#he definitely leaned into those tropes with a lot of the characters older videos

[soup-scope]

i dunno if i said this before but it beats repeating ig

one of my favorite things about redacted and his writing is that erik takes seemingly common boyfriend asmr tropes and completely flips them onto their head and assigns a certain DEPTH to his characters that makes them feel so genuinely real

a ‘tsundere alpha wolf boyfriend’ is introduced in the form of david. he completely fits the bill in his first few videos. but as time goes on and he and angel’s relationship develops and deepens he lets down those walls, gives reason to why he was the way he way and how he was still attempting to overcome his grief and mourning over the passing of his parents. one of my FAVORITE david videos is the one where angel is comforting him on the summer solstice because it also happened to fall onto father’s day. the idea that angel *KNEW* what he needed by having him miss a day at work, let him speak on his own terms about what’s upsetting him, and just holding him while he cried. early david and current david are two completely different people due to erik gripping onto a relatively generic trope and going FURTHER with it

or like with vincent in the form of ‘flirty vampire.’ i literally ADORE vincent character development. with him falling into a ‘flirty and empty’ persona in an attempt to get what he needs in order to literally survive. and as SOON as lovely was seriously injured by being involved into the empowered world, he IMMEDIATELY drops this persona and tries to gently guide lovely into this world without pressuring them or making them feel unsafe. vincent has definitely taken back some of his flirting that he originally had, but he WAITED until lovely and him were at that point again.

god and don’t get me started on gavin

a common trope i’ve seen when people write incubus or concubus in general, is that they typically carry a sense of shame for what they are/feed on. and of course gavin 1000% has a problem with people only viewing him as his capability to have sex, he isn’t ashamed of what he is or what he does. gavin sees sex as a way to make both parties feel *good.* in his confession audio he literally describes it as bringing a joy to others. i mean, the freelancer and gavin have sex for the first time in an attempt to distract freelancer because they were emotionally exhausted from everything with kody and vega. even if gavin didn’t know everything at the time, he wanted to give them just a moment to forget about everything that had them ridiculously stressed.

these are just some examples that i can think of on the top of my head. i adore erik’s writing with these characters which is something i didn’t know to be possible with the audio rp format. there’s a lot of nuance that can be lost when just hearing someone speak, but even if i have a hard time with tone or lil nuances like that, i can’t recall a time when i’m ever really been completely lost when listening to redacted content. just. great writing 👍👍

[sugarandspice-games]

I guess this is becoming a trend... I’m popping in before the actual intro to clarify-- if the text is in italic, it is me (Sugar) talking and regular is Spice. Alright? Cool. And so--

So, one night I’m going through youtube and I come upon this one shitposty video about some random anime that I’ve never even heard of. After doing some research, I discover that it’s actually based on a dating sim that I’ve also never heard of. As a joke I was like “Hey Sugar wanna watch this as a joke, it might be funny” and so we did. And uhm. Well.

Today we’re gonna be reviewing Brothers Conflict, aka Sweet Home Alabama 2: Electric Anime Boogaloo aka the anime that ruined our lives. [Again, disclaimer: neither Sugar nor I condone incest and/or pedophilia, two themes which are uh, very rampant in this anime which is why I cannot recommend it in good faith. It’s not good, don’t get me wrong. I can’t really say that I liked it even if watching it and ragging on it was kind of enjoyable, and I did get attached to some of the characters because that’s the kind of idiot I am. Also, we’re not shirking our duties to write I swear please don’t kill me--] Anyway, an obligatory SPOILER WARNING though this probably isn’t going in the main tag bc I do not want the fans to publicly stone me. Why are we reviewing this? Bc we need to talk about it somewhere. Though I say review lightly bc this... is really more of a critique.

ALSO we only watched the anime, idk if things are different in the game. There is no full english translation for the games and most of the LP channels have been copyright striked, so please don’t come at us for not knowing anything. I also know that otome games and dating sims don’t tend to translate well to anime, and I will be addressing this later.

So, dear god, where do I begin.

Where do we begin indeed? How about the fact that her name is Ema and I had to google to remember the heroine’s name? Also, she is seventeen.

Our plot, or well... what you COULD call a plot, I guess, if you REALLY wanted to give this anime that much credit, focuses on the aforementioned seventeen year old Hinata Ema, who has an absent father who apparently FOUND THE TIME TO FALL IN LOVE AND GET MARRIED BUT NEVER HAS A SECOND TO SPARE FOR HIS ONLY CHILD, RINTARO I SWEAR TO GOD I AM TAKING CUSTODY OF YOUR CHILD. HAND HER OVER-- Anyway. He’s getting married to a woman who has 13 sons (jesus christ ma’am have you ever heard of a condom?) and he decides to move her in with them because... I guess he has less braincells than I have balls, which is to say, zero. Hi, I’m trans.

So, Ema moves in with them... along with her talking grey squirrel, Juli. Juli is... interesting and by interesting, I mean-- ABSOLUTELY PUZZLING. He, apparently, has seen the majority of Ema’s life from babyhood to teenagerhood and can talk but is only understood by Ema (who he calls Chii) and Louis, the eighth son in the Asahina family. It is never explained why, or how Chii came across him or how in an episode, a single episode, he becomes human because why the hell not, I guess??? (Also, he is pretty. YES. I said it. Fight me.) [Quick Spice intervention, this squirrel can talk to people, transform into a human, enter dreams, and live way longer than a squirrel should since the average lifespan of a squirrel is like 6 years in the wild. Juli is apparently a god as none of this is EVER explained.]

And when she meets the Asahina family, it’s pretty much immediately chaos because these heterosexual (I guess? They look like a bunch of twinks to me but there goes anime trying to convince me that straight people are real and not a lie made up by Trump) men have NEVER and I mean NEVER known a woman in their entire lives, since they seem to want to bang their stepsister immediately. And most of them are GROWN ASS ADULTS. Only three of them are actually minors (though Iori is 18 and only one year older so I guess??? It’s okay??? But still weird) and one of them is a 13 year old who looks and acts like he’s 8.

