#but they’re more likely to recover from the first option

[black--sun]

Ichigo snorts. He would. He’s competitive like that. 

He doesn’t miss how Shiro changes that pronoun, but he doesn’t correct it. Ichigo glances over. Shiro seems to have thought about it enough not to be surprised by the question about his partner. “Why’s that?” Just because Shiro trusts him doesn’t mean Ichigo will. Though if he wanted to kill Shiro, he likely had all kinds of opportunities by now. 

He presses his lips and his expression goes bland, humor drying. “Yeah. It must feel pretty bad to have the decision made for you.” But he shakes off the knee jerk need to throw the irony back in Shiro’s face. Too late not to do it, but he curbs the need to rant. “You’ll be a target if you’re right in the middle of it.” He’s not sure Shiro cares. He cares. 

Ichigo sighs. Urahara and his bombs and Yukio and his drones. Ichigo didn’t want it to be national news worthy, but fat chance of stopping it when everyone in the city might hear. “They’re bringing explosives. It’s going to be a mess.” But hopefully a mess that leaves Shiro’s future enemies second guessing whether they want to be on his bad side or not. As if Shiro needed help with that. His enemies are clearly the ones that thought they could sidle up from behind him and take care of him quietly. “They have it covered. Even I’m just going as damage control. I guess if you’re determined, you could pick off a few guys. Just stay out of the crossfire.” He’s suddenly picturing Shiro as a tommy gun wielding maniac from one of the old gangster movies he liked as a kid. It’s not even a hard sell.

Shiro scoffs, but concedes, "Of course I'd do the same thing. So would you."

The overhead light is shut off and it's immediately more cozy and more intimate. For some reason, it catches Shiro off guard, like maybe he wasn't expecting there to be any actual sleeping or getting comfortable. Just talking and pretending everything is fine and normal until they both pass out. Regardless, after a moment, he sinks down into the blankets a little bit. He's always appreciated being warm and cozy and comfortable. When Ichigo climbs into bed and rests close enough to maintain that contact, he tries not to overthink it. He lets himself relax into it instead, and just enjoys the familiar warmth while he can.

He glances over at Ichigo's reassurances and shrugs. "Yeah. I always do." We. As if any of his problems are Ichigo's anymore. He sighs a quiet breath and flops down flat on the mattress, careful not to spill the last little swallow in his glass. "I don't know. I thought so. Still do, I guess. I don't think he's involved in trying to kill me, anyway."

He turns his head to give Ichigo a more direct look, arching a brow. Is that a joke? "You think someone's gonna put a price on me and I'm gonna stay out of the fray?" He laughs, then ducks sheepishly and peeks over at Yuu. "Anyway, you know I like to get my hands dirty. There's no way I'm staying back. And your friends sound fun. You promised explosives." He sits up enough to finish off his drink, then lays back down and blindly reaches over Yuu to find the nightstand to deposit his glass onto.

[luveline]

I would dieeee for some more of Spencer and bombshell after her getting injured😭 him taking such good care of her, the BEST doctors, researching every single option😭 reassuring her rhats shes just as pretty😭

—Spencer looks after you while you recover from a brutal injury. fem!reader, 1.1k

Spencer thinks it’s one of the team's more gruesome injuries. Hotch has been stabbed to mince meat and Emily half-killed, Elle got shot, and he’s had his fair share of violence, too, but he can’t imagine the horror of being hit in the face with a hammer. The pain so close to your eyes, your teeth, your brain, the fear and the sudden crack. He feels sick whenever he remembers the sound, and he was sick the first time he dreamt about the way you cried as it happened. Your strange yelp, the immediate drop to the floor. 

Spencer never hit somebody as hard as he did that UnSub. His gun whipped out possessed across the UnSub’s face, and then drove forward into their nose with a stomach turning crunch. 

They’re in custody, and you’re in bed recovering with some of the best doctors in the world. Spencer thinks you both won this round, even if it doesn’t feel like a win right now. 

“Shh,” he whispers, “shh, shh, it’s okay. It’s okay, don’t cry.” 

You cling to his chest as though worried he’s going to move out of reach, sobbing. You’re careful not to touch your face or his chest, the soreness too much, but the rest of you is clinging to him. You don’t have to worry, he’s not going anywhere. 

“Please, it’s okay,” he says, the tip of his nose to your forehead. “You can have another dose in twenty minutes. Just twenty minutes.” 

He supposes the pain reminds you of the full extent of the injury, your jaw fractured in two places, your gum traumatised, your face more bruise than anything else. You hate your appearance being out of your control, it’s making you panic —he can feel you shaking.

He’d sat down with your drink to find you already crying, he couldn’t have been gone for ten minutes, but it was long enough for you to fall deep into the throes of hysteria. You’d grappled for him as he sat down to hug you, your face hidden ever since, and now the shakes have started. He’s hopeless. 

But Spencer’s willing to do anything to make it better. “Can you tell me what’s upsetting you? Please?” he asks.

“It’s–” Harder sobbing, your tears dripping down from your chin to wet the thigh of his pants.

He has to calm you down.

Since you met Spencer, you’ve been the comforter. He can’t count how many times something has hurt him and you’ve rushed to save him. You’ve hugged and held and kissed him into smiling, you’ve never let him down, you’ve forgiven him after a hundred stupid mistakes, so Spencer doesn’t care that you’ve been inconsolable for days. He really doesn’t mind that he’s had to look after you this attentively. It’s his pleasure, and he’s getting better at it. 

He presses a few soft shushes somewhere in your hairline, his hand rubbing a circuit into your back with a firm pressure that never tips into roughness. He does it until his palm is numb. He could paint the slant of your back from muscle memory, fingers tripping down the creased fabric of your pyjamas, pulling back up to your neck. He’s never felt such tender sympathy. He hates that you’re in pain, but he doesn’t hate getting to rub your back. This is surely boyfriend territory. 

“You want something to drink now?” he asks quietly. 

You open your mouth to answer, sighing in pain momentarily. “Uh, yeah.” 

“Did you want the straw?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Okay.” He can’t force himself away. “You okay for me to move you?” 

“Yeah.” 

You can’t be blamed for short answers. 

There are surgeries to hold your jaw together when it breaks, and while you were unconscious (shock, rather than head injury), Hotch consented as your next of kin for the doctors to make sure things wouldn’t get worse, but it was Spencer who had to advocate for you afterwards. They’d wanted a metal connector to prevent dislocation. Spencer knew this could mean another scar, so he said no, because you might’ve said no had you been awake, and they should’ve asked you anyways. 

When you did wake up, you were vehemently against it. Which is fine, you can heal without it, but it’s scarier to do it unaided. Your jaw could dislocate if you do something wrong, which is not only horrifically painful, but a painfully horrific injury to have. You talk quietly. You take small mouthfuls of soft foods. 

Spencer looks at you now, tearstained, back arched like a kicked dog, and doesn’t know what to do. He wishes he were the one who got injured instead. 

He takes the hospital bed controls into his hand and presses the button to make the top of your mattress elevate. Tomorrow, they’ll send you home, and Spencer will have to construct a nest of pillows for you to sit in while you recover, but it’ll be worth it. Things won’t feel as intimidating when you’re in your own bed. 

“Lean back, beautiful,” he says. 

Your smile is a straight line with eyes lit up. “What for?” you ask. 

“Comfier. Less stress on your head.” You lean back. “Oh,” he adds, “and so I can get a better view of you.” 

Your eyes get impossibly brighter. “What do you think?” you murmur. Your voice sounds scratched to death from crying, tight from holding your mouth a certain way, but pleased anyways. It’s just as pretty as it always is to him. 

“You’re the prettiest girl in the world,” he says, reaching out to cradle your waist, his hand moving up and down the side of you tenderly. 

You have a bruise from under your left eye and bleeding down your neck, and you haven’t slept right for a few days, but you’re undeniably beautiful in Spencer’s eyes. 

You’ve been the most beautiful girl in the world literally from the day you met onward, with as much to do with your heart as your lovely face. He should tell you that, but he doesn’t. 

“Can I have water now?” you ask, covering his hand with yours. 

His confidence wobbles. “Oh, yeah, sorry. Sorry.” He grabs your drink, water spilling down the side to wet his hand. 

“Please don’t make me laugh.” 

“I’m not trying to,” he says pathetically. 

He holds the cup of water to your face and you guide the straw between your lips. Spencer’s sure he’s been in love with you forever, and it’s all but cemented now. 

[dreamdazedworld]

YINGXING BRAINROT

Synopsis: Yingxing x Genshin! Youkai! Gender neutral Reader and the both of them are hopelessly in love.

Note(s): I was listening to 愛き夜道 on Spotify when I suddenly got this idea, now it won’t leave me alone. Anyways, I think that this is the first post I actually wrote, so yippie? Eat up, my children, you won’t be having these Yingxing crumbs for some while. This might actually turn into a full blown fic, though it depends on my motivation LOL

Warning(s): Both of them are hopelessly in love with each other, death mentioned (nothing serious, dw), oops now you have a Yandere! Blade chasing you around Teyvat

Art credit goes to my favorite artist, void/Re:era on X! Their art is really pretty, check them out if you can :o

Imagine a Genshin! Youkai! Reader who’s a fox/kitsune (like Yae), and fell in love with YINGXING, like it has all of the potential fr.

So! Of course, Reader here is from Inazuma, and their… clan (let’s all pretend that the Youkai has separate clans) feeds only on the feelings (and emotions), positive ones, to be precise, of humans (like the dementors from Harry Potter!). Negative ones are like poison to them- And the only antidote for this is the Sacred Sakura, however, there are lasting after effects. Once poisoned, the kitsune will be significantly weakened for a long period of time, ranging from a few decades to centuries on end, depending on how much the kitsune consumed.

Kitsune! Reader, unlike the others from their clan, doesn’t like feeding on humans (because it ends up driving their victim mad and they like humans). Of course they understand that it’s necessary for them to survive, they’re not dumb, they can feel their hunger growing with each day they refused to feed on humans. So, with no more options, decides to blend into human society by protecting mankind from the ‘evil’ Youkai, and occasionally feeding on people who are about to die (with guilt). Their love for humanity and stubborn determination to protect humans ends up earning them a Pyro vision that supplies them with some energy to keep them going, since visions are literally wishes with a physical shape, and wishes have positive energy.

