#forced to save the world so much so that all they are to the world is a legacy

[soulsforsales]

I don’t think people understand the extent and effect of Jason Todd’s trauma. I mean, every time Jason goes “I died.” Everyone’s like “we know, Jason!”

But no. No, you don’t know. He died — in every sense of the word. His heart stopped beating, his lungs stopped giving out air. His body was taut, numb, paralyzed.

And the crowbar, the beating didn’t kill Jason Todd— the bomb did which means he laid down on that cold stone floor of the warehouse in a pool of his own blood and counted down the minutes to his death, quite literally and even in his last moments, beyond all logic, he was hoping that Dad will come, Dad will save him, Dad will be here. But Dad was too late.

And he was helpless and tired and bleeding when the shrill scream of the explosion cut through followed by that chilling silence. He must have felt the debris press into his already broken bones and skin and that’s when it must have hit him that it’s actually over. He’s dead and Dad couldn’t save him. So, he must have closed his eyes and waited for the peace that follows with being dead.

Because he was just a kid. Sixteen. Kids die and go to heaven, right? Well, even that was snatched away from Jason.

Because he was forced back to life— whether it was climbing out of your own fucking grave or the Lazarus pit— he was forced back into a life that was his no more because who he was, the kid, the Robin— he died and what came back was someone no one could identify.

He must’ve felt his heart beat frantically to push all that blood through his aching muscles, his lungs finally swallowing in air after being black and blue for god knows how long. He came back only to find out that the one person he loved most in the world didn’t think him worthy of being avenged. No matter how much Bruce suffered after Jason’s death— in my opinion— Jason’s anger is justified. Because he was JUST A KID. He was killed simply to spite Batman, he was killed as collateral damage. A KID- BEATEN BLOODY AND BRUISED FOR SIMPLY WANTING TO HELP HIS MOTHER FOR SIMPLY WANTING TO PROVE HE WAS GOOD.

Can you even imagine how many times he must’ve just wanted to stop? Can you imagine how much he wanted to just go home and have Alfred bake him cookies again? How much he wanted to hug Bruce and try forgiving, how much he wanted to call Dick “brother” again and just be his “little wing?”

It pains me to see how he’s treated— both fanon and canon.

Jason Todd isn't just the “angry Robin” or “the violent anti-hero with a grudge” he’s so much more.

He is a hero. And he died a hero. He died trying to save someone. He died hoping he saved someone.

I have said it before and I’ll say it again: he did NOT deserve that. But look how he took all the bad things that happened to him and only gave the world something better in return?

Yeah, that’s who Jason Todd is.

[no1onepiecefan]

i love how zoro and luffy have historically been impressively self-sufficient. they were both lone travelers when they met each other, afloat of their own accord. luffy had been on his own for years in a jungle at that point, setting off to sea by himself, and zoro had been a wandering bounty hunter for even longer. zoro and luffy, as we know them, have existed integrated with loneliness since the moment their backstories began, yet when they met each other it was like they had filled the gnaw in each other’s chest with so much as a glance.

when they met each other they gave up their independence near instantly; it was like they had waited for the moment. they allowed themselves to be reliant on each other, in fact they eagerly accepted the idea of needing & not being complete without one another. they're generally regarded as 'two sides of a coin,' but i think it's more accurate to say they are two individual, complete coins that chose to weld themselves together because being attached suits them much better than being singular.

luffy and zoro chose to rely on each other so quickly it’s uncanny, they met each other and it was like the world finally aligned in their eyes. hell, for zoro, the world is depicted as physically brightening and gaining colour. and maybe part of that can be attributed to their shared experience with isolation, and the wish to never return to the life they had before each other. the way they have interacted from the very beginning of the show, their connection is emphasised as instantaneous and baffling to everyone around them. and it’s baffling even conceptually.

luffy, zoro? respectively the type to yearn after and want someone who he’d heard in name only, and the type to join a guy he met once with a dinghy and dream. not a chance. but that’s how it all began, like even the world, even something unconscious within them pulled them together. they are uncharacteristic because it concerns each other, they abandoned their self-sufficiency and prior way of life, welcoming the vulnerability of it all, like it meant nothing because it didn’t. because nothing in the world could be more important than each other.

luffy and zoro aren’t complete without one another, even the idea of them detached is peculiar, like you’re trying to pry apart two pieces of an object that can technically be separated but it’s forceful and unnatural to try. they’re magnetised to each other, and their lives of solitude suddenly became something so unimaginable and horrid. i don't think it's far fetched to say they healed each other. i don't think it's far fetched to say even the act of meeting each other at that desolate marine courtyard in shells town was the first time they ever saved each other, just from something not so literal that time.

[prettycottonmouthlamia]

Before I end up making that post I want to talk about briefly with the release of IS5 again, the concept of each IS havin a fundamental theme of unreality to them. I really like this, because it feels like in a pretty unsubtle way a solid way to ground the structure of a roguelike setting into what is normally a pretty grounded storyline.

IS1, Ceobe's Fungimist (please Hypergryph let it return), is a hallucination caused be Ceobe eating weird forest mushrooms. Nothing that happens in IS1 is real, explicitly. However, IS1 is fundamentally drawing from something, and in Ceobe's case, it seems to be drawing from her memories of traveling abroad Terra looking for the origins of her axe (and food, of course). What are things Ceobe's remembers happening to her, what are hallucinations filing in the gaps, and what are Ceobe catching glimpses of fundamental truths of the world (the Black Procession and the Feranmut skeleton that is Maybe? Lifebone for instance) is left extremely vague. Characters such as the Frozen Monstrosity do seem to genuinely exist, but there was no Frozen Monstrosity in Lungmen. Was Ceobe using something she herself experienced in place of Frostnova, or is Ceobe hallucinating the entire thing regardless? Who knows. Ceobe probably doesn't have the answers for you.

IS2 has explicit themes of madness and deception, and although I do not find him a particularly compelling character or plot device, a playwright who can literally warp reality with his plays. Much of the stage design recycles echoes the stage design from IS1, almost as if the Troupe is welcoming you, the player, onto their stage. You aren't here to discern the truth behind the Troupe, you're here to save one man, and while you are able to peel back the curtains somewhat, you never really do learn what the Troupe is. There are puppets who come to life and whose music damages your souls, there are actors driven so fully into their roles that they end up traveling to Sami to carry out their destined end, there's a Troupe Leader whose defining imagery is puppets and strings, and yet, you're no closer to finding out how this all happened than you are trying to explain why the Knights' Duel node exists.

IS3 asks the question "What if time is like evolution?" and presents its unreality in the form of a sprawling, massive bundle of alternative timelines to your own. It feels almost impossible to line up most of the events and memory mappings and endings on top of each other, and even the endings seemingly branch off into several versions of themselves. While, for example, the Irene encounter maps onto her own memory mapping story, we never see the timeline involving Lumen's memory mapping in the game at all. There is no Seaborn version of Gladiia in-game for you to fight. This is made seemingly all the more uncanny by the fact that there is actually a canon timeline going on, and the implication through the Bosky event that you are only seeing these alternative timelines because curiosity got the better of you. You came into contact with technology alien and yet familiar, and as a result, your good little timeline where you just save a girl who tries to commit identity death turns into you having to watch from the third person a version of the world where you and Mizuki are potentially the only intelligent life left on Terra for all eternity.

(No seriously, this ending is fucked up, what the fuck.)

IS4, on the other hand, gives us a reality that is unraveling, so fragile and malleable that you can cause things to manifest out of sheer force of will, something there are explicit warnings about not doing. It's a land where the living become the shambling, almost mechanical dead, and the mechanical being living creatures. It's a world where the abyss looks back at you, and finds you to be worth destroying. Gravity isn't right, time isn't right, language isn't right, snow falls black and the dead rise once again to beckon you home. There's nightmares in the shadows, and they're eating away at everything.

Sorry shit I got dark there. IS5 is Nymph's happy little storytime where she explores future and alternative versions of Kazdel through the imagination of her and her compatriots. What if Theresis and Theresa worked together and Nasti completed her designs (and maybe committed a genocide????) and Kazdel was a flying utopia city? What if the Teekaz all walked in a different direction and became the Sankta, or all became the Anasa? You know, sometimes you lose your sense of reality and become dependent on the visions you see from the Revenants, sometimes you need a little bunny to pull you out, and sometimes those Revenants might have actually caused a new reality to exist but haha, don't worry about that.

What if, hahaha, just saying what if, there was a version of Amiya in a world where the Sarkaz barely exist, where she was given the crown by a dying Theresa with no guidance on how to use it ethically? Haha I mean, what if Kal'tsit wasn't around? What if, just theoretically, there was a version of Amiya for whom the most formative person in her life was the decaying mind of a man stuck as an AI program who kept his people alive for 10,000 years? What if, hehehehe you know, what if, there were special endings you got for each of the stories you told where you went onto fight her, showing up closing up those stories, those worlds, to eternally protect them until she can find the answer to all troubles? What if the Sarkaz prophecy from Chapter 7 kept coming up, over and over again, the prophecy of an Amiya who would melt millions of lives into memories over and over again? What if this was an Amiya so immediately dangerous that the Sankta version of Buldrokkas'tee doesn't hesitate in trying to kill her?

I mean that would be a really scary story if it was true. Really it's Nymph's special storytime with the revenants. Don't worry about it.

Anyways I love pretty much each of these takes (IS2 is definitely the weakest though) and it shows a lot of thought from the storywriters about how they wanted to integrate a roguelike mode into their game.

[clearancecreedwatersurvival]

Adding more onto this chain with a few book spoilers but only the kind that improve the recommendation. And tbh wot is complex enough that spoilers absolutely do not ruin the narrative, they enhance it. It’s better and better on every reread when you can pick up the foreshadowing.

If you like BBC Merlin, you should watch Wheel of Time.

See above: hot villainous lady mages

codependent sworn fealty relationships between mages and knights

Magic systems where the main characters who are magic users are basically demigods able to exercise some insane cosmic powers over the fabric of spacetime

arthuriana stuff. Theres two different Arthur characters and like 3/4 Merlin characters and this is very vague book spoilers that have already been hinted at in the show but one of the Merlin characters is also the Guinevere character and they’re great dramatic and political foils

homoerotic bromances #cauthorcanonwhen

Protagonists hounded by prophecy

Magic battles. Oh my god. Just trust me on this, prime released a preview scene from season three, the magic fight scenes pop the fuck off in season three.

And also as as @twicetolivetwicetodie pointed out previously, if you like Critical Role or dnd in general you should watch the wheel of time.

The main ensemble are basically a chaotic dnd party prone to engaging in absurd near-slapstick comedy shenanigans in a magical post apocalyptic feudal fantasy setting whose job it is to save the world at the Last Battle between the forces of the Light and the Shadow. The first book is basically a lord of the rings fellowship fanfiction. Here’s the main party rundown.

Rand: what if a paladin was also a level 20 mage with no control by birthright? And also his innate magic is slowly driving him insane because of a magical cataclysm 3000 years ago. And he’s King Arthur and a Christ figure and the reincarnation of magical Eve (see magic cataclysm 3000 years ago)

Nynaeve: this healer can will and probably already has kicked your ass. Incredibly stubborn, mad as hell, usually right.

Egwene: wizard and also resident badass. Has killed before, will kill again. Egwene has done nothing wrong ever in her entire life.

Elayne: this future monarch is an artificer!

All four of the above are so innately magical that they’re basically walking nukes. The magic users in wot are elemental benders who are channeling the fundamental power that creates the fabric of reality, the woven pattern of an age threaded with the lives of individuals. And it both feels wonderfully addictively good to channel, and if you channel too much of the One Power you die!

Lan: uncrowned king of a lost kingdom who already maxed out fighter levels and keeps on taking more levels in adjacent classes

Mat: what if a rogue had world breaking levels of luck and the memories of dead generals in his head. Token funnyguy.

Perrin: this blacksmith can talk to wolves (it gives him magic dream powers)

Moiraine: this magical mentor/gandalf figure is a Demi-immortal spymaster milf. And she’s in a secret lesbian marriage with the wizard pope.

Do you like the lord of the rings? You should watch the wheel of time.

Do you like arthuriana? You should watch the wheel of time.

Do you like the locked tomb? You should watch the wheel of time.

Do you like dune? You should watch the wheel of time.

Do you like GOT/HOTD? You should watch the wheel of time.

Do you like the expanse? You should watch the wheel of time.

Do you like complex science fantasy worldbuilding, showstopping villains, weird cultural mishmash religious allegories, codependent knight/mage relationships, geopolitical dramas, homoeroticism, polyamory, and again I can never stress this one enough, femdom stuff?

You guessed it!

You should watch The Wheel Of Time!!!!

[writeriguess]

Insecure chubby reader x big himbo kirishma but their relationship is secret and Mina has a crush on him and talks to reader all about it then one day after a big win she kisses red riot and their fans go crazy for it and reader falls apart doesn’t awnser Eijirou calls just shuts down and lays on her bed crying and hiding from the world and it only gets worst when kirishma try’s to fix it by post a pic of him and reader announcing she’s his gf of years and their fans tear reader apart.

Shattered in the Spotlight

The room is silent, save for the hum of your phone, lying face down on the nightstand as if it’s somehow easier to ignore the reality outside when it’s not in your line of sight. But you know it’s there. You feel the weight of the world pressing down on you, and it’s suffocating.

You’ve never felt this small, this insignificant. Not even when you first came to U.A., always worried about fitting in, about your body, about how you looked compared to everyone else. But Eijirou had always been different. He never made you feel like there was something wrong with you. You knew what the world thought of someone like you—overweight, clumsy, a little too much of everything, but not enough at the same time—but with him, it didn’t matter. His warmth, his attention, the way he made you feel like you were the only one in the room, made you believe that maybe you weren’t so bad after all.

But then there was Mina. Always bubbly, always upbeat, always just a little bit too sweet when it came to Eijirou. You had always noticed the way she looked at him, the way she smiled whenever his name came up, the way her voice would soften in his presence. It had never bothered you—at least, not too much. After all, you knew Mina wasn’t the type to make moves on someone who was already in a relationship, especially with the way she valued friendship. You convinced yourself that it was all harmless.

But then today, the conversation that had been brewing under the surface came rushing at you like a wave you were unprepared for. You didn’t expect it, not in the slightest.

You were sitting with her in the common area, chatting about random things as you often did, when it happened. Mina’s eyes lit up, a glint of something mischievous in them as she leaned in closer, almost conspiratorially.

"You know," she began, her voice light and teasing, "I think I’ve finally figured out why Eijirou is always so happy."

You blinked, unsure where this was going.

"Why’s that?" you asked, a small laugh escaping you, trying to ignore the nervous flutter in your chest.

"Because he’s so perfect, y'know?" She grinned widely, her words laced with admiration. "I mean, just look at him—he’s so strong, so sweet, and did you see his muscles after that last battle? Ugh, I can’t imagine being with someone like him. He’d just sweep me off my feet."

Your heart drops, the smile on your face faltering, though you try to hide it.

You nod, forcing yourself to laugh. "Yeah, he's great. I mean, who wouldn’t be happy to be around him?"

You try to brush it off, but it feels like she’s digging into the place inside you that’s always been tender—the place where all of your insecurities hide. She’s not just talking about him like a friend; she’s talking about him like someone who wishes they were with him, who sees him as something more than the big, goofy guy you love. It’s not like you didn’t already know, but hearing her say it so openly, so enthusiastically, makes it real in a way it wasn’t before.

You force yourself to smile, to nod, but you can feel the sting of jealousy rising, and it burns. What if she does want him? What if she’s just too polite to say anything?

Before you can think any more about it, the conversation shifts, and the tension in your chest doesn’t ease—if anything, it tightens. You try to push it to the back of your mind, but it doesn’t leave.

Later that evening, after a big victory—one that had the team hyped up and the atmosphere electric—you were there, cheering on your classmates, feeling proud of how far you’ve come. You should’ve been happy. You should’ve been celebrating. But when you turned and saw it—Eijirou and Mina standing together, her hand lightly resting on his arm as they laughed, and then the kiss.

It wasn’t a long kiss, not by any means, but it was a kiss. A kiss that lingered, full of affection, full of something you couldn’t define. The crowd cheered, and you stood frozen, the rush of heat flooding your body. Your heart was in your throat, and you could barely breathe. The camera flashes were blinding, the noise of the crowd felt deafening, but all you could hear was the sound of your own heart cracking. The image of them—together, so close—burned itself into your mind.

And you didn’t know what to do.

You couldn’t stay there, not with your emotions threatening to overtake you. You slipped away, as quietly as you could, trying not to draw attention, but you could already feel it—the weight of the world crashing down on you. You couldn’t escape it.

You just needed to be alone.

