#devi's distraction

[dragonsarereall]

I love icehome, more than Ice planet barbarians. I didn't think that was possible. Gren, n'dek and the clones?? (I don't remember their names but I loved them)

[reineyday]

wait i only just found out Sendhil Ramamurthy is playing cobra???? omgggg 💞💞💞

[shesthespinstersimmer]

Commencement / Copperdale (3)

Flawless finish, per usual. Maia finished at the top of her class; as a result, becoming the first recipient of the Levesque Medical Trust, a grant that pays for top medical students to pursue their specialty - as well as offer opportunities to shadow professionals already in the field.

Her mother, Jai is over the moon, but not surprised; Maia has stayed focused and has done everything she’s asked of her. The big question now is: should she tell her mother the whole truth about her and Elsa, or just let it float until after she gets her degree?

As for Elsa, she’s already told her family about Maia and they can’t wait to meet her in person. Her father Bjorn and her mother Clara have always taken a rather casual approach to parenting; they feel that children need space to discover themselves. As for their relationships? They trust them to make the decisions that bring them joy.

When it comes to her education, Elsa has decided to study Eco Science to make the world a cleaner, safer place. She hopes to partner with her father, eventually to help him reduce the carbon footprint of his builds, innovating things like water and energy conservation.

Devi is very excited to be in the principal company at BLab this year; it will be a challenge to do that and keep up with her studies, but she feels she’s up to the task. The good news is, her work with the company will provide credits to her degree as well.

Her Daadee Geeta and her Mama Alcina are pretending to be OK, but their acting skills are terrible. Devi gets it - it’s to be expected when the baby goes off to Uni. Luckily, they have the grandbabies to keep them distracted. Her Paapa Raj just keeps cooking; he’s been prepping food for her to take to the dorms - his special way of showing love.

As for dating? She agrees with sister Saanvi - the right opportunity will present itself in just the right time.

Aquib initially moved in with his brother Mehdi for his education, but low-key to get away from their strict parents a bit. While Mehdi allowed him to be a little freer, he did stress the importance of a good foundation. Together they came up with a compromise – Aquib will be studying medicine, while minoring in holistic medicine - that gives him a chance to pursue his interest in nontraditional forms of healing. That should also appease his parents who can then brag that their son has a degree in medicine. 

As for Devi, he believes he’s making progress; after all, she’s agreed to be his date to his brother’s wedding 🥰

Previous / Next / Beginning

[darkeralmond]

Luca smut… that’s the request, you pick the plot lmao

TYSM FOR THE REQUEST!! i am so obsessed with never have i ever so i just had to do this scene

Study Session

Luca Fantilli x fem! Reader

song: company - justin bieber

synopsis: y/n is luca’s tutor, and you’ve not been showing up to the past couple tutoring sessions. you and luca get in a huge argument and now you guys aren’t talking. he then crawls into your window and things get crazy

warnings: 18+, smut, p in v, she/her pronouns, luca calling u “good girl”, high school au!

word count: 1.6k

a/n: this is based off that one scene with paxton and devi from never have i ever when he crawls into her window and kisses her. literally my favorite scene ever. i’m in love with him and luca. ALSO THE EDITS TO COMPANY WITH LUCA LIVE IN MY HEAD RENT FREE

masterlist | request info

For the past couple days, Luca has been mad at you. The thing about Luca is that he was all beauty, no brains. He relied on his hockey abilities to score himself into college. He broke his arm while playing in a game which left him with a season ending injury.

Now he relied on your tutoring to help him get the grades for college. Even then, he couldn’t seem to pay attention when it came to that kind of stuff.

When Luca came up to confront you about you flaking on your guys’ tutoring sessions, it broke out into a huge public argument in the hall. In the heat of the moment, you screamed at him which you regretted deeply.

“Maybe, you should start studying on your own,” you yelled. “If you wanna be a good student, then be a good student! I can't hold your hand forever!” Like that, you stormed away. That single statement ruined that entire relationship you built up with him.

It looked like he took your advice however. He started getting A’s on his projects all without your help. You felt happy to watch him succeed independently, but it made you feel uncomfortable to know that maybe he never needed you after all.

You were laying on your bed while listening to music. You felt your phone buzz against your stomach which startled you. You had your phone on ‘do not disturb’ mode since you wanted some alone time without any distractions. You checked the notification and saw it was Luca texting you. You furrowed your eyebrows and read the text.

Luca

Wyd

Me

Nothing

Luca

Can u let me in?

There was then a knock at your window. Your breath got caught in your throat as you shot your head up. You saw Luca outside your window while the rain poured down on him. You quickly threw your phone to the side along with your headphones and got out of your bed.

You rushed over to the window and unlocked it. “Luca?” you whispered. “You’re in my house?”

“Yeah,” Luca said as he looked around your bedroom. “I guess so.” He looked back at you with a smile on his face. His hair was soaking wet, his clothes were drenched, and he was in your bedroom. You blinked a couple times as silence filled the air around you two. “Look, I just wanted to thank you for pushing me to be a better student. It felt good to finally do something well in school.”

He had never been hotter. He shot you a look with his bedroom eyes, your heart pounding in your chest as you tried to wrap your head around everything currently happening. “So…” you started, “Are you here to study or…?”

That was a great question, why was he here to begin with? Was he here to study for an exam? Was he here to apologize for the argument? Was he here… for you?

He simply shook his head and muttered, “No.” You continued staring at him as he stepped closer to you. He brought his hand up to the side of your face and tucked some strands of hair behind your ear.

His touch made your body tense due to the shock. He glanced down at your lips before meeting your eyes once again. He closed the space between the two of you and kissed you.

You kissed back, your eyes fluttering close as you placed your hands on his chest. Your heart pounded faster than usual as his tongue brushed against yours. Your body was humming. You melted in his embrace and let your fingers trace patterns into his wet shirt.

This was the best feeling you ever experienced in your life. Every fiber of your body was telling you to stay right there, kissing him. You figured he was here to just study or anything else, just not this.

You pulled away and looked into his eyes. “Y/N,” he husked. Your eyebrows raised as you anticipated what he would say next. “I need you.” He needed you? This stunned you even more. “Can I please treat you like you’re mine tonight?”

The way he said those words sent a thrill through you and ignited a fire inside of you. Without saying a word, you nodded your head as you stepped back toward your bed. You sat down on the mattress and looked up at him. The dim lighting created shadows across his face which made him look angelic.

With a smirk on his face, he sat next to you on the bed and pulled you close. He wrapped his arms tightly around your waist and peppered kisses on your neck.

His hands trailed from your hips to up underneath your shirt. A small gasp escaped your lips as his cold hands came into contact with your warm skin. His mouth returned to yours, his hands cupping your breasts that were still covered by your bra.

You let a small moan slip as the kiss went on and on, deepening. It almost hurt how much you craved his touch and how badly you wanted him. The only reason he didn’t get a reaction out of you is because you were trying to keep calm, but it seemed he could sense your desire and knew what he was doing to you.

You tugged off your shirt and tossed it to the floor. Luca leaned back a bit and gazed at your body. The moonlight hits your skin perfectly making it shine and glisten. He ran his thumb along the curve of your waist, his fingertips grazing across your hip bone.

“Fuck, Y/N,” he whispered as he threw off his own shirt. All of this was happening while your parents were downstairs. You felt nervous that they could hear you right now, or that they would hear you soon.

You turned your body to face him. He stared back with hooded eyes. The moonlight illuminated his handsome features in an ethereal light. Your breathing quickened with every passing second.

He teased at the strap of your shorts which was his signal for you to take them off. You did exactly that and revealed your matching pair of panties.

Luca groaned as his colored eyes examined your exposed body. You both stopped moving as he stared up at you. “Are you on the pill?” he asked softly.

Holy shit. He wanted to actually have sex with you. It was such an abrupt realization. It took you a minute to process. “Of course, I am,” you replied with a sigh.

He nodded his head, his eyes trailing down your body. “Okay, good.” He looked back into your eyes before messing with the buckle of his belt. “Take them off,” he said as he shot a glance down at your panties.

You slowly slid them off just like he said to. He nodded his head with a smirk spread on his face. “Good girl,” he rasped. “Now lay down.”

He got up from his spot on the bed which left you more room to lay. Once you settled down, he stood in front of you with a mischievous grin. He took off his boxers revealing his large erection. “Fuck,” you muttered as your eyes widened.

He ignored your comment and grabbed your waist. He pulled you closer to him before aligning himself with your entrance. You looked up at the ceiling, your breaths shallow and quick.

You felt nervous. What if you ended up getting pregnant? What if you sounded weird when you moaned? What if you got caught? Your thoughts were interrupted by him inserting himself inside of you.

Your breath hitched as your back slightly arched. His movements were gentle. He pulled out of you a little before thrusting back in with one powerful motion. Your back arched again, but you relaxed as you realized what it was like. He began to move in and out of you at a steady pace, filling you completely. You felt so full and comfortable, it felt amazing.

You closed your eyes and breathed deeply as you allowed him to take care of you, to take care of you for once. Quiet moans slipped from your parted lips as he thrusted into you.

He was slow and gentle, obviously treating you like you were delicate. You could even hear him groan out of pleasure. You bit your bottom lip as you looked up at him. His eyes met yours, both of you were panting. It felt good. You weren’t complaining, in fact, you loved it.

Luca began to speed up his movement as you both came together. He moaned as he held you tighter. “Fuck, Y/N. I’m gonna cum,” he groaned as he kept a steady pace.

He pumped in time with his thrusts. As he climaxed, you moaned as you came too. Once you finished, you laid there as he pulled out. You heard a loud noise coming from downstairs as you both tried to catch your breath after that unraveled in under one hour.