One day, while resting on the Sacred Sakura, Reader accidentally finds out that the Sakura has clones, which are spread across multiple worlds by waking up in the Xianzhou Luofu. There, they meet young Yingxing, who’s still learning under that grandpa, when he stumbles into the area where the clone is located. There, they become friends, and as years pass, eventually drinking buddies as well. After Yingxing meets the High-Cloud Quintet and as years fade away, our dear Reader here realizes they’re hopelessly in love with….. Yingxing!? Instantly gives up on their love as soon as they realize, because they think he doesn’t see them in that light (honey, he does), and to rub salt to the wound, in love with Bai Heng, since Yingxing talks about her a lot. But of course it doesn’t go as easily as they want it to go, so the Reader just silently suffers with their emotions.

When shit starts to go down in the Quintet after Bai Heng’s death, Reader goes “Oh fuck, Yingxing’s negative energy is going to make him choose the shittiest life options, won’t it?” and starts to suck away his pain (by kissing him in his sleep because YES). Yingxing starts getting better in exchange for Reader’s health, and in the end, Reader fucking COLLAPSES, forced to go back to Inazuma to recover, Yingxing learns about everything they were keeping from him through a letter, depression hits and oh wow, Yingxing chooses the most shittiest life decision he has ever made by teaming up with Dan Feng to cause the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae, turning him immortal, and eventually into Blade. (I forgot to mention it but only the original Sacred Sakura has the ability to heal away the poison.)

As thousands of years pass, Reader fully recovers, though not exactly since they can’t let go of Yingxing. The Sakoku degree is lifted, and everything seems fine in Inazuma, until they come across a person who they thought were already dead- You guessed it, Blade! But not just typical Blade, Yandere! Blade who is on the brink of insanity and is hellbent on bringing Reader along with him. And so, the game of cat and mouse ensues.

[jihyocentric]

usually, getting to see jihyo pliantly lied down and reactive to a certain display of dominance wasn’t so easy. not because jihyo strictly wanted control or because she was against showing an intimately needy side of her to nayeon — that was nayeon, after all. it was simply more interesting, and it became their usual dynamic, for jihyo to take charge in bed.

hormonal changes could be a pain to deal with. by the end of the fourth month of her pregnancy, jihyo was well aware that she was being affected by it, only that now, with the pregnancy of their second child, jihyo didn’t feel the usual fatigue caused by the increase of certain hormone levels anymore, but her strong sex drive was making nayeon crazy.

“put it back in!”

nayeon would have found it cute, the way jihyo pouts and bucks her hips, the puffy lips of her core against her limp cock making a slick noise that could get nayeon hard again on itself, if it wasn’t for the fact that it was nearly morning and she had been fucking jihyo since late afternoon. nayeon felt dizzy, after coming inside jihyo so many times she’d lost count, and the idea of doing it again makes her tremble.

nayeon hates to see jihyo cry if it isn’t for pleasure. the crystal clear tears almost make her give up and notch the soft head of her cock back into the warmth it belonged to. she resists the temptation lying under her, keeping jihyo’s wrists pinned to the bed, just so to prevent her from doing what she’d been asking for with her own hands.

“just one more. unnie, please!” a whine comes out faintly past jihyo’s lips, followed by a whimper when the grip nayeon has on her wrists become tighter. “just this time... unnie, fill me up!”

it’s her weakness, when jihyo calls her unnie. even after all of those years together, and especially when her cock is right over or inside her dripping pussy. with jihyo asking so nicely, saying no to anything she could possibly ask for is not an option for nayeon.

so nayeon grants her wish, pulling a hand away from jihyo’s wrists while the other keeps them where they are — nayeon’s back was starting to bleed after the constant, abrupt contact with jihyo’s nails, slightly stinging from being bruised, but it was nothing that nayeon couldn’t handle. she pumps herself back to full power, wasting no time and sinking into jihyo once she wasn’t soft anymore.

nayeon can’t fathom how her body still manages to move after hours of draining sex. she lets go of jihyo’s wrists, supporting her own weight on her elbows, grunting because the bump between them prevents her from fully pressing jihyo against the bed. she’s as careful as she can be, thrown on the edge too soon, embarrassingly worked up from being repeatedly called unnie, losing her senses as jihyo clenches tightly around her.

none of them last long. jihyo comes first, gushing around nayeon while trying not to scream, and the built up pressure in nayeon’s stomach dissolves right next, caving in to jihyo’s wish and filling her up. nayeon nearly passes out, her body shaking as she pulls out and moves away, falling weakly on the bed next to jihyo and closing her eyes in exhaustion.

“i’m sorry.” jihyo mutters after a while.

it takes her a few seconds to recover from her last orgasm, jihyo can barely move, but she lies on her side to face nayeon, feeling guilty for keeping her up to deal with her hormonal matter.

“babygirl,” nayeon babbles. her eyes open and she releases a whimper as she inches closer to jihyo, leaving a loving kiss at the tip of her nose. “you almost killed me. such a feral little kitten.”

“stop talking to me like that.” jihyo whines, cheeks pink. they’re silent for a moment, until jihyo brings a hand to nayeon’s arms, a frown on her face, the regret hitting her immediately. “i hurt you.”

nayeon shakes her head. “’s nothin’, hyo. all good. i like it when you get needy, and it doesn’t hurt.”

“but this looks painful,” jihyo squeezes nayeon’s arm, hearing a soft whimper from nayeon. “i’ll take care of this when we wake up.” she promises.

“you have to reapply it after three hours, nayeon.” jihyo says, concentrated on spreading the ointment on nayeon’s arm. she had already applied it on her back, a thin layer, because that was all nayeon could have if she didn’t want her shirt to glue on her back.

jihyo pulls away then, looking at nayeon, who’s rubbing her covered tummy lovingly, eyes shining with love as she enjoys her last moments with them before she has to go to work.

“were you listening to me?” jihyo asks, a soft smile on her lips.

“uh-huh. not sure if i can reapply it on my back though.” nayeon answers, whining when jihyo goes for the right arm, despite not feeling any real pain. it was only an instinctive response to being taken care of the same way jisoo would when she got bruises.

“unless seulgi is there, you won’t.” jihyo says, sharp eyes making contact with nayeon for a brief second.

“so jealous.” nayeon coos, amused.

“i’m not jealous.” jihyo retorts. nayeon teases her again, but jihyo’s attention is back on nayeon’s arms.

this time, the ointment is resting on the table and jihyo wasn’t focusing on the bruises she’d mercilessly left on nayeon, but on her soft muscles that, unfortunately for jihyo, were quite apparent even covered by nayeon’s shirt.

“you got squishy, nayeonie.” jihyo mutters.

nayeon gasps. “squi- i’m not squishy!”

jihyo squeezes her arms, curiously palming nayeon, playing with the flesh with fondness. “definitely squishy. so soft. can't even feel the muscles.”

a tiny voice screams for ‘mommy!’ and jihyo has to leave then. nayeon remains with her mouth open and out of words as jihyo tends to jisoo.

what jihyo says in the morning lingers in nayeon’s mind throughout the day.

nayeon had stopped going to the gym regularly after she found out jihyo was pregnant — she had to be close to jihyo all the time, and work was the only excuse jihyo had to keep some distance from nayeon.

(it’s not that any of them wanted distance to begin with, but nayeon could be too much, too possessive, too obsessed with the idea of protecting her most beloved ones that she became a hassle.)

but nayeon wasn’t squishy. at all. jihyo was certainly just trying to tease her, of course that was the case…

“’m not that squishy.” nayeon mumbles to herself, quietly whining from time to time while trying to get work done.

“enough.” a coworker, yeri, lets out a sigh. “can you stop rambling? some people are trying to work.”

“kim yerim,” nayeon gets up from her chair swiftly, the sound making another coworker flinch, loud enough for them to hear from relatively far. “first of all, we’re on a break. you don’t get to silence me this time. give me your opinion on something.”

“you have…” yeri looks at the watch on her wrist. “two minutes.”

nayeon looks around, finding empty seats at the firm, with the exception of one coworker. they didn’t seem to mind her conversation with yeri, so nayeon proceeds to flex her biceps, smiling proudly when she sees a faint line that indicated she still had some muscular mass on her arms, but nayeon couldn’t decide if she was squishier or if jihyo was only trying to mess with her.

“what do you think?” nayeon asks, a convinced smile on her face.

“about what?” yeri blinks, emotionless. nayeon clicks her tongue, bitter when she realizes yeri was, by far, the worst person she could be asking to analyze her muscles, but every opinion mattered. as long as they rubbed her ego, of course.

“these babies. big, aren’t they?” nayeon pushes yeri into agreeing, walking closer to her. “wanna see them closer? jus’ don’t touch them ‘cause my wife…”

“ew, no!” yeri squeals. the coworker behind them clears their throat, clearly annoyed with their antics, which was nothing different from their usual routine at work. “they’re not big, though. that friend of yours, momo, was that her name? she was… something. something you’re not, im. am i allowed to go back to work?”

“hey! she’s married. and why are you so cold?!” nayeon whines, sitting back on her chair. “so mean to me.”

yeri glues her eyes to the monitor on her table once again. “only when you keep talking to yourself for hours when i’m trying to work.”

nayeon huffs but remains silent — even she, herself, sometimes wanted to keep quiet. there was nothing she could do, however, to fight the need to express herself through her voice when she wanted to. the only problem was that nayeon wanted that perhaps too often.

“i didn’t think you were coming today.”

momo shows nayeon a smile that deeply irritates her. it’s as if momo is mocking her, trying to get under her skin and managing to do it. nayeon wasn’t there to discuss her frequency at the gym, so she doesn’t reply momo’s snarky comment, but she stops in front of her while momo is going through her set, working on her triceps.

“do you think i lost my arm muscles?” nayeon blatantly lets out. instead of starting her set, she watches momo and drinks water — well, at least she was at the gym. it didn’t matter if she was going to exercise or not. being in such an environment was already enough.

momo agrees with a humming sound. “even jihyo has more than you.”

“of course she does not!” nayeon whines. “maybe in the past, i’ll admit i wasn’t that active. but she called me squishy today. squishy! it’s not like i totally stopped coming. and even if i did, i still do other stuff to keep these babies,” nayeon almost loses her breath while rambling. “like… like lifting jisoo. she got heavier. and… well- there’s also bbuyo! that cat is chunky. i’m the one who handles the groceries too, and…”

nayeon was truly affected by the idea of losing her beloved muscles.

she’d worked hard for them — really hard, because nayeon wasn’t the biggest fan of the gym before, but she liked how her muscles looked and how jihyo would constantly ogle them, and so she started enjoying the place. going there meant she got to spend time with momo and keep her babies safely growing under her skin.