You didn’t answer any calls from Eijirou, even when his name flashed across your screen. You couldn’t face him—not now. Not after seeing that. Not after hearing Mina’s words and feeling so stupid for thinking you were the one he cared about.

So, you curled up in your bed, under the covers, hiding from the world, hoping it would just stop spinning for a moment. Maybe, if you closed your eyes, you could forget about the kiss. Forget about Mina. Forget about how small you felt, how insignificant you felt, knowing that someone like Eijirou, someone so amazing, could be kissed by someone like her.

But then, the phone buzzes again.

It’s a picture.

A picture of you and Eijirou, laughing, your body pressed against his, his arm wrapped protectively around you. The caption reads: "Finally letting the world know—she’s been mine for years."

And that’s when it all comes crashing down.

You stare at the screen, your mind going blank. Your heart aches, a dull throb in your chest as the comments flood in.

"She’s so lucky to be with someone like him." "She’s not good enough for him." "She’s too big for him." "She doesn’t deserve him."

Each comment is like a knife, each word cutting deeper, exposing every insecurity you’ve ever had. You can feel the weight of their judgment, their eyes on you, pulling at the fabric of your very existence.

You can’t breathe.

Your hands tremble as you scroll through the hateful messages, and the tears come—hot, stinging tears that blur your vision. You try to ignore them, try to force yourself to look away, but you can’t. They won’t stop. The world is tearing you apart, and you don’t know how to make it stop. You thought you could handle it. You thought you could keep your secret relationship safe from the world, but now it’s out in the open, and it’s not safe anymore.

You don’t answer Eijirou when he calls again. You can’t. Not when you know what’s coming.

The weight of his attempt to fix it—posting that picture, making everything public—only makes it worse. His fans tear into you, calling you names, questioning your worth, asking how someone like you could possibly be with someone like him.

You curl deeper into the bed, the world outside fading into a blur of pain and self-loathing. You want to disappear. You want to shut it all out, to bury yourself in the covers and never face the world again. But even in your hiding, you know this isn’t something that can be fixed so easily.

You love him. You know that. But this… this is too much.

And still, you can’t bring yourself to answer the calls. You can’t face the one person who should be there for you through all of this. Because how could he understand? How could he possibly know what it feels like to be torn apart in front of the entire world, to have every insecurity laid bare and picked apart by strangers?

You don’t know how to make it stop. You don’t know how to fix this.

But you also don’t know how to stop loving him.

[ankababy]

A Home (part 9)

Part 1 Part 8 Part 10

Chishiya x reader x Niragi

(Hello! Thank you SO much for all the support, no words can describe what I feel when I read the comments y’all leave. Also, notice or no idea what to call this, the parts will come slower. It was good publishing every day, but that was only because I had the whole days, and now break’s over. Plus this ass education system in my country takes phones away while you have classes. The point is, the parts will take longer to come, but I’ll do my best to satisfy y’all!! Love you<3)

The first thing you noticed was that the room was still dark. It took you a moment to register where you were, to remember why the ceiling above you wasn’t your own, why the air smelled faintly of something different, why there was the faint rustling of fabric nearby.

Chishiya’s room.

You blinked sleep from your eyes, stretching slightly, and turned your head—only to find him still sitting there.

“…Do you even sleep?” Your voice was groggy, but there was something almost teasing in the way you asked it.

Chishiya barely reacted, just shifted his gaze toward you. “Not much.”

You frowned, pushing yourself up slightly. The bed was warm, and you almost didn’t want to leave it, but you leaned back against the headboard, staring at him. “…Why?”

He shrugged. “Don’t need to.”

You sighed, rubbing at your face. “You’re human, you do need to.”

His lips curled slightly, he liked your concern. “You sure about that?”

You gave him a tired little glare, and he let out a quiet exhale through his nose—probably the closest thing to a laugh you’d ever get from him.

For a while, neither of you spoke. The room was silent, save for the faint hum of the world outside. It was strange. This feeling.

It felt… comfortable.

Which made no sense, because nothing about this world was comfortable.

It felt safe.

You shouldn’t feel safe with him. You shouldn’t feel safe with anyone here.

But you did.

“…Thank you.” you said suddenly, your voice quiet.

He didn’t ask for what. He didn’t need to.

For listening. For letting you stay. For just being there, in some strange, detached way that still somehow made you feel less alone.

Chishiya looked at you for a moment, before shifting his gaze away, his fingers tapping idly against his knee. “…Don’t mention it.”

That meant more than anything else he could’ve said.

You didn’t want to move. The bed was warm, the room was quiet, and Chishiya—though distant, though unreadable—was still there. And you needed that right now. You needed something steady, something real, something that didn’t feel like it would crumble beneath your hands the moment you tried to hold onto it.

But you couldn’t stay here.

So, even though it felt wrong, even though it felt like peeling yourself away from something that had already started sinking into your skin, you forced yourself to move.

The sheets rustled as you climbed out of the bed, your limbs sluggish, your body heavy with exhaustion you hadn’t shaken off in days. Your feet met the cool floor, and it sent a shiver up your spine—reminding you.

You were still here.

Chishiya didn’t say anything, but you could feel his eyes on you as you moved. Watching.

He knew.

Of course he knew. He always knew.

How bad you felt. How much you wanted to disappear into the floor, how you were drowning in everything you’d done, in everything you were feeling.

And yet, you still moved. Still tried to pull yourself together, still tried to be something—something more than the wreckage they were molding you into.

But you were soft.

You were so soft. Even while you felt like you were dying inside, you were still trying. Trying to be good. Trying to be kind. Trying to be something more than the weight of the guilt pressing into your chest.

And Chishiya saw it. He saw how easily you could break, how easily you could give in.

And maybe you already had. Maybe you were already sinking, already slipping into their hands, already letting them have you.

And you didn’t even know it.

You thought you were still yourself.

But your mind was melting, wasn’t it?

Just a little.

Just enough that you didn’t push them away anymore. Just enough that you believed them. Believed that it was okay. Believed that it wasn’t your fault. Believed that they were safe. That they wouldn’t hurt you. That they wouldn’t break you. That they cared.

And you didn’t even realize you were doing it.

Didn’t realize that when Niragi touched you, when he leaned in too close, when his voice was too soft for a man like him—you let him.

Didn’t realize that when Chishiya sat there, quiet and patient, his voice a slow, comforting murmur against your ears—you listened.

Didn’t realize that every time they looked at you, every time they pulled you further into them, every time they whispered to you—you believed them.

And you wanted to.

Because if you didn’t, then what was left?

Nothing.

Just the guilt.

Just the weight of it all, pressing down on you, making it harder and harder to breathe.

But with them? With them, it was easier. With them, you weren’t alone. And wasn’t that all you ever wanted?

You walked over, opened, then closed the door behind you without looking back.

And when you turned your head, there he fucking was.

Niragi.

Standing there in the dim hallway, his arms crossed over his chest, his head tilted just slightly—watching you like a predator that had been waiting all night to pounce.

His eyes were dark, narrowed in a way that made your stomach tighten. But it wasn’t anger, not really. It was something else.

Something like frustration.

Something like possessiveness.

Something like jealousy.

And you knew exactly why.

Because it wasn’t his bed you were in.

Because when you couldn’t sleep, when you wanted comfort, when you needed someone, you hadn’t gone to him.

Even though he’d offered. Even though he told you his door was open.

Even though he wanted you to.

And you hadn’t.

And fuck, he felt that.

You swallowed, suddenly feeling like you’d done something wrong. Even though you hadn’t, even though nothing happened, even though it was just Chishiya—just his presence, just his company, just the fact that you needed someone—you still felt bad.

Because of the way Niragi was looking at you.

Like you owed him something.

Like you had betrayed him.

His lips twisted, his tongue running over his teeth before he finally scoffed.

“Well?” His voice was sharp. “Got anything to fucking say?”

You blinked, taken aback. “I—”

“What, couldn’t sleep?” His head tilted further, mockingly, his lip curling like he wanted to laugh. “Needed someone?”

Your stomach sank.

“It wasn’t—”

“It wasn’t what?” he cut you off, stepping closer, making you tense.

You shrank back instinctively, but he just kept coming, kept closing in, kept looking at you with that fucking look.

Like he was pissed.

Like he was hurt.

Like he hated this.

And you hated it too.

You hated that you felt guilty. Hated that his voice made your chest tighten, made your heart clench, made you feel like you had done something wrong. Hated that you cared. But you did.

And he saw it.

And fuck, he used it.

“Aw, baby.” he cooed suddenly, his voice dropping into something so much gentler, his hand reaching out to touch your cheek. Switching up, just like that. His fingers brushed against your skin, warm, slow, his touch making you shiver. “You look so guilty.”

Your breath hitched.

“I didn’t mean—”

He shushed you. Actually shushed you.

The pad of his thumb brushed under your eye, tracing, stroking, and suddenly you weren’t standing in the hallway anymore. Suddenly, you weren’t trapped under his gaze, under the weight of his jealousy.

Suddenly, you were just… small.

Small in his hands. Small in the way he was looking at you.

Like he understood.

Like he forgave you.

Even though you hadn’t even done anything.

And fuck, it worked.

Because you melted. You let out a slow, shaky breath, your body losing its tension, your mind going hazy.

“I just—” You swallowed. “I needed—”

“I know what you needed.” Niragi murmured, his hand sliding from your cheek down to your neck, fingers resting lightly over your throat. Not threatening, no, not even close. Just touching. Just holding you. “And it wasn’t him.”

You swallowed. “I didn’t mean to—”

“Shhh.” His thumb brushed over your pulse, feeling how fast it was, how it jumped at his touch. “You know I don’t like being left out, babe.”

Your stomach twisted.

“I didn’t mean to.” you whispered again, weaker now.

He hummed, pleased, brushing his nose against your temple, his lips just barely grazing your skin.

It made you dizzy.

And then his hands were slipping lower, over your arms, over your back, pulling you in just slightly, just enough to feel him, just enough to let you lean.

Because you wanted to, didn’t you?

You wanted to lean.

And fuck, he wanted that too.

He wanted you closer.

He wanted you his.

And it was working.

Because your mind was slipping, wasn’t it?

Just a little more.

Just enough that you let him hold you. Just enough that you needed him to. Just enough that the guilt was replaced by something softer. Something warmer. Something that felt good.

And wasn’t that all that mattered?

Niragi could feel it—how easy it was to work his way into your head. He didn’t even have to try anymore. It was second nature, slipping under your skin, winding his way through your thoughts, curling himself around your mind like a snake. Squeezing just enough to make you weak. Just enough to make you want him.

You were already there, weren’t you? Already melting. Already pressing yourself just a little bit closer, breathing just a little bit slower, sinking into his hands like they were made for you.

And maybe they were.

His fingers trailed lazily up and down your spine, light, deliberate, like he knew exactly what he was doing. And he did.

Of course he did.

Because you were soft, so easy to break, so easy to mold. You had been from the start. And Niragi? He wasn’t going to waste that.

Not when you were already here.

“You look so tired.” he murmured, his voice low, affectionate. “Didn’t get much sleep, huh?”

You shook your head.

“Poor thing.” he cooed, his hands sliding down your arms now, over your wrists, brushing over your fingers like he had any right to touch you this gently. Like he had any right to act like he cared.

Your throat tightened. “I—”

He tsked, bringing his hand up to cup your cheek again, thumb running lightly over your skin.

“You know,” he continued, tilting his head. “you really didn’t have to do that.”

You blinked. “Do what?”

“Go to him.” His tone didn’t change, didn’t sharpen, but the weight of those words still made your stomach twist. “I told you my door was open, didn’t I?”

You swallowed, looking away.

“I—”

“You wanted someone.” he interrupted, his fingers tilting your chin back toward him. “You needed comfort. I could’ve given you that, baby.”

Your chest tightened, something warm and guilty curling inside of you.

Niragi saw it. Felt it.

And fuck, he loved it.

Because you believed him. Because you felt bad. Even though you had nothing to feel bad about.

And that was exactly what he wanted.

Because now you would make it up to him, wouldn’t you?

You wanted to.

You needed to.

And he was going to make sure you did.

“You’re sweet, though.” he murmured, pressing a slow kiss to your temple, smiling against your skin. “Always taking care of people.”

Your breath hitched.

He pulled back just enough to look at you, something playful sparking behind his eyes. “Which reminds me… I am feeling kinda hungry.”

You blinked. “You—”

He hummed, brushing his thumb over your bottom lip, smirking. “Think you could make me something, sweetheart?”

Your lips parted, hesitating, but he just looked at you. Just smiled. That warm, lazy, pleased little grin that made your stomach turn to fucking mush.

“You like cooking for me, don’t you?” he murmured, his voice smooth, coaxing, as if he already knew the answer. And fuck, he did.

Because he’d been watching. Because he saw the way you always made them something to eat, the way you always went out of your way to take care of them. Because you loved it. You loved doing things for them.

And now, he was using it.

Like he used everything.

Like he used you.

Your lips pressed together, your body feeling smaller under the weight of his gaze.

But you nodded. Because he was right. Because you did like it.

And that was all he needed.

Because suddenly, his hand was slipping into yours, guiding you out of the hallway and toward the kitchen, his smile widening, his voice warm, teasing, so fucking pleased with himself.

“Knew you would, baby.”

He led you into the kitchen so easily, like you were his, like you belonged to him. And maybe you did. Maybe you had from the start.

His fingers curled lightly around your wrist as he walked you inside, like he wasn’t really holding you there, like you could pull away if you wanted to.

But you didn’t. Because you didn’t want to. Because you liked this. Even as your stomach twisted. Even as you felt the ghost of last night settle deep into your bones, you still let him guide you toward the counter, still let him settle in behind you, watching you with that warm, lazy smirk as you started gathering what you needed.

He was still touching you.

Not holding, not gripping, just touching, fingertips brushing against your back when he moved, trailing up your spine before they slipped away again, just enough for you to feel it.

Just enough to make you want it.

You didn’t fight it. Didn’t tell him to stop. Didn’t want him to stop. Even now, even after everything, you wanted this. You wanted him close, wanted the weight of his presence, the heat of his body behind you.

You wanted Niragi.

And fuck, he knew.

Because when you turned to look at him, you caught the way his eyes flickered over your face, the way his fingers itched at his side, wanting to touch you again.

And you let him.

“Did you sleep well?” you murmured softly, turning back to the counter, stirring the food in the pan.

He scoffed, stepping up behind you again, one hand ghosting over your hip, fingers brushing against the hem of your shirt. “You think I slept?”

You hesitated, glancing back at him. “You didn’t?”

“Didn’t feel like it.” he shrugged, tone casual. But the way his fingers pressed into your skin, the way his eyes darkened, you could tell there was more to it.

You swallowed. “Because of me?”

His smirk twitched. “What do you think?”

Your fingers trembled slightly as you stirred the food, your breath catching.

You did that to him?

You made him stay awake?

You opened your mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

And Niragi? He just laughed.

Soft, teasing. But not mocking. No, this wasn’t like before. This wasn’t him being cruel, wasn’t him shoving you away just to keep you at arm’s length.

No, this was different.

This was Niragi letting you in.

Even if he’d never admit it. Even if the only way he could do it was like this.

So you didn’t push it. Didn’t try to make him say it out loud. Didn’t ask for more.

Because you knew what this was. You knew that this—this teasing, this touching, this fucking sweetness—was all you were going to get.

And you were okay with that.

Because he was still here.

Still with you.

Still yours.

Niragi was an absolute asshole, but you already knew that. It was in his nature, in his blood, woven into every word that left his mouth, no matter how sweet he tried to be. He couldn’t help it.

And right now? Right now, he was in rare form.

He leaned against the counter beside you, watching, waiting for the perfect opportunity to open his mouth.

“Oh, so you do know how to take care of something.” he said. “Wouldn’t have guessed, the way you’ve been running around like a fucking lost puppy lately.”

You stiffened slightly but said nothing, pressing your lips together as you kept your focus on the food. You weren’t going to react. You knew him by now. You knew he wanted a reaction, that he liked the way you bristled under his words. He liked the way your eyes flashed, the way your hands tensed.

And you weren’t going to give him that.

Not this time.

“Don’t tell me you’re still all torn up about that guy.” he scoffed, rolling his eyes. “He was fucking pathetic. If we didn’t take him out, someone else would have.”

Your stomach twisted violently, your fingers gripping the spatula tighter.

Don’t react. Don’t react. Don’t react.

“But I guess you’d probably rather he was the one still standing here, huh?”

You froze.

The sound of the food sizzling was deafening in the silence that followed. Your throat felt tight, your chest ached, your vision blurred slightly as your mind spun, because—

How could he say that?

How could he think that?

