#essentially being her bodyguards

[cosmicheartz]

Auooghhh thinking abt Aymlamb and the parallels between them ( + Baal ) being pawns of Nari

[demenior]

Jester is the perfect height for motorboating the boys and she likes it that way.

[reconstructwriter]

I'll bet THAT's why Sabe (I think) ordered Padme to give R2D2 an oil bath!

the handmaidens + padmé group can't be be this super wholesome group of besties that share make up and gossips and giggle as they make out ocassionally, they can't be always this cool and badass girlpower considering the fucked up way they are on this situation. Considering each of them is actually A Person that's different from Padmé, as much as they trained themselves to mentally replicate all her moves, considering that they're ready to die for her (but she won't for them, she can't, she's too important, as much as it pains her) I can't not think of this as a awfully unbalanced group of people that got forced to become friends and develop weird and intense feelings for each other but also a deep resentment and extreme passive-agressiveness because at the end of the day, they're Padmé's subordinates and there's no way Padmé doesn't, inherently and unconsciously (and sometimes consciously) step into a Boss role, there's no way Padmé, sometimes, doesn't realize the disagreements or drama that might be going on, and if she does there's...well, lots of awkwardness they're forced to overcome. She probably will obliviously hurt them, and they won't retaliate because that's their boss. Sure, there's a window of honestity that goes beyond the professional, but it only make things harder and messier. And them there's probably lots of talking behind backs, and little cliques and mini groups, not to even touch on the dating or romantic feelings, that probably just makes the drama skyrocket.

And still, they're a very close group of Friends (perhaps more for some of them), but more intimate than normal friends and at the same time less intimate than real friends because real friends become honest and intimate as a choice and as a natural relationship developing, and definitely not as healthy and honest as any normal friends. And do you think that keeps them awake? They're look-alikes, trained to copy Padmé's mannerisms and behaviour, and clothes, everything, and they all together created Queen Amidala as a facade, and yet there's still that feeling of lack of actual íntimacy, a feeling of a lack of actual friendship, like the itch isn't really satisfied in between them because as much as they care for each other, there's a feeling of fakeness into it all, a feeling of 'what brough us together is just a job, and what keeps us together is that we don't know something different'. But some of the handmaidens do leave and adventure away from this, and there IS happy moments and real kinship at times... is just that, the uglyness isn't not very far from the surface.

[nixie-writes]

Daughter of the Seven Deadly Sins

Lucifer

being the youngest of the Morningstar family was not easy. Your father, your current caretaker, was always holed up in his quarters, playing with toy ducks. He was a shell of his former self.

as his remaining daughter, you were treated like royalty, seeing as you were royalty. You had butlers, you had servants, you had the whole nine yards. However, you missed your older sister, Charlie. Your father hadn't even bothered to give you her number.

from a very young age you were coddled. You got everything you wanted, all of Hell was yours for the asking. One day Lucifer was strolling through Lu Lu World and he spotted the biggest duck plushie he'd ever seen as a prize for winning the hardest level of the game. Instead of actually playing though, he smacked some money on the table and motioned to the duck plushie and the clerk gave it to him. He knew it would be a wonderful birthday present.

life around the Morningstar manor was quite enjoyable. You got everything you wanted, you had servants and bodyguards watch your every move, it was the closest to Heaven you'd ever be.

Asmodeus

you were adopted as a baby by Oz and Fizz, and they adored you from the start. They bought you educational toys, stuffies, anything a beautiful baby girl could need.

as you grew older, you became more independent and Fizz feared you would go on a rebellious streak. Oz wasn't worried though, he knew how to put you in your place with a steady hand and proper punishment.

so the night you snuck out to one of Bee's parties and didn't come home until 3 in the morning, Oz banned you from Sinstagram and all other social media for a month, as well as a two month grounding from leaving the house to go anywhere. You thought it was unfair, and that showed Asmodeus that he was taking good care of you.

Beelzebub

your mother called you her wild card for a reason. You stayed out late, you hung out with boys you didn't know, you were a handful. Because Bee was the most unfit parent given her Sin, she got help from other demons.

Satan taught you respect, Belphegor taught you patience, etc. The other sins helped raise you, while giving Bee the room she needed to show herself as an active mother in your life.

don't worry, Vortex wasn't left out of the picture. He was much more stern to you than Bee was. He was willing to punish you, he didn't care about whatever tantrum you threw. But you loved him, he was strong and steady and had a firm hand in guiding you in the right direction.

Belphegor

Bel is usually just nodding off, either from her narcolepsy or because she was coming down off something. So you essentially did whatever the hell you wanted.

you lived a carefree life. You hung out with the wrong crowds, did the wrong things, etc. Like your mother you experimented with party drugs but you passed out and woke up in an empty parlor room. This was when you learned that drugs may be a bad idea.

it took a hard lesson to straighten you out. You snaked your way up to Satan late one night and tried to seduce him. Being an adult you could do that sort of thing. Instead of laying it on you he used his fear factor to shake out a little of your hubris. Sort of like the show Scared Straight.

Leviathan

like your mother, you were a two headed being. As such, you were the most popular kid in high school. Everyone wanted to be your friend, the nerds were helping with your homework and schoolwork, etc. However, you were the sort of girl to only hang out with the other Sins' daughters.

your mother always taught you to walk with purpose, how to have the girls begging for tips to be more like you, how to have boys clawing each other to get a chance to ask you out, though the answer was usually, if not always, a resounding no.

you were one of the most behaved daughters. No one had to worry about you coming home on time or who you were hanging out with. You were the model child, and the other daughters were, well, envious of this.

Mammon

you kept his accent but not much else. Mammon is a money hungry, gorging, sadistic asshole who expects his employees to be the commercial brand of fuckable. You were glad Glitz and Glam replaced Fizzarolli, he didn't seem happy doing the clown business anymore.

you were old enough to fend for yourself so he sent you off on your own. His robot Fizzarollies had practically raised you in his stead, so you had no issue making distance between yourself and him.

you had the top independent streak of the daughters. The others, both younger and older, looked up to you in respect for your lack of a father figure, and some wanted you to help them become independent like you.

Satan

you were a daddy's girl for sure. At only a human age of 6, you were innocent and sweet, the exact opposite of Satan. Despite that, he rocked a "#1 Dad" shirt when he had you with him in public. He didn't want any sick deviant thinking they could steal away with you and survive.

the other Sins and their daughters adored you, and how kind and sweet you are. Satan's therapist suggested he take a lesson from you and try to be more sweet, but it just wasn't in his blood. He was a Sin for God's sake, and he was the law, he couldn't coddle those who broke demon law.

regardless of that, he coddled you and made you sweeter than blueberry pie. You had horns like his but those of a female imp, of which he adored. He'd often hold your hand or carry you places. He was very protective of you and if you so much as tripped and scraped your knee he'd be screaming for paramedics.

though he knew you would develop a rebellious streak when you got older, he trusted that he raised you well enough to know what you should and shouldn't do, and he could only hope the best for you.

[zoe-oneesama]

Why does the fandom think Nathalie cares about Adrien? She's always all monotone indifference and "this is what your father says/wants". Yet the fandom likes leaving Adrien in her care post-hawkmoth sometimes? If you're really gonna read into things like that let's praise the one adult who DOES care about him- his bodyguard! Remember how the mere sight of him was enough to calm him down enough to thwart Hawkmoth's intentions in the gigantitan episode?

But no seriously I'm so bad at noticing these things- why do people think she cares about more than Gabriel?

Welp, she is the reason Gabriel let Adrien go to school according to Origins Part 2, and then we got the Great Hiatus to let that one tiny moment of feelings sit and fester in the fandom brain.

And Season 5 definitely did it's hardest to frame Nathalie as Here For Adrien, so it's like the whole series is bookended by That version of Nathalie.

But I get the confusion, Nathalie's been all over the damn place. Different Seasons characterize her almost like adjacent sister versions of herself? Like not a TOTALLY different person, but different enough that I'm worried about body snatchers lol. I pretty much compartmentalize Nathalie according to the season:

Season 1 - Belligerent Assistant who's job description does not and should not include taking care of her boss's son yet here she freaking is.

Season 2 - Reveal that she's totally In-The-Know, her indifference has reached knew levels of being just outright negligent, she is officially culpable.