“Uh,” you said as you sprung up. “You need to leave, now!” You then heard your mom yelled out your name from downstairs. “Uh, coming!” you shouted back as you got up. You threw on your pajamas as Luca threw on his clothes.

“That was fun,” he smirked. “I should come over for more than just study sessions.”

You would’ve been flustered by that comment, but you were too worried about not getting caught. “Yeah, yeah! Go!” You threw your shirt on and watched as he threw on his own.

He winked as he hopped out of your window and looked back. “One more kiss?” he asked.

You sighed, “Yeah.” You placed a long, lingering kiss on his lips before pulling away. “Now leave!”

He chuckled, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” You smiled softly as you shut the window and quickly rushed out of your room. You just had sex with Luca Fantilli. Holy, shit. He did need you!

[depressedhangrybitch]

Ok so normally i always try to look at things from a very understanding perspective but this post.........goshhh

The height of ignorance is both hilarious and sad to read about like if u are going to diss our scriptures at least do it with research.

First of all, one thing that i want to highlight for people out there is that;

DO NOT APPROACH INDIAN SCRIPTURES OR EASTERN RELIGIONS IN GENERAL WITH AN ABHRAHAMIC MINDSET.

This is not to shit at abhrahamic philosphies but to highlight the fact that these philosphies have different approaches to different things....

For ex: Based on my limited understanding of these philosphies I would say they have a clear cut definition of what constitutes as good or bad, there are rarely shades of grey between them....

HOWEVER....

Indian scriptures do have millions of shades of grey between them so to your first line stating that:

"Asurs are always depicted as unscrupulous villains" is in itself wrong... because there have been millions of times when asurs came victorious against their battle against devas and some of them did have virtuous qualities like bali, mahishasur (in devi bhagvatam purana) etc.

I dont consider asurs as necessarily bad beings just as i dont consider devas to be necessrily good beings.

Asurs tend to be arrogant when bestowed with a new power and generally...and i do emphasize on generally, they use those powers to wreck havoc.

Similarly, Devas or in most cases, Indra also tend to become arrogant and are always drenched in superiority complexes which is why, there is always a need for the one of the tridevs *cough* narayan *cough* to humble him.

As for indulgng in deceit.....

Both Devas and Asurs tend to do that to get upper hand....

Its just unfortunate that Devas are much more subtle and clever with their deceitful actions than Asurs who are like bull in the china shop.

On top of that, there are many instances when I personally felt a need to wrinkle my nose while i was reading these stories... sometimes at the actions of the Devas....other times at the actions of Asurs.

Shukracharya's story is perhaps one of the great examples of how petty and arrogant devas can be. Just as the story of Shumbh and Nishumbh is a testament to the destructiveness and momentary stupidness of Asurs.

My point is that puranas are basically moral stories from which we need to learn from.... instead of taking sides and completely bypassing the points they are screaming.

And while reading, we need to keep in mind that every character in them needs to be looked at a very neutral scale..

They are neither good nor bad, just people with both qualities in them.

Asurs have some qualitites like their tenacity and resilience that deserves to be admired just as Devas cleverness and cunningness deserves to be admired....

So if u look at these scriptures with a very who is good and who is bad mindset well.... lets just say u completely missed the lessons they were preaching....

Now, lets see the incidents you were talking about.....

The Samudra Manthan's goods were not for Devas to give away let me be clear on that...

Laxmi was not given away....she is not some goods u can barter about with....

She went to narayan because she wanted to marry him.

U know consent is a thing. right?

As for other goods....

I am not trying to be defensive here but Asurs clearly were stupid to get distracted by Mohini avatar.... Devas just happen to be clever and not get distracted by frivolous things and focus on task at hand....

Most importanty, u need to REMEMBER that Narayan is THE PRESERVER OF THE UNIVERSE.

He oversees how the universe works and to prevent it from going into chaos and why would he give the elixir to Asurs when at that time they clearly had bad intentions?

He already has his hands full dealing with Asurs who get boons from Shiva and brahma. I am sure he DOESN'T need more on his platter.

My bro has just gotten married at least give him some time to enjoy his honeymoon......XXXXD

(that was a joke btw)

Saw this meme on tumblr by @decemberpdf

Ahem....

anyways....

back to the topic....

Rahu and Ketu were the only ones who were focused on their goal, an admirable quality but they did not have good intentions so...

Narayan chopped them off.....

He does what he needs to do. Its his job.

As for the lakshagrah incident...

Yeah it was shitty when Bhim left his wife and son.... even i dont agree with that point...perhaps one day i might see things from a different perspective but not today....

But it was not because he wanted to leave her but because there were bigger scales at stake. Keep in mind he did not stay with his other wives (excluding draupadi) as well. Now I know that is not a good excuse but they are royals. Royalty marriages were done mainly for political purposes.... hence the polygamy.

What do u think may have happened if Bhima decided to stay?

I can imagine very different scenarios and none of them are favorable.

Bhim was the leading physical force in all of his brothers. If he had stayed.... I am sure I dont need to tell you about how the Bakasura incident may have ended.

Finally get your knowledge right, Hidimbi was a Rakshasi not a Danvi, if i am not wrong.

These two are completely different races.

Ghatotkatch did what he did for his father perhaps out of love perhaps out of duty but he understood his circumstances and was not bitter towards his father.

He is definitely a better person than me...

Eklavya's tale is quite the AMBIGUOUS one...

Some say his thumb was cut due to the far sightedeness of Drona, some say that it was because Drona feared his talent....so i would leave it upto u.

Eklavya's tale can be explained that Drona saw his potential and as an Hastinapur's employee decided to nip the bud before it bloomed by asking Eklavya's thumb.

Keep in mind that Eklavya was a citizen of Magadh which was not an ally of Hastinapur. If Eklavya had flourished, he may have been employed by Jarasandh in future, thus may have become a headache for Hastinapur. Drona may have foresaw this, which is why he did what he did.

OR

He was just an asshole and could not digest that someone was better than Arjuna. But come on, I can't blame him... Arjuna was a loyal and diligent student even more so, than his brothers.

Anyone who is a teacher will understand this that teaching a student who wants to learn is better than the students who want to learn because its expected of them.

yes Eklavya's tale is a tragic one....

Do i hate drona for it? Yes.

But do i understand why he did what he did? Also yes.

Finally ramayan.....ohhh the lack of knowledge the OP shows is hilarious....

Ram is a myriadda purushottam sure..... yes he abandoned and questioned his wife not once but twice..... first time Sita understands and proves herself not for Ram....but for her people. Dont forget she is a queen who has a duty towards her people just like Ram. Second time when Ram banishes her, does she simply take it? NO!!! She fights back and refuses to come back when Ram calls her back.

Even going further by asking her mother to take her back.

The first time it was her duty, second time it was her self respect.

Do i agree with what Ram did? No...

Do i understand why he did what he did? Yes.

In my opinion u can either be a good spouse or a good leader. Never both.

And to question your sources, many dont even consider uttar kanda from where these incidents are, as part of Valmiki Ramayan, which is the OG Ramayan so....

As for your claim...

"ooo but Ravan never touched her sexually or he was a gentleman"

Bitch stfu

Ravan did not touch her, not because he was a gentleman but because he had a curse...some say from an apsara... some say from his daughter in law, that if he touches another woman against their will he would literally die.

Yes he raped the apsara or if u read the daughter in law version, then the daughter in law.

Ram deceitfully killed Bali and he paid for it in his next life as Krishn when he was killed by an arrow in the feet.

Bali was an asshole and he died in an asshole way.

Krishn died the way he did to pay for his 'sins ' in the previous life.

Not even gods can escape their karma.

"All these puranic tales have become a matter of intense debate..."

As they should be....

A society can only evolve if it questions. Even if those questions become controversial or a taboo to speak about. Many practises we do in the name of god or traditons are unhealthy and if u will not question them..Who will? And how will we move past them?

And because people have stopped or were forced to stop reading their scriptures HAS made them easy to manipulate thus came in the things like caste system, boob tax in one indian kingdom (i am forgetting the nae, so dont ask) etc.

I dont advocate for caste system....nor will I ever.

But when time passes and SCRIPTURES become old there is always a POSSIBILITY that they have been tampered with and their right message is distorted and manipulated to suit the agendas of the powerful few.

I am still open to the possibility that there may be more scriptures yet undiscovered about Ramayana and Mahabharat and thus my opinions may also chnage.

Furthermore, there are many things I still can't digest when I read Ramayan and Mahabharat and its Ok....because experience changes perspective. Maybe someday... I will understand some of the decisions of the characters within these epics.

Lastly, the one thing people need to do is that they should read their own scriptures in the original language so they can build their own interpretations and have healthy discussions on them NOT ARGUMENTS.

I know reading the OG scripts are not ideal but if u can try and if u cannot then read from variety of sources.

Do not read translations and if you do pls keep an open mind because translation is a powerful tool and many Indian words are not fully comprehended in other languages especially english.

I have seen many people translating Asurs as Demons when they are not and thus, here comes the abhrahamic influence.

This especialy pisses me off because unlike demons who are almost always evil (again limited knowledge) Asurs are not necessarily evil. They are people with their own qualities and conflicting ideals that contrast the Devas.

I think the battle of Asurs and Devas should be approached rationally. Someone once told me that these two species represent 2 different sides of humans. Sometimes, there is a need for Asurs mentality, sometimes Devas. And they co-exist within us, sometimes battling for supremacy other times working together for a greater goal.

Conclusively, approach a new philosphy with a open mind and if u can with no biases.

PS: Some of my opinions may ruffle some feathers but please try to think openly before u cuss me out.

Finally even after u think i have said something stupid, feel free to correct me.

And if u come at me with baseless accusations and stupid comments because I hurt your feelings or offended you...

then i apologize.....in advance...

FOR NOT GIVING A FUCK.....