Your lips parted, and just as you were about to snap at him, just as you were about to tell him to fuck off, his fingers were suddenly at your hip again, sliding around your waist, touch so gentle it nearly knocked the air out of your lungs.

“I know, angel.” he murmured, voice a complete contrast to the venomous words he’d just spit at you. Soft, smooth, warm. “I know it’s been hard.”

Your heart stuttered, your body reacting before your brain could catch up, leaning ever so slightly into his touch.

And fuck, he knew.

He felt it.

And he loved it.

Because then he was pulling you in, slow but certain, chest pressing to your back, lips grazing your ear as he whispered, “But you know I’m right.”

You swallowed hard, knuckles white as you clenched the spatula. “Niragi—”

“Shhh.” he cut you off smoothly, fingers pressing into your side, lips brushing lower now, just barely against your jaw. “Just cook, baby. You’re almost done.”

Your whole body tensed, a shudder running through you as you felt the heat of his breath against your skin, the weight of his touch against your body. You should hate this. You should push him away.

But you didn’t.

Because you were fucking weak.

Because you wanted it.

And he knew.

Because he laughed.

“Atta girl.” he murmured, barely above a whisper, and then—just like that—he was gone, moving back to his place against the counter like nothing had happened.

Your hands trembled as you plated the food. Your stomach twisted violently as you turned to hand it to him, forcing yourself to meet his eyes.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that.” he cooed, taking the plate from your hands, fingers brushing over yours purposefully. “I’m being nice.”

Oh, maybe he was. It felt good, didn’t it Y/N? Maybe you should believe him, maybe—

“You have to eat, too.” Chishiya said.

You turned, and there he was, standing with his arms loosely crossed, leaning against the wall like he had all the time in the world. Watching you.

You opened your mouth to say I’m fine, because you were, because it wasn’t like you weren’t eating, just maybe not as much as before. Maybe you forgot sometimes, maybe food just didn’t sit right lately, but it wasn’t a big deal, it wasn’t—

“Yeah, yeah, she knows that.” Niragi cut in before you could speak, rolling his eyes, slouching further against the counter. He took a slow bite of his food before nodding toward you with his fork. “She’s a big girl. She would’ve made something.”

Chishiya’s stare flickered toward him for only a second, but even that was enough to send a sharp, tense silence cutting through the air.

You swallowed hard.

Then, Chishiya was pushing off the wall, walking over, movements slow, careful, precise. His eyes never left yours, even as he spoke again.

“You don’t have an appetite, do you?”

Your lips parted, but nothing came out.

Because no, you didn’t.

Not really.

Your stomach twisted at the thought of eating, at the idea of forcing something down when there was already so much sitting heavy in your gut. You barely even had the energy to cook for them—let alone for yourself.

But the thing was… you didn’t know that was why you felt like this. Why everything seemed distant, why your head felt like it was swimming most of the time, why your body felt slow and heavy and not yours. You just thought it was… everything. The stress. The weight of what you had done. The way your whole world had changed so quickly. And maybe that was part of it.

But Chishiya knew.

He knew what not eating did to you.

He knew the way your body was reacting, the way it was shutting down, the way it was eating away at itself just to keep you going. He knew that your metabolism had slowed, that your brain was functioning at half-speed, that everything in you was running on empty.

But he didn’t tell you.

Because he didn’t need to.

Because as long as he knew, he could keep you in check.

And he liked keeping things to himself.

So instead of explaining, instead of giving you the answers you didn’t even know you needed, he just said, “Make something.”

And Niragi laughed.

“Are you fucking serious?” he scoffed, placing his plate down on the counter with a loud clank. “She just made me food. She’s tired, she doesn’t need to—”

“She does.” Chishiya’s voice was cool, detached, but his gaze stayed on you. “And she will.”

Niragi’s jaw clenched.

You could feel the irritation radiating off of him, the brewing rage building up, because he didn’t like being told what to do, and he especially didn’t like Chishiya being the one to tell him.

“She will?” he echoed, stepping forward, tilting his head. “And what, you think you can make her?”

Chishiya didn’t react. Didn’t blink. Didn’t move. He just watched Niragi for a long, heavy moment before finally turning his eyes back to you.

And just like that, Niragi might as well have been nothing.

Not important. Not a threat.

Because right now, you were the only thing that mattered.

And fuck, did that make Niragi boil.

You swallowed hard, hands gripping the edge of the counter. “I…”

You wanted to say I’m not hungry.

You wanted to say I’m fine.

But you weren’t.

And maybe… maybe Chishiya was right.

So, slowly, hesitantly, you reached for the pan.

Niragi hated it.

“Un-fucking-believable.” he muttered, raking a hand through his hair, pacing behind you like he was trying to contain himself. “What, now you’re just listening to every little thing he tells you to do?”

Chishiya just leaned back against the counter, watching as you pulled out ingredients, hands slightly shaky but moving nonetheless.

You heard Niragi scoff.

“You’re fucking pathetic.” he said, voice sharp and bitter, but then, just as quickly—just as easily—it softened. “But it’s cute.”

And that was Niragi. Harsh and cruel one second, sweet and manipulative the next. He was pissed off that it was Chishiya who told you to eat, that it was his words you listened to.

“Chishiya.” you said, softly, barely above a whisper. “Do you… do you want something too?”

He tilted his head slightly, lips twitching just the smallest bit.

“You’re making food for yourself.” he said simply, like it wasn’t even a question, like you weren’t even offering him anything.

But you were. You always did.

“Yeah.” you murmured. “But I can make some for you, too.”

“Are you fucking serious?”

Your stomach dropped.

“You’re making him food too?” Niragi scoffed, voice dripping in disbelief. “Unreal.”

Your hands clenched around the spatula, and you swallowed hard. “Niragi, I just—”

“Are you fucking in love with him, or what?” he spat.

Your eyes widened.

“What? No—”

“You sleep in his bed, you listen to everything he says, now you’re fucking cooking for him like some little housewife?”

Your throat tightened.

That wasn’t—that wasn’t what this was.

But Niragi—he knew how to make things hurt.

And it did.

It did.

“You wanna suck his dick too while you’re at it?” he sneered. “Fucking pathetic.”

You flinched.

Your fingers trembled as you pushed the food onto the plate, avoiding their eyes, face burning with embarrassment, with something horrible.

Because you hated when he was like this.

Hated when he hurt you like this.

You bit the inside of your cheek, blinking rapidly, trying to focus, trying not to let it sink into you.

“I—I just thought he might be hungry.” you murmured weakly.

Niragi laughed.

“You thought he might be hungry?” he repeated, mocking, cruel. “But I had to ask for food this morning? You didn’t think I might be hungry?”

Your heart twisted.

That wasn’t—that wasn’t fair.

But you didn’t argue. You never argued. You just lowered your head, staring down at your plate, your stomach tightening, because suddenly, food seemed even less appealing than before.

A hand.

A touch.

Soft. Gentle.

Niragi’s fingers brushed the nape of your neck, up into your hair, twisting a few strands between his fingers, and his voice—suddenly, it was sweet.

“I’m just saying, angel.” he murmured. “I am your favorite, aren’t I?”

Your heart ached.

You didn’t understand.

You never understood.

He was so mean, so cruel, and then suddenly—this.

Like it erased everything. Like his words weren’t still stinging in your chest.

And somehow, somehow, it worked.

You let out a shaky breath, gripping the edge of the counter, and then, with a small, fragile voice—

“I—of course you are.”

And Niragi smirked.

Because that was all he needed.

All he wanted.

And just like that, all was forgiven.

Niragi’s hand had slipped away from your hair, but the ghost of his touch lingered, making your skin feel too warm, too sensitive. His words still burned inside your chest, even though he had already won—even though you had given him exactly what he wanted.

You glanced at Chishiya.

He was still standing there, arms crossed over his chest, watching you. But the moment your gaze met his, something shifted.

He smiled.

It was small, almost invisible, but you knew it was there. And somehow, somehow, it made your stomach sink.

His eyes told you something.

Not with words. Never with words.

But you understood.

He knew. He knew Niragi wasn’t really your favorite. Knew you had only said it because you had to. Because Niragi needed to hear it. Because it was easier than fighting, easier than making things worse.

And Chishiya—oh, he was fucking cruel.

Because that little look he gave you? The one that told you he understood? That was his way of making sure it would be him next time.

Not Niragi.

Because he got you.

He made sure you felt that.

He wasn’t fighting for your affection with screaming, with violence, with force—he was winning you over with understanding. With quiet, subtle manipulations.

And you fell for it. Of course you did. Because wasn’t that what you needed? Someone to understand you? Someone who saw you?

And Chishiya—he saw everything.

You looked down at your plate, swallowing hard, throat tight.

You felt—fucked up. That was the only way to describe it.But still, you picked up your fork. You weren’t even hungry, but you forced yourself to take a bite, chewing slowly, staring at your food like it might disappear if you looked away.

“I want to go outside.” you murmured, voice soft, hesitant.

Niragi scoffed. “What?”

“I don’t want to just—sit here. I don’t want to sulk all day.” you said, voice a little stronger now. “I just… I think it would be good for me.”

A silence.

And then, Chishiya, his voice slow—“Alright.”

“Fine by me.” Niragi said, stretching his arms above his head.

“Okay.” you said softly.

And just like that, they had you.

Again.

~

The streets were empty, the city eerily quiet except for the soft sound of your footsteps against the pavement. The air was a gentle breeze brushing against your skin as you walked ahead of them, your arms slightly outstretched, fingertips trailing through the air like you could feel something there—something light, something freeing.

For the first time in a while, you looked… alive.

Glowing, even.

Maybe this was what you needed. Just a little air. Just a little space. Just a little bit of something that wasn’t the four suffocating walls of that apartment, wasn’t the heavy weight of Niragi’s hands on your skin, wasn’t the intensity of Chishiya’s gaze picking you apart piece by piece.

Just this.

For a moment, you could almost forget what they had done to you.

And behind you, they watched.

They always watched.

You were their little flower, weren’t you? Their sweet, delicate thing. And flowers needed sunshine. They needed air. They needed to be able to spread their petals, to bloom.

That’s what you were doing now, wasn’t it?

Blooming.

Chishiya kept his hands stuffed into his pockets, walking, his gaze never leaving you. He wasn’t a sentimental person, not by any means—he had always been logical, detached, only interested in things that benefited him in some way.

And yet, watching you now? It was something he didn’t understand. You were happy. He could see it in the way you moved, the way your shoulders weren’t so tense, the way your eyes weren’t so hollow.

And wasn’t that… interesting?

Because they had taken that happiness from you. Torn it from your hands, ripped it apart, molded you into this—this fragile, obedient little thing.

And yet, you still found a way to be light.

To be sunshine.

It fascinated him.

He wondered how long it would last.

And Niragi? Oh, Niragi was obsessed.

He didn’t even bother pretending to be subtle about it. His eyes never left you, drinking in every little movement, every little smile, every little flicker of emotion that crossed your face.

He liked you like this.

No, he loved you like this.

It was different from the broken little thing that had been sobbing into his chest the day before, different from the scared, hesitant girl who still flinched at the weight of a gun in her hands.

Right now, you were shining.

And fuck, that made him feel powerful. Because no matter how happy you looked right now, no matter how free you thought you were—you would still always come back to them.

Because they had made sure of that.

You slowed, glancing back at them, making sure they were keeping up.

And then, you smiled.

A real one.

A soft one.

The kind that made Niragi’s stomach fucking ache.

And fuck, he had won.

They both had.

You let your fingers brush over the tops of the wildflowers that had somehow managed to grow through the cracks in the pavement, little bursts of color breaking through the dull gray of the city. It was kind of amazing, really. How something so delicate could survive in a place like this.

You bent down, plucking a tiny yellow flower from the ground, turning it between your fingers, smiling softly.

It was beautiful.

But it would die in your hands.

Because that’s what happened when you took something fragile and tried to claim it as your own.

And Niragi—oh, Niragi—he was eating this up like it was the sweetest fucking thing in the world. You, in your little clothes, twirling a flower between your fingers, looking so soft and light—like you weren’t the same girl who had cried into his chest, shaking, breaking, bleeding from the inside out. Like you weren’t the same girl who had pulled the trigger.

The same girl they had made into this.

And it wasn’t that he felt guilty. Niragi didn’t feel guilt.

But he did feel pride.

This was his.

(Well. Theirs. But he tried not to think about that part.)

Chishiya, on the other hand, was quieter. Watching you.

He was a collector.

That was what people didn’t understand about Chishiya. He collected things. Information, people, power—he liked to gather little things and keep them, lock them away where no one else could touch them.

And you? You were his most precious little thing yet.

Because you weren’t supposed to be here. People like you didn’t survive in a place like this. Not unless someone stronger decided to keep you.

And that was exactly what had happened.

He wasn’t entirely sure why, wasn’t sure what it was about you that made him decide to reach out and pull you into his grasp, but he had.

And now, he wouldn’t let go.

He never did.

So he just kept watching, letting Niragi run his mouth, letting you smile, letting you pick flowers like you weren’t already wilting from the inside.

You turned back to them, eyes warm, filled with something they didn’t quite recognize. Something bright, something untouched, something that shouldn’t exist in a world like this.

That softness. That light.

It made them want to ruin it.

To see just how much it would take to shatter you again, to make that warmth in your eyes flicker and dim.

And maybe that was why neither of them moved as you walked up to them, still twirling that little yellow flower between your fingers.

You were so much smaller than them. So delicate, standing between them like you didn’t have a fucking clue what kind of men they were. And you smiled. Like you weren’t walking straight into the hands of monsters. Like you weren’t handing them something that had once been growing, once had roots, once had a chance at life.

A flower.

You plucked a small white one from your palm and reached out, pressing it against Chishiya’s chest first.

He stared down at it, unmoving, unreadable, like he was thinking about the meaning of it, trying to pick apart the reasoning behind this ridiculous, sweet little thing you were doing. Like he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to take it or let it fall. So you just held it there, smiling up at him, waiting.

And of course, of course he took it.

Because he would always take what you gave him.

His fingers brushed yours as he plucked it from your grasp, and you beamed at him like he had just done something wonderful, something good, something kind.

Like he was the same person you had met back when you still had a chance at being whole.

And wasn’t that funny?

He said nothing, only twirled the little white flower between his fingers, gaze flicking from you to Niragi. Because he knew what was about to happen.

Knew that Niragi would want one, too.

That he wouldn’t say it, but he would.

And sure enough, before you could even reach out, Niragi scoffed, rolling his eyes, tilting his head.

“What, you’re just giving them to him?” he said, feigning offense, raising an eyebrow at you. “What, am I not pretty enough for a flower?”

You giggled. Actually giggled. Like he wasn’t an actual fucking murderer. Like he wasn’t the kind of man who had made people beg before putting a bullet through their skulls.

And worse? You actually reached out, plucking another flower from your hand, stepping up to him without a single ounce of fear.

“Of course you are.” you murmured, pressing the flower into his palm.

And fuck, that did something to him.

Your little voice, so soft, so sweet, your fingers brushing his as you gave him something so stupidly pure—it made his stomach turn in a way he didn’t fucking like.

Made something ache in his ribs, made something shift in his mind, made something tighten in his throat.

He stared down at the tiny yellow flower in his palm, his mouth twisting.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?” he muttered, not looking at you.

But his fingers curled around it anyway.

“Keep it.” you said simply.

Like it was that easy.

Like he wasn’t an animal.

Like he was someone who deserved to keep something like this.

And wasn’t that fucking hilarious? Because that was exactly what he was going to do.

He would keep it.

Not because he cared about the flower.

Not because it meant anything.

Bur because you had given it to him.

~

The city was quiet.

You sat cross-legged on a rooftop, knees barely brushing Chishiya’s as the two of you faced each other, talking in hushed voices.

The moon was big enough to cast just enough light for you to see what you were doing, fingers carefully weaving tiny flowers together, forming a small crown in your lap.

Niragi was out somewhere, looking for bullets, no doubt terrorizing anyone unlucky enough to cross his path.

“…I had everything.” you murmured, carefully looping a stem into another. “Rich parents, perfect life, perfect grades, perfect house—”

Chishiya hummed, tilting his head slightly. “And yet, you didn’t act like it.”

You let out a quiet laugh. “I wasn’t that kind of rich.”

His lips twitched, amused. “No?”

You shook your head, fingers still weaving. “No. I mean, I had everything I could ever want, yeah. But my parents actually… loved me. They taught me how to be a good person.”

Chishiya made a soft noise at that, something unreadable. “And look at where that got you.”

You bit your lip.

He wasn’t wrong.

Being a good person had done nothing for you in this world. And still, you couldn’t help but defend it.

“I don’t regret it.” you said softly, placing another flower into the chain. “I liked how I was raised. I liked my life.”