“mrs. squishy, i would like to exercise in silence.” momo replied. at least nobody was judging nayeon for being loud, unlike it was at the firm. that was because most people had their headphones with them, or else they would be giving nayeon cold stares.

the way momo refers to nayeon her gets her off guard. “what did you just call me?”

“if you want your muscles back, you should start exercising instead of whining and looking at me,” momo dismisses her question. “have you stretched already?”

nayeon huffs. “yeah, but i won’t forget what you just-”

“good. here, take this.” momo steps away from the cable machine, handing nayeon the attachment for triceps. “this will do. you’ll see them back in a week.”

nayeon pouts, trying to execute the set, but momo hadn’t changed the weight on the machine. “too heavy.”

momo wants to tease nayeon again, because that had been light for her and nayeon was already asking for lighter. she doesn’t, because then nayeon wouldn’t stop sulking and, most importantly, talking about how she wasn’t squishy. momo wanted peace and quiet if she was spending an hour with im nayeon.

“are you sure you want to sleep now, baby? it’s too early,” jihyo says softly, brushing jisoo’s scalp calmly. “we can read a book together.”

jihyo knows jisoo would hardly agree on staying up any longer. jisoo had already done her homework, eaten dinner and taken a shower, so she was allowed to rest now. surprisingly, she had even refused to watch cartoons, and jihyo rarely allowed her to watch those before bed, but jisoo had had a long day, a day certainly longer than jihyo’s from the way jisoo described it to her.

jisoo answers jihyo with a noisy whine. words become too complicated when she’d been actively using them all day, so jisoo closes her eyes and jihyo understands that her answer is a no. she’d much rather stay on her mommy’s lap and fall asleep in complete silence.

jihyo knows that she shouldn’t let jisoo fully rest on her lap, over her belly, and she doesn’t know how that can be comfortable for jisoo given the fact that her tummy was more evident now, but she allows the baby to stay there. the still-growing baby could handle it inside her tummy. that lap was still exclusive to jisoo, and jihyo would let her have it until her belly was too big.

until jisoo’s breathing becomes fainter, jihyo keeps caressing her head and her back, resisting the urge to stay there with her baby because jisoo would eventually wake up if she stayed. the bed was too small and jisoo moved a lot while sleeping.

bbuyo stays there when jihyo places jisoo on the bed and covers her with a warm blanket. he’s busy playing with his fish toy, but attentive to anything that could cause the house’s baby any harm during her sleep, like a full time babysitter.

just as jihyo is making sure that the lamp isn’t too bright, she hears the sound of footsteps getting closer.

“hey,” nayeon whispers. “sleeping?”

jihyo nods. “played too hard today. her teacher said she’s becoming more energetic. not as shy anymore.”

“then i’ll just give her a kiss. this soon-to-be social butterfly needs to rest.” nayeon coos.

nayeon does her best not to make any harsh sounds, but bbuyo looks annoyed to see her. the couple shouldn’t be there, as it was jisoo’s time to sleep, and it didn’t matter if they were her parents. he even stops chewing his toy when nayeon gets close enough to kneel next to the bed, quietly meowing when nayeon presses her lips to the baby’s forehead.

“’m sorry, kitty. i’ll go away now.” nayeon pats his head a couple times after pulling away.

the first thing jihyo notices when they leave the room is that nayeon is sweating. she’s flushed and wearing tight gym clothes, and jihyo wants to curse when she’s instantly aroused by what she sees. the hormones. jihyo hated them.

“im nayeon!” jihyo whines suddenly and crosses her arms, apparently mad at nayeon. she leaves nayeon standing alone, heading to their room quickly, acting quick before she attacked nayeon the same way she had done the night before.

“i’m wrong!” nayeon accepts defeat, walking fast to match jihyo’s pace. “but what did i do?”

“me. and now i’m pregnant. and these hormones…” jihyo storms into their room. “it’s embarrassing. i feel like a teenager again.”

“oh, you’re horny.” nayeon grins. jihyo sits on their bed and looks at nayeon sharply before burying her face in her hands. “well, i should be mad at you. hirai momo called me mrs. squishy because of you.”

“what?” jihyo laughs. the heat pooling at her stomach is no longer there, dissipating as she laughed.

“since you think i’m…” she avoids using the word ‘squishy’. “no longer muscly, i went to the gym with her.” nayeon crosses her arms, attempting to look angry. “turns out these are still as hard as a rock.” she flexes her now sore arms, showing jihyo that she was wrong.

“you took that to the heart, didn’t you?” jihyo taunts. she taps the empty place next to her, inviting nayeon to the bed despite her being sweaty. she was always sexier like that anyway, and jihyo wouldn’t mind to change the sheets. “sit here.”

“i know you regret and all, so no need to apologize…” nayeon sits on the bed, clueless about jihyo’s prying eyes on her. “but if you really care about me, you’ll have to deal with her if she calls me that again!”

jihyo nods, amused but pretending to take what nayeon says seriously. “i will. she won’t mess with you, i promise.”

the topic seems to die there as jihyo moves to nayeon’s lap. nayeon smiles, holding jihyo lovingly despite spending the day worried about her muscles because of her, but none of that mattered anymore.

“hi.” nayeon greets her.

“hi.” jihyo replies, excessively sultry, big eyes scanning nayeon as if she was a hungry predator who was about to catch a prey. “i’m so wet for you.”

“of course you are,” nayeon teases.

“you don’t understand… i’m wet all the time. because of you. this is your fault, im nayeon,” jihyo whispers, nose brushing against nayeon’s. “knocked me up and now i have to deal with all of this.”

“i’ll do anything to fix what i’ve done.” nayeon replies, honest and hard in her pants, despite worrying about her night of sleep. her body would be ready for jihyo as long as jihyo wanted her, and that was what scared nayeon. “but… we’ll sleep tonight, right?”

“maybe.” jihyo kisses her then, pushing nayeon backwards so that her back was against the bed. “by the way, you’re not all squishy. these are hard,” jihyo squeezes her arms. “but you’re huggable. that’s what i meant. you’re arms are soft when they hug me, not when you’re lifting weights.”

nayeon groans. “you totally did that to tease me!”

jihyo laughs. “i totally did that to tease you.”

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

ANGST WARNING: How would Ace!Tav react to Astarion dying and being unable to revive him? Or vice versa -- how would Astarion react?

A/N: There is actually a lot to this, so here is a headcanon in three parts. Apologies for the length.

Warnings: Gore, Blood, Passively Suicidal Thoughts, Major Character Death, Heavy Angst

Astarion x Ace!Tav Masterlist

How Ace!Tav Would React to Astarion Dying and Unable to be Revived

In order for this to happen, it would be sudden and unexpected

There would be no preparing for his death

They always thought Astarion would outlive them, he's an immortal vampire, but, more importantly, he's a survivor, always has been

I'm thinking he'd have to be burned up in the sun or something else like it; revivify and raise dead both require a body and the sun would turn him into ash

Maybe he gets caught by surprise, maybe Tav can’t get to him in time or maybe he pushed them out of the way of a blast; the result is the same

No final words, no last touches, there’s nothing left, not even a body

Tav wouldn’t be able to move, the rest of the world going fuzzy at the edges and silent

It would take another party to get them to move, literally dragging them away from the scene like dead weight

It’s takes them several moments to come to their senses, to fight back because he can’t just be gone

There has to be something left, something they could use to bring him back

If it’s an ally with them then they’d hold them back telling them they need to get somewhere safe

They would be in full denial, trying desperately to think of something, anything, this can’t be how it ends

But there’s nothing, not a single thing they can do

Once that realization dawns, they just go numb

They spent so much of their life just surviving; they don’t want to go back to that, not when they finally had a taste of what it was to live

They’re just so tired, maybe it would be easier to just…sleep

Even the thought of revenge is too daunting, what would be the point? Astarion would still be gone. Can’t they just rest?

It would take their friends to pull them out of it

I imagine Lae’zel and Shadowheart specifically would lay into them about just giving up. What would Astarion say if he saw them like this?

Tag can well imagine, they can all but hear his voice in their ear

“And you call me dramatic,” he tells them. “Flattering as it is to know you miss me, there's still work to be done. Now get up.”

They want to ignore the words, but they have their own survival instincts to contend with

It’s a slow process

The first several months it’s an ordeal just to eat, but they do

Gale, Shadowheart, Wyll, Karlach, Lae’zel, they all take turns checking in, making sure they’re okay

Gale maybe even has them come to stay in Waterdeep just to keep a better eye on them and keep them away from the memories associated with Baldur’s Gate

It’s a kind gesture and one that slowly starts to pay off

They're able to watch a sunrise again without the urge to weep

They sometimes come in to talk during Gale's lectures, recounting some of their exploits with a smile

They never fully recover, their music isn’t quite as lively, there seems to be a spark missing behind their eyes, but they find a way to survive

They have their friends and find solace in knowing they’re not alone

Eventually they go on the road again, taking in every sight and sound, imaging Astarion seeing it with them

They never fall in love again, they knew that they never would and don’t try to force it

Still, they live; it’s brutal work, but they can’t stop now

How Astarion Would React to Ace!Tav Dying and Unable to be Revived (Dying of Old Age Edition)

Couple different options with this one

I picture Ace!Tav as human, so Astarion outliving them was part of the deal when they got together

All the same Ace!Tav dying of old age vs. dying suddenly and horribly, are going to spark two very different reactions

If they die of old age, Astarion has a much longer time to prepare

There's no hiding getting old, even if Astarion makes jokes about them being with a man four or three times their age

Tav is there to help him through it, even as they're lying on their death bed with him beside them the entire time

They don't want him to try and bring them back; they told him as much

They want him to keep going, to keep living, to find love again after they're gone

Astarion doesn't want to hear it, he doesn't want to think about them being gone even when they both know it's coming

One human life time wasn't nearly enough, he wants more, he always wants more

But the end does come and when Tav finally slips away, all he can do is weep

He wouldn't be alone though, he has friends, strange as it might have once been to admit

Gale, Wyll, Karlach, Shadowheart, and Lae'zel would all find their own way to help him as they too grieve the loss of their friend

He's not the easiest to deal with, he lashes out, he argues, he pushes, he finds himself crying at unexpected moments and mortified at himself for doing so