Thank u

Also sorry about my language.....

My only excuse is I was ranting.....

[noomyguts]

Since the show has already shaken the books timeline and events up so much I'd love if they could walk Armand back from the multi million dollar tech bro he's sort of starting as, no more private jets, no more private islands please

I know he becomes a millionaire in queen of the damned to buy himself and Daniel luxury things/experiences/the island, but I feel like we are already starting the story here when we get introduced to him in the show, except it's a sort of mock version of the life he has with Daniel in Queen of the Damned.

The show presents an alternate history from the book that has Louis and Armand stay together after Paris, Armand and Daniels first meeting be at Daniel and Louis interview in 1973, Armand erases Daniels memories of him, Armand doesn't turn Daniel in the 80s, and Daniel ages 50 more years.

Instead of being in a relationship with Daniel, Armand has remained in his relationship with Louis in a very twisted parallel.

Instead of building a house on an island filled with cherished memories with Daniel, he built a concrete box in Dubai filled with loaded memorabilia to match his life with louis. They're surrounded by wealth and luxury, but it comes across cold and hollow.

Assume without Devi's Minion plotline from the 70s-80s happening (as far as we know), Armand would have had to adapt to the modern world, without Daniel, alongside Louis instead.

His hobbies he loved sharing with Daniel (from the book) are either absent altogether in season 1-2 or get reflected in a empty way with louis in Dubai. His interest in art, fashion, Interior decorating, technology are all very muted from the eccentric, eclectic, hyperfixations we know Armand from the books to have had.

SO in the next seasons I hope we see Armand post divorce, depression era 2, hoping around from hoarder apartment to hoarder apartment, I want filthy kitchens, wild outfits, books and movies scattered everywhere, tanks on every surface, cables wires and computers, every game system ever??

except instead of his interest being a source of happiness for him like in the book, they should make it a little self destructive.

I want him to spiral into his interest, I want him so out of his mind with self bought distractions he can't keep up with hiring staff anymore, he's unstable, he's on his own, he's on the city bus like everyone else, and trying not to think about how he's tanked his life.

I think that'd be interesting. A way to take his character from the book and twist it a little to match his current situation in the show.

Like Daniel is already a vampire now, he doesn't need to be sugar baby spoiled/swept off his feet by Armand in order to like him, Armand needs to be humbled even further, and once the false persona Armand built with Louis fades, Daniel will like him all the more for it, and possibly be the one to help him out of that low place.

[obstinaterixatrix]

it’s not a romance so I wouldn’t necessarily call him a love interest and secondary lead doesn’t quite fit… I’m not sure I’d call him a secondary character because from what I hear I feel like that would be more the main character’s brother, but I wouldn’t call him part of the ensemble cast because he’s got a bigger role than that… he starts out somewhat antagonistic-ish but not really and not for that long so I can’t call him an antagonist… and that’s not even getting started with the kind of guy he is since him and the main character seem to pass the ball of being severely doted on back and forth like a high stakes squash game done at mach speeds

well first off i'd like to say thank you for the recs you've given me, i spent the past couple hours reading them they were pretty great. admittedly some of them werent for me (tha: the slavery aspect kinda icked me out, kjtpb: the boss was awful and he didn't even have the decency to be funny about it, sl ch 2: thought the dynamic between the leads wasn't super developed, qualia: just not what i was looking for). DoR and nge i liked but more because i wanted to see how everything played out than because i was invested in the romances or the dudes in them. b&w was super fun, really liked the one uppsmanship. the big winners for me were (1) "came here to die" cause it was funny and i thought the mc was silly, (2) villainess time death loop one cause i liked the ways their relationship was fleshed out/acted upon by both parties, (3) kobamanai otoko slappeddd. loved that one i thought the li's deal was really interesting esp since he didn't seem to understand all the dimensions of his feelings when he set out on the revenge quest until it was sorted out out loud with someone else like the mc with his hamster, i thought that was v v interesting. thank you once again for the good taste 👍

glad some of them landed! now that I know you liked villainess death loop and the humor of ‘just when I thought I came here to die’, I actually have one more rec—‘I love amy’ might be up your alley. one of the characters is really obsessive and and the writing leans into that kinda… black comedy? also I can’t believe I didn’t lead with ‘no home’ for dysfunctional characters in dysfunctional relationships in an interesting (and eventual, somehow functional…ish) way.

I wish I could give more series like kobamanai otoko but the ones that do go more that route also lean more into assault. actually, if you haven’t read it already ‘the end of the world with you’ isn’t really like it but I did remember it just now, it’s got rancid vibes from a terrible past breakup.

If you want to read something long forever you could go to the s-classes that I raised webnovel (not the webtoon). what I hear about the relationship between the main character and. well I don’t know how to describe him. also it’s actually a small part from a gen webnovel about a lot of other stuff.

[bumblebeedrizzzle]

Original art by ug0nba on Twitter (X)

I was so inspired by this art and decided to write a little fic because I haven’t seen many for this fandom! I’ve been thinking about posting this for weeks… I’m really happy with it and I hope it makes you smile too! This is my first published fic, so please be nice to me!（╹◡╹）

Warning: This is a tickle fic, if you’re not into that then please keep scrolling, thank you!! ✌🏻 It is SFW tho!

Fandom: Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun!

Reblogs are totally fine and appreciated but please don’t repost! Thank youuuuu! (*´꒳`*)

Can you tell that I was heavily influenced by my favorite ship, Iruazz?

Asmodeus was feeling a little distracted. He’d invited Iruma over today so that just the two of them could hang out. It was great hanging out as a trio with Clara, but sometimes he wanted one on one time. The day had been going well, but then Asmodeus found himself very fixated on something: Iruma’s ears. They were so small and round and cute!! How had he not noticed this before?!

At first, he’d tried not to stare. But then Iruma had swept his hair back into a little ponytail and now he found himself transfixed. Small, round, cute. Small, round, cute. small. round. cute. He was pretty sure he’d missed the last few things Iruma had said, but he couldn’t help himself.

Entranced, he found himself leaning forward, his fingers reaching without his permission —

“Eep!”

Well that certainly got Asmodeus’ attention. He looked down and realized that he had pinched the top of Iruma’s right ear, thereby causing the aforementioned boy to squeal. Oh devils was that cute…

“I-Iruma-sama! My sincerest apologies! I did not mean to startle you. It’s just, I’ve never noticed how round and cu - I mean small your ears are! I might have gotten a little carried away. Again, my apologies.”

“O-oh, it’s okay Azz-kun,” Iruma said with a sheepish smile. “It just tickled a little is all”

Ticklish. Iruma-sama is ticklish. His brain overloaded. Iruma-sama was so cute so cute so devi-cute!!!! Play it cool, Asmodeus.

“Oh, I see. Yes, that makes sense.” How was that playing it cool?!

…

After a few moments, he tentatively asked:

“If I am more careful, w-would it be okay for me to touch them again? I-if it’s not weird, Iruma-sama I just noticed that our ears are so different and —”

“It’s okay Azz-kun, go ahead!” Iruma beamed.

Oh devils this boy was going to be the death of him.

“R-right, h-here I go”

He leaned forward again, focused intently on his task. Truly, Iruma-sama’s ears were like nothing he had ever seen. He made a point to be more gentle this time, which he hoped would help. After a few moments though, he noticed that Iruma’s ear was slowly turning red. Without thinking, he blew softly on it, hoping to cool it down. That was the reason it had turned such an adorable shade of red, right? He was dimly aware of some light chuckles and Iruma squirming. When he looked at Iruma-sama’s face, it too was turning a light shade of red.

Oh. Right. Oh devils. He should stop now, he should really stop —

Chomp.

“Wah! Azz-kun?!”

Yeah, he definitely wasn’t going to be able to stop. You know what they say about demons and desires and all that.

He continued nibbling on Iruma’s ear, now with the sounds of light giggles coming from nearby.

“A-Azz-kun? Are you ehehe d-done looking at my ears haha??”

Iruma was met with more vigorous nibbles.

“I-is this a normal wahahay t-to lohohook at s-someone’s ears?? I-it tihihihckles Azz-kun!” the giggles were getting harder to stop.

Asmodeus was long gone. Not in a wicked phase sort of way though. Actually, he wasn’t worried about his wicked phase coming around for a long while now, not with this adorable stress reliever in his hands. But all common sense had gone out the window the second he’d gently chomped down on Iruma’s ear. It was so soft!! And Iruma-sama’s giggles had to be in the top 3 cutest things he’d ever heard. He wanted to hear more; he couldn’t possibly stop now. His fingers appeared to agree as well, as they started fluttering lightly over Iruma’s neck, eliciting even more giggles from the boy.

“A-Azz-kun, hehehehell to Azz-kun! Y-you’re tihihihickling me! P-please! Aha!”

His squirming was getting more deliberate now as any self-control for Azz’s curiosity was losing to the overwhelming ticklish feelings on his neck and ear. He tried looking up towards Azz, but the demon let out a slight growl and continued his shenanigans. Iruma was left to helplessly giggle and hope for a break. He tried holding out for a while longer, but eventually pleaded:

“H-hehehehello?? I-I d-dohohon’t know hohohow much mohohore I can tahahahake, A-Azz-kun!” and with that he gently pushed his hands against the demon’s chest for the first time. That seemed to register.

“I-Iruma-sama?” he blinked.

“A-Azz-kun hehehey. S-sorry i-it just hehe tickled a lot and I couldn’t, “ he blushed more, “My ears are really sensitive.”

Asmodeus looked down with a mix of remorse and disappointment. His whole face was bright red, all the way to the tips of his pointy ears. When he finally met Iruma’s eyes, they were pleading.

“Could I tickle you a little more? P-please? Iruma-sama?”