Chishiya studied you for a moment, something flickering behind his eyes. “Why do you always do that?”

You blinked up at him, head tilting. “Do what?”

His gaze flicked to the small flower crown in your hands. “Find something pretty.” he said, voice quiet. “Something soft.”

You paused, looking down at the little white petals, the tiny things in your hands that you had given meaning to.

It took you a moment to answer.

“I don’t know.” you murmured honestly. “I guess it makes me feel like… like not everything in this world is bad.”

Chishiya hummed. “Even after everything you’ve been through?”

You gave him a small smile. “Especially after everything I’ve been through.”

Something shifted in his expression then. Something that almost looked like… understanding. And for a moment, he just watched you. Like he was trying to figure out how you hadn’t cracked completely. How, despite everything, you were still you.

Soft. Kind.

Even after all the ways they had broken you.

Even after all the ways he had broken you.

And that made something uncomfortable twist in his chest. Because, deep down, he knew that it wouldn’t last.

Not with him.

Not with Niragi.

Not when they were the ones keeping you in their hands, waiting to see how much more you could bend before you snapped.

And yet, he liked that you hadn’t, not yet.

It was selfish, in a way.

Wanting to keep you like this. Wanting you to be soft, to be kind, to be something good in his life for as long as you could be.

Because you were something good.

For him.

For Niragi.

And they would do anything to keep you.

Even if it meant taking every soft, bright thing you gave them and making it theirs.

You looped another stem into the crown, eyes focused, but your lips still curled in that soft, thoughtful way you always had when you were deep in conversation.

“Do you miss it?” Chishiya asked after a moment, watching the way your fingers delicately handled the flowers.

You looked up at him, blinking. “Miss what?”

“Your life.” he said simply.

You tilted your head slightly, considering. “I think… I miss the feeling of not being scared all the time.”

His expression didn’t change, but something in his eyes looked as if he had expected your answer.

“I had everything.” you murmured, looking down at the little petals between your fingers. “And I knew I had everything. I knew how lucky I was. I think that made it worse when I lost it all.”

Chishiya hummed, resting his arms over his knees. “At least you had something to lose.”

You frowned slightly, looking up at him. “You didn’t?”

He gave a small shrug, gaze drifting up toward the sky. “Not really.”

Your chest ached a little at that.

Chishiya wasn’t like Niragi—his cruelty wasn’t something loud and angry, wasn’t something fueled by deep-seated resentment and a need to burn the world down with him.

It was like he had nothing to lose because he never had anything to begin with.

“You never had anything you cared about?” you asked softly, voice almost hesitant.

He didn’t answer at first. Instead, he let the silence stretch between you, the soft nighttime breeze rustling through your hair, until finally—

“I cared about myself.” he said simply.

You blinked, then let out a small laugh. “God, you’re so humble.”

Chishiya’s lips twitched. “Just honest.”

But that smile—fuck, that was something he hadn’t even realized he had been waiting to see all night.

Your laugh was soft, light, something that almost felt foreign in the world you were trapped in.

It was the first time he had heard it in days.

And suddenly, the thought of you not laughing anymore made something uncomfortable twist in his chest.

He had made women laugh before. It was something easy, something effortless, something he did purely for his own amusement.

This wasn’t for entertainment.

This wasn’t for fun.

This was because you had been wilting in front of him for days, drowning under the weight of something neither he nor Niragi had any intention of lifting from you.

And now, you were glowing again, even if it was just for a moment.

And he had done that.

He wasn’t sure why it mattered. He wasn’t even sure why you mattered. But you did. So, maybe it wasn’t the worst thing, keeping you like this.

“You should laugh more.” he murmured finally, watching the way you delicately placed another flower into the crown.

You gave him a small, knowing smile.

“You should give me more reasons to.”

And fuck, that almost made him laugh.

~

You had finally fallen asleep.

For the first time in what felt like days, your body had let go, your mind had stopped racing, and you had slipped into something warm and quiet. Your bed felt safe. Your little corner of the apartment was your own, tucked away from the rest of the world, from the noise and the blood and the weight of your own choices.

You hadn’t even thought about the boys when you laid down.

And that was rare.

BANG BANG BANG.

Your whole body jolted.

You sucked in a sharp breath, heart slamming against your ribs as your brain scrambled to figure out where the hell you were, what was happening—

BANG BANG BANG.

“Y/N!”

Your feet hit the cold floor before your brain even caught up. Your hands fumbled with the door handle, twisting it open with a sharp pull, and—

Niragi.

Right there in front of you, his hand still half-raised like he was about to pound on the door again, his eyes blown wide, scanning your face like he was expecting something, though you weren’t sure what.

“Nir—”

“I was an asshole.”

You blinked, still half-asleep, your head struggling to keep up.

He shifted on his feet, jaw clenched, shoulders tight. “Earlier. I was a fucking asshole.”

Oh.

Okay.

You rubbed your eyes with the heel of your hand, trying to get your ass together, trying to make sense of the moment.

“You’re…” You yawned, still dazed. “You’re apologizing?”

He huffed. “Yeah. Obviously.”

That… wasn’t something you expected.

Not from him.

Not really.

You just stared at him for a moment, processing. You leaned against the doorframe, watching him carefully. “Why are you apologizing?”

He ran a hand through his messy hair, exhaling sharply. “Because I was a fucking asshole, Y/N. Are you not listening?”

“No, I am.” you said softly. “I just… want to know why you care.”

His mouth opened, then closed again, as if he was actually thinking about his answer.

Then, after a beat—

“You looked at me like I kicked a puppy.” he muttered, almost grumbling.

That threw you off. “I—what?”

He scowled, shifting on his feet again. “When I was being a dick to you earlier. You looked at me like I just fucking… disappointed you or something.”

Your heart twisted a little at that.

Because you had been disappointed.

Not surprised. Not shocked. Not even really hurt.

Just… disappointed.

Because he was so mean, and you had just wanted something gentle.

And he had recognized that.

You hesitated, watching him carefully, the way his fingers twitched, the way his eyes darted just slightly to the side, as if he was almost too proud to look at you properly.

“You were an asshole.”

His lips pressed into a thin line. “I know.”

“…But you came back.”

He scoffed, shifting again, like he was uncomfortable. “Yeah, well, I—”

“You recognized that you were wrong.” you continued, your voice still soft, careful.

He tensed. “I never said—”

“And you care enough to fix it.”

He went silent.

And that told you everything.

Your heart softened, even as something in your chest ached. Because this—this right here—was why he was so dangerous.

He could be horrible to you.

He could break you down. Tear you apart. Make you feel small.

But then he could come back with wide, desperate eyes, with frantic hands and hesitant words, and he could fix it.

And you would let him.

Because he had come back, crawling back to you in the middle of the night, pleading for you to look at him the way you had before.

And you knew things about that. You knew what it meant when a man like him did this—when someone so arrogant, so mean, so violent realized he had gone too far and slunk back with his tail between his legs, hoping you’d let him stay.

Hoping you’d still hold him close.

And you would.

So you tilted your head, studying his face, the way his nose scrunched, the way his hands twitched at his sides. “You really care that much about what I think?”

His face twisted like he was about to snap back at you, but he caught himself.

He swallowed.

Then, quieter—almost a grumble—

“Yeah.”

Your heart swelled.

“That’s sweet, Niragi.”

His face twitched, like the compliment physically hurt him, and you laughed.

“You really don’t like it when I’m upset with you, huh?”

His jaw clenched. You could see him debating it, could see his pride screaming at him not to admit it, not to let you win. But you already had. So you gave him an easy out.

“It’s okay.” you murmured, your voice dropping, almost teasing. “You don’t have to say it.”

His nostrils flared. “Good.”

“But I know you feel it.”

He exhaled sharply, his eyes narrowing, his body shifting like he wanted to do something, wanted to shake you or grab you or pull you in just to make you stop talking.

But he liked hearing it.

You could see it.

And that was enough for you.

So you let him be, let him stew in it, let him feel seen in a way he had never let himself be before.

And he let you.

Because he couldn’t stop you.

And he didn’t want to.

You shifted against the doorframe, arms crossing loosely over your chest, looking him over. He was exhausted. His hair was messy, his eyes heavy-lidded, the shadows under them deepening in the dim light of the hallway.

“Did you even sleep?” you asked, tilting your head.

Niragi huffed a short laugh, rolling his eyes. “Did you?”

You gave a small shrug. “More than you, I bet.”

He leaned against the wall, rubbing at his jaw, his piercings glinting in the dim light. “Couldn’t. Had shit to do.”

“Like what?”

“Like mind my own fucking business.”

You smiled. “That’s new for you.”

“Shut the fuck up.” he muttered, but there was no bite to it, no real venom. He looked you over, his gaze dipping before snapping back up. “You look like you slept. What, got all cozy in that big empty bed of yours?”

You hummed, shifting your weight. “Something like that.”

“Bet it wasn’t that cozy.” he drawled. “Bet you were cold, all alone like that.”

You laughed. “Are you trying to get me to invite you in?”

“Are you inviting me in?”

You gave a small shake of your head, eyes half-lidded. “Not tonight.”

“Tch.” He clicked his tongue, exhaling as he looked away. “Your loss, baby.”

“You’re an idiot.” you said, but it came out softer than you meant it to. You shifted against the doorframe, looking him over, and the longer you did, the more concerned you became.

He looked tired. Not just in the way he always did—this was deeper, heavier, something worn into his bones. His eyelids were lower than usual, his posture slightly slouched, even as he tried to keep up the smug act.

He was exhausted.

“Niragi.” you murmured, voice softer now.

He quirked a brow. “Yeah?”

“You need to sleep.”

He snorted. “What, you worried about me?”

“Obviously.”

“You don’t have to be.” he muttered, rubbing a hand down his face. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not.” you argued, voice gentle. “You look like you’re about to drop dead.”

“Aw, how romantic.”

“Niragi.”

The way you said his name made something shift in him. You weren’t just making conversation anymore. You meant it.

“Go to bed.” you told him. “Please.”

He held your gaze for a moment, searching your face, maybe looking for some kind of angle, some kind of game you were playing—but there was nothing. Just you, just that softness that never seemed to run out, no matter what he did.

He scoffed. “And what, you think I’ll just listen to you?”

“Yes.”

“Bossy.” he muttered.

“I have to be, apparently.”

You tilted your head toward his room, silently urging him to go. And for a moment, he just stood there, as if waiting for something.

Maybe he wanted you to beg. Maybe he wanted you to offer to go with him.

But you didn’t. You just stood firm, looking at him with those gentle, worried eyes, and somehow, somehow, that was worse.

“Tch.” he clicked his tongue, pushing off the wall. “Fine. Whatever.”

He turned, heading toward his room, but before he disappeared inside, he glanced over his shoulder.

“Next time,” he murmured. “you are inviting me in.”

You sighed. “Goodnight, Niragi.”

He smirked, but it was softer now, lazier. “Night, beautiful.”

And then he was gone.

You stood there for a moment longer, watching the closed door, your chest tight with something you couldn’t quite name.

He didn’t deserve it. He didn’t deserve you.

But that never stopped you from caring, did it?

(Y’all I promise Y/N getting on her feet is COMIIIIINGG!!! She’ll get out of this i swear)

❤︎︎ @lizntstoptalking @cherryheairt @fiction-fantasy-folks @monkey4lifer @psychicyouthfox @so-dramatic1 @mypsychoticlove @unhinged-sorcerer @rattymess @mocchii-writes @adanfore @scarlet703 @fluentgoddess @maxinehufflepuffprincess @onyxmango @bluerthanvelvet444 @risingofjupiter

[jaeyunluvbot]

footnote

this is part two to my series emails i can’t send

note .ᐟ OUCH OUCH OUCH

Subject: You’ll Never Read This To: (unsent)

I know you said the email thing was stupid, and I guess it is. But I have to put my feelings somewhere so I don’t tell you and ruin everything. I don’t know exactly when it happened. One moment, you were just my best friend, someone I’ve known forever, someone I felt like I could be myself around. Then, one moment, everything changed. I can’t pinpoint when or why it happened, but it did. Maybe it was the way you laugh when I tell a joke, or maybe it’s the way you have the special smile you seem to only use around me. I guess it’s always been there, and I just couldn’t see it, or I refused to. I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter, because I’ll never tell you. I’m afraid to ruin everything we have, to throw ten years of friendship down the drain over a one-sided love. I won’t ruin this, so I’m just writing it down where you’ll never see it. I hate that I’m even letting myself feel like this, but I don’t know how to stop. I don’t think I even want you to know, because even if you did return my feelings, you deserve so much more than me. I’m a mess and I can’t ask you to take that burden on, even though it hurts, I’ll try to be happy just being your friend. 

Love,

Y/N

(Draft saved at 2:13 AM)

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝

Subject: Please don’t make me watch you fall in love To: (unsent)

Jay,

I watched you with her today. I didn’t even notice until I saw the way you looked at her, and heard how you said her name. It’s like she was the only thing in your world, like I didn’t even exist. I guess I can’t blame you, she’s gorgeous, it’s only natural that she’d take up all your focus. You didn’t even know that the ground beneath me felt like it was slipping away. You’ve always asked for my advice, about clothes, about school, about crushes. I was always fine with that, I wanted to be someone you could rely on, someone who you knew would always be there for you. But now I’m not sure I can be ok with that. I’m trying so hard to be happy for you, but it hurts in a way I don’t know how to explain. I should’ve never let myself feel this way. It hurts so bad, but at the same time, I can’t lose you, so maybe it’s better to keep this to myself and continue supporting you as a friend. I just wish I was more than a footnote in your life.

Yours,

Y/N

(Draft saved at 9:19 PM)

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝

Subject: Things Aren’t the Same Anymore To: (unsent)

Jay,

I hate that we’re like this right now. We’ve never gone this long without talking. I don’t even know what changed, or what happened to make you distance yourself from me. I know it’s probably not on purpose, but I can see the small things adding up, the late responses, you forcing a laugh at my jokes that used to make you crack up, the way you won’t even look at me. I see you with her a lot now, and it doesn’t hurt as much as it did before. Or maybe it does, but in a different way. I’m just remembering how we went to that restaurant and the waiter asked if we were a couple. You laughed and denied it, but I was so happy that someone else saw what I saw. Why can’t you just see me how I see you? I guess you’re outgrowing me. I knew this would happen, but I thought we’d have more time. Even though we’re both changing, some things stay the same, like how I’d resign myself to a lifetime of pain if it meant keeping you near me. But I guess that’s not enough anymore. I wish I could be happy for you, you deserve every good thing in this world, I just wish it was me making you smile like that.

Yours,

Y/N

(Draft saved at 12:02 AM)

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝

Subject: I Don’t Know How To Say This To: (unsent)

Jay, 

It’s hard to admit this, but I think I’m losing you. And it’s not even because of her, or the fact that you’ve found someone else. It’s because I’m realizing that I was never really yours to begin with. You’ve always been mine, Jay, but I was never yours. It’s like I’ve been living in this illusion, holding onto something that was never meant to happen. You’ll never see me the way I see you. I’m not the one you think of when things get hard. I’m not the one you turn to when you’re upset. And I hate that I’ve been waiting for that moment, that moment when you realize I’m the one who’s always been there for you. I keep telling myself that I should be happy for you. I should be glad that you’re happy with her. At this point, it’s like you don’t even remember I exist. The second you met her, everything changed and all of a sudden, I wasn’t important anymore. I understand why, but I would’ve never done this to you. I guess that’s where we differ, I was wholly devoted to you and ready to give you anything you needed, but you had bigger dreams. I guess sandbox love doesn’t last, and I should’ve seen this coming, nothing good lasts forever. But still, I thought I mattered to you, and I thought that maybe, just for a second, we could’ve been good together. I mean, hell, even our parents wanted us to get together. Even so, I’ve accepted that I’ve lost you, and I wish you the best with her. I hope you’re happy together and I hope I can move on, though I doubt I will.

Yours,

Y/N

(Draft saved at 3:21 AM)

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝

Subject: I Can’t Keep Doing This To: (unsent)

Jay,

I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, and I think it’s time. It’s time for me to let go. I’ve accepted that love isn’t precious and that life isn’t like the movies where the childhood best friends always end up together. You’ve been avoiding me, so I guess I won’t be able to tell you in person, but I’m moving away. I got accepted into a professional program at my dream school, and I wasn’t going to go. I couldn’t bear to be away from you, but now I see that there’s no point in me staying here. It’s kind of funny, we always said we’d go to university together and move in with each other after school, but now I’m going without you. I guess in a way, this is just part of life, watching your childhood dreams fade away and be replaced with the harsh reality of the world. I know you probably won’t even notice that I’m gone, since you never seem to text me anymore, but I hope you occasionally think about me, and maybe even miss me a little. I’ve accepted that I’ll be relegated to a small role in your life, and I know you’ll go on to do wonderful things. I hope life brings you nothing but success and happiness, even if it’s without me. I want to tell you everything I’ve written in these emails, just so you finally know, but I can’t. I hope you don’t think I don’t care about you, because I do. I care too much. My reckless feelings ruined everything and I can’t continue living like this, so I’m letting you go. I’m leaving next week, so I guess I won’t see you before I go. Goodbye, Jay. I love you, even though I shouldn't.