Season 3 - Team Rocket era where she is fully into the evil dramatics. Also the gross fun addition of her officially being In Love™️with her boss and being angsty about it despite her bringing it upon herself. Also girl he's so crusty get some standards.

Season 4 - Bedridden bionic woman. Was it worth it? WAS IT WORTH IT?!

Season 5 - Pissed off divorcee era. She is actively picking fights and weaponizing the children at her not-ex, and while I'm side eyeing the last 4 seasons, I am here for this level of sass while she scoffs at Gabriel being his Worst Self™️. Too bad about the whole Dying thing but hey. You gotta make up for...all of that other stuff, right?

She's just kinda doomed to not be a cohesive character. I do like her heel turn in Season 5, especially because she was RIGHT, Gabriel had THE OPPORTUNITY to save not only Emilie but also Nathalie and threw it away because he wants to throw hands with teenagers. I too would walk away after that spectacular display of failure. I kinda wish she had someone to talk to, like even Duusu, just to explain that the only reason she hasn't exposed Gabriel altogether is because he'd definitely expose her as well and then Adrien'd be left alone. Like it's easy to infer that, but in a kids show, stuff like motivations kinda need to be laid out neatly.

Cuz otherwise it leaves it open ended - is she covering to spare Adrien from being essentially orphaned, or is she covering to save her own ass? After the 5ish versions of her, either interpretation is fair.

[motthe]

OKAY- idk if requesting twice is okay or not- but if you have the time! Can we see more Mel and reader (lumen au or otherwise)? Where reader has what is essentially Amara’s job but more so a bodyguard type? Mel helped them out at one point and now they protect her and help her with whatever she needs! (Like finding a gift for Jayce or Passive aggressively spitting her mother) and she does the same for them with viktor and egotistical higher ups? Basically just them being each others solace, confidant that knows of the others past while helping them get to the future they deserve with Jayce x Mel & Viktor x reader sprinkled in, (first meetings, first signs of affection, etc) for all parties!

(can be ignored if your busy or otherwise dw ;3)

I hope you enjoyed this!!! I took some creative liberties and placed this in S1 arc 1 :)

warnings: gn!reader, mention of scars and sleep problems, non-sexual nakedness (you’ll get it when you read lol)

Mel rose from her desk, the wide reaching window behind her dark. There were always a few days out of the week she would stay late. She never left anything half-finished and if it wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t finished. 

“Fancy a stroll through the Academy?”

You repositioned yourself from leaning against the wall, raising an eyebrow. The woman approaching you was an esteemed council member and a child of Noxus. Above all that, she held a dangerously sharp mind. 

With you, a trained guard from birth and accepted by her bitch of a mother, you two made quite the confidants. 

“Why?” you asked, knowing you were going whether you fancied the idea or not. Where she went, you went. 

“Why not?” Her grin was infectious, but you saw the mischief swimming in her eyes. 

“It’s far past lockup, for one,” you began, grabbing the door for her. Your belt clicked with the movement, the weight of your gun and knives shifting. “We also have no business with the Academy.”

“We may not, but I have a feeling someone does.”

You hummed, your steps shadowing hers for every beat. Every turn down a hall, your eyes were skating for anything amiss. “This wouldn’t have something to do with a certain expelled scientist, would it?”

She hummed, smiling and confident from where you walked adjacent. 

That poor man, you couldn’t help but think. Catch Mel’s eye and you’re stuck under a microscope until she loses interest. 

“Maybe Heimerdinger has stayed late with that assistant of his,” she said, gaze cutting to you. Your eyes narrowed in warning. 

You changed the subject. “What makes you think that Talis fellow would sneak into the Academy the night of his expulsion?”

“His things are to be destroyed tomorrow morning.” 

“If we get all the way to the Academy and you’re wrong—” you complained. 

“A trip to your favorite spa, paid.” She stopped, tilting her head towards you. “And if I’m right?”

You grumbled, rolling your eyes. “I’ll pose for that painting.”

She pursed her lips, flexing her fingers. 

You crossed your arms and bit out, “No.”

“It’s nude or nothing, darling,” she teased. “I need the practice.”

“You need nothing,” you scoffed, continuing in front of her to check the entrance to the council’s building. The usual enforcer’s we’re making their rounds, tipping their hats to you. 

Mel stepped out next to you, shoulder nudging yours. Your sigh trailed into the night air. 

“Fine.”

Her golden freckles crinkled with the grin that pulled at her lips. 

.

“Did you bring a flashlight?” Mel asked quietly. You gave her the flattest expression known to man in response. “May I borrow it, please?”

“No, you may not,” you answered. Even in the dark you sensed her scowl as you passed, taking up the front. “If I need to shoot someone, I need to see.”

“So violent,” she murmured. “Honestly, he doesn’t seem the type.”

“Then he’d make the perfect assassin,” you chuckled, lowering your voice as you opened the door to the staircase. “Besides, we want to go undetected, don’t we?”

“If no trouble is afoot, then I wouldn’t mind a second look at this research,” she revealed, only adding to a long night ahead. 

“What are you expecting to find?” 

She chuckled. “I do love a good surprise.”

You scoffed quietly as you climbed the steps ahead of her. “You would, miss know-it-all.”

Reaching the floor that held Heimerdinger’s office, you glanced through the window on the door before slipping it open. Mel kept her steps light as you both moved through the darkness. As you crept on, you noticed a faint glow reaching around the corner and glanced at Mel, scowling. 

She wore the look of a winner in the blue-tinted of the moonlight shining through the distant window. Slowly, she mouthed the word ‘nude’.

You shook your head, pulling your flashlight out as you motioned her to follow you. The tinkling of keys and the gears of a lock turning left you with one hand on your gun and the other pointing the flashlight forward. You held off on spotlighting the infiltrator when you noticed two figures sneaking around Heimerdinger’s door. 

“So far so good,” came a familiar ethnolect. You clicked the flashlight on to confirm your suspicions. 

Oh, shit. 

Jayce Talis and Viktor, of all people, were caught red handed, hands guarding their eyes as they were overwhelmed by the brilliance. 

“Willing to risk exile for your endeavor,” Mel spoke, taking up the space on your right as she stared the two men down. “That’s quite the conviction.”

“A counselor,” Talis breathed. 

Viktor chose another path, turning towards the door in a dramatized show of confusion. “Wait a minute, this isn’t my bedroom…”

“Guess those aren’t your keys either?” you hummed, moving your hand off your weapon as he looked up at you. 

“Actually, they are permitted to be in my possession,” he corrected as he stood from his crouch.

“Just like you’re permitted to be here, past lockup,” your eyes fled towards Talis before focusing his pinched gaze “with a freshly expelled student.”

“Eh,” he shrugged, “that one, not so much.”

“Please,” Mr. Talis begged, stepping in front of Viktor, eyes locked on Mel. You positioned yourself between them, hand back on your gun as you pointed the flashlight towards the man. He winced, only passing you a slight flare in retaliation. “We can prove that it works.”

“You couldn’t do so earlier today,” Mel pointed out, expression deadened and feigning disinterest. Seen you had two actors in your midst. “How is tonight any different?”

“We figured out how to stabilize it,” Viktor explained. 

“I’m surprised to find the professor's assistant mixed up in this,” she murmured to you. 

“No, he’s my new partner,” Talis argued, placing a hand on Viktor’s shoulder. Your stomach tightened. 

“Even if you managed to prove your theory the council would destroy it.” Mel burst their bubble with brutal honesty. 

“Heimerdinger will recognize the potential,” Viktor stated. 

“He already does,” she told him, “it scares him. It scares them all.”

“What about you?” Talis asked, determined. 

“I recognize that any worthwhile venture involves risk…” 

Your head turned a second before theirs, picking up on the whistling and footsteps. The night guard was heading this way. Harold. He was always the noisiest, sweetest thing. The old man refused to retire so they put him up here at the Academy. 

“There’s your risk,” you muttered. 

“Counselor,” hissed Talis, “this technology, it’s real and no matter what happens here it’s going to change our world. We should be the ones to lead it—Piltover, the land of progress, equality, innovation. I know it sounds impossible, but when have we ever let that stop us. Please, just give us a chance!”

You stepped back beside Mel, meeting her eyes. She let the two men sweat a bit as the footsteps grew closer. 