Oh, and did I mention that out of these boys, only the adult triplets and the abusive asshole 16 year old get any kind of characterization AND character development? I mean, Subaru gets an “arc” if you can call it that, but really, they don’t give him much... personality. You could replace him with a cardboard cutout and it’d be the same. I feel bad for him (but not really because dude you are 20 and she is your sister, what the fuck--)

But if there’s anything good about this anime, it is the characters themselves. Several of the boys have redeeming qualities and interesting personalities and quirks, as well as interesting relationships and dynamics with each other. Yes, some of them are lacking in the plotline department while others may have decent plotlines and lack personality, and then some of them are just given absolutely nothing (COUGH Masaomi COUGH Ukyo COUGHCOUGHCOUGH Iori, and by the way, what the fuck is that game plotline bc I read the wiki since I wanted to know more about him. We don’t have time to unpack the mento illness luv. But you’re telling me they had all this meat to work with and they threw it in the trash and gave him nothing? What the hell?) And if anything, I feel as if the characters themselves are crippled by the plotline. If given a different story, perhaps, they may have room to shine, because a lot of them are compelling if not lovable (though some may not be... lovable. COUGHFuuto, at least not for me.) If you want to see our review on the characters, we’ll put out another post.

Iori... Iori has a hell of a plot in the game, according to the Wiki but I can’t blame the writers for not exploring all of it because whoa. It is dark and not in a good way. But back to the subject at hand... I agree with Spice. I do/did like quite a lot of the characters... provided the entire romantic plot is taken away but we will go into more of why the plot is problematic below. All I can really add is: There is a baby in this dumpster and canon has been taken out back to be shot like a lame horse.

This brings me to a point in which I would like to pause the character discussion and bring up a glaring flaw with this anime in general (aside from the... plot. Look, I’m not a huge fan of weird stepsibling stuff but I think that if you want to do something like that, there are ways to do it and ways not to do it. This was the way not to do it, which I’m getting to). The biggest thing that made this anime so uncomfortable was the imbalance of power dynamics. Why is the protagonist 17 when most of the love interests are 18 and older, and I mean much, much older? And she’s not any 17 year old... she’s a lonely, neglected girl who is starved for the love of a family. This makes her easily manipulated by the brothers, who clearly desire her for less than wholesome reasons, and that makes it skeevy. I’m not sure why there’s such a fetishization of nonconsent in media, as if it’s fine for as many men to lust after female protagonists as the writer desires BUT the woman can’t want a single one of them in return. It’s creepy, and quite frankly, I am very much over it. I also get that the age thing is probably a product of the protagonist of a teenager oriented dating sim not translating well to an anime (because really, all otome game MCs are meant to be a neat little pair of shoes for the player to imagine themselves in), but why are we fetishizing a teenager being groomed by adults anyway? Especially adults who have this much power over her to begin with? The power dynamics bring this plot from “Oh, this might be kinda trashy but it could be entertaining” to “This is extremely creepy and rapey and kind of a dumpster fire.”

This is also true. If we were to take age into consideration, Fuuto, Yusuke, and Iori would be the three candidates left for Chii. This is taking out the youngest as well, who is... thirteen, I think? But anyway, (I know I am probably going to get some hate for this but go for it), I am into stories that explore the stepsibling thing and it can make a good narrative-- but before everyone gets uppity: There is a line between FICTION and REALITY and I do not condone real life incest but a story is a story and there are ways to frame it that make it clear that it is not a romantic thing, or acceptable. This anime does not do that in it’s dynamics because some of the brothers do start off in that very firm caregiving, family role and it is a sharp turn into romance that makes you go, “?” or in Fuuto case, a blending that does lean into fetishization.

All in all I think the plot maybe could have been okay? I’m not saying it isn’t problematic, because we all know it is, who are we kidding? But I don’t think it’s wrong per se to explore family dynamics with romance and to understand where the line should be drawn, and maybe exploring the definition of family itself. I have seen fanfictions with similar tropes ask those questions and explore the concept beautifully without romanticizing or fetishizing incest and unhealthy power dynamics. It could have been good, and I get that perhaps I’m barking up the wrong tree by expecting mature themes in an anime based on an otome game, but it also could have been a lot less... creepy (I have used that word so much that it looks wrong now) even if it wasn’t the greatest thing ever. But again, what was I expecting? I watched this whole thing as a joke and ended up attached to the characters like a fool... That tends to be a trend here, and this is why we are so salty all the time. So anyway, stay tuned for our review of the characters! We may not cover all of them since some of them don’t really get anything, but we’ll cover what we found interesting.

[jellyfishdooter]

Okay so, back when I asked for asks for my Ego DnD AU, @lace-maze sent a really good ask a while back asking about why each of the egos chose the characters they did and their playing styles- and I can’t for the LIFE of me find the original anywhere on my blog. ;3;

But! I finished it and I bet it reads horribly but whatever who cares I’m tired- enjoy!

So to FINALLY answer your question, the way I went about choosing what each of the egos would play more or less boiled down to a combo of trying to pick what I think THEY would want to play, and what I figured they would be in the Dungeons and Dragons universe. (wink wonk)

Marvin- Dragonborn Sorcerer

One of the top veterans of the game, he likes to play something with more of a challenge and a lot more mechanics. And since he’s a magician it’s definitely has to deal with magic of some kind (I mean c’mon, he’s already got the aesthetic wardrobe irl for it so why not?). So he’s currently playing a Sorcerer- a magic caster who has the power naturally within him (which ties in his Race for it’s from his draconic bloodline:)

He could have easily chosen his race to be a Tabaxi (a human-cat like hybrid), but he already got enough shit of being the “furry” of the group as it was so instead he decided to go for a Dragonborn. In the game there are different types of Dragonborn, so specifically he’s Brass- which both deals fire damage breath, and is also resistant to fire.

Being one of the older players, his play style depends on the day. For the most part he is the cool, collected member of the party who doesn’t rush in and thinks things through... Until it’s later in the evening with a few drink in ‘em and then they just say, “Yeah, this might as well happen.” Before taking another shot and round-housing someone poor guy’s ass for mocking his scaly features.