He wishes he could talk to Tav about all these emotions drowning him and ends up curled up on the floor all over again

But somebody is there to help him back up again

He can’t stay in their home anymore, too many memories bombard him every waking moment

Gale offers for him to come to Waterdeep for a time, but Astarion refuses

He needs to get out, go somewhere far away, someplace he’s never been before

So, one day, he packs a bag and just starts walking

The only thing of Tav’s he takes is a that damned violin, they did try so very hard to teach him how to play, but he always was a better audience

Still he can’t bring himself to leave it behind

He doesn’t know where he’s going or what he’s even doing, but he keeps going anyway

One of the nights, months into his travels, a bard plays at the inn where he's staying

He recognizes the melody, one of Tav's compositions

He had finally convinced Tav to write down some of their music, and even publish a few; this one isn't one of them

The bard plays it differently, emphasizing different words and finding a new meaning while still keeping the integrity of the song

He can all but hear Tav’s contemplative approval as they grin in that “I told you so” sort of way

The best ones live in memory after all

The bard is good, reminding him of Tav in so many different ways

He's not sure what exactly possess him to do it, but he offers them the violin, telling them that it's been a long time since he saw somebody play it properly, maybe they'd like a go

Gods do they play it,

Light and music flow from the instrument, evoking the same vivid display Tav had show him all those years ago

Astarion then leaves without a word, leaving the violin behind for the bard to take

He finally understands what Tav tried to explain to him, how much of themselves they put into their music and how even as the interpretations may change it’s still them

So, he keeps going, keeping their memory alive in what ways he can, mostly as an anonymous patron to promising young bards; he’s always been a better audience anyway

Years later he even meets that first bard, the one he gifted the violin; they turned to be a great performer and was thankful to finally track down the man who put them on that path

They form a true friendship, one that lasts years and allows Astarion to know he can form new relationships

Slowly, Tav's death doesn’t hurt the way it used to

They’ll never fully leave his heart; they were his first in so many ways

It would take him years, possibly even centuries to finally fulfill that final promise to love again, but he does

He’s a survivor by nature, but Gods does it feel good to live

How Astarion Would React to Ace!Tav Dying and Unable to be Revived (Dying Suddenly and Horribly Edition)

This can only end in blood

They're in a middle of a battle, something bigger and worse than they anticipated

Both are skilled in their own way, but they each know their strength lies in stealth and surprise, neither of which they have facing this threat

Astarion was sure they were safe, he was watching their back and vice versa as they had for years

He doesn't see exactly what happens, all he knows is one moment his love was standing in front of him and the next, they're pulp on the floor

Air leaves his lungs, the rest of the world fades as all that exist is their blood in his nose and their desecrated body and then everything goes red

He uses everything at his disposal, knives, nails, teeth; more blood fills the air, his body is covered in it to the point he can't even grip his daggers and just uses his teeth

He doesn't stop until the only thing breathing in the room is him

He then goes to Tav's body, and wraps what's left of it in any cloth he can find; he's not leaving them here, there has to be a way to fix it, to bring them back

He finds a place he can keep them, using what magic he can to preserve the remains of their body until he can find a better solution

He reaches out to any contact he has begging for help, surely their friends would come to their aid

What he gets is all but useless, no answers, no solutions, nothing but empty apologies and condolences

They even have the audacity to them him to let Tav go

They don't understand, they never could

After everything he'd been through, Tav was the first real happiness he found; 200 years of torture and just six months with them was enough to counterweight all that misery

He'd had years since then, and now they were just gone

How could anyone expect him to let that go, not when he had expected a life time with them

Their time together was already limited, he would not be cheated into giving up more; the world didn't get to do that to him

He curses his so called friends, burying himself in necromancy and tomes trying to find a solution

There may still be a way, a much darker way, one that would require sacrifice, but it would be worth it whatever the price

He knew that about himself the moment he started to fall for Tav, there was no telling what things he'd be willing to do, all for them

There is a part of him that hesitates, a little voice inside his head telling him to stop, that he can be better

It's the same voice that told him not to ascend, one he curses just as deeply as the rest of them

If he had ascended none of this would have happened; he would have been able to keep Tav safe, he could have made it so not even time could touch them

He had hesitated then, but he won't now

He'll find a way to bring them back and make sure they never leave him again

[usuallydyinginside]

Dragon Age Veilgard Spoilers 👇

TLDR: I never want to hear anyone criticize Neve about “the choice” in Act 1 ever again.

I’m on my second play through for DAV, and one of the things I was most curious about was how the Act 1 choice changes the game. I’ve seen endless hate for Neve and the way she acts if you don’t save her city, and was curious if Lucanis is like weirdly graceful and forgiving about it by comparison.

lol, NOPE.

Here’s the thing, friends. Yes, Neve’s upset when you don’t go to her city, but Lucanis is so much worse about it AND HAS SO MUCH LESS JUSTIFICATION?!?

If you save Treviso:

You’re told upfront that the Venatori will take over if you don’t save Neve’s home. What you aren’t told is that their first order of business before you can even show up post-dragon is to immediately find and wipe out the Shadow Dragons. When you next visit the city, you’ll find a bit of damage from the dragon but there are literally corpses and gallows littering every street—many wearing Shadow Dragon uniforms. Every NPC that you meet at the Shadow Dragon headquarters is either dead or only shows up very occasionally for quests. The entire SD base is deserted, and they basically tell you that everyone but like four people have been killed. Keeping in mind, of course, that this is an org made up primarily of regular and poor people who are fighting against a corrupt regime to end slavery. That was their crime.

Oh, and to top it all off, Neve tells you that her own m little apartment was destroyed too. She has a whole conversation about how the Lighthouse is her only home and your team is most of her remaining family.

Even with all of this, even with how angry and grieving and hurt Neve is, she still forgives you. You can still fully romance her or raise her friendship high. You just have to work for it.

MEANWHILE…

If you save Minrathos:

To me, it sounded like it would be way worse. They put up a big show of how it’ll be mostly civilians who are harmed and how the water will be poisoned. Hence, the first time I did it, I went the other route and saved Treviso.

Except it’s comparatively not nearly as bad?!? The Crow headquarters is, by my count so far, missing only 3 people (Fletcher, Heir, and guy I am suddenly blanking on name who gives a couple quests). All the important Crows are not only still alive—they’re still exactly where you expect. They talk about how empty it is, but it’s really not very and outside in the courtyard it’s downright crowded with crows. Illario is alive and well (haven’t gotten to other surprise family member but I will be shocked if they aren’t also just fine). Teia and Viago are fine. Even Jacobus is so far just fine.

Lucanis still has a giant ass mansion, a fortune, his family, and the majority of the Crows. The Blight is presumably fixable by the end of the game (unlike the Venatori taking over), and the city shows a lot of signs it’ll recover just fine. The only corpses are from the dragon attack which would have really been there anyway despite what the game shows cause either way a big ass dragon attacked.

However, Lucanis becomes immediately dropped as a romance option if you don’t save his city. He reacts objectively more severely after losing far less.

To be clear, I don’t even mind him reacting that wqy! It makes sense if either of them do. What I mind is how many fans are channeling their internalized sexism into dissing my girl Neve.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

[stoutguts]

Been re-playing 09 recently, and like what if what if—

(the idea is low-key out there but just hear me out, also MAJOR ANGST, MCD, trigger warning/content warning for implied/briefly mentioned s*ic*de)

Price knows that he's in a vídeo game. Like, he figured it out after the first couple of resets,—after the first few playthroughs of the campaign. He has sentience across MW’s 1-3, while everyone else doesn’t.

No matter what he does, the outcome always remains the same.

Like a broken tape recorder, history repeats itself.

Forced to sit by and watch as his men die, again and again.

With their being absolutely fucking nothing he can do to stop it.

The plot is predetermined, and the programming just won’t allow it.

No matter how many times he tries to fight it, no matter how many times he tries to scream or say something off script, or move his body in a different way, it’s all futile.

First, it’s always Gaz.

Killed by Zakhaev, with that damned Desert Eagle.

Failing to protect him from the shot, time and time again. Even when he tries his best to shield him, it just phases right through him.

Then eventually it’s time for Ghost and Roach to go, and it’s never not devastating.

His transmission over comms is always just a smidge too late, no matter how many times he tries to warn them.

The worst part of it is that they’re not even able to recover the bodies,—Shepherd took care of that and then some.

But the most soul crushing of all—

Soap.

The bloody game has the audacity to give Price and the player some sliver of hope,—that maybe Johnny’ll make it out alive somehow.

Shepherd didn’t manage to kill him,—he survived that near death experience at the very least.—But that all comes crashing down after Modern Warfare 3–“Blood Brothers”.

The most brutal of them all, (in Price’s opinion), and it’s of course for the person he cares about most.

His (essentially) adopted son slowly bleeding to death, as they’re under heavy gunfire and surrounded by enemies on all sides. Before finally kicking the bucket from explosives planted by that bastard Makarov.

Of all people, why did it have to be him?

Yuri is gone before he even really got to know the guy.

So blah blah blah, the cycle continues over and over again, and the loop remains unbroken for a long time.

Price tries everything he can possibly think of, and eventually he runs out of options.

By some miracle however,—perhaps some fault in the game’s coding.—There comes an opportunity to end the cycle.—Price meanwhile, has slowly and progressively lost his mind,—until he finally snaps.

After he’d killed Makarov for around the 1,000th time, he can finally end his suffering.

As he watches Makarov’s lifeless body hanging from the rappel, instead of the usual lighter he pulls out to light his cigar, he gains just enough control over his body to pull out his pistol and pull the trigger.

A mass recall of copies of MW3 ensued after the discovery of this “glitch”, due to a outrage within the fan base and community. No matter what the developers and devs tried too, it couldn’t be patched. The game was then rewritten to where Price is the one to die, while Soap lives and is the one to kill Makarov instead. Re-released in 2013.

The idea came to me while listening to/was heavily inspired by the song “S.I.U” by Maretu btw.

If any of you know that song or are familiar, you’re a real one.

Also, completey unrelated, but is it just me or like does 09’s Makarov not sound and look like fucking Ben Shapiro lmfao??? He more so sounds like him though, or at least he reminds me of Ben Shapiro—

[teruuu]

Hello! I don't know if this question was already done, or you explained it before, but I am curious to ask how and why Narinder's left ear is damaged with cracks and doesn't heal or regenerate like other parts of his body...