Ba-dump. Oh devils. That face. Those eyes. That word. He never could say no when people said please. Well… maybe it wasn’t so bad to laugh a little. And Azz-kun had stopped when he’d truly asked.

“U-Um, s-sure. I-if you want, I-I guess. I-I suppose I c-could try to lahast a little longer” he said with a blush. Could his face get any hotter?? What had he just agreed to?

Asmodeus didn’t need to hear anything more. He pulled Iruma back into his chest and went straight for his left ear, receiving a fresh round of giggles in return.

“W-wahaha! I-I wasn’t ready! Hehe this is eheheven wohohohorse. Y-yohohour f-fangs tihihihihickle sohoho muhuhuch!!”

Asmodeus wrapped an arm around Iruma’s waist to keep him from squirming away. With his free hand, he scribbled the back of Iruma’s neck, enjoying the fresh round of hysterics and pleading. When he’d had his fill there, his hand roamed down to Iruma’s shoulder blades. Much to his delight, this produced a new response:

“EEP! Ahaha!! W-wait haha I-I’ve n-never beheheen tihickled thehehere. Ehehehe!! A-Azz-kun!! Ahahaha!!”

Iruma-sama really isn't helping himself calling my name like that. He stopped nibbling for a moment to say:

“I-Iruma-sama, if you want me to stop, then y-you’ll have to stop being so cute”

There was a pause. Well, it was official, Iruma’s face could get even hotter. But before he could think about what had just been said too much, the tickling resumed.

“C-cute?! I-I’m nohohot!! W-whahahat w-waiaiait w-what dohoho you mehehean?? Ahahaha g-go somewhere ehehelse p-please!!”

Asmodeus chuckled, sending reverberations into Iruma’s ear. He shivered.

“I suppose you are right as always, Iruma-sama. You will never not be cute. Silly me. I suppose you’ll be stuck like this forever then.”

“Wahahahahaha!!” was all Iruma could say in response. He had covered his face with his hands. Teasing, he’s teasing me! That makes it so much worse.

Iruma had erupted into full-blown laughter now, and sensing that he needed a change of pace, Asmodeus started scribbling up and down the boy’s sides with both hands. Above the desperate pleas and squirming he whispered into Iruma’s right ear,

“Don’t even think of escaping, Iruma-sama. I’m not finished with you yet.”

Iruma figured if he could melt into a puddle, he would. His pleas became incoherent babbles as he wondered what in hell had gotten into Asmodeus today. He wondered if maybe he should have been more careful. After all, this was a demon tickling him. Who knew how torturous it would be? Was this how tickling always went in the demon realm?

　　　　　　 ・・・・・・・・・

Ribs. Sides. Back. Tummy. Ears. Neck. Collarbones. All Iruma could do was laugh as Asmodeus played him like a violin. He reached new octaves when he felt black-tipped fingers slip into his armpits — and he redoubled his efforts to scramble away.

“Yahahahaha nahahahahaha A-Azz-kuhuhuhuhun p-plehehehehease c-can’t t-tahahahahake ihihihit!!!!”

“Surely you can take it, Iruma-sama. I know you can because you are magnificent in every way. Even your laughter is magnificent — “

“S-stohohohop t-teheheheheasing mehehehehehe!! Nahahahahahaha!!”

“ — you are truly worth following, I am proud to be your friend.”

“Ahahahahahaha A-A-Ahahahahzzzz!!!!! H-happy tohohoho behehehe your frihehehend too, b-but ahahaha ihihit tihihihihihickles sohohoho bahahahahad!!”

“There is a simple explanation for that, Iruma-sama. You are the best at everything, of course. So you are also the best at being ticklish!”

“B-behehest at beheheing tihihihihicklihihish?!? Ihihis thahahat eheheven a gohohohohod thihihing??”

“Of course it is! Allow me to demonstrate, using a technique I learned from our Torture class —”

Torture?! thought Iruma. Oh devil, this was it, Azz-kun had figured out that he was a human and trying to torture it out of him —

Suddenly, Asmodeus reached down and kneaded his thumbs into Iruma’s hips.

“Ah —,” Iruma sucked in a breath. “GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHH!!!!!!”

Iruma’s nerve-endings jolted and his whole body spasmed. If he’d been taller, he might have smacked his head into Asmodeus’ chin. But as it was, Iruma was quite small, so he slammed his head back into the demon’s chest instead. He continued to scream incoherently.

“AHAHAHAHAYAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!!! NAHAHAHAAHAHAH H-HEHEHEHEHELP MEHEHEHEHEHE S-SOMEBOHOHOHOHOHODY HEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Oh but Iruma-sama, you gave the tickle monster permission,” Asmodeus purred. “No one is coming to save you now.”

Iruma was much too busy with flailing and laughing to reply. He could barely think of anything except how much it tickled. What had they been doing before this? How long had it been? Was Azz-kun torturing him for real or just being playful? Such thoughts were long gone. His nerves were singing and he was trying to keep up.

“WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA AZKHXJAHVIKAHVDX YAHAHAHAAHA”

The thing that finally brought Asmodeus out of his reverie was when Iruma’s laughter went silent. He knew the boy was stilling laughing, since he could feel the reverberations, but the room had gone silent. Then it really registered what that meant, and he quickly stopped. The boy kept laughing even after, slowly dying down into giggles. Asmodeus was too afraid to face him, so he wrapped both arms around Iruma and pulled him close to his chest.

“I am sorry, Iruma-sama. It seems I let my feelings get the better of me. I will need to continue training to make sure that i-it does… not happen again… please forgive me.”

There were a few moments of silence. Iruma’s heartbeat was still trying to return to a normal pace.

“Actually,” Iruma said, “it was… kind of fun….” he finished quietly. The tops of his ears were blazing red.

“I’ve never had a proper tickle fight with a friend, er well, it wasn’t much of a fight, but you know what I mean…”

“Y-you’ve never been tickled before?!” Asmodeus exclaimed.

“Well, maybe a couple times. But they aren’t super fond memories for me.” he paused. “But today was different. It wasn’t so bad in the beginning when you were being gentle. Then you started tickling harder and I definitely panicked a little, but honestly Azz-kun, it wasn’t so bad after all! Not being able to do anything but laugh turned out to be surprisingly relaxing. And, I feel safe… with you.” Iruma turned and looked up at him with a blinding smile.

Asmodeus’ heart soared and he found himself blushing and grinning uncontrollably. Iruma-sama is just so wonderful and thoughtful. He always knows just what to say to me.

“I-Iruma-sama, thank you!! I am so grateful for your trust!!” he beamed. “D-does this mean that…?!” he asked excitedly.

Iruma chuckled at his friend’s enthusiasm.

“Yeah, just remember to be gentle with me! And stop when I ask” he responded with a small grin.

“Of course, Iruma-sama!!!”

“And next time I want to be able to get you back!!” he said playfully.

“Absolutely! I will wait in anticipation, Iruma-sama!”

Asmodeus was sure he had never felt so happy and lucky in all his life.

[lexie-squirrel]

