#carrying the fandom on your shoulders fr

[landedinpayne]

i’ve seen so many posts of all the times charles/edwin not so subtly check each other out but not once have i seen anyone talk about this one. idc if it’s subtle ITS THERE AND I NEED OTHER PEOPLE TO BE ABNORMAL ABOUT IT TOO

[wolfiesmoon]

I NEED MORE CONTENT WITH PRANKSTER YUU AND VIL😍

reader is gender neutral and is a silly prankster

ofc anything for my slavic friendo 🤭 yall get special treatment fr

i am still genuinely blown away by how well recieved that body swap fic of mine was, i've never gotten that many comments on a fic of mine before

(and how well recieved i was into the twst fandom in general, srsly guys thanks for the support💕)

You are in a silly mood today. But then again, when are you not?

You feel like causing a bit of trouble to someone, but all the fun options have already been exhausted and you doubt they'd fall for your tricks twice in a row.

However, you still do have one person you can pull a prank on, and that's Vil Schoenheit. Normally, you'd give him a special pass which lets him bypass your pranks because he's extra special to you.

But what's the fun in that? Sometimes even he deserves to be messed with a little. Also, wouldn't it be kind of unfair if Vil was the only one spared from your little tricks?

That settles it, you're sneaking into Pomefiore tonight.

You knew Vil would be out at about 7 pm, busy with a photoshoot. He told you himself. Beginner mistake.

You're already cooking up a funny prank to pull. It's an expensive one, but his reaction will be worth the empty wallet. You can always work a few shifts at the Mostro lounge to make the money back.

Once 7 pm hit, you quietly snuck into Pomefiore, trying your damn hardest to sneak into Vil's room without getting caught.

"What are you doing here?" A very familiar voice stopped you in your tracks just as you were about to reach the door to Vil's room. And you were so close, too.

"Good evening to you too, Epel." You greeted him, slightly irked by the instant interrogation. He quickly corrected himself, greeting you back with a slight stutter.

"I just realised I forgot something in Vil's room." This actually wasn't a bad excuse at all since you often visit Vil and Epel knows that. You mostly just let him experiment on you with makeup or let him talk about his passions. Which is always a pleasure.

"Why do you have a backpack, then?" Epel glanced at the backpack which was hanging off your shoulder. He didn't mean to doubt you, but even he's been a victim to your pranks before. You're being really suspicious, but then again, it feels like you're always planning something.

"They're books, and thick ones too. They'd be difficult to carry with my hands." You shrugged, subtly showing the conversation is over as you placed your hand on the doorknob.

Of course, that part about the books was a lie. Your backpack was filled with "skincare products". They looked exactly like Vil's skincare, but really, all the bottles were filled with mayonnaise.

It's very convenient that mayo is coloured moderately like skincare products, and if it wasn't, you made sure to color match it with dye. You even tried replicating the original smell on some of them. Buying all that skincare from Sam was truly eye opening to just how expensive Vil's shiny skin is.

You're going to swap out his actual skincare with your counterfeit mayo skincare. You would pour out the contents of the original bottles and simply refill them but you have a feeling you'd never escape Vil's wrath if you did that and that's the one thing you definitely do not want to happen.

You placed the mayo skincare on his vanity table, carefully replacing each cream and balm one by one exactly as they were placed originally. Ohohoho, this is going to be great.

You put Vil's actual skincare back in your backpack and left Pomefiore with a sense of accomplishment. Oh, you wish you could see his initial reaction directly.

.

"Care to explain what these are?" Vil lifted one of his creams out of his bag, sat across from you in the Pomefiore lounge.

"They're uhhh... your skincare creams?" You acted innocent, like you had no clue why he was taking that tone with you.

"I know it was you. Epel told me he saw you in Pomefiore acting suspicious yesterday." He pressed you further, serious expression on his face. Ohohoho, you suddenly feel like you're in a detective movie.

You tried not to let the satisfaction on your face show. "Huh? I was simply taking back the magical history book I left in your room. What does your facial cream have to do with it?"

"I am not here to play this game with you. What did you do with my skincare?" He did not look amused by your excuses in the least.

"Hehehehe, I might or might not have replaced it with mayonnaise." You grinned evilly at him.

"You-" he seemed at a loss for words for a moment. "I knew you switched it out with something, but mayonnaise? Really? Why do you do these things?" He knew you knew that mayonnaise was his least favourite food. And he also knew of your affinity for pranks and jokes, but it seems he's gotten a bit too comfortable with not being their victim. Just how long have you been planning this? (One day.)

"Becaaaause, it's funny. Oh man, I wish I could've seen your face when you first applied it." you snorted, imagining his expression. His face is always such a joy to look at, but you imagine it must have been especially expressive in that moment. Your snort developed into hearty laughter.

"I for one do not find it as amusing as you do." he crossed his legs, looking at you with an expression that demanded seriousness. If you weren't so comfortable around him, you would have immediately apologised and bowed gracefully. His presence sure is strong.

You tried your best to stop laughing so he wouldn't actually kick you out of Pomefiore, but it was hard. Whenever you thought you had calmed down and tried looking him in the eyes, it was right back to laughter.

After about a minute of this, Vil seemingly gave up on stopping you, expression softening slightly.

"You should know by now how important skincare is to me. Having to miss out on it this morning was a horrible experience. Which, speaking of... just what did you do to the original contents of my products?" he looked incredibly horrified at the thought of you simply throwing away the contents.

"Oh, I, uh...." you acted nervous on purpose to make him think you're confirming his fears. His eyes widened slightly and he leaned forward in the fancy lounge chair.

"...Put the original tubes and containers away in Ramshackle dorm and bought new ones to refill with mayo." he took a visible sigh of relief. His products live another day.

"Didn't that hurt your wallet?" he asked.

"Yeah, a lot. But it was worth it." you shrugged, smiling at him.

"Well, I suppose you're quite a dedicated person, too. I didn't peg you as one initially." you really are a dedicated prankster. In some aspects, he respects the commitment. In others, he thinks you were kind of stupid for spending so much money just to annoy him.

"Always have been, pookie bear, always have been." you jokingly blew a kiss at him.

He cleared his throat, cheeks dusting pink. How ungraceful.

"I like you when you're angry." you blurted out after a few seconds of silence.

"...You're strange." he narrowed his eyes at you.

"Hahahaha, I knowwww. It's just, like... when you're angry with me for pulling a silly prank on you, it feels different. Your face becomes all expressive and stuff. Oh, and also, it's like, really hot." you recall watching a few movies which he acted in and you felt all giddy when he got angry playing the hot villain. As much as you know he dislikes being typecast, you always simp for him quite excessively when he plays a villain.

"Then why have you only pulled one prank on me so far?" he ignored that last comment after a few moments of consideration. He supposes the pranks would lose their effect if you did them too much, but if you really get that much enjoyement out of his misery, then why have you waited so long?

"Oh, that's because you get a special no-prank pass. You get it since I love y-" you paused.

"I realise I've said too much... I mean, uhhh, that was a prank! Got you! Hahahaha!" Suddenly, you wanted to remove yourself from Pomefiore, so you did just that. You quickly left the dorm without saying goodbye. You cringed at yourself for how unnatural and forced that laughter sounded.

He blinked a few times at the sudden end of the conversation and then fell back on the lounge chair.

"That little... Oh, your real goal is to make me lose my mind, isn't it..." Vil pressed his fingers against his forehead, mumbling that to himself before going to sort out some paperwork. He's wasted far too much time dealing with you anyways.

He denied any accusations from Rook about his cheeks being more pink than before.

[endofradio]

NSFW HEADCANONS: HERR KÖNIG (CUCKOO)

honorable mention tags go to @trelaney @lokidoki9 @not-alesha and @hesawifebeaterdanusethegun 😋

likes comments and reblogs appreciated �� trying to carry this fandom on my shoulders fr fr. also it’s crazy how people keep sleeping on könig like Hellooooo he deserves the same amount of attention longlegs is getting if not more /lh

PRAISE KINK!!!

Breeding kink but I feel like this is extremely obvious.

He’d be obsessed with the idea of you having his children. 💀 Okay buddy. Probably would go the artificial-insemination-via-cuckoo route. But normal pregnancy would be nice.

Sex on a frequent basis even when you’ve conceived until he knows for sure you’re pregnant. Gotta make sure, right? 🤷

Hoooolllyyyy shit. German dirty talk. Or just. German pillow talk. Speaking in German in general. German pet names etc etc. Bonus points if the reader, OC whatever isn’t fluent in German. He’d use that to his advantage.

Basically in other words: voice kink.

Yeah this guy has a lot of kinks.

There’s this one post I saw that went something like “eating you out while you’re ovulating so I can taste you at every stage of your biology” and like. Yeah that’s könig to a T.

His eating out game goes crazy.

Bit of a choking kink??? Maybe???

He’s got big hands and he’s going to use those to his advantage. Especially if reader/OC is shorter and smaller than him. Teehee.

Totally hasn’t memorized reader/OC’s cycle so he knows when they’re ovulating. Totallyyyy. Anyways.

Major claiming kink. His devotion is intense and not pretty. He needs you to remember that you’re his like it’s common knowledge. Something you don’t even need to think about it’s just something you Know. Wants you to smell like him. Hickies on your skin. You see what I’m getting at.

Mirror sex if he’s feeling particularly spicy.

Bit of a degradation kink. In German too.

Huehehehrhehhehe. Car sex.

He’s a power play kind of guy also because he’s emotionally stupid as hell. Not fond of being vulnerable. So he likes to fuck with his clothes on while you’re naked. Obsessed with that sense of power.

And he sure as hell loves giving commands. Telling you to get on your knees. Telling you to take your clothes off.

He’d like to watch you touch yourself. Haven’t done it before? It’s fine, he’ll… teach you.

If the orgasm is that good he might bite down on your neck a bit. Maybe so hard that a little blood is drawn.

Call him Leonard DiCaprio with the way he probably has a thing for 20-something-year- olds. Bro is the sugar daddy who keeps showing up in your dms. (I need to kill myself.)

Likes his dick getting sucked. Makes you swallow that shit too. Holds you down. Admires you when you pull away and your face is a mess.

Corruption kink. If you’re a virgin he’s going to be having a field day with that.

Overstimulation kink need I say more

Orgasm denial! Need I say more

He’s also a god at fingering.

Makes you lick your mess off his fingers afterwards. Or perhaps he’d do it himself. Savoring the taste.

Say his name during sex and he’s a goner.

Snarling/growling. Swearing.

For a man his age he’s got stamina. No need for Viagra. (I need to stop.)

Hear me out. soft dom könig.

Though he can definitely be a little more aggressive if/when he wants to be.

Favorite body part has to be tits. Not really picky though.

Very serious during sex.

Also a huge tease.

BODY WORSHIP!!! Adoring every single inch of you. No need to be shy with him. You’re insecure? Not to worry.

When he has the patience for foreplay he’s a god at it.

Once he’s comfortable enough to be vulnerable he’d make the most exquisite toe-curling love to you.

While aftercare isn’t something he normally does, he’s capable of it if he tries. And it’s nice. Bathing you washing your hair (now I’m picturing that scene from Secretary lmfao). Also the idea of him holding you and quietly shushing you while you’re overwhelmed and trembling.

The guy’s got a thing for pet names in general. Especially “my angel” and its variations.

He’d never admit it but his “dark” secret is that he’s actually needy as hell. What childhood trauma and overall lack of love does to a mf. If you’re affectionate with him during sex then he’s a goner.

[izloveshorses]

Tell me about the red dress campaign!

I got into Anastasia in 2021 :( there's barely any fandom left and even those who write fanfiction for it don't even talk about it anymore!

Tell me everything!!!

okay so. to talk about the year two marketing campaign, we need to talk about year one first.

the year one campaign focused more on the ~journey~ aspect of the show. anya wears her iconic maroon traveling coat, facing away from the audience and generally faceless, very mysterious. who is she? where is she going? what is she looking for? it inspired questions actually relevant to the themes of the show. and, as good marketing does, it gives us just enough info to capture our attention while also leaving us wanting more.

this coat is what she wears on the posters, playbill covers, everywhere on the marquee. it's the same structure that carried onto every other production's marketing strategy. and it makes sense! because she's traveling! of course she wears a traveling coat. for her Journey.

was it a perfect strategy? no. do i get chills every time i read "rumor, legend mystery" on the marquee over our beautiful broadhurst?? absolutely.

now. year two. derek leaves in april 2018, and in may they film a new ad with the current cast.

but the whole marketing strategy completely changes as well. it now consists of basically just the Red Dress™ and digitally airbrushed christy smirking at the camera and otherwise provides very little information about what the show is actually about.

this is an aside, but i feel like i should mention that when they shot and filmed this campaign, they styled christy's actual hair. she's not wearing a wig! slay!!!!! she went live that day and zadkins did a takeover on the anastasiabway account, i remember she looked absolutely stunning and was excited as she always is.

but still. the success of your marketing strategy (or the whole show for that matter 💀) should not rest on this woman's shoulders, as lovely as she is.

so here's my beef with the Red Dress campaign: it's such a shallow interpretation of the show. even though the red dress is iconic and linda cho deserves the praise for it, i don't think it represents who anya is or what she's looking for at all. the stage version of anastasia isn't a rags to riches story, nor a princess story, not really. it's about a girl looking for who she was. home love family etc etc etc. the red dress represents a life she ultimately chose to abandon in the end! so by limiting the imagery to just this dress she wears only in the last few minutes of the show, casual audience members may interpret this show as Just Another Princess Story competing with frozen that had just opened literally across the street, and choose to not see it. which is exactly what happened.

