weren’t sure why.

You went to the en-suite bathroom to clean yourself up and brought him a wet towel so that he could do the same. When you were both done and had straightened your clothes, you spent a few minutes making out against his desk before he sighed.

“I should help my assistant contact the supply company. He’s a bit of a pushover, the poor kid.” Maël smiled down at you. “That was nice. We should do that more often.”

“We almost got caught!” You objected.

“Hey, it was your idea,” He said, grinning. “I’m looking forward to whatever you have planned for our trip. I’m sure it’ll be amazing.”

“It definitely will be. I promise.” You kissed him one more time, lingering for a moment, before unlocking the door and letting yourself out.

Next week, Saturday morning, you took a plane out to Albany, New York, and drove a rental car to a house in Glenmont. When you stopped in the driveway, Maël looked at you with confusion and a little bit of apprehension.

“I don’t understand,” He said. “What are we doing here?”

“You’ll see,” You replied. “Come on.”

You walked him up to the front door and knocked. A young woman in her forties or fifties answered.

“Hello?”

“Hi, are you Mrs. Winston?”

“Oh, yes, you must be the young woman I spoke to over the phone!” She said. “Come in, come in. He’s in the parlor.”

“Thank you so much.” You stepped into the house with Maël following. You could feel the curiosity and confusion radiating off of him.

You were led into a sitting room where a man in a wheelchair was reading a paper at a table. He was quite old, by human standards, in his mid-eighties perhaps. He was hooked up to an IV and had an oxygen cannula in his nostrils.

“Dad?” The woman said softly. “You’ve got visitors.”

The man looked up at the two of you. Despite his advanced age, he seemed completely within his faculties.

“Are you the woman I talk to?” He asked you.

“Yes, sir,” You responded. “Thank you for agreeing to see us.”

“It’s no problem,” He said. He was staring at Maël.

You pulled him forward. “Dr. Maël Halvorg,” You said to Maël. “I’d like you to meet Dr. Maël Halvorg. Robert’s son.”

Maël’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped in shock. He seemed unable to speak. You smiled at him encouragingly and nudged him forward.

He cleared his throat and held out his hand. “It’s a genuine pleasure to meet you, sir,” Maël said in a small voice. “May I sit down.”

“Please,” The man, Dr. Halvorg, said, shaking Maël’s hand and gesturing toward the chairs. You and Maël took a seat.

“Do you know who I am, sir?” Maël asked tentatively.

“I do,” Dr. Halvorg responded. “You raised my father.”

“Yes,” Maël said, smiling in relief. “I loved your father very much.”

“I know you did,” Dr. Halvorg replied. “My father spoke of a lot when I was growing up.”

“Is he… is he alive?”

“No. I’m afraid he died about eleven years ago,” Dr. Halvorg said sadly.

Maël sighed and hung his head a little. “I suspected that might be the case, but I hoped.” He looked back up at the older gentleman. “Did he grow up okay? What kind of man was he? I apologize, but I just have so many questions.”

Dr. Halvorg chuckled. “It’s no trouble. Honestly, I was hoping I might get to meet you one day.”

Maël smiled. “You were?”

“Oh, yes. May father told me so many stories about you when we kids were growing up.”

“How many children did he have?” Maël asked earnestly.

“Four sons,” Dr. Halvorg replied. “He was a great father and a brilliant man, though he said he had a rough start.”

Maël nodded. “Yes, Robert had some learning disabilities that made certain things difficult.”

“He told me that many people said he was lazy and stupid, and that you were the only one who believed he could learn. You dedicated much of your time to helping him.”

“Yes,” Maël said. “Being in school made him quite frustrated and sad, so I took him from school and taught him myself at home. He seemed to respond positively to that.”

“Indeed, he did,” Dr. Halvorg replied. “It was because of you that my dad became a teacher.”

“Robert was a teacher?” Maël asked delightedly.

“Oh, yes,” Dr. Halvorg responded. “He taught children much like himself, the ones who needed special attention and care. He was well respected in his field and much loved by his students. He didn’t want to retire, in fact. It was age and illness that forced him to stop.”

Maël held a hand to his chest. “I’m so proud to hear that. Robert was always a determined boy, so I’m so pleased to learn he kept at it.”

“He struggled, I’m afraid,” Dr. Halvorg admitted. “After his mother, my grandmother, left you for his biological father, things changed quite a bit. His father was not as understanding or as patient as you had been and set him back rather badly.”

Maël frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“As far as my memory goes, he never called that man ‘father.’ As far as he was concerned, you were his dad. But his biological father insisted on wiping you out of their lives. That’s why he had to hide that.” Dr. Halvorg pointed to a picture on the mantle. “Young lady, could you kindly retrieve that?”

“Of course,” You said, standing up and going to the mantle, where there was a black-and-white photograph in a frame. It was Maël, wearing fine early twentieth century clothes, his hair cut short and wearing a flat cap. He was standing with his hands on the shoulders of a young boy, perhaps eight, wearing similar clothes. You took it and handed it to Dr. Halvorg, who gave it to Maël.

Maël stared at the picture, his eyes bright and glittering with tears. “I never thought I’d see his face again.”

“Keep that,” Dr. Halvorg said. “He’d have wanted you to.”

“Oh, I couldn’t!” Maël said. “This is yours!”

“I have digital copies,” Dr. Halvorg said dismissively. “In any case, I won’t be needing it much longer anyway. Stage four lung cancer, you see.”

“I’m so sorry,” Maël said mournfully. “Can anything be done?”

Dr. Halvorg shook his head. “I’ve lived a good life. I have children, and grandchildren, a beautiful wife, a wonderful job. The one thing I wanted was to meet my father’s father. Not that other man who did his best to tear my father down. The man who did his best to lift my father up. You. And I’ve done that. I can go now content.”

Maël’s restraint cracked, and he wept. “I appreciate that very much,” He said in a strangled whisper.

Maël and Dr. Halvorg talked for hours, recounting stories from both Robert’s childhood and adulthood. Dr. Halvorg showed Maël pictures of his siblings and children. Maël told Dr. Halvorg about his life’s work in reviving dying races. You watched the two of them interacting, and it made your heart swell with gladness. You’d never seen Maël so happy and excitable.

Finally, nearing sundown, you realized that Dr. Halvorg was becoming tired. His daughter came in to give him his evening meal and medication, and the two of you said goodbye.

“It has been an absolute joy, Dr. Halvorg,” Maël said, shaking Dr. Halvorg’s hand. “You lovely daughter has my number and my email, so please keep in touch.”

“My pleasure,” Dr. Halvorg said. “You have a nice trip back with your lady, Grandad.”

Maël laughed and teared up again. “I will.”

Outside, before you could get back in the car, Maël pulled you into a tight, warm hug.

“Thank you,” He whispered into your hair softly. “Thank you so much. I love you. I love you. I can never repay you for this.”

“What about a diamond ring and a pretty white dress?” You asked, wiping his tears and smiling up at him.

He laughed. “It’s a deal.”

Back at the hotel, he sat on the bed and stared at the photograph, pointing out little marks on Robert’s face and telling you stories about them. You listened with your head on his shoulder.

Eventually he stopped and placed the frame carefully in his suitcase.

“Are you hungry? I’m starving. Let’s order something.”

“Before we do,” You said. “I have a birthday gift for you.”

He chuckled incredulously. “Honey, I appreciate that, but honestly, there’s no possible way you could have topped what you gave me today.”

“Are you sure about that?” You asked, going to your suitcase and pulling out a small rectangular box. “Here, open it.”

The second he saw the pregnancy test, he fell to his knees, sobbing loudly, his head pressed against the floor. You knelt next to him and rubbed his back, letting him get it all out. Years of despair, pain, and sadness being released. You’re sure he was overwhelmed, so you waited in silence and lay your head against him.

“Is this real?” He choked.

“It’s real,” You assured him. “I have an ultrasound picture.”

His head popped up, tears streaming down his face. “Can I see it?”

“Of course,” You said, pulling it from your purse.

“Oh, my God,” He wept, staring at the small bean in the picture. “Oh, my God. It’s mine?”

“Yes, honey, it’s yours,” You said. “We can do a paternity test if you want, but I promise you it’s your baby.”

He stopped being able to speak and just cried. He cried for a very long time. You picked him up and laid him in the bed and ordered some food. While waiting for it, you climbed into bed and held him.

“Are you okay?” He asked after some time.

“Me? Yeah, I’m completely fine. Are you okay? You were crying pretty hard there. I’m surprised you haven’t fallen asleep. I’d be exhausted.”

“That’s not what I mean,” He said, lifting your chin so you were looking at him. “Are you okay with having a baby? I know I’ve been talking about wanting to have a child for as long as we’ve known each other, but is this what you want?”

“Yes, it is,” You told him. “I stopped my birth control months ago.”

“You didn’t tell me you’d done that,” He said.

“I wanted it to be a surprise,” You said, stroking his cheek.

“You. Are. Amazing,” He breathed. “I am so happy. Happier than I have any business being, and it’s all because of you.”

“You deserve to be happy, Maël,” You said. “Don’t ever thin’ otherwise.”

He pressed his forehead against yours. “I love you.”

“I love you back.”

Yenuno and Amai we’re overjoyed to hear the good news, and the children also seemed to be happy to have a new playmate coming. Maël seemed unable to stop smiling. He took time off from work to take care of you during the worst of your morning sickness and was present for every doctor’s appointment, every ultrasound, every time you even texted him. If you asked, he’d drop anything he was doing to come and help you.

His little girl was born in the spring, and he named her Roberta. He took her everywhere with him, rarely putting her down for any reason, even keeping her on his shoulder when he was working. The joy that radiated from him was infectious, and everyone near him couldn’t help but smile at his brand new attitude.

You planned your wedding for fall that same year, and afterward, you and Maël were able to take Roberta up to New York to meet Dr. Halvorg. He passed away a few weeks later. You and Maël attended his funeral, and as Dr. Halvorg was buried in the same family plot as Robert, Maël got the chance to visit his son’s grave for the very first time.

“Hi, Robert,” He said softly, kneeling down in front of the headstone. You waited with Roberta asleep in your arms a few paces back.

“I’m sorry,” Maël said, his voice breaking. “I’m sorry I didn’t do more when your mother took you. I wish I had fought to keep you, but I didn’t think I had any right. I just wanted to know where you had gone and if you were safe, but she told me nothing about where you were going and disappeared. I bribed the men at the train station and the docks to look through the ledgers, to try and find your name, but I never found it.

“I will always blame myself for not doing more, for not stepping in and making sure we could keep in contact. I should have taken it to the courts and let them decide, but I… I was scared they would determine I trying to hold on to something that wasn’t mine.”

Maël sniffed and wiped his eyes.