Yours,

Y/N

(Draft saved at 8:29 PM)

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝

Subject: Bye To: Jay

Jay,

I’ve been writing these emails for months. To myself, to you. You told me they were stupid, and you were right. I don’t know why I thought they would help. Every time I see them sitting in my drafts, I feel the same old hurt all over again. The same pain that’s been festering beneath the surface. So, I’ll send you one last email, and after this, I’ll delete all the others. I don’t want to keep holding onto them anymore. I’m in love with you, Jay. I’ve been in love with you for so long, it’s impossible to even pinpoint when it started. Maybe it was when we were kids, and I thought I would never feel anything but friendship for you. Or maybe it was when we got older, and I started seeing you in a new light. But I never admitted it, not even to myself, not until you met her. It’s been there all along, under the surface. Every laugh, every inside joke, every late-night conversation, every small moment that made me feel like maybe, just maybe, there was something more between us. But it wasn’t real, not the way I wanted it to be. I spent so many years wishing I could be the one for you. Wishing that one day, maybe, you’d look at me and finally see me the way I’ve always seen you. But you never did. And that’s okay. I get it now. I understand. It’s not your fault. You never promised me anything. You were never mine to begin with. And maybe that’s what hurts the most, the fact that I let myself believe, even for a little while, that there was a chance. We were never meant to be. And I’m okay with that, I have to be. But it doesn’t stop the pain from being real. I wanted to tell you all of this in person, to say goodbye face-to-face, but every time I’ve tried, you’re never around. And I’ve stopped waiting. So here I am, telling you in an email. It’s dramatic, I know. But I’ve always been a bit melodramatic, haven’t I? I’m leaving, Jay. I’m moving far away. I need to let go, finally. I’m going to chase the career I’ve put on hold for too long, the one I convinced myself wasn’t as important as being there for you. I’m going to move on. At least, I hope I will. It’s time. I don’t want to be this person anymore, the one who keeps waiting for you to turn around, the one who’s always there for you when no one else is. I can’t keep hoping that maybe one day, you’ll wake up and realize I was the one who was always by your side. I don’t want to hurt anymore. So this is it. This is goodbye. I hope you find the happiness you deserve. You deserve someone who can love you the way you need to be loved. And so do I.

Goodbye,

Y/N

(Sent at 4:33 PM)

[wherearedagrapes]

Man, we have almost the exact same ideas about Amy! That’s crazy Haha! She’s been one of my favorite Sonic characters since I first played (I think it was) Sonic Adventure 2 as a little kid? I loved that she was pink and small but brandished this big hammer and big personality. I’m hoping she keeps that, which means, yeah I both want and expect movie Sonic and Amy to have a bit of a rocky start lol But that’ll make the balance they establish later more rewarding.

I also think it’s more interesting than Amy being seen as this, like, perfect dream girl that Sonic spends the movie trying to get with. As cute as the fam giving Sonic dating advice would be, I really need Amy to be complex and kind of a pain like the other characters. I want her to challenge Sonic (and vice versa). I want them to learn from each other, to grow because of each other. Since that’s been the case with all the characters introduced in the movies thus far, I’m not too worried. But, you know, there’s always going to be a little wariness.

I’m excited to see movie Sonic and Amy’s dynamic as buds beyond that friction as teammates. They’re both playful, high-energy characters that I can see keeping up with each other’s quips and bits and having similar senses of humor. I think they can match each other’s freak in a way their game counterparts don’t exactly lol… Again, the movies have done such a great job with Tom and Maddie that I’m not that worried. Like I constantly think about how we’re introduced to them as a couple — with Maddie having bought two cakes for Tom in case he didn’t get the job in San Fran and pulling out the wrong one by mistake lmao like that’s so funny, and right away it tells us so much about them! But I’m getting sidetracked. Anyway

What you described, Amy being kind of a control freak in the team at first because she’s desperately trying to keep the situation from becoming worse — because she’s so passionate about this, about saving the world — is exactly what I see! Those obsessive traits of hers manifesting from her obsession with this mission, her life’s mission essentially. (Much like Knuckles guarding the Master Emerald) This is her destiny. And in being so obstinate and self-sacrificing, she’s actually sabotaging her chances of success. Yes!!

I didn’t notice the explosion is blue and pink — that’s very interesting… And Ivo being sent to the past instead is totally plausible. I don’t know how I feel about Amy having chaos powers though. Like, okay — I’m not super familiar with Sonic game lore, but having chaos powers is supposed to be rare. Right? In the games, it’s just Shadow. In the movies, I think it’s Shadow and Sonic? And having that power is treated as a very special (and dangerous) thing.

All of the alien characters definitely have heightened abilities. Knuckles also seems to have inherited and learned specific abilities from his tribe. So I can see Amy having some clairvoyance due to her family or culture. But that’s not chaos energy, right? Or is it? Is chaos energy like the Force in Star Wars? Lol I guess I’m curious why you think Amy has chaos powers aside from Metal Sonic creating that pink energy blast.

With Amy coming along, I can't stop thinking about the Amy-Sonic/Tom-Maddie parallels.

You know, the pink and blue scheme, Tom having a similar personality to Sonic and Amy possibly having some similarities to Maddie, Amy and Maddie possibly being two big city girls with Amy being from New York and Maddie from San Francisco while Tom and Sonic are both from Green Hills, the setup of Amy plus 3 Wachowski siblings as well as Maddie and Tom, who canonically have siblings too.

They've been foreshadowing this couple since the second movie, fight me!!

(and Tom x Maddie are the parents and couple ever, I love them!)

(Also, please give Maddie more prominence. She's awesome!)

[ellieinink]

Between Life and Love

Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Drama, Romance

Warnings: Graphic depictions of medical trauma, surgery scenes, emotional distress, major angst with comfort elements

Word Count: ~12,000+

Synopsis: When trauma surgeon Baek Kang-hyuk is forced to operate on the one person he can't lose, his carefully controlled world shatters. As you fight to survive, he faces a different battle—one that has nothing to do with medicine and everything to do with his heart.

Baek Kang-hyuk had long since mastered the art of detachment. It was a necessity in his line of work. Trauma surgeons didn't have the luxury of hesitation, of emotions clouding their judgment. The moment a patient was wheeled in, they became a case—a puzzle to be solved, a life to be saved. Nothing more.

It was the only way to survive in this field.

But all of that training, all of the carefully constructed walls he had built around himself, shattered the second he saw you.

The emergency room was a symphony of urgency—shouts, hurried footsteps, the shrill beeping of monitors tracking vitals that were rapidly plummeting. Kang-hyuk had barely stepped into the trauma bae when Jang-mi's voice cut through the noise.

"GSW to the abdomen, severe hemorrhaging—pressure dropping fast!"

Her voice was sharp, professional, but there was something in it that wasn't usually there. A crack in the mask she always wore.

And then he saw why.

His world narrowed, everything around him dissolving into static.

Blood. So much blood. Seeping through your clothing, pooling onto the gurney, staining the hands of the paramedics desperately trying to keep pressure on the wound.

And you.

Pale. Unconscious. Broken in a way that made something in him fracture.

He was moving before his mind could catch up, shoving past residents and nurses, gripping on the edge of the stretcher like it was the only thing anchoring him to reality.

No. No, no, no.

"Shit," Park Gyeong-won muttered, checking your vitals. "BP's tanking—60 over 40. We need to get her into surgery now."

Kang-hyuk barely registered the words. His entire body felt like it was on autopilot, his brain screaming at him to do something.

Then—

"Kang-hyuk."

It was barely a whisper. A breath. But it cut through him like a blade.

Your eyes fluttered open—just barely—but you were looking at him. Your fingers twitched like you were trying to reach for him, but you were too weak.

His hands trembled. His chest was too tight, his pulse roaring in his ears.

"I'm here," he forced out, his voice hoarse, raw. He grabbed your hand, pressing it against his, grounding himself in the warmth of your skin. "You're going to be okay."

A lie. He never made promises in trauma cases. But this was you. He couldn't lose you.

"Number one, you're assisting," he snapped, snapping back into focus. His voice was steel, his mask sliding into place. "Gangster, let's move. Now."

This wasn't just another surgery.

This was war.

And he would fight with everything he had.

The operating room was cold, sterile. A stark contrast to the burning panic in Kang-hyuk's chest.

"She's coding!"

Dr. Park's voice was sharp, cutting through the haze threatening to consume him.

"V-fib—starting compressions!"

Kang-hyuk's world blurred. His grip on the scalpel was ironclad, his knuckles white as he forced himself to focus. Breathe. Focus. Fix this.

Jae-won worked swiftly beside him, suctioning blood away. "Entry wound is deep—bullet's lodged near the liver. We need to—"

"She's crashing again!"

The defibrillator whined as it charged.

Not like this. Not her.

"Clear!"

Your body jolted. The monitor flatlined.

Kang-hyuk's stomach lurched.

"Clear!"

Another jolt. Another agonizing second of silence—

Then—

Beep. Beep. Beep.

A heartbeat. Weak, but there.

Kang-hyuk exhaled sharply, his hands resuming their work with precision. Focus. Fix what's broken.

"Bullet's out," he said, voice strained. "Starting repairs."

The OR was a battlefield, and Kang-hyuk refused to lose.

Time lost meaning.

Hours passed in a blur of sutures, transfusions, whispered prayers between each stitch.

And then—

"She's stabilizing," Jang-mi breathed.

A ragged breath left Kang-hyuk's chest. His hands, stained with your blood, trembled as he stepped back.

His body ached. His scrubs were drenched in sweat. But none of that mattered.

You were alive.

For now, that was enough.

Pain. That was the first thing you registered. A dull, throbbing ache beneath layers of numbness.

Then—warmth. A hand. Familiar, steady.

Your lashes fluttered. The hospital room swam into focus. And there, slumped over the side of your bed, gripping your hand like a lifeline—

Baek Kang-hyuk.

His face was etched with exhaustion. Dark circles beneath his eyes, tension lining every inch of his frame. But he was there.

"Hey," you rasped, your throat dry.

His eyes snapped open instantly.

Relief. Raw, unguarded, washing over his face in waves.

"You scared the hell out of me," he muttered.

A weak smile tugged at your lips. "Guess I like keeping you on your toes."

His jaw clenched. His grip on your hand tightened, just slightly.

"Don't. Ever. Do that again."

You wanted to tease him. To joke. But there was something in his voice—something fragile.

So instead, you squeezed his fingers.

"I'm still here," you whispered.

His shoulders sagged. And for the first time since that night, Kang-hyuk breathed.

Days turned into weeks. Your wounds healed, but the scars—both seen and unseen—remained.

And yet, so did Kang-hyuk.

He was there for every painful step. Every long, sleepless night. Every moment of doubt.

One evening, as he sat beside you, his fingers tracing absent patterns against your wrist, you finally asked, "Why are you still here?"

His hand stilled.

Then, he looked at you. Really looked at you.

"Because," he murmured, "I almost lost you."

Your heart stuttered.

"And that made me realize..." He exhaled, his fingers brushing against yours. "I don't want a life where you're not in it."

Tears pricked your eyes.

"Kang-hyuk..."

But before you could speak, he lifted your hand to his lips, pressing a lingering kiss against your fingers.

And in that moment, you knew.

He had saved your life.

But you had always been the one saving his.

This is one of the longest that I've written... Send in requests for Baek Kang-hyuk, Yang Jae-won or Park Gyeong-won!!! Also, I might start writing for juji as well!!!

taglist: perm @missroro @study-with-reine234 @redhoodedtoad

[lullabyes22-blog]

ok ok ok so if vander, nandi, sevika and mel all came back and proposed to marry silco all at the same time, who would he choose? 😈

Oh God.

He's had nightmares like this.

And they are legitimately nightmares - not sexy little fantasies. He's not sure which one he'd pick, but the one thing he is certain of is that none of them would be happy with him, and that he'd let each one of them down, in different ways.

His heart yearns to go to Vander. That man was, is, and always will be the love of his life. And Silco is by no means over him. But if Vander showed up, fully breathing, their slate wiped clean and their blood-debt squared, Silco would find himself advancing on the man, not with love, but with with a cold and predatory rage.

There are too many wounds, and they cut too deep. And even though Silco knows he'd forgive Vander eventually, he also knows the forgiveness would take a lifetime, and that in the meantime, they'd both suffer in different ways, because Silco's pain is not the kind that can soften, retract its teeth, allow another to hold him.

Vander would have to bear the full force of his cruelty, and Silco would relish it. He'd also hate himself for it, and Vander, for enduring it.

Nandi?

His soul begs to be with her. She's the only one who truly saw him for who he was, who took his rage at the world as an expression of his love, rather than a repudiation of it. She was his safe haven, and in many ways, she still is. But she's come to embody a saint in his mind, an impossible ideal. And haloed around her memory is his own guilt - at being unable to save her, at not being able to protect her from Topside, at not being able to avenge her the way she deserved to be avenged.

He also knows he's no longer the man she fell in love with, and that there's no way someone as good as her would love the monster he's become. She deserves far, far better.

He also knows that if she accepted him, his possessive streak would reach monstrous proportions. He'd lock her up to keep her safe. He'd never be able to let go of her, because he'd have lost her before, and he knows himself well enough to realize he'd be terrified of ever letting that happen again. She'd end up a prisoner, and he'd smother her by lethal degrees, until eventually he'd end up destroying her spirit in a desperate attempt to safeguard her body.

Which, in his own self-loathing over Bloody Sunday, he'd be unable to touch. And so they'd live in a stalemate of stymied desire and throttled guilt, until entropy swallowed them whole.

Mel?

Oh, Mel.

Mel would be his undoing. Mel would be his death.

Mel has the gift to strip him bare, and she knows it. She can match him, barb for barb, in a way no one else has, and in so doing, she can cut him to the bone, peel away every layer, and reveal the raw and rotted core of him. And as much as the man in him would thrill at that, and at the prospect of someone he could finally, fully, surrender to, the monster in him would never fully allow it.

She's still, whatever else, a Topsider, and his rage at Piltover is so all-consuming that he would never be able to fully let go of it.

And so he'd fight her, tooth and nail, for dominance. He'd fight her, and fight her, and fight her.

And he would win.

He would have to win, because his city is at stake, and Zaun must rise to eclipse Piltover's light if it's to have any chance of survival. And he knows that every backroom deal, every backstab, every treacherous betrayal would cut Mel on the inside, because he would be doing to her exactly what her golden city did to him. And every time he'd make her bleed, every time he'd make her cry, every time she'd kneel and submit at his feet, his victory would feel like a defeat.

Because he wants to love her: fully, completely, unreservedly. Because she deserves a kind of love that he's not capable of giving, a love that's as pure and true as her own. Because he wants to be the man she sees in him, the man he's all but forgotten how to be. And because he knows that, if he lets himself go, lets himself feel the full force of her power over him, that he'd end up betraying everything he's spent his entire life working towards.

He'd let Zaun burn if she begged him to.

And the knowledge terrifies him.

Then there's Sevika.

Beautiful, ruthless, unflinching Sevika. She's one of the few who sees him at his worst, and accepts it. She's the only one he'd trust to take everything he is, and everything he can throw at her. There are no pretenses between them. They've lived in each other's pockets, in a constant state of warfare, and yet never turned on each other. But theirs is a bond born of the trenches, not dreams, and he fears that if there truly is anything viable between them, the moment the war ends, they'd fall apart.

Sevika would be his match, and he knows it. But it's not a match that can light a spark and sustain it. They'd need duty to undergird whatever bond they'd share, because they're no longer the reckless, hotheaded idealists of old, but veterans of a battle that's long outstayed its welcome.

They've carved themselves out, body and soul, until their connection lies in what they fight for, not what they live for.

Maybe, once, they could've lived for each other. But now they're both too hardened, too fiercely committed to the cause, to let their humanity shine through. The only way he'd ever be able to surrender to her, is if she forced his hand, and the only way she'd ever be able to yield to him, is if he did the same.

And while he knows it'd be a pleasure to dominate her, and to let her own him in turn, the truth is that neither of them would find peace in it, but mere respite.

And that's not love. It's not even lust. It's two beasts, circling each other in a den, waiting to see which one makes the first move.

