#haha. red string of fate :)

[solplease]

forever bound.

[iknowwhereyousnoozeatnight]

lawlight week day 2: soulmates

[savsloths]

day 1: soulmate/first meet

red string of fate

@olnfweek2024

very short drabble below!

The two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of place, time, or circumstances. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break.

Gwendolyn never cared much about the string that ties you to your soulmate, she didn't understand the purpose it held or even the real meaning of a soulmate. Her mama didn't have one, and she was happy that way. Gwendolyn was happy too, her and her mama didn't need anyone else.

She noticed on the drive to their new home that her string getting darker and darker. It worried her, she should be excited but doubt crept into her mind. So much is changing, and she has to deal with that on top of it all.

Gwen didn't tell her mama about her string, she didn't need to hear the detailed explanation for it. Mama already had so much to deal with...

When she found the paper airplane, it served her a good distraction. It had her name on it! It was a mystery made for her to solve!

Gwendolyn didn't even register that she was following the slight tugging of her string until she was at the base of a structure. She stared up at it in wonder and saw quick movement as a figure stood on the fort and looked down at her.

When their eyes met, she finally understood it. A wave of ease washed over her, a warm feeling filled her chest. There was immediate comfort in the air between them. And she knew everything was going to be okay.

[gymjunkie412]

📖One Shots By Moeruhoshi📖

Moeruhoshi has some of the best Nalu fanfics I have ever read. I enjoyed reading them and would reread them if I needed some time to kill. I enjoyed creating this piece, even though I had trouble thinking the poses, haha. This sketch was probably back in May 2024.

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Red String of Fate: Through a missapplied spell, Natsu gains the ability to see his red string and can't help but know who lies at the other end.

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Dragon Blood: Their blood was so unbelievably rare. Who would ever be lucky enough to get their hands on it?You'd only ever see a dragon if you were stupid. Everyone avoided them like the plague. It was a death sentence to even think about getting anywhere near them. And of course , she just happened to know where one lived.

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A Dragon's First Crush: Natsu meets a girl by chains that he just can't stop thinking about.

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Author: @moeruhoshi

Source: ff.net, ao3 and tumblr

.

No text version

(Ps. I love your work very much!)

[ravenwilds]

Merthur Soulmate Fic Recs

For my @merlinbingo square I3, soulmarks

Strangled by the Red String of Fate by @idlestories

Explicit; 9,971 words; posted 2020; canon era

Idlestories writes the best banter between these two idiots and that's absolutely the case here! If you like this you should also read Nicest Thing, which might be my favourite ever Merlin fic (not soulmates).

“It has its roots in a legend from the east, sire. I believe it’s called the red string of fate.” “Fate?” Arthur said incredulously. “What, is he going to be the one to kill me?” “Getting more likely by the minute,” Merlin supplied.  ...

The Rebel, the Prat and the Unfortunate Soulbound by Leandra @nuttersinc

Teen; 10,310 words; 2022; canon era

I loved betaing this fic. It is pretty darn hot for a teen rated fic, and very funny. Rebellious, sassy Merlin and pining Arthur <3 - another reluctant soulmates one.

When Arthur tries to prevent the escape of prisoners in the dungeons, he's pulled into a tussle with a mouthy, unapologetic and irritating magic user. Turns out the dark-haired stranger with the criminal streak and terribly kissable mouth is Arthur's reluctant soulmate...

Bare Your Soul by Polomonkey

Teen; 4,256 words; 2021; modern era

Delightful, funny and completely in character case of reluctant-soulmates, mixed with a classic bit of they-didn’t-realise-they-were-dating. Two sides of the same idiot. Loved Kilgharrah in this too.

An accidental soulbonding leads Merlin and Arthur into counselling to get it dissolved.  If, of course, that's what they really want...

Let it be you by Amithia

Explicit; 33,323 words; 2021; modern era

This is funny, and hot, and has a great cast of characters, besides the main pair. All the phone messages are brilliant. And it's a coffee shop au. Reluctant soulmates with great banter.

This is all Gwen's fault. Merlin never wanted a stupid smartphone in the first place. Now, he has a smartphone and a supercilious, posh git bullying him on Whatsapp. He really should block the prat.

True Love by platonic_boner

Teen; 6,927 words; 2016; canon era

Recommended to me by my friend Seth and I loved it. Such a great concept and leading to delicious mix of mutual pining, light angst and funny misunderstandings.

AU where soulmates can’t lie to each other. (That’s okay, Merlin wasn’t planning to lie to Arthur anyways! Haha.. ha.. ha…)

And finally...

Honourable mention to Gamut by Nahara - great world-building in a contemporary/future country at war au. It's hot - there's quite an age difference so mind the tags if that's not your thing.

Also for something seasonal, Seth recommended Santa ain't got nothing on tone-deaf carollers by headfirstforwaywardhalos, which is also funny and I loved the concept for the soulmarks, which behave like mood rings.

[ghcstao3]

Hello! Anon who was just asking how the blog worked here, arriving with the first, (of probably many I’m not even going to kid myself here,) cod hc! Not so anon anymore haha!

Okay. Soooooo…..

Soap having a soulmate string for ghost.

Ghost not being able to see that string yet for some reason or another. (Hasn't realized feelings yet, just can't see them, something on his end has to happen first. Whatever the AU dictates)

For years soap has been notoriously awful at finding exfil without being explained the directions like 3 times.

But now that ghost and he are on a team? Soaps just starts using the string to get to exfil.

He doesn't tell anyone why his sudden and

significant improvement to finding the RV, but

Price sure is wondering.