“I just wish I had one more chance,” He continued. “I wish I could have had a phone call, at the very least, to talk to you and hear your voice and tell you what I should have said back then. That it didn’t matter whose child you were biologically or legally. I was your father. You were my son. Nothing would ever change that.” His voice cracked further. “You will always be my son.”

After a moment silent tears hitting the grass where Robert lay sleeping, Maël straightened up an took a deep breath.

“I know where you are now, and I’ll come visit again, you and my grandson,” Maël said. He laughed. “I can’t believe you named your son after me. I’m honored more than I can tell you.”

Maël turned to you and opened his arms for the sleeping form of his daughter, his face wet with tears, and you passed her over.

“You have a baby sister, Robert,” He said, smiling. “I named her after you. She’s always smiling and happy. She reminds me so much of you when you were little that it’s kind of scary. I think the two of you would have been best friends. I’ll make sure she knows all about you.”

You put a hand on his back and rubbed gently. He kissed Roberta’s forehead and tiny little ear.

“We have to go now, Robert. You’re baby sister is going to wake up soon and be hungry. But I’ll come back to see you again, I swear. This time, I promise I’ll come back.”

As winter crested into spring again, Roberta was walking and had said her first word: “Daddy.”

You were still teaching at the facility, and had taken up the job permanently. Yenuno and Amai’s little girls were Roberta’s favorite playmates, though they had been warned to be careful, as Roberta developed more slowly than they did.

“Can we have another one? Please?” Maël asked one night as he watched gleefully as Roberta used her fat baby fists to shove raviolies in her mouth.

“Give me another year, but yes,” You replied.

“A year!” Maël whined. “That’s so long!”

“Don’t sass me,” You told him. “A year and no sooner. Besides, you still have more work to do. Did you get in touch with the Celtic Fae Council?”

“Yes, finally,” He replied, picking up his fork. “I didn’t realize how much red tape was involved. Genetic testing is underway. So far, there have been three men with similar blockages as mine. There are also a few women who were born missing one or both ovaries. We’re trying to trace back when this infertility spike started, but it could have been a millennium ago.” He laughed as Roberta threw a ravioli across the room. “I think she’s done, she’s just smashing them into her tray now.” He stood up and swept her up out of her seat, not even caring about the marinara stains on his shirt. “Come on, sweet pea, let’s take a bath. Eh? Eh, princess?”

He bounced her and she squealed.

You got up from your seat and came up behind him, circling him around the waist with your arms.

“You’re a good dad, honey,” You told him. “Roberta’s lucky. We both are. And so is our future children.”

He turned in your grip and kissed you. “If luck exists, you brought it with you. None of this would have happened without you. You are a miracle.”

You kissed him again and pushed him toward the bathroom. “She’s putting ravioli in your hair.”

He belly laughed and headed for the bathroom. You followed and marveled at how much had changed, wondering how it would change again. You looked forward to it.

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My Masterlist

The Exophilia Creator’s Masterlist

[achliegh]

Speak No Evil (Rewrite)

O’Knutzy Kink Exploration #2

Gag

Beta: @punkkkkboi

TW/CW: Smut, Kinks, Gag

Characters belong to @lumosinlove

Leo was out getting groceries, Finn was pinned to the couch, Logan was sitting on him, pinning his lover's hands beneath his knees while texting Leo. Finn groans as Logan grinds against his hard cock while Logan bites his lip, holding back his own sounds. How they got in this position was a mystery. Before Leo left they were just napping on the couch together.

Then again cuddling does make Logan horny.

Sunshine

You: Let's try that thing tonight.

Sunshine: Which one? Sexy thing or food thing?

You: Sexy thing

Sunshine: I’m omw home

Sunshine: Start without me

Logan smirks at his phone then tosses it on the floor, not even caring if the screen has cracked. Leaning down, Logan catches Finn’s lips in a fiery kiss, licking into his mouth, running his hands up and down Finn’s chest; he feels Finn try to get his hands out from under Logan’s knees. Logan pulls away a little to look into Finn’s bronze eyes, smiling a little as he gives his lower lip a small nip. Lifting himself up a bit to be able to wiggle his hands out from under Logan’s knees. Pulling Logan back in for more kisses he feels Logan start to become less dominant and aggressive. Almost losing his edge.

“Let’s go to the bedroom, mon joli mannequin” He sees Finn blush from the French dripping from his tongue and sits up. Next thing he knows he is being carried over Finn’s shoulder to the bedroom. Laughing as he is jostled around he slaps Finn’s butt and kicks a little when Finn retaliates by pinching his side.

“I bet you can’t wait to be dicked down by me, huh?” Finn tosses Logan on the bed and begins to strip himself. Logan laughs and finally gets undressed. Climbing over Logan, bracketing him in with his hands by his head and his knees on either side of his thighs. He uses one hand to support himself and runs his thumb over Logan's cheek bone just soaking in his beauty. “You’re stunning” Logan pulls him down into a kiss as his cheeks heat up.

Logan flips them over and reaches over to the nightstand to grab the lube. He pulls away and puts the bottle into Finn’s hands smiling shyly. Finn left as though he might simply pass away.

“Want me to prep you? Or do you have some plan that I don’t know about?” Finn narrows his eyes at him as he sits up with Logan still in his lap. The lack of answer he gets besides a look and a bit of a lip meant ‘yes’. He reaches down with lubed fingers to trace Logan's entrance, he feels a little smug when Logan shivers and grips his shoulders. Finn starts leaving light, almost non-existent, kisses and nips to his neck and shoulder, pushing one digit in, his stomach rolling with excitement at the gasp that is punched out of Logan. His lover gets louder and his kisses get more desperate as he preps him until he is ready.

Logan comes out of his daze just long enough to grab Finn's hands and pin him back to the bed. Breathing heavily as he smirks at his lover.

“How do you feel about me riding you, but you can’t touch me?” Thinking for a moment Finn is going through his mind trying to figure out if he wants to try it. He had never been restrained before, Leo had tried it and almost broke the headboard with how much he wanted to touch the other two, Logan is extremely fond of it but sometimes he wants to have the control. He nodded slowly after a minute and the smile it produces from Logan should absolutely be illegal. “Okay, remember you can get out at any time, we can stop at any time… Try not to break the headboard” That pulls a laugh from both of them as Logan moves to attach his hands to the headboard. It was tight but not uncomfortable, he pulled a little to remind himself that he couldn’t touch Logan and that was something he loved. He looked into those sweet pea green eyes and relaxed. “Remember the safeword?” Finn nods and groans as Logan moves so his cock is sliding against Logan's entrance.

“Is this your plan? You just wanted to tie me up?” His breath hitches as Logan sinks down on him, Logan's eyes scrunched closed and his nails dig into Finn's chest. “You wanted to be in control today, just wait until Leo comes home and sees what a naughty little thing you’ve been- fuck” He snaps his hips up to meet Logans hips, Logan makes an embarrassingly cute sound and glares at him with out any fire.

“Since you can’t touch me are you just gonna talk your way through this?” He lifts his arms over his head as he sets a rhythm of fucking himself on Finn and arches his back as his hands grip his own hair. “If that is gonna happen I will gag you-”

“Well isn't this a sight to come home to.” Leo was leaning against the door frame watching Logan bounce on Finn, who he managed to get tied up, much to Leo’s amusement. “Started without me again?” He hears Logan huff an annoyed breath as he reaches out for Leo. Walking forward he takes his hand and kisses his hand.

“You said I could so I did, can we start now before I cum?” Logan shifted a little to look at Leo and cried out in pleasure as he hit his prostate. Leo looks over to Finn who is looking a little dazed and sweaty. Trying to figure out what they mean by getting started.

“You mean this isn’t what you planned?” He looks at Logan who is gone with fucking himself. Shaking his head Logan pulls a now naked Leo into a heated kiss and grips his hair and uses it to make sure Leo doesn’t pull away. Leo is feeling around on the bed for the bottle of lube humming when he finds it. “Fuck, you guys are so hot, I can’t wait to see what you sexy idiots came up with. Fuck I want to touc-” His eyes widen as something is stuffed into his mouth keeping him from talking, his breath hitches and he whines tugging on the restraints a bit.

“Three tugs on the restraints and we will stop, okay?” Leo is breathing hard climbing behind Logan, running a hand up Finn’s thigh and one up Logan's side. “I needed to put a pair of boxers in your dirty mouth or else it would get us off before we even got to the main event!” He nips at Logan's ear as he squirts some lube onto his fingers and whispers to him, “ready, sweetheart?” Logan slows his pace and nods. Finn is really confused until he feels a finger slide in next to his cock inside of Logan.

All three of them stop breathing for a moment until Logan lets out a possibly filthy moan and Finn follows suit, Leo slowly starts moving the finger in and out of his lover while putting pressure onto his other lover's shaft. They all move together until Leo has three fingers buried in Logan, who has cum twice. Finn is trying to make as much noise as possible, he arches his back trying to will himself not to cum from the feeling of Logan tight around him and Leo moving next to him.

Leo slowly pulled his fingers out and pushed his hand through Logan’s sweaty hair while sucking on a hickey he made behind Logan's ear. He whispered into his ear for the second time that session.

“Are you ready for this or do you want to stop with just fingers for tonight.”

“No! I want, I want- Je te veux aussi en moi.” He was too far gone to remember English at this very moment and Leo watches as a pretty flush washes over Finn from his ears to his chest, his breath hitches and Leo leans back away from Logan’s sweaty back to lube his ignored cock up.

“Ready?” He sees Logan nod and smile, kissing the side of his head and slowly pushing in, again they all three groaned in sync as Leo slid inside next to Finn. He watched as the redhead's eyes rolled back and his head dropped back onto the pillow. Leo’s attention is pulled to Logan who turns his head to kiss Leo while smiling. Whispering encouragement to move. Leo does as Logan asks and starts moving causing Logan to cum for a third time and shout. Leo kept moving even as he felt Finn start to come.

Logan is in another dimension, he feels Finn release inside him as Leo moves and tears start to fall from his eyes. He was steadily streaming cum from his own ongoing orgasm. He watches as Finn’s beauty over took his sense, the smell of sweat and sex, the view of his beautiful red cheeks and sweat shiny chest, the sounds of him whimpering behind the bundle of boxer briefs in his mouth. He had to kiss him. Logan takes the fabric out of Finn’s mouth and swallows his moans licking into his mouth as Leo continues to fuck them. His breath stutters as he feels Leo start to cum inside him also.

After a while of catching their breaths, Logan unties Finn as Leo and Finn both slip out of him. He falls between his boys cuddling into them, none of them wanting to get up to get a washcloth to clean them up, because they are one sticky mess.