Jackie- Half-Orc Fighter

Always wanting to be the hero, Jackie wants to fight and protect his fellow party members. He only has a few sessions under his belt, but he’s confident in saying that he's comfortable with playing more tanky characters and dealing heavy damage.

Jackie doesn’t have a lot of reasoning for his Race other than Orcs Are Cool so he just rolls with that.

As for his Class he likes having a bunch of different fighting styles to choose from while in combat so he can pick and choose which would work best for the situation (they also get more of a range in picking which Armor Class they want-).

His play style is Protect the Party, but also Rush In Head First Into Danger. He’s always in the front lines of a fight to tank the most damage and provide cover for the more squishy characters. It can get quite frustrating for the healer at times when he runs battleaxe-first into battle, leaving his head behind.

Speaking of healers-

Henrik- High Elf Alchemist

A lot like Anti, Henrik found the idea of playing to be quite silly. But once he got into it, the doctor found it quite enjoyable to get into a fantasy character and forget about the real world for a couple of hours. But wanting to retain some kind of dignity, he decided to play as a High Elf. He was drawn to their grace, wonderlust for adventure, and near perfectionism. To say the least, it's easy for him to slip into character.

Strictly speaking, Alchemist is not the the 5E DnD Handbook, but Jack allowed it and made some homebrew additions to the character so their party would actually have a fucking healer. So in addition to the damage-dealing bombs Henrik’s character uses, he also has a special healing bomb he can yeet at the other players when needed.

Henrik’s play style is serious, but curious. He’s always wanting to explore the world Jack created for them and peacefully interact with the NPCs, enjoying events that unfold naturally. However when it’s time for a proper fight he does not beat around the bush, staying in the back for more long-ranged attacks rather than right on the front lines.

Chase- Human Ranger

The recently-single father needed an outlet other than drinking to try and cope with the loss of his family. So like any good friend, Jack offered Chase a spot in his campaign that he was putting together! He wasn’t too sure at first, Chase said that the game seemed really complex and hard to get into. But Jack waves it off and told his friend, “You honestly have to fully jump into it if you’re gonna get anywhere. There’s not really a small way to start. It’s pretty much all or nothing. But trust me, it’s gonna be great!” And ever since his first session, Chase always looked forward to next week’s game.

Being one of the newer players, Chase doesn’t really play anything too crazy, so he sticks to his guns and runs a Human pc. And he may or may not have based the character on his old life to some degree. Giving himself a stable home, a fulfilling job, and a big loving family and at least 3 dogs. Ya’know, real heavy fantasy stuff.

Jack offered him the newer class/ homebrew of a Gunslinger, but he politely declined ‘cause he didn’t want to have to deal with new rules. So he decided to go with a Ranger for his class, figuring it would make for a cool character to play.

Chase’s play style is pretty average (no pun intended), and not all that spectacular. He gets a few good one-liners in here and there, but for the most part he plays passively. Fights when there’s a fight, and interacts almost only when others interact with him directly. (He’s been trying to get better at being more engaging, but he tends to zone out.)

Jameson- Halfling Bard

This session being JJ’s (and Robbie’s) first ever game, JJ pleasantly surprised Jack when he decided to be a Bard. When asked why, the silent man replied simply, “There’s nothing in the rules saying bards HAVE to sing. At the core of them, they are performers.” Jack beams and asks what’s their instrument of choice then? Jameson smiles and shows him this video, saying he thinks it would be interesting to have this as his musical item. (Also gotta love that good The Bard Seduces Everything trope. He’s keeping that in his back pocket for the right moment.)

As for being a Halfling, Jameson figured it would be fun to play a smaller character. And nobody ever suspects the small man to pack such a whaloop. But really, his love for the hobbits in the Tolkin books had captured his heart and really wanted to try and emulate that in the game! Maybe leaning more towards being a little prankster, but still at the core- in short- Soft Cottage Aesthetic™

Jameson’s play style is bouncy and go-gettem. He’s eager to explore the world and have fun with the NPCs. In battles he’s more comedic relief in the back inspiring the other players (and intimidating enemies by aggressively cranking his music box rapidly). And AT LEAST ONCE he has had Jackie’s character YEET his at the enemy to get the final blow to slay the beast. That was a fun session.

Anti- Changeling Rouge 

Do I really gotta explain this one? 

Naturally Anti always tries to play the edgiest characters he can. Giving them dark, moody personalities but with a slight crazed tick. (Chase naturally calls hypocrisy when Anti says his character is a self-insert to the game.)

I’m almost out of steam here so in short-

Anti loves the idea of having puppets to mess around with irl- so in the game he can somewhat do the same- by changing his figure/ features to mimic those of somebody to manipulate another. He doesn’t care much for the society around him and does his own thing, but can easily blend in and slip into other’s traditions if he needs to. His character has a tendency to pick fights pretending to be someone else before ducking out and watch the fight take place with a smirk on his hidden features. None of the party has ever seen his real face/ form, always changing it subtly so every time someone tries to take a second look something seems different or off.

Rouge: Quick and Stabby. Like the bitch himself.

Robbie- Undead Druid

Jack had to make a special homebrew character for Robbie ‘cause he was set on being an Undead. Apparently Robbie and Marvin talked about character ideas before hand and Robbie got a little overwhelmed with all the options that they had, so Marv suggested something Rob could relate to easier. So after an afternoon of crafting a special stat sheet, Jack allowed their favorite zombie ego to play.. Well, a zombie. (I’m sure someone else has made something similar out there but I might try and make a sheet later.. That could be fun lmao)

As for Druid, I like to see Robbie as being a little more connected to nature than the rest of the egos. Since he.. Yaknow, crawled out of the dirt at one point. (Side story- before the others found him in an old cemetery, he liked to just hang out around the area that was slowly being reclaimed by nature and liked watched the birds and animals). So he was pretty drawn to choosing this class. It’s a little complicated at points, but that’s why Marvin sits between him and JJ, so he can help them out through the whole process. Robbie gets really excited when one of his spells works in combat or just having fun interacting with the NPCs by growing them some flowers to be nice. 