Also the fact that this new found ability seems to

"randomly" completely disappear sometimes (on missions without ghost) I bet the first few times the Sargent regressed to his old ways Price nearly threw a fit.

Sillies ensue.

:D !!

this is such a cute idea

-

It’s not Soap’s fault he’s always had a poor sense of direction. Really, it’s not.

He’s done many things to try and offset the problem of finding exfil—notes landmarks and anything else that stands out, writes down directions when he has time, sketches locations when he has even more—but nothing ever seems to work. It’s just an issue so ingrained in him it’s nearly tragic.

Truly, it’s just a damn good thing he excels in every other area of his work. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t still be here, he’s certain.

But then Ghost appears.

He shows up with that stupid invisible red string trailing after him, surely looped around his ring finger as it is around Soap's, tying them together. Connecting their souls.

And he seems so intent on never bringing it up to Soap. He never even shows the slightest hint of acknowledgement.

But while Soap grapples with whatever that could possibly mean for him—mean for them—he finds a plus side to this string of fate.

No matter where they are for work, that red string always leads Soap back to Ghost. All the while, it just so happens that Ghost has a fantastic sense of direction. So even if the whole soulmates aspect doesn't quite work out, Soap finally has his solution.

...When he and Ghost work the same job, of course. Otherwise...

"Sergeant, get your arse moving! Where the hell are you?"

Soap winces at the Captain's voice in his ear. Deployed elsewhere for the first time since he and Soap had begun working together, Ghost is not currently present to offer Soap his usual invisible guidance. Which unfortunately means for Soap a berating from Price for making a very, very late exit.

"What happened back there?" Price will ask, even as they all make it home safe. "You're usually good at finding your way out," he'll say, and Soap will cringe at his words.

Because he's not, never has been. He just so happens to work with the man tied to the other end of his string, is all, really. But he can't just say that, can he?

"Sorry, sir," Soap will mumble out his apology. "Won't happen again, sir."

It will. It does.

Price is upset again the second time. He's just exasperated the third time and afterwards.

Then Soap is only assigned to missions alongside Ghost. Every so often, one without him, and suddenly Soap is essentially glued to Ghost's side day and night.

Price must have figured out the pattern, then.

Soap just hopes Ghost might figure it out soon, too.

[shehungthemoon]

Hands over my mouth. I cannot believe it. I saw all the posts and theories and laughed "haha red string of fate that would be wild so silly" and now I am in actual shock. What do you MEAN. I do not know what to feel. Someone tell me how to feel.

[ariasdistress]

sweet girls love sweet coffee.

pairing: bimbo!fem reader x stalker!tyler

warnings: heavy nsfw, stalking, dubcon, all around mature themes

word count: 841

© to ariasdistress. no translations/reposts

୨ part 1 ୧

you were new to town yet the weathervane seemed familiar. surrounded by an all encompassing feeling of comfort - maybe it was the aroma of coffee in the air or the knowledge that the cafe resided in a tiny town on the outskirts of jericho. in your mind, it was nothing short of intimate.

but little did you know, while you were admiring the scene outside, the tall male behind the counter was admiring you.

for tyler, a light crush quickly turned darker.. his world tilted on it's axis when you floated in. midday, mindless and dazed. your head was buried in a copy of metamorphosis with dark locks framing your face, heels clicking together as you wandered over to the counter.

you scrunched your eyebrows together before turning the page. tyler smiled to himself as he found your expression adorable - ‘bookworm barbie’ the thought amused him, only to look up and find you squinting at the menu.

almond shaped eyes scanned the variety of drinks above tyler’s head through wispy lashes. your plump lips looked bitten and rosy while you lifted your dark cherry red nails to play with the soft curled hair framing your face perfectly. the male in front of you was more than mesmerised.

“our drink of the day is a peach green tea lemonade” tyler flashed a smile, unconsciously intent to hear your voice.

“huh? oh.. um i forgot my glasses haha..”, you sounded apologetic almost. your voice raspy and laced with femininity.

his eyes creeped down a little. he knew you weren’t here to be ogled but that lacy black bra - peeking under that low cut daisy dress of yours was making it hard for him.

examining your body lower, lewd thoughts ran berserk through his head. what if he ripped off that tiny dress with his rough pale hands, making a mess of you. he wanted to hear your enchanting voice call his name like a prayer as his fingers pumped in and out of you.

“sorry.. i’ll just grab a cookie.” to him, you didn’t dress nor look like the typical sheepish nymph. however your actions were good-natured despite your dark almost promiscuous demeanour. as if you didn’t want to be known as a good girl.

day by day, you came in more and more - tyler knew the coffee was better because he made sure it was. purchasing the best coffee grain in the area so his book obsessed doll would come back, and like fate you did.

little by little, tyler started obsessively fixating over you. small things such as remembering your favourite order turned into putting a mini tracker in your drink. now knowing you two live close turned into lurking outside your apartment after your classes.

as if it was for him, you always took a shower after class getting out with only a tiny towel covering around your dainty frame, you always forgot to close the curtains.