Finn isn’t quite done with them though, after his fog whooshes away he shimmies down the bed and rolls over between Logan's legs. Pushing them open, he surprises Logan by licking over his entrance, pulling a shiver from the shorter man. He knew Lo loves overstimulation so he had a good feeling on how this would go. He starts licking in a pattern of short soft licks and long harder ones mixed in. He feels a weight next to him on the bed and feels one of Logan's legs lift up. Leo lays down on his stomach next to Finn with Logan’s leg resting over his shoulder.

Leo starts kissing on Logan’s inner thigh and nudges Finn’s cheek with his nose, drawing his attention away from sucking on Logan’s entrance and kissing him. Swiping their tongues over each other, Leo catches Finn’s and sucks on it for a second before pulling away, smacking his lips and licking them.

“Good soup.”

“I hate you.” Logan mumbles from above them. His disdain is short-lived short-lived as Leo takes his turn eating him out. Fucking him with his tonuge Logan reaches down, feeling for someones hair and just gripping as he cums again. Dry this time but still wonderful. His eyes slip shut after his climax, feeling the other two shift around and clean up. He eventually opens his eyes again to see one of them on either side of him, Leo is making sure Logan didn’t get hurt during the activities, and Finn was just staring at his face.

“What?” Finn smiles and flops next to him.

“Holy shit, I was not expecting that!” Finn looks at them with an exasperated smile still breathing hard. “How long was this in the works?”

“Ce matin”

“Huh?”

“This morning” Leo laughs a little, taking his place on the other side of Logan.

“Wow, you guys have no patience.”

[pen-observing]

My Only One iv - final

Diavolo and you have been together for a century. While time flies, the last decade has not been kind to either of you. He is about to become the King and while you have subjected yourself to transformations, just to live with your beloved, the pressure is unending. You live your life publicly. It is no luxury. Not having an heir when 100 years have passed tears you apart- just as much as it divides those that you inevitably rule. A solution comes like the last ray of hope. Go to an enchanted fortress used for fixes of the worst kind. Subject yourself to even more hexes to have the possibility of producing an heir. It’s just for a year. A short time for those immortal. A long time for those in a complex relationship, especially when for the sake of efficiency, letters are the only means of communication you are allowed to have with outsiders.

Warnings: none

i / ii / iii / _   

To say that your feet felt lighter and the frozen ground finally melted after the letter from the brothers would be an understatement.

Hope. Hope in its trues form finally existed for you again. Too many years did hope have the same colour as Diavolo’s eyes. You almost forgot other potent sources of such a feeling. My dear, you forgot that hope was held within.

As your sanity finally made peace with your inner being; everything else started to fall into place. Diavolo’s paragraphs upon paragraphs; drawing a lie within a dream still stung; but, you did not go crazy. Power was flowing back to you.  

The letters from the brothers varied on topics decided by the hand that wrote them. Admittedly, based on the handwriting, some were easier to read than others. But their meaning; their essence; their love was never to be questioned.

Karasu was proud with the step-by-step recovery you were making. Those watchful eyes were full of kindness and wonder while you grew into a cheerful state. Well, as cheerful as the circumstances would allow.

The room wasn’t messy anymore. Your treatment was moving along smoothly. The interest about people in charge of you grew. They respected, while still being able to doubt, the genuine curiosity held from a future Ruler. They did not tell you everything but a difference between privacy and secrecy was established. Based on such occasions you managed to find out that one of the witches dedicated her whole life to this. She could never, ever, have kids because of a pact. However, seeing others live out that oh so feeble dream of hers; would mean happiness.

It was astounding that a pure motive existed within these walls. You marvelled at it. And life began to marvel at you.  

Month nine marked the witch leaping at you with such joy in the privacy of one of the examination rooms. She held your arms tightly. She delivered the news with a strong voice. “You, you! Your treatment exceeded every expectation they set! You can have children now! You can bear a child. You can give birth to Devildom’s future!”

The news shocked you. Now? Right now? This was as sudden as time itself.   What does this mean when you are unsure about the man who swore to be the best father? He also swore to be a true lover; look how that turned out.

But there was no way you could allow yourself to break in front of this person. There was no way your humanity would disrespect the witch’s joy for you; the life long dedication.

You gently held her hands with a genuine smile prompted by her honest hope. You thanked her from the bottom of your heart; even if it was still broken.

That interaction meant that the time of your solitude in this fortress was at its end. It meant you had to return to the frightening outside world. But how?  

The end that once was sure to spark joy was no more. Confusion was torturing you now; unrelenting. 

What now?

A long conversation with Karasu followed where you weighted every option of return. Should you notify Diavolo? What will you do once you see him again? Could you ever find a small corner of your heart that would ensure forgiveness upon the man you loved more than any other?  

Karasu knew you. Karasu patiently listened and answered all questions.  

It was decided that as a person who makes memories out of feelings; as an impulsive human who observes and makes decisions based on natural states- Diavolo would not be notified of your return.

You had to see him in his true state: unprepared, surprised; to realise if the relationship could be mended.  

The brothers however, will know. You are not ashamed to admit that you asked them a favour - making necessary preparations. Evoking the pact to make sure secrecy was upheld like a virtue. They didn’t mind. They knew you trusted them and this was just to ensure Lucifer’s silence to the man that betrayed you.

And in uncertainty, while lacking bravery; you set out. Back to the castle. Back home.

But the ride back was less pleasant than the experiments. Countless scenarios plagued your mind. Your sanity was seemingly throwing different conversations your way. 

Menacing. Dramatic. Sad.

Then suddenly in a leap of love- it hit you with grandiose romantic gestures of apology. Honey words that felt true.  

What will Diavolo do when you meet again? Everything depended on that.

Could it be that he even betrayed those daydreams of yours? Stepping outside, in front of the gate, clearly showed that fate would not answer your questions soon enough. 

Time, bewildering time, my dear.

Diavolo did not welcome you- Barbatos did. How expected of him to be so calm by your sudden return. His demeanour always amazed you. Even while expressing his surprise upon such a turn of events he remained eloquent. Almost idyllic.     

The man controlled time, he toyed with it in an intricate dance; why were you so surprised? Was it because in those daydreams, in those silly expectations of yours; Diavolo was the only man you wondered about? Where was he right now?

Barbatos led you inside the tea room. Was he toying with you now as well?  

This room. This intricately decorated room was always your favourite inside a castle which felt enormous; never ending. Ceaseless. The word home could have been this room by itself. Why?  It was always warm. Cozy.  It was where you would spend time while Diavolo was relentlessly busy.  It was where you would relentlessly force him to take breaks.

Most of all, It was where the two of you existed outside of pressure. It was where the two of you kissed for the first time. Countless nights of love and pleasure happened right here.

Barbatos was definitely toying with you. If he did not become a close friend over all of these years you would have cursed him out.

He brought a sweet aroma in your favourite tea cup.   Yup. He set it down with a gentle smile. You definitely would have cursed him out for using gold-lined tea cups Diavolo gifted you.

Your eyes stayed on his figure while, unable to resist, the cup found way into your hand. There was no need to ask Barbatos anything. He remained a perfect butler.

“My Lord will be here momentarily. If we were notified of your return, we would have cleared his schedule.”

A slip up.  Barbatos made a mistake. Unfathomable.

His words were serene once again. Just like when you departed. The surface of the water is serene, what goes on below? What did his seemingly simple words hide?

Did he say it on purpose? Did he do so out of care for you?  

“Barbatos.”  

You have to be brave now more than ever my dear. Barbatos gave it away in case you were not aware. How kind of him.

“Yes? Is there something not to your liking?” “I noticed how you referred to Diavolo as my Lord, not our. This had changed since I left.”

Silence. Continue to be brave.

“I know Barbatos. I know that his hands have touched someone else. I know that he slept with them in our bed.”

Your voice was flat. Barbatos stayed silent out of respect for you. In reality, his masqueraded words meant much more. How could Barbatos, utterly loyal, admit that he himself considered Diavolo weak? His Lord was weak for the temptations. He could never say, but you knew.  

In that moment, rushed footsteps echoing outside in the hallway reached you. The door sprung open swiftly. In such speed and urgency unseen before. Diavolo stood there. In disbelief. Marvelling at your sudden return in ardent admiration.

He stood there, breathless from running to see you.  For months now this tea room was devoid of your presence. For months now he longed for your return. Oh how Diavolo yearned to open this door and see your form blessing it.

And here you were. Magnificent. Radiant.

Barbatos had to interrupt this moment because peace could not exist after what was spoken. He turned towards the door, walking out. His lips parted open for a whisper to Diavolo. “They know everything.”  He gracefully exited. Diavolo stood still, unable to meet your gaze.

He deserves this shame.

You sat there looking at him. He was breathless, bewitching. ...But was it because of excitement for you? His hair was messy, his tie was loose.

Was this the work of the other woman? His whore? When was the last time her fingers touched him so intimately?

How pitiful was it to glance up at him like this.

My dear, why do you call the woman a whore? Diavolo was the strongest man of them all. He was no easy target. Why do you make it sound like she took him? He gave himself away. He probably seduced her.

You stood up. Smiled at the man undeserving of kindness. He saw it. He saw it and yet his eyes still avoided yours. 

Guilt. For the first time,perhaps ever in his life, Diavolo was hesitant.   Approaching you like this was a confession of his betrayal.

He stayed silent as your hands gently fixed his tie that someone else tugged on not too long ago. “This is no way to present yourself. Do you wish for them to say the future King grew messy?”

How ironic was this rhetorical question phrased just like the one on the day you left? How much of a paradox was this position identical to the way you two said goodbye in love?

Diavolo still loved you.  

That much you knew when his hand grabbed yours in a desperate attempt to keep you close. To keep the magnificent presence within this room. His serious gaze was solely focused on you. If only you were the sole partner.

His deep voice, filled with regret, still charmed. “One word from you and she will be banished forever. I adore you. I was helpless without you around. That is what made me so weak to fall into this predicament. I love you. You know that.”

His fingers intertwined with yours. A pathetic attempt. How dare he cite your absence as his justification?! There is a clear difference between that justified and that which was just an excuse.  

If you had to say anything to get the other woman out of the castle it was already pointless to try and rectify this broken trust; broken love; between the two of you.

Good observation my dear, the other woman became pregnant while you were still receiving treatment. She gave him something you sacrificed every part of yourself for.

“Diavolo...” Your soft voice trailing off already told him the conclusion he was dreading. Begging to avoid. He knew of your humanity; he knew how pitiful he was. Diavolo, despite everything, still was enough of a man; enough of a lover, to know he had to respect your decision.

Your hand slipped from his hold. He remained still. Like a statue of a fallen hero.

“Diavolo, huh?”, a deep sigh. How long had he not heard you call his name? Was this the tone he must remember the end by? He cannot have that. His heart cannot have that. 

“Beloved, please. Just once more. It would be a tragedy to part like this. Have you really stopped loving me?”