Sherlock Holmes is autistic

- “...he had contrived, with that cat-like love of personal cleanliness which was one of his characteristics”. (HOUN) -  “I have [...] an abnormally acute set of senses” (BLAN) - “My friend, who loved above all things precision and concentration of thought, resented anything which distracted his attention from the matter in hand” (SOLI) - “I was never a very sociable fellow, Watson, always rather fond of moping in my rooms and working out my own little methods of thought, so that I never mixed much with the men of my year" (GLOR) -  “Who could come tonight? Some friend of yours, perhaps?” “Except yourself I have none, - he answered. - I do not encourage visitors” (FIVE) - “...his disinclination to form new friendships...” (GREE) - “Without having a tinge of cruelty in his singular composition, he was undoubtedly callous from long over-stimulation. There was no trace then of the horror which I had myself felt at this curt declaration, but his face showed rather the quiet and interested composure of the chemist who sees the crystals falling into position from his over-saturated solution” (VALL) Low empathy - “He was a man of habits, narrow and concentrated habits“ (CREE) - “He had a horror of destroying documents, especially those which were connected with his past cases [...] Thus month after month his papers accumulated, until every corner of the room was stacked with bundles of manuscript which were on no account to be burned, and which could not be put away save by their owner” (MUSG) - “He appears to have a passion for definite and exact knowledge “(STUD) - “...never have I wondered at it more than upon that spring morning in Cornwall when for two hours he discoursed upon celts, arrowheads, and shards” (DEVI) special interest/infodumping - “'My dear doctor,' said he, kindly, 'pray accept my apologies. Viewing the matter as an abstract problem, I had forgotten how personal and painful a thing it might be to you. I assure you, however, that I never even knew that you had a brother until you handed me the watch” (SIGN) low empathy - “Arrest you!' said Holmes. 'This is really most grati - most interesting. On what charge do you expect to be arrested?” (NORD) low empathy -  “We were residing at the time in furnished lodgings close to a library where Sherlock Holmes was pursuing some laborious researches in early English charters” (3STUD) special interest - “My friend's temper had not improved since he had been deprived of the congenial surroundings of Baker Street. Without his scrap-books, his chemicals, and his homely untidiness, he was an uncomfortable man” (3STUD)  - “Holmes could talk exceedingly well when he chose, and that night he did choose. He appeared to be in a state of nervous exaltation. I have never known him so brilliant. He spoke on a quick succession of subjects - on miracle plays, on mediæval pottery, on Stradivarius violins, on the Buddhism of Ceylon, and on the warships of the future - handling each as though he had made a special study of it” (SIGN) special interest/infodumping - “His studies are very desultory and eccentric, but he has amassed a lot of out-of-the-way knowledge which would astonish his professors” (STUD) - “He is not a man that it is easy to draw out, though he can be communicative enough when the fancy seizes him” (STUD) - 'Holmes is a little too scientific for my tastes - it approaches to cold-bloodedness. I could imagine his giving a friend a little pinch of the latest vegetable alkaloid, not out of malevolence, you understand, but simply out of a spirit of inquiry in order to have an accurate idea of the effects” (STUD) low empathy - “He appears to have a passion for definite and exact knowledge” (STUD) - “He seized me by the coat-sleeve in his eagerness, and drew me over to the table at which he had been working” (STUD) personal space problems - “With an apology for my intrusion, I was about to withdraw, when Holmes pulled me abruptly into the room, and closed the door behind me” (REDH)  personal space problems - “...his long, nervous fingers tapping upon the arms of his chair...” (DISA) stimming - “He paced restlessly about our sitting-room in a fever of suppressed energy, biting his nails, tapping the furniture” (BRUC) stimming - “He began biting his nails and staring blankly out of the window” (STOC) stimming - “Yes, I have been guilty of several monographs. They are all upon technical subjects. Here, for example, is one "Upon the Distinction Between the Ashes of the Various Tobaccos." In it I enumerate a hundred and forty forms of cigar, cigarette, and pipe tobacco, with coloured plates illustrating the difference in the ash” (SIGN) special interest - “'Well, he's that strange, sir. After you was gone he walked and he walked, up and down, and up and down, until I was weary of the sound of his footstep” [...]  “I was myself somewhat uneasy when through the long night I still from time to time heard the dull sound of his tread...” (SIGN) stimming - “...in his nervous restlessness, he could not sit still, but paced the carriage or drummed with his long, sensitive fingers upon the cushions beside him” (THOR) stimming - “He appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century” (STUD) special interest - “When left to himself, however, he would seldom produce any music or attempt any recognized air. Leaning back in his arm-chair of an evening, he would close his eyes and scrape carelessly at the fiddle which was thrown across his knee” (STUD) stimming? - “But this is my special hobby, and the differences are equally obvious. There is as much difference to my eyes between the leaded bourgeois type of a Times article and the slovenly print of an evening halfpenny paper as there could be between your Negro and your Esquimaux” (HOUN) special interest - “'You are hungry”, I remarked. “Starving. It had escaped my memory. I have had nothing since breakfast”.''Nothing?'' “Not a bite. I had no time to think of it” (FIVE) eating problems - “...for days on end he would lie upon the sofa in the sitting-room, hardly uttering a word or moving a muscle from morning to night” (STUD) a shutdown? - “My friend had no breakfast himself, for it was one of his peculiarities that in his more intense moments he would permit himself no food, and I have known him presume upon his iron strength until he has fainted from pure inanition” (NORW) eating problems - “But how do you know that it is hereditary?” ''Because my brother Mycroft possesses it in a larger degree than I do” [...] “He has an extraordinary faculty for figures, and audits the books in some of the Government departments“. [...] . There are many men in London, you know, who, some from shyness, some from misanthropy, have no wish for the company of their fellows. [...] My brother was one of the founders, and I have myself found it a very soothing atmosphere”. [GREE] autism run in families - “We had a pleasant little meal together, during which Holmes would talk about nothing but violins” (CARD) special interest/infodumping - “For two hours the strange business in which we had been involved appeared to be forgotten, and he was entirely absorbed in the pictures of the modern Belgian masters. He would talk of nothing but art, of which he had the crudest ideas” (HOUN) special interest/infodumping - “I remember that during the whole of that memorable day he lost himself in a monograph which he had undertaken upon the Polyphonic Motets of Lassus” [...] “As to Holmes, he returned refreshed to his monograph upon the Polyphonic Motets of Lassus, which has since been printed for private circulation, and is said by experts to be the last word upon the subject” (BRUC) special interest - “Kindly look her up in my index, Doctor,' murmured Holmes, without opening his eyes. For many years he had adopted a system of docketing all paragraphs concerning men and things, so that it was difficult to name a subject or a person on which he could not at once furnish information” (SCAN) - “Sherlock Holmes sat moodily at one side of the fireplace cross-indexing his records of crime” (FIVE) - “The first day Holmes had spent in cross-indexing his huge book of references. The second and third had been patiently occupied upon a subject which he had recently made his hobby - the music of the Middle Ages” (BRUC) special interest - “An anomaly which often struck me in the character of my friend Sherlock Holmes was that, although in his methods of thought he was the neatest and most methodical of mankind, and although also he affected a certain quiet primness of dress, he was none the less in his personal habits one of the most untidy men that ever drove a fellow-lodger to distraction” (MUSG) - “Sherlock Holmes was a man, however, who when he had an unsolved problem upon his mind would go for days, and even for a week, without rest” (TWIS) sleep problems - “The mere sight of his excellent appetite was an assurance of success, for I had very clear recollections of days and nights without a thought of food” (VALL) eating problems - “You are knocking yourself up, old man,' I remarked. 'I heard you marching about in the night”. ''No, I could not sleep”, he answered” (SIGN) sleeping problems - “I do not know how far Sherlock Holmes took any sleep that night, but when I came down to breakfast I found him pale and harassed, his bright eyes the brighter for the dark shadows round them” (NORW) sleep problems

[secret-fungi]

Under the orchid tree

ram x devi

1900 words

rated t

warnings: slightly sad ram

a/n we out here posting our homies fav fics so they don’t murder us in our sleep

tags: @agattthaa @liviusofpella

The pair sat in the grass, shaded by the orchid tree and though they had started both upright as He read outloud to her as the pages turned Ram’s head found its way to rest on her lap and her hand found its way to his hair, horribly fond expressions on both their faces and a smile that never fully slipped from his lips. 

Many people fell in love, and many of those people rested with their beloved. This sight was not unusual but he knew many would think it was, they’d come up with a ridiculous joke like Ram Doobay smiling? The world had to have ended. 

Maybe it was not the sums that made it so, but the whole- One could be in love, and one could smile at their loved one, and one could love Deviya, but for Ram to be laying in the dirt it must be strange, The acts itself weren’t strange but rather who made them, and this fact Ram knew very well, because He and the woman that played with his hair were very different, if he was the night she was the day, and if she was fire he was stone, and if she was Deviya he could only be Ram.

Ram was not stupid, he was under no illusions of who he was and what people thought of him, he knew that he was not someone who anyone would ever call a particularly doting or affectionate person, if you asked many would say he would be a good husband simply out of duty and nothing more. He had a sharp tongue and abrasive personality that ruined any good opinions his appearance granted him. He was not a sociable person, you couldn’t even stretch the truth and call him friendly, that even when given the chance he had never been particularly interested in other people, he kept to himself and wished to be left alone, any attempts to get close to him were met with said sharp tongue. 

He had never been an uninhibited person, never selfish and rarely truly stepped out of line, he was quiet and well-mannered and very reserved. And as much as this was true for him, such could never be said for Deviya, in fact the only thing that has been said about both of them was

“May mercy be upon whoever marries the devil.”

He was prideful, arrogant, and most often stubborn and if his younger self could see him now he knew what he would say, and it would not be all that different from what everyone else said.

What could the ocean say to make the mountain bow? What language could be found between the night and the day? 

They would bring up their differences, as would he if it was anyone else but Him and her.

Deviya had always been wild; her antics were always a topic of discussion even at the Doobays dinner table. to her any and every rule was simply a suggestion there was no limit, at least not for her, and more than once she had said that if she wanted something, nothing could stop her from getting it, and that she was a woman of many wants and there was nothing to say she couldn’t have them all. 

He had once scoffed at her natural ability to seek what he was too afraid to, watching from a distance as she made her friends laugh, and maybe that is what caused him to scoff at her, to distract from the question she forced his mind to ask, despite himself he couldn’t help but  wonder if he couldn’t also be loved like her, if he couldn’t also do as she did. 

Maybe he heard the teens' thoughts and that's what amused the man as much as it appeared, as Mahadeva smiled and arched a brow at him. “Do you truly dislike her actions?” he asked in response to Ram’s condemnation of the girl waving around a dagger, something a bit knowing in the way he smiled at the teen and that was that, the end of Ram pretending to scold Ms. Sharma’s rather odd personality. 

She was bright and vibrant and with every room she entered eyes landed on her. People always gravitated to her, to see what mischief she had pulled off, to see what show she had put on, because despite her nature, or maybe because of it she was loved, and as she passed him by he would wonder a question that would follow him for a very long time: he wondered if he couldn’t also be loved despite his nature. Her list was no shorter than his.

But maybe it was that the list of reasons to love her was longer, be it her smile, and the way her eyes looked in the sun, her laugh and her readiness to be who she was– No she was not like him at all. He thought once before, so he knew what people thought now.

He knew that it seemed strange that She would want him and he her. He was not stupid, he knew what people thought, how could he not when many asked what did he even have in common with the heiress. But after they had finished their work recounting the miles long list of their differences he would smile and reply that they both preferred the night over the morning and a bitter truth over a sweet lie. He could live with being more sociable and She wasn’t always so excitable, and at times she could even be calm, he would say how He'd find her in her study reading and they would simply be together, she was more than happy to sit with him in silence, and he was not so rigid that he could not at least pretend for a while to enjoy himself at a social gathering.

No one ever believed him, of course, because who was Ram Doobay if not the quiet man that stayed in the background, with an unfortunate disposition and a frown?

But then, who was Ram Doobay if not the man that chased after Deviya sharma, Fingers playing with her hair and a besotted expression on his face. Who was he but a man in love? And he had proclaimed that that was who he wished to be, whoever it was he was before can be forgotten. 