“One night. Gentleman,” she said slowly, turning to leave. “Impress me or I’d suggest you pack your bags.”

As she walked away, you noticed the awed look in Talis’ eyes and nearly groaned. She always had to draw in the big dreamers. 

You threw Viktor a sly smile, handing him the flashlight seeing as that poor pen light wasn’t going to be much help. “Good luck, Goggles.”

You switched it off as he accepted it, fingers brushing as you left them to hide in the darkness. You caught up with your principal just as she was moving around the corner.

“Harold!” she sang, nearly sending the sweet old man into a heart attack. You held back a laugh as Me” moved him back down the hall and away from the chaotic scientists behind you. 

Left to their own devices, Viktor clicked on your flashlight and got back to opening the five-bolt door. As he crouched back down, Jayce took over holding the light for him. 

“So,” he murmured, back to the silence of an empty school, “you and the bodyguard are a thing?”

Viktor nearly dropped the keys. “Excuse me?”

“Goggles?” 

“It is a long story,” he whispered, pushing the door open as the last lock unlatched, “and we are not the ‘thing.’ Now get in.”

.

“We’re to return before dawn.”

You turned from toweling your hair to stare down Mel in her bubble bath. She hasn’t bothered to wait until you were done in your own bathroom to fetch you. She wasn’t usually so clingy, but you knew under that cool facade she was nervous of what was to come with the scientists. 

“Why do we have to lose precious sleep over this?” you grumbled, grabbing your toothbrush. 

“You?” she laughed, splashing her water over her knees. “You barely sleep as is.”

“Yeah, well,” you spit the mess of toothpaste and spit from your mouth, “blame your mother for that.”

“I blame her for many things.”

The scars over your body burned, but not from sticky, humid air. You both were quiet for a time. 

“I didn’t expect him to be there.” You turned around, pulling yourself up on the marble counter to look at her. “Viktor, I mean.”

“Guess he saw whatever you did in Talis.”

She puckered her lips at you, arms dropping over the rim of the bathtub as she laid her head on them. “Is that jealousy I hear, darling?”

“Shove it,” you scoffed, moving to do one last check of the place before heading to your room. “Also, he was definitely staring at you as you left.”

“Then you have no reason to worry.”

“Goodnight,” you bit out, shutting the bathroom door on her echoing giggles. 

.

When you knock on Mel’s door she’s back in the same clothes she wore hours earlier. It’s an hour to dawn and barely takes three minutes to reach the Academy. You hadn’t slept a wink.

Offering her a coffee, you both finished them before you were out the door. The guards at the gate gave you groggy second glances, but questioned nothing. 

You sensed the alarm in the empty halls, banging thundering through the stairwell as you both took one glance at the other and sped up your pace. 

You held an arm out as you glanced around the dark corner, eyes widening at the new blue-tinted glow that shined from Heimerdinger’s office. 

“You’ve actually done it…” The professor's voice was beyond astonishment. “But just because it can be done, doesn’t mean—will you please stop hovering?!”

“I’m not sure how to do that sir!”

Your mask nearly slipped. It was the first time you’d ever heard Viktor so…gleeful. 

Mel stalked down the hall, eyes bright with purpose. It reminded you of younger days before she slowed her steps, bringing out Counselor Medarda

“This is not what Piltover’s future looks like, my dear boys!”

The click of her heels alerted everyone as she pushed through the guards, the light of the room washing over her form. 

“That’s for the council to decide,” she stated, head turning from side to side as she observed the room. Being right behind her, you allowed awe to slip at the twinkling bits wandering the room and high above were those troublesome scientists. “Perhaps it’s time for the era of magic.”

“Uh, Hextech,” came Jayce Talis, hair sprawling out with the anti-gravity field he was caught up in. “For the era of Hextech.”

Your eyes slid from his to hers, the slender grin on her lips speaking more than praise in his direction. Rolling your eyes, you couldn’t help as they caught on Viktor who looked far too happy to be completely suspended upside down. He kept throwing little objects nearby towards the glistening orb at the center of the room, watching it with interest as it blipped from one side to the other. 

Some round object hovered a bit too close on the opposite side he was facing. You couldn’t help but laugh when it was transported to his side, knocking into his forehead with enough force to make him jump. 

Your voice alerted him, eyes finding yours as you cleared your throat and fixed your metaphorical mask back into place. 

“How long will this last?” asked Mel. 

The young men looked at each other for an answer that neither seemed to have. You eyed the bright orb between them, noticing it was slowly but surely shrinking in size. 

“I suggest you find your way down before you find out,” Heimerdinger called. 

“Right,” Jayce said, waving his arms until he was able to float to the ceiling. He pushed off it, getting about halfway down before gravity seemed to take hold again. He just missed a smaller table in the corner, landing with a painful grunt. 

Heimerdinger tested the space first, his hair seemed to react a bit, but he was able to make his way towards his previously expelled student with ease. You wandered in next, feeling your hair lift from your scalp as the guards were waved away by Mel. She ordered them to fetch the other council members for an emergency meeting in a few hours time. 

“The power source is growing smaller,” you warned Viktor who was still playing around with it near the roof. 

“Yes, without the cranking its energy is used up,” he muttered, more to himself than you as another object flashes through it. It shrunk by at least an inch. “Still such raw power…”

The bits of light hovering around the space were closing in. Your hair returned to its natural state. 

“Uh, Viktor,” Jayce called. 

“How big can the object be?” the man hummed, tossing a book to the orb. You stood below him, eyeing where he’d fall. The dots connected just as the book went through and the blue light went out like a candle flame in the wind. Jayce yelled. 

Your back connected with Heimerdinger’s desk, sending it scraping back in a chorus of something else moving just as gravity claimed Viktor. He knocked the air out of you as he landed on top of you. The ground shook as something else hit the ground nearby. 

You winced as the office lights burst above, taking in a slow, groaning breath. 

“Good heavens,” came Heimerdinger. “Are you three all right?”

Turning your head from the mess of Viktor’s hair in your vision, you saw Jayce lying face down on a tipped over chair with his hand fist glowing. 

“Yeah,” he said into the ground, “just thought I’d catch the crystal before it took out another building.”

“My apologies,” Viktor murmured, expression twisted in discomfort as he pushed himself off your chest. 

“S’fine,” you choked out, still catching your breath. “We’re all victims of physics.”

That broke the tension, or perhaps the adrenaline was still running high amongst the men because they both busted out into hysterics. Well, Jayce did. Viktor just chuckled and focused on getting his entire weight off of you. 

You slowly sat up, rubbing the back of your head where it had clipped the damn desk. 

“Did you hit it?”

You glanced at Viktor, dropping your hand. “I’m good, Goggles. Better than you would’ve been crashing into straight wood.”

“It’s pure oak!” preened Heimerdinger as he scuffled over, tapping the surface. “Very durable.”

“I’ll say,” you grumbled, feeling a headache coming on. 

“You should get that checked. You might have a concussion,” Viktor said, resting his back against the bookshelf behind him. Jayce had finally gotten to his knees, looking a bit bruised as far as his ego went when he glanced at Mel by the door. 

“I’ve seen them take a hammer to the head,” your principal chuckled. “They’ll be fine, I assure you.”

“It’s not bleeding,” Heimerdinger hummed. You balked at him peering around the desk. “How’s your eyesight?”

“Clear,” you said, getting to your feet. “Thank you, professor.”

Viktor remained on the ground. 

“Are you all right?” you asked. “I’m not the softest landing.”

“I’m unharmed,” he answered, nodding behind you. “My cane, however, will need to be replaced.”

You followed his line of sight and frowned at the white stick, cracked in two. 

“I’ll buy you a new one,” Jayce promised as he walked over, offering a hand. 

“I'll see you at the meeting,” Mel announced, eyes piercing the founder of Hextech before moving to his partner’s as he got to his feet. “Both of you.”

You moved the desk back into place, nodding to the professor as he thanked you. 

Hearing your name, you turned as Viktor offered your flashlight. 

“You dropped this,” he murmured, a smile hiding in the corner of his lips. 

“I’m sure it’s broken after that fall,” you said, checking it. The light sputtered before going out. 

“Allow me to fix it, then.”

You blinked at him, smiling at the back and forth before clearing your expression and handing it back. Your fingers brushed. 