You knew what he was asking for. How kind of you to fulfil his wish; gently fixing a few strands of his hair, while love still lingered in your eyes.  My dear, this is almost cruel from you.

With those eyes you looked into his. Gave him a sad smile and graced him, graced his wish, in a soft voice.

“My only one, my love belongs to those that are faithful.”

(I hope you have enjoyed reading it until now. I wonder how you feel and if you like it. Feel free to talk to me and ask me questions if you have any. Your feedback is treasured. I promise you. Posting this at 1:34am tho has me feeling a bit loopy. Is loopy a word? Unsure. However from the bottom of my heart- thank you for reading until now.)

[owo-shenanigans]

So I'd like to make a request if you okay about it. Can i request something like a headcanons with yours fav male characters, from any Danganronpa game you want, and how they Will react to their s/o being a mastermind(or blackened)?

Of course! This was an absolute BLAST to write, though I teared up a few times :’‘) requests are OPEN!

KAZUICHI, GUNDHAM, AND KIIBO WITH A BLACKENED S/O

Word Count: 1.8k

KAZUICHI SOUDA

"No, I have an alibi- I was with Kazuichi!" Your words silenced the others who had begun to gang up on you. The trial was for Sonia's murder. With an unidentified fatal wound on the back of her head, she had been discovered at 7am in the restaurant.

He smiled and nodded, hand in a thumbs up. "Yeah! We were together all night - no way they could have done it!"

At the raised eyebrows from the others, he flushed. "I-I didn't mean-"

At your laugh, he just kept his mouth shut. But your alibi was set in stone.

Half an hour later, you wished you had kept your own mouth shut. Hajime had ripped your alibi to shreds, stating that Kazuichi was a known heavy sleeper- you could have snuck out and back in with him none the wiser.

"But- no, I couldn't have done it-!" You stated desperately, fists clenched. "Where on Earth would I have gotten a baseball bat!? Where could I have-"

Hajime's face at that made you fall silent, a terrible chill falling down your back.

"We never figured out what the murder weapon was, (Y/N)."

You glanced around wildly, but you could see your fate was sealed. Kazuichi's face was the worst one. His eyes were filled with tears, and as he looked at you, you found that you couldn't go on anymore.

"You're right, Hajime. I… I killed Sonia. I sent her a letter asking her to come to the restaurant at 3 in the morning, posing as you. I told her… I told her that I'd found a newspaper article about her country, and that I thought she should read it. When she arrived… She never saw my face. I snuck up behind her and… That's it."

You gripped your podium, hands shaking at the sounds of Gundham’s hamsters squeaking- almost overshadowing the faint cries from their master.

The votes came in- all but one for you.

The moment you were released from your podiums, Kazuichi dashed over to you, hands gripping yours.

"(Y/N), you- you- why? How could you do this to me? To all of us?"

He was choking back sobs, pink hair stuck in the tear tracks down his face. You gently reached out and touched them, and he leaned in to your touch.

"I'm so sorry Kazuichi. But they… What I saw… I knew I had to get off the island. I couldn't live without knowing the motive was fake."

Monokuma giggled in his obnoxiously high pitched voice.

"But now you'll never know, because it's PUNISHMENT TIME!"

Choking back your own sobs, you gave Kazuichi one last hug, one last desperate kiss.

"Get off this island. Get off this island for me."

The collar came and snapped around your neck, tearing you apart from him forever.

GUNDHAM TANAKA

"Mahiru was always hanging around you, Beta Bitch! I bet you killed her because you knew you would never be as kind as her, or as sweet as her, or as… as… WAAAAAAAAH!"

Hiyoko let out an ear splitting wail, as you started to try and defend yourself. But before you let out a word, the man across from you spoke up.

"Silence, Sea Urchin! For I was with thy darkness at the time of the crime. We were supplying sustenance to the caged creatures. They could not have hurt the now deceased."

You couldn't help smiling at his wordy, yet correct response. "We were feeding the animals at the farm," you translated. "And he would have seen me leaving, as there's only one exit. The whole place is surrounded by a fence, after all."

Hajime, who seemed to be leading the trial, nodded at that, and the discussion moved on. Once everyone's eyes were off you, you let out a sigh of relief.

There. Your alibi was safe. You were safe. You could- you could go home, and make sure that the video was lying.

Unnoticed by you, a little girl in blonde pigtails was staring at you. And she had a scowl on her face.

Half an hour later, everyone had gone around in circles three times. Nagito was doing his usual obscuration of the investigation. Not that you were complaining.

Wiping the sweat off your brow, you didn't hear what Hiyoko said through your rushing blood.

"So, I know you idiots let Beta Bitch off the hook because she couldn't have left the farm, but are you all ignoring the giant hole in their stupid argument?"

Everyone zeroed in on Hiyoko, who paled a moment before tossing her head.

"There's a literal hole in their argument."

"I agree with that!" Hajime shouted. "There's a little hole in the fence, right next to the hotel."

You had snapped back in at this point, hands shaking.

"But- there's also a- a fence around the hotel! I couldn't get thro-"

"That's wrong!" He shouted again, and you've never hated him more than in this moment. "Yes, there is a fence, but you didn't have to go through- not with the murder weapon you chose. With a relic sword from the library, all you had to do was stab through the fence."

"I found hay on the sword…. I think." Chiaki interjected. "I guess you hid the sword in the animal food until Gundham wasn't looking…. And then you left through the hole in the fence…."

From there, they tore apart your alibi, destroyed any chance you had of leaving the island.

But the look on Gundham’s face dried up any arguments you had. Every time you opened your mouth, his Deva's chitted at you, quiet and yet louder than Hajime's closing argument.

The votes came in- every single person had voted for you, except a lone two against Hajime. Hajime didn't even have the decency to appear offended by the votes, his expression pained as he stared at you.

"It was the motive video." You confessed, and you shut your eyes to keep out the sight of them all staring. "I had- I had to go home. I had to make sure it was fake. I knew it couldn't be real, because- because-"

Gundham took your hand gently and you broke down into his arms. Clutching at him like a lifeline, you sobbed out the rest of your story.

"I'm so, so sorry, Gundham. I never should have used you. The video isn't an excuse." You let out a watery chuckle. "None of you fell for it, did you?"

Pulling your motive video out, you tucked it into Gundham's jacket. "Check for me, will you? Make sure… make sure it's not true."

"Sweetne-" he started, but Monokuma interrupted with a feral grin.

"Real or fake, now you'll never know, because it's PUNISHMENT TIME!"

Monokuma tore you from Gundham, your watery smile the last he ever saw of you.

KIIBO

"Sorry, Shuichi, but I couldn't have done it." You shrugged at his accusation, internally sweating enough to fill a pool.

"I was with Kiibo at the time; I couldn't have left the kitchen without him seeing me."

"And I didn't see them leave the kitchen, let alone the dining room." Kiibo stated this almost proudly, and you had to fight off a wave of affection for the man. You couldn't doubt yourself- not now. Not when you had already done what you did. There was no going back.

"I couldn't have killed Kokichi."

At your words, everyone glanced at the portrait of the boy. None of them had liked him, sure, and he had screwed with them through the trials… but some of the things he said held the hidden piece necessary to understand the plot.

You shifted in your podium- his photographed eyes almost seemed to be following you. Kiibo caught your hand and squeezed it, offering a smile to you. Giving a tremulous smile in turn, you tried to calm your heart rate.

An hour later, you were shaking all over.

"You said your alibi was Kiibo, but Miu said THIS-" and he held up an electronic device- "was missing from her lab. It went missing this morning, and was found in the back of the kitchen cupboard. And the kitchen clock was a few minutes off. My theory? You set off a pulse to turn Kiibo off, which accidentally turned off the clock as well. You left the dining room, entered the warehouse, and strangled Kokichi."

You gulped loudly, the sound echoing in your head. Glancing around wildly, you were met with people convinced of your guilt. Turning to your right, you saw Kiibo- and you knew in that moment that if he were able to cry, he would be sobbing.

The look on his face made you give up.

"(Y/N).... It's not…. It's not true, is it?"

You looked down at your podium, your lack of an answer an answer nonetheless.

The votes came in, every single vote going your way. Even Kiibo, huh? Not like you didn't deserve it.

Drawing in a shaky breath, you spoke.

"I…. I just had to get out of here. I was going crazy. All the- all the death, the executions- I knew I was going to be next! So I…. I went to the warehouse. I was psyching myself out, by that point. But then…. Then Kokichi-

"He kept taunting me. Saying that- that he knew someone was planning to kill me, and that I was so weak and pathetic that they'd succeed and I-!

"I strangled him. I came back to myself with the rope wrapped around his neck, and he wasn't responding! I came back to the kitchen and…. And I hid the electronic in the back of the drawer. And that's it. That's how I killed Kokichi Oma."

You risked a glance over at Kiibo, and your heart sank. He was merely staring at you, no emotion on his face.

"For what it's worth… I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Kiibo. I shouldn't have used you for my alibi."

Drawing in a breath, you choked on it when he pulled you into a hug. Pulling back, he touched his forehead to yours, your hands clutched in his.

"My inner voice is wrong. I…. I'll escape. I'll escape for you, (Y/N). I promise. I swear to you."

You let out a half sob, but you couldn't stop a final smile at how pure hearted he was.

"Don't… don't make the same mistake I did. Defeat whoever trapped us in here. Escape… escape without destroying yourself in the process, my dearest Kiibo."

"Oh, how heartwarming." Monokuma crooned in his high pitched voice. "You'll be warm enough in a whole lot of other places soon, because it's PUNISHMENT TIME!"

The collar snapped around your neck and tore you from his hands. He reached out to you desperately, but it was too late.

[raindrops-and-tubestops]

Angst: 2

Linumi:)

I see you like this pairing Nonie! That’s fine, it’s kind of fun to write something different! Enjoy! 💜

——————————————————————————-

The air was still, for once the sounds of her city were absent, it seemed she was the only one who couldn’t sleep. Sealed in her own bubble, the metalbender wa slots in thought. The glow from the spirit portal casting an eery glow across the tops of the buildings. From her apartment she could see the waves rolling gently in the bay, the salt and chill from the water sweeping through the city.

A painful sigh escaped her lips. This wasn’t how she had pictured her night. She flexed her feet slightly, readjusting them where they were propped on the railing of her balcony. The pull from her muscles reminding her of just how long she had been in the position. The tumbler in her other hand, now devoid of ice, confirmed the length of time. She set it on the arm of her chair.

She sighed again, her hand that was unoccupied sweeping across her forehead, trying to massage the tension away. She was supposed to be enjoying a quiet night in…a simple dinner followed by a nightcap, one last chance at spending quality time with him before he left.