@asecretshekept has written a lot about this and understands marketing more than i do, so feel free to browse her blog too for more detailed posts.

not to mention like,,,, the silly financial decisions behind this?? they spent so much money to replace the marquee and stage door with the faces of people who left the show like six months later?? and then they replaced the stage door AGAIN when cody arrived january 2019. so silly. they could've stuck with the generally faceless campaign of year one to avoid this issue, but. i'm not in charge.

but yeah. going from this

to this?????

downgrade of the decade fr. booooo 1/5 stars (one star for christy) 👎

[strangerhawke]

wait im going thru ur works holy shit you've written multiple of my favorite malevolent works!!!! you're fr carrying the weight of this fandom on your shoulders

ahjdsfhjufgd i dont think i'd go that far but thank you so much!!! but i do find it funny going into the arthur/noel/john tag and seeing 90% of it is mine or cas' fics lmao. how have more people not written them............ it makes me so sad. therefore i must continue !!!!!!!

[namorslutfanfiction]

how does it feel to be one of the few carrying the namor/reader tag on tumblr rn like BABES your fics (esp the smut!!!!) fr got me curling my toes, feeling butterflies, putting my phone down to think!! you’re a great writer, and i love that you’re out here just feeding the tenoch hive these amazing written works–thank you 🫶🫶🫶

alsooo, i’m hoping that you feel better soon and that you’re staying dry there in california! here’s some fun questions i have for you (you can answer any or all or none!):

1) favorite food or dish?

2) is there a role or genre of movie you’d like to see Tenoch in? (for example, i’d love to see him play a cowboy or be in a modern western)

3) if Namor had to attend some event on the surface, like a UN meeting, what do you think he’d wear? feel free to add photo examples!

Oh wow this really made me blush. I'm happy I can feed the Fandom and enjoy it all with you. Writing these fics us as therapeutic to me as it is for yall to read them. I wish I could write faster sometimes.

I'm doing better today. Just focusing on myself and re-centering. It's flooding in my town right now so I'm stuck at home but I think that's good for me. I can focus on cleaning my space and hopefully get some writing or recreational reading done later.

Response to your cute questions:

1. I am such a foodie. Butter chicken has a special place in my heart as well as penang curry, chicken adobo, and japchae. I also love brownies to an unhealthy amount. Lol

2. I'd love to see Tenoch play a CEO or rich business man role in like an enemies to lovers romance. Maybe I watch too many kdramas but I feel like we would get so much swoonworthy content. Also anything with him as a really passionate and talented chef or something. Seeing him light up and gush over something he's passionate about is always satisfying.

3. I feel like he for sure would still wear as much of his jewelry as possible. Forego the headdress. I used to do costume design so now I'm like 4 pages deep on pinterest dining reference photos. But he would either do a solid, bold suit with his jewelry or forgo the jewelry and wear a suit with some type of gold accenting or design. I also like the idea of incorporating a one shoulder cape design, since he's worn that before.

Thank you for the fun questions. They were a great distraction.

[torawro]

YOUR PRESENCE IS A GIFT. ( b.k )

pairing ! ━━ husband!byakuya kuchiki  x  captain!fem!reader

cw ! ━━ minors do not interact. reader is black and thick coded but you don’t have to imagine it that way. reader is also the new captain of the 3rd division of the gotei 13. just pure intimacy and fluff. undertones of nsfw. mentions of nudity. suggestive/explicit scenarios like bathing together. teasing if you squint . passionate kisses. hints of domesticity bc they’re married. sickeningly sweet fr i love it. byakuya is sarcastic. he’s also soft n caring and very much in love under that stern façade <3 husband material fr .

word count ! ━━ 3.8k

notes ! ━━  back again letting my bleach brain rot take over :) this was another random thing i decided to write about but don’t worry, i have more ideas for him and so many more from bleach and other fandoms :) i just had to get this out of my system . also, i come back to this edit of him a lot heheh. REBLOGS ARE HEAVILY APPRECIATED!

edit as of 9/26  ━━ turned this into a self-indulgent fic as a gift to myself bc why not :)) i think i got carried away near the end. byakusosa is one of my selfships LOL happy birthday to me <3

byakuya kuchiki is the captain of the sixth division of the 13 Court Guard squads, as well as the 28th head of the Kuchiki Clan, an influential and noble family. he was aloof, stern in his beliefs and values— about himself and others. he often came off as indifferent and borderline arrogant. his skills as a shinigami were not anything to be taken lightly or to be trifled with for his spiritual pressure was intense. his combat experience and strategic compentency, including his shikai and bankai made him very strong— and intimidating.

and then there was you. you had been appointed captain of the 3rd division not that long ago, but still a while after ichimaru’s betrayal, making you the third woman who currently held a captain’s position within the Gotei 13. truthfully, you didn’t really like leadership positions, especially ones as prestigious and impressive as this. in truth, you’d much rather be led. the drastic change in environment from a lower district in rukongai to lavish and spacious captain’s quarters and becoming a high ranking shinigami still felt strange, despite all the time that has passed. even a lieutenant, third, fourth or fifth seat position would have been more appealing to you than a full-fledged captain. but unfortunately, your strengths were recognized, you were vouched for, and not one for confrontation. 

the two of you couldn’t be any more different. 

you were always the introverted type. having anxiety around other powerful people ( despite having tremendous power of your own ) , being easily intimidated, and not great at speaking publicly. leading a squad was a task in itself and at times, you shamefully wished that izuru  could handle everything for you. but that was just wishful thinking and unfair to your subordinates.

even being a captain yourself, it wasn’t a frequent occurrence to cross paths with another captain. it was an even rarer sight to cross paths with the captain of squad six. captain kuchiki was seldom seen out and about around the seiretei— unless it was for a captains meeting, training or leading his squad when there was a force threatening the soul society or dealing with manners that were thrust upon his shoulders as the head of a great noble clan. he never had the time, or frankly the regard, to mingle or lounge about with other captains or their lieutenants.

he was a very busy man. but, apparently not so busy to spare you a glance at every opportunity he got, or to greet you whenever you did see him.

he wasn’t too busy to stand and willingly converse in idle small talk with you, despite him having “better things to do than just stand around”.

he wasn’t all that busy to spare himself a little break from his paperwork and drop by your squad’s barracks within the seiretei. he’d flash-step into your office, effectively startling you and causing you drop the paintbrush and parchment in your hand, both of them rolling off your desk and onto the floor.

your other hand was clutched to your chest, in a feeble attempt to stop your racing heart. “shit—captain kuchiki! you startled me.” 

standing up from your chair to retrieve your materials, you didn’t miss his subtle eye roll. “i offer my humblest apologies for disturbing you.” sarcasm dripped from his smooth, monotone voice; it became his favorite way of speaking when addressing you. when you looked back up at him, you saw that his face remained stern and expressionless, but there was a ghost of a grin wanting to tug at his lips. 

he followed you on your way back to your desk. you could feel his unwavering stare burn a hole in the back of your head and suddenly your captain’s robes felt sweltering.

you cleared your throat awkwardly as you got yourself situated back in your chair, his strong, intimidating figure looming over you. “what can i do for you, captain kuchiki?” there was a certain emphasis you inadvertently placed on the word captain, that made the raven-haired man’s eyebrow twitch.

“i thought i told you, when we’re alone, you may call me byakuya… my love.”

byakuya kuchiki was capable of being rather tactical in his flattery, knowing exactly what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. he didn’t bother trying to hold back the small smirk the moment he noticed you shifting in your seat. he found you even more adorable when you were flustered and physically unable to handle any affection he threw at you— especially when it came unprompted like just a moment ago.

“i-i’m just …. trying to remain professional. you are aware we aren’t at home you know.”

he hummed in reply before placing a medium sized object on your desk. he leaned closer to your ear and purposefully lowered his voice as he spoke, “the servants prepared a special meal today, but it seems you’ve neglected to take it with you.”  his countenance never wavered still, but there was an undertone in his voice that suggested something else. something that made your stomach churn and butterflies erupt from their dormant cocoons.

you stared at the bento box blankly, trying to think of how to respond. another one of captain kuchiki’s skills included causing the words in your throat and within the walls of your mind to wither away and die. byakuya secretly reveled in the way you visibly shuddered when he further closed the distance, letting his soft lips brush against your cheek. it was having a greater effect on you because he was usually never this….coquettish outside of kuchiki manor. or even the master bedroom the two of you shared.

“so, you... came all the way here to bring it to me? byak— captain kuchiki, this is v...very unlike you.” you corrected yourself as you gripped the writing utensil in your grasp tighter. a gentle, baritone chuckle erupted from his throat, vibrating the very skin cells on your epidermis. it was a uncommon sound, and your ears—as well as your warm cunt— cherished every moment of it.

“is that a problem? i didn’t realize there would be such issues when i’m just trying to take care of my wife and making sure she’s…well fed.” the words ‘my wife’ sounded so good coming from his mouth, even several years after you’ve tied the knot. like the sweetest honey and vanilla dripping from a mouth-watering pastry, the endearing but inherently possessive nature of those two words lit your stomach aflame.

with an unexpected but delicate dip of his right hand onto your lower back, his pillowy mouth finally came together and laid the most tender kiss upon your cheek. byakuya made sure to let his lips linger a little in order to allow the tip of his tongue to fleetingly glide against your skin. his teasing, half-smile threatened to grow wider when his sharp gaze drank in the sight of your back slightly arching in his touch, and the sound of the tiniest whimper you just weren’t able to contain.

normally, it was you who had the greater affinity for byakuya’s affection during nearly all hours of the day, but this was certainly different— a good different, obviously. you couldn’t help but wonder if something happened that was impactful enough prompt him to do something as risky (or more like risqué) as this; you were well aware that he frowned upon any kind of public display of affection outside of the manor, and you made a note to quell your urges to get too close to him���at least until you got home. you strove to portray yourself solely as a colleague to the dark-haired man while fulfilling your duties as part of the gotei 13.

byakuya kuchiki, as a captain and the head of an influential noble family was unapproachable, almost seeming unreachable when he displayed his bouts of power and prominence. however, byakuya as a husband was someone completely different. you wouldn’t believe the brooding shinigami who rarely smiled and took his job entirely too seriously, was also the same man so desperate for your presence that he would leisurely come visit you, in the middle of the day while on duty.

and he was careful as well; the moment he sensed even the slightest modicum of someone else’s spiritual pressure, he’d reinstate the appropriate distance between the two of you, much to your protest when you nearly whined out his name. the urgent slam of the door to your office cut off your words.

your lieutenant izuru made a sudden appearance in the room, effectively startling you for the second time today. “captain, forgive my sudden intrusion but your—” the blonde’s nervous, lidded eyes then flickered over to the captain of the 6th division, who just stood silently a few feet away from your desk. his head was slightly lowered, and his muscled arms crossed over his chest. 

“c-captain kuchiki! your being here is certainly an... unexpected surprise. to what do i owe the pleasure of you coming to visit squad three’s barracks?” izuru was as respectful as ever as his kneeling position shifted a little to show his respect to another superior officer.

“it is nothing for you to be concerned about, lieutenant. i was just about to take my leave.” he responded in his signature, stone-cold voice. before leaving, he nodded his head in your direction as a farewell. maybe it was the incomparable speed of his movements, or the way his figure blurred as he used the flash step to make an exit, but you could have sworn, you saw a small simper on his lips. 

damn him, you cursed him in the back of your mind. 

damn him, as you continued to reminisce on his little visit for the rest of the day. your skin still remembered the featherlike touch of his slender fingers, the ghostly trail of his lips and very presence imprinted on your mind, causing your subordinates to give you worried glances when you made a certain expression; they even asked you if you were in pain. was it that bad?

damn that byakuya, as he stood roughly across from you during a scheduled captain’s meeting. you could hardly focus on whatever head captain yamamoto was saying about finances, when all you could do was discreetly stare at the clan head passively listen to what was being discussed. you felt yourself grow increasingly frustrated at him for not paying you even the slightest bit of attention—   not even a glance. but your feelings were misplaced and irrational. your own words from earlier rung out in your mind’s ear: “you are aware we aren’t at home, right?”

when the day finally came to a close, and all the captains were formally off-duty, you hardly even got out a ‘have a good evening!’ to the rest of your squad before taking your leave, leaping from roof to roof, in an effort to reach kuchiki manor quicker. 

upon your arrival, some guards were already standing at the main, grand entrance to the estate, and welcomed you back with a rigid bow and a uniform greeting. “welcome back and good evening, lady kuchiki!”

replying to them with a nod of the head and an absent-minded hum, you didn’t hesitate to inquire on your husband’s whereabouts. “has byakuya returned yet?”

one of the guards spoke up as they returned to their upright posture. “yes, the master returned a little while ago. he should be in the bath by now, considering the time.”

with an affirmative nod of your head, you maneuvered your way throughout the expansive property until you reached the designated part of the mansion where the bathing rooms were. a servant was already present preparing the soap and shampoo that they would be using today. 

there sat your lover, already bare in the tub that was designated as his. his hair was tied up in a messy updo style (a scarce sight for anyone unless it was in the bath), and his strong, muscled back facing you. after all this time, seeing him so...exposed will always awaken the butterflies in your stomach and the heat in your core. he wasn’t even looking at you, or saying anything, but byakuya was still able to make you so nervous you. he was effortlessly handsome, and had an imprint on your body and soul that would last for an eternity.

without turning around, byakuya noticed your unique but familiar spiritual pressure and greeted you in a deep, velvety voice. you swear you could pounce on him right then and there. 