As a whole Robbie’s play style is pretty passive. He gets distracted pretty easily and unless Jack is waving his arms around or using miniatures/ figurines to keep a visual, the zombie will sometimes lose focus and stare off into space for a minute before coming back to the game and raising his hand for something to be repeated.

It’s one big mixing pot of different people and play styles, but at the end of the day, Jack has a lot of fun trying to bounce around and keep up with everyone’s antics and storylines. It’s hard as hell at times and it gets a little frustrating when things get out of hand, but they all try to check each other and keep things rolling. And at the end of the day, all the boys enjoy the game and what Jack has to offer and really fucking enjoy themselves. DnD is a good destresser for most of them and all around a grand fun time!

[smokeybrand]

Mule Account

It’s your boy, back on my Isekai bullsh*t again! Seriously, it’s like all of my manga recommendations are based strictly on Isekai at this point. Market saturation is definitely a thing but i tend to skew fantasy over anything and just so many Isekai narratives take place in those Tolkein-esque worlds. That specific aspect of the genre has gotten so dense, there are even more sub-genres therein. My last recommend, A NEET’s Guide to the Parallel World, is an example of a newer trope to get the shine, Revenge Isekai. I have no love for those types of stories, as explained at length in that essay, but i am very fond of one of the earliest to gain traction; Video Game Isekai. This sub-genre was introduced to the Yankee audience with the introduction of Digimon way back in the Nineties. Yes, Digimon is an Isekai set in a video game world, fight me, but it wasn’t until f*cking Sword Art Online did this sub genre really take off. Online was a disappointment, though. So much potential in those first few episodes but that franchise sh*t the bed so fast, you’d think it was Amber Heard throwing a temper tantrum.

One of my favorite manga/light novel narratives, Overlord, is a star of this sub-genre and has gained A LOT of shine with it’s excellent anime adaption. Land of Leadale, Death March To The Parallel World Rhapsody, How Not To Summon A Demon Lord, Rising of the Shield Hero kind of, Isekai Mokushiroku Mynoghra, No Game No Life a little bit, and KonoSuba, are all favorites, (specifically Mynoghra) and they’re all Video Game Isekai. Even Skeleton Knight in Another World, a currently airing anime that seems to have grown it’s fandom considerably, is a Video Game Isekai and i love it, too. This sub-genre, one of the first in the Isekai category, itself, has had a lot of time to build up it’s roster so there is a ton of these thing available for consumption. I have consumed just SO many of them... But I'm not here to talk about any of those, as excellent as they may be. No, i am here to cast some light on Shoukan sareta Kenja wa Isekai wo Yuku.

A Sage Is Summoned to Another World, as it’s known in some circles here, in the States, follows Touya as her maneuvers a brand new world which seems to be based on the old MMORPG he played. Pandemic World Online was an incredibly popular Battle MMO where Touya Kisaragi stood as the strongest Berserker in the world. Having conquered so much of the game, Touya was forced to create a second account, a second character, just to store the massive amount of loot he has earned over his career and  it is in that form he found himself summoned. Touya was soon cast out after being spirited away as he was not a Hero the Jenerta Kingdom was looking for. Since Touya was summoned on his spare account, he took the form of his Mage character, not the OP Berserker, and started at level one. Because of this, he was cast out and left to die. However, due to that spare account holding all of the loot he collected over the years, Touya had a massive advantage. He soon began to realize this new world functioned just like Pandemic World and set out to reclaim his status as Berserker.

The initial aspect which caught my attention was the art. This book is gorgeous, detailed, and has a very unique style you don’t see much in manga. The market leans heavy into the moe type of design; very cutesy and very exaggerated. I’m not mad about that but i came up on this stuff long before the moe boom of the early Aughts. My bread and butter lies with artists like Akira Toriyama, Masamune Shirow, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Yukito Kishiro, and Katsuhiro Otomo. These art styles informed my tastes as i grew older and i became disillusioned with the Moe boom almost immediately. There are some gems to be found in this means tested, passionless, art wasteland which began with the moe wave so long ago, so, for me, an artist like Tite Kubo was a godsend. I love unique, non-homogeneous, art. If you have a look, there is a very good chance I'll gravitate toward your book. Sage definitely has a look and all credit goes to Ko Kobayashi. His art is amazing and every time a chapter updates, i can’t wait to see how much life he injects into those panels. His art aside, as amazing as it is, would be nothing without a narrative and, let me tell you, this thing has a story to tell.

Yoshu is not new to the Isekai genre. They’re the author of Tensei Kizoku no Isekai Boukenroku ~Jichou wo Shiranai Kamigami no Shito~ so it’s no wonder Sage has such a detailed narrative backing it. Admittedly, the plot is kind of derivative. Guy gets summoned into the game he’s playing and commences to be wildly overpowered but therein lies the rub; Sage ain’t like that. Touya was summoned with an items cheat in the form of his spatial storage being loaded with all of the spoils he received on his overpowered main account, but outside of that, Touya earns his strength. Yoshu made sure to show us the struggle, the plan, and the drive, Touya has to reach the top of his new world, just like he had in the game on which his surroundings are based. In doing so, Yoshu has create one of the richest, liveliest, lived in, wolds available in Isekai manga. I was already impressed by the art, but the world-building and character work are just as detailed. Speaking of character work, that sh*t might be the best thing about this book.

Touya, himself, is an absolute peach. He’s one of the most endearing manga protagonists I've come across in my near four decades on this planet. I just love how earnest this cat is as he maneuvers this new, yet, familiar world. The supporting cast, his main party, is just as lovable. Charlotte and Arturia, a princess and her guard, are just as lovable. They join the party early on and become the catalyst for the first major conflict of the book. Nathalia the Twilight Sage is also fun and easily the most relaxed of the bunch. She’s been with Touya the longest, has a debilitating sweet tooth, and was already a legend before becoming his companion. However, my personal favorite character that has actually been part of the narrative for some time, is the house spirit, Ferris. Watching this character literally grow, has been a joy. She is sweet, kind, prone to fits of adorable jealousy, and probably a yandere. There have been hints of something more sinister just under the surface and i look forward to seeing that develop. Also, you can't forget the heart of this team, the Battle-Horse, Kokuyou. The character work doesn’t just stop there. NPCs, antagonists adventurers; Literally everyone in this world, feels alive. One of these adventurers, Lumina, is probably my second favorite character of the book so far. She’s the strongest adventurer we’ve seen to date and has a surprising amount of depth for someone we only spend a handful of chapters with. I hope she returns because she was absolutely awesome for what we were given.