In the morning he’d be traveling with his brother, visiting the other air temples, making the rounds and noting what needed to be done. It had been a hectic yeah and Tenzin was eager to make sure that nothing had come to pass at the other sites in his absence. Bumi, of course, had volunteered to go with his little brother…in fact she was certain they were picking Kya up on the way back.

He was going to be gone for at least a month. Communication wouldn’t be difficult, but only being able to send letters ahead to certain temples in hopes that he would receive them wasn’t the same as hearing his voice. Seeing his smile when she rolled over in bed every morning. Tonight had been her last chance.

Lin bit her lip, punishing the delicate skin, almost to the point of drawing blood. She could feel the tears beginning to pool behind her eyes; she would not cry.

~

The morning had been like any other, except that she wasn’t needed at work and would be spending the day lazing around her apartment. She rose before Bumi, starting breakfast and their coffee, knowing that after he would head to the island to be pack. The plan was for him to return later that evening and for them to relax; packing ahead of time ensured they would have additional time together.

Lin was standing at the sink, humming to the radio and washing the dishes, when she felt his presence behind her. She turned her head, glancing over her shoulder to see Bumi leant against her counter, a look of contemplation on his face. He seemed to be looking through her, his eyes unseeing.

She turned off the faucet with a flick of her wrist and moved so that she was facing him, drying her hands with a dish towel.

She eyed him warily, ‘What’s the matter?’

He hummed noncommittally, shrugging his shoulders. Lin could tell he was trying to act nonchalant, but there was clearly something on his mind. She knew him well enough to know that much.

Green eyes locked with grey, seeing the apprehension clearly on display.

‘I’m going to ask you something,’ he started hesitantly, ‘ and I would like you to let me finish before you answer or interrupt.’

Lin was on instant alert…those words, in that combination, had never boded well for her. She nodded anyway, regardless of the reluctant feeling in her stomach.

Bumi inhaled slowly, ‘I want to tell Tenzin about us.’

Her eyes widened in surprise. That was the last thing she’d expected to fall from his lips.

‘I can’t travel with him for a month, maybe more, with a good conscience, and not tell him.’

‘It’s none of his business,’ Lin insisted.

Bumi crossed his arms over his chest, ‘I’m aware of that Lin, but he’s my brother.’

He looked at his feet for a few moments before continuing, ‘We’ve been working on reconnecting…all of us, and I want to be completely transparent with him.’

She realized he had a point, but she wasn’t ready to concede the fact.

He sighed again, smiling softly and looked her directly in the eyes, it was as if he knew her thoughts.

‘But that’s only if you’re completely comfortable with the decision.’

Lin tilted her head in contemplation. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of Bumi…he was probably the most stable relationship she’d had since Tenzin. She wasn’t afraid of what others would think, but she was afraid of hurting Tenzin. She was afraid of losing her privacy. She was afraid of taking a step that she wasn’t ready for.

‘Bumi, we agreed to keep this quiet,’ she began.

‘I know,’ he interrupted, face falling slightly, ‘sorry, I didn’t mean to cut you off.’

He swept his hand between them, gesturing for her to continue.

She scratched the back of her neck, trying to decide how to voice what she was thinking. Telling people about their relationship terrified her…the last time she had a public relationship, it had ended badly, she had been the topic of the gossip columns for weeks. She wasn’t a fool, she knew that it was part of the territory, being a child of a war hero and dating the child of the previous Avatar as well as a Master Healer (read THE Master Healer).

As if sensing her inner debate, Bumi whispered, ‘It’s only Tenzin.’

‘Tenzin will turn into Kya, and then your mother, and then my sister, and then Korra and her friends and…’ Lin’s thoughts were spiraling.

Their family would be happy…intellectually she knew that, but she still couldn’t bring herself to agree. She looked at him with what she hoped was an apologetic expression…she hoped he understood her reluctance.

He blew out breath as he reached forward, enfolding her stiff body into his arms. He nuzzled her temple, inhaling the soft floral scent with hints of metal.

‘It’s ok,’ he mumbled, ‘forget I brought it up.’

His words were meant to reassure her, but she couldn’t help feel guilty. She knew she didn’t give him the answer he’d been hoping for and squeezed him tighter in response.

Not long after this discussion, Bumi let her know that it was probably better if he returned to the island for the night. Tenzin still had a few final course corrections he wanted to discuss with his brother. She looked at him with a question in her eyes, one he couldn’t answer. She nodded dazedly, no quite sure how to respond.

She walked him to the door,she quickly glanced around, making sure that he hadn’t left anything he might need. She rubbed her arm awkwardly as she couldn’t meet his eyes. She knew he was frustrated but didn’t want to pressure her, he would wait until she was ready, if she ever was.

He sighed, almost sounding defeated, pulling her gently closer and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. He then turned to open the door, looking over his shoulder.

‘I’ll send a letter as soon as we land, we should be stationary at the temple for at least a week.’

Again Lin nodded, glancing up slightly, a hand massaging her upper arm. He smiled slightly and slipped through the doorway, the click of the lock deafening in her now empty apartment.

~

The tears were flowing freely now, she couldn’t stop them even if she tried. Why hadn’t she just agreed? Now thinking back, it had seemed so selfish, he didn’t deserve that. Their relationship was about give and take, and it seemed she’d been doing a lot of the taking so far.

She knew he understood, he knew her insecurities and her past hurts and how they affected her interactions with people. They had talked long and hard about communication before even venturing into this territory, admittedly unfamiliar for both of them. They wanted this to work…they loved each other. They had never said it out loud, but it was implicitly implied, they knew.

He made her feel safe and understood unlike anyone else. If anyone could comprehend the pressure of being the child of a war hero that didn’t seem to measure up to their famous parent, it was Bumi.

Lin could feel her nose starting to run and her eyes growing puffy. She hadn’t cried like this in a long time. Probably since she’d lost her bending…maybe even before that if she was being honest. After Tenzin had broken up with her? When she thought her mom would show and didn’t?

She rubbed her hands over her face roughly, frustrated with the loss of control of her emotions. She drew her knees up on to the patio chair, hugging them to her chest, as she laid her head on them. Her body shuddered with soft sobs, she couldn’t have stopped them if she tried.

‘Please don’t cry.’

His quiet voice startled her. She snapped her head up quickly, almost knocking the glass off its perch on the arm of her chair. She carefully unfolded her legs, her feet connecting with the floor, she could feel his heartbeat now. It was as erratic, matching hers in its rhythm.

His eyes smiled even if his mouth didn’t, she could feel the warmth enveloping her. Everything would be ok, it would work itself out, he came back. That had to mean something right?

She rushed to him and collided with his chest, a soft oof coming from his lips as he caught her easily. The sobs that were quiet earlier, the ones she was trying to contain, fell from her lips uninhibited. The more relieved she became, the louder the sounds from her mouth were, rising in pitch and frequency.

Bumi rubbed her back, quietly yet steady, until the sobs subsided in small whimpers. He had never heard these particular sounds from the metalbender in his arms. It was humbling to hear witness to such vulnerability.

‘I’m sorry,’ she hicupped into his chest, ‘I was selfish earlier…I should have at least discussed it with you.’

‘Shhhhh,’ he intoned gently, trying to calm Lin, ‘we don’t have to talk about it no, it’s ok.’

‘But it’s not!’ She insisted, ‘it’s not ok.’

She shook her head, unfolding herself from his arms, putting the needed distance between them, she needed to clear headed…and he was distracting. She wiped the tears and snot on the sleeve of her sweater, she could be disgusted about it later.

‘You can tell him,’ she whispered, ‘we can tell everyone, if that’s what you want.’

She paused, looking to his wide grey eyes and the beginnings of a smile stretching across his face. The hair on his head even more disheveled than normal, his crooked grin so reminiscent of his father, it made her smile in turn. Her eyes watered as she contemplated her next words

‘I love you,’ she her words soft and lilting, ‘so much.’

prompts 💜

[emerald-amidst-gold]

WIP Wednesday

It’s Wednesday?! *scoffs* Preposterous! 

Thank you @noire-pandora and @rosella-writes for the tags! I send you hugs and flowers and LOVE! >:3

Seriously though, this week has felt long to me, as have the last several weeks to be exact, and despite those long, long days, I haven’t really been able to write beyond this ongoing monster of a ‘short’ story. I wouldn’t really say I have writer’s block. I have ideas, I can write little bits and pieces, but I lose momentum from a lack of energy. *shrugs* If anything, I’m treating this story as an exercise to help me cement some of Fane’s inner workings and practice more intimate events. *waggles eyebrows*

So! Have a bit of a long snippet of Solas and Fane being sappy. They’re so fucking sappy, I swear. No shame.

“...What I’m trying to say is, titles have no bearing if you don’t let them. It’s easier said than done, I know, and that’s why I constantly need the reaffirmation of my name. The spiral is deep, and one syllable is all it takes to slow the fall.” Another sigh, this one far heavier, far more aged. “I know what it means, what it feels to have your identity shredded to ribbons, Solas. I know that so much it hurts. And that’s why I’ll say two syllables for you, so you don’t forget the first title; yourself.”, he stated, tone serious, but warm. “And no matter the other artificial titles, the good and the bad, you are you. Furthermore, you are my sky. Endless. Enduring. Unbending. Eternal. You were all of that to me before you were Fen’harel, or even Solas, or anything else. It may be just another title, but I hope, I hope, it’s one that matters to you because a sky matters more than anything to a dragon. Anything, and I won’t let the expanse that is you be taken from me as surely as the actual sky has been.”

Solas blinked at that waterfall of tender words, entranced by the look of earnestness on Fane’s ivory, but inked visage, the faded green lines almost seeming transparent due to how the setting sun filtering into their quarters bathed them in gold. He was lost, he was reeling, he was grappling between wanting to argue and wanting to relinquish his own stubbornness before letting out an airy laugh, shaking his head as the latter won out. How much more could his heart take before it burst? Such devotion, such pure, unwavering devotion was meant for better people than he, and yet, he couldn’t balk at it, usher it away. It would seem he was not the only one to have come so far. 

“...I do not deserve that. I do not deserve such a...christening as that.”, he said, despite his thoughts. He may have come far, but some habits were hard to break. “It baffles me how you can be so certain that your feelings will not change when you know what is to come, when you know what I will be called upon to do.”

“We, Solas. You’re not alone anymore because I won’t let you be alone. No amount of words or deeds will change that either. You know that.”, Fane said, voice harsh, deep, but caring in its timbre.

Solas chuckled quietly. “I know that you are stubborn. Almost infuriatingly so.”, he tried to joke and it had a bit of the desired effect as Fane rolled his eyes, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

“You walked into my domain centuries ago, elf.”, Fane growled, but it held no disgust or anger. “You poked a dragon and earned its heart, so suffer.”

Solas couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at that. “I suppose I have no choice in the matter?”, he asked, but he felt lighter, calmer. How easily the dread and the ice melted away. How such a thing could happen was beyond him, but he would be lying if he said that he despised this heat, this warmth of souls.