“Sure,” you said, following after Mel. “I’ll grab it another time.”

Out in the hall, she smirked at you, unabashed. 

“You couldn’t have had the meeting in the afternoon?” you complained, rubbing your head. 

“I have an appointment at the spa with a friend of mine,” she replied. 

You sighed and kept your mouth shut, leading her out of the building and back home to freshen up again. 

“You know I might need a second opinion when I’m painting you,” she hummed as you both eased into the early light of dawn. “Viktor wouldn’t happen to be a student of the arts as well, would he?”

“You’re lucky I’m the one protecting you and not the one after you,” you growled. 

Back in Heimerdinger’s office, the men were helping clean up the mess they left behind while Heimerdinger lectured them, observing all the while from his chair. 

“Didn’t know you did repair jobs,” muttered Jayce as he shoved a book back into its shelf. 

Below him where Viktor was attempting to put the ‘cranker’ as it were back together, the man rolled his eyes. “I felt I owed it to them seeing as I failed to take care of it.”

“Right, of course.”

Viktor didn’t enjoy the amused silence seeping from his newly acclaimed business partner and slowly tilted his head to glare up at him. “Do you have something else to say?”

“Nope,” answered Jayce, eyebrows bouncing up, “nothing at all, Goggles.”

Viktor sighed. All it took was one day of brain fog and a run-in with you to earn him such a distasteful nickname. At least it taught him to check his goggles were off before leaving the lab from now on.  

“No slacking!” said the professor, swiveling in his chair to shuffle the papers scattered around his desk. “Honestly, I’m not sure how Counselor Medarda’s guard moved this desk. I thought it was bolted to the floor!”

Viktor swallowed as Jayce whistled. 

[panlight]

Really is wild when you start to think about what other characters went through during the course of the books that just . . . doesn't matter all that much.

Alice found out how/why she was turned, that she had been hunted by James and a vampire who cared about her turned her to save her and then died protecting her. That's a lot. And then in New Moon she finds out her father had her committed to an asylum and the date on her supposed gravestone matches the date on the admission papers. Also a lot. I guess with this one you can sort of handwave it with "she doesn't remember any of it though so maybe that's why it doesn't affect her much."

Then there's Leah and Seth, who lose their dad, and that's like, hardly a thing other than a) allows for the "funeral" miscommunication and b) makes Sue single so she can take care of Charlie while Bella's off blissfully vampiring. Seth is happy and sunny and sweet pretty much 100% of the time, and Leah's issues are all attributed to the Sam/Emily drama rather than, oh, I don't know, the shock of her phasing into a wolf causing her father's fatal heart attack. The guilt she must feel about that even though it's not at all her fault!

Then there's the Cullens in general dealing with having to hunt down and kill James; having to deal with Edward running away and nearly dying in Volterra; being under the threat of the Volturi because of Edward's misadventure in Italy; having to fight to the death against a bunch of newborns; and facing off against the Volturi. They presumably have been living in peace since whenever it was Maria had shown up in Calgary and then in the space of like a year and a half just complete and utter chaos, and all they can say about it is like, "we're so grateful you saved Edward, Bella!"

Quil, watching all his friends join this mysterious 'cult' and being left out and confiding in Bella about it. Sam dealing with All Of It when he wasn't even supposed to be the Alpha. Embry realizing he's the half-brother of one of these guys and probably searching for that belonging but knowing it could throw the community and families into chaos.

And then there's the pregnancy. Only Rosalie gets to have any feelings about it really and again, it's mostly so she can be Bella's bodyguard and less about Rosalie herself. But Esme has also longed for motherhood and sure she "makes do" with her Cullen kids, but they were all essentially adults when she adopted them. But more importantly she actually HAS been pregnant and HAS had a baby and LOST said baby. She also crushed hard on a vampire when she was a teenager, and now she's watching Bella getting to have a child with the vampire she loves when it's impossible for Esme herself and surely surely surely this would bring up some complicated feelings. But we get nothing. Like, literally nothing from Esme, she might as well not be in the book. She just existed to renovate the cottage.

Then there's Carlisle, whose mother died in childbirth from his normal human birth, watching his new daughter-in-law dying from a pregnancy and listening to his first and most beloved son say how he could never love the creature, his own child, if it kills Bella, and probably looking back on his own fraught relationship with his father and reliving that same resentment from the POV of the 'creature that killed the mother' and again, nothing. Not a factor. No one even mentions it in passing.

And like yes, I know, it's a YA romance, it's Not That Deep, it's about a girl falling in love with a vampire and finding wish fulfillment fantasy in that. I know. Everything else is just set dressing and not given any depth at all because it's not the point. But man, there's SO much there in the little throwaway details and unexplored backstories, and I fully believe that's what is fueling a large part of the fandom to this day.

[finalgilmoregirl]

your newest mike fic has me dead on the floor omg. can you please write something with grumpy mike and his sunshine reader?

a/n : i love this concept it’s such a classic, leans towards fem!reader but no she/her pronouns used, no use of y/n, lots of fluff and a smidge of angst

☆ moments in grumpy!mike x sunshine!readers relationship :

1 ౨ৎ putting on performances with abby. for a child her age, an active imagination is a given. however with the kinds of things she has experienced in her life, the possibilities are truly endless. it's not uncommon for mike to come home and see that the living room has essentially been transformed into a broadway set. and even though he's often coming home from a long shift, exhaustion be damned, you and abby still sometimes manage to wrangle him into the worlds you've created.

if you and abby are the knights of opposing royal courts, he is the jester. if you two are witches, he is the evil henchman. if you're competing fighters, he's the referee. if you two are ballerinas, he is the judge (and he always chooses you as the winner).

but no matter how many times you and abby tell him that he has to do the voices too, he still won't learn. he's essentially just an audience member of your theatrics, sitting on the ground in whatever costume one of you have placed on his shoulders and simply trying to fathom how to two people can have so much energy at the end of the day.

2 ౨ৎ grumpy!mike is your own personal bodyguard. although your sunny aura is extremely welcoming on its own, the constant frown on his face is enough of a signal for a person to turn and walk the other way the moment they notice him next to you.

he's often uncomfortable in public, too aware of his surroundings and overanalyzing everyone's actions. this results in his having a hand on you at all times to calm his nerves, whether that be with your hands clasped together, his hand on your waist or his arm around your shoulder. at first glance the two of you could look like complete strangers that just happen to be in close proximity to each other, but the second mike turns to look at you and his expression softens, it's obvious the two of you are in love.

3 ౨ৎ for the first few weeks of you and mike getting to know each other, he’d never really smiled. sure, he was always kind and polite but the most he would give to express joy was the raise of his eyebrows and the tiniest bit of an amused smirk. so of course when you had been in the middle of recounting a story and mike had laughed, smiling with all of his perfect teeth on display, you were pleasantly shocked.

"so that's what that looks like." you grinned at him, earning a tilt of his head in return.

"what does what look like?" he asked.

"your smile." mike was quick to blush, coughing and looking down for a moment to try and regain his original composure, but before he could feel too embarrassed you continued, "i like it, you should do it more often."

from then on you couldn't get enough of his smile, always trying to make him laugh. which as serious as he is, deep down he lived for it, just basking in your joy and the fact that he was the cause of it.

4 ౨ৎ that being said, mike has a bit of a temper and you know that, taking his waves of bad moods in stride and trying your best to cheer him up, but sometimes he gets so riled up that there’s only so much you can do to help, and mike loses patience.

it’s very rare when he snaps at you and when he does he almost immediately regrets it after seeing how it effects you.

the ever-present smile you hold that has the power to lift everyone’s spirits falls in an instant when one of his outbursts catches you off guard. your eyebrows furrow and you look down to try to keep your own composure. you know he’s not actually mean, at least never to you. you pushed him too hard, you think to yourself and it’s in this moment that mike snaps out of his rage, like a demon that was possessing him had left his body and all he feels is his heart ache.

here you are, the light of his life and he’s the reason you’re not smiling. he rubs his palm over his forehead and reaches out for you, “fuck, i’m sorry” he sighed, “i don’t know why i yelled”

you feel his hand hover over your shoulder and look up, seeing his face full of regret. you reach your hands up and hold his face, which mike immediately melts into, his hands moving to hold your waist. he grabs you tight, desperate even, thinking that if he lets you go you'll leave and he'll lose you for good.