“welcome back, my love.” he slightly shifted his head to the side as he addressed you, the small, cheeky grin he’d been wanting to sport all day truly glimmering within the walls of his own home, and in the presence of his lovely wife. 

that’s when you noticed that only one tub was ready and filled with warm water, and that was the one that byakuya was currently lounging in. the temperature of your face rose exponentially when you realized what it meant; you could practically see the smug undertones of his expression.

then, your skin was overcome with a sudden sensation, causing your figure to shudder with poorly concealed delight. you had been wanting to get close to him in a more intimate setting all day; you’ve been dying to touch him, to hold him, to kiss him, and it must have been obvious because one of the servants that were preparing the soap and petals— wait, petals? how come? — cleared their throat with a silent question, asking for permission to disrobe you for the bath. 

eagerly obliging, you let them take off your captain’s jacket and shinigami robes before departing to fold them neatly in your bedroom, leaving you in nothing but panties crafted from the finest linen (byakuya spared no expense when it came to you) that was now becoming drenched in your arousal. 

slipping the piece of fabric off and letting them fall to your ankles, with the help of byakuya’s outstretched hands, you let him guide you into the spacious tub, and sink slowly into the lukewarm, slightly translucent water. pink petals from one of the many cherry blossom trees on the estate’s expansive property waded around your body.

you were slightly confused on what the special occasion was, since the two of you didn’t normally bathe in together in the same tub, but you definitely weren’t complaining. the soft, content hum that escaped your lips was music to your husband’s ears. byakuya let the hand that was encasing yours drop to your back, gently tracing the indented line of your spine with his lithe fingers, while the other strong arm pulled you directly onto his lap; you both let out a quiet hiss when your extremities made contact with one another. his quickly hardening cock was now sitting directly under your wet folds.

“byakuya...” you keened, gliding your soapy hands up his lean, muscular chest until they circled around his neck. you shifted closer to him on his lap, causing his muscles to tense and his hips to twitch in an upwards motion, but he kept his composure, as always. “what’s all this for?”

the ebony haired man stared at you incredulously for a few moments before shaking his head. you would have thought he was annoyed with you if it weren’t for the endearing smile on his lips or his rough palms that were now affectionately resting on your waist and right cheek.

“are you so busy and scatterbrained that you’ve neglected your own birthday?” his voice was soft, so soft and tender, you weren’t sure if you’ve ever heard his voice get so delicate before.

your eyes widened in epiphany at the realization. today was your birthday, you’d been so busy with papers, and the new recruits, all these meetings—you had hardly left your office. byakuya bringing your lunch to you this afternoon made even more sense now. you were surprised that you’d even forgotten about it, because for the last few weeks, you’ve been excitedly chattering about it in his ear, not-so-subtly dropping hints as to what you wanted as a gift, having a good feeling that he’d get them for you, despite looking as if he didn’t care enough to listen. but when the day finally arrived, it had just…. came and went.

a low, hearty chuckle graced your ears as byakuya placed a soft peck on your nose. he was thoroughly amused at the look of confusion on your face. “silly woman…it’s as if your senses have escaped you the moment you awakened and are just now returning to you.”

you could hardly let out a giggle before byakuya— quite impatiently, as a matter of fact— closed the gap between both of your mouths and let your lips mold together, your bodies converging as one under the dim lanterns in the washroom. the kiss was slow, but the slow kinds of kisses were your favorite; it allowed you to really taste him, to get lost in his touch and his almost inaudible groans—it allowed you to drown in him.

the emotion that byakuya poured into your being through a mere but passionate gesture was almost too much. your senses were clouded with his scent and his presence, it was enough to make you weep as you tried to reciprocate at least a fraction of your own love in return.

it wasn’t obvious, but his sheer adoration, devotion and loyalty to you far outweighed yours.

he was first to break the kiss, regrettably so, for his lips that were coated with your saliva still brushed against yours. “happy birthday...my beautiful sakura flower.”

your already glassy eyes widened a fraction of an inch at the unique name, never hearing him say that to you before. your chest sparkled and crackled with a tingly feeling you couldn’t quite discern. your mind’s ear hyper-focused on the one meager phrase, so much so that didn’t feel the tears freely rolling down your face until byakuya used the pad of his thumb to softly wipe them away. why were you even crying? you weren’t sure, but all you knew was that your heart was soaring. 

“hmm, not only are you hopelessly distracted, but it seems you are a bit of a crybaby too. annoyingly sensitive.” byakuya’s countenance was completely serious as he teased you with a fondness in his tone that only you knew. it was one that elicited a soft chuckle from your throat as you nuzzled into the open space on his neck, mumbling a barely audible shut up as you adjusted your weight.

the clan head underneath you let his head loll back a little as he let out a soft groan. “we should go back to the room now, where we may continue your birthday.... celebration in peace.”

when you didn’t stir at his suggestion, your husband put his lips directly on the cartilage of your ear, his breath tickling your ear canal and causing you to shiver in his firm grasp. “my love,” he coaxed you in a deeper, sultrier voice. there was a dominant edge in his tone, effectively pulling your attention back to him and made your empty cunt clench around nothing, “all the gifts you’ve been hinting at are there waiting for you. and, i have one last, personal present to give you...”

as an emphasis on the word ‘personal’, byakuya let his hands move downwards to hold your voluptuous ass, and experimentally rolled his hips against your dripping core, giving you both the amazing gift of friction that your bodies had been craving. before you could even stop it, a whimper-like moan bubbled up from your lungs, your need for him skyrocketing at an alarming rate. 

he blessed you with another lazy, roll of his hips, his cock brushing against your folds and dragging against your clit, this time with a reassuring squeeze on the globes of your ass. “you do want it, don’t you?”

“y-yes....” you replied breathlessly. “want it...so bad. need you ‘kuya.” he let out a self-satisfied hum before scooping you up from under your thighs and standing up from the tub. you let out a yelp at the sudden cold air engulfing your body, stray petals sticking to both of your wet skin. 

locking his slim waist in between your thighs, you felt yourself swooning at just how strong the captain of the 6th division actually was. stepping out of the tub, he made haste to your shared master bedroom with you in his arms, not caring that much if one of the servants saw you; he knew they wouldn’t dare speak a word anyway, unless they wanted to lose their jobs. 

your husband also made haste to attack your neck in an unrelenting flurry of kisses the closer he got to your room. “tell me, darling, what is it you need? or rather who is it you need?” he murmured against your neck, each kiss growing more fervent than the last, causing you to whine at the feeling of his tongue gliding across your skin after each kiss. “hmm? use your words and let me hear you.” he demanded softly, expertly and swiftly opening the door enough to slip inside and closed it behind him.

“i..i need you, ‘kuya....you, only you.” you muttered in his ear, earning you another hum of approval. the quiet praise was more than enough to satisfy you.

finally detaching himself from your deep, walnut colored skin, he hovered over your form on the soft bed, your long, braided hair that was tied on top of your head coming undone. seeing you sprawled out beneath him like this, so patient and needy for him and him alone, spurred something primal in his gut. he was beyond grateful that fate had aligned itself in such a way and allowed you to end up here with him, forever his, he forever yours. he didn’t think he’d ever feel like this way again, but of course you were full of surprises; he constantly found new things and reasons to fall in love with you. and on top of it all, it was your special day today. byakuya was overcome with the urge to give, and give, and give until you were so brimming with his love for you, until you couldn’t take it anymore.

he knew he wasn’t the best with words all the time, but he was certain his actions more than compensated for it, in everything he did, especially when it came to loving you. byakuya smiled to himself a little —a grin probably missed by you because it was so inconspicuous—when he pondered on what your reaction would be when you figured out that he took the liberty to clear both of your schedules for tomorrow, so you can spend the whole day in each other’s presence.

it wasn’t even his birthday, but the best gift that captain byakuya kuchiki could ask for, in this life or the next, was staring right back at him with hearts in her pupils.

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© sailewhoremoon 2022. do not steal, copy, plagiarize/repost any of the works on this blog without permission.

[tsarisfanfiction]

Please can I ask E, L, O and Z from the writer asks list.

Of course you can!  I’m always up for answering things :D

E. Have you ever written a crossover?

Yup!  I’ve written a handful of them actually, from my first and only bashing fic Vampire vs Shinobi (Twilight and Naruto - I have always hated Twilight) which ngl is only still up on my accounts because it’s something I’ve written and if I prune fics to only be the ones I’m currently proud of... many fics would not stay up very long.  My second-biggest fic, both in terms of wordcount and popularity, it also a crossover.  The Combat School was my twist on the super common 2012 trope “the exorcists from the manga D.Gray-Man take part in the Triwizard Tournament”, and was my first 100k word fic and I think still ranks highly if you look at Harry Potter/DGM crossovers on FFN by reviews/favourites/followers.  I think at one point it was as high as 4th but I doubt it’s that high any more.  Slightly sneaky is my TAG/Fight Rising crossover Stolen Shadows, because strictly speaking you could just call it a dragon!AU for TAG, but they’re based on the fandragons I’ve got for the Tracy boys+Thunderbirds on the site and FR does have its own category on AO3 and FFN.

I think those are my only published ones, but I do enjoy prodding at ‘what if these two ‘verses collided’ in my head so there are a few others floating around that’ll probably never be actually written, but they’re fun to play with.

L. What is your favourite fic idea that you don’t think you’ll ever write?

Oh boy, this one’s tough.  I usually try to write everything I think is worth anything, but some of them are just huge, so whether or not they’ll happen is another matter entirely.  Because I’m really bored I’ll talk about all the current ‘huge and too ambitious to probably ever finish’ ideas.  If they do end up one day happening, ah well, you heard them here first :P

Love Makes Fools (One Piece) - A retelling of the Wano Arc (most likely to be scrapped because the daydreaming I call planning happened long before the arc started so none of it is anything like how Oda’s actually shown) that’s actually a shipping fic, unusually for me.  Shachi saves Kid’s life and Kid falls in love with him, leaving Shachi to handle the Kid Pirates while the StrawHeart alliance are off doing their usual crazy shenanigans and winding Kaido up.

Fight Against the Tide (Boku no Hero Academia) - A retelling of the entire manga except it’s not Izuku that’s Quirkless, but Bakugo, and unlike Izuku, Bakugo is determined to make it on his own and turns down the offer of One for All (but still manipulates All Might into training him).  Lots of Bakugo and Mei chaos as she gives him the support gear he needs to keep up without a Quirk.

If They Never Were (One Piece) - A retelling of the entirety of One Piece (ahahah) except if Luffy never met Shanks and therefore a) never wanted to be a pirate and b) never ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi.  Follows Luffy’s adventures in the Marines, and explores what would have happened to the rest of the Straw Hats if they never met Luffy - or at least, never met pirate!Luffy.  I actually have a cast of OCs ready to go for this but this project is so ludicrously big I doubt it’ll ever be finished.

TAGxPJO thing - The Greek Gods foresaw the creation of IR and agreed with it, but there was one problem: the Tracy family are all suited to the sky, but most of the Earth is covered in water.  Cue Gordon Tracy, son of Lucille Tracy and... Poseidon!  The Tracys all know about demigods and gods and stuff but still consider Gordon their full brother, and to keep the monsters away from the powerful young demigod they ended up on the island where Poseidon could protect them (and a promise from Zeus that he won’t blast Thunderbirds out of the sky for having a son of Poseidon in them).  Chiron’s going crazy knowing there’s a demigod out there somewhere that he can’t find and train.

TAGxDCMK thing - Okay, so this one is probably my absolute favourite.  Scott sees something on a rescue that the Black Org didn’t want him to, so he got APTX’d, and TB1 got stolen.  Conan and Haibara take him in and hide him from the world (including his own family) and he joins the fight to take down the BO.  Meanwhile, the Tracys are going crazy looking for Scott.  In this AU no-one knows who IR really are, so Conan and co. don’t know Scott’s real name.  However, the Tracys are still a rich family so they’ve rubbed shoulders with the Kudos before and Scott’s met Shinichi as a kid and realises who he is.  At some point they end up going to Tracy Island?  idk, not sure where it would go after that.  And KID is involved because you can’t not involve KID.

O. Is there any fandom you’ve been into that you haven’t written fic for? Why not?

Many, usually because I’m just not inspired enough to actually write anything for them.  If they’ve got a really complex canon, or something I just can’t get my head into, I tend to not write, either.  Same with if there’s a character I can connect to enough.  Examples include Homestuck, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures (although I do have a vague wip for a Steel Ball Run fic, actually) and Miraculous Ladybug, but I’m sure there’s more if I think harder.

Z. Post an excerpt from either your first fic or your most recent one.

Oh hell, why don’t we do both so I can cringe and cry and what I used to be like vs what I’m like now.  Going with posted only (wips are a whole other kettle of fish).

First ever posted fic, from September 2009: Unwanted (Naruto).  The opening:

There was not a sound to be heard. For once, there was no breeze caressing the emerald leaves in the forest surrounding Konoha. Not a single bird sang; nothing stirred. The bright blue sky didn't contain one cloud - the sunshine was unbroken.