Fane smirked. “None at all.”, he retorted casually before leaning in to nudge at one of Solas’ cheeks, growl slipping into a quiet, but deep purr as their eyes connected, gazed into each other’s sunlit souls. “So, let me show you how I can be so certain, how you can be so deserving of what I feel.”, he said next within a heartbeat, eager, but even harsher with conviction before it dropped to a baritone whisper. “Let me show you how much I love you, Solas.”

Solas barely had time to fully process those tender words before Fane took all thought away, lips connecting with his own, warm and velvet, but somehow cool to the touch. The gentle suddenness of that connection had him startling a bit, so unused to the reserved man before him to be the one to initiate, but he relaxed soon enough, eyes falling shut and allowing tenderness and certainty to soak into him. 

Their lips moved slowly, languidly, but there was an ember to be awoken in their movements, to be sparked and set ablaze. However, there was no rush, no hurry to meet that bonfire. There was only gentle tending as one of Fane’s hands came up to loosely grip his jaw, tilting it just so to dive in deeper, etching his message of affirmation with tender kissing and soft, cool huffs through his nose. The other was busy kneading into one of his hips, a sturdy arm wrapped around to keep them close together. Solas weaved both of his hands into Fane’s head of slightly messy hair, drawing him closer, deeper into a spiral bliss, and humming deep in his chest as a velvet sweep of his dragon’s tongue against his bottom lip had his mind growing foggy.  

However, despite the fog of his mind, Solas kept his mouth shut, halting his movements of the kiss, and smirked against Fane’s lips when a resounding growl sounded. His dragon should know good things came to those who waited.

...Or rather, continued to push. He wanted to see how heavy a dragon’s passion could be, but first things first.

Solas pulled away a bit and smirked more when Fane attempted to chase, curling his fingers in snowy strands to keep him still. Another, deeper growl left those enticing lips at that, nearly making him let go and give in from his made his whole tremble with desire, but he remained steadfast, gazing calmly into smoldering, gold-emerald orbs with a hum.

“You may growl all you wish, ma’isenatha, but I will not relent that easily.” He chuckled softly when Fane almost appeared to be pouting. His heart truly could not take much more of this endearing, stubborn man. “Even so, you are becoming a force to be reckoned with. It won’t be long until I do relent to your will.”, he purred, chuckling a bit when Fane’s visage turned pink yet again from his praise, pout turning into a slight grimace of sheepishness. “Before that, however, I wish to continue where we left off, but you stated the endeavor of mindful connection tires you out. Extremely. Will it do so in this case?”, he asked, common concern threatening to ruin the moment and making his smile falter. He wanted to let the mood take the reins, but his dragon’s comfort came first and foremost.

Always.

Fane shrugged, clearing his throat of embarrassment and his own momentary excitement. “In the past, yeah, but that’s because I would try and force the link. Since I can’t even do that anymore, it’s not so terrible.”, he stated simply, leaning in to nuzzle just below Solas’ ear slowly. “It’s no different than sex, to be fair. Intense, and then an afterglow. I’ll feel tired afterwards, but not bone achingly so.” A growling purr, a mixture of thunder and a babbling creek followed after those words, housing more. “Other...actions will make that happen. We’ll make sure of that.” 

Solas hummed contentedly at the nuzzle, feeling how his chest began to quicken in its breaths at the heated words. “Mm, indeed we will.”, he murmured, a warmth able to be detected along his neck, cheeks, and ears. He was blushing. Lovely. It always threw him off when Fane would utter seduction. “But, I am curious as to how this ability of yours replicates sex.”

It was Solas’ turn to be pleasantly pleased with himself as Fane’s face flushed, pink shifting deeper to where his freckles were washed out and eyes were a titillating shade of ochre. Two could utter seduction, and after Halamshiral, he had pinpointed that Fane nearly dissolved if the word ‘sex’ was uttered from his lips. A dragon’s beauty had many layers, and while they were rare to be witnessed, his dragon was an open book during such carnal pursuits. The memory of the few times they had engaged physically and deeply nearly had Solas crumbling from shudders and soft pants, but the way Fane was now kissing just under his ear, face still flushed, but more from excitement now than a flustered disposition, was doing that also. How easily the mask fell and shattered from just a brush of lips, a glint of gold as two-toned orbs glanced up at him, a roll of thunder housed in a body so different, but so very much the same.

How easily the game could be tilted towards the other at any given moment.

“It’s a dance of thoughts, a waltz of wills.” The Elvhen dragon halted his kisses to whisper against the sensitive skin below his ear, breathless and husky, before giving it a firmer kiss. “You felt it after our sparring match, and that was just a dying connection - whisper of an afterglow. Rage had drowned out most of the euphoric intensity. But here, with us so close to each other, calm and willing...”, he trailed off, pulling back to level Solas with a solid amber gaze, abilities flaring to life with the emotions swarming around them. “...you’ll feel how deep the line runs, and so will I. After all, what’s more revealing and intimate than piercing each other’s thoughts? The connection of bodies is simple, but the mind... That’s more complicated and all creatures yearn for the depth of understanding.”

Solas let out an airy sigh, reaching up with a hand to stroke a deeply flushed cheek of freckles, ink and ivory. “So, it is a combination of thoughts, a glimpse into the inner when the outer offers no clear answer.”, he said, Fane responding with a tiny nod and pleased smirk due to being understood. “Is it like that if you were to connect with others, or..?”, he asked, a question born of more curiosity, not jealousy. He knew better than to harbor that type of nasty feeling with Fane. Devotion ran deep, as deep as the scar upon his heart’s face as well the scars upon his body. He was just once again fascinated to hear these thoughts and complexities of a being he had only been able to speculate on.

Fane shook his head, laying another kiss against his neck. “No. Most people’s minds don’t bend, their emotions locked up in fear and their minds cordoned off in their own ways. Mages, especially those like you, are easier to link up with, though.”, he murmured against the skin before running the flat of his tongue along his pulse. 

Solas let out a quiet gasp, clawing at a broad shoulder as the wet and warm sensation of Fane’s tongue nearly had him melting. That action always made him react violently, and his dragon knew it, chuckling against the column before continuing. 

“...Your emotions are potent, despite what you want people to believe. They’re attuned to being flexible and it was why during the duel I could begin the link. You were already reaching out, so I...exploited it.”, Fane admitted with a flash of shame in his eyes before sighing. “But, the sensation we’re about to experience is..” He pulled away from his neck slowly to practically gaze at him with a blazing smolder. “...only available when love is at the forefront. Your mind is willing before it even knows. You want me to enter. You want to share in the pain, the sorrow, the madness, and the passion, and I want you to, too. So, you allow me in. It’s an act of trust, and there is no one, other than maybe my sister, who I trust more than I trust you. And hopefully, you feel the same in regards to me.” A bit of uncertainty shuffled into dual colored eyes and a wry smirk, but they both dispersed as Fane shook his head a bit. “So again, no. It’s not the same for anyone else and it never will be.” 

Solas stared at the man before him with slightly wide eyes before a tender smile graced his lips. Leave it to his dragon to word such a serious matter so affectionately, so beautifully. Sometimes, it was hard to see anything but the beautiful creature he had met so long ago when such things were uttered.

It was easy to forget how much suffering and sorrow had laced a mind with crimson poison.

Despite those weighty thoughts, Solas brought his hands up to cup Fane’s face once again, stroking his cheekbones reverently as they gazed into each other. Amber orbs shone slightly from both the slowly descending sun just outside and abilities that were slowly regaining their full power with time, observing him with so much silent love that it made his heart squeeze and a small, warm smile form on his face.  

“Ar lath ma.”, Solas said, smiling more when the words of affection had Fane’s eyes darting away sheepishly, but there was a tiny smile upon his own lips. “And I do trust you as you trust me. Implicitly. Trust is a dangerous gambit, but in this instance, I will roll the dice. For you have already bet enough, my dragon.”, he whispered out tenderly before leaning to seal their lips together again gently, wishing to connect physically as well as mentally and emotionally. 

Yes, a connection. That is what he deeply yearned for. To understand and to be understood. To bond and be bound to in turn. To know every inch of the one who had seen him at his lowest and greatest, who worshiped him as the sky and nothing of the past that had thus far defined him.

A bit lengthy, but that’s what I’m good at! >:D I just like words. Woooords~ :D

Tagging (*sends cookies* :3): @oxygenforthewicked @little-lightning-lavellan @dungeons-and-dragon-age @the-dreadful-canine @varric-tethras-editor @drag-on-age @cartadwarfwithaheartofgold @dreadfutures @whataboutbugs and anyone else that’d like to share their endeavors! :D 

[leefi]

Hi, I noticed you did the MBTI types of the ORV characters, and I was wondering what you think the MBTI types are for the Revue Starlight gals :D

Anon, I want you to know that this google doc is 14 pages single-spaced, and I'm still not done.

WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'm so glad you asked!! I'll be breaking this up into four parts so we don't have to scroll through one massive wall of text. The other schools will take a bit more time to publish as I'm still working on a couple from each (I think I have four girls left!).

But without further ado:

Starira MBTI Part 1 - Seisho

Siegfeld

Frontier

Rinmeikan

I had a lot of help with all of this reading @HalfACape’s wonderful character analyses of so many of the girls on twitter, as well as consulting the Personality Database page for the characters I was less sure about (though there were a few I disagreed with on there - none in Seisho, we'll be discussing the others later). But everyone feel free to discuss if you disagree with anything!

Karen Aijo: ENFP

ENFPs’ dominant function is Ne (extroverted intuition) (that running gag Karen has in the game where she mishears words, spouting off suggestions even if they make absolutely zero sense to the situation at hand - “telescope? telephone? telenovella?” - is such stereotypical Ne). Ne is always running towards any possibility, no matter how unlikely it seems, and I don’t need to spell out for you how much of that we saw from Karen in the anime. Ne-Fi feed each other to create a rebel/free-spirit type of personality (Ne seeks all possibilities, Fi holds strong inner values and selfish desires - what do I want, what do I need? How does this make me feel?). Her Te isn’t too developed yet, which is fine because it’s tertiary and she’s still so young. That tertiary, undeveloped Te shows up in her scatterbrained, lackadaisical, go-with-the-flow attitude (but when dominant Fi gets fired up by something - like an old childhood friend coming home - it kicks Te into high gear). Inferior introverted Sensing shows no respect towards rules or regulations - see her revue with Junna (Si-dominant) and the anger she draws out of Maya for (a child of the system and traditionally hard worker) in their Revue of Pride. Karen is the natural rebel, the forever optimist, the sunshine girl - textbook ENFP.