If his younger self could see him now– 

“What are you thinking about so deeply?” Deviya asked from above him, her fingers working small circles into his scalp, and when he opened his eyes he couldn’t help but smile.  “How you liked me before we even met,” he said. At this she raised her brows high. “Oh, yes, definitely.”  she agreed “did her words bother you that much?” she asked, calling back to the day’s excitement, where they walked into a shop arm in arm, and looked at the fabrics and embellishments and despite them ordering a matching set the tailor grinned and joked a light hearted joke that shouldn’t have bothered him, he hadn’t been so liberal with his affections, hidden between the walls of fabric they were shielded enough for him to kiss her, and he didn’t mind if they weren’t.  His wife laughed softly and told him to behave and that it.

until they met the owner once again. 

“You two are such an odd match, I never thought I’d live to see the day where you would have to be reminded to behave, if your younger self could see you now.” she joked, of course she meant it as a simple jest, a playful warning to stop teasing his wife so much, but it stuck with him then as it did now.

“it didn’t bother me, it just made me think.” he admitted “about what?” she asked, playing with a particularly nice curl. But he only smiled at her, one so soft that it made her pause. 

Surely, if his younger self could see what he saw now, Deviya above him, a halo of orchids and the sunlight that peaked through the tree’s leaves. If he could see her smile, hear how she said his name- if only he knew then he too would fall. 

He would realize just as Ram did now, that the love between two people needn’t be justified. He would know that he wasn’t alone, and that despite his nature he could be loved, and as strange as it seemed, love came as an answer to each of their worries in one way or another. 

He had a place, a love, a dream and each of those things rested in her, at the end of the day she curled beside him, and in the morning before even the sun rose he had her love.

What would he be if he had known before? This Ram did not know and though he briefly wondered he didn’t wish to find out.

“If my younger self could see me now, He would be very jealous,” he said, his hand reaching to tug on a loose curl and grin on his lips. “I’ve got a rather nice view,” he joked. “Is that so, Rakshasa?” She asked in return.

“I don’t think he would be surprised.” She said “no?” he asked “no, you’d intellectualize it, and if that didn't stop your worries you would seek the answers in texts.“ she fixed her posture and put on a rather snobbish expression before she mimicked his voice a touch too well. “Of course, Ms Sharma is a suitable match, Being connected to my family would only benefit the sharmas.” she said, immediately breaking into a laugh at the last word, unable to keep in her amusement over the sour expression on his face.

“That's not how I sound.” he denied “it is.” she affirmed with a mischievous grin. “Then after you said that you would pull out a book and say that men go crazy for love all the time, love rules over gods and man all the same, No matter how long it holds on, a leaf cannot stay on the branch forever.” she said with a hand gesture that he hadn’t noticed he did so often as he must have for her to get it down so well.

“Maybe that’s why Mr Vaish teased you.” She said “He must see it before any of us.” “He must.” he agreed, rolling the pair over so that she now sat on him, he picked out a leaf that had landed into her hair, and for a moment he just looked at her.

She was right, he wouldn’t believe it, if you had painted a portrait of what he saw now and presented it to his younger self he would mock you. 

“Would you be surprised?” he asked and without even a moment of thought she replied “no of course not, i don’t understand why people say we’re odd, when I’ve always sought you and you’ve always sought me, even when we didn’t know the names to call out for we looked for the other.” 

Ram nodded, placing a kiss to her lips. And once again he thought to himself, that He was not like Deviya.

 But still, her words gave him understanding, as they often did. 

Maybe the change happened then, or maybe that was only when he understood it, as it was not as if overnight he had changed. No, he was still a reserved man but sometime before he had learned to smile, and laugh and lighten up. He still preferred to be left alone, but alone didn’t include Deviya sharma, as you could find him more often than not wherever she was.

Ram Doobay was still an arrogant man, but he was an arrogant man in love. 

[misterxsamsa]

There's many references found within JTHM, but I'm especially intrigued by the ones to Kafka's Metamorphosis and The Fly by David Cronenberg. They tie into Johnny's character progression very interestingly, alongside his idealization of Mister Samsa, and relationship with Reverend Meat following his death and ressurection.

At the start of the comics, Johnny is evidently a self-indulgent person, whether he'd honestly admit that to himself or not. While he attributes his murderous tendencies as nessecary for the blood wall's ends, or justified due to his misanthropic philosophies, it's largely for his own amusement. This self-indulgence is ultimately what drives him to try and kill Devi, and successfully murder his other numerous dates before her. He's incredibly starved of happiness, catharsis, and connection. So, he seeks to preserve that fleeting bliss by killing those who provide him these things he covets. He "protects" these emotional resources before they can be tainted by his flaws, or the agency of the person he's murdering. Throughout the comic, he allows his self-indulgence to control and consume his entire life, or what's left of it. It's this weakness that allows the Lovecraftian wall beast to securely latch onto his deteriorating mind without his notice. Not only that, but his lingering obsession with Devi continues to haunt him even after the last issue. It forces him into a painful self-awareness, about his own selfishness and dependency on others for the closeness they offer, despite his monologuing otherwise. Johnny destroyed something he cared about through his own irrational, and human desire. By the time he reaches this conclusion, he's barely even passionate about killing anymore.

His self-indulgence also takes the form of petulant anger towards humanity at large. By the time he dies, and especially when he visits hell, he begins to realize how self-destructive that misanthropy really was, and how much it distracted him from what was truly important. When he's thrown down into hell, everybody's exactly like him. They're obsessive and explosive about minor inconveniences, inane things. Johnny's able to recognize himself in the eternally damned, just as unaware of their own deterioration as he was, and that recognition chills him to the bone. It's these two experiences that fundamentally cement his hatred of self-indulgence and human desire. Instead of turning his hatred of human qualities onto others through psuedo-intellectual misanthropy, he begins to turn that criticism onto himself.

In his own words, his mind stinks! The longwinded philosophy that once defined him has now rightfully been declared superfluous, and he now seeks to discard it. His own desires for intimacy with others, something he once placated, has now gained a painful association because it's just a reminder of his fundamental distance from others, and the inevitability that he will hurt them. On some level, he's even seemingly aware he didn't truly care for many of the dates he killed. He was simply using them to satiate the desire for the illusion of connection. Through this vein of thought, he learns to admire Mister Samsa, as in Johnny's eyes he's devoid of his human plights, and tendency towards self-indulgent destructiveness. Furthermore, since Mister Samsa is so devoid of thought beyond self-preservation, he is unable to be emotionally damaged, something Johnny desperately aspires to. This is where our friend Franz Kafka and Metamorphosis comes into play, as due to the neutral perspective of JTHM it's easy to misconstrue this as an objectively positive change in thinking. The reality is actually much more complex, in my opinion.

Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis is about the gradual deterioration of Gregor Samsa, who has transformed into a giant bug overnight. As the story progresses, his family begins to not recognize the humanity in Samsa, mistreating and neglecting him until his tragic death. Eventually, Samsa forgets his own humanity as well, his mind and preoccupation receding into that of an insect. He gradually disconnects from his family's continuing lives, and entertains himself with crawling. By naming his house's roaches after Gregor Samsa, and aspiring towards his example, Johnny is repeating his tragedy.

Johnny's previous tendencies towards hypocracy, and self-indulgence hatred, are worth critiquing. However, it's worth asking whether Johnny's new approach is entirely constructive? There's a desire towards self-improvement, however warped, but it's being distorted by his shame and fear. He's casting off his wants to avoid hurting people he may admire, like Devi, but he's also doing it to avoid being hurt himself. If he allows himself to want things, he's setting himself up for the inevitable grief of loss and obsession, again like with Devi. Instead of trying to form a healthy connection with his own psychological and physical needs, Johnny has essentially opted to pretend like they don't exist. This is in spite of the fact that it's still his humanity, his emotions and experiences with relationships, that are driving him towards this decision.

By choosing this path of so-called recovery, he's dooming himself to perpetual loneliness, self-hatred, and dissatisfaction. If Johnny continues to deny these crucial parts of his personhood, it's doubtful whether he will ever reconstruct the version of himself that existed before the consumption caused by his wall demon. With that fact that he aspires to be "as cold as the moon", it's clear that's no longer of complete interest to him, as he doesn't value himself in any capacity. No wonder he's decided to find solidarity within a creature that's devoid of self, given that every cockaroach is declared as "Mister Samsa" to Johnny, because none of them have distinguishing features. He's chosen to follow in the itty bitty footsteps of Mister Samsa or Gregor Samsa, so he'll become as stripped and depleted as they did given enough time. Ironically, his repression and compartmentalization of the parts of himself he cannot escape are what eventually leads to the creation of Reverend Meat. It's very poignant that Johnny describes him as a "different version of Mr. Eff" as that's essentially what he is. They both reflect the different relationships, and fixations Johnny holds towards his own desires at different points in the story.

Previously, Johnny was primarily in the business of joyful escapism through the quenching of his cartoonishly muderous tendencies. Naturally, Mr. Eff enabled that part of Johnny's subconscious to distract and take advantage of him. However, Reverend Meat has no such ulterior motive given he's an authentic, non-sentient part of Johnny's inner dialogue. His purpose narratively is to display the futility of Johnny's quest towards the elimination of his own humanity. Despite his best efforts, he's still weak to the intrusive desires that Reverend Meat encapsulates, and his self-denial has only served to make them stronger. Once again, by refusing to aknowledge and manage his humanity, Johnny has allowed it to control him. Last we see him, he's in a Sisyphean conflict trying to destroy his impulses, while arguing with essentially himself conceptualized as a Burger Boy. Through this venture, he can't eliminate his motivating self-hatred nor Reverend Meat and the part of him he represents, and so his progress becomes somewhat circular. That's an important thing to keep in mind, Reverend Meat is a direct part of Johnny in the same capacity that Nailbunny is. All of Reverend Meat's thoughts are actually just Johnny's, and that applies tenfold to the desires he pushes.