A raven haired teenager stood in the heart of the wood, gazing emotionlessly at the Village Hidden in the Leaves with cold, black eyes.

"It's changed," he murmured quietly. There was a rustle behind him and his three companions appeared.

"So there's your hometown, Sasuke," the silver haired shinobi said, violet eyes inspecting the village. "It's pretty busy." He was right - they could just about make out the general hubbub of village life. The dark haired adolescent said nothing.

"What's wrong, Sasuke-kun?" the only kunoichi in the team asked, putting one hand on Sasuke's chest where his shirt was open, and the other embracing him. He shrugged her off coldly.

"Quit flirting with Sasuke you cow, Karin," the silver haired ninja told the red head.

"I'm not a cow, Suigetsu you...you..." she spluttered, unable to think of a bad enough insult.

"Shut up you two," the final member of the team said quietly, his fiery eyes glinting in the sunlight. Karin and Suigetsu quickly stopped bickering. With much trepidation, Sasuke started to walk towards the gate. He hadn't eaten for days - starving himself, pushing himself further. His vision blurred slightly, but he carried on walking. It wasn't long, however, before everything went black and he fainted.

Most recent fic, from July 2020: Grounded (Thunderbirds).  The ending:

"Scott?" Virgil sounded worried, and he opened his eyes – when he had closed them? – to look up at his worried brother. Alan and Gordon hovered nearby, and he looked at them all in turn, even John's silent hologram – his ginger brother hadn't been there when the test had started, hadn't been expected after he pointed out their holotech's range didn't reach that far. "Are you okay?"

Was he okay? He had a broken rib, was recovering from a near-fatal spider bite and its side effects of dehydration, bradycardia and hypotension, and the man who had almost killed his brothers multiple times was standing the other end of the same balcony.

But they were one step, one significant step closer to Dad.

"Yeah," he said, staring out past them, at the platform cradling the most important engine International Rescue had ever created. For the first time since that horrid trash mine day five weeks earlier, he could honestly say, "I'm okay."

I’ll leave you guys to be the judge on whether or not I’ve improved at all.  I’d like to think I have.

[misscgyn]

Everybody Wants a Piece of Max (Caulscott Fanfic)

*gif not mine!!

Fandom: Life is Strange

Pairing: Max Caulfield x Nathan Prescott

Prompt: ’Stop ignoring me ignoring you.’ & ‘I’ve been called worse.’

Summary: Max had a petty fight with Nathan when he learned that she hangout with Warren alone at night. He got so jealous of it.

Chapters: 1/1

Word Count: 5,253 words

Warnings: Nothing. It’s all fluff and very slightly implied smut.

A03: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20625446

Note: It has been four years already and I’m still a fucking trash for Caulscott. So here we are, my first Caulscott fanfic ever. I never really post my stories but kinda want to share this with my fellow low-key Caulscott shippers who still ships them in 2019. Enjoy.

—————

“I told you, we just ate dinner and watched the movie. Then went home!” Max was trying to explain Nathan about last night with Warren. But Nathan, being stubborn and hot-headed as he is, he didn’t like the idea of Max and Warren hanging out alone. Nathan was marching out from the dorm while Max followed behind him. She want this argument to be done and just doesn’t want to start this day with another quarrel with him. But it seems it already started.

“You basically went on a date with him!” Nathan continued to walk to his class even though he doesn’t feel like attending on it. He, himself, doesn’t really understand why he’s so mad about this. But one thing’s for sure, he is unhappy with it. As per Nathan’s case, unhappy equals sad and sad equals mad. So, yeah, smad.

He walked faster and he felt Max was trying to match his pace causing him to hasten his footsteps further. Max had enough and grabbed him by the arm causing him to stop. Max turned him around to face her. Nathan just rolled his eyes at her while Max stood in front of him and quietly catching her breath after the not-so-running-yet-also-not-walking marathon they did.

“Okay, Nathan. How many times do I have to tell you that Kate, Brooke, and Stella were supposed to be there, to be with us. We planned to hang out together but they ditched us!” Max exclaimed. She pinched the bridge of her nose trying to not be annoyed any further and just chill down. She deeply regretted that she told Nathan about what happened yesterday but she also doesn’t want to keep things from him. She should have known better on how he will react on this.

A week ago, Warren and Brooke was complaining on Max of not having her to hang out with them anymore. Ever since she became friends with Victoria and Nathan, the trio were constantly together. Victoria likes to visit cafes and exchange photo tips with them and Nathan was their go-to-driver. To be fair, she doesn’t really have any choice but to hang out with them especially when Nathan is around. He will practically drag her to his truck along with Victoria and take them to wherever they want.

So to make amends, Max told Warren, Kate, Brooke, and Stella that she will spend some time with them on Tuesday (which is yesterday) for a movie night and dinner. All of them agreed on the plan but when d-day came not all were able to come.

Max went to the parking lot and saw Warren leaning on his car while typing on his phone. Max greeted him and Warren glanced at Max with a disappointed look. Max asked him why and he told her that Brooke can’t come because of some accident she had caused during Ms. Grant’s class and she had to write a report on it to be submitted by tomorrow. Stella also can’t come because of diarrhea or food poisoning. She said that she bought a bread from a sketchy vendor and for the whole day, she was in-and-out of the toilet. Warren scolded her of buying from a stranger knowing that he looked sketchy. In her defense, the bread looked really tasty.

Max was saddened about the news but she tried to be optimistic. She was hoping that Kate sure is coming so she dialed up her number but she wasn’t answering. Max told Warren that she’ll just get back at the dorm to check if everything’s okay. Max ran back to the dorm and knocked at Kate’s door. Kate let her in and she asked her what was wrong. She saw Kate is ready to go based on her clothing but she looked restless while staring at her rabbit. Kate told Max that her rabbit is acting weird and is probably sick because it hadn’t eaten its food since the morning. Kate apologized to Max for not being able to come to movie night. She just can’t leave her sick pet alone which Max understood. Max told her that they can hang out next time again and went back to Warren.

Warren saw Max running back in his direction. He knew that Kate couldn’t come as well when he saw Max jogging back alone. He asked Max if she still wants to go but Max said yes so they ended up spending time together.

“Yeah, sure.” Max snapped back from her flashback when Nathan responded with his disinterested tone. Max groaned. She knew that Nathan is still not finished arguing on this thing.

“You know what. I’m not having this, early in the morning. Let’s just talk later.” Max sighed in defeat. She just really not in the mood to argue right now. She didn’t even have her coffee yet for this drama.

“Yeah, right. Go start your day with that loser-Gayram, Caulfield.”

“See you later, Nathan.” Max said defeatedly.

“Whatthefuckever.”

Max shook her head and separated ways from Nathan. She doesn’t want to go along with Nathan’s anger so she thinks it’s for the best to leave him alone and settle things later. Luckily, she doesn’t have any morning classes with him so it’ll be less annoying. But right now, she really needs to drink her coffee.

—————

It was her last class already and she hadn’t heard anything from Nathan, yet. So she thought of texting him so they could talk after class. It is not her intention to finish this day without talking to him.

To: Nathan

Fr: Max

Hey. Are you okay? Talk later?

Nathan usually replies immediately when he’s not mad. But he is mad, so Max wasn’t exactly expecting him to reply soon. Max shoved her phone back to her pocket and return her attention to the class.

Max and Nathan thinks that they aren’t the typical all fluff couple you would see in movies. They are not like those in a relationship that radiates in sweetness, in fact, they are opposite of it. They always bicker and have petty quarrels (which mostly started by Nathan) that suddenly end up with a cuddling session and just forget what they were fighting about. Their fights weren’t that serious in the first place like there was a one time when Max started to watch a new season of Doctor Who without Nathan and he got so upset about it. He wanted to watch it together with her. He felt like he was ’cheated on’ by Max where Max thought it was not a big deal and they can still watch it together. Nathan annoyed her to death by throwing Max side comments about her apparent ’cheating’ for a week. What Max did to stop him from being an annoying little shit as he is, she barged at his dorm carrying popcorn and cookies and offered him to binge watch the show together. At first, he was going to protest but when Max tone felt like a ‘take it or leave it’ moment, he got scared for the latter. Knowing Max, she means it when she says it so he’s happy to obliged. Despite their many petty fights, it doesn’t always end up in a serious one.

But for Victoria, they just have an unconventional way of expressing love for each other. She finds them really cute couple especially when Max get teased by Nathan. She looks cute when she turns red out of annoyance. Sometimes Victoria teams up with Nathan which Max always felt unfair because she has no one to back her up. Well, Victoria is Nathan’s best friend after all.

The bell rang indicating the end of the class. Max saw Victoria coming at her desk.

“Hey Victoria.”

“Did you two fight, again?” Victoria’s voice sounded like fed up already with her friends’ antics. She wasn’t surprised that Victoria knows about this. Nathan has a thing where he makes sure that he pointed out on people that he’s mad at you. He’s like a kid, Max thought.

“Well, yeah. It’s because of last night. I hang out with Warren. By the way, have you seen Nathan? I was expecting to see him at lunch but he’s nowhere to be found.” Max told Victoria.

“Oh that’s why he’s so pissed at your friend. I actually ate lunch with him at Ziggs. We drove there and he ratted you out as, usual.” That’s Nathan’s routine. Whenever they fight no matter how small it is, he would rant on Victoria about it. Meanwhile, Victoria finds their fights as a great source of entertainment so she had all her ears when it happens.

“What did he say?” Max questioned.

“I think you two should just talk about it and probably have sex or whatever. That’s how you resolve things, right?” Victoria teased. There was a smile plastered across her face.Max blushed at her response.

“W-we d-don’t…” Max tried to answer but Victoria’s hand landed on her shoulder, gently tapping her. She knew that she liked seeing her embarrassed. Although, Max and Nathan have been dating for a while now, they haven’t really done it yet besides from cuddling and kissing.

“But seriously, Maxine, you’re boyfriend is all jealous with you and Warren. And I don’t think he’ll be done arguing about it any time soon.” Victoria told. Max cringed by the name but she understood her statement. He knew Nathan wouldn’t be so happy about it after pointing it to her that Warren had a thing for her before which Max didn’t knew. She told Nathan that he was just being a nice friend but Nathan knew better than that.

“Thanks, Victoria. And… Max never Maxine.”

“I know. Au revoir.” Victoria smiled teasingly at her and waved goodbye. Max waved back and begin to clean up her desk ready to leave the room.

When she went out, she saw Kate talking to Ms. Paxton. She waited for them to finish their conversation before greeting her friend. Kate looked distressed which made Max worry about her. Max wondered what happened to her pet rabbit last night.

“Hi Kate.”

“Max! How did it go last night?” Kate tried to be cheerful but the sadness in her voice can’t be completely hidden.

“It was fun. We ate dinner and saw the movie just like what’s planned. How was your rabbit by the way?”

“Glad to hear that. Oh, Max. I had her taken to the vet earlier because she didn’t eat anything at all yesterday. I was so worried. But the vet told me that she’s gonna be fine.” Kate explained. Max placed her hand on Kate’s shoulder while the other was holding Kate’s hand. Max gave her a squeeze to comfort her worried friend.

“Ahh…That’s why you missed Ms. Paxton class earlier. I’m sure she’s going to be okay, Kate. You, too should take a rest.”

“Thank you, Max. I promise that I will make it up to you and Warren next time.”

“It’s okay, Kate. We understand. Like I said, we can all hang out together next time.” Max gave her quick hug and walk back to the dorm together.

—————

Max just finished her assignments and checked the clock. It was already ten o'clock. She really lost track of time after writing essays and doing her portfolio. She checked her phone and surprisingly, there still no responses from Nathan. She decided to text him again.

To: Nathan

Fr: Max

Nathan, where are you? I haven’t seen you all day. Call me.

Max waited for a response or a call but there’s nothing. She assumed that he didn’t want to talk later after her class since he didn’t replied to her text so she went full focused on her assignments. Max started to feel weird because Nathan usually at least reply like ’fuck off’ or just emojis to her when he’s mad. But he never ignored her texts not until now.

Max decided to just sleep and maybe tomorrow Nathan is ready to settle their petty fight.

—————

Afternoon came by and Max still hadn’t heard on Nathan. They had classes together this afternoon but he skipped it, like usual. Although, she can’t hide her worry about him. Max is wondering if she is underestimating the weight of their argument between her and Nathan. Should I be worried? She asked herself.

The whole day went fast and Max had no single sight of Nathan. Not even Victoria had saw him. Max tried to call him and spammed him with text but there’s not a single reply from him.

Max texted him again despite the lack of response.

To: Nathan

Fr: Max

Nathan, please reply. I’ve been trying to talk to you but it’s you who don’t want to be contacted. I don’t even see you!

To: Nathan

Fr: Max

Let’s talk please. I’ll wait at your dorm later. See you.

—————-

Just as she said at her last text to Nathan, she went to his dorm and waited for him. She was actually expecting to see him but to her disappointment, an Nathan-less room welcomed her.

She sat on his bed checked her phone again to see if he already replied. She sighed that he’s still not answering all of her messages and call to him. Is he ignoring my messages? Max wondered to herself. She began to grabbed a book laying around his room and read it to get over her boredom of waiting.

Hours had passed but Nathan hadn’t came back to his dorm. Max grew worried and began to think what if something happened to him. What if he’s in an accident? Or a fight? Or a hospital? Max breath deeply to calm her thoughts and began dialing Victoria. She hope that she knew where were his whereabouts.