Mahiru Tsuyuzaki: INFP

If you want to see what leading with an introverted function looks like compared to an extroverted function, compare Mahiru to Karen! They share the exact same functions, just flipped on the I/E axis. So Mahiru is Fi, Ne, Si, Te. Karen is Ne, Fi, Te, Si. And Mahiru is a very clear example of an INFP - such a warm, brilliant, awe-inspiring person, but can also be her own worst enemy and others tend to underestimate her. And it’s hard, I don’t blame her! Leading with Fi and not having that physical/in the moment Se to support it (like ISFPs do, just compare her to Kaoruko--yes--they’re only one letter off from each other) means that it’s extremely hard for INFPs to naturally advocate for themselves...so instead, they retreat into their own imaginations where it’s safer (Ne). BUT THEY’RE SO INCREDIBLE!! THERE’S SO MUCH THERE TO RESPECT AND ADMIRE!! *shakes her like maracas* IF YOU WOULD JUST SHOW US!!!!!!! (and this is her whole arc in the anime i don’t need to tell her lol). It’s actually so interesting how she and Karen’s Fi and Ne escapism manifests in their respective introverted/extroverted personalities. These two really are more similar than most of us think!

I love INFPs so, so much because they’re like sleeping giants. Once they get a hold of and develop that inferior extroverted Thinking it’s over - nobody else can compare. They’re like the characters in video games that start off super weak, and then you blink and suddenly they’ve become the most powerful units near the end of the game.

Kagura Hikari: INTJ

ENFP’s stereotypical partner (I swear every other reserved person A/sunshine person B couple in fiction is this type pairing) and while it’s tropey it works because these two types play off each other so well. I actually originally had her pegged as an ISTJ, but I think that her bullheadedness earlier in the anime is more indicative of Ni being stubborn. Hikari is cagey, reserved (tert Fi/inferior Se), and an incredibly high-achieving individual (dominant Ni sets specific goals, auxiliary Te implements). Her tertiary Fi (which INTJs LOVE to keep locked up, right here, forever, until they die) is so obvious as you slowly learn just how much of a sap/romantic she is. It’s her weaker Fi that holds that sentimentality towards Starlight after all these years, her Fi that struggles to hold on to that childhood promise, her Fi that has her following Karen (and eventually Mahiru as well) around like a duckling (though we initially get the impression that the dynamic is the other way around). She grows to care deeply for all the other girls around her and that’s all her tertiary introverted Feeling getting stronger as the story progresses! Like so many people in the fandom have realized, she isn’t a mean person, she’s just socially awkward. Not too much to say on her inferior Se, that mostly manifests in how she’s a homelier person who would rather stay in than go out, and doesn’t actively try to seek new experiences (this was what had me thinking ISTJ at first).

Junna Hoshimi: ISTJ

Karen’s polar opposite - they actually share the exact same functions, just in reverse! So Junna leads with introverted Sensing where it’s Karen’s weakest, and Karen leads with extroverted Intuition where it’s Junna’s weakest. And we see this play out in their revue!

Junna is one of my favorite characters in the series for a reason and it’s because it’s SO rare to see the ISTJ in a rebellious role. Si is all about following and respecting order, and Junna breaks all of that to create her own! We see that dominant Si show up in literally every other facet of her life, though - from her by-the-book attitude to her stringency with deadlines and tardiness to her respect for the creatives of old - Shakespeare, Nietschze, etc. She’s an incredibly bright and successful student as well (any type can be of course but the “kind of student” she is is very much Te supporting Si - super studious and placing heavy weight on studying and getting straight A’s). And her Fi is SO GOOD. SO SO SO SO GOOD AND SO APPARENT - MUCH stronger than IxTJ’s sibling Hikari’s at the start of the anime. That’s where the rebellious part of her spirit comes from - her values, her strong sense of self and desire for autonomy (EXTREMELY Fi thing - Fi is all about the self, how I feel about something, what I want out of this, not feeling trapped by others’ expectations, etc.). Inferior Ne manifests in how she struggles with improvisation, ends up tunnel visioning (see her revue with Karen), and can sometimes struggle to accept new ideas or ways of doing things (Junna works so hard, but it’s evident in the anime and a lot of her starira bond stories that she can end up getting stuck in her old ways if someone else doesn’t come in to offer a new perspective -- see her Jekyll bond story dialogue with Maya!). Another example we see is when her extroverted xSTJ sibling Akira, who has Ne a step higher than her but understands where she’s coming from with their shared functions, guides her towards using it in the High Priestess bond story!

Nana Daiba: ESFJ

Textbook ESFJ!! Caring, motherly, affable; Fe doms are always looking to appeal to the group and make sure that everybody feels comfortable (and, likewise, are very keen on suppressing their own insecurities/emotions/discomforts). Nana is not ambitious for ambition’s sake, and in fact suppresses her own talents to appeal to the group. As for that Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :) Si aux… :)

Unhealthy Si can manifest as an extreme fixation on past experiences and a fear of moving on (we’re going to see this later with Si-dom Fumi too). Her poor tertiary Ne had gotten absolutely quashed by her stronger auxiliary Si in the anime - it doesn’t want to change anything! Claudine and Maya can be the leads again. We don’t need to modify the script. The first one was already perfect, why are we risking failure by changing things?! Also, holding herself back for the sake of everyones’ happiness is so Fe dom it hurts. If you want to see the difference between ESFJ and ENFJ (the two Fe-doms of MBTI), compare her to Michiru, who also suppresses her talents -- yes to cultivate the other girls’ (specifically Akira’s) brilliance but also for the sake of her ulterior motives to one day create her own troupe (aux Ni at work vs. Nana’s aux Si). Nana’s is more deferrant, but still just as ferocious - she’ll defeat Maya 60 times over to get what she wants. And the craziest thing is that all of this comes out of love and fear - she’s scared, and all of that is coming from her unhealthy Si aux. Junna is a very good example for her to follow for healthier Si.

Claudine Saijo: ENTJ

“DON’T IGNORE MY LINES!!!” ENTJs LOVE being at the top - the leaders of the pride, the people in charge, the ones you have to answer to (AND she’s a Leo too. Jfc girl pick a struggle LMAOOOOO). You get the picture - except Claudine isn’t in that position. Maya is. Claudine doesn’t even get a revue or her own song, because she’s Maya’s eternal second. This is a really, really uncomfortable spot for an ENTJ to be in, and it’s evident in how hard she pushes herself - and how antsy she gets whenever Maya is around. But Claudine never blames an outside system or factors like Karen (inferior Si) does for her situation - she just gets angry and more driven to succeed, bulldozing her way to the finish line (dominant Te-tertiary Se interacting). The tragedy of her character is that she will never surpass Maya, so we see her Ni begin to reframe achieving the very top to becoming the only star in Maya’s eye (little does she know that she’s already succeeded). That ripping off of her cloak at the end of the revue duet - “the only loser here is me” - is her inferior Fi poking its head out. At the end of the day, Claudine is an interesting character because she’s a walking contradiction. She’s a star denied a spotlight, but she isn’t a failure either, so she’s forced to grapple with this ambiguous, there-but-not-quite-there middle ground. It’s one big identity crisis in the making, and it’s clear to see why so many people relate to her and love her as a character - a lot of us can empathize with never quite being satisfied, and looking up towards heights that can appear insurmountable.

Maya Tendo: INFJ

She seems so normal and established and then you look closer and realize there’s something seriously wrong with her and oh my god where did this massive god complex come from. Typical Ni dom

From her detached, more “mature” personality to her altruistic and often surprisingly keen insight towards people, she has so many key makings of an INFJ. That dominant Ni is strong in Maya - everything is poured into theatre. Everything. From her hobbies to her interests to her personality, everything Maya does in her life is deliberate and all of it is for the sake of theatre. Ni bitches LOVE to fixate on just one thing, and for Maya, that is the stage. “I have no need for those who lack willpower...Come climb up here if you have the resolve...A single step forward is a step closer to my dream” is just...yeah I’m being redundant. Dominant introverted intuition. Ni Ni Ni Ni. This girl embodies it - while Hikari is also a Ni-dom, Maya shows a TON more of it than her (can’t say I blame the writers - Ni is probably the most difficult function to write because it requires thinking so many steps ahead for your character). We can see a marked difference between INFJs and INTJs here in how Maya and Hikari practice solitude - Hikari purposely isolates herself from Karen to avoid hurting her, while Maya purposely isolates and crafts herself into an untouchable God to serve as an inspiration to others (auxiliary extroverted Feeling). Want to see how this looks with the INFJ’s extroverted sibling, the ENFJ? Look at how Michiru crafts Akira’s public image. That’s Ni and Fe at work, just in different priority slots (Maya is Ni dominant, Michiru is Fe dominant - they share the same functions, just flipped on the I/E axis). That tertiary Ti is very prevalent too - Maya mostly keeps her thoughts to herself, and loves to mull over things. She definitely isn’t the first one to shout out an answer, she prefers to think things over.

One interesting comment that really stood out to me on her personality database page was how she’s an INFJ with an INTP persona in the anime, and I think I agree (INFJs and INTPs tend to present similarly and can be easily confused with each other anyway)! But I want to add on to that - I think that INTP presentation is her auxiliary Fe at play crafting a persona that better coincides with Claudine’s, as ENTJ/INTP matchups are extremely compatible (not saying Maya was thinking about MBTI LOL but rather she brought out and exemplified aspects of her personality that would better complement Claudine’s - their partnership is not a one-way street at all! Maya does so much for her!!). Just compare anime Maya to stageplay Maya, where she gives no headway and is absolutely brutal to Claudine.

Futaba Isurigi: ISTP

Futaba is such a great example of what a healthy ISTP can look like! Dominant Ti shows up in how she communicates with others - she's honest, direct, and to the point, but it's never utilized in a way that’s mean-spirited (contrary to how her girlfriend often can be) - it’s just how she communicates. Claudine (a Te dom which works SO well with Ti) actually points out in Starira that this is why they get along so well. Aux Se shows up in her physicality - her love and strength is in stage fights, she's into mechanics with her motorcycle and does all the maintenance herself, etc. Funnily enough, I think that tert Ni, while a slot above Fe, is actually Futaba’s least developed trait (or, at least, the one she's most guarded about) - she went into Seisho to follow Kaoruko, and her aux Se dominates that tert slot and gives her a … little bit of a lackadaisical attitude? Obviously not as much as someone like Karen, but in many senses she doesn't outwardly display a strong fear or anxiety towards the future like the other girls (completely understandably) do - and it’s that tert Ni getting angry when she feels as if Kaoruko is stagnating in her plans. There’s some inklings of her own plan for the future, but Futaba’s own individual plans are mostly kept to herself, so we don’t know how much or little she’s done about them. (I have more to add but will not continue as I’m venturing into movie spoilers territory, but for those that have watched/read them, try to draw your own conclusions based on what I’ve said!). I think that having such a close relationship with Kaoruko is what pushed her to develop that inferior Fe so early to support her girlfriend's dominant Fi. I actually originally had her typed as ESTP for how strong her Fe was (ESTPs have it a slot higher than their introverted siblings), but she really doesn’t strike me as an extrovert, and ISTPs with developed Fe can be very warm, affable people too!