Now, if I didn't already have you convinced let's talk about The Fly by David Cronenberg. It's about a scientist named Seth Brundle who undergoes his own metamorphosis, similarly to Gregor Samsa and Johnny. He accidentally fuses his DNA with that of a fly's while testing out his invention that will revolutionize human teleportation. While he's physically and mentally deteriorating from the botched experiment, he becomes erratic and irate in response to concern. In his mind, the teleportation process and deconstruction of himself on a molecular level was a form of transcendance. He's evolving beyond what humans can naturally be, and their baseline capabilities, into something more. He's talking about a "penetration beyond the veil of the flesh" — doesn't that sound familiar?

[SURPRISE, THIS WAS SECRETLY A TESS POST!]

By quoting The Fly in this context, Jhonen's not only covertly signaling the destructive nature of Johnny's self-denial, but establishing Johnny's aversion to physical intimacy in this panel as well. This is also when Mister Samsa makes his first appearence, and where we begin to come full circle. See, Johnny's not the only character shown to go through a Kafkaesque metamorphosis throughout the comics. There's another key player to the discussion of JTHM's relationship with Kafka, and that's Tess! Yes, really! So, it only makes sense that in this vignette where she speaks with Johnny, she's inextricably tied to JTHM's themes of transformation through The Fly and Metamorphosis.

Tess is introduced to the story, and Johnny's insanity, through the unsavory company she consistently finds herself around. She's a people pleaser that's good at heart, but struggles with feelings of social alienation, and engaging in the ridicule of others when succumbing to peer pressure. However, during her time kidnapped by Johnny she's able to gain perspective on herself and the people around her. She faces her own mortality, escapes the grasp of a world-ending Lovecraftian abomination, breaks up with her shitty boyfriend, all while learning to stand her ground. By the end of the comics, she's a much more assertive and grounded person, and seemingly doing well. This is where we circle back to Metamorphosis and talk about Gregor Samsa's sister, Grete. The short story is about her transformation just as much as his, though hers is portrayed as a more positive one. As her brother's condition worsens, she becomes his primary caretaker, and eventually a far more dignified and respected member of the family. She hurts and mistreats Gregor Samsa in the process, but the overall dichotomy between the two is that she excels while he eventually withers away. That's shown best by the fact that the story ends talking about her growth.

There's a similar contrast to be found between her and Johnny. While he chips away at his personhood, putting it through a series of increasingly strict constraints out of his own self-hatred and disgust. Tess is able to healthily overcome her flaws, and change her life for the better through self-acceptance as well as self-critique. Say, when we see her for the very first time, what movie is she seeing...?

Oh, just none other than Kafka! I rest my case!

[nytb]

The Instagram Story

A summer transfer window filled with record fee signings and your name wasn't left out of the fun. The Euros shone a light on your every move, fans begged for a transfer- your transfer.

The rumours started to become much more. Y/N sightings in Manchester, cameos on WSL players Instagram stories, posts about the great time you were having abroad- The fire started to spread. Everyone was keeping their eyes peeled: Where were you going? Were you going to leave Spain? Was it all a dream? Were you out of reach for the WSL?

So many questions- all about to be answered with a simple Instagram story.

"Now add a bit of red😈" - An Instagram story by none other than Ona Batlle, one of the Manchester United stars. A picture showing Ona and Y/N out in a terrace in Manchester.

The fans went crazy, was it official? Was Y/N making her move to the WSL? Was she a Red Devil? - Questions that were soon answered. After days of avoiding questions, giving vague answers regarding transfer moves, Manchester United announced their new Star. Y/N Y/L/N.

Preseason was on the horizon. Players started to come in to their respective clubs, taking part in media days, having their pictures taken for the WSL. The Bright New Star Y/N's first pictures wearing the Manchester United badge. They surely were the most talked about topic for a week, at least before the first videos started to come out.

Ona Batlle, Lucia Garcia and Y/N Y/L/N's video was the first to hit the internet. Well, more like explode the internet. The in between banter, the looks, the chemistry. Right there and then, the Holy Spanish Trinity was born.

They hit preseason running the show, finding each other on the right side of the field, connecting beautiful plays, displaying what it meant to have differential players in a team. The Holy Spanish Trinity started to become undisputed players in the first XI. Becoming fan favourites as the season started in the best way possible- a 5 game winning streak.

Next up - Chelsea at home. A match that could decide the league further down the line. The hype was real. The team chemistry was at an all time high, the sensations all pointed to a win, oh and what a win it was.

The game started off with strong tackles, setting the pace for the rest of the match. Players like Cuthbert and James fighting for every ball, leaving no play to chance. 1-0 down at half time and the Red Devis looked defeated. Coming out of the dressing room, the shine in their eyes pointed to revenge.

Whatever pep talk was had during half time worked wonders. 5 minutes in and a play on the right side lead to a goal. 1-1, Lucia Garcia scoring a beautiful chip. Not long after and a class act from Toone made it 2-1. The team started to defend as an unit, isolating Chelsea's attacks and most importantly- foreshadowing all tactical changes Emma Hayes communicated to her team.

A one sided game. The result might not have shown it, but the 65% Red Devil's possession and the little to no Chelsea attacking chances demonstrated how good the United girls played after going 1-0 down at half time.

The Red Devils celebrated the game with chants, dances and hugs. Hugs all around.

Videos started circulating the internet. Videos of the celebrations. One of which showed how Ona jumped onto her fellow national compatriot Y/N's back, holding on for dear life. Y/N carried the defender to the dressing room, congratulating their teammates on the performance along the way. That's when the rumours started.

Weeks of teasing Ona followed, pretty much the whole team, even some phisios got in on the fun. Keeping it all on the down low, not letting the jokes ever be heard by you. One week, Lucia Garcia, who had been staying at your apartment, came into training with you. As both of you entered the dressing room, a silence struck, but being the silly goofy distracted self, you didn't even notice it. Rambling to Lucia about some random thing, loudly and laughing like the true outgoing spaniard that you were.

Ona shot you pleading eyes, almost as if she was begging to be saved by you. "Why are you puppy eyeing me?" you ask, curious as to what the dressing room had done to your friend.

Russo, who had been teasing Ona right before you got there put her arm over your shoulders, hugging you as she replied for the defender "We were asking where you go to after training" she joked, winking at the defender "You never join us" she added, pouting. "Want to come out with us for lunch?" Ona asked, changing the topic as quickly as possible.

Lucia joined the conversation "She can't" she smirked, nudging you with her hip "So, are you going to tell them?" she asked, clearly eager for you to share the news.

"It was meant to stay between us" you stated in Spanish, a language Ona knew all too well. "Keeping secrets now are we" Toone joined, she had recently picked up some Spanish, hanging out with Ona will do that to you.

"I might be going on a date after this" you reply "What do you think about the outfit Tooney?" giving the girls a spin, allowing them to appreciate your impeccable fashion choices. "I was wondering why you were all dolled up for training" Alessia stated, "You look amazing, like always" she continued hugging you as she sent Ona sympathetic eyes.

"So, who's the lucky guy?" Le Tissier asked, triggering the laughter of the locker room.

"You missed the memo" Alessia joked, it was a known fact that you were in fact, a raging homosexual. "Girlie, I'm not about to waste all this" you pointed at yourself, from head to toe "on a man" you finished.

"Aren't we full of ourselves" Lucia joked, "but in all fairness, the girl is hot" the attacker showed the group the Instagram account of your date.

Toone, who had caught Ona's sad expression sat next to her, whispering so nobody else could hear them "That girl has nothing on you" she hugged the defender, consoling her "Let's go to training shall we"

Part 2

[awesomechocolatesauce]

"If I were Devi, I would've picked Paxton."

Well, you're not Devi. She didn't love Paxton and she moved on from him.

Paxton didn't pick her, either. He moved on from her.

Ben never moved on from Devi. Devi never moved on from Ben. They dated other people to distract themselves from each other, but they were always drawn to each other.

In the end, there wasn't a choice. There was only Ben for Devi and Devi for Ben. You don't have to like it, but that's how it is.

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

flash fic friday #1: the sea's calling

i'm going to be making multiple flash fic posts but for now, i'm so excited to officially participate in the first one!! this is a draft but here is a wip based on one of @ratanslily's edit <33 devi will show up later on in this fic ofc

Tagging: @rc-catalog

The streets were bustling with a sort of liveliness Ram hadn’t been acquainted with in a long time. Everywhere he looked, children together surrounded by bright lanterns whilst wearing colorful garments. Hot meals were passed around, and banners in honor of the Goddess were being hung for the festival. He stopped at one of the vendors to purchase seeds for Manash, knowing the parrot would be a distraction if not stuffed with treats. 

He made his way back towards one of the ports, waiting for one of the Basu twins to arrive. Anyone else would have been surprised to see one of the city’s most prominent heiresses on such an expedition, but Ram knew better. She wanted the honor of finding the priceless conch shell for herself. Frankly, he couldn’t blame her. 

“Back to the sea already, Captain?” one of the boatswain's smirked, polishing one of the smaller vessels as he grew near. 

Ram sighed, looking back towards the glistening sea. “I…can’t bring myself to stay away from her.”

The boatswain rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “I don’t think your future wife won’t appreciate you saying that.”

“Now you sound like my mother,” he replied, a smile gracing his lips. He grabbed one of the wooden oars set aside and took off.

[keldae]

Abduction

Inspired by this Tumblr post!

Something felt… off. Gale couldn't place his finger on what triggered the sensation of something being wrong, but he knew the tingling feeling of not all being well, nagging at his subconscious. He fidgeted with his staff, watching the market square around him. Aside from the roaming Fist patrol with a Steel Watcher in the group, nothing in this busy market seemed to be outwardly wrong.

Beside him, Lae’zel snorted. “Tch . They all go on about their business like nothing is wrong. Even the earthquakes don't seem to bother them.” She watched as a group of children scampered by. “They wouldn't last an hour against the ghaik.”