‘naive little bimbo, doesn’t even know i’m watching.’ your phone fell from your hands as you bent over, light pink panties exposed. unbeknownst to you tyler was in a trance, hands ghosting over his zipper knowing only the glass separating the pair of you.

the tall male felt himself getting harder, his cock now pushing against his jeans. he palmed himself, eyes attached to the scene - your towel rising as you walked around innocently; your soft thighs and ass jiggling as you moved.

now leaning against the tree, tyler's cock used the friction of his jeans against his hand. a string of whispered profanities left his lips, feeling pre-cum dripping down his length. his eyes started darkening, following beads of water dripping down your chest.

the sun was setting - his green orbs stuck looking at your towel slipping slightly when you sat on your couch, achingly close to exposing your tits. he let out one last deep groan his eyelids fluttered as he finished. lowly chuckling at the mess you caused in his jeans, not even knowing you were being watched.

bambi eyes glanced up at tyler, “can i get a mocha frappé today ty” you dragged the end of his name, your voice was almost tempting. he scrambled shyly trying to make the drink as best he could. however, tyler was distracted, knowing the pretty face behind him was going to leave after this drink was made.

just then, an idea crept into his brain.

“hey i’m not a stalker or anything but i know you’re new to town” he spoke, the sentiment almost comical to him.

“do you have a job yet y/n? we’re hiring here” gently handing you the drink, extra sweetness lacing his voice.

“haha don’t worry you’re not creepy ty! sure i’d love to work here!” tyler displayed a lovable grin. A part of him found it cute, how unconscious you were to his constant stalking and the other part of him wanted to yell in celebration.

his precious doll couldn't leave him now, you had to be with the perverted male everyday. tyler was giddy just thinking about the opportunities to touch, feel, be anywhere near you being infinite. if a heaven existed to him, it would be this.

author’s notes: hi this is my favourite concept yet, i really like the dynamic of doting boss x reader, i also fucking love stalkers so you get this conglomerate fic.. hope everyone enjoys! i’ll be posting part 2 soon.. thank you for reading! aria. ᥫ᭡

[jazzy-art-time]

Hits the Ask-Eden Trio with the Pony Beam !!!! For fun and sillies of course. (started as a joke that Dysnomia would kiss AppleJack dont ask why)

Useless mini lore things below the cut

Dysnomia is named DaisyChain! As a nod to his name as well as daisy chains being chains. Cutie mark represents this as well as "red string of fate" in a way

Luan is CloudSurfer! Her name is… obvious lmaO- But I imagine she is unaware that she is actually a SeaPony and once she touches sea water instantly transforms like in H2O just add water (CLEUAoOOO.. NAuuRRR)

and then! Eden as… Prince DawnShimmer! Unlike his brother, Prince DuskShimmer (haha their names are Dawn and Dusk get it am I clever am i CLEVER-) he was not born a proper alicorn. He is a standard earth pony but over time, he will earn his horns and wings! He technically has no cutiemark but instead a wavering shimmering circle on his flank that will eventually fill with something when the time is right

[ao3-shenanigans]

Okay wait here me out!

I never truly understood Hanahaki AUs where once character A confesses, B's all like "Actually, I liked you too for a while now!" because isn't it a sickness about unrequited love?

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind when characters finally confess and they get the sickness cured but what about literally SO MANY OTHER POSSIBILITIES!! I have a couple ideas in my head but don't have the chance to write them atm, but I was wondering about your thoughts on them!

So the first idea is what if you still want that happy ending but don't want the instant gratification? Like, A confesses to B and B is like "I'm sorry, I don't love you, but I want to take care of you to make this process go smoother for you." (And maybe add some guilt for some ✨spice✨) And eventually, B SLOWLY falls for A as they take care of them, but are unaware of said feelings until A's final dying breath and their final request is at least a kiss, even if B didn't love them. B desperately follows through trying to save A after realizing that they finally got feelings for them and BOOM! Happy ending!

Another idea is where character A is Aromantic so they literally cannot love B, and they know that. After realizing that B has gotten Hanahaki, A stays silent about it, not wanting to assume that B got it over them and wants to take care of them. B then says in a feverish state just how much they like A and let's just say the angst can get pretty heavy with this...

Now I like this one idea I have cause it mixes Hanahaki and the Red String of Fate! This one actually involves many characters and is a little more complex so my there are still some wrinkles in this idea, but what if A got Hanahaki for B, and B has Hanahaki for C, who's interested in someone else and C even gets with that person later. Eventually A confesses to B and B gets with A, curing A's Hanahaki, but B still dies because they couldn't let go of their feelings for C. That's when character D comes along, able to see the Red String! D can see other people's string, but doesn't have one for themselves for whatever reason (idk yet) and can see A's broken string and C actually even has a broken string because of their deep friendship to B. D then tries to figure out what the broken strings mean because they never seen it before, eventually falling for A, who (maybe) falls for them back. Again, still working on this idea! Just thought it'd be interesting to combine 2 AUs together!

This is all I have for now, but if you want more for me to share, I can gladly do so! If you could rate the Hanahaki trope in general out of 10 what would you pick? Feel free to even rate my ideas if you want! I won't take it personally if you don't like them, haha! Have a lovely week!

Friend I’m listening 👀

I did read a fic where the love interest couldn’t love back, not right away and it scared him because how are his feelings responsible for the life of his friend? How do you fall in love with someone on demand? It was really good

(I’ll link it below for anyone interested)

Ive read maybe 6 or 7 hanahaki fics? Its not one I frequent often, but I do enjoy the ones with a fun little twist in them :D

If you continue the AU please! Send updates and ideas! I’d love to hear them!