CW: Descriptions of violence & wounds

OH MY GOD THANK YOU FOR ASKING. I actually wanted to elaborate more on the scars in one of my older posts but I TOTALLY forgot to. Let me explain with the notes that I’ve written down:

So, when Narinder first got defeated, his body transformed to become weaker than that of a mortal’s. Despite this, he still retained his quality of being immortal—it’s just that his body has become extremely weak.

I mentioned before that the Lamb bit off a portion of his right ear and scarred his left eye after Narinder lashed out on them when they finished their battle. Well, the Lamb just so happened to have the powers of a god running in their veins. I explained it in THIS POST. Anyways, so, I pulled out some bullshit about how because they’re now technically the god of death, some of their attacks can infuse decay on other people. And whaddya know, Narinder just so happens to be a victim of this! I had no idea how to draw necrosis or decay in a cool way for his design so I decided, fuck it, cracks would look AWESOME. Narinder’s eye scar also has mini cracks, but of course I didn’t include it in his design because it would look overwhelming.

Ofc receiving wounds from a newborn deity like the Lamb with his weak constitution made the wounds leave scars on him. It was only through his immortality that his body barely even managed to stop the continued decay. The only way he managed to recover from his weak body, regain his power, and get back his regeneration was when he grew closer with the Lamb. I mentioned also on the post that I linked that he built up power the more he drank the Lamb’s blood, vampire style—so, he slowly went from having an extremely weak body to a more agile, powerful one that’s on par with the Lamb’s. Paired with the Lamb’s devotion supplying him, he became even stronger. Now, get this, he ACTUALLY had the option to get rid of all of his scars from the fight with the Lamb. He had enough power to supply him now with the Lamb’s blood + devotion, but at this point he’d become so drunk on the Lamb’s obsession with him that he decided to keep them. He parades these scars around in the Cult as a sort of non-verbal way of expressing how he’s above the rest of the members of the cult. Those scars, to him, are badges of honor. So he kept them.

[astrobolical]

What In “Hell” Is Bad - Limited L-Grade Banner “Guide”

Note: Now available on android as well! Unsure of any differences. I may go through and update this later with images from my phone rather than my iPad.

Looking for other guides? Check out my WHB Guide List!

Okay… not sure where to start with this one other than it’ll be nice and short. However, this is the first guide I’ve made that I hope I get to change quickly.

To start though; new L-Grade Devils to pull, and pretty, blood-covered versions of Leviathan and Beelzebub. I currently do not have them, however, so I will be unable to show their skill/ultimates at all. I’m not willing to pay for it, though, despite that I do spend money on this game… but yeah.

What’s this all about?

PrettyBusy has given us a brand new temporary banner to showcase their new devils and artifacts, basically. (With some added drama, but we’ll get to that.)

Get Leviathan (Bloodshed) or Beelzebub (Bloodshed) guaranteed within 220 pulls.

Use the new item “Solomon’s Seal” to pull (50 Rings for 1 Pull, 500 for 10 pulls)

DO NOT pull on the standard banners for these devils! Right now they’re only available on this one

The pity (220) is absurdly high, and I’ll get to why soon

You can also get two new artifacts from this new banner.

Wing-ripping Sword

“The wearer’s HP and ATK SPD increases by 20%. If equipped on Leviathan (Bloodshed), has a 30.00% chance of immediately killing the enemy with under 15% HP he hits with a normal attack.”

Cracked Sunglasses

“Upon an accurate hitting of a normal attack, recovers as much HP as 4.00% of HP of the wearer. If equipped on Beelzebub (Bloodshed), recovers 100% HP upon using skill.”

Both really good artifacts! Especially for the new devils. If you have the seals for it all.

What? What’s Solomon’s Seal?

This is the unfortunate part— and it wasn’t properly communicated from PrettyBusy. We knew the new currency was coming, but not the means to get it.

This is only purchasable with real money.

There is four purchasing options, and none of them seem overly well priced? Let’s go over that though. We get 50 Seals for the update (1 Pull).

Prices for Solomon’s Seal Packages:

241 Seals - $11.99 (4 Pulls)

717 Seals - $49.95 (14 Pulls)

1,312 Seals -$59.99 (26 Pulls)

2,200 Seals - $99.90 (44 Pulls)

Just looking at them, it’s like… okay? But thinking about the pity, and the 0.63% chance to draw an L-Grade from the temporary banner, it’s not great.

Assuming you don’t get lucky, and you go all the way to 220?

You would need to buy the $99.90 package around 5 times. Which is ~$500. Being real, you’ll usually get them before pity, but there’s four things to get through this banner if you want everything. That’s a lot of chance.

Why is this not good, though?

Because there is no free-to-play alternative.

These seals are only obtainable in the shop, as I said before. It’s not the first game to do this, and won’t be the last. It’s not the end of the world, either. But it’s not great or motivating to the ftp players or community. I’m not going to keep ragging on this, though.

If you have an issue with this, contact PrettyBusy POLITELY. Not with anger, or profanity. Be nice.

So… I can’t get them?

You can!

Just not now, unless they change how this works. When this banner is over (Nov 14, 2023) they’ll be added to the Standard Banner to pull like all the rest.

Oh! There is one more thing to add!

Story Prologues

On the bottom left of the banners you’ll find story prologues you can read to get an idea of why the boys are bloodied up. Just click the circular icon of the one you want to read!

[keelt9]

Chapter 1

Masterlist

No matter the place of the world, December, specifically the first days, is a mess. People come and go with the first decorations for work, home or school, the streets are crowded, people with a refill of energy in good and bad ways.

That's why I was forced to be stuck in the traffic for more than 20 minutes, leaving me with just one option: run to the fifty floor trying to reach my office before the 10 minute tolerance ends.

I barely opened the big crystal door when the small light of the entrance check was about to turn red, signs that you’re late. 

“On time.” I raise my sight trying to recover some air when I see Pamela Ludell watching me with hands full of papers. “Still, Claire is already looking for you.” 

Claire Murray is my boss, a lovely boss, still could be really strict when she proposes it.

“I have to review the last pages of the manuscript I…” I was about to slip away when Pam cleared her throat and moved her eyes in panic. 

Of course Claire is at my back. “Claire, morning.” 

Claire gives me a side smile like always coffee in her hand. “Pam, Y/N, morning.” Pam ran away after greeting her back. “Shall we?” She takes a step aside for I walk straight to her office. 

Her office is full of books but with a sophisticated touch, big crystals at the back of her desk and a comfy cream lounge. “Tell me Y/N, when was the last time you took days off?” 

I sat leaning my head to the left, confused. “Am, what?” Cleair giggles take a folder to her left and read one thing, like she needs some kind of corroboration.

“I correct, why don't you take your vacations?” Claire takes a deep breath and pushes the file to me. “Y/N it’s not a secret that you’re one of my best editors, I love having you here, making my life easier, however…”

The file has plane tickets and a lot of brochures about my home. “You need to take a break, or at this rate you will end up sick or something worse.” I try to talk but she shakes her head and smiles. “Don’t worry I will send you a couple of manuscripts but I don’t want to see you here for at least 3 months.” 

“3 MONTHS?!” I stand but Claire laughs. “Listen, I could go for a couple of days…”

“Bye Y/N, enjoy this time, I bet at home they will love to spend time with you.” My words stuck in my throat as her assistant knocked on the door before entering. “Have a good vacation Y/N.”

“And you said yes?” Pam is sitting in my office watching me turn around in my chair, trying to think of a good excuse. “Dang, apparently being a workaholic is a disadvantage in the long term.” 

I cover my head with the file. “Could you help me to think of something?” I see the tickets for the night. 

“Y/N, go home, rest, enjoy and come back in 3 months. Come on! They’re not firing you, they just want to take you out of here.” Pam took the field out my face, pulled me from my hands. “I'll miss you but God, it’s good not having you here for a while.”

“Three years of friendship and I get kicked out.” Pam laughs, puts my bag over my shoulder and pushes me to the exit. Pam has been my friend since I arrived here in Chicago, she helped me with the moving, knew the city and was my date when I encapsulated it in work.

I turn around before the elevator opens. “If you need something or….” She covered my mouth with a mint candy, smiling as she gave the final push to the elevator. 

“Have fun!”

Dragging my feet I arrived at my apartment, and packed just the things I needed. I have winter clothes in my parents house so it is useless carrying too much.

The airport is still in calm people coming and going but not with the passion of the days previous to Christmas Eve, but the ornaments inundated all the airport. 

I don't tell my parents about coming home so I take a cab to go home, they are probably working, explain the lights off.

“Y/N?” I heard the voice of Mrs. Carmichael, an old lady, a neighbor three houses away and a good friend of the family. “Is that you darling?” She is standing there with her white cat narrowing her eyes. 

“Hi, Mrs. Carmichael, how are you?” Her face turned in an expression of joy, enough to walk faster to hug me in our door.

“Hi, sweetheart, look at you, so beautiful.” She grabs my face and pat my cheek. “Oh, your parents will be so happy to see you.” I nod careness the head of her cat. “You know you are welcome home any minute. Get inside it is cold and you’re barely covered.”

When my parents arrived I didn't know if they were screaming to see me or because they were scared, what I know is they hugged me so softly and kissed me over and over again. 

“Omg, here you are darling, here you are. How? Why? When?” Mom says pulling so I can sit. 

Told them I was forced to take my vacation? It's rude. “I have extended vacation.” They smile and nod instantly. 

“That's great honey. You'll be able to rest.” Mom starts speaking about the multiple things I could do for rest and disconnect from work. 

“I'll rest but don't worry I'll give you a hand at the coffee shop.” Like when I was in high school and my first years of college, I helped my parents in his small but enchanting coffee shop, a place mom had since my brother and I were kids but invested big after I graduated.

The first day was a nightmare for me, I had a routine that disappeared in one night; Claire sent me just two manuscripts of a kids book, that's all my work for 3 almost 4 months, so I have to distribute wisely. On my second day I went to my obligated stop.

In a nice street with a lot of old buildings you will find her, covered in elegant colors, plunging in his 3 monitors with a lot of wedding things at her back.

I enter but she just greets me with. “In a second.” I shake my head and I sit in one of the couches she had. “Ready, what can I…”

Leah King takes out her glasses and screams when she sees me. “YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!” 

I stand but I receive a bump in my arm. “Yeah it's nice to see you too.” I rub my arm, this time she hugs me shaking me like a smoothie.

“Don't, you dare to tell me you're leaving already.” She splits, the tears in her eyes. “Talk women, talk.” 