“Hello, Victoria.”

“Hi, Max! What’s up?”

“Are you with Nathan? Do you know where he is?”

“Oh my God, Max. You two still hadn’t make up? Wow. Just when I thought you two can’t stand not seeing each other for a day. Both of you only lasted not talking to each other for four hours the last time you fought. This is a record-breaker, Max.”

“I know and I’m getting worried about him. So please tell me Victoria that you are with him right now. Or at least saw him today.”

“I’m sorry, Max. I am currently at my parent’s house right now. We just got back from dinner. And no, I also haven’t seen Nathan today.”

“What if something happened to him, Victoria?” Max voice faintly cracked by that sad thought. She is really getting worried about him.

“Max, calm down first. Maybe Nathan’s just chillin’ somewhere. Max, if something would really happen to Nathan, I promise you that I would know it. I will try to contact other Vortex members if they saw Nathan. I know there’s a party outside the campus right now. Maybe Nathan’s there. I’ll get back to you.”

“Thanks, Victoria.” She hang up her phone. At least Victoria didn’t seemed panicky on this situation which made Max to be somewhat relieved. If something is really wrong with Nathan, she would know it. They have known each other since childhood. 

Max suddenly remembered of Kate’s pet. She went on the vet right after class and they hadn’t had the chance to talk about her pet’s condition. So she sent a quick text to her which Kate responded immediately. She told Max that she will be bringing it back to her dorm tomorrow morning. They will just observe her for the night before completely discharging the pet. Max was slightly relieved on Kate’s but still stressed out by Nathan.

She was about to text him again when a notification popped up on her phone. It was from her social media and was from Nathan’s. She clicked it and saw Nathan posted a photo of him and some Vortex club members in a party. Maybe this is the party that Victoria was talking about.

There were no captions on the photo but the image is evident enough to see that he’s having a good time right now. Max was both furious and relieved at the same time (but mostly furious) because Nathan’s safe and he is really just purposely ignoring her texts since he’s able enough to update his social media account. And don’t even try to argue that he may be using a laptop right now and probably lost his phone, cause damn who carries a laptop at a party except the DJ. And knowing Nathan wouldn’t bother to borrow a laptop or someone’s phone for instance just to update his social media, that’s just not him. And most especially, losing his phone is definitely a no-no. He may lost his car keys or wallet but not his phone. That kid is legit scared at his father if he misses a call from him so losing his phone is not an option here.

She texted Nathan again to let him know her sentiments.

To: Nathan

Fr: Max

Nathan, i know you are still upset about last Tuesday and I have explained it to you many times but you won’t listen to me. And i’m trying to reached out to you but you don’t answer my calls nor my texts.

To: Nathan

Fr: Max

I got worried about you thinking you might have been in an accident or something since I haven’t heard nor even seen you at school today. Only to find out that you are there partying somewhere I don’t know.

To: Nathan

Fr: Max

I’m not mad about you partying. I don’t really mind when you party with Zach or whoever. What I’m mad about is that you can’t even tell me that you are fine at least. I know you are just ignoring my texts. You know, I am very very much worried about you. You could’ve at least sent a ‘K’ or a ‘fuck you’ so I know that you are okay.

To: Nathan

Fr: Max

AND FINE, Prescott. If you’re giving me the cold shoulder, I can give you one as well.

Max aggressively spammed the sent button. She get out of Nathan’s bed. Before going out of his room, Victoria had told Max what she already knew.

‘I fucking hate you, Prescott.’ She cursed under her breath. She left his room and stomped her way back to her dorm.

—————

Max had asked Victoria to help her pick up some books for their photography class presentation. So they went up to the library but Max didn’t expected to see Nathan with her. Not that she acknowledge his existence tho. He just boredly stood there like a statue.

Max was actually happy that he finally showed up but still refused to talk to him. Neither he is talking to her as well.

Victoria was busy looking for books, same with Max. Victoria was trying to reach a book from a higher shelf but it’s too high up. She asked Nathan to get it for her but before he even reaches it, Max was quicker to get a ladder and reach the higher shelf. She felt Nathan is shooting daggers from his glare but she didn’t care.

“I think this is enough.” Max told Victoria and walked pass on Nathan.

Victoria sensed some tension between the two but just ignored it and hoping it will be gone soon.

—————

The two kept up with their little game, Who ignore Whom better. And without a doubt, Max is winning. Nathan seems to be soon beaten at his own game.

Max was buying a drink on the vending machine when suddenly she saw Nathan on her peripheral vision visibly walking towards her direction.

“Caulfield.” He called but Max was stubborn enough to resist to respond. She wants Nathan to get a taste of his own medicine.

“Max! Are we seriously keep going to do this?!” There was frustration in his voice but Max doesn’t want to waver and continued to ignore him as if he doesn’t exist.

Nathan then snatched her drink from the vending machine to get her attention but Max was firm.

“Weird. I feel like the vendo is talking to me. And my drink is now gone. Sooo weird.” She sarcastically said. Nathan was about to say something but the class bell rang and Max immediately ran back to the room.

���————

It was lunch time and Max was sitting with Kate, Warren and others. She saw Nathan walking with Victoria and quickly looked away when she stretched her hands and pointed at Max making Nathan to look at her. Max pretended to not to see him and quietly ate her lunch.

Victoria noticed how Max and Nathan diverted their glances. It was obvious that they are still not okay and looks like not gonna be okay soon. She and Nathan sat on another table and just quietly ate their lunches as well. Victoria rolled her eyes and was thinking how awkward it will get on their next classes. She and Nathan are sitting beside each other while Max is just across them. She wonders how she will play cupid for her two stubborn friends.

—————

Their next class went well. But not for Victoria who was distressed by the two of them. Both of them were like releasing a cold and dark aura that Victoria felt all throughout the lecture. So immediately after the dismissal bell, she dragged Max and Nathan at her table and snapped at them.

“Okay, enough! You two should make up now! It’s really uncomfortable and unsettling being stuck in between lover’s quarrel. I don’t want that shit, okay?!”

“I’m sorry, Victoria. But do tell your friend that he started this.” Max retorted completely ignoring Nathan’s presence even though he’s right behind Victoria.

“Well, tell that bitch that if she didn’t hang out with her gay friend then none of this would happen!” Nathan replied.

“OKAY STOP!” Victoria had her one hand on her hips and one was shushing both of the bickering couple. “I had enough of this jealousy drama of you two! I was enjoying it at first but now it’s not fun anymore. So please fucking kiss and make up!” Victoria stormed out of the room leaving the two glaring at each other.

‘Fuck!’ Nathan cursed as Max left the room with Kate.

—————

Max was at Kate’s room checking up on her bunny. It’s livelier now and had started eating the food again. Kate offered her room to Max after hearing the fight earlier at the classroom. Max told her about why exactly they are fighting and Kate just chuckled and told Max that she had faith that the two of them will resolve it really soon. Initially, Kate wasn’t quite fond of Nathan before because of his intense demeanor. But he changed when he’s with Max. He’s still mean and screamy but otherwise he seems nicer and somehow relaxed. She finds them adorable as well. Kate was actually the first one to figure out that she and Nathan were a thing after she heard Nathan in Max’s room practicing his apology to Max. Ever since then she suspected the two but never really confronted Max about it. She was waiting for Max to tell it to her herself. She was understanding enough of them since the pair aren’t exactly what people expected would be. A mean guy and a nice, quiet girl. They tried to hide it at first but eventually learned to not care anymore and Blackwell students seemed to shake it off as well.

“I can’t believe why am I dating a guy like him, Kate.”

“It’s because you like him, Max. Love him.” Kate replied in almost a giggling way. Max looked at her and shook her head. For what Max knew, Kate is also one of the biggest shippers of them. She always tell them that they are growing themselves together. On how they make each other better.

“I just— he loves bickering all the time and—”

“That’s basically both your thing!” Kate interrupted. “Are you going to talk to him now?”

Max stood up from sitting on the floor. “I don’t know.” She replied to Kate.

Max said thanks to Kate for offering comfort then went back to her room. She opened her door and was about to lie down to her bed when he saw Nathan sleeping on it. 'Was he waiting for me?’ Max mentally asked herself.

She watched Nathan’s chest to slowly rise up and go down. He’s in deep slumber. A sleeping Nathan looked like as if he doesn’t choke people when he’s awake. She observed his light brown curly hair fall on his face. He looks really peaceful when he’s sleeping. She walked on her desk to get her camera and snap a photo of a sleeping Nathan. Her camera loudly clicked but fortunately it didn’t wake him up. She shook the photograph and stared at it. It looked like a rare pokemon sighting sleeping at peace, it was a great shot. It made her smile.

She went over her desk to do some homework and update her diary.

—————

After some hours, she heard noises behind her. She bet that Nathan’s now awake based on the sound of his groans. Still, Max didn’t looked at him and continued to work on her assignment.

“Max….” he quietly called. Max was still ignoring him.

“If you keep on doing this. I will keep on ignoring you too.” Nathan said in annoyance but Max didn’t budge.

“I said I’m ignoring you!” Nathan yelled but there is no response from Max.

“AAAGGHHHH!” Nathan rake his hand to his hair out of frustration but Max still didn’t bat an eye on him.

“Stop it!” Max held down her pen but still not looking at Nathan.

“Stop ignoring me 'ignoring you’!!” Nathan finally said causing Max to look at him. Max perked her head up to Nathan, whose leaning on his back while seating on her bed and his hair is at chaos. Max find it cute but she hold her giggle to herself. They have to do some ’talking’ first.

“I-I’m sorry.” Nathan said with his head down.

“Why did you ignore my texts?” Max asked.

“Because I wanted you to miss me! I-I was trying to make you jealous so I posted that photo so you know that I can have fun with others too… But i didn’t think enough that you’ll get worried when I don’t text you back. I’m sorry, Max.” Nathan explained. She was right, she just beaten him in his own game. Nathan is really childish despite his tough image which Max finds adorable to him.

“I-I just really don’t like you hanging out with Gayram.” Nathan was nibbling his hands together and shoot a glance at Max. Although, Max is glad on Nathan being unusually calm about this. Most of their fights sounded like who can scream louder but not today.

“Nate… I will seriously hang out more with Warren if you don’t stop him calling that name.” Nathan frowned for a bit and sighed on her reply.

“Okay, okay… Sorry. I just get so…” Is he going to say it? Is he going to admit it? Admitting what he feels is rare on Nathan’s case 'cause he never admits anything. Max remembered when Nathan can’t believed that he actually liked her. Victoria had to rub it on Nathan’s face before he even finally acknowledge it. Because he never thought it would be her. Maxine Caulfield who can make Nathan Prescott tolerable as he described.

“So ’what’, Nathan?” Max questioned. Although she knew what exactly he will say. She just wants him to admit it. Nathan rub his palms to his face and… “I’m jealous, okay?!” Max smiled and half of her can’t believe he actually said it.

“Nathan Prescott is jealous of Warren Graham huh. That’s a headline.” Max teased. Nathan groaned and grew annoyed of Max’s remark. He wants to protest but she isn’t wrong about it. He is indeed jealous of him.

“Apology accepted. And I’m sorry too for ignoring you ignoring me.” Max just can’t stop herself from teasing Nathan.

Nathan brushed his hair trying to fix it and saw Max grinning from ear to ear.

“What?!” Nathan’s back again with his natural self, the hot-headed self.

“You looked so cute. So fluffy.” Max chuckled. He hates being called 'fluffy’ but Max thinks that is just the best description of him. He looks tough outside but in reality, he’s a softie.

Nathan get out of the bed and went to Max. She stopped chuckling when Nathan placed his hand on her nape and lifted her chin, meeting his blue orbs. His rested his forehead on hers feeling the growing warmth between it. He looked at the tiny freckles on her face which he always admired. Max lifted her hand to reach for Nathan’s hand on her face. The pair refuse to blink and just let themselves be mesmerized on each other. They stared at one another’s eyes for a moment before Nathan dived in for a kiss. Their lips met and felt like they were both hungry for each other, longing, and passionate. Max briefly pulled away and whispered ’I miss you.’

“I know you do.” Nathan replied confidently. Max rolled her eyes and Nathan gave her a quick peck on the lips. “I miss you too.” They shared a kiss once again but this time it went more than that.

—————

“Max…”

“Hmm…?”

“Stop hanging out with Graham?” Nathan told in a semi-command and semi-plead tone.

“Not gonna happen. You know you can sit and hang out with us some time. I’m sure you and Warren will agree on Doctor Who. Both of you are nerds on it.” Max offered him. Although she knows it is not the best idea but he should try sometimes. It’s not like they’re going to gang up on him so they could take revenge on him bullying them before. Though, that could happened, she wondered.

“Fuck no! I don’t wanna join your loser’s club. And I’m not a nerd!”

“Said the man who always quotes something referenced to Doctor Who.” Max sarcastically retorted.

“Besides you’re dating a someone who belongs to the ’losers’ club you were saying.” She added.

“I-I mean… you’re not a loser, Max.” Max wasn’t offended by it because she knows he doesn’t mean it. She just like to tease him as always.

“It’s okay. I’ve been called worse.” She replied. Nathan looked at Max who is lying next beside him. Max saw his face and he’s squinting again. He’s mad.