Fic mentioned:

Full, riotous bloom by BigTed on ao3

[cat-and-fox-hub]

[Yōkai AU] Info & Tease

Made by Cat, aka Researcher Serif/AW

"Master...? Y-you're my Master?! Please—, let me soothe your dreams forevermore—! No wait that sounded like a marriage proposal wejusTMETI'MSOSORRY—!!!" "Haha... Is this my luck or Fate bringing me to you? Ah—, never mind. It's really nice to meet you, Master!" "...I never would've thought I'd meet you in my life time. Hahaha~... What a welcome surprise. I dearly for hope you continue to do so, my dear Master." "Th-..the rope... C-could you... tie it t-...to me, Master? I'll... I'll foll'w you t-to th....the e-ends'f the earth...pr'mise..." "Hello Master!!! It's so nice to finally meet you!! Please, tie this rope around my neck! I can't wait to show you around— I think you'd love Sanctuary!" "You... hahaha—! It was you all along?? ......You're not leaving me Master. EVER... I won't EVER let you. Ahuhuhu~! Buckle up 'cause you're stuck with me forever, Master~!"

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This is an AU very much based/inspired on @twstedforyou's own original Yōkai Twisted Wonderland AU with @cosmica-galaxy's OCs as the victims subjects!

(If you want, check them out! Their art and story is super cool! Sorry in advance for this skibidi Jouice twstedforyou!)

This may or may not be updated further with moar stuff but we'll see~! Hope you enjoy!

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"Yōkai are a class of supernatural entities and spirits in Japanese folklore."

They can range from your classic demon or Oni, to objects gained spirit and sentience such as Kasa-Obake, a friendly and playful one eyed, one legged sentient umbrella. So now that that's outta the way...

My Yōkai AU's similarities with @twstedforyou's AU:

Yōkai have a predestined soulmate or 'Master' who they care for very much; their love for their Master can range from platonic to romantic to beyond, it's really whatever their Master wishes for their relationship to be, the Yōkai will simply follow to their whims

Yōkai can only ever have one Master in their long lifetime but the Master can have multiple Yōkai familiars

When a Yōkai meets their Master for the first time, their overwhelming love manifests as a literal physical thing, namely the rope that rests around their neck. Its typically referred by humans as the 'red string of fate'.

When it appears, the Yōkai in question ask for their Master to tie said rope around their neck. It's a symbol of claim and acceptance. Once put on, the Yōkai will be very possessive and be protective of it, never letting anyone but themselves and their Master to touch it. Prayers for idiots that decide otherwise...

When a Yōkai's Master dies, things can go in a violent or non-violent way. Both ways are usually done in the extremes with very few composed enough to grieve normally, for Yōkai at least. In the non-violent way, the Yōkai will mourn greatly for years, perhaps centuries, sometimes taking up the role of defending whatever's left of their Master be it their possessions or remaining family. Other times, some Yōkai can be guided into finding a way to reverse their death, if only to give them something other than wasting away in their Master's territory for centuries or following their Master to the grave themselves... In the violent way, the Yōkai will go on a rampage, destroying things and hurting other beings, even fellow Yōkai under the same Master. Rampages can be sporadic or constant. Either way, if the Yōkai in question can't reign in themselves soon enough, a Yōkai Hunter will be sent to cull them for the greater good.

My Yōkai AU:

It's not only Yōkai that apply to this AU, other supernatural creatures from other cultures and folklore apply to this as well. Beings such as Fae, Yaoguai, Nymphs, Mermaids, Golems, Angels etc, etc... Each culture's supernatural beings have a District in the Other Realm, the dimension for all supernatural beings. Districts are basically sub dimensions of the Other Realm that encompass their own folklore like Tír na nÓg for the Celtic other world or the Yōkai District for the Japanese other world. These sub dimensions are accessible almost anywhere in the human realm, one merely needs to have a resident of whichever district one plans to go to. Otherwise, majority of accessible District Gateways are ones related to the region's folklore. (eg. England has most District Gateways to the Faerie Courts) It's also worth noting the Other Wold may have time differences with the human realm, sometimes going faster and sometimes slower.

When a Yōkai manifests their rope, sometimes, the Master will reject them. It will hurt at first but they're tied by fate for a reason. The Yōkai will wait however long until the Master is ready, no matter what the Yōkai's temperance my be. What's a few more years to the centuries they've waited after all?

A Yōkai's rope will only manifest if they meet their Master properly. If a Yōkai were to simply pass by their master, the rope won't manifest which has led to many missing each other by total accident. Not to say the Yōkai wouldn't notice anything, they would actually get a nagging feeling of something important nearby. Some dismiss it and others latch on to it, its a game of chance whether or not the Yōkai recognizes it.

The Hunter's Association is a group of Yōkai Hunters that work for the secretive liaison government that bridge and balance between the normal and supernatural society. They're usually sent out to keep the peace and rid of 'out of control Yōkai' that pose a treat to the tentative peace. They're pretty much a neutral entity that has mostly humans and few hybrids. Somewhat similar to twstedforyou's but a little more involved in government business.

While every Yōkai has a destined soulmate, not all meet their Masters. Some unfortunately die before their meeting, it can happen on both sides, or they simply never venture out to search, opting to stay in their District than venture the human realm. (Also somewhat important to note that the fickle time difference in the Other Realm has to do with this as well. Some Yōkai will spend all their lives or a bit too long in their Districts to ever meet their Master.)

While twstedforyou's Yōkai cannot kill each other, Yōkai can be killed by fellow familiars if one tries hard enough. It does also have to do with the will of the Master though. In simple terms, if the Master doesn't believe or want their Yōkai to hurt their fellow familiars, they can't. Only if the Master were truly want them dead, they can be killed by fellow familiars. For the most part, they wouldn't kill them out of respect of their master and familiar kinship but they can certainly beat them to a pulp and leave others to finish the job they can't.