“i know baby. you’ve just had a bad day, i shouldn’t have pushed you.” you sympathize with him, to which he shakes his head.

“yeah but that’s not an excuse, you just wanted to help and—" he pauses and sighs, disappointed with himself, "i’m grateful for that. i love that you care about my problems, no matter how stupid they are.”

you smile gently at his confession, and a weight is lifted off of his chest.

“they’re not stupid. plus, i know you’d do the same for me. you can groan all you want about it but deep down you’re the biggest softie i know.”

mike rolls his eyes playfully, and leans his forehead against yours, “only to you.”

you giggle and connect your lips to his, letting them linger for a few seconds before pulling away and whispering, “yeah, i’d hope so.”

thanks for the request ☆

[sunseed-fandump]

Gingerbrave & Friends Headcanons I Spin Around in my Head like a Microwave

Strawberry Cookie always wears her hair in a braid that's tucked in her hood. Her hair is really long (the idea of scissors being near her head makes her anxious).

Wizard Cookie used to braid her hair for her every day and he eventually taught her how to do it herself. He will still braid it for her if she asks.

Gingerbrave and Wizard Cookie are the only ones who have seen Strawberry Cookie with her hood down.

Custard Cookie III likes to call Chili Pepper Cookie his "Bodyguard". His friends are usually called his "subjects" so he essentially promoted her by giving her a special title. (He thinks she's really cool.)

He also calls Strawberry a "Knight", Wizard the "Court Magician", and Gingerbrave his "Advisor". Everyone has just kind of gotten used to these nicknames.

If Custard Cookie III doesn't like someone, he will call them by their full name. It SOUNDS polite enough, but if he doesn't consider someone to be one of his subjects, that means he doesn't want them in his kingdom. And by extension he doesn't want to hang out with them.

Custard Cookie III likes riding on people's shoulders. He likes to feel tall.

Wizard also likes being tall, but he thinks being picked up is embarrassing, so he sticks to levitation spells.

Since Gingerbrave, Strawberry Cookie, and Wizard Cookie were baked by a Witch, they're actually a lot stronger than normal Cookie children. Strawberry's unnatural strength, Wizard's magical skills, and Gingerbrave's unwavering courage are proof of this.

As adults, the three of them are going to be VERY formidable because of this.

Chili Pepper Cookie runs warmer than most cookies. The children take advantage of this. She has been trapped under many a cuddle pile. (She thinks its sweet. But she has a reputation to uphold, so she puts on a fake pout.)

Wizard has been tutoring Custard Cookie III when they both have free time.

Chili Pepper cried (in private) when one of the kids gave her a gift for the first time.

Strawberry Cookie, Gingerbrave, and Wizard Cookie aren't exactly sure when their birthdays are. (Escaping took priority over keeping track of exact dates.) So they picked the day they escaped from the Witch as their collective birthday.

Custard's father is alive, but in hiding. He has been keeping track of events from the shadows. He misses his son, but glad that he at least has reliable friends taking care of him.

Chili Pepper Cookie can curse in multiple languages.

Gingerbrave would actually be a really skilled swordsman. He's just really attached to his candy cane.

[fickleminder]

the matchmaker

Happy birthday Barney woooooo 💜

- You’re a matchmaker who works mostly with nobles, seeing as they’re the ones still rooted in traditions and such. Personally you believe in marrying for love, but this pays the bills so…

- You’re damn good at your job too. You know how to read your clients; you can suss out what kind of demons they really are underneath whatever front they put on for you. You can tell which personality traits are likely to work well together, and if you’ve had a hand in helping lesser demons from bad families escape to safer and more comfortable lives, they would never tell.

- One day this little demon no more than several centuries old walks into your office asking for a marriage partner.

- “Not for me, for my big brother!” He clarifies while you’re mentally cursing the noble families who still follow child bride practices.

- Said big brother barges in not two seconds later apologizing for his rudeness and trying unsuccessfully to stop his sibling from spilling his entire life story.

- You recognize Mephistopheles immediately. Not only is his family well-known in your network, but you’ve done business with many of his associates and one of his underlings had interviewed you for an article before.

- Apparently he’s under pressure from his family to marry, despite not being open to the idea at this time. You know how messy noble politics can be, so you don’t pry and instead get him started on the process. At the very least, you can match him with someone he won’t completely detest. Best case scenario, he finds an accomplice to fake a relationship with.

- (After a preliminary screening, it seems like Mephisto’s ideal partner is Lord Diavolo himself, but rumor has it he’s already infatuated with one of his students, so he’s off the table. Not that you’d go anywhere near the prince, especially with that butler of his constantly by his side.)

- You soon discover that Mephisto is one tough customer. He finds fault in every single match you send his way, even when you suggest that he pick someone just for show. He insists that even a fake partner has to check all his boxes, but you suspect he’s being overly selective on purpose to delay any potential marriages.

- But he’s never rude about it either. His matches tell you about how he’s always the perfect gentlemen on their dates, how he’s polite even when turning them down at the end of the day. He’s essentially wasting everybody’s time, going through the process for the sake of it while trying to change his family’s mind, but he’s still paying you for your efforts despite everything, so you continue to do your job.

- You tweak Mephisto’s matches with every feedback he gives you, and you start to wonder if there’s anyone he’d be willing take a chance on, even if it’s to play pretend and get his family off his back.

- His little brother tries to help out. The little demon often visits you behind Mephisto’s back, telling you stories and sharing every tidbit of information he can think of to better help you help his brother find happiness. He doesn’t quite understand why Mephisto doesn’t want a partner (he’s used to fairytales with happily ever afters), but he’s determined to make sure his older brother gets his happy ending too.

- One day one of your old clients visits you out of the blue, looking much healthier than when you first found her taking shelter in your office building. She warns you that there’s been unsavory characters loitering in the area recently. She recognizes some of them from her old circles and warns you to be careful.

- You’re no stranger to this. There’s a reason nobles have entourages of bodyguards with them wherever they go, and working so closely with them has put more than one target on your back over the centuries. You always make sure to keep magical wards in the area to warn you when demons with malicious intent have entered the premises, and stash a few teleportation talismans for a quick getaway if needed.

- It’s during one of the days Mephisto’s brother drops by to chat with you that your wards go off. You don’t hesitate to grab the little demon before activating your talismans, teleporting both of you to safety. You don’t reappear in front of your house, no; you don’t know if your own home has been compromised, so you told the frightened demon in your arms to picture the safest place he could think of—

- You land in a puddle of mud in the middle of a nondescript field, barely managing to catch him before he gets all dirtied as well. There’s a stable nearby, and the guards stationed there immediately notice your arrival and surround the two of you.

- Things happen quickly after that. Mephisto’s brother vouches for you even as he’s crying for his sibling, and after verifying your identity and giving a brief rundown of what happened, the two of you are escorted to the family manor.

- Mephisto finds you within the hour, throwing decorum out the window and bursting through the main doors to rush to you and his brother. Poor kid wouldn’t let go of him for the longest time, while you stand quietly in one corner to let them have their moment, not wanting to track mud over the pristine marble floor more than you already have.

- “You kept him safe…” Mephisto acknowledges you with an indescribable look in his eyes and, to your surprise, grabs you in a hug as well, muddied clothes be damned. “Thank you.”

- He promises to personally fund and oversee the repairs, your office having been thoroughly thrashed by the attempted kidnappers when they had trespassed in search of his brother. They’d been stalking him for weeks and knew he often snuck away from his bodyguards to see you, and they thought it’d be a golden opportunity to ransom him for a hefty amount of Grimm.

- Mephisto also prepares a security detail for you, despite you insisting you’re not high profile enough to warrant one. He decides that so long as you’ll be working closely with his family, he’ll make sure you’re protected too.

- Business goes on as usual after that. Mephisto still meets with you to go through his matches, still turns everyone down at the end of the day, but somehow you get the feeling he’s already made up his mind. Sometimes he doesn’t even look at the documents you give him before rejecting the candidate, which kind of annoys you given how much work you’d put in—

- And then his brother tells you that their parents already backed off the marriage idea weeks ago. Whatever phase they were in had passed, and now they were focused on the next big thing in noble society.

- …Oh. Well then.