To last the distance, he and Sevika would need a mutual passion to sanctify their base desires, something sublime to give meaning to the brutal honesty they'd show each other in the dark. Zaun might serve in the interim. But in the long term?

Nothing purifies purpose, he's found, quite like power. But power and purpose are nothing without a home, a heart, a hearth. Jinx has taught him that. And she's taught him, too, the joys of loving and being loved.

He wonders if a child with Sevika would help him find that balance.

And help her find it, too.

~*~

Tl'dr: if all four of them came to him, and said the word, he'd turn to Sevika, because at least he can trust her to cut out his heart, and keep it under lock and key, until the dirty business of fighting for Zaun is over, and they can both, finally, lay down their arms. The others would destroy him, and he would destroy them, and Zaun would fall to pieces as he fell to pieces himself.

But Sevika would keep him in one piece, at least until the war is won, and then maybe he'd finally be able to choose her, instead of his ambitions.

And hopefully, she'd choose him, too.

<3

[alicedrawslesmis]

it seems to me pretty obvious that Tempest Within A Brain and Javert Derailed are mirrors of each other. One thing we notice about Valjean that may consist a flaw is that he's too introspective

These two thoughts [to escape men and to return to God] were so closely intertwined in his mind that they formed but a single one there; both were equally absorbing and imperative and ruled his slightest actions. In general, they conspired to regulate the conduct of his life; they turned him towards the gloom; they rendered him kindly and simple; they counselled him to the same things. Sometimes, however, they conflicted.

while Javert (we'll find this out later so no quotes yet) is a man who has trouble seeing below the surface. He abhors thinking and reflection and more practically in the end, he has trouble literally feeling Marius's pulse and understanding the things that can happen inside of a house? This is a genuinely incredible detail about him and about the concept of buildings in Hugolandia that building interiors sometimes physically manifest people's interiors. Javert does not know what happens inside of a home. Rather tragically I may add, because he never really had a "proper" one.

In Déraillé he is forced to look inwards and see he has a soul and a heart and is capable of kindness and of love and isn't just a pure representative of real world mundane law. He isn't made of stone no matter how much he may want to.

Here's from Fantine's arrest:

Javert up to that moment had remained erect, motionless, with his eyes fixed on the ground, cast athwart this scene like some displaced statue, which is waiting to be put away somewhere.[...] From time to time she paused, and tenderly kissed the police agent’s coat. She would have softened a heart of granite; but a heart of wood cannot be softened.

And here is from Derailed:

Terrible situation! to be moved. To be made of granite, and doubt! To be the statue of punishment cast all of one piece in the mould of the law, and suddenly to perceive that you have under your bronze bosom something absurd and disobedient, which almost resembles a heart!

Now for Valjean: He is faced here with a question impossible to be resolved kindly. Valjean represents divine goodness in the same way Javert represents the law. On the one hand, ignoring Champmathieu means saving the people of the town, maybe even Cosette, on the other, Champathieu will endure the 'artificial hell' in Valjean's place. There is no possible answer that leads to universal good. So Valjean makes the choice to sacrifice himself, suffer a symbolic (and later a false) death by turning himself in and then jumping onto the sea.

Like I said, it's important to understand that Les Mis is interested in symmetries. Beginnings that mirror endings, people who go toward evil and people who go toward good. Miners that work to change society and miners that work to undermine it. Paris above, the sewers below. "justice" and Justice. Hougoumont at Waterloo and the Barricade during the june rebellion.

This also got me thinking that the reason there's a certain kinship between Javert and Éponine is because they form an opposing pair with Valjean-Cosette. Valjean interacting with Montparnasse like Javert interacts with Marius, you know what I mean? It is absolutely no wonder a book full of cycles and mirrors has exactly 365 chapters, starts on a short little paragraph foreword and ends on a poem with the verse "Comme la nuit se fait lorsque le jour s'en va."

[shizuturnspages]

If she could even suffer injuries that would cause the reader to go into a coma,

I think that some fatui who were injured by the reader would hold a grudge against her and do something to her (I leave it to your imagination) .

The Cost of Defiance

Synopsis: After enduring Capitano’s ruthless training, you collapse—your body too battered to fight back. Unconscious and vulnerable, you become an easy target for those who once feared you. Resentment festers. Revenge lurks in the dark. Pairing: Yandere Capitano x Comatose Khaenri'ahn Child

The training ground was silent. Too silent.

The usual barks of orders, the clash of steel, the sharp crack of gunfire—all of it had stopped. The air was thick with tension, as if even the sky had grown heavy with the weight of what had just happened.

And at the center of it all—you.

Lying on the cold, frozen ground, your small frame barely rising with each shallow breath. The world around you was a blur of black and red, the sharp pain in your ribs dulled by the slow creep of unconsciousness.

You had fought too hard. You had resisted too much.

And Capitano… had not gone easy on you.

"Disobedience leads to failure." His words from earlier echoed in your mind. You barely remembered what happened—only that your body had finally given out. That something snapped. That the ice beneath you had been painted with crimson.

You had thought the training was over.

But the worst had yet to come.

A Debt to Be Paid

The Fatui soldiers who had been standing at the edges of the training ground began to approach.

They moved slowly, cautiously—like hyenas around a dying beast.

You had hurt many of them before. Wounded them in battle, humiliated them, proved yourself stronger.

And now?

You were helpless.

"How does it feel, little monster?" One of them sneered, nudging your limp body with his boot.

"All that power, all that defiance—and now look at you." Another crouched beside you, his fingers digging into your injured shoulder, forcing a sharp gasp from your lips.

"Capitano isn’t watching anymore. And we? We don’t take kindly to traitors."

Pain exploded through your body.

A fist—sharp and merciless—slammed into your ribs. Then another. And another. You couldn’t even fight back. Your vision swam, the dim light of the campfires above flickering in and out of focus.

"No one’s coming to save you."

Silence Falls

When Capitano’s officers finally arrived, the damage was done.

Your body lay motionless on the frostbitten ground.

A bruise blossomed across your jaw. Your lips were cracked and bloody. One of your arms—bent at an unnatural angle. And your breathing—shallow, weak.

A medic rushed forward, fingers pressing desperately against your pulse.

"We need to move them—NOW!"

But Capitano?

He said nothing.

He only stared at your broken, fragile form. At the pathetic sight of his little warrior—so strong, so stubborn—reduced to this.

And when they lifted you onto the stretcher, when your head lolled to the side and your eyes finally slipped shut—

He knew.

You weren’t waking up anytime soon.

The First to Act

You were comatose. Weak. Vulnerable. Helpless.

And they knew it.

They remembered every wound you inflicted. The broken ribs, the burns from stray magic, the bruises from where your tiny fists had landed. They remembered your eyes, how they glared with Khaenri’ahn contempt, how your hatred burned brighter than any flame.

They had been ordered to respect you—to obey the Captain’s will. But respect? That was never given.

And now…

Now, you were nothing but a child in bed, unable to fight back.

It started with whispers.

"She got what she deserved."

"After everything she did to us? This is karma."

"She’ll wake up and suffer like the rest of us."

And then, the first man stepped forward, with hope you'd never wake up.

A lower-ranking soldier, his left arm still wrapped in bandages from when you had nearly shattered his bones. He hated you. Not because you were strong, but because you were defiant.

He stood over your sleeping form, eyes filled with something dark.

"Little brat. Let’s see how strong you are now."

His fingers twitched—ready to strike, ready to hurt, ready to leave his mark.

But he never got the chance.

The Warning

The door slammed open.

And the room filled with an aura so suffocatingly powerful that every man inside stopped breathing.

Standing at the threshold, clad in unyielding darkness, was Capitano himself.

His presence was like a crushing weight on the soul, the force of it drowning out every hateful whisper, every bitter thought. His helmeted gaze fell upon the soldier, who now trembled at the bedside, hand frozen mid-motion.

"Move."

The command was low, slow.

Deadly.

The soldier stepped back, his lips parting as if to make an excuse—"I—"

"Move."

A second time. No room for defiance. No room for mercy.

The soldier fled. All of them did.

And Capitano? He stood guard. For the rest of the night.

When You Wake

It takes days before your fingers twitch. Before your breathing changes. Before the dark haze of unconsciousness loosens its grip.

When your eyes flutter open, the world is blurry—dimly lit, unfamiliar, heavy.

But you know one thing.

You are not alone.

The chair beside you creaks as someone shifts. A large hand, calloused, armored, deadly, presses lightly to your forehead.

"You will not die so easily," Capitano mutters. His voice is steady, but something else lingers in it. Something dangerous.

Your lips part. Your throat aches. You remember falling. Training. Then... nothing.

"What...?" Your voice is hoarse.

"You have been unconscious for four days."

Your heart pounds. Four days?

"They harmed you," he continues, voice quieter now. "They will not try again."

Your breath catches. You don’t need to ask who.

Because the bloodstains on Capitano’s sleeves already tell you everything.

[melanchoire]

sub liz or yujin x veeeerrrryyyyy soft dom reader i beg 🙏 plot is up to u

also thank u for saving the x fem reader community!!

writing for jiwon because there is already too much yujin in my profile I HAVE THREE LIZ REQUESTS IM SO HAPPY 😭😭 jiwon stans PLEASE fill my inbox

cw: cunnilingus, face sitting, squirting.

liz is the cutest and most adorable little thing in the world 🥺 even dating her, liz still can’t overcome her shy and easily embarrassed nature :(

she blushes when you kiss her, gets nervous when you flirt with her, smiles shyly when you give her a compliment and only can respond with a simple “thank you” but try to say a compliment in response because you deserve nice words too! shy girlfriend who always tries to deal with her shyness and get out of her comfort zone just because she wants to make an effort for you and for herself

the best girl 💗 i feel like there isn’t even a punishment in your mind planned in case she misbehaves or tries your patience because liz always behaves 😭 she may have her bad days or mood swings, ignoring you a bit when you talk to her and she has to answer you or giving you a occasional dirty glance, but liz feels guilty and ends up apologizing to you when maybe she just nodded instead of responding verbally LEAVE HER ALONE

liz could dom if she weren’t so shy ☹️ she is excited to be on top and be the one in control, only for her to be embarrassed when she tries to be bossy or act intimidating after hearing herself speak in that way 😞 making you laugh and having to take matters into your own hands

trying new things with liz would be interesting 👀 she loves being eaten and is always so well behaved even if she is being overstimulated, saying “thank you baby” after cumming all over your face as if you did her a favor?? and she is pretty good with her tongue too! liz usually takes her time because she likes to take things slow, but secretly she enjoys seeing each of your little reactions to her actions and how sometimes you get a little frustrated because she is being slow and teasing you, pretty eyes giving you a cute look from between your legs as if her tongue wasn’t on your clit with her fingers buried deep in your pussy and her face full of your juices 🥰 scissors sister too! i don’t have much to say but she has that face…

face sitting with liz ❤ ️imagine telling her that today she could be on top and she is so happy and proud of the news, smiling but not knowing how to react because the words have not yet come out of her mouth. but before she can think of a response to your news, you tell her that she will be on top but you will be the one fucking her 🥰 her face going from a proud expression to a frown and a blush appearing on her cheeks as she looks at you in disbelief is a beautiful image that will be etched in your mind forever

she wants to act a little cocky but gets embarrassed quickly 🤕 liz would be standing by the bed trying to muster up enough courage to have the guts to sit on your face without chickening out in the attempt

and she does it! but not really... liz would be hovering over your face, but she notices your gaze towards her from her thighs

“i told you to sit.” and then your hands are positioned on her hips and you push her down, forcing her to sit completely on your face and feel her full weight on you 😳

liz doesn’t know what to do 😭 she is just here, sitting on her girlfriend’s face while her hands clenched into fists rest on her own thighs and whimpering with her gaze wandering around the room 🥺you just have to take your mouth off her pussy for a moment to say “go ahead princess. don’t be shy. do what you want.” so that little by little she gains confidence

and those simple words are what liz needs to finally start riding your face properly! pushing her hips against your face, grinding her pussy against your mouth… ughh it’s so hot when she arches her back and throws her head back, the cutest, sweetest moans coming from her lips as she fucks your mouth and focuses on her pleasure

groping her ass and pushing her further towards your face 😵‍💫 liz desperately begs for more and seems to be taking it very well 🥹 usually she can’t stand edging because she is very sensitive and has a hard time not cumming even if you ask her to, but she seems to be enjoying this so much that she doesn’t seem to remember it

squirting all over your face with a sweet moan that could make you cum in your pants just by hearing it 😵‍💫 liz grabs the headboard of the bed with a grip that helps her hold her body so she doesn’t collapse onto the bed and and drops her head forward as she exhales heavy sighs, but that’s when she remembers that you’re still under her and notices your current state 😭 apologizing because she doesn’t know how much you enjoyed that… but just giving her a couple of kisses to assure her that you’re okay is enough to take away her worries and keep her calm!!

and after that, she kneels between your legs, ready to return the favor because she is a sweet girlfriend who is always a good kitty for you 💕

[foreverephemeral]

Could you tell us more about your rain world slugcat ocs?

Sure! I gave them all some shoddily made title cards, because that's way more fun than just a block of text

As a heads up, (with the obvious exception) I give all of my slugs full names, iterator-style, and usually refer to them as such. Their titles are more of an afterthought

Silver Spun Insolence was the first rain world character I ever made, way back on the 14th April '23, which was when I played the game for the first time! It all went downhill from there. Inno as a character is very heavily based on how I navigated through the world during that first playthrough (and my interpretation of what I thought was happening, as I didn't have much of a grasp on Survivor as their own character and really only saw them as a vessel to play the game through, hence Insolence's creation)

They're the one to blame for the slugcats-with-iterator-names situation, as all I knew of the lore when I played was that there were cool robots with cool names, and I assumed that naming scheme applied to all characters in the universe lol. Even when I realised that wasn't exactly true I thought it was fun and ran with it anyway. The name "Silver Spun Insolence" wasn't actually intended for the slugcat, though, and was originally given to a green lizard I was particularly fond of and wanted to turn into a character! I never did though, but at least their name lives on (it was the one that spawns in HI_C02, if you're curious)

Insolence's gimmick is storage; they can hold up to three spears on their back and are also capable of storing two items in their stomach rather than just one, which they typically use to hold pearls. However, while keeping any items in their stomach their cant store food across hibernations. In-game stats-wise they'd pretty much just be another Surv, except with five required food pips and only two additional.

The general premise of their story is pretty bare-bones; follows an overseer from their colony which leads them to an iterator who takes them in. They're tasked as a messenger to keep three of the local group members in contact (classic slugcat role) and are content doing just that.

Because of the nature of their creation as a character, Inno is sort of like... a sona to me? But also not really? I guess you could call them a mascot of sorts. They're not a self-insert, but they represent my in how I play the game. Whatever they are, they hold a really special place in my heart and are alongside the likes of Polar and SNH as some of my most important and beloved ocs, even if they aren't heavy on the lore

Also, as you probably noticed, I stole UI's fanon nickname for them. Sorry. Mine now

They have a DMS skin, too!

(art by failed-inspection and mossyfella)

I hate this freak.

The Saviour is a part of the Apparition storyline, with Polar and NYR (who are getting their own lore post . ..soon . probably). Despite their striking resemblance to the former, they were created by NYR with the sole purpose of traversing the cold and barren arctic wastelands between him and his neighbours to deliver them a life-saving cure to the ware and damage they'd suffered over the many centuries they'd been abandoned there. And they do that! And it works! Just kind of a little too well. It's a long story...... ..lore post coming soon (<- guy who would never procrastinate anything)

Saviour is in a weird spot of simultaneous forgotten background character level irrelevance and aching painful frustrating bashing my head against a wall responsible for the inciting moment of the story relevance. And I mean that quite literally, NYR (by using Saviour) caused the moment at which Everything That Could Go Wrong, Went Wrong. Sort of. Somebody was already dead by that point but. It can get a lot worse than just that. They also, however, have the unfortunate trait of just being a slugcat and so apart from that they don't do much outside of being a cute pet to the iterators and a menacing force to the local wildlife

I never intended for them to be so similar to Saint in... a lot of ways. Similar name/namesake, brutal and cold residence, furred, complicated relationship with iterators, constantly closed eyes, and The Dreaded Themes. I don't even like Saint that much, but I think the parallels are kind of funny so I kept it like that.

Saviour's title obviously comes from their role in helping to save the iterators of the Apparition group, but title aside they do actually have a canonical name that NYR gave them. It never comes up though, and you're not getting it out of me ^_^

They were designed by @lovelyarps, who I really cannot thank enough (they also designed NYR!)