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Check out my main blog: @researcher-serif

Here's my NSFW blog if that tickles your fancy: @grandfather-of-sin

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[xxlady-lunaxx]

Yeah so I had this idea to write a Senjuro as a Spider Demon AU (inspired by this/ty to some1 on discord for finding the link for me<3), sooo I had to write it haha- This is from Kyojuro’s POV! I’ll write little extra things for Senjuro when he was a demon, this is just random angst for the AU / and thank you to @asamiutsuki for helping me edit<3

Word count: 2.5k words aprox.

Rui had been watching Senjuro from a distance for a while now and had seen how great of a bond the Rengoku’s had. And he wanted it. Eventually, an opportunity arose. Kokushibo came with him.

Senjuro, for a while now, had felt as though he’d been being watched. He played it off as paranoia, however. His father was getting worse and he hadn’t seen Kyojuro in months now. One day, after his father had been particularly explosive, he went out for a walk at night. He was approached by demons.

Nobody heard of him since then.

Nobody knew about Senjuro being persuaded by Rui. The offer of having a good family, a better life, standing in front of him, just in his reach. The idea of escaping his father who berated him for simply breathing too loudly, the chance to have no reason to worry every second about his brother. Nobody knew that Senjuro took the mirage splayed in front of him, made it reality, chancing the offer that formed in the shape of blood. He molded himself into it, swallowing the red in his cupped hands and then picked up by a demon with six eyes and carried away as the change began to form him.

Shinjuro quickly sent word to Kyojuro, asking if Senjuro was with him when, the following day, he was nowhere to be seen. When nothing came of it and Kyojuro had searched without success for Senjuro, the worst was assumed. Kyojuro’s fear heightened as they made no progress, day after day. Both Rengoku’s searched when they could and, in this, Shinjuro ended up pausing his addiction to Sake, worried sick for his youngest (which took him a while to admit).

Naturally, after months of dead ends, Senjuro was proclaimed dead. It was, of course, to Shinjuro and Kyojuro’s devastation. It was more than just the loss. It was the knowledge that Senjuro could’ve run away and his fate had met him, the guilt of thinking they could’ve protected him if they had only known where he was. It was the unknown part of the death that sent them both spiraling in grief.

Kyojuro took it better than Shinjuro, however, deciding that Senjuro would’ve wanted him to keep being a Hashira and not follow in his father’s footsteps. So he continued on, but not without a sort of emptiness that haunted him.

He was sent on a mission, as always, one night. It was late, however. Apparently he and Giyuu would be sent together, there were demons on a mountain that were killing every slayer that had passed for months now. Hashira were required.

He entered the mountain without hesitation, swerving through the trees and trying not to look too hard at the corpses that were strewn along the branches. Were the demons simply killing for fun, then? It was much worse than when they were hungry, they couldn’t help that. But if these demons had enough time and energy to go about and killing people then leaving them to rot as they pleased, it had to be of the 12 kizuki.

He and Giyuu split up and then Kyojuro was running straight into some bushes. He had noticed peculiar strings, silvery and thin, like a spider web, only stronger. They were all closing in through the bushes where he was heading. Instantly, he sensed that he was approaching a demon and unsheathed his katana.

He burst through, ignoring the leaves that scattered around him. Then he froze, arm raised with his katana in front of him. Before him sat a demon, skin pale as the moon, red dots in a demon pattern scattered on his cheeks. And his hair, oh, his hair. White with the tips red like Kyojuro’s. Like a white fire. Pulled back in a small pony tail, just like… Senjuro.

Kyojuro’s mind worked it out in a split second. Yet it took him another to process ot all. This was Senjuro. Not just a look-alike. Senjuro had turned into a demon.

Senjuro seemed to have recognized him, too, eyes wide and hands shaking. Neither moved for a moment, stunned silent. Then Kyojuro spoke. His voice was quiet and utterly calm. The contrast to his usual self scared Senjuro.

“Senjuro…?” he asked, his voice cracking. He didn’t know what to say. How was Senjuro alive? No, that was obvious. Perhaps he had been attacked by a demon but the blood had entered a wound? Or… had it been by choice? He hesitated, unsure what to say. Then—“Have you killed anyone? Eaten a human?”

His intention was clear. If Senjuro hadn’t eaten anybody, hadn’t killed anyone, there was a chance he could follow in Nezuko’s steps. Maybe they could go back to how they were before, in some ways. They could ask Tanjiro for a bit of help then they could go back to before Senjuro had ‘died.’ And yet.

And yet Senjuro averted his eyes, lowering his hands. He said nothing.

It was enough of an answer already. Still, Kyojuro repeated himself, shouting now. There was an edge to his voice, he sounded like he was struggling with himself. “HAVE YOU? HAVE YOU KILLED…—“ he sucked in a shaky breath, then let it out. “I’m sorry.”

Senjuro had flinched at the sound. He had always been terrified when Shinjuro shouted. Even now, he was still scared of yelling. Kyojuro’s heart ached at this, put it wasn’t the time to feel sad. Despite his brother seemingly coming back to life as a man-eating demon, he had to keep his composure.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated. “I… Senjuro. Senjuro, can you tell me if you’ve killed or eaten…?”

Senjuro let out a shaky breath. He seemed to be crying. “I’m sorry,” he echoed quietly. “Sorry, sorry, sorry—I’m sorry!” His words were scattering now, repeating himself and sobbing. “I’m so, so sorry… I didn’t- I wanted- I’m sorry—Kyojuro, please, I’m sorry…!”

When his name was spoken, Kyojuro broke. The hand with his blade lowered, though he did not offer his attention the same freedom. He would never let down his guard again—not since Senjuro had disappeared. He risked a step forward, leaves crunching dully under his feet.