“Wh-what?! Who the fuck called you something worse? What did they called you?! I’m gonna kicked that motherfucker’s ass.” Although, Nathan sometimes call Max names like 'bitch’, 'ass’, 'cockfield’, where Max counters it with 'dickbagtheasshole’, 'little shit, 'dumbass’. It’s kind of their endearment with each other. But Nathan doesn’t appreciate it when other people call her that. He become all over-protective all of a sudden and he always made sure that no one messes with him or Max.

Nathan waited for her response but Max was just grinning and said…

“Your 'girlfriend’.” She looked up at Nathan and leaned for a quick peck on his lips. Nathan raised his brows and knew that Max was teasing him so he would like to punish his little girl and gone all alpha mode with Max again.

- End -

Post note: I know I’m very very late but 2019 me still crave for Caulscott fanfics i don’t even know who still reads them other than me. This is inspired from one Caulscott fanfic I’ve read before, I don’t quite remember but it was a pretty well-written one. Ghaaad i suck at remembering things. I think I’ve read too many fanfics. This is like a fanfic of a fanfic. Nonetheless, I still want to share this with you. This is my first ever fanfic of Caulscott and first to be posted in Tumblr and I don’t fucking know how Tumblr works. I mean I’ve been a long time low-key reader here but I never really posted stuff on my blog so if someone can send help how this works, please rescue me from the technological ignorance. Anyway, I’m still a trash for Caulscott like I said and still figuring out if I will ever get out of this fandom but there’s no way out, I guess. 

Comments, re-blogs, and/or likes are highly appreciated (but not obliged) if you enjoyed this short fic. Sending love to all strong Caulscott shippers through this years. What a trash we are! Jk! 💖💖💖

[meetthetank]

Peccatum Chapter 9: March

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14454675/chapters/33391545

Rating: Mature Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Category: F/M Fandom: NieR: Automata (Video Game) Relationships: 2B/9S (NieR: Automata), A2/A4 (NieR: Automata), Jackass/The Commander (NieR: Automata) Characters: 2B (NieR: Automata), 9S (NieR: Automata), A2 (NieR: Automata), A4 (NieR: Automata), 6O (NieR: Automata), 21O, Jackass (NieR: Automata), The Commander (NieR: Automata) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe, genre typical violence, long fic, Slow Burn, War

“So you shat your pants?” 11S asks.

The other scouts at the table can’t help but laugh at 9S, who buries his face in his arms in an attempt to make himself as small as possible.

“No! I keep telling you I didn’t shit my pants!” he yells just loud enough for the whole mess tent to hear him. He catches a glimpse of 2B giving him an odd look before he sinks into himself more, “She just...We were sparring and she won and I got embarrassed. That’s it!”

“Oooh no, that’s not it,” 801S, an older scout, says with a sly grin, “You were all sweaty, squirming, acting all hot and bothered.”

“I was not!!”

“Yes, you were!” 801S’ singsong voice makes 9S groan, “Did getting your ass kicked by a lovely lady...excite you? Is our Nines a little deviant?”

9S feels his face flush beet red, prompting a round of laughter from the table, “I’m gonna kick your ass if you don’t stop!!”

“What a story this will be!” shouts 42S, an aspiring bard, “9S, the young scout with a troubled past, returns from his northern excursion with an exotic and mysterious Coatyl woman! Her beauty only matched by her ferocity! A simple sparring match goes awry when things become deliciously heated and they-”

“That is if 6O doesn’t snatch her up first.” mutters 32S.

The table erupts into laughter once again. Fed up with their antics, 9S abruptly stands up and tries to make a hasty exit from the mess tent.

“Attention!!”

The bellowing voice of Commander White stops him in his tracks and silences the tent of hungry soldiers in an instant. Her steely gaze scans the tent to make certain she has everyone’s full attention.

“Tomorrow at dawn,” she begins, “We will be beginning our march towards Vigo.”

Murmurs ripple through the mess tent.

“I realize this is a month earlier than when we had planned originally, but we have received word that an aquatic demon of unknown size has been sighted in the bay. All ship traffic has been halted until the demon is either destroyed or moves on.”

Again, she waits until the muttering amongst the soldiers comes to a stop.

“Our task remains the same, however. We will assist Vigo in the evacuation of civilians, defending refugee camps, and transportation of supplies. The only thing that’s changed as of now is when we’re expected. Dismissed.”

The moment Commander White turns to exit the tent, conversation erupts from all the tables. All except the scouts, who share concerned looks with each other. Even 9S returns to his seat, his annoyance with the others quickly abandoned.

“A demon in the bay? What do you think it could be?” 32S mutters.

“Maybe a siren type?”

“I thought those were smaller…”

“They can get big, I’ve read reports of one that was the size of a mammoth.”

“That wouldn’t be enough to shut down a whole trade city.”

“Maybe it’s just a whale?”

“Whale’s don’t come into bays, dumbass.”

“What if…” 9S says, staring through his friends, “What if it’s something new?”

The others give him odd looks, “What do you mean, new?” 11S asks.

“I mean what if this is something we haven’t seen before? An aquatic siege engine type? Transport type? Or maybe some weird whale hybrid they’re trying to roll out.”

“...If it’s that, how in the world would we get rid of it?” 801S rubs his chin in thought.

9S shrugs, “Dunno, but that’s not really our job, is it?”

“No, but I’m gonna guess you’re gonna try and find out what the plan is,” he says with a grin.

“I won’t be doing anything if you lot don’t keep your mouths shut.” he growls.

The scouts ease back into their normal conversations, mainly complaints about the early start tomorrow. Before he gets drawn back into the group, he spots 2B on her way out and gives her a small wave. She returns his gesture, and he can’t help the wide smile that spreads across his face.

“Have you ever been to Vigo, 2B?” 6O asks as they exit the mess tent.

“-M made a point t’ stay away fr-...m human settlements.” she responds with a mouthful of potatoes, “There were too many stories we were told as cubs of Coatyls being hunted for sport or paraded around circuses.”

“Right…” 6O sighs, “so, does that mean you’re not gonna stick around when we get to Vigo?”

“I...I’m not sure yet. I still don’t have a good lead on where A2 is. Maybe this city will have something.”

“You think they might be hiding out in Vigo?”

“Or someone that may have seen something.”

“You’re not seriously going to ask every person in the city if they’ve seen them, are you?” There’s a hint of genuine concern in 6O’s voice that makes 2B huff, “Well when you say it out loud…”

6O giggles and playfully jabs her in the side. “I’m just teasing you. I’ll help you ask around when I’m off duty.”

2B mutters a quick thanks, then quickly looks over her shoulder as the laughter of the scouts' echoes through the tent. For such small men, they could certainly be quite loud.

“Well, we’d be glad to have you stick around with us, 2B. I know there would be some of us that would be sad to see you go.”

“Hm...Perhaps.”

  True to her word, Commander White’s wake up call came before the sun had begun to rise. Or rather, Lieutenant Jackass’ wake up call. She parades around the camp, slamming two iron cooking pans together and shouting as loud as her lungs will allow. One by one, annoyed soldiers emerge from the tents, only to be immediately assigned a task to break down the camp. Within minutes, activity surges through the encampment and it begins to disappear, packed into crates and carriages, piece by piece. The sun is just cresting over the horizon by the time there’s nothing left but a worn down patch of dirt.

9S and the other scouts are assigned to helping the stablehands with the horses. They hitch up the temperamental beasts with little resistance. Despite being bred for war, they seem to sense that something is about to change and need to be calmed down with pats and bribery treats every so often. 9S isn’t too bothered, however. He’s been around horses as long as he can remember; their bizarre behaviors comes as no surprise to him. In fact, they seem to be fairly comfortable around him, one of the large chestnut geldings even nibbles at his hair to get a laugh out of him.

2B, on the other hand, does not mix well with horses.

With her dragonic strength, she volunteered herself to lift some of the heavier crates. Things that would take two or three full-grown men to lift, she would carry like it was nothing. Occasionally, 9S will stop in his tracks as he watches her heft box after box into a carriage, with 6O standing close by cheering her on.

Other times he watches her try to pat the dappled mare that’s hitched to the carriage she’s loading, only for the agitated beast to try and bite off her fingers. She squawks and leaps back, yelling profanities and jumping between common and a strange language 9S presumes to be dragonic. The mare, of course, doesn’t yell back. She just snorts and shakes her head at nothing in particular while 2B hisses at her.

It’s...much less impressive than watching her feats of strength.

Still, he can’t help but laugh. It makes her seem far less intimidating. Endearing, even. It’s nice to see she’s not always so dour and serious, or at least not the point that she isn’t above arguing with a horse.

She really is something...

He snorts as 6O eventually steps between the huffy Coatyl and the horse as if she’s separating two brawlers. They’re too far away for him to hear the conversation fully, but he swears he hears 6O telling 2B that she would lose that fight. 9S makes a mental note to tease her about this later. For now, though, he has a list of tasks to deal with, including helping his mother load fifteen cages of ornery ravens into carts.

Being the unofficial assistant to a healer means 2B is volunteered to help sick and injured soldiers into a cramped carriage set to be in the middle of the march. Her strength makes lifting full grown men easy, but 6O and the other healers have to guide her into not jostling broken limbs and tender stitching too much.

By the time the army would normally be settling in for breakfast, they begin the march towards Vigo. By 21O’s rough estimation they would reach the city within the week, but they would have to keep a quick pace. Traveling alone is one thing, but traveling with the entire company is another. No falling behind or rushing ahead. Everything must be in time with each other, otherwise, the whole caravan would fall apart. Commander White rides at the front, flanked by Jackass and several high ranking officers. Behind them, most of the army keeps pace with supply carriages dotted within the ranks. A troop of the best performing soldiers brings up the rear as a precaution against surprise attacks.

However, a solid mile ahead of the main army, the scouts travel in a loose and unsuspecting band, with one addition. 2B circles above them, flying ahead for a mile or so and then doubling back to circle a few times, then repeating the process. She insisted on staying with the scouts despite the protests of 9S. He did not take too kindly to her pointing out that they were small and easily targeted by anything larger than a house cat. She was right, but she didn’t have to say it so harshly…If a fight did break out, having a dragon overhead would be an incredible boon.

He could do without the teasing, though.

“You’re a lucky little bastard, you know that?” 11S says as 2B circles their group.

9S looks up at his friend and sighs, “What?”

“You know what people would give to have a godsdamned dragon be interested in them?”

He feels his cheeks heat up, “She’s not interested in me.”

“Why is she literally hovering above you, though?”

“Cause we’re easy targets!”

“Getting a bit defensive there, aren’t ya, Nines?” 801S says with a sly smile.

“Yeah, you’re not subtle there, buddy.” adds 11S. “It’s pretty obvious what’s going on.”

“And what exactly is ‘going on’?” 9S huffs.

“You fancy her.”

9S sputters and stops in his tracks, “I d-...Bu-....Y-...Shut up! She can probably hear you!”

801S cackles and 9S swears he sees 2B’s head tilt downward before she soars on ahead once more.

“So you do!”

“Well it’s obvious isn’t it?!” 9S growls. “I mean, you’ve seen her, she’s gorgeous and strong and-!”

He feels a roiling in his stomach at the admission of his feelings coming to light. It’s nonsensical though! It’s not like he’s about to propose to her, he’s just admitting to finding her attractive. So why does it feel like he’s about to vomit?!

“Tell her then,” 32S mumbles bluntly.

“Are you mad?! No! She’d eat me alive!”

“She didn’t eat you alive when you got a hard-on from her kicking your ass, that means she likes you, right?” 42S says to himself mostly.

“I did not-!!” 9S takes a deep breath and tries to calm his embarrassment before he ends up shouting loud enough for the Commander to hear, “...Look, so what if I do...fancy her, there’s no way she’d ever give a moment of her time to someone like me.”

801S gives him a sideways glare, “What the hell are you talking about, 9S?”

“2B’s the kind of person who’d end up with a legendary hero or something, not some scrawny half-breed.”

“You might not be entirely wrong, but there’s plenty of self-made heroes in this army,” 801S says with nothing but sincerity in his voice. “Yet she’s spending her time with you.”

“And 6O,” 42S adds quickly.

“And 6O but, let's face it, Nines. 6O is more likely to be your new step-mom than she is to snatch up 2B.”

“Hey, wait a second, what the hell does that mean?!”

Their conversation switches in the blink of an eye and as 9S gets drawn into another round of teasing, he sees 2B flying a bit closer to the ground than before. Their eyes meet for a brief moment, and in an instant, she’s soaring ahead of the group once more.

9S feels his stomach drop and flutter at the same time.

[potentiallymrsdevorak]

In Fields of Flowers (The Arcana)

Chapter Five: Tea Roses (I’ll Remember, Always)

Pairing: Julian x Nijah

Summary: Nijah has contracted the plague. How will she spend her last days? Will Julian find a cure in time?

Word Count: 4700~

Author’s Note: Long overdue but this is the final chapter in the series! I’ve really enjoyed writing it but will probably not do another series for a long time! They are a lot of work (if you know me from the last fandom I was in you would know lol). I really hope you guys enjoyed and I will still continue writing!!!

Tagging: @drunkenomnist, @rromanovv, @juliandevoraknsfw

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first day was not as bad as she anticipated.

Sure, her body ached a little bit, but without noticing the red sclera, she would have never known she was sick.

She was quarantined right away, in the same room she has been in ever since she started treating other patients. Funny how the tables have turned, she thought as Dr. Satrinava came in to run tests on her. Her thumb rubbed against the ring that sat on her finger, twirling the band round and round in anticipation.