- The next time Mephisto meets you in your office, you bring up the subject of payment for your services. He confirms that your fee is scheduled to be deposited into your account at the end of the month as usual, but you suggest he takes you out for dinner instead.

- Mephisto pulls at his tie and looks away, only mumbling something about picking you up at 6 before marching out of your office with steam coming out of his ears.

[holylulusworld]

Bound Tight - Kinktober 30

Summary: You're in trouble...

Pairing: Mobster!Guy March-Philips x fem!Reader x Mobster!Anders Lassen

Warnings: mafia au, restraints/being restrained, scared reader, I’ll label this one dub-con, implied future smut/threesome, I’m a tease…

Kinktober vs Flufftober 2024

Privacy is essential to your boss. You should’ve known better than to walk into the office on his boat without knocking. A phone call distracted you, and you forgot to knock before you entered the room.

Gus, your boss, was in the middle of a conversation with his bodyguard. Anders, the guy you only call giant in secret, pushed his cute glasses back up as his eyes landed on you.

He sucked in a breath as your eyes drifted toward the huge money stack on Gus’s desk. Your eyes widened because you never saw so much money in your life. Gus couldn't have so much money. You’re his bookkeeper and know how much money he makes with his business.

“Anders, would you excuse?" Gus’s features darkened as his eyes drifted toward you as you stood in the room, his cup of coffee, and the latest numbers in your hands. “Someone’s being sneaky, my friend. I think I should have a serious conversation with my bookkeeper now.”

Gus leaned back in his chair, making it creak under his weight. Your boss enjoyed the fear flashing over your face. He dipped his head and hummed as your hands began to tremble.

Anders nodded at your boss, turning to leave the office. He brushed past you, sniffing at your hair as he passed you.

“Wait—” Gus snapped his fingers at Anders. “I need your assistance. You’re very skilled when it comes to punishment.” Your boss slowly got up; like a lion ready to pounce on his prey, he kept an eye on your trembling form. “And ropes.”

You whimpered, expecting the worst. For a few weeks, you had the feeling that something else than selling expensive boats was going on in your company.

“You've been a bad girl,” Gus purred as he stalked toward you. He took the cup out of your hands and threw the manila folder over his shoulder. He was dwarfing you with his size, making you whimper as he encouraged Anders to step behind you. The giant placed his hands on your shoulders.

“Y/N, you should know that bad girls need to be punished." Anders’s rough voice sent a shiver down your spine. “I’d love to try my new ropes on you, sugar plum.”

Curly hair...curly hair... You focussed on Gus’s dark curls as he cupped your face with one big hand. Staring up at him like the lamb you were between these wolves, you trembled even harder.

What if your boss was not an eccentric boat builder? What if your presumptions were right, and he was a criminal, hiding things from you?

Gus darted his tongue out. He looked down at you, eyes roaming your body hungrily. You whimpered again, this time for a different reason. “What do you say, Anders? Do you want to test your ropes on her?”

They talked about you as if you weren’t even there. You were just a toy for them to play with after you made the mistake of walking in on them.

“Hmm…yeah. I always imagine how cute she’d look with a rope wrapped around her ripe body,” Anders purred in your ear, tickling your skin with his breath. “I’ll make her my masterpiece.”

Firm hands gripped your upper arms as Gus’s hand remained on your face. He hummed, eyes glued to your parted lips. “I think she’ll look pretty old tied up on my desk. What do you think?”

Bare. Exposed. Vulnerable. You’ve never felt so small before.

Anders, true to his words, got his ropes to dangle them in your face. He laughed when you pulled away and tried to hide behind your boss.

Gus didn’t show mercy either. He got a knife out, cutting off your clothes, leaving you in nothing but your birth suit. Your boss pushed everything off his desk, even the money to lift you on it.

You squirmed under his gaze, not daring to breathe wrong when he told you to lie down. Feeling the cold maple wood against your heated skin made you shiver.

At first, it was just a little rope around your wrist, nothing more. Anders made quick work; eyes glued to your exposed body. You could see the hunger in his eyes.

Something soft brushed against your ankles; Gus was tying both feet to one of the legs of the table, making sure they were firmly secured. Your left hand was being tied up to another leg.

You were at their mercy now.

“So pretty and soft,” Gus murmured. He ran his fingertips over one breast, pinching your nipple. “I dreamed of having you like this.”

You watched them circle you like prey, featherlight touches making goosebumps erupt all over your skin, never getting even close to your cunt.

“Please,” you whimpered as Gus stepped between your spread legs. He stared down at your slicked cunt, biting his index finger, wetting it.

“Oh, sweetness,” he purred your name and nodded at Anders. “We are going to ruin you once and for all.”

[kenmakodz]

˖˙ ᰋ ── the yap temple ˖*

introducing the main cast of "inamorata"! , an inumaki x reader smau.

⤷ our mains !

inumaki and y/n. both second years at tokyo jujutsu high.

toge inumaki, a semi-grade one sorcerer, who uses his inheritance of cursed speech to his advantage. seems like a quiet one, but is actually extremely talkative.. whether through rice ball ingredients or text. it takes quite a smart cookie to decode the meanings in his words, but being with him every day has gotten you mostly accustomed to it.

“toge, maki said if you ate her chips she left on the picnic table she’s going to find you. i don’t really know what that means.”

“FISH FLAKES”

y/n l/n, a grade one sorcerer, who also uses one of the five senses to her advantage, that being her eyes. this technique is called the ‘three stars technique.’ the three stars are identified as time manipulation, teleportation, and telekinesis. to put the time manipulation simply, focusing on a target allows the user to move much faster than seen in real time. essentially, slowing down time for themselves, but nobody else. can be used as a support or a main damage dealer in fights, making it quite useful. (concept created by iwa970 on reddit !)

[ adding onto this, although y/n can control the technique at will, she opts to wear glasses her mother gave her as a child while not fighting, that have been said to "keep others safe". she doesn't know just how true that actually is, but for loves sake does it anyways. often snags one of maki's weapons even if they're not really necessary, either to take dead weight off of panda (if he's around), or to test them out because honestly why not? (does she find it amusing? no sometimes.) ]

⤷ the second years !

yuuta okkotsu, a special grade sorcerer who can copy any ability at will, and utilize them with ease. can come off as a scary guy, but is actually the clumsiest, shyest, awkwardest, nicest person you'll ever meet. trains with maki often, but tries to frequent y/n as well. (he usually gets fed up and tells her "you're too fast! quit it!"

maki zenin, a fourth grade sorcerer who has been horribly mislabeled. one of- if not the most agile students at jujutsu high. she's flexible, quick on her feet, and easy to teach any of the few things she doesn't already know. you're in trouble against maki, not only on the battlefield but if you insult her or one of the people closest to her? in the words of panda, you should probably run.

panda, he's a panda. (jk). a semi-grade 2 sorcerer who is a goofy, cuddly guy most of the time, but can be quite intimidating if you're around him when he swaps his build. not as swift as the other students, but makes up for it with his strength. likes to say he's the "bodyguard" when in reality most of his friends will use him as a pillow.

⤷ the first years !

yuuji itadori, a semi-grade one (newbie) sorcerer, unarguably the physically strongest out of all the students. aside from his first mission, yuuji utilizes hand-to-hand combat like no other. quite a sight to see him lift and break things that nobody around him could ever fathom the strength of doing.

"yuujiiii?! i dropped something behind the fridge again! come move it please?"

nobara kugisaki, a grade three sorcerer who's inherited the straw doll technique. she relies on this technique for the majority of combat, similar to that of a 'voodoo' doll, one could say. picking fun at her is always funny until you realize your fate could (quite literally) be in her hands. she says she isn't strong, but you've witnessed her somehow cause itadori to fall down an entire flight of stairs. sorry shoko.

megumi fushiguro, a grade two sorcerer, inherited the ten shadows technique via the zenin family. often calls his shikigamis out during combat, but similar to maki is skilled at wielding weapons as well. sure, the demon dogs can be.. deadly, but who is he to say no when his friends are practically pleading for pets?!

all main characters unlocked!

masterlist is in progess, please be patient :)

previous , masterlist (wip) , next

taglist is open!