Senjuro’s shoulders shook as he resisted tears that flowed freely nonetheless. His chin was tucked down to his chest as he avoided Kyojuro’s gaze. He looked up slowly, eyes teary, salty tracks dancing around the red dots on his face. He inhaled sharply, gulping for air, trying to calm himself but succeeding horribly. He opened his mouth several times, trying to deliver a cohesive response. In the end, he managed to whisper, “I… I did.”

Kyojuro’s world seemed to tip over from the two small words and he staggered slightly. The answer had been obvious enough but Senjuro confirming it made it… so much worse. He raised his katana again, gripping the handle tightly to try and calm his nerves—which was practically impossible.

Senjuro seemed to grasp what was happening and lowered his head again. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, voice tight with regret.

“I’ll tell father you said that,” Kyojuro murmured. “And I’m sorry too. For not doing enough to keep you safe.”

Then, before he could have second thoughts, his katana went slashing down. He was careful to use a gentle form, hoping it would give Senjuro even the slightest bit of relief before he was sent to hell. They both knew there was no going back for him.

And, as Senjuro slowly disintegrated, the two brothers gazed at each other, emotions stirring between both of their eyes.

“I love you,” Senjuro mouthed, blinking tears from his eyes. He wanted to look away, to not see the betrayal that was written so clearly now in Kyojuro’s eyes. He was gone before Kyojuro could respond.

There was a moment in which Kyojuro simply stood there, arms slack. Then he let out a stifled sob, pressing the back of his hand to his mouth as he turned to proceed with his mission. It was like he was grieving all over again, in a million different ways. God, what had become of him? Of Senjuro? Why?

As he ran through the forest, Giyuu intercepted his way. “Rengoku. The demons are dead, there is only the matter of—“ he paused, eyes widening by a fraction when he saw the mess Kyojuro was. “…is everything alright? Are you hurt?”

He received no response and, concern increasing as he noticed that Kyojuro seemed to be shaking slightly, he tried again, “Rengoku?”

Kyojuro appeared to have just noticed him and looked up, offering a tight smile, appreciating the concern. “I’m alright. I apologize for being little help in the mission, but I’m glad you’ve managed well. Have you sent the crow to get the Kakushi?”

Giyuu nodded slowly, eyebrows furrowing slightly. He clearly didn’t believe Kyojuro, but let it go. He wouldn’t be of help to Kyojuro emotionally, so he figured he would let the Hashira work it out himself.

“I have,” he confirmed. “Our work is done, now.”

Kyojuro nodded back. “Okay. Thank you.”

Giyuu gave him one last look before turning and leaving him alone.

The first thing he did after making sure everyone was alright—putting on the best smile he could to not worry the Kakushi—was to head home at once. Shinjuro was possibly worse than ever, not having allowed Kyojuro to console him after Senjuro’s supposed death and the months after. Now he sat in Senjuro’s room for the third time that week, legs crossed and eyes closed. Dark circles rimmed under his eyes, making him look all the more older. He was sitting in front of Senjuro’s bed, the whole room looking untouched and dusty after a year.

That was how Kyojuro found his father in the light of early dawn. At once, Shinjuro perceived that something was wrong. It wasn’t the fact that Kyojuro had come home unannounced, nor the time in which he’d arrived. It was the troubled look on Kyojuro’s solemn face, the absence of a smile.

“What is it?” he asked irritably, despite the premonition.

“Father,” Kyojuro started, kneeling outside the room. He bowed his head, fiery strands slipping over his shoulders. “Senjuro says he’s sorry.”

It took him a moment to understand. But when he did, Shinjuro’s head shot up as he stared at his son, perplexity and a bit of hope lining his expression. “What? What’re you talking about? He’s dead.”

Kyojuro flinched at the word. Despite having used it to refer to his brother for the past year, he found that it rung differently now. It was his own fault that Senjuro was dead, even if he hadn’t really had a choice. He let out a breath.

“I know. I killed him,” he said. He delivered the words calmly, somehow, trying to level his voice. But right after, he found himself at his breaking point once more.

Shinjuro looked utterly lost now, the hope disappearing, replaced by shock and more confusion. “Are you delusional? Have you been drinking?”

Kyojuro opened his mouth to respond, but only a strangled sob left his lips as tears struggled from his eyes. He had cried once they had announced that Senjuro had died the first time. He had cried alone, many times before as desperation took over when Senjuro could not be found. And he cried now, knowing full well that there wasn’t the slightest hope of Senjuro coming back, that he had killed his own brother and that Senjuro hadn’t fought back in the very least.

And strangely, this was the only time Shinjuro found it in himself to comfort him. He opened his arms, as he had done time and time again before when Kyojuro was younger. Instinctively, Kyojuro crawled towards him, burying his face in his father’s shoulder and letting his grief overtake him. Perhaps it was because he didn’t understand what was happening, perhaps it was because he was tired, or maybe something else altogether, but either way, Shinjuro’s arms wrapped around Kyojuro, rubbing his back gently and soothing him with the quiet hum of his voice.

Eventually, the story poured out of him. At first in stuttering words—“Senjuro… He- He was- I was on… Mt. Natagumo. For… a mission? He was… there.”—and then stronger, clearer, slowly raising himself from the embrace and drawing his gaze up to his father’s—“He kept… apologizing. I do think he regretted it, but I don’t know what it was. I don’t know why he turned into a demon in the first place. Supposedly it was by force… but he seemed clear minded, not under the influence of the demonic sense like other demons.”