“You too, Nijah?”

“Seems so.”

The doctor tisked and shook their head, looking over their notes. “So it says that you saw it this morning right after you woke up. Was there something you may have done to cause the spread of the plague?”

“I took off my mask right after my last patient died.”

“Ah, I see.” Satrinava answered, scribbling frantically in their notes. Nijah knew they were silently judging her, for that was something they had taught all the apprentices not to do a long time ago. “It spreads much quicker than we anticipated…” Muttering a few key notes to themselves, they folded the paper and placed it in their pocket.

The doctor began a series of tests and treatments - some that were quick and practically painless, and some that felt horrible and lasted all day. She was forced to lather herself in animal bile, dance until her feet nearly bled, drink an herbal mixture that tasted nothing like she had imagined, and a few other things that truly made her feel even worse than before.

“Dr. Satrinava...do you think that all of this will work?” Nijah asked as she inhaled the scent of a dead rat through her nostrils. She silently applauded herself from not gagging.

“It wouldn’t hurt to try…” They said before packing up their medicinal cart. “I will be coming back with your dinner soon. Thank you for being cooperative with me today.”

“No problem...as long as the cure is found soon.”

“By the way,” they added, “as you were changing into your patient’s gown, I noticed that there was a document left in here for you.” They handed you a piece of paper, folded ever so perfectly. She knew exactly what this was.

As Dr. Satrinava exited the room, she curled up in the corner of her cot, opening the delicate piece of paper slowly. The way the ink traveled across the paper made her feel a sense of relief, and she swore his scent was embedded in the paper itself. It was as if she was in his arms all over again as her fingers trailed over every single word he had written for her eyes only.

My darling Nijah,

It pains me so much to leave your side. I would even be upset if I was only gone for a day. However, I do not know how long I will be away from you, which breaks my heart the most.

If you are reading this, it means that I am already at the palace in Vesuvia. Funny, isn’t it, that the castle was what brought us together and now it is tearing us apart? It’s a bittersweet irony that I cannot stop thinking about.

But although I cannot be with you now, I want you to know that my heart only longs for you. You’re the one I want to come home to every night, to wake up next to every morning, to spend every waking moment of every day. I can’t stop thinking about it, a life with you is the only thing I want.

One might think how I fell for you so quickly. Call it fate, call it destiny...when I first saw you in the ballroom, I knew I had found the one. You’ve been so kind, so sweet, so caring and loving to a man who doesn’t deserve anything at all...when I’m with you, Nijah, I’m home.

I promise I will marry you. I have another ring picked out so I may properly propose to you. We can take our time or we can rush things...whatever you want. I’m going to give you the life you’ve always wanted.

Wait for me. Please.

I love you,

Dr. Julian Devorak

Nijah held the paper close to her heart and clutched her swollen stomach with the other hand, the tears overflowing from her eyes. She realized she could never give him the future that he deserved.

And that made her feel worse than the plague ever could.

By the second day, her spirits were already low.

When she fell asleep the night before, she felt nothing but emptiness. She missed having Julian by her side, let alone anyone around her, and she tossed and turned in the cot until she finally drifted off to sleep. However, her mind was only filled with nightmares, waking her up after what felt like a few moments of sleep. She could feel the eye bags bulging as she woke up, not even able to be cured by a fresh breeze.

She knew that her body was aching and trembling, so much that even Dr. Satrinava was concerned. They ceased to do too many treatments that day for her sake, but still made their best attempt to give her some relief. But even the leeches weren’t enough.

“Does it hurt?”

“Not really.” Nijah eyes the parasite sucking her blood out of her. This probably isn’t good for the baby, isn’t it? “It just makes me feel a little more...drained.”

The doctor chuckled under her breath, eyes twinkling a bit as she carefully peeled off the creature. “Even at your worst, you’re still trying your best. I respect that, Nijah.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

They placed the leech back in it’s jar and prepared to leave until tomorrow. “I will have someone else bring your dinner momentarily. I think it might make you feel better than the leeches.”

As if right on cue, there was a knock on the door to the room. The door creaked as another plague mask with a plate of warm food came into view.

“Hello?”

Nijah knew that voice right away, her entire face lighting up. “Katja!” She sprung up out of her seat a little too quickly, making her knees wobble as she fell right back into her spot.

Katja rushed over to her side. “Hey, don’t hurt yourself!” She laughed as she helped Nijah get settled in. She placed a soft blanket over her legs and placed the plate in her lap.

Dr. Satrinava nodded at the two friends, a smile crossing over their features. “Then I will leave you to it, Doctor 193.” And with one last wave, she was gone for the evening.

“Nijah, Nijah...what am I going to do with you?” Katja crossed her arms over her chest. “How in all the seven hells did you catch the plague?”

“I’m not the smartest, you see,” Nijah said with a mouth full of potatoes, “and I took off my mask after my last patient died.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I didn’t want to fill it with my tears.”

“Oh, that’s right…” Katja remembered their conversation previously in the dining hall, and how Nijah’s best friend from home had to die under her care. “I guess that is valid. Didn’t think the plague would spread so quickly, huh?”

“Definitely not.” Nijah moved on to the meat, chewing it roughly. It was more tender than she was used to.

“Have you heard from Dr. Devorak since you left?” Katja wiggled her eyebrows and gave her a smug grin.

“No, but…” Nijah sighed. “He wrote me a letter that I read yesterday. And he wanted me to stay here until he came back from Vesuvia, but it seems like that will be impossible now.”

Katja’s eyebrows knit sadly, her gloved hand rubbing against Nijah’s leg. “I’m sorry, dear.”

“He wants to marry me, Katja.” She confessed, holding out her ring finger for her friend to see. “He wants to spend the rest of his life with me. And I can’t even give him that.”

Katja’s gaze trailed over to the golden band, shining in the dim light of the room. “It’s beautiful, Nijah…”

“Want to know the worst part?” She choked up, her right hand pressing her stomach. “I’m...I’m pregnant, Katja.” She squeezed her eyes shut, the vulnerability of revealing such a huge secret frightening her.

Katja’s jaw nearly came unhinged from her skull. “Nijah...when were you going to tell me?” She shuffled closer to her friend, holding her ear next to her friend’s stomach. “How far along are you?”

“I have no idea. Jul-I mean, Dr. Devorak and I have...done it many times.”

Her friend’s face twisted in confusion. “Wait a minute. Just how many times are we talking about here?”

“Well…”

And so Nijah told her the whole story, how she met Dr. Devorak as a stranger at the masquerade, how he quite figuratively (and literally) swept her off her feet. From the enchanting first night they spent together to the time he cornered her in his office, telling her to forget that there was anything even between them. How Luka had tried to kill her if she didn’t let him have her body for the night, and how Dr. Devorak saved her life. She didn’t leave out any details, any moments, any words that he may have said. She wanted Katja to know everything.

A huge weight lifted off her shoulders as she finished the story. “And then he had to leave. Just like that. And he still doesn’t know…”

“Nijah…” Katja shook her head and let her gaze cross across the floor.

“And there’s no way he’ll ever know. He’ll never be back in time...to give me the cure…”

Nijah’s eyes overflowed with tears once more, a sensation she has become quite familiar with. She was hopeless by this point. She would never see Dr. Devorak again. She would never tell him that she had been carrying his child for months. She would never get to marry him. She would never spend the rest of her life with him.

In fact, she would be lucky if she even got to take a step outside of the walls of her cell, holding her back as if she was a prisoner. Nothing could save her from this terrible fate.

Katja knew her words couldn’t help her friend this time. As Nijah cried, she held her friend close to her chest, at least trying to give her one last bit of comfort before she was gone forever.

The third day was the worst of them all.

Nijah could barely feel anything but fire burning through her body. It hurt to move, to blink, hell, it even hurt to breathe. The ring and the rest of the clothes made it feel like something was holding her underwater, not giving her any room to catch her breath. Every time she coughed, it was like she was being stabbed in her chest. The blood splatters on the floor and on her hand made it more believable, as well.

She curled up on her side in the cot, not wanting to move a muscle any longer. She was ready to leave this world.

Katja came and saw her one more time. She was surprised to see her dear friend in such a terrible state. It looked like she hadn’t eaten in days, her body was nearly skin and bones, and she looked much paler than normal. The red dots on the ground were what worried her the most

“Wh...what happened here?” She asked with a worried tone, getting down on her knees to examine the spots left all over her side of the room. “You didn’t try to...” she continued, looking at her friend’s wrists.

As if on cue, another cough racked Nijah’s body, blood spurting out of her mouth and landing right at Katja’s feet. She fell deeper into the cot, feeling defeated. She was essentially hopeless.

“Nijah…” Katja muttered, a gloved finger rubbing through the droplets, “This...we’ve never seen something like this in a patient before. Have you?”

Nijah shook her head to the best of her ability. She thought she saw Selene cough up blood, but she couldn’t remember in her state.

“This...this is the biggest breakthrough we’ve made yet!” Katja jumped up, immediately jotting down as many notes as she could. “We can take samples of your blood and run tests on them. Valdemar and Satrinava could send the data results to Dr. Devorak and it could get him closer to the cure for...for…”

Her eyes fell on her dying friend. She had never seen someone she cared for looking so malnourished, so horribly fucked over in this way. A wave of sadness crashed over her mind as she came to sit next to her on the cot. 

“Ah, Nijah...I have a lot to thank you for. Not just for this. But I think you’ve made me better.” Katja took her clean gloved hand and patted her on the back. Nijah winced a bit, taking a gasp of air (that, of course, made her feel much worse).

“Ah, probably not the best thing to do right now.” Katja placed her hand in her lap, interlacing it with her other fingers. “...I mean it, though. Your kindness to me has helped me not be so bitter. Involving me in your life has made me feel like a part of something bigger than myself. I will cherish this friendship forever and ever. I’ll…” she sniffed, holding back tears. “...I’ll never forget you, Nijah.”

As she stood to leave, she opened her coat pocket and pulled out an iris. “I saw this while I was walking the grounds last night...and I think you would want it more than me.”  She placed the flower in front of Nijah’s hands, giving her friend one last smile before she left her forever.

“Goodbye, Nijah. Sweet dreams.”

As she shut the door behind her, Nijah decided to follow her orders, closing her eyes as her fingers gripped the frail flower stem, hoping her dreams would be better than reality.

I’ve been in this place before, she thought.

It was the same flower field from her first time meeting Selene. The same one she saw when she spent her first night with Julian. This was her favorite place. This time, there was no cloudy red skies or thunderstorms. The flowers bloomed gracefully, the sweet fragrances flowing from their buds, and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. The only thing she could see was life.

And she could feel the life inside of her, Julian’s child. She looked down and saw that her belly had swollen to twice its size underneath her cropped shirt and long pink skirt. She held it tenderly, rubbing it and wondering what her baby would look like when it was finally born. Had she and Julian talked about baby names yet? She kept on imagining that she would name him Azrael, but only time would tell who they will become.

Suddenly, she heard a voice come from behind her. She was surprised to see that Selene had reincarnated herself, wearing a flowing white dress, much different than her usual attire.

“Nijah! You’re here!” She shouted, hopping through the flowers to embrace her friend. She took great care to hold the baby bump, too. For Selene, the child would be like family to her.

As Nijah squeezed her friend around the shoulders, she felt someone else’s presence behind her. “Good to see you’re okay, hun.” That voice had to be Katja, she thought as her own arms held them all together, as if they were three peas inside of a pod. Their feminine scents overwhelmed Nijah’s nose to the point where she was almost dizzy.

“It’s so good to have you all here.” Nijah smiled as her friends released her, joining hands with each of them. These women meant so much to her, and she would be forever thankful for their roles in their lives. She just hoped they knew that.

Before long, a tall figure made their way through the flower beds. Nijah, of course, knew who they were right away.

“Dr. Jules!” She shouted, joined by the giggles of the women right beside her.

As he came even closer, she could see the happiness on his face. Finally, she thought, we can have the life we have wanted for so long. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, his hands cupping her face so perfectly.

“Ah, darling. You look as beautiful as ever.” He crooned, his hands moving down to the bump in her stomach. “And Odine is looking nearly as good as her mother.”

Nijah rolled her eyes. “How are you so sure it will be a girl?”

“I’m a doctor, my dear. I know these things.”

Her knees felt weak as he flashed his signature grin. She couldn’t resist it. He had a hold on her that she could never break free from, and she was just fine with that.

He turned around on his heel, looking back at her over his shoulder. “Are you ready for your next journey to begin?”

Without hesitation, she answered, “Yes.” And together, they all moved forward through the flowers, off into the setting sun.

And in that moment, her hurting soul finally left the world.

Julian was very busy at the palace, doing his best to find a cure. It turned out that Count Lucio had contracted it himself, although unlike the rest of the city, he had managed to have it for weeks and not die. It was a medical mystery to the doctor, but a pain in the ass for his coworker.

“Sometimes, I wish he would just die already.” Asra muttered under his breath as his fingers brushed against the book spines on the shelves in the library. 

Julian rolled his eyes, diving back into his work. For some reason, the magician rubbed him the wrong way. It was something about his cat-like smile making him think he was a suspicious person. His flat-out disdain for the Count was nothing but offensive to him, let alone the entire city. And the way his white hair bounced as he walked...Julian wished he could tame his curls to not have a mind on their own. He was completely jealous.