⤷ © kenmakodz

[ofstarsandvibranium]

Guarded Desires: Part 5

Fandom: Star Wars - The Acolyte

Pairing: Padawan!Qimir x Princess!Reader

Summary: After an assassination attempt on your mother, she’s asked a favor from the Jedi Council to watch over you and your family until the assailant has been caught. As a result, your mother’s old friend, Master Vernestra, has her padawan, Qimir, be your bodyguard. Based off my imagine here.

Series Masterlist

Your sisters had calmed down, but your hold on them hadn't loosened. With each distant bang of explosion and shake of the walls, you held onto them tighter. You're not sure how long you three had been in the hideout room. If you were to spend the rest of the night there, you'd be fine. There were rations stored there in case any of you got hungry.

But that didn't ease the worry in your heart.

Eventually, you'd drifted off to sleep. Your sisters' heads using your legs as pillows.

You then hear the distant knocking. Three knocks, then two, then three again. You stir from your sleep when you hear the sequence again. Realizing that it was Qimir, you shake your sisters awake and scramble to unlock the door.

Your legs had fallen asleep so you lean onto the wall to keep you up as you place your hand on the scanner and the doors slide open.

Your parents immediately rush in, "Are you alright?" your mother asks, she's covered in soot and looks disheveled.

You nod, "We're alright. Mama...what happened?"

She looks down and shakes her head, "Too much. I-We just wanted to make sure you girls are alright."

You look to your father who's holding Ada and Aspen in his arms. Their little arms wrapped around his shoulders.

"How many are-" you begin to ask, but your father shakes his head. His eyes telling you not to discuss it with the girls in your presence.

You nod and turn back to your mother, "Are we staying still staying in the palace?"

Your mother sighs, "Vernestra insisted we stay at the Jedi temple on planet for extra guarded protection. She'll have more Jedi sent here to help with the investigation. We'll leave in a few hours so start packing your things. Only the essentials."

"Yes, mama." You step out of the hideout room and see Qimir standing there waiting for you. His robes are ruffled, covered in soot. He stares at you with sad eyes. You want to hug him right there, but figured it's best not to. Not when your parents are there.

You nod for him to follow you and you exit your sisters' room. You gasp when you see debris every where. Holes in the ceiling and walls. You feel Qimir's hand on your shoulder, "Come on," he murmurs and guides you down the hall to your room.

It's a wonder that your room and your sisters' room was left unscathed yet everywhere else in the palace seemed to be hit with destruction.

You immediately sit on your bed, slumping forward. You look at Qimir, "Tell me what happened."

"I ca-"

"Qimir, please! My home, my family, and my people, everything that I hold dear was attacked! Don't hide the truth from me."

Qimir hesitates but he relays what he knows, "Apparently one of the groups from the civil war heard about your family wanting to provide refuge to those displaced from the war. They didn't like that so-"

"So they attacked us. I can only assume they're also the ones who tried to assassinate my mother since she's been so vocal about providing aid for the refugees?"

He nods, "From what I've heard from the Jedi investigating."

You run your hands down your face, "You know my father wants to remain neutral through all of this? 'Let them handle it themselves,' he said." You scoff. You let out a deep breath, "I'm tired of being forced to stand by while people get hurt. They're our people!"

Qimir walks over to your bed, sitting beside you, "How did the war start?"

You snort, "Pride and unrequited love." You glance at Qimir and his brows are furrowed in confusion. You explain, "On the other side of the planet, there's two villages: Qorath and Drellis. The son of the village leader in Qorath is in love with the daughter of the village leader in Drellis. However, she doesn't feel the same.

"Still, the son proposed to her and she rejected him. In retaliation, he and his men attacked Drellis. Drellis fought back and things grew from there. Each side gathering neighboring villages for aid. A lot of blood has been spilled and so many have lost their homes. On both sides. But it ultimately all started due to pride and unrequited love."

Qimir sees your hand on your bed. It's nearly touching his. Slowly, he moves his hand to rest on yours, "You're very passionate about this."

You look at his hand on yours, "I care deeply about our people."

"Even if caring for them brings you pain and distress?"

You shrug, "We all should have the freedom to feel whatever we want to feel. Even if it brings us consequences." Under his hand, you turn your palm up and intertwine your fingers with his. It's a dangerous move, but you can't help it. After he kissed your cheek and you worried for him, you just wanted to give him a sliver of an idea of how you felt.

You watch him with careful eyes, ready to pull away if he shows any sign of rejection or being uncomfortable.

He gulps and slowly locks his fingers with yours. He slowly leans in, eyes glancing at your lips, and he whispers, "Y/N, I-"

The moment is broken when Ryker walks in, "O-Oh! Am I interrupting something?"

Qimir immediately pulls away and stands, "No. Did you need something?" he locks his hands behind his back, giving off the image of professional and stoic.

Ryker cocks a brow at you and Qimir, "...yes. Master Vernestra would like a meeting with all of us, in preparation for our departure."

"Alright," Qimir nods then turns to you, "I will be back, your Highness. I suggest you start packing."

"Okay," you mumble, watching the two men exit your rooms.

The door closes behind them and you fall back onto your bed, hands covering your face, "For kriffing sake's!" You two almost kissed. You almost kissed Qimir. Qimir almost kissed you.

You groan, "I'm screwed," you say out loud, speaking out to no one but yourself.

[guess-that-ship]

S12 Finals

codependent bodyguard arrangement

Since childhood, Prince and Guard were raised together. Prince was groomed to be his father's heir while Guard would be his loyal protector. They have a magical bond that lets them feel each other's emotions which made them absolutely inseparable to the point where as kids caretakers had to pick them both up at the same time so they wouldn't cry.

When they were fifteen their court was attacked and the two of them were the only survivors. Guard is extremely protective of Prince and to him nothing matters more than his safety. Guard wanted to go with Prince despite a prophecy that he would die if he went because he NEEDED to watch Prince's back. It's said at one point that Guard would have been fine if a whole building collapsed and killed everyone in it so long as Prince could make it out okay. Prince on the other hand is fully aware Guard would die for him and under NO circumstances is he letting that happen. Prince's boyfriend told him that he's aware he'll never be the love of Prince's life because that spot belongs to Guard. They're like two stray cats you can't adopt separately. Also they (and the rest of their found family) have adopted like five kids between them.

You can't clearly define their relationship. Not platonic not romantic not siblings but also all of those at once. They are just soooo obsessed and in love.

Survivors of Literally Everything

cw: spoilers

Character A and Character B meet after Character A kills a monster, waking up to Character B standing over him, and his first thought, despite the fact that he has no idea where he is, is that she's pretty. Eventually, they get sent on a quest together, and at first don't get along (although much later it's revealed that she developed a crush on him during this quest). However, being put in a number of near-death situations ends up bringing them together, and they become close friends. A couple of years later, Character B is kidnapped, and Character A puts his life in danger countless times just to save her. Sadly, just when he manages to save her, he finds out he's essentially cursed to die in two years.

Character A and Character B, over the next two years, manage, with the help of many allies, to tip the stakes in their favor, just a little. The thing is, tensions have been brewing in their fantasy world, and after barely escaping death for an even higher number of times, full-out war breaks out. When the final battle ends, it turns out that Character A wasn't the one cursed to die after all, that it was a very complicated guy they'd been fighting the whole time. This all ends in them finally kissing.

But it isn't over yet. Shortly after this, Character A mysteriously disappears. He finds himself somewhere completely unfamiliar, with no memory, apart from one thing: Character B's name, and he knows he has to find her. Character B is tirelessly looking for him as well, to no luck. After making a deal that almost costs him his life, Character A regains his memory, before he, Character B, and a few more people are plunged into a second war, somehow even deadlier than the first. They end up being thrown into hell, because Character A refuses to let go of Character B's hand as she falls. Somehow, they survive, and after all the dust has settled, they finally go and start a semi-normal life.

[optimisticgardenhologram]

Well, another day another crackpot theory. Here we go - for second to last day!

So we all know that one way or another Mello definitely tricked Takada's bodyguard into entrusting him with Takada during the events that turned out to be kidnapping, but I'm wondering if he may have gone a step further-- like he may have actually infiltrated their organization and gotten an actual job with them?? 

...I am aware how out there this sounds but hear me out. 