This one got a way from me, for sure, but i just enjoy A Sage Is Summoned to Another World so much. I could sing this thing's praises for days. It’s a fantastic story being told with a detail rare among the manga offerings of today. That, coupled with the amazing artwork on the page, makes for an absolute masterpiece. Sage is one of my favorite manga being serialized today and i immediately consume whenever chapters update. So far, there are twenty-nine chapters available but, admittedly, this book updates sporadically. If i had one problem with Sage, it’s definitely the fact you can go months between new chapter t read. That’s not the title’s fault in of itself, that’s more an issue with the scanlation houses uploading them. You do, however, usually get a chunk to read at once, so if there’s one, you’ll usually see two or three more relatively soon. That drought in between chunks, though, can last months. Actually months. That aside, A Sage Is Summoned to Another World is definitely worth the read. If you have the patience to weather some pretty egregious downtime between updates, definitely check this story out. It’s a true gem that shine real bright among the Isekai genre.

[melonoverlord]

Ask meme for Gail

Which parent do they look the most like?

Definitely her mom. She and Bailey really are the spitting image of their parents. They both got the love of short hair, but Gail’s definitely the more punk of the two. Her mom dresses a lot more feminine.

Is there a name they were almost given (either by their parents or during character creation)?

Both her parents really liked how Abigail went with Bailey (Abby and Bailey made cute kids names), and almost immediately agreed on Abigail for their second born. It wasn't until she was a teen that she started going by Gail.

What were they like as a kid (if they’re currently a child, what would they be like as a teen)?

You would not recognize Gail now and Gail when Bailey was around. She was in love with looking cute and fancy, and was very tea party aesthetic. Gail (or Abby as she was known then) really just wanted to hang around with her brother and his friends and because Bailey and Leo were just good boys, they invited her to arcades and laser tag.

What’s their drinking tolerance and what kind of drunk are they?

She may not drink now because she's fourteen, but girl's a Texan and her only family's a Texan. The only people who could outdrink her would be Bailey and Kari because of Bailey's chi du soma versus her slightly lower constitution chi du nous,

Where do they like to be touched?

She says that she's got a tough exterior and that she doesn't let people in and holds her cards close to her chest, but anyone who knows her knows that she is incredibly affectionate and open to the people she loves. Gail loves hugging casually, leaning on people, and especially jumping on her shoulders. She may put on the appearance of a punk kid who's here to kick ass and take names, but she's still a cuddly fourteen year old who wants to show her affection.

What’s their favorite position (top/bottom/switch/pillow princess/etc.)

When she's older, she's more a top just because she's so stubborn, but she moreso cares about what Henri wants and will follow suit. Because the only thing Gail loves more than control is making sure that the people she loves wants to be with her in that moment.

What are their kinks?

There's very little Gail would love more than just flexing her stuff, given that it's equally consensual. So once she's older and got a better handle on her powers and what Henri likes, she would definitely do telepathic dirty, especially if other people are around. This can range from describing something to Henri or just flirting with her. She'd also be into bondage on her end just because most of the time she's telekinetic so agreeing to have that control taken away for a bit would be fun.

How do they feel about adrenaline (roller coasters, extreme sports, etc.)?

Despite being That Bitch, Gail is like her brother in that she’s not much a fan of roller coasters. She’s a huge fan of dark rides and especially water rides, but she’d much rather kick someone’s ass at video games or verbal altercations than at soccer or anything physical.

What is their fight or flight response?

Fight! Fight! Fight! She will argue and yell and scream and push until she wins. She's got a stubborn streak a mile wide and she doesn't back down easily.

What’s their pain tolerance?

She doesn't have the pain tolerance her future teammates would have just because she isn't practicing getting beaten up on the reg, but she is a Texan, so she's at least built up a bit of a tolerance playing sports and staying tough when she takes a spill.

What character archetype are they the most like (the Innocent, the Hero, etc.)

Absolutely The Rebel. She’s tough, rowdy, and willing to fuck up systems to get what she wants. And what she wants is her family back.

What TV-Tropes trope would they be?

Damsel out of Distress. The last time Bailey saw his little sister, she was a small child who was so innocent and couldn't hurt a fly, but with his disappearance, she was forced to grow up abandoned with nobody but her brother's boyfriend, so she quickly became crafty and smart to find her family again. No one would look at her and think she wouldn't hurt a fly now.

What John Mulaney quote/bit do they most embody?

"See, I just don’t think babies like me very much. Sometimes babies will point at me, and I don’t care for that shit at all. Like, I’ll be on an elevator, and a baby will be there in its big, like, stroller activity tray, just, like, working on one Cheerio with Bobby Fischer-like intensity. And it’ll look up at me and go… I like to lean in and go, “Stop snitchin’, motherfucker.” And then walk off. ‘Cause you’re never too young to learn our national no-snitching policy."

Except in this case, the baby is Bridgette and they both hate each other for being Bailey's little sister.

With the exception of love interests and immediate family, who are they closest to?

Gail spent a lot of her youth alone with only her brother’s ex-boyfriend Leo to look after her. In that time he kind of became her surrogate brother and she looks to him for everything, including flying across the world to find her brother because she saw it in a dream. Sometimes a family can be a fourteen year old lesbian punk cowgirl and her nineteen year old gay cowboy not-brother-in-law.

What is their moral alignment? What would have to happen for it to shift?