“You say, I don't tell you.” She quickly trimmed back and grabbed her purse.

“I have what? 1 hour, 2 hours, we can …” I laughed, making her leave her stuff.

“It's ok, I'm joking, I'm…in…vacation?” Leah narrowed her eyes but I explained everything to her, not filters. 

“THAT’S GREAT! I was afraid you could faint in any minute if you keep working with that intensity.” I scoff. “But hey, give me two hours, I'll finish editing and I'll pick you up in the coffee shop, alright?” 

Leah is a photographer, especially a wedding photographer, she loves living the illusion through the eyes of the bride and groom, the magic moments she captured and the emotions in each one her shots, not counting the amazing eye had for taking those moments, in the right light with the right time. 

My parent’s coffee shop is 20 minutes walking from there. When I arrived, their usual 12:00 pm customers were arriving too. I walk to the back of the counter to grab an apron and take orders. After taking it, giving my parents a hand, the coffee shop was running empty. 

“Thank you honey.” Dad squeezed my face before raising a plate with a small grape pie. “Enjoy it.” 

He walks to the back where my mother is preparing the next round of cookies, I sit for a second when I hear the door open, I walk back to the counter not raising my eyes from my phone where I was reading the chaos after the midweek reunion in the editorial.

“I'm sorry, can I take your order?” I ask, containing the smile, the second I hear the scoff my eyes raise so fast.

“Joe, hi! What are you doing here?” My father asked, appearing at the right moment. “Oh, you remember my daughter?” Please no.

Joe looked at me, his eyes as ice cubes. “Yeah, I do.” I move for my father to take his order, tense as a stick. 

I nod still, walk fast to the table where I was sitting, grab the pie to walk back to the kitchen but my plan gets frustrated in the first step. 

“Oh that's great, don't worry, Y/N will be at home these days so, she can give you a hand with that.” My father said as I grabbed my pie. “Right honey?” 

“What?” I stop at the table. 

“Oh no, it's ok, I have the last games of the year and I pretend to go to my grandparents home for Christmas, it's all right.” Joe said, looking at my father. 

I learned it years ago. <Joe Burrow hates me>

“Oh come on darling it's been ages!” My mother says take the cookies out of the oven. “You haven't seen him in what? 3 years?”

The first time Joe arrived in Cincinnati, especially when he discovered my mother's coffee shop, I was in my last semester of college. We used to have nice talks, joke around and even go for ice cream from time to time all the days I was able to be at home, until we're not.

After my summer holidays and before I entered work, something changed. One morning there wasn't any talk, he avoided me and practically ignored me. I tried for 4 months but he simply stopped talking. After a drunken night in Leah's house drowning in tears I swear to myself if he doesn't want to talk with me anymore, FINE, SCREW YOU.

Of course after I cry like a baby but I made up my mind.

We’re sitting having a nice lunch. “Jesus! I mean, I understand but even I start to feel about him, a lot of hard feelings.”

I rub my eyes and shake my head. “Sorry.” 

“Ok, don't ruin the mood, you came here for rest not for stress.” Leah has a point and the rhyme makes us laugh about that. 

“Now you're here, do you remember Miles?” I clean my fingers nodding.

Miles Johnonson an old friend from middle school who we used to spend a lot time together, but the college and work made us apart 

“Well, he's been working here, in a laboratory since last year and he's in contact with the one who remains here. He invites us to his party, you should come.” Leah tapped the table multiple times. “Who knows that little lo…”

I interrupted her after taking a sip of my drink. “This is good!” Leah rolls her eyes taking a bite of her sandwich.

“Avoid the topic but we know you were this close to start something.” I scrunch my nose making her laugh.

“I pick you? It's Friday night.” I scoff at my few choices she already left me. 

My routine turns very simple and calm, hard to admit, but I am enjoying it these days.

“Do you want something special for Christmas?” My mom asked as I set the Christmas ornament on the top of the tree.

“Not really, are you excited for Pete and I or just for Archie?” Mom's eyes got a special sparkle. Peter is my older brother who has a wonderful marriage with Nora and a ashtoing 3 year old boy, Archie.

“Archie is a lovely boy.” I giggle at her notorious emotion and her clear pick. I try to see Archie as much as I can, but I'm immersed in my work all the time, so I practically obligated Pete and his family to travel to Chicago on special days.

“This is the most impractical place for a Christmas tree.” I can barely reach the top of the tree and the piano at my back doesn't help.

My dad used to be a musician teacher after he retired, in his free time he delighted the customers with lovely music and now he does it with more frequency and the same passion as in his young years. 

“Emma, would you mind?” Dad is struggling with a huge box of what seems like the Christmas presents of this year. Mom runs to help him avoiding a possible crash and a broken gifs..

You better not have the present at home with a curious kid.

“Where is the… you know that one?” Mom's ask looking for in the box.

“I couldn't find it.” Dad tried to avoid the killing eyes but he's never been that lucky. “All right, all right I'm sorry. Let's go and we'll bring you here.”

“Y/N is putting the tree Simon.” It's late at night so anyone is coming. All that is left is putting the star and checking the lights, that could give them enough time to go and come back.

“It's ok, I got it.” I smile, appearing at the back of the tree covered in glitter, mom has a fascination for sparkling Christmas trees. “I'm fine, go.” 

They leave not before apologizing for not helping to finish but Pete arrives early the next day so all must be ready. Archie coming home without a Christmas tree is out of the question.

I shake my clothes after pulling all the empty boxes in a big one, just the golden star out of place. One big issue, with the tree ready, is daring putting a simple star on the top. 

“Not that smart huh?” I speak to myself trying to stand higher than I can and don't touch any ornament. However, even in my tip toes it's impossible.

I feel a huge body behind me taking the star of my hands and helping me to put on the top. The normal feeling must be frightening but I could recognise the fragrance even if it has been a hundred of years.

“Is it the right place?” Joe asked, still he didn't move. My head is debating in excitement and rejection. 

But the heart has a memory too and sometimes brings the worst feelings of the past, in a lively way.

[honoviadakai]

How team Urameshi takes care of a sick person! 🤒

(I’ve been pulling my brains out all day and running a high fever. Instead of you know…seeking medical help outside of a corner store pharmacy…imma let my creative juices flow!)

Cw: mentions of vomiting, flu symptoms, lack of common sense(it’ll make sense when you reach it)

Yusuke:

First off

Why was this the first guy you went to for medical care???

Like he’s not the worst but…

There are better options!

Also, depending on who you are, he might make it worse by accident

Ok so if your a friend, like one of the guys or just someone he’s chill with, just go find an actual doctor

He’s gonna do the bare minimum

But not entirely because he’s lazy

It’s mostly cuz…how the fuck is he supposed to help Jin’s fever when there’s a mini hurricane happening in the room???

Like he can barely take care of a human

How’s he supposed to take care of his demon friends when they’re all different species!?

The best thing he’s gonna do is refer them to Genkai or Kurama

That being said, he does makes an amazing chicken noodle soup!

Everyone gets one big bowl of the stuff when he finds out someone’s sick

Seriously that shit should be labeled as a miracle cure or something

Now if you’re family/a s/o there is a drastic difference

He’s gonna be attentive

But he’s still not gonna know what to do beyond getting antibiotics and soup

So he’s gonna get Kurama, Genkai AND a doctor at the same time

He has faith his friends won’t die from a cold

His family and lover though???

Yeeeeah

He’s gonna internally panic and do what he can to help you recover

It’s a funny dichotomy tbh xD

Kuwabara:

It does not matter who you are to him

You could be a friend, a lover, a family member, a classmate, a coworker, a complete fucking stranger even! Mans ain’t leaving you hanging. Period.

He’s getting all the medicine he can from the pharmacy

He’s making you nice warm soup

If you need to go to the doctor, he’s making the appointment, taking you to the appointment and even attending the appointment with you!

The ONLY difference in who gets what from him is his lover & occasionally his sister get sleepy sick cuddles

His lover is also getting forehead kisses if they ask for it

Yeah, there’s a possibility that he’s gonna get sick later

But he doesn’t care!

You need his help! Repercussions be damned! 😤

Kurama:

This has the funniest dichotomy between friends and lovers 😂

If you’re a friend, he gonna do one of two things

If its just a mild cold, he’ll prescribe some herbal tea he made

You’ll be 100% by tomorrow 👍

If it’s bad like a high fever, he’ll come to your house and be the best doctor you’ve ever had

Like he’s literally a home doctor without the paycheck

Pure professionalism

He comes in, assesses the issues and quickly does everything he can to cure the illness as fast as possible

You’ll be 100% by tomorrow 👍

Now let’s say your family or a lover

He’s at your beck and call 📞 🔔

You want tea? It’s already steeping

You want back rubs? He’s got a rose scented lotion to help ease your aching muscles

You want sleepy cuddles while the meds kick in? Scoot over, he’s cuddling you for the rest of the evening!

He’s low key spoiling you

To be fair…you feel icky, you deserve it!

So just let it happen

You’ll be 100% by tomorrow 👍

…but juuuuust in case…stay in bed till you’re 1000% better 😌

Hiei:

…

Was no one else available???

Is the doctor’s office closed or something???

What chain of events led you to go to Hiei of all people for medical help???????

Like even if you’re his lover…why did you come to him for help on curing the flu????

He doesn’t know what that is!!

Like…if I had to summarize what he’s like when you’re sick….

It’s this

This is the closest to “helpful” he’s gonna be

Especially if you’re his friend/ally

He’s just…not gonna do much…

He’ll maybe go grab Kurama…maybe…

He might just honestly tell him in passing you’re sick and that’s it…

If you’re family or a lover, he’s at least more nice to you

Like he’s actually gonna check up on you

He doesn’t know the first thing about tending to the ill so he’s definitely gonna grab Kurama and basically demand he heals you

He’s not gonna let you out of his sight till he knows you’re 1000% better

He might not be in the same room as you the whole time though

Honestly he might be watching you from a tree a good 5 miles from your house…but he’s still making sure you’re ok

He honestly feels useless so him essentially protecting you is his way of feeling like he’s actually being helpful

Not sure what he’s protecting you from exactly when the virus is already in your body but just let him have it, it’s how he shows he cares

[ruinaimagines]

I love you and I am throwing money at you mentally (drop that link if I can do it genuinely)

Can you write Dante x Reader where they're both healers but the reader is more "if you get out of bed after spraining your ankle I am wrestling you to the ground" (to compliment Dante's "PLEASE DONT HURT YOURSELF" vibes)

First of all, I love this dynamic, and second I am kicking my feet at this THANK YOU SO MUCH! My goodness, I don’t have anything special set up because I was unaware of the potential support I’d get, but if you are interested I do have an ol’ cashapp with the name $Aeroroot or VIA paypal! https://paypal.me/aeroroot?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US . I want to specify it is totally optional as I get a lot of joy solely from your enjoyment alone, but if you want to go the extra mile then I thank you especially!