Shinjuro listened patiently, not interrupting though he made several attempts at first. Though he didn’t intercept, his expression contorted several times—in anger, in confusion, in disappointment, and something else Kyojuro couldn’t percieve. When he finished, Kyojuro had settled back into his father’s lap, despite being basically the same size as him. Shinjuro hadn’t said anything yet and simply gazed down at their intertwined hands, mostly in disbelief.

Then he looked up.

“Kyojuro?”

“Yes, father?” Kyojuro was still, naturally, wary of him. Yet he did his best to hide it, not wanting Shinjuro to lapse back into his previous self.

“I’m sorry, too,” Shinjuro said. He spoke calmly, enunciating every word. But he looked away in shame, for having to be saying this at all.

“What?”

“I’m sorry for treating you both how I did. It was probably why Senjuro left to turn into a demon. You weren’t able to help him and I was useless, feeding onto his… what? Fear? Anger? Whatever drove him to become a demon,” Shinjuro concluded, quietly now.

There was a beat of silence. And then a sudden flash of what could’ve been comparable to thunder, splitting the quiet in half. A stinging pain on Shinjuro’s cheek followed, almost as an afterthought, and he turned his head back to his son, eyes wide.

Kyojuro was glaring at him, the hand he had slapped him with still held up. “Don’t say that! It’s not your fault. Even if he did go willingly, it was his own choice. We all make mistakes, no matter how drastic, and he was young and under pressure with a brother constantly in death’s hand and a father who was still grieving over his deceased wife. I’m not saying he made a good decision, I’m saying that his reason was not, even if you took part in it, solely because of you. Okay? I don’t want you going back to how you were before. Senjuro’s death—or his becoming of a demon—wasn’t your fault! Mother’s death wasn’t your fault. If—when—my death comes, it will not be your fault!” Kyojuro snapped. He was close to raising his voice and, in the tranquility of the morning, his last words echoed briefly in the room.

Shinjuro remained staring at him, stunned, unable to respond for a couple faltering moments. His hand had reached up to cup his injured cheek but it fell to his lap now as he stumbled to reply. “I… sorry,” he mumbled, caving. “I’m so sorry.”

Kyojuro sighed and hugged his father tightly. “Me too. I’m sorry, too.”

[supercalime]

yes! exactly! the fact that one of the big things that actually bring buck and tommy closer being that both of them get along with chris, and chris expressing that he likes both buck and tommy is chef's kiss. both of them learn not to feel threatened by that ("chris won't shut up about him") but rather feel invited ("i understand why chris likes you so much because i also think you're cool"). it cemented tommy as a great fit for buck, established him as a new welcome addition to the entire fire fam, and highlighted that tommy must get along with kids swimmingly, something that he has in common with buck and that hints that tommy most likely loves kids as well. and that, in a way, also feels like kids may actually be part of buck's future because bucktommy has been set up so differently to any of buck's previous canon relationships.

they could have done it a thousand different ways, but they chose this route, putting focus on the opinion of a kid that buck loves a lot. it's giving the trope of parent who first makes sure that their child accepts their love interest. maybe it means nothing! maybe it's solely for the fun of it! but given everything else we've seen in regards to evan buck buckley and the children topic, it's feels like one piece of a bigger puzzle. especially with his backstory, questioning his parent's love for all his life, i think buck's story will truly come full circle when he's allowed to unconditionally love his own child. and i think he wants and needs a partner (tommy) to be there with him every step of the way (love is stored in the "of course" ♥).

(as you can tell by now, i also love to ramble lmfao)

You can always ramble anon! And yes to all of this! I doubt everything about buck and tommys connection has been done intentionally (I mean, the writers can’t get the timeline in a single episode consistent) but what we’ve had so far is so good and it would be a waste to not use this love interest to be buck’s forever person (and baby daddy haha)

There’s the whole red thread of fate (or invisible string) theory that connects their stories before and after they met, there’s the stark difference on how tommy behaves in contrast to bucks past partners.

The writers did something different for them, something that feels more substancial. Bucks past partners have always felt like “girlfriend of the season”, almost like the writers didn’t want to fully commit. I’m glad that even though it took seven seasons, a network change and a lot of behind the scenes messes to get to this point.

Tommy could be Bucks forever person and if he does become so, I want to see it really bad!

[wcr0agi]

joining in @grimmyweek 👻

unmuted/clear ver ↓

— initially this was the prompt 'red string of fate' × 'murder mystery (but not so mystery)' in my head until i realized half way through that the latter is NAWT obvious at all haha....... crouches in despair. but a late post is better than none so :>

[losergames]

Say, what exactly was Jonno's endgame in combining his engagement announcement with MC's birthday dinner? Is he just that stupid and insensitive, or was he trying to take a jab at MC for some reason?

Hilarious that Natasha and MC keep getting shoved together though— first the announcement, then the wedding with MC getting shot. Chained to Each Other by the Red String of Fate, if you will.

If it was an option, I would totally steal her right under Jonno's nose out of pure spite and comedic value.

Also, my MC was totally exploding them both in their mind while fakely congratulating them. :)

jonno is like a blend of the worst people i have ever had the pleasure of knowing and being way too rich for his own good. jonno doesn't have anything personal against the MC (that we know of anyways) he's just the level of wealthy and privileged where awareness goes completely out of the window y'know - and he can (literally) afford to do that because it'll never bother or affect him! like you said, he's just insanely insensitive and inconsiderate haha

also KJ and jonno are like those best buddies that are always together but also have to bring their wives that hate each other (MC and natasha) to everything like in some cheesy comedy film LMAO

[evenmorecrows]

(Nice Dream) - 1.1k ( Aug 4th: Dreams )

In a car, body, world that is not his, Johnny dreams.