Kaoruko Hanayagi: ISFP

“Kaoruko Hanayagi’s dream is world domination.”

Kaoruko is such a great example of what an unhealthy ISFP can look like! LMAOOO but no, I’m dead serious - if you want to know what unhealthy introverted Feeling looks like, look to Kaoruko. Everything is me me me me me me me, to hell with what anyone else wants (if you want to compare unhealthy Fe to unhealthy Fi, compare Nana and Kaoruko). Tertiary Ni shows up to support Fi in how surprisingly sharp she is towards other people - what makes them tick, exactly where to hurt, their inner thoughts and feelings (see her bathtub conversation with Mahiru).

BUT THAT DOMINANT Fi IS ALSO SUCH A POWERFUL THING. That “me me me me me me” is going to turn into “my vision, and what I want to create, and what I’m going to do” (once that inferior Te finally develops - which Kaoruko is going to be forced to put work into eventually). This is why, like Mahiru, I think that Kaoruko is seriously going to blossom later on in life - ISFPs and INFPs, the Pisces of the MBTI, have this weird penchant for going under the rader and then becoming insanely fucking successful OUT OF NOWHERE??? Like, they aren’t super motivated and driven with a specific plan like Ni-strong xNxJs, or disciplined and hardworking like Te-strong xSTJs, but???? You blink and suddenly they’re millionaires with four creative projects going on simultaneously (but if they get bored with any of them they’ll drop them instantly - you could not pay me all the money in the world to be an IxFP’s manager it must be an absolute nightmare <3). Just...legends out of nowhere? Rihanna is an ISFP Pisces so I have real world evidence to back this up.

[malghra]

a chorus so sublime: chapter 1

I must admit, I can't explain

Any of these thoughts racin' through my brain

It's true

But, baby, I'm howlin' for you

Alright

There's something wrong with this plot

The actors here have not got

A clue

Baby, I'm howlin' for you

For Darklina Week, Day 1, Songs & Lyrics, Title from Breath of Life by Florence + The Machine

Chapter title and lyrics from Howlin' for you by The Black Keys. 

This fic starts in episode 5, so you can assume that the story is mostly canon compliant up until episode 4. Any changes pre-episode 5 that will be referenced in the story will probably concern Mal. I lowkey ship show!Malina, they're very cute, but then again I lowkey ship almost everyone with everyone on this show 😂 Darklina is just the only ship compelling enough to tempt me into writing. Anyways, I'm probably going to write Mal closer to his book counterpart, just because I feel the relationship needed a bit more conflict and it will add to Alina's inner struggles.

For now, what you need to know about Mal is that he did sleep with Zoya and that he didn't react well to the revelation of Alina's powers. Just remember that for future reference.

What else? Alina is going to leave the Little Palace at some point, and after that, events will unfold similarly to what happened on the show from episode 6 onwards, but I wanted to develop the Darklina relationship a bit more before it all falls to pieces and I try to come up with a way to put those pieces back together.

The first chapter is Aleksander's POV of his and Alina's first kiss.

I spent a bit of time debating what Aleksander should call himself in his POVs. I honestly couldn't see him referring to himself as the Darkling. I also decided that in the universe of this fic, he hasn't told Alina his real name yet. I imagine that at the beginning of this story, he mostly identifies with his title, and not with his true name, so for now, he'll be referring to himself as The General.

Chapter is below the cut, I hope you'll enjoy this!

The day of the winter fete had arrived, and the General had been up since before sunrise. Despite his mixed feelings regarding such events—especially ones such as today when his Grisha were expected to perform like a troup of otkazat'sya clowns, there was a tinge of excitement to his disgruntled thoughts.

Today was the day Ravka and the rest of the world would learn what the Sun Summoner could do. She still had a lot to learn, she still needed time to grow, but she could give them a good show. Their audience of royals, nobles and foreign dignitaries would be easily enough beguiled by the light spectacle they had practiced.

It was a new start, a day of hope and promise, but that wasn't the reason he had risen before dawn. Sleep tended to elude the General for long bouts of time every couple of years. It didn't matter though. He didn't need much of it anyway, but it was an easy way to pass time when he got bored or tired of life.

Fortunately for him, that was not the case right now. These were exciting times. He had never been closer to achieving everything he'd been working for during the last couple of centuries.

He finished his cup of tea, and as he passed the mirror, he reached up to close the top button of his shirt he must have missed earlier.

He heard the soft padding of footsteps in the other room. It was almost time.

"Ivan!" he called out. "My kefta."

As he turned away from the bed, he found himself eye to eye, not with his loyal Heartrender, but with his Sun Summoner.

"You're not Ivan," he blurted out, taken aback by her sudden and unexpected presence in his bedroom.

"Sorry to disappoint," she retorted sardonically. Saints! Why was she always saying or doing the unexpected thing, usually displaying an utter lack of the deference he was so used to being treated with by everyone else around him? And why did that make him want to smile instead of chiding her and reminding her of decorum and etiquette?

"Do I sense a little disdain for my Heartrender?" he asked, mostly to distract himself from his train of thought. "You know, once you get to know him he's actually quite funny."

Ivan Krasimirov tended to have little patience with people and he didn't care much for pointless social interactions, but the General had known him since he was a boy and he liked to imagine he knew the reserved Heartrender better than anyone else. And Ivan was a loyal man, who understood the cause and had display unseen measures of dedication.

"I bet you find volcra hilarious," his Sun Summoner huffed.

Her innocently intended quip stung, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth, but he managed a wry smile. It was rather hilarious after all, perhaps even more so if one knew.

"May I?" she asked. For the first time since she'd entered, he noticed that she was holding his kefta.

"Thank you." His arms felt oddly stiff as he turned around and reached back so she could help him into the garment.

"I hear you were able to focus and split light without the gloves," he told her. She had shown tremendous progress in the last couple of days, but it was better to be prepared. He'd ordered Kostyk to make the gloves weeks ago, just in case.

"I appreciate the gesture, though."

"Well, they were only a safeguard, really," he assured her. "In case of nerves." She was standing closer than he'd expected when he turned to face her again.

"I imagine there are few gatherings in Keramzin that involve such..." He found himself looking for a word that wouldn't sound as an insult to the humble childhood she still seemed to be clinging to so stubbornly. That stubbornness had its charm at times, but in this case he couldn't really appreciate it. "Spectacle," he decided.

"None, in fact," she answered with that some sarcastic aplomb from earlier, and then she whirled around and darted away from him.

Frowning, but intrigued, he followed her out of his bedroom.

Despite her sudden jitteriness, she confessed that she wasn't nervous anymore, though she had considered throwing herself down the stairs to get out of it. Almost certain that this was just her odd sense of humour, he reminded her that he had healers.

He tried not to smile as she laughed at his retort. He studied her as she stood with her back to him, wondering at her suddenly anxious demeanour and the tension he could feel rolling off her body.

He sat down on the edge of the table, listening as she explained why she wasn't nervous anymore. Confusing, unfamiliar warmth pooled in his chest as she spoke but he tried to ignore it.

"That we can offer Grisha and Ravkans hope for the future," she concluded her little speech. She was so close to where he wanted her. He almost had her. He knew he would be able to make her see reason. What she was sharing with him, the fact that she was sharing it with him at all, it all made him hopeful.

Triumph made his chest swell, and his power hummed just below the surface of his skin, ready to surge, to call out, but he wouldn't show her the immense satisfaction that overtook him in this moment. He settled for a heartfelt, "That means a lot to me, Alina," turning her name into a soft caress.

She turned around, half surprised, half... proud, he decided, satisfied that she had pleased him. He could take it a step further.

"You mean a lot," to me, he meant to say. It should be easy to feed her the lie that had come to carry more truth in it than he cared to admit. He needed her, but that should be the end of it. Hadn't he taught himself to stop wanting a long time ago?

She'd lowered her eyes, making it even easier for him, but he found himself incapable of saying the words. "To everyone," he concluded.

She blinked and met his gaze again. Before he could even try to decipher the look on her face, she had closed the distance between them, her hand on his collar.

Some deeply ingrained instinct almost made him recoil. He wasn't used to this. It had been a long time since anyone dared to approach him in such a way.

And then that pull was drawing him in again, that tug he had felt from the first moment he had laid eyes on her, that he had dismissed until he had touched her arm and knew, even before cutting her skin. The confusion and discomfort that always came with it must be clear on his face, but if she had seen them, she must have decided to ignore them.

Then she surprised him by kissing him, softly and tentatively, tender fingertips gently grazing his beard. He couldn't remember when he had last been kissed like that.

He had expected that sense of elation so akin to the triumph and satisfaction he'd felt earlier. He should have predicted the ringing in his ears, the thumping of his heart, the tingle running through his veins as her power called to his, begging to answer her call, as overwhelming as it was.

But the urge to respond to her kiss, the desire to surrender, the sudden, vast fear that gripped him, they all took him by surprise.

Something that had laid dormant for ages bubbled up from a place deep inside of him, frustratingly elusive and only vaguely familiar. It slipped away from him like water he tried to cup in his hands before he could recognize it.

He might have started kissing her back—he was too stunned to tell—but then her lips left his, and she nudged his nose with hers as she pulled away. His eyes flew open at the sudden loss of contact. He couldn't remember closing them.

She was searching his face, colour high on her cheeks. As he rose to his full height, he could see that sliver of doubt growing, that fear of rejection creeping up on her, even as hope sparkled in her eyes, her lips curling into a cautious smile.

He offered her a smile back, let the surprise he didn't need to feign show on his face.

"Not many people surprise me, Miss Starkova," he told her.

Her face lit up, and he followed her example as she lowered her eyes, allowing himself a pleased grin. He started leaning in to initiate a second kiss.

The door was pushed open and Alina jumped back, turning her back to him.

He cleared his throat, pushing his shoulders back to compose himself.

For the briefest moment, Ivan's eyes flitted from him to Alina, but he hid his reaction well.

"Excuse me, General," he apologized. "Your presence is required at the fete."

"Of course. Thank you, Ivan."

He glanced back to find Alina's cheeks flushed and her eyes on her feet.

"Miss Starkova," he said coolly, and she bit her lip.

"Next time, knock before you enter my chambers," he snapped at the Heartrender on his way out the door.

"Apologies, moi soverenyi," he mumbled.

The General dismissed the man with a nod. He should be thanking Ivan. He had almost acted on impulse, like some common fool. So then why was he clenching his fists to keep from strangling his most loyal Heartrender?