Dante x Healer Reader Headcanons:

I love Dante but lord do they need this extra help. Both recovering memories from amnesia with no clue on how they got here, in charge of a group of unruly sinners who get killed practically every single mission, and going through excruciating pain every time they have to bring them back. Not pleasant!

Honestly a bit of a pushover and I say that with love. Do I blame them? No, but sometimes someone else needs to help out a little around here. And that someone happens to be you, which Dante is very grateful for, if not a little… Concerned.

You seem to be the only one aside from Sinclair maybe who pays attention to the strain that bringing people back puts on them, whenever anyone approaches them for trivial injuries you snag them into your grasp and usher them to sit down.

They look up to you a bit for your strong sense of self, and lack of fear when it comes to dragging people back into their seats no matter the complaints so you can patch them up. Some are easier and more patient than others, some are a little more rowdy (cough Heathcliff cough Ryoshu cough). Still, you seem to have no fear putting someone into a headlock so you can bandage them even if your main skill isn’t meant to be combat.

Dante has witnessed you firsthand tackle sinners to the floor who were about to be staggered with very little sense of self preservation. Despite being so determined that the people around you are in good shape, it doesn’t seem to extend to you in your mind.

Will insist that you need to be just as aware of your own quality as you do anyone else’s. Surprisingly not that afraid of scolding you, probably because they know you won’t retaliate. It’s all out of care too.

As stubborn as you are, you are very appreciated by your colleagues, even ones like Heathcliff who may complain but ultimately are thankful. You have a sense of authority without even intending to, many follow your advice because they know that you’ll just haul them back to bed.

As for your and Dante’s relationship, I can see them being initially intimidated but glad for your assistance. You even check in on them from time to time, claiming that they are as important of a patient as anyone else. They’re a bit confused because they don’t directly participate in fighting, but you reason that the pain they feel from rewinding time counts as enough of a reason to look out for them. 

They do make the mental note to just comply with you if ever they get injured themselves. Your sheer will to keep people in best condition, including the force you are willing to apply to do so, is something they do not want to reckon with.

I imagine that if they did get injured and attempted to leave, likely with the reasoning of ‘the sinners need me to bring them back’, a single glare from you would shut them up and sit them down. You tell them that they can resurrect them later, right now they are not budging.

Despite not really having a face to make expressions with you have learned to understand how they feel from body movement alone. When other sinners are pestering them to heal them back up, and you visibly see the hesitance, then you will step in. 

You don’t really see Dante as your manager (sorry bud lot.

Dante doesn’t actually know the first thing about healing. They just rewind back time and through some miasma of events everyone is back in one piece. Watching you get to work yourself is so interesting because you actually know what you’re doing. They will stare over at you to try and figure out what is going on and take little notes, like you’re teaching them.

Upon your repeatedly voiced concerns, your colleagues have learned to stop relying on Dante to fix the smallest of wounds, most of them at least. Your manager appreciates this greatly as it gives them a breather from the repeated experience.

When neither of you are busy and some questions have been brought about, Dante will come to you to ask them. It’s easy to forget that they remember almost nothing about the city or who they are, but they find that you seem to be willing to answer even the most minute of inquiries.

You are a lifesaver both literally and figuratively and they appreciate that you take some weight off their shoulders. That said, you also give them constant heart attacks by the fact you are not afraid to plunge into extreme danger to drag someone else out. Are you two exploring a building and you hear someone familiar yelling outside? You will do whatever you can to get to them quickly even if that means jumping out a two story window. It’s like a summoning call for you.

Dante is very adamant on restoring you even if you tell them not to. They see it as the least they can do when you’re so willing to sacrifice yourself not only for the sinners, but them. Your words to stop letting people walk all over them come back to bite you, because they will not take no for an answer.

Generally more comfortable in coming to you for advice considering the trust that you have gained from them. They quite literally have been thrusted into a position they know almost nothing about, and chances are if they don’t learn fast then things are about to go downhill real fast. You yourself aren’t a manager – you’re a medic, but your decisive nature is something they respect even if you can throw yourself impulsively into situations to save another. 

Considering how you put others before yourself, you likely are on the more empathetic or compassionate side too, even if it may not show in the same way that Dante’s does. Obtaining the Golden Boughs is a rigorous and emotional process for every sinner, and Dante doesn’t always know what to do. There isn’t ever one clear answer, but they may come to you for how they should approach it.

The confusing things going on in their own head never really got to be talked about until it came to you. Not always are they looking for a fix, because a lot of the time there isn’t one, but just someone to rely on.

Dante is adorable, and I think that a large reason why you care deeply for them is because of how they are like a fresh canvas, free from the city’s imposed expectations. They’re just some honest, worried person who has yet to become shut off to being vulnerable like so many have. It’s refreshing, and yes most of that is caused from memory loss, who they were beforehand is a complete mystery, but that doesn’t change who they are in the moment.

Dante likes you too because there’s a sense of special camaraderie between you two. Whether it’s because you both deal with the aftermath of battles together, or because they find you both genuine and look up to you, they often stick by your side. You both stay exhausted and overworked, but it’s not too bad because hey, you’re in it together.

[ammyramblings]

SPOILERS SPOILERS I CANNOT TAG HEAVILY ENOUGH FOR VEILGAURD SPOILERS FOR BOTH SAVING MINRATHOUS AND TREVISO!

I have played both now and I have thoughts.

Ok so as a Crow at heart I have played several times and always saved Treviso. I figured if I was going to do a Shadow Dragon run this would be the time to save Minrathous. Now I have thoughts on both options but first let me explain what I’d seen before I blighted Treviso.

I had seen many arguments stating that it made more sense to save Minrathous because of the Venetori and how much worse it was if they were in control and also that Viper gets blighted while Teia and Viago are safe.

Now having played both I could not disagree more.

So look at it this way from the perspective of someone who’s completed the game. Stop reading right now if you haven’t.

Minrathous gets pretty fucked up either way by the end. I won’t go into details here incase people who haven’t finished the game are still reading but suffice to say Minrathous is shit outta luck.

Meanwhile Treviso can get what passes as a happy ending in all this and by not helping them you literally doom the place.

Additionally - Viper gets blighted yes, but he’s a mage who knows some magic to slow that shit down and he’s given the option of a warden joining ritual which we never really learn if he takes or not, no conscription necessary because Antione and Evka have hearts.

Add to this the Venatori are ALWAYS going to be a problem in Tevinter. Antiva however, does have a chance to get rid of the Aantaam. Yes if you don’t save Minrathous lots of Shadows are publicly executed which is horrible but, (yes I can’t believe I’m writing but after that but here we are), the Shadows are an underground resistance group who genuinely are always at risk of being discovered. This could always have happened. Additionally, the Magisters while not being known for kindness or equality, do have some stake in making sure their city recovers. After all who are they going to rule and lord over and where will they get and keep slaves if shit is awful and the poor keep dying. There’s no one for them to exploit and in economic terms for them that’s bad for business.

Meanwhile, Treviso is fucked. For years, maybe forever. You can’t convince me it isn’t harder to clear blight from water especially when you literally have no real force but a group of assassins to keep order. Also you have an occupation happening. Oh and just to add insult to injury with all that, those assassins are now becoming crazy strong, trained to kill in wild acrobatic ways, darkspawn.

They literally are the worst thing that could have come of this and emotionally it’s killer since most of them want to help the city (yes we can talk about moral ambiguity and crows later, the fact is, they don’t want to fuck up their own home much like the real life mafia). So you now have all these killer darkspawn and one in particular who basically thanks you for killing him. The crows also lose Heir their trainer and Fletcher their supplier so they’re fucked two more ways and they literally can’t even drink their own water. Never mind the bugs and dead shit the disease must be rife.

All this to say as much as I admit I’m a Crow loving little shit, I do have genuine reasons for thinking saving Treviso is actually better in the long haul.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[rodolfoparras]

Stop making me cry damnit 😭 is this how other people feel when I amp up the angst?

Also I love you too and I love writing like this and sharing ideas with you. And everyone is so sweet with their compliments omg 🥺

That being said

*cracks knuckles*

Imagine your injury being far worse than anyone expected. It looked like just a simple bullet wound and John was fully expecting to see you wake up the next day and he was already imagining you grumbling to him and shyly asking him out to dinner while he fusses around you and helps you get better.

John is already imagining it all in his head, sharing a drink over fancy dinner, sharing a cigar and pulling you into a kiss and whispering I love you against your lips. But the daydream comes crashing down when he hears words that will haunt his nightmares until he dies.

"There were some complications Sir, the bullet pierced some of the more important organs and..." nurse sighs, unwilling to meet John's gaze because she hates to be the one to tell him. "We are not sure are we going to be able to save him."

And it's the first time in so long, maybe ever that John felt that amount of pain. Gut-wrenching, tearing him from the inside out because he remembered every interaction he ever had with you and...he was coward. Even when held you in his arms and when you insisted on telling him you loved him with what might've been your last fucking breaths...he still couldn't say it.

He stays by your side and doesn't let anyone move him from your room and he was never that religious but he prays to any deity that will listen just for one selfish opportunity to tell you that he loves you. Because you have to know! And when you do finally wake up (because I'm not that cruel and let's give it happy ending), his lips are on yours and he's telling you he loves you before you can even register what is happening. And he swears he will keep repeating it every.single.day. as long as he's alive.

(And he does and you never get tired of hearing it)

-🔮

There’s going to be a next time he says as he sits in the emergency room while you’re being operated.

There’s going to be a fancy dinner and he’s going to wear the suit that barley fits him anymore, even if the doctors had told him there were to be complications

There’s going to be an opportunity to say that he loves you, he thinks to himself as he watches you still asleep in the hospital bed, monitors connected to every bit of your body.

The sun is pleasantly warm as it shines down on your face, the drink you’d been nursing is cold in your hand. The only thing missing is-

“Clementine ?” Price says already knowing what you’re thinking. Your face lights up, shining as bright as the sun and you eagerly nod at his proposal.