Written for @silverv-week! Would you believe I wrote this months and months ago, when the prompts were first released, and I still haven't finished the main fic the V in this belongs to? Whoops!

Anyway, this is supposed to take place after the Temperance ending, and before the fic that I'm still working on, so it's at least not missing too much context. I cannot say the same for what I wrote for the August 10th prompt, haha.

Fic title from Radiohead's song (Nice Dream), of course.

The world feels fuzzy- warm. He's in Night City, but it's empty. No irritating buzz of chatter on the sidewalks, no ads blaring from screens almost as big as the building they were slapped onto. The LED lights aren't searingly bright like they usually are, all of them emitting a soft, fading halo. He's walking, and it feels like moving through waist-high mud, but for whatever reason, he can't find it in himself to care. He stops outside of a megabuilding, which one was this again? Something pulls him inside, past the unmanned ramen cart, into the elevator, some red string of fate. Something compels him to press a particular floor, and something compels him to wait there till the doors ding open. The scenery blurs in his head- and then he's in front of an apartment door. H10. He stands there, his hand hovers, like he's reaching for a knob. He knows it's empty, it has to be empty. After all, he's wearing it's last tenant's corpse like a fucking coat. But with the door closed, he thinks, what if? V could still be alive, behind this door, for as long as it stayed closed. Johnny could be the specter he was always meant to be, should've been, haunting this hallway until there's no hallway to haunt anymore.

His hesitation, however, doesn't stop the door from automatically sliding open. It doesn't occur to him that it should've slid open the second he stepped in front- not when a shock of blue-purple hair catches his eye on the other side of the room. For a moment he is destabilized, stands there in the doorway like a gonk. It doesn't make sense, but does it matter? Nothing fucking makes sense in Night City- that's how he ended up as a parasitic little chip in the first place, in the neck of one of the best people Night City's ever shat out. V's standing there, looking out the window beside his bed- Johnny remembers their first night, smashing his head against it- nausea rips through him at the memory- before he looks over his shoulder, having heard the hiss of the door. He turns to lean against the window sill, and he smiles warm and brighter than the sun itself, it takes Johnny's breath away. "Hey Johnny. Didn't think you'd be back so soon." Back? He takes a few tentative steps forward, eyes always on V- if he looks away, the other might vanish into thin air, his brain tells him. "What-" His voice is gravelly, hoarse. It warbles and distorts off the walls. He clears his throat, "What're you doin' here, V? You're... You should be..." He can't bring himself to voice it, his tongue sits leaden in his mouth even thinking about it. He hovers now, in front of V, too scared to touch him in case he's made of smoke and ash, another person Johnny's burned down. "I live here, duh. You feelin' alright?" His face pinches, and he comes closer, reaches out a hand to Johnny's forehead, and Johnny squeezes his eyes shut, scared, so fucking scared, that the second V makes contact, he'll just collapse into dust, disappear back into cyberspace, leave him alone again with what it cost to still be alive-

But the feeling of the back of a hand graces his head, and he opens his eyes, and V's still there, looking even more worried. "You feel fine, but... Maybe you should lay down. Actin' a bit weird." So close, so tangible, and Johnny's never yearned for anyone's touch more, so it's no surprise when he crushes him into a hug instead, V letting out an 'oof' with the force of it, but quickly wrapping his arms tight around him, one traveling up his back, cradling the back of his head. The rage, the unease, that awful fucking pit of depression- none of it exists, not in his arms. He wants to say, 'I missed you', and 'Don't leave me', and 'You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, will ever happen to me.', but his throat constricts around the words. That mushy shit just isn’t how Johnny Silverhand rolls. "Hey, hey. It's alright. We got all the time in the world." He says, rubbing soothing circles into his back. "You're doin' good, real good. But listen, alright? You can't keep boggin' yourself down like this, can't keep usin' me to deny yourself a life. You know why I gave mine to you." I love you, he means. They shared a brain, after all. Not much either could hide, only things they didn't acknowledge. "V-" He croaks. Somethings not right, his surroundings shift and twist, less of a place and more of a concept. He tries to cling to V, impossibly tighter, like if he holds on hard enough he won't fade away. It doesn't work. V melts right through his fingers. His eyes open to the roof of V's his car, his eyes streaming. Of course it was a fucking dream. That's the only place V can exist now, he should have known. He sits up in the backseat, scrubs at his eyes, caught between wishing he could've slept forever and never sleeping again. He shouldn't fucking be here, it should be V, in his body, living his life goddammit! It's not. Fucking. Fair. And there's jack shit he can do about it.

In his frustration, he lashes out, smashing his fist into the passenger seat headrest, which startles Nibbles, who was apparently sleeping up front. "... Shit." He takes a breath- better yet, he gets out, has a cigarette. Calms his nerves. He's currently in the middle of nowhere, Nevada, which means the light pollution isn't god awful, and the air smells clean. He can actually see the stars. It's a nice backdrop, all things considered. Tomorrow, he keeps driving, or tonight maybe, depending on how he feels when he gets back in the car. He doesn't have a real destination in mind; all his old contacts are still in Night City. He just knows he has to keep moving, like a shark pushing water through its gills. If he stopped, he figures he'd do one of three things; drink himself to death, fuck himself to death, or waste away in a bed till death was his only option forward. And as much as the guilt ate him alive, burned him from the inside out, he wants to at least make an effort to live, for what V gave him. It'd feel like spitting in his face to throw it all away because he was, what, too sad? Fuck that. One foot in front of the other. He gives a weary sigh, puts out his cigarette, and gets back in the car.