They Perform Perfunctory Tasks really shouldn't be here, because it isn't really a slugcat. It's more a mess of other creatures mixed together and disguised to imitate a slugcat. It's more closely related to eggbugs. Some iterators really need their biological engineering licenses revoked

Prior to being called The Imitator, Tasks was known as The Mother, due to the purpose it was created for; raising a litter of slugpups made by the same iterator that created it, each hybridised with a different lizard species. Only the white lizard pup survived infancy, and due to the grief of losing all but one of its children it abandoned the pup outside the facility grounds and ran to live alone in the wild

Most of its life (including its time raising the pups) was spent inside its creator's can, under their careful supervision. They weren't exactly pleased at it running away, but they haven't bothered to bring it back and instead opts to have an overseer guard it at all times, as an extra assurance that nothing happens to their precious asset

Tasks' appearance was very heavily inspired by whiskered auklets! Its own "whiskers" are kind of weird. The upper pair and functionally akin to antennae, as the long strands of fur that make up the whiskers serve to cover the actual organs. The lower pair is just decorative

Its appearance overall borders an almost uncanny affect for other slugcats. Their unnaturally massive size and uncomfortably large eyes are the main cause, but they also adopt what would be quite the painful posture for a regular slug and act very unlike what one should, which certainly doesn't help

Tasks and Insolence live within the same local group! They've never met, but they do share a common relative

The other ones! Cool! The guys not quite important enough to warrant their own rants. From left to right:

See as Stars Fall, "The Subject", was Insolence's cousin, though they essentially raised each other and have a sibling-like bond. They were the one to adopt Petal and provide them with their mask. After Inno went missing, Fall went out in an attempt to find them and return to the colony. Instead, they were found by a slightly less considerate iterator than the one who took their cousin in and spent the rest of their life as what was essentially a lab rat, eventually being sent to ascend just to see what would happen.

Countless Petals Waver, "The Chameleon", is the only surviving hybrid pup from the litter assigned to Tasks' care. After they were abandoned by it, they were found by Fall and raised by them as their own, with some help from Insolence. Like white lizards, they can change the colour of their fur to blend in with their surroundings (and similarly lose control with it when hurt), however they can't change camouflage their white markings. They almost always wear a carved yellow vulture mask, for safety

Unnamed..?, "The Host", slugcat if it was Awesome and Had Lizard Frills and Three Eyes and Safely Hosted A Rot Cyst Within It Without Taking Any Harm. Hell Yeah Brother

Sorry this ended up being so long, if you give me any opportunity to ramble about my characters I Will Take It. This isn't actually everything I originally had written, there were a good few paragraphs I ended up cutting for the sake of this not going for forever

If you'd like an extended post with more ramblings or rants or pieces of trivia or if you have any questions you should let me know 😏I Will Take It. Slugs, man. Slug!

[supernova049]

So like, I don't really know what is the general consensus is so maybe this is a common opinion (or maybe just wrong, I haven't seen The Return yet). But my interpretation of the ending of Fire Walk With Me is that the angel is all the love, grief, and compassion the town of twin peaks had for Laura, and how it was completely changed and moved by her death.

This is why the angel shows up in the red room, a world you enter by dreaming, and what are dreams if not memories. The angels may never appear during life, but they will always appear after death.

Laura's reaction is a mixture of many intense emotions. Strong joy, happiness, and relief because she can finally see in full force how much she was truly loved and cared for everybody, but it's also an intense frustration and angst at the fact she can only see it now during death and not when she lived.

In a more literal sense. I think what is happening is that Cooper, now trapped on it, is using the red room with help of it's inhabitants to traverse through time and show Laura how much of an impact she had on the whole town. An attempt to help the girl he knew was going to die but had no way to save her, helping a victim in a meaningful way by showing her she was loved instead of just trying to keep them away from danger which he always fails to do.

[voltaicsnail]

THE POST

This post might get updated in the future.

This post is about my Pokémon related oc’s , and my AUs.

TW : abuse , lgbtphobia , ableism , violence ,SH , death and loss.

MAIN AU

MY OCS

Pedro :

Tags : #oc : pedro CHAOTIC EVIL

Pedro is a 30~ years old trainer who joined Team Plasma at 17 y.o , before the organisation becoming very vocal.

Pedro is born n Dendemille Town , Kalos , from a Kalosian mother and Paldean father , and got to meet his older half-brother of 15 years , Atmet.

Pedro's mother left the household when he was around 10 , due to the violence of his father , and did not come back to take him with her , he grew up with his brother as his parental figure and was finally freed from his father abuse at 12 when Atment left the region illegally with Pedro after saving enough money to move in Unova.

While in Unova , his brother spent half of his time working , and studying to meet their needs , and Pedro quickly felt alone and bored. He knew he wasn't in physical danger no more , but somehow felt an emptiness in his heart that couldn't be filled by anything but violence , toward himself or the other.

Despite all the effort of Atmet to find time to be emotionally avalaible , it didn't worked out and Pedro fell into the promises of Team Plasma.

Here , he would have a roof without the fear of not having to eat for the next 24 hour and he wouldn't feel like a burden. Even more , he would have a purpose , and a good one at that.

He tried to make Atmet follow him , so they could still be together , but his older brother knew it was fishy and tried to force him to get away , but it only made Pedro wanting to leave even more.

At first he enjoyed seeing Atmet struggling to get him back and felt like he was finally valuable , but he slowly started to fell for the brainwashing and to think that his brother was wrong to not fight from the same ideas and basically cut all contact when he was 17.

He was quickly seen as one of the most troublesome grunt in the Team , but somehow managed to be efficient enough not to be kicked out or broken further more.

His pokemon team for the first years only consisted in one singular Joltik that his brother caught for him to keep him company when they moved in Unova. He managed to train him to be a valuable asset for the team , despite his unevolved form.

When years laters , Plasma was getting more and more on the front of the news , Atmet tried to reach out again , only to get his letters back , and to get ignored.

Pedro grew pretty close to Ghetsis , despite not talking to him much during the first years as he was just a simple grunt , he was asked to follow the sages around , and mostly bonded with Zinzolin as a result since they were both from Kalos.

At the fall of Team Plasma , Pedro was already giving his life to Ghetsis and refused to follow Rood.

His goal wasn't liberating pokemon anymore , but just to stay wherever Ghetsis needed him to be , and to do whatever he wanted him to do. And what Ghetsis asked him to do was to spy on the Team Flare. He somehow knew something big might happen but couldn't know what exactly , and Pedro was the perfect person to infiltrate a ginger kalosian group. Pedro stayed for a few month before being kicked out for simping over Ghetsis in front of Lysandre.

During the events of BW2 , he grew very fond of Zinzolin , they finally got together , making Ghetsis pretty happy to not be stalked by a weird ginger kalosian man any time he was out of his office.

When Ghetsis lost his final battle against Nate and left , Pedro felt like his whole world collapsed. Despite Zinzolin trying to get his head out of the water , Pedro couldn't think about anything else than finding Ghetsis again.

He left , travelling across regions , with Zinzolin to find his former Lord , despite all the effort of his partner to stop him.

Facts:

-He can't swim

-He likes to trauma-dump on people just to make them uneasy

-He likes knitting

-He is auDHD and his special interest is moss

-He can't sleep alone and really misses the grunt dorms now that Team Plasma is gone

-He likes to do trendy dances around Ghetsis to piss him off , and forced Ghetsis to learn the apple dance. (Ghetsis accepted after weeks of Pedro whining)

-He has a notebook where he reports all his injuries , and another one where he reports all the weirdest thing he ate

-He make up new stories about how he lost his eyelid everytime someone ask.

-He misses croissant break in Team Flare so bad.

-He calls Ghetsis "Ghetsis le beau gosse" and told him it was a title of nobility in Kalossian. Zinzolin is dying from the inside everytime Ghetsis looks happy to hear his nickname.

Relations :

Natural : While I think N is too kind to feel hatred , Pedro isn't. He hates N solely because Ghetsis does too. N however doesn't really know Pedro as he wasn't one of the grunt asked to follow him around during his mission as the King of Plasma.

Anthea : Anthea does not like Pedro , as she saw him multiple time praising Ghetsis behavior despite his cruelty. She believes in people being able to change , but struggles to think Pedro or any Neo-plasma member can be good one day.

Concordia : She would fist fight Pedro and win at any moment. She hates him because she feels like she has to protect her sister and her brother and that if they don't hate neo-plasma grunt , then she have to hate them even harder to make up for it.

Shadow Triad : As @williceunleashed once said : they are basically seen as furniture in Team plasma , so Pedro didn't get really close to them , but he do like their loyalty to Ghetsis and that's about it.

Zinzolin : They are in love , and their relation is a love-"hate" one. They jokingly bully and tease each other all the time , and they are both toxic so they are meant to be together. Zinzolin is a bit more romantic and concerned about Pedro mental health than the opposite , however Pedro could beat up someone if they dared to harm Zinzolin.

Atmet : Pedro feels very conflicted , part of him is hating him . Hating him because he didn't join Plasma when Pedro asked , and hating him because he tried to "save him from the cult" even years after. But at the same time , another part of him misses his brother and wishes to be reunited , however his ego and his pride are huge and he cannot even think about apologizing yet.

Braxton : They were once friends in the grunt dorm , but slowly Pedro noticed that Braxton actually believed more in the cause than in Ghetsis and when Team Plasma broke in two , Pedro lost all appreciation for his former friend.

Ramzi : Beside Zinzolin and Ghetsis , Ramzi would be Pedro's favorite person. Pedro was actually sad to leave Team flare just because it meant leaving Ramzi behind. They haven't talked or written to each other since Pedro got back into Team Neo-Plasma.

Colress : Pedro hates him solely on the basis that Colress betrayed Ghetsis , and Colress dislikes Pedro for his character and his behavior against his brother.

Ghetsis : Pedro loves Ghetsis , and everyone knows that. He would do anything to just be seen as the best grunt he ever had. They actually are what could be considered friends , but the power imbalance is way too important for them to be "normal friends". Ghetsis actually used Pedro's blind loyalty against him multiple time.

Atmet :

Tags : #oc : atmet CHAOTIC NEUTRAL

Atmet is 45~years old scientist.

He was born in Medali , Paldea , and grew up here for 15 years before leaving with his father to Kalos .

He met his stepmother here and wasn't yet able to communicate with her. He slowly had to learn Kalosian when Pedro was born because his stepmother talked to him solely in Kalosian and his father barely bothered teaching him words.

He was quickly parentified and had to take care of his brother , even more so when his stepmother left when he was 25.

Since his 18 years old , Atmet started to work , to save up money. He almost was kicked out of the house when his father learned about his transidentity , but managed to stay by being the one bringing the money home.

He endured for almost a decade until he had enough saving to leave for Unova , taking his younger brother with him.

He choose Unova not only because of the distance , but because he always wanted to study here , and that he was interested in some pokemon found here. He quickly started working to put food on their plates.

He struggled balancing work , classes and being emotionally available enough for his brother. He brushed off some of the signs that Pedro wasn't doing well and was going to leave , and one day was surprised by Pedro gathering what he could to leave for Team Plasma.

Atmet tried to change his mind , but Pedro was almost an adult , and Atmet was not legally his parent or his caretaker and therefore couldn't ask for help from the justice without exposing himself.

(Despite Pedro agreeing , what Atmet did would be deemed as kidnapping by the justice . Even if it was to save him from violent parental abuse)

Atmet had to leave Unova to avoid jail time after being almost caught for fraud , data theft , stealing documents...

Atmet started his long period of travelling regions to regions , to try to finance his research , to find something that mattered.

He even joigned Team Magma , with the goal of getting his project financed by Maxie , by trying to get him on his side. Maxie didn't appreciated being used and told him to fuck off basically.

He was in Kalos when he heard about Plasma on the news for the first time (BW1 events ) , and he tried to reach out again to Pedro , now that he could finally do it , only to be rejected.

It destroyed him utterly but he kept trying , even hoping that the downfall of Team Plasma would bring back Pedro to reality , only for him to join Neo-Plasma right away.

Atmet tried again to get him back , but Pedro tried to order his Joltik to kill him , sealing the fact that they will never be brothers ever again.

Atmet ultimately left , defeated , and only heard about team plasma again after moving to Alola.

There , he met Colress , and they grew fond of each other , sharing interest.

One of the first pokemon he caught on Alola was a Minior , that ultimately died from being exposed to the world. Struck by grief , Atmet decided that he would create something capable to keep Minior alive, even out of the pokeball.

He bought transparent poke balls , and luxury balls to study their functionement , only to be able to mix them together so he could keep his Minior in a safe space until he found a way to keep them alive freely.

He also associated himself with the Aether Fundation , and like Wicke , wasn't aware of Lusamine plan.

Facts :

-When he is in Kalos , he always makes a little detour to Mt Moon so his clefairy can vibe.

-He choose his name by contracting Atmosphere and Meteor and that's dramatic.

-He ugly cries very easily

-He hates honey more than anything

-Everyone knows he is autistic but him.

-He stills buys alolan magnet in tourist shop despite living here for years

-He really wants to go into an Ultra Wormhole

-He caught a Gothita to study its whole evolutionary line and was flabbergasted to see how bad the legs of Gothitelle looked.

-His glasses are often used as a way to watch the sky , and the stars while being on the beach without getting his eyes assaulted by sand.

-He likes to mock Faba about him being retrograded to an intern by showing him his pass.

-Someone once compared his glasses to Faba's and he got so mad he broke a piece of his teeth by clenching his jaws.

Relations :

Ghetsis : One sided hatred since Ghetsis doesn't know Atmet.

Faba : It's just a basic love-hate relationship , they tend to tease each other and to be mad at each other a lot but somehow still appreciate the other.

Colress : They love to infodump on each other all the time and a serial yappers. They care for each other alot , despite their unconventional morals . They both are chaotic neutral at the end of the day. Colress once gave a shiny Minior to Atmet as a birthday gift , Atmet cried so much he forgot to breath.

Molayne : They don't see each other every day , but Atmet often spends week at the Hokulani Observatory and they like to just discuss about new discoveries or about their thoughts.

Maxie : Maxie is still mad at Atmet , Atmet still feels guilty to have used him for money.

Pedro : Atmet loves his brother , and he misses him a lot , and often thinks about it and still sends him letters without knowing if he get them or not. But at the same time , since the day Pedro ordered Joltik to electroctue him , Atmet is afraid , he fears that his brother might actually want him dead

Sophocles : Atmet finds Sophocles adorable and somehow he reminds him of his brother. He likes to spend time with Sophocles too when he visits Molayne and to show him his sky pictures.

Lusamine : Atmet somehow despises her , after learning what she did to her kids , but haven't told her. They only see each other at random time in the Aether Foundation and Atmet would much rather be able to go the lab than to stir up drama with someone capable to do what Lusamine did.

Wicke : She is a nice person and Atmet appreciate talking to her. She reminds him of the smell of orange juice and buttered bread somehow and he appreciates that.

Braxton :

Tags : #oc : braxton LAWFUL GOOD

Braxton is a 30~ year old worker. He was born in Motostoke , Galar and left to Unova when he was around 18.

He has little contact with his family , out of shame of leaving without listening to their warning and falling for a cult. At the end of the day , it's not his fault but his brain can't comprehend that.

He joined Team Plasma at 20 after falling from terrible height seeing that life wouldn't be as good as he imagined when he left for Unova , he wasn't able to keep a job , to get anything he wanted done and just felt like leaving a new life as his new self was a failure.

After finding a goal in Team plasma , he thought his life would have a meaning , only for his goal to shatter at the end of the BW1 events.

He stayed some time in the safehouse in driftveil city , eaten up by guilt. He was afraid to hurt someone again , to a bad choice , to be mistaken again.

He only got a job in Clay's mine to be able to eat and have a place to live by himself as the safehouse reminded him too much of the failure that was Team Plasma. Rood understood and let him go.

After some month of working , he realized that it wasn't even enough to take his mind off of what happened , that's when Clay told him he needed therapy , like yesterday.

Braxton followed through , and was slowly getting better , despite knowing he will never be back to his old self.

Clay told him to take a year off , to do some gyms , to travel a bit before going back to work and it helped him greatly. It was in this period that he saw in Clay more than his boss , but started to see him as a friend.

That's also when he realized that Clay slowly , subtly helped him getting a social circle by giving him weird "work " mission to do , such as bringing worthless rock to be estimated by Lenora , bringing supplies to Burgh , getting a training session with Brycen so Braxton could help in the Gym...

While he still struggled with guilt , fear and intrusives thought , Braxton managed to find the stability he hoped for.

He spent a lot of time hanging around the gym and got very close to some of them.

Facts :

-His favorite pokemon ever is snom. He wanted to have one but feels guilty about bringing non-native pokemon in Unova. Clay however did not and gifted him one

-He has OCD , his themes being mostly harm OCD and moral/scrupulosity OCD

-He feels so overly guilty about having hurt people in the past by stealing their pokemons.