A closest approximate would be Chaotic Lawful. She thinks things should be a certain way and follow what's right, but how she thinks that is changes from day to day depending what fits her. She's very passionate and cares about what's good, but she's also just a tough self-righteous.

Are they a morning person? What are they like before 8am?

She's naturally a morning person and gets up around 7 or so, but doesn't really like getting out of bed until 9. So most days she'll be on her phone going down the YouTube rabbit hole under her blankets. It does make things better for Leo who is really not a morning person and gets those two hours of sleep before a pillow hits his face and Gail tells him that she's hungry.

What are they like when they’re tired?

Gail tends to get very whiny when tired, including just making incoherent noises when someone tries to talk to her and she doesn't want to hear it.

What are they like in arguments?

As said before, Gail doesn't back down easily and also tends to suffer from foot in mouth disease where she goes straight for the jugular and doesn't think about consequences until the bomb has been sent off. She loves and cares deeply, which means she's willing to fight tooth and nail for what she loves.

What is their dominant hand?

She's naturally left handed but wanted to learn how to be ambidextrous when she was younger so she could show off to her old brother, but when he disappeared, his best friend and boyfriend he left behind.

Out of 10, how happy are they? How happy do they think they are?

Gail thinks her life sucks and that she's had it harder than anyone else, and she's had a lot go on in her life. All her family went missing, leaving her essentially the ward of said missing brother's boyfriend and she developed strange powers with no one to explain to her. However, her guardian is still extremely loving and willing to follow her wherever she needs to be to get the answers and people she wants and at the end of the day, there are way worse powers to have than telekinesis. So she thinks she's at a 3/10, but for most of the time its 6/10.

[arrowsandwhiskeykissesmoved]

Always The Whirlwind Romance 3/?

ao3 

 malec. jace/magnus(not going into much detail with this ship). explicit (later chapters). trope galore. chapter 3/?

summary

“So a tattooist, huh?”

“Yep, it’s always a pleasure to see my work on someone else’s skin.” Dragging out the word with a playful smirk before taking a gulp of his drink, eyes filled with a mischief as he kept eye contact over the rim of the glass, causing Magnus’ stomach clench into knots.

Magnus was not prepared for this man.

so how long?

The night went on quite smoothly, drinks were flowing and laughter ensued. The travelling pair sharing stories of their journey. How they had met up and decided to stick together. Bonding over art from the historical to modern, both being involved in the arts, Clary with her pencils and paints, Alec with his needles and ink.

“It is as stereotypically wet as everyone says it is,” Clary pulled a face, “but nevertheless, still enjoyable. Very unpredictable weather, cloudy, sunny and then rainy all in one day.”

“But besides that you had fun?”

“It was amazing! I would love to go back. Imagine a group trip, that would be wonderful.”

“That would be dangerous.” Alec chimed in with a slight smirk, “You’re enough to handle on your own whilst drunk, I don’t even want to imagine what it would be like with Izzy also there, I don’t think the Brits would stand a chance.” Laughing as he tried to evade the hands that were currently trying to pummel him from his sister.

“Don’t be a dick.” Huffing, trying not to smile. Isabelle was thrilled to have her brother back, they’d always had a close relationship, they were always there for each other.

Sipping at his drink, Magnus smirked in amusement, observing the interactions of everybody. It warmed his heart to see a group of people so dedicated to each other. At some point in the night, he found himself sat between Alec and Clary with Jace sat opposite who was currently deep in conversation with Isabelle and Simon, laughing at something that seemed to make Simon blush.

“So how long?”

“Hm? How long what?”

“How long have you been together?”

Blinking momentarily, Magnus dragged his attention to the redhead beside him, mulling over the months in his head.

“I think I would say about six months? Maybe a bit over, I’m not sure. We don’t really keep track on it. It’s been wonderful though.” Smiling softly, head turned away from Alec causing him to miss the slight frown the pulled at Alec’s face. The taller trying to focus his gaze somewhere else than the back of Magnus’ head.

“Oh, that’s something.” Nudging him in the ribs with her elbow, a small smile on her face. “Yet I still had to hear it from Simon.”

“Well, you are attached at the hip for the most part and I haven’t heard from you in a while.”

“I’m sorry about that, things just got so hectic that I wasn’t able to keep up with everyone.” Clary sent Magnus an apologetic smile, leaning into his shoulder a little.

“No worries, Biscuit. It’s understandable but you’re back now and it probably means we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other.”

Letting a few beats of silence wash over them, Magnus drank his drink before moving his gaze over to his other side to the man sat there.

“So a tattooist, huh?”

“Yep, it’s always a pleasure to see my work on someone else’s skin.” Dragging out the word with a playful smirk before taking a gulp of his drink, eyes filled with a mischief as he kept eye contact over the rim of the glass, causing Magnus’ stomach clench into knots.

Magnus was not prepared for this man.

When he heard about the Alec Lightwood, he was expecting a reserved, not fuzzy yet warm hearted character. Not this hot as sin man, with a smile that can melt hearts and makes dirty innuendos that makes Magnus almost choke on his drink.

“Alec, that was terrible, you nearly made Magnus choke.” Clary chastised with a laugh.

“Oh believe me, Darling, I can handle a lot more before that happens.”

A collective groan happened yet Alec beamed.

And that smile did things to Magnus. What was he doing? Flirting with Jace’s brother. Well, Jace and everyone knew that Magnus was a big flirt in general with his personality, it was harmless but something didn’t sit right here. As the night went on, the flirting with Alec didn’t seem so light hearted and it worried Magnus. Worried Jace would pick up on it and get angry but he seemed completely oblivious that Magnus started to think he might have been overthinking things or at the very least, Jace trusted him.

He hoped it was the latter.

“So what are you planning to do now that you’re back in New York? Are you staying or is this just a visit?”

Letting out a thoughtful hum, Alec turned his gaze to look at Magnus, blue eyes capturing him in a way that he couldn’t look away.

“I believe I’m going to stay a while, I’ve missed the City and I can’t imagine being anywhere else right now.”

This made Magnus’ cheeks feel vaguely warm. He hadn’t ever had this reaction to someone before, not even when he and Jace started. He just hoped it would pass him by and he could forget about it, it wasn’t anything to worry about.