It’s certainly not a dinner like you had promised but due to your injuries you were still recovering and sitting outside on the grass on a warm summer day and eating clementines is the best option for now.

Price can’t help but laugh as he hands you a piece. “It’s funny no?”

“What is?” You say biting down on the fruit, tasting the sweet and sour goodness.

“You hate the smell of clementines yet you love eating them” he says before giving you another piece which you take gracefully.

“They’re good as long as I don’t have to peel them” you say with a playful glint in your eyes.

Price scoffs as if offended but you can still see the smile on his face as he hands you another piece. “What am I then? You personal Clementine peeler?”

“Yes yes you are” you say, a laugh escaping your lips but quickly disappearing as you see the mischievous look on him.

Before you know it he’s burying his face in your neck, the smell of clementines engulfing your sense and his sticky fingers brushing upon your skin.

“No go away you stink” you say through fits of laughter but Price doesn’t care, continues to nuzzle his face in your neck while lightly dragging his finger alongside of your ribs to not agitate your injuries.

“Okay okay you win! You’re not just a Clementine peeler is that what you wanted to hear?”

Price halts his actions, eyes peering up at you with a playful smile on his face.

“You know what I want to hear” price says, and as he says the words you feel heat creep up your neck ears and cheeks but nonetheless you say the words he’d been longing to hear.

“I love you jo-“ you don’t get to say anymore than that before he’s slotting your lips together. You can now taste the fruit juice on his lips can even get a whiff of the cigar he’d been smoking as you lose yourself in the kiss.

But it doesn’t last long before he pulls away.

“I love you too” he says with a flush on his face “so much”

Spitball w/ me?

[literarybaby]

challengers inspired rp plots!

hi everyone! i am not sure if i am alone in this but i have been having deep, deep challengers brainrot. so i thought i would take the opportunity to share some tennis-themed/challengers-inspired plot bunnies with you. with a couple of these, i’ve had the absolute pleasure of playing out or at least, brainstorming with some of my current writing partners.

all titles are from the soundtrack - ty trent r & divider is by @cafekitsune

some of these have more darker and mature themes, but can be adapted to work at any level. all of these can be adapted to work with any pairing as well. and probably sport — if you squint. 

if you’re interested, feel free to reach out about any of these if you'd like to write together.

also feel free to take them and make them your own! enjoy!

𝐋𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐘

muse a is a young rising star in tennis (think tashi in the first half of the movie). they are on everyone’s radar as the one to go down in history and join the ranks of the past greats. adidas already has them in a campaign. and soon, they’re probably going to turn their whole family into millionaires. however, during a game, they suffer a traumatic and freak injury which looks like it will derail their entire career. muse a is devastated as everything they’ve ever wanted or worked for will come to an end. enter muse b — an older, successful surgeon — who decides to help a depressed and lost muse a. fixing broken body parts is part of their job and they are able to do so easily. even kinder, they support muse a through their recovery and physical therapy. unbeknownst to muse a and everyone in their lives, muse b has been grooming them — giving them treatment beyond what a medical professional should offer. this leads to muse a entering into a relationship with muse b where the power dynamic is totally whack. with muse a recovering and being back on their game, they feel they totally owe it all to muse b’s god hands and want to pay them back with any means necessary. 

𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 / 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒

muse a and muse b are the perfect tennis doubles tennis partners. so much so, they have corny nicknames like fire and ice. they are best friends, practice partners, and have long shared history. optional: muse a can be more a technically perfect player and muse b is pure, raw talent. unbeknownst to muse b, muse a has been hopelessly in love with them the entire time but is in the closet/in denial. when muse b starts to cluelessly date someone (optional: muse c if you want mumu), muse a is jealous and their friendship slowly starts to deteriorate with muse b frustrated and confused why this is happening. skip a few years, muse a and muse b find themselves on opposite sides of the net as the biggest rivals in tennis. years of resentment, avoidance, and pressure have culminated in this moment. should they repair their relationship? will they ever talk about it? maybe there’s still a chance or will someone end up hurt again?

𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐇 𝐗 𝟏𝟎

muse a is an older and seasoned tennis veteran. truthfully, they aren’t as good as they used to be and are on the verge of retirement. they decide that this tournament(possibly set at wimbledon?)will be their last and they’ll retire after regardless of the outcome. but during, they meet the young muse b — someone spunky and maybe they have a bad temper like john mcenroe — but they’re not like anyone else muse a has ever met. they challenge them. they intrigue them. however, this romance comes at the worst time as muse b desperately wants to win the tournament and this is a bit of a distraction. so should muse a and muse b embrace the distraction and get caught up in the whirlwind of things, despite knowing love means absolutely nothing in tennis. 

𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐑

muse a is a down-on-their-luck tennis player. they’re definitely not a ranked player or really famous at all, but this is all they know. they’re still good, and believe they have in them to win a grand slam or a major tournament, despite their age and more importantly, their financial situation. sometimes they are sleeping in their car if they can’t afford a motel on tour, but sometimes, they get even more desperate — which is how they found muse b, on tinder, swiping right on literally everyone until they get a match. muse b thinks they’re going on a date with a professional athlete but little do they know, muse a is flat broke and is only with them for a hot meal and a warm bed. should muse b figure this out? or maybe as they go on the date, both muses feel a connection — does that mean muse a will come clean with their intentions? or will muse b be saddled with supporting muse a’s broke ass? 

𝐋’𝐎𝐄𝐔𝐅

muse a is a young and naive tennis player from a small town/country. they come from a nice, wholesome family. being a professional athlete was sort of by chance too, so they have absolutely know idea how to navigate the pressurized world of fame and fortune. fortunatelyor unfortunately, they get help from muse b — a cut-throat, smart, and cunning sports agent. muse b is able to set muse a up with an fancy apartment, good sponsorship deals, hefty contracts, and soon become the voice of reason for muse a. muse b is determined to guide muse a to the big star lights and away from their country mouse past. it gets to the point where muse a can’t do anything without muse b. will muse a ever get away from muse b? or will muse b abuse their power? could involve isolating them from their family, controlling their spending, and even baby-trapping them.

𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐙𝐄𝐑

muse a is retired professional tennis player and decides become a instructor at a fancy, schmancy country club. they decided to take this job not because for the love of the sport, but to further themselves as the club is crawling with unsuspecting rich people with good connections just waiting to be made. muse a meets muse b, a naive, rich kid who takes tennis lessons. they get on really well and decide to bring muse a to meet their family. through a series of carefully crafted lies, muse a and b get closer and closer until they’re in a relationship. muse b starts asking their parents to get muse a better job, better clothes, and ultimately, a better life. but what happens when someone or something from muse a’s past comes rearing its ugly head and threatens to expose and break this carefully plotted dream life? does muse a confess to muse b, or does muse b dump them? or is muse a crazy enough to keep lying to keep muse b and their perfect new life theirs for good?

"𝐈 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖"

muse a is a professional tennis player who seems like they have the perfect life. they’re winning, rich, have a partner who is possibly their coach, and even a child. little does everyone know, it’s not all roses on the inside. their partner is cheating on them and it’s really throwing off all the other parts of their life — especially their game. so they decide to cheat too, with muse b — someone who isn’t part of this crazy tennis world. immediately, it’s steamy and exciting having an affair. it really jumpstarts muse a’s attitude and they start winning again. when muse a’s partner (could even be a muse c) finds out, they could hardly care less and is happy that something is finally getting muse a motivated again. but muse b isn’t satisfied with just being a secret, not when they play such a pivotal role in muse a’s life. maybe they decide to expose muse a and their partner? or maybe they threaten to leave? or maybe they try to navigate this as a threesome?

𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐄𝐓

muse a is a successful, professional tennis player. they’re winning tournaments. they’re living their best life on the ATP/WTA tour. being on the road is great but is a bit lonely sometimes despite all the cool sponsorship parties and galas. dating is too hard too, as it’s difficult to stay connected within all these time zones and from all these far away places. instead, they use an expensive celebrity escort service and meet muse b. muse b can quell the sting of loneliness on the road and it’s low commitment — only calling them up when they’re in town. however, this last time leads to muse b getting pregnant accidentally. now muse a has to decide if they want to step up to the plate and be a parent, and if they do, how do they explain how they met their partner to the press?bonus points ifmuse bhas slept with other tennis players and their services are not a well-kept secret.

[trickstarbrave]

Idea in my brain

Astarion and Tav but. Tav has also been through some horrific abuse themselves. Treated like pure shit, half their face burnt, and gives off the impression they’ve healed from it but really they just like helping other ppl more. In their eyes they’ve kind of decided other ppl need their help more, because they’ll at least have the chance to recover and heal. They’re self sacrificing, but charismatic enough most ppl just think they’re just helpful. If you ask about their past they don’t say much, just enough that others drop it and in the chaos of lilithid tadpoles and the absolute cult no one really digs that deep into it for a while 

Astarion meanwhile does his thing. He’s terrified of being left behind. Of people turning on him. He uses his body and sweet talks Tav. But immediately Tav sees through it. They can tell Astarion doesn’t mean it, he’s just scared and alone, but they’ve honestly never felt very desired before. And also they figure rejecting him might make him even more jumpy, so they play along knowing full well he’s ‘manipulating’ them.

Astarion opens up more and talks about his past, while Tav just kinda becomes like. Well Tav sees themselves as an emotional support animal. Astarion’s first actual relationship while he gets his footing. It hasn’t been the first time they’ve done so and they figure it won’t be the last. But Astarion is too beautiful and strong to want to stay with them once this is all take care of, right? After a few months post Cazador death and free of the tadpole he’ll be making a new life for himself. Tav may have been the one to help Astarion crawl out of the grave he’s been lying in for 200 years, but Tav doesn’t see themselves as an equal to anyone.

Tav sees themselves as a person who is used and then discarded. It’s why out of all the romance options they were most comfortable with Astarion—Astarion is the kind of person they’re familiar with. Astarion is manipulative and has something to gain, Tav has stuff to give. They don’t know how to handle say, Karlach’s forward and affectionate demeaned or La’zael’s straightforward desire or even Shadowheart. Definitely can’t handle Gale’s earnestness, not when Tav is afraid they’ll only ruin Gale more, plus how can Tav compare to a literal god he used to date?! But Astarion is… Safe. He has something to gain after which he’ll toss Tav aside. It’s all Tav’s ever known, so it’s comfortable.