Supporting evidence:

Let me begin with just a contextual note about how out of touch Halle Lidner was with the SPK during the events in Japan. In chapter 92 Rester mentions they (Near and the others) can't contact her directly because her phone is being monitored, and that she wasn't told the SPK's Tokyo location with the reasoning it would prevent her from being controlled to act against them. Makes sense. So anytime we see her in the scenes with Near (which happens rarely) she has to sneak away from her job and essentially join their Zoom call. After the awkward dinner where Misa and Takada fight Halle doesn't get in touch with them until 4 days later because she 'never gets time to herself'. 

It's not surprising that her job is demanding, given how high profile it is and how seriously Takada's security is taken - as Rester said, it's almost impossible to get close to her, and with her practically impenetrable layers of ultra aggressive bodyguards she's better guarded than the American President.

It's interesting given these circumstances that she seems to remain regularly in touch with Mello. During the silent scenes in chapter 97 there's a very interesting section that shows:

1)  Takada's fleet of guard vehicles, and prominently at the front of which is a large two-seater motorcycle.

2) Mello observing Halle and Takada from afar, in fact it seems the location the binoculars are watching from is located in a room INSIDE the NHN building, the headquarters of where Takada works.

3) a panel where Halle's shown on the phone (presumably given the context) with Mello telling him the details of Takada's schedule/planner book. Meanwhile Takada is sitting a few feet away and distractedly talking to someone else. This is interesting because we know, as Rester said, Halle's phone records are monitored. So here either she's very brazenly using a different unauthorized phone right in front of her employer and the other guards, or she's on her work phone calling an "approved" number. On the other hand it wouldn't necessarily be weird for her to be providing Takada's calendar details and movements to other members of her guard so they can coordinate schedules.

4) The last panels in this short series, shows a non-descript apartment building and Halle on the phone again - this time showing, as we will come to realize in the chapter 104 flashback, the final conversation between her and Mello - the one where she tells him Near's planning to end the case, and he replies "I have no choice but to do this."

Ok now skipping to Chapter 98, Mello and Matt's heist.

So January 26th the scene starts out with a shot of Takada's guard fleet, again the motorcycle prominently at the front.

As Takada's steps out of her car outside the NHN building, Matt blows in with his smokebomb gun causing a huge commotion. As the bodyguards are about to usher her inside, suddenly Mello is there on the same type of motorcycle we saw riding with her fleet in the earlier panels. He says it's too dangerous to stick around the area and to go with him. Halle recognizes him and agrees and encourages Takada to get on the motorbike. She also tells the rest of the team "A" to escort the bike and team "B" to go after the car. It's very unclear in canon just how much Halle knew about this plan beforehand (if anything even), but it is somewhat surprising to me how immediately she decided to go along with him, despite knowing that whatever he had in store for Takada it wasn't truly to help her, and that by giving Takada to Mello this would probably ruin Near's plan. Though again how much she even knew about the details of Near's plan is also unknown - I don't think she knows everything given she is being intentionally kept at arms length from them so that she can't be controlled by Kira against them.

I also think it's interesting that the army of highly trained and very serious guards would allow some unknown person to get so close to begin with - even if he's sort of disguised (but not really because his face is visible through the helmet's visor) and has the same style bike, you would think they'd still be able to tell a stranger from one of their own? Like when Mello calls out offering to take her away to safety none of the bodyguards seem put off by him being there. And don't seem to have raised flags about there being a bike that's not part of their typical cohort being among them. Though their defenses being down (counterintuitively - they were focused on the wrong thing) absolutely might just be tied in to the overall confusion and chaos at the scene though. 

So Takada gets on the bike, then they (Mello + Takada plus her guards' cars) start driving away in formation together and everyone seems satisfied. And once they are away from the scene, instructions come from one of the guards who says "Ok she's safe now. Get Lady Takada into car 7"......so this is interesting because, 

1) he is addressing Mello directly...remember Mello is on a motorcyle (which is very loud) and the speaker is in a car....so logic dictates he must be using a radio/speaker system to be able to communicate with the other guards, and he obviously expects the motorcycle to hear the command.

2) Saying "get her into car 7" is in-group specific language that implies Mello should know which car is number 7 and what is the process to "get her into it".  Of course, we don't know that he just *expects* Mello to be connected to their communication system and doesn't realize if he isn't and therefore doesn't hear the order/communication. Nonetheless the guard leader/speaker *thinks* he is.

At this point, when the guards cars think she is safe, Mello suddenly cuts away into a narrow alley and only then do the bodyguards realize she's been kidnapped.

So, basically that concludes my argument for why this theory is...possible? I'm well aware there's a number of issues with it that are unaddressed here, like wouldn't the other guards think it's odd that there's a foreigner amongst them? But interestingly I wonder if her circle of protection is more diverse than one might assume and include Kira-worshippers from around the world? Since Takada's own closest guards are not all Japanese - Halle being the obvious example, the same might be true for the more distant members of her guard complement as well. And Halle, as Takada's most trusted bodyguard may have been able to vouch for him to join the crew, or at least hook him up with equipment intended for insiders-only to be able to penetrate their ranks. With Mello's good social skills and fluency in Japanese it wouldn't be surprising if he could pull it off, especially if Halle helped him.

Another flaw is wouldn't Mello be concerned about Takada herself seeing his face and recognizing him? Since he must assume since the Japanese Task Force members know his face they'd be able to describe him to a sketch artist or something. To this I just propose that Takada has an extremely large staff of security, so there's likely ones just in the background that she doesn't interact with much or at all. And she is rather...how did Near put it - "a wannabe queen" - she probably doesn't take the time to get to know or even notice who the lesser members of her security team are, and it'd probably be easy to avoid being in close proximity to her if one wanted. 

Is it more likely that Mello didn't go that extreme extent and instead just infiltrated the guard in the regular way; by observing them, getting to know their movements via Halle, and then getting the same model of bike to take advantage of the chaotic situation he and Matt created and slip in to whisk away Takada in the confusion? Yes probably. 

But I found these details captivating and love overthinking and cooking up a good weirdo (but defensible within canon material) theory. I'd love anyone else's comments -criticism welcome too, I have a thick skin- on this idea.

[germesthegenie]

Quick dump of Chicago Ward centric fic ideas I have that I’ll maybe write eventually (if I have time / motivation):

Something Something Meet Your Heroes! - A mostly canon compliant fic set during the timeskip with the main deviation being the main POV character, Cuff, having been a fan of / was inspired by Skitter based on the stories on PHO. Because a cape with a “weak” but versatile power punching way above her weight class to protect people sounds like a great idol for a meek girl who also really wants to fight Behemoth (if you ignore all the war crimes). Would also put some focus on some other overlooked stuff like Annex’s death and the Tohu and Bohu fight (much as I’m not that big a fan of them, it really was a missed opportunity to see the heroes’ reaction to the duo Endbringer). Most likely one I’ll write since it’s the most fleshed out.

Cut Ties - A fic where Arc 8 Skitter, not finding out about Sophia during Leviathan, ends up taking Legend’s offer to become a Ward, being transferred to Chicago much earlier due to the notoriety she’d already built up with the public of Brockton Bay (plus a recommendation from one Mr Calvert to keep her far from her former teammates). Essentially exploring the question of if Taylor could’ve been friends with the Chicago Wards if she didn’t have the end of the world to worry about (that she knew of anyway). Skitter’s absence would also have rippling effects for what happens to the Undersiders and Brockton Bay as a whole, which might end up with a less experienced Weaver having to fight an S9 Rachel (Toxic Wolfspider?)

Currently Unnamed Grace Fic - A fic set before or during Ward, centered around Grace and some of the other remaining Chicago Wards having to deal with her cluster. Also borrowing a headcanon / theory from the subreddit about Grace being a former Crane the Harmonious student, with her clustermates trying to follow in their former master’s footsteps after her death in Gold Morning. Have some decent ideas (like their mixed feelings on Khepri) but mostly on the backburner until I get a better idea of Ward’s worldbuilding

Guts and Grace - When a mysterious plague is seemingly unleashed by The Folk on Chicago, Panacea is called in to help stop its spread. What was supposed to be a short visit becomes a longer struggle where her assigned bodyguard Grace must protect her from hired mercenaries, as the miracle healer fights against a threat even she can’t cure so easily. Probably one of the shorter fics on this list but also the least developed beyond the crackship and some vague ideas for a plague tinker