“And anyway, I’ve got a residency to start and it looks promising in the long term. A respectable place in Manhattan but a few tattoo shops in Brooklyn have expressed a desire for me to do guest spots, which I wouldn’t mind doing once I’ve got my feet on the ground.”

Alec had gained the attention of the table, everyone had quietened down to listen to him. He just seemed to have that presence that people wanted to pay attention to.

“That sounds exciting to say the least. I would love to see your work sometime.”

“I have photos I can show you but you’re welcome by to see my portfolios, you may see something you may even like yourself.”

A wink was sent Magnus’ way.

“Hell yeah, Bro! This means you can finally get started on what we had planned.”

Jace’s excited tone brought Magnus’ attention back to the group, head slightly hazy.

“Yeah, I spoke to the guys at the parlour and I can schedule you in as one of my main clients. You’re still wanting a back piece right?”

“Of course.” Confirming with a nod before moving to stand. “I’m getting more drinks, another round?” A slight cheer went up with a laugh here and there causing Jace to roll his eyes before making his way to the bar. Magnus followed him with his eyes before finishing the rest of his drink.

Alec had been fiddling with his phone for a few moments before nudging Magnus to gain back his attention, holding his phone so they could both see the screen. Magnus was captivated by the images he was seeing. It was no doubt that Alec had talent, he could see why he was in demand and he definitely wouldn’t mind seeing something like this on Jace’s body, he wasn’t opposed to something like this even on his own body. Not something he had ever really thought about before. That was an idea he would stick a pin in for another day.

The subject of conversation then made its way to Magnus’ job, Clary’s disbelief that he managed to get Simon, clumsy flailing Simon, into a pretty decent dancer.

“How did that even happen?”

“Well, you know that I love a challenge and that was one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced,” another indignant noise, “but he is quite good. You should come watch some time.”

“Okay guys, I know I’m not the most graceful of people but there is something about dancing that can just clicks.”

That caused Simon to receive some semi-serious replies because for all the ribbing that he gets, they’re still all friends. Still can be proud of what they all can accomplish.

It was then Jace arrived back with more drinks for everyone, tray being placed down in the middle of the table.

“Are we talking about how Simon doesn’t actually have two left feet?”

Smirking as he moved around Izzy to grip the other man’s shoulder with a friendly shake, avoiding the slap sent his way.

“Boys, boys, calm down. I swear you two are like children.” Izzy laughed as she tried to separate them, caught in the middle.

This was something Magnus enjoyed, watching how carefree Jace was, it made his heart clench before he turned his attention back to Alec, everyone falling into different conversations.

“So, a dancer, huh?”

“Indeed, and a pretty great one at that.”

“Well, I see you’re very modest.”

“Why should I play down my best talent that supports my living?”

The look the other man was giving him made Magnus squirm on the inside, it was deep and imploring. Something he was not used to, it was like Alec was taking him apart, trying to solve a puzzle that Magnus didn’t think he was.

“You are right and it’s refreshing. You should be proud of yourself from what I’ve heard from the other’s. Running a successful dance school along with your other projects. Don’t you have some music videos that you’re to take part in?”

“How do you know about those?”                                                                    

“I’m not the only person these guys seem to talk about so admiringly.”

This made Magnus glance up at his friends, the people he considered his family, feeling extremely lucky to have them by his side.

“And I had to do my own research about the wonder that is Magnus Bane and I must say, you are pretty impressive.”

Paying too much attention to the people around the table, falling onto Jace that the dancer missed the appreciative gaze that ran up and down his form.

It became a common occurrence now that the group would meet up at the bar. Often as a whole group but also frequently by whoever could show up. Magnus liked going to keep their friend Maia company as she worked. They were close, sibling like, he was as close to an older brother she never had.

He cared for them all deeply. It had been less than a year that the others had become so important to him, apart from Simon who he had known for some years with his dear Clary. He was the oldest of them all and he would protect them at all costs. They all had their pasts and Magnus would always provide them with the support they needed, the one they all would go to.

Now he had Clary back but he was now welcoming Alec into the fold and it was too easy. Letting this man in. It was easy and it scared him but he was Jace’s brother. And that was why it was easy.

At least that is what he told himself.  

“Hnnn…”

It was hot, it was burning, it was pleasure, it was rushed.

A quick fumble under the covers before collapsing down onto their backs. Magnus felt limp and sated, Jace breathing heavily beside him as they let the feeling gradually return to the bodies.

“Fuck, you know there should be a religion just dedicated to your mouth, it deserves worship.”

“I believe that goes against what religion is for.” Letting out a breathless chuckle, head tilting to look at his lover who replied with lazy flick of the hand.

“Technicalities. The point still stands. Your mouth is positively sinful.”

Magnus rolled his eyes before moving to sit up, picking up the silken robe that had been dropped to the floor, slipping it over his body as he stood, knotting it loosely in the front.

“Coffee?”

“Nah, I’m fine. I need to make my way out actually. I have to be at the gym in an hour for a client, so I only have time for a quick shower before heading out.”

Making his way around to Magnus, not caring about his nakedness, moving to place a lingering kiss to the other’s lips before making his way through the loft to the bathroom. Magnus couldn’t help but watch that ass as the blonde walked away, letting out a quiet sigh, grinning slightly.

“Damn.”

Sweat was building up on his skin as he moved. Arms moving fluidly to roll down the rest of his body. The music reverberated through his bones as he danced. Feet gliding over the floor as he took advantage of the space he had. Body turning with precision, a jerk here, a twist there, eyes concentrating on the mirror to ensure the movements were correct, stopping here and there to repeat a movement, clearly unhappy with what he had just done.

It was all about practice.

Move and repeat.

Repeat.

He could hear the class next door practising. He wasn’t the only instructor there, he wouldn’t be able to handle his own dancers, run the place and focus on his own career that branched out further than this. The school would always be his baby but he would always push himself further.

Pausing for a moment to gather his breath before restarting the routine as the music picked up again, the playlist he created pouring into the room from the sound system.

He pushed himself through a complicated manoeuvre eyes focused on the mirror in front of him before he stopped suddenly, eyes catching sight of someone leaning against the wall. Someone who happened to be Alec.

“Alexander?”

Moving over to pause the music, dropping them into silence.

“Alexander? Nobody has called me that in years.” A broad smile pulled at the taller’s lips as he pushed himself off the wall to stand straight.

“Sorry, I don’t know why I called you that, Alec.”

“No, no. I like it.”

Rolling his eyes, Magnus moved to wipe himself down with his nearby towel, he was desperately in need of a shower.

“What can I do for you? Did Jace send you?”

“… No, Jace didn’t send me.” There was something a little off about Alec’s voice, eyes drawn to Magnus’ arms before clearing his throat. “I just thought I would come and see you in action and Isabelle told me where to find you.”

“Oh … Okay. You know you shouldn’t really sneak up on someone like that.”

“Well, I’m pretty sure I announced my presence but you were too focused so I decided to let you continue and you are right, you’re great at what you do.”

Smirking at Magnus before stepping a bit closer.

“I was wondering if you wanted to go get something to eat, I asked the others if they wanted to join but they were busy.”

“Well I was going to see if your brother wanted to do something…”

“He didn’t tell you?” Alec frowned a little, Magnus decided that as attractive Alec was in his seriousness, he liked the smile better.

“Tell me what?”

“Him and Clary met up a bit ago and had gone for food with Izzy.”

…

“He did?”

Magnus felt uncomfortable as Alec nodded, he wondered why Jace hadn’t said anything.

“Okay then… Sure, why not. Let me go home and clean myself up and we can meet up wherever we’re going.”

“There’s a Thai place not too far away that is recommended, I’ll text you the address and I’ll see you there at seven.” Alec spoke as he walked backwards to the exit, eyes on Magnus.

“Yeah sure…”

Alec was about to disappear from sight.

“Wait, you don’t have my number!”

But Alec was gone and Magnus was confused before…

“Isabelle…”

[arrowsandwhiskeykisses]

always the whirlwind romance 3/?

ao3 

 malec. jace/magnus(not going into much detail with this ship). explicit (later chapters). trope galore. chapter 3/?

summary

“So a tattooist, huh?”

“Yep, it’s always a pleasure to see my work on someone else’s skin.” Dragging out the word with a playful smirk before taking a gulp of his drink, eyes filled with a mischief as he kept eye contact over the rim of the glass, causing Magnus’ stomach clench into knots.

Magnus was not prepared for this man.

so how long?

The night went on quite smoothly, drinks were flowing and laughter ensued. The travelling pair sharing stories of their journey. How they had met up and decided to stick together. Bonding over art from the historical to modern, both being involved in the arts, Clary with her pencils and paints, Alec with his needles and ink.

“It is as stereotypically wet as everyone says it is,” Clary pulled a face, “but nevertheless, still enjoyable. Very unpredictable weather, cloudy, sunny and then rainy all in one day.”

“But besides that you had fun?”

“It was amazing! I would love to go back. Imagine a group trip, that would be wonderful.”

“That would be dangerous.” Alec chimed in with a slight smirk, “You’re enough to handle on your own whilst drunk, I don’t even want to imagine what it would be like with Izzy also there, I don’t think the Brits would stand a chance.” Laughing as he tried to evade the hands that were currently trying to pummel him from his sister.

“Don’t be a dick.” Huffing, trying not to smile. Isabelle was thrilled to have her brother back, they’d always had a close relationship, they were always there for each other.

Sipping at his drink, Magnus smirked in amusement, observing the interactions of everybody. It warmed his heart to see a group of people so dedicated to each other. At some point in the night, he found himself sat between Alec and Clary with Jace sat opposite who was currently deep in conversation with Isabelle and Simon, laughing at something that seemed to make Simon blush.

“So how long?”

“Hm? How long what?”

“How long have you been together?”

Blinking momentarily, Magnus dragged his attention to the redhead beside him, mulling over the months in his head.

“I think I would say about six months? Maybe a bit over, I’m not sure. We don’t really keep track on it. It’s been wonderful though.” Smiling softly, head turned away from Alec causing him to miss the slight frown the pulled at Alec’s face. The taller trying to focus his gaze somewhere else than the back of Magnus’ head.

“Oh, that’s something.” Nudging him in the ribs with her elbow, a small smile on her face. “Yet I still had to hear it from Simon.”

“Well, you are attached at the hip for the most part and I haven’t heard from you in a while.”

“I’m sorry about that, things just got so hectic that I wasn’t able to keep up with everyone.” Clary sent Magnus an apologetic smile, leaning into his shoulder a little.

“No worries, Biscuit. It’s understandable but you’re back now and it probably means we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other.”

Letting a few beats of silence wash over them, Magnus drank his drink before moving his gaze over to his other side to the man sat there.

“So a tattooist, huh?”

“Yep, it’s always a pleasure to see my work on someone else’s skin.” Dragging out the word with a playful smirk before taking a gulp of his drink, eyes filled with a mischief as he kept eye contact over the rim of the glass, causing Magnus’ stomach clench into knots.

Magnus was not prepared for this man.

When he heard about the Alec Lightwood, he was expecting a reserved, not fuzzy yet warm hearted character. Not this hot as sin man, with a smile that can melt hearts and makes dirty innuendos that makes Magnus almost choke on his drink.

“Alec, that was terrible, you nearly made Magnus choke.” Clary chastised with a laugh.

“Oh believe me, Darling, I can handle a lot more before that happens.”

A collective groan happened yet Alec beamed.

And that smile did things to Magnus. What was he doing? Flirting with Jace’s brother. Well, Jace and everyone knew that Magnus was a big flirt in general with his personality, it was harmless but something didn’t sit right here. As the night went on, the flirting with Alec didn’t seem so light hearted and it worried Magnus. Worried Jace would pick up on it and get angry but he seemed completely oblivious that Magnus started to think he might have been overthinking things or at the very least, Jace trusted him.