But, his mind trailed back to the woman who held his affections. He thought of her blonde, flowing hair, the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled, the freckles dotting her cheeks and shoulders that he secretly loved, reminding him of the stars in the sky. He thought of her voice saying his name, her laugh directed at something witty he may have said or that he may have ran into a door frame. He thought of her fingers, touching him delicately across his face, making him feel at peace once again...

A knock on the door jolted Julian’s thoughts. A servant entered the room, a scroll rolled up in his hand.

“Dr. Devorak. This was sent for you.”

“For...me?” He asked, his cheeks feeling warm. He’s never received any sort of letters before, even when he was just beginning his practice.

He thanked the servant and unrolled it right where he stood. But, as he began to read it, he slowly sunk back into his chair, similar to his smile turning into a frown.

Dear Dr. Devorak,

I hope this letter finds you well. Unfortunately, I am writing this letter to bring you terrible news. Nijah has died of the plague.

She contacted it while taking care of her best friend, Selene, who passed after you left for the palace. Nijah may not have told you...she tended to keep her burdens to herself, didn’t she? Anyways, she caught it quickly after making a fatal mistake after her friend died. Although her mistake was tragic, her symptoms have given us further research to test and send to you in hopes that it will help you find the cure.

She is in a much better place now, Dr. Devorak. She spoke of you so highly, and she is so proud of your accomplishments. She loved you so much. Her final wish was to be buried with the ring you gifted her.

I hope that you continue to work hard so we can find a cure to the plague. We will be sending more research we have found once we have finished our tests. We are all looking forward to your discoveries, Dr. Devorak.

From,

Dr. 193, Katja Kuznetsov

Julian read the letter over and over again. He wished it wasn’t true, it couldn’t be true. He had been at the palace for less than a week…

And he already lost the one thing that would make this task seem worth it.

Feeling defeated, he slumped over his desk, crumpling the letter in his hands. He felt the tears soaking into the sleeves around his forearms as his shoulders quivered from his emotions. He didn’t care if his sobs were audible or not. He didn’t care what Asra or Count Lucio or anyone thought of him.

His heart had broken completely. The love of his life was gone, because he couldn’t find the cure quickly enough. He had lost the woman who had given his life meaning. And there was no way to get her back.

Unless…

A candle flame went off in his mind. His lifted his head up to face the other man in the room, eyes and face red from his tears. “Asra.” He shouted desperately.

“Dr. De...Julian, are you okay?” Asra arrived to his side, placing a hand on the doctor’s shoulder.

“You are a magician, are you not?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I…” Julian hesitated, his voice trembling. “...I just lost someone very near and dear to me. Is there...a way to bring them back?” His vision was filled with sadness, but Asra could see a small glimmer of hope deep in the doctor’s grey eyes.

“Hmm,” Asra contemplated. “There is one way I know how. But it will take a lot of work on my end.” The magician’s hand trailed from Julian’s shoulder to his cheek bones. “What would be in it for me?”

“Oh, please! I’ll do anything you wish. Just please...save her.” Julian got down on his knees, folding his hands together and shaking them pleadingly. He was a man that wasn’t afraid to beg. Especially for the one thing he truly needed in this world.

Asra chuckled under his breath, his hand moving up to the auburn hair and pulling against it roughly, jerking the doctor’s head back. He got down on his knees, pressing a searing kiss right underneath his jawline. Julian squiremed, his face flushing. This felt so wrong, but as Asra’s teeth nipped his skin, he moaned rather loudly. It was definitely feeling so right.

The magician’s mouth drew away, curled in his signature smile. “Meet me at my shop after sunset. There are a few things we need to discuss first.”

Julian’s fingers ghosted over the mark Asra left on his skin. Did that just happen? He thought as he felt the magician’s fingers untangle from his hair. His mind was in a daze. Never before has anyone touched him in such a way. His eyes glazed over as he watched the magician stand to his feet and begin walking out the library. He shook his head, bringing him back to his senses.

“D-do you...want me to walk you home?”

Three years later…

“Wow. What a strange night.” Nijah mutters to herself as she looked out into the dark streets of Vesuvia.

First, her magical master Asra has suddenly left on a journey to another unknown world, one that he was keeping a secret from her. These trips were not unusual to her, but the fact that he was keeping it so secretive made her more suspicious than usual. She knew he was hiding something from her, but what could it be?

Then, the Countess has visited not long after he left, then requested that she move into the castle to assist with some sort of grand plan after she had read her tarot cards. She didn’t mind the countess too much, but knew that Asra would not be happy if she were to up and leave the shop for such a long time. Then again, she was the widow of the wicked Count Lucio, so she may have some evil scheme up her sleeve as well. She wasn’t sure if she could trust her.

What could happen next? She thought as she released the door, her attention turned back into the shop. It had been her home for so long. She didn’t remember how she got it, all she knew was that it was her and Asra’s home. It felt strange to her, though. She never thought she would own a magic store, let alone learn any magic from Asra. The past few years had really been an experience for her, and she felt like in a past life, she would have a calling doing something else.

Oh, dear, she thought. With all this trouble, I completely forgot to feed Gris. I must go bring her the cabbage I promised her. The thought of her manatee familiar all alone made her heart wrench. She started to make her way towards the kitchen to make her animal’s favorite snack.

Then, as the candle in her shop blew out, she froze.

The door had taken much longer for it to shut than normal.

“Strange hours for a shop to keep.”

What the…

She turns her head around, trying to see where the sound is coming from in the dark, only the light of the stars guiding her.

“...Behind you.”

Sure enough, when she turns, she sees a tall, dark figure looming against the door. He continues to speak, his voice muffled by his plague mask:

“Now, sources say that this is the witch’s lair...so who might you be?”

Nijah feels her heart racing in her chest as the masked figure comes closer and closer. What does this doctor want? She furrows her brows, concentrating on conjuring her magical powers. She twirls her fingers as she mutters a spell, a ball of water forming between her hands. She intended it to hit him right in the chest, a defense spell Asra had taught her a long time ago.

“Oh?” He laughs as he grabs her wrist with his gloves, the water between her fingers dissipating into thin air. He has her body trapped against the wall and his towering frame.

Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

What the hell is she supposed to do now?

“He’s been teaching you all his tricks? Unfortunately for you, I’ve seen them all befo-”

Reaching behind her, fingers grazing along the windowsill, she grabbed a glass bottle and smashed it on his forehead.

“Ack!”

Knocked loose by the blow, the stranger’s mask clatters to the floor. He’s bent over on the stones by her feet, trying to regain his composure. Nijah points the what’s left of the broken bottle in his direction, waiting for the moment she needed to strike again.

Nijah didn’t realize until it was too late that the bottle had been full, the water soaking his hair and the single globe amaranth lying on the floor around him. Bracing herself for the worse, she tightened her grip on the bottle as he slowly brought his head back up

Her racing heart stops cold when he lifts his bloodied gaze to hers, nearly dropping what’s left of the bottle.

“You do have guts.” He stated, his eyebrows furrowed.

She knew this man once. Everyone did. But she felt like she knew him a bit better than others might. She couldn’t quite put a finger on it, but she assumed she must have known him a long time ago, before her memories were lost. Maybe they were friends? Curly auburn hair, strong nose, pale skin, and those eyes…even though one of them was covered in an eyepatch, she still knew.

The band she felt on her ring finger felt much heavier than it normally did.

“Do...Doctor Jules?”

He gets to his feet once again, brushing the glass off of his coat.

“Haven’t heard that name in years...Nijah.”

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Photo Creds

Previous Chapter

Masterlist

[franeridart]

Didn't they all take the practical exam at the same time in the manga?? I'm confused....

Yeah, they changed that part orz I’m really unhappy about that for a number of reasons, but I guess their reasoning was that they wanted the anime to end with the Baku Deku vs All Might fight and in the manga that’s, like, the second fight to be done with? And if they had kept the order the anime would have ended with Mineta and Sero, so… I guess I get why they went for this, but still. I can’t say I like it orz

Anon said:I’m sure you’re expecting this ask but kiribaku study date!! :3 I can’t believer Bakugou ACTUALLY tried to beat the learning into kirishima XD

Well, it’s beginning-of-the-story-Bakugou after all, what else could we even expect from him hahaha Kirishima passed the written part tho, so it must have worked!!

Anon said:Wait hold up you’ve got me interested now. So I’m like a little past halfway through soul eater and I haven’t started the manga YET (I totally will now that you’ve suggested it) but… When did tsubaki turn into a boy??

It doesn’t happen in the anime! It’s ch 72 to… 74? 75? They go somewhere where all the girls get turned into boys and vice versa for a while! (That’d be Soul, Maka, Blair, Black Star, Tsubaki, Liz, Patty, Kilik, Thunder and Fire) (Liz and Patty look especially amusing lmao)

Anon said:what do u think abt kats*deku???? If u dont ship them - why?

I’m pretty sure I gave an in depth answer to this question a couple of times already, but do you think I’ve been able to find it? (I haven’t) so to make a fast recap, I only like them as friends, nothing sexual and nothing romantic - I really, really, really want to see them become friends, but I can’t see the necessary chemistry for any other kind of relationship between them, right now

And that’s also why I don’t ship it? I just can’t see it working in a way such that both of them are as happy as they can be, and I only ship if I can see both characters being happy in the relationship - foundamentally Bakugou and Izuku are different on all the wrong things, a big part of the reason why they fight so much is that their ways of living are different, to make a space for each other in their lives big enough that they won’t step on each other’s toes every two steps they take they should change their core personalities a lot. 

And I’m not talking about Bakugou, specifically, I’m talking about both of them. I do know that the fandom likes to pick Bakugou and turn his personality inside-out to make him fit with Deku in such a way that Deku will be happy, but realistically that’s only gonna make Bakugou miserable. It’s true that most faults rest on Bakugou’s shoulders as far as their relationship goes, but Deku isn’t the sort of person fit to be with Bakugou either - and I can’t have Bakugou make a 180° on his personality, force himself to be someone he’s not, just to accomodate Deku. I like Bakugou as he is, and I want to see him grow up while growing into himself. And while I do prefer Bakugou as a character, I happen to like Deku as he is very much as well, I don’t want him to turn into another person just to accomodate Bakugou’s personality either

So this turns into “either I change these two characters to make them fit together, or I let them be just friends and actually find characters that do fit with them as they are already”, and personally, I’m always gonna go for the second option. I mean, why would I want to ship them when I can ship bakushima t b h

Of course you’re free to ship it if to you the chemistry is more obvious than it is to me! It’s just not my cup of tea at all ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anon said:Could I possibly see a comic with Kirishima being tied between Ashido and Bakugo??? I thought it’d be cute since some people *cough cough* me *cough* may or may not be tied between Kirimina and Bakushima. :3

I………….. can’t do that, sorry orz triangles aren’t my thing at all. It’s either the polyship or bakushima, triangles get on my nerves more than any other plot device does to be completely honest with you. Triangles are the bane of my existence

Anon said: Hi there! I just wanted to say I’ve been scrolling through all your Bakushima art for ages and it’s healed me :,) fr tho i lov how you portray them and their dynamic and you have a lovely art style! Thank you for blessing us ahah

AHHHHHHHHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH OH MY GOD!!!!! (●´□`)♡

Anon said:hey there! just wanted to drop by and let you know that I find your art super inspiring? like i am IN LOVE with your art style, and I absolutely adore it. i love how the characters you draw have perfect expressions, i love how natural their poses look and i love how you portray characters friendships + relationships in comics it feels completely natural. even if im not into the stuff you draw, i love looking at it because its so great?? keep being wonderful because you deserve good things ^u^

Holy shit thank you??? I honest to god don’t know how to answer this??? means a lot??? fuck thank you I might go and cry for a bit ( •̥̥̥ω•̥̥̥ )

Anon said:Hey your art of sero carry bakugou give me life honestly good posts all around

Thank you!!!! :O Sero carrying Bakugou is something I myself need more of in my life tbh hahaha what a good concept I should draw more

Anon said:your latest bakugou I’m crying… he’s gorgeous and Buff and strong and could highkey bench press me I’m swooning

GLAD YOU LIKED HIM!!!!! :O you guys actually liked that one WAY more than I thought anyone would holy smokes!!

Anon said:Umm… I hope you don’t mind, but I showed a friend so e of your work, and I think it got you a new follower lol they really liked what I showed, and when I told them you do Kaminari, too, that was that. Can’t talk fave artists, without you 💜✌

:O !!!!!!!!!!!! why would I mind omfg, thank you so much!!!!!

Anon said:Okay, now I’ve been through your account since 2 hours ago, i can say I’m officially Bakushimanari trash. Omg i had never seen something as good as what you did to these three. (Btw sorry if my english’s not very good, but i had to say this)

!!!! Happy you liked them!!!!! They’re a good group, those three (灬ºωº灬)♡

Anon said: Yesterday was a shitty day, but today I woke up and saw your art, and stalked your blog, so I feel today will be a much better day. Happy boys are good. Never stop making happy boys happy.

I hope your day was actually a great one, anon!! And I hope today was great for you as well!!! And thank you so much for liking my stuff, happy boys are indeed my greatest weakness and favorite subject to draw haha happy boys and girls and nb and anything else too, really, happy people are good for my soul~

Anon said:Someone doesn’t know Soul Eater?! Now I feel old (・・;)

Haha, well it’s not really about being old/young as much as it’s about how long one’s been into anime/how far back they go when they decide to watch something new~ Soul Eater hasn’t had an active fandom for ages now, after all!