-He rarely battles

-Despite helping Rood from time to time, he refuses to get to close , fearing that he might be lying like Ghetsis

-He always says Galarian Gym have a better public than Unovian but really love the concept of themed Gym

-He evolved his liepard by letting him train by itself, since he avoids battle when he can. He prefers to cuddle it.

-He is deeply afraid of snake-like Pokémon because he was bitten by a Silicobra.

-He likes to exercise a lot.

-He does dye his hair but no one know which of the two color is the natural one.

-He eats snow

-He tried many instruments in his life , but was never good at music

-He is REALLY good at cooking

Relations :

Ghetsis : It's pretty much nightmare fuel for Braxton and he tries to erase Ghetsis from his life to no avail , it felt like this period his burned on his back.

Natural : He is a bit afraid of the King of Team Plasma , but he hopes that N is doing well and that he is healing and thriving.

Brycen : On the advices of Clay and Alder , Braxton took some battle lessons from Brycen to help himself understand his pokémon better and to be a more fitting trainer for his newly acquired snom. He admires Brycan a lot , and Brycen finds him kind.

Lenora : They both like each other , but Braxton is still a bit too shy to ask her verbally if they could be considered friend , as he fears it might look childish.

Clay : They are very close , and while they only started as boss and employee , they have now a deep connection.

Looker : Looker appreciate Braxton honesty while they were trying to find the hidden sage , but Braxton feels neutral about Looker , because he does think it is a bit too late to catch them as the harm is already done. But he is still glad Looker took time to listening to him , he just struggle to give his trust easily.

Pedro : A former friend , that now terrifies him. He wishes to never see him again because he can't comprehend how someone could become like that , and how someone could still follow Ghetsis after all that. It's terrifying to him because he is a afraid he could have done the same as Pedro .

Alder : He finds him supportive and nice and Alder is pretty much very chill.

Burgh (I headcanon him as 27 btw , not as the beta age ) : They met up during Braxton year-off. He tried to take on the gym only to fail , but Burgh was still nice to him after that and they talked , and Braxton somehow felt like he really wanted this specific badge and got back to the gym multiple time.

Zinzolin : Braxton is terrified of a man that would follow another man like Ghetsis just to see " what happens if he wins". Zinzolin dislikes a traitor.

Rood : While Braxton likes Rood , he can't help but fearing getting to close. He feels guilty about it but "what if Rood is lying too?" is a thought that keep spinning in his mind.

Ramzi :

Tags : #oc : ramzi TRUE NEUTRAL

Ramzi is a 32~years old Team Flare member . He was born iniKiloude City , Kalos , but moved in Lumiose when he was very young with his family.

He comes from a relatively wealthy background and pretty much had anything material set up for him as he grew up , but he lacked genuine connection with his family and always felt like the black sheep and wasn't good at school either.

Growing up , he started to disagree more and more with his family values and how they were looking at the middle class and worker class with disdain. It was only natural for him when he heard about Lysandre , a philanthropist rich guy , to agree with him in every way.

He heard around the Lysandre Cafe about Team Flare , part of their goal and who was the one to direct it. He quickly decided to join , stealing part of his parents money to buy his admission in the group.

By doing so , he burnt any link he had left with his family.

After quite some time hanging around Lysandre and the scientist , Ramzi grew close to his boss , and the feeling was mutual.

He also realized something as the month got by , that Lysandre was loosing his mind slowly but surely and that he had to something to avoid his partner irrational thoughts to become a reality.

When Serena and Pia managed to infiltrate the HQ and to battle Xerosic , Ramzi was absolutely flabbergasted to hear that the scientist disobeyed Lysandre and opened the Weapon anyway.

He felt like something snapped in his partner and had to fight him to stop him from doing something irreparable.

After what felt like hours , Lysandre reluctently agreed to be arrested , so did Ramzi.

Lysandre was likely judged criminally insane and had to go through therapy and probably for life.

Month goes by , and Ramzi and Lysandre heard about Xerosic messing up stuff , and they met Looker and Emma , willing to help to aleviate their own guilt.

The whole ordeal took a toll on their mental health , especially Lysandre that tried so hard to rewire his brain into thinking humans were ultimately worth of being helped.

They saw Xerosic taking advantage of a young girl with barely any knowledge about life outside the street , they saw the father figure of this same girl leaving once his work was done and they both almost felt like Team Flare was right all along and that human were rotten to the core.

They both agreed to take care of Emma , worried she might grew up to hate humans too.

Two years later , they reformed Team Flare , with other members and another respectable goal : Helping what they swore to destroy years priors.

Facts :

-Ramzi loves red and orange , and only choose his pokemon based on that.

-He is a big fan of drag shows and loves to see creative people.

-His favorite berries are Roseli Berries.

-Despite not having lived in the south of Kalos for too long , he still passionately defend the word "Chocolatine" over "Pain au Chocolat" and it's a source of funny arguments between him and Lysandre

-His natural hair color is a mystery and he hates taking off his glasses.

Relations :

Bryony : While Bryony do not care about Ramzi , Ramzi appreciate her style and her work ethics. He wished her and Celosia would just kiss already.

Aliana : Aliana dislikes his proximity to Lysandre and Ramzi just doesn't mind her that much

Sycamore : While Sycamore likes Ramzi for getting Lysandre back to his "former self" or at least close to it , Ramzi feels a bit uneasy around him , first of all because Sycamore is clearly simping of HIS partner , and also because he wonders how could Sycamore could have just let Lysandre get this far if he had known him for so long.

Malva : Malva genuinely appreciate the effort of Ramzi into helping Team Flare and Lysandre , and his effort to make the name not a shameful thing only. Ramzi likes her loyalty to Lysandre , but also is scared of her because she would probably kill someone if she wanted to.

Lysandre : While their relationship was complicated , they both need each other to thrive and to grow , but they almost become co dependant. Ramzi is often worried about Lysandre , and tend to follow him everywhere. Lysandre doesn't mind it as he fears being alone with his thoughts ever again. They both need therapy.

Pia : Ramzi is a big fan of Pia's art , and he thinks she is so cool and interesting despite her trying to kick his ass in the Flare HQ. Pia thinks Ramzi is dumb , lame , and that his hair looks stupid.

Pedro : Pedro was a flare grunt for a short time , but they both grew close. While Pedro still cherish his friendship with all his heart , Ramzi doesn't feel great calling him a friend as he heard about the news about Plasma wrongdoing. However he can't help having some affection left from his time with Team Flare. He doesn't want to reconnect with Pedro to avoid messing up his memories , and Pedro is only focused on Ghetsis at the end of BW2.

Emma : That's his daughter and if someone dares to hurt her then someone must DIE. Emma sees him more as a older brother than a father.

Looker : While Looker appreciate the honesty of Ramzi and his will to take care of Emma , Ramzi berates him for leaving.

Xerosic : Ramzi once loved Xerosic , found him funny and interesting , but now he only despises and fears him. He is very glad that he got arrested but he can't even comprehend how could someone do what Xerosic as done.

Celosia : Celosia is hard working and also she got some sass and Ramzi really find her cool. They spent time together in the HQ , trying to see who was lame or not in the team. (spoiler : they both were)

Mable : She hates the fact that Ramzi might get more praised than her , and she got some ego. Ramzi finds her immature but not enough to care.

(I use the scientists from the manga and the game for the girlies because we literally barely have any content for them in the game and it's so annoying :( )

Pia :

Tags : # oc : pia CHAOTIC GOOD

Pia is a 23 y.o artist , born in Cyllage City , Kalos.

She grew up with a family that was pretty much overwhelmed with her needs as a disabled kid. She had a tendency to run away a lot and that's how she met her Spritzee when she was 12. It helped her out of meltdown and her parents agreed to keep it , despite it refusing to get inside a pokeball.

She only used unown-writing as a communication tool as a child , forcing her parents to learn it , but it helped greatly with creating bond and made their familial dynamic better. When she was 10 , her aunt decided to take her to Ruins of Alph for their vacations in Johto and that's how Pia decided her aunt was the greatest person in the world.

She grew up watching art show , reading , performing and spending her summers at her wine aunt place in Lumiose city. When she was 20 , she moved in with her aunt , and started an apprenticeship to be a furfrou groomer. It didn't worked out well but she adopted a furfrou near this time and she loves him dearly.

She decided to take on the league challenge , and met all kind of people , but also helped greatly in taking down the Team Flare , making her even more famous. She already got some fame from being a well appreciated performer , but now it was pretty much through the roof.

She even grew closer to the journalist that was following her around from time to time.

Facts :

-The letters she chose for her Unowns have a signification

-She groom her furfrou now and then , but always try to invent new haircuts.

-She got into fist fight multiple time. She is pretty good until she get touched. (she has 0 defense)

-She refuse to elaborate on her haircut.

-She has advanced knowledge on unowns and thinks they are neat.

-She can't wear nail polish or she'll cry and roll on the floor screaming in horror.

-Her favorite place to visite outside of Kalos is Johto , that's also where her grandmother lives.

-Her aunt is a wine aunt and Pia aspire to be like her when she reaches her fortys.

-She caught all the unown form and is searching for shinies when she travels.

-She only use honor ball just because they are cool looking.

-She is pretty savage.

-She is often scared that Spritzee might leave some day , but she can't catch it since it refuses to get inside the pokeball. Pia thinks the pokemon probably got a bad memory about getting caught.

-She thinks Team flare's outfit are a crime against humanity.

-Fluvetin is Spritzee in french , and she added a possible "e" when they were feeling like it.

-She got a lot of Pokemon themed objects and fidget toys , and she is always chewing on gums.

-She thinks Tulip makes the best makeup in the world.

-She is non-verbal and her main unown are "ftg" which is " stfu" in french basically.

Relations :

Siebold : She likes him and she likes him specifically for the huge buffet he prepared when they won against Team Flare.

Drasna : She never saw a grandma slaying so hard and Pia wishes to look like her. Drasna is adorable and like anyone that is slightly nice.

Xerosic : Pia thinks he should die. Xerosic thinks Pia is an obstacle in his life.

Diantha : While Pia feels intimated by how pretty , intelligent , nice and perfect Diantha is , they are still very close and Pia is glad to have fought against her in the league , despite loosing. They even teamed up to take down Team Flare and Pia will never forget that.

Viola : They love each other , and Viola is basically her best friend and her step-sister. They just love to talk about their special interest for hour while Alexa is standing there , waiting.

Alexa : Alexa loves Pia , Pia loves Alexa , and they both are meant for each other. They both help each other , and take care of each other. Alexa loves to teach Pia stuff about journalism , and talk about what she learned , and Pia loves to show her unown images.

Lysandre : Lysandre is thankfull that Pia stopped him before it was too late and fought against his ideas. Pia thinks he still should be in jail and she is terrified he might do something like that again.

Serena : Pia considers her like a heroic baby and she is VERY proud of her for joining the fight against Team flare. Serena doesn't have the same amount of affection for Pia as she rarely sees her , but she admires her.

Malva : Malva hates Pia with all her might because she didn't tried to save Lysandre , but tried to take him down. Pia never interacted much with Malva but she clearly isn't fond of her.

Ramzi : Ramzi is a big fan of Pia's art and he thinks she is cool. Pia thinks he is a stupid idiot that owns only one brain cell and that it's not even a working one.

Wikstorm : That's Pia's babygirl. Pia loves him very much and dearly , they are best friends at this point. Pia loves to hear him yap about history and she thinks his haircut is outrageous but wouldn't tell him because she couldn't handle him looking even slightly sad.

Ships :

CrepusculeShipping : Lysandre x Ramzi

OrangeSorbetShipping : Zinzolin x Pedro

Redcarpetshipping : Alexa x Pia

NONAME : Burgh x Braxton

(no art yet)

______________________________________________________________

Important event change  in the AU:

Ending of Team Flare :

While all the events about Team Flare where the same as in the game , the ending is different.

In my headcanon , Lysandre is not evil by definition as he doesn't mean to hurt for the pleasure of hurting or to gain something for himself only. In my opinion , he suffers from a violent mental crisis and is ill.

Unlike Cyrus who has a similar goal , Lysandre is REALLY persuaded that it's for the greater good and is willing to die to achieve it , while Cyrus knows he is manipulating his team and just want the world to himself as *he* wants it to be.

While both are clearly suffering , I would say Cyrus is fully conscious about what he is going to do and almost see it as a revenge against a world that hurted him.

Lysandre however does not seem conscious about how irrational he is and how HE is the impending doom he is so scared off.

-he is willing to die for his ideas-

Lysandre makes me think of those people killing because they hallucinated something or someone telling them to do it to save the world , which is something that put someone in the case "criminally insane" as their ultimate goal was not the murder but to avoid a tragedy that their mind made up itself , and I totally think Lysandre would be classified as criminally insane too.

You see him during the game getting more and more delusional and even scared and distressed about what he is about to do. He even gives you the option to not fire the weapon to avoid having the doom fall of the world on his shoulders , only to be betrayed by Xerosic.

And what happens when Xerosic betrays him ? His mind snap , he has to do it he can't go back it's a sign he HAS to do it. He even is willing to kill himself to save a world he GENUINELY thinks is in danger. You can see how in the span of hours he just became a mess , and all his ideas collapses and merge and even him doesn't understand what he is doing.

He genuinely believes that this is the only solution , the ultimate good choice to save the world from the doom his mind made up.

And that is the only way I can even imagine the writing of Pokemon XY being somewhat "logical".

Onto my AU :

Ramzi realizes that Lysandre isn't going well ,that something in his brain is ultimately going wrong and he doesn't care about the cause or the "why" , all he cares about is saving Lysandre from himself and saving the world at the same time.

He knows that Lysandre is probably as terrified as he is , and alongs Pia , Serena and Diantha , they manages to stop his team and Lysandre himself altogether.

Team Flare is ultimately broken up when Lysandre agrees to follow Looker , and Ramzi never leaves his side.

Lysandre is judged to be criminally insane , and is obligated to be in therapy and to be evaluated every now and then to avoid him getting that delusional and irrational and out of reality again.

Ramzi actually stood by his side and assured that he could heal properly and get back to a more stable state than the one he was in when he decided to save the world from impending doom by BEING the impending doom itself.

Ramzi didn't wanted to break Team Flare down suddenly but asked Lysandre if he could take the lead for a moment to try to undo all the wrongs they had done. Lysandre accepts , and make Ramzi the new leader of Team Flare.

They both still suffer from huge amount of guilt about the past actions of Team Flare and Lysandre often is scared of letting himself get that intense and irrational about something

Xerosic on the other hand is taken responsible for activating the weapon and feeding Lysandre delusion to achieve his own morbid goals. He is quickly arrested after the Emma's events.

Ultimately , Lysandre and Ramziu slowly get back into society , Lysandre looses owner ship over his cafe , the holo cast and pretty much any sponsors he had and fell into some depressive state.

Ramzi tries his best to get him to feel better , and thinks it's a good thing for Lysandre to not have that much responsibility over anyone.

Obviously it is not a perfect good ending , Lysandre is still despised by most people , Ramzi too by definition.

ULTIMATE HARMONIA AU

After acknowledging the real intentions of his former-father Ghetsis , N was thrown out of the castle while Ghetsis would try to groom another person to find the remaining stone for him to use.

N , lost , with barely any time to process what just happened to him , his ideal , stumbled upon a man who swore with passion to get rid of the filth in the present world.

Seeking what he always knew was the truth , he decided to learn more about Lysandre , his stance about humans , and Pokémon alike.

Sure enough , since the timeline in BW2 is similar to the one in X/Y , Lysandre obviously heard about Team Plasma , probably even believed in their cause in the beginning : at the end of the day , he does hate the idea of Pokemon remaining mere tools for humans to use as they wish.

He heard about the downfall , about how Ghetsis lied to everyone before vanishing , letting all his puppets behind and also his son.

He despised the man , but actually praised his ideas.

When N and Lysandre finally interacted , when Lysandre understood where N was coming from , it was only logical for them to unite and share their mutual thoughts.

""I'm sure you understand that Pokémon are not tools for humans to fight each other with."

"And that people who do think that Pokémon are tools are beyond saving, no matter how hard you try." (Lysandre in game (master ex ) quotes)

N wouldn't accept Lysandre ideas of removing Pokemon from the world and letting only a few humans alive to avoid the Pokemon abuse , and wouldn't take much for him to make Lysandre change his mind as well :

N is saying the truth : the only problem is the story are the trainers , not the Pokémon.

They would become allies , joining their ideals , and get lost former-Plasma grunt on their side.

The Ultimate Weapon would be used , but they would have to find a way to make it work as they wanted it too : to eradicate only the very thing that threaten both of their ideals : Humans.

______________________________________________________________

Pokemon party lore here !