Gale shook his head in agreement. “Let us hope it doesn't come to them needing to defend themselves,” he murmured, still trying to figure out what felt so wrong.

Lae’zel peered at him. “You're distracted, Gale. What's wrong?”

“I don't know… but something is,” Gale muttered, looking around the marketplace. “Do you not feel it?”

“Something has felt wrong ever since I woke up on that nautiloid,” Lae’zel pointed out. She glanced over as Jaheira made her way over. “Did you find what you needed?”

Jaheira nodded. “Not at the prices I would have liked, mind. Devi still isn't back?”

Gale shook his head. “She said she was going to duck into that shop to see if they had more multi-target arrows,” he said. “But unless she's deep in haggling over prices, she should have been back by now.”

A slightly-annoyed frown on her brow, Jaheira started toward the indicated shop. “I'll go grab her. We don't have all day for her to barter.”

Humming, Gale settled back against the fountain he was leaning against, watching as Jaheira vanished behind the door. His heart lurched into his throat when the High Harper returned alone a minute later. “She wasn't in there,” she said, making dread flicker to life in Gale’s chest. “For fuck’s sake, Devi, what trouble did you find now?”

“We would have seen her leave,” Lae’zel pointed out, tensing like she expected a fight. “Did the shopkeeper not see her?”

Jaheira shook her head. “Either he was lying, or Devi never went in there.”

“Shit,” Gale breathed out. The nagging sensation of something being wrong veered into full-fledged anxiety. “I know I saw her go in there. I can read the shopkeeper's mind to figure out what precisely happened.”

“I can just make him talk,” Lae’zel growled, her fingers flexing as though around her sword hilt. “Come, let's go have a discussion with that shopkeeper.”

“Oh, this is going to go poorly,” Jaheira muttered as she followed both githyanki and human back toward the shop.

The trio didn't make it to the door before Lae’zel sharply turned her head, her sensitive ears picking up on a sound from the nearby alley. She veered off toward the noise, Gale and Jaheira in her wake. “What the hells?” she murmured, looking around the alley before she suddenly ran forward, reaching for her sword.

“What–?” Gale felt his blood run cold as he saw the blood pool in the alley. He raced up to Lae’zel’s side, frantically looking around. There was no body to be seen – but there was a shape standing around a corner, back to the marketplace, knives in both hands. Gale recognised Devi’s long hair and teal jacket, stained as they were with blood. But what in the hells was she doing here, and why was she standing like that? “Devi?” he asked, stepping around Lae’zel. “Darling, what happened?”

Read the rest on AO3

[blossombriefs]

Legendary | Chapter Two

Planet Vampa. A desolate wasteland suspended in the abyss of space. The harsh landscape was blurred by swirling dust storms as I gazed through the viewport. It felt as though I was peering into the heart of chaos itself and it sent a rush of excitement through my body. Frieza's decision to deploy my team onto this unforgiving terrain seemed almost whimsical, but I knew better than to question Frieza's decisions. As per the usual procedures, Frieza would expect me to have the mission done and quickly return to the mothership while he deployed more squads on other planets to do an identical job.

The cruiser rumbled as it descended through the atmosphere, the air resisting the ship's presence. With my practiced precision, I guided the vessel through the tempest with ease, my nerves as steady as ever as I guided the controls. Nothing the training had already made me confident in. As the safety breaks engaged with a satisfied clunk, I wasted no time in securing the scouter to my face, its digital readouts flickered to life with the vital information I needed. I looked behind me to my crewmates, their power levels reading back to me.  I jumped out of my seat, meeting my team as they formed at the door. The drone soldier I had the run-in with earlier towered over me as we waited for the entrance to open. I looked down, seeing his leg wrapped in a medical bandage over the top of his uniform. He felt like a shadow looming over me, however his efforts to intimidate me would amount to nothing.

My crewmates slipped out of the spacecraft first. The humid weather and the smell of dust and ash that enveloped the dark green plains were the first things that greeted me. It was a desolate planet with barren landscapes. Amid the chaos, I felt a sense of purpose. I was here on a mission that nothing would distract me from completing. With their trained precision, the team pushed forward to scan the horizons for any signs of life or targets they needed to eliminate. The landscape seemed endless and I couldn't see much through the clouded hair other than jagged rocks and a rough terrain. 

The team advanced along cautiously, this was a planet we had such minimal information on but I did love a challenge. Each member maintained their position while scanning for potential threats while I watched from the back with my blaster in my hand. Something in the back of my head was telling me that something wasn't right. My head darted around, the scanner flickering and beeping as I squinted, trying to look ahead. I didn't know what was making me feel this way but my instincts were kicking in. As my vision cleared, I let out a commanding scream.

"Get back! Now!"

Despite the desperation in my voice, I could only watch on as the sudden explosion shattered through the blissful silence. In the chaos that ensued, I was knocked back by the blast while rocks and debris rained down on me, my blaster loosening from my grasp as I was pressed to the ground. The next few minutes were painful. Cries of pain and confusion filled the air. I crawled back quickly, watching on as I scrambled to find my gun as a very rare sweep of pure panic filled my body quicker than I could even process. Looking around frantically, I tried to make sense of what was happening. I shook my head, trying to let my eyes focus through the thick smoke as I went to press my fingers against the intercom button to contact Frieza to request backup, however sharply my wrist was grabbed with a strong grip. I yelled out, the pressure hardening as I was lifted off the ground. The dust cleared around as I could now fully see him. The drone soldier I butted heads with in front of Frieza grinned at me menacingly. I furrowed my brow, breathing heavily as I tried to collect myself. His expression twisted into pure malice as he threw me back down hard on the ground, my scouter falling off my face on impact.

"Of course, you would fucking survive." He snapped, stamping on and breaking my device that lay so close to my face. He climbed on top of me, keeping me pressed to the ground with his full body weight as he started to deal heavy punches to my midsection, winding me with each strike. I gasped for air sharply, finding it nearly impossible to retaliate. I started to process the truth of the situation as I saw him reach his hand into the holster on his waist, pulling out his weapon - he had turned his back on our squad and wiped them out in cold blood. I didn't sense any of their power levels before your scouter fell, then again you weren't fully focused. 

"Why!? Why would you do this!?" I exclaimed, taking heavy breaths between each word as I tried to keep myself together. I couldn't let any sign of weakness slip out. His smile stayed wide with pure evil intentions behind those eyes. He didn't lie to Frieza on that ship, he was masking his true strength from our team. My face was met with a quick but powerful slap, my cheek pulsed with the sting of the impact.

"Don't you dare play the fool now!" he yelled, his mouth foaming with rage as this time he held his hand firmly over my mouth, squeezing my nose between his fingers to cut off my breathing. Kicking my legs in an attempt to escape, I squirmed underneath him. My fear was settling in, and it was one of the most terrifying feelings I had ever experienced. I could see him laughing, he took pride in making me feel unnatural, treating me like a plaything as he took pleasure in toying with my life. 

"You embarrassed me in front of Lord Frieza. You're a freak! What would happen if Frieza found out his 'perfect weapon' died on this wasteland due to a 'natural disaster' and I was the only survivor? While you would be forgotten, I would be a legend!"

Once his verbal barrage stopped, he moved his hand and allowed me to take in a sharp breath. I pulled my hand out from underneath this brute to find my gun, however, I knew my efforts would've been futile as I felt the cold tip of his pistol press against my forehead. The adrenaline coursed through my veins. For the first time in my life, I felt helpless, it was unlike anything I had experienced before. He leaned down into my ear slowly, his weapon sliding to my temple as he wanted to take one more opportunity to mock me.

"Remember what the mission was, Captain?"

Just as his finger moved to the trigger to deal the final blow, I felt my eyes close over in absolute anxiety. My life was over. I wouldn't make it back from this mission. With one sharp breath, I was ready to accept my fate. It wasn't the blaze of glory I thought my death would be. As I slightly opened my eyes for what felt like the last time, my vision was blinded by an ethereal green light. A sudden blur of motion intercepted the moment as a strong force pulled the strong weight from my body. I took a few moments to breathe, patting my hands over my midsection. I was very much alive. I winced in pain as it was clear my ribs were dealt the brunt of the attack, feeling like they were cracked or broken. I rolled over, arms crossed over my body as I tried to collect myself. I coughed, blood spotting onto the grass below me. I slowly made my way up, sitting myself in the grass as I looked out toward the horizon. Two figures fought in the sky in the distance, one radiating the same green light I was met with when I opened my eyes. The forms of the two were blurred, but he was winning the fight, dodging every attack. His speed was incomprehensible. His blows dealt damage I could only dream of doing, his punches and kicks flowed like a dance. I could feel his power from the grass a fair distance away, it was unlike anything I had ever seen as I kept my eyes attached to his fluid and precise movements. The battle raged on for only a few minutes, not long at all until I saw my attacker fall in defeat, split in two by a blow sharp enough to do so and he was disposed of in the side of a nearby cliff. The man shrouded in the lime-coloured glow lowered himself to the ground victorious.

I was introduced to the carnage behind me as the air cleared once more. The bodies of my dead squad were in pieces around me. I gingerly pulled myself up to my feet, brushing the dust off my uniform but it was clear I was in bad shape. With slight difficulty, I crouched down to pick up my gun from the floor and slipped it back into my thigh holster. I gazed out into the distance as a breath of relief escaped my lips. Another sharp beaming glow would cut my time on my feet again short, sending me down with a thud with a burst of light and velocity. I groaned out in pain, pressure once again pressed against my battered body. As I looked up, a towering figure loomed over the top of me, face shrouded by dense, black hair that covered his features. His body was weighty on top of mine, his muscle mass was huge. Panting gently, clearly tired from his fight, he stuttered a single word under his breath.

"H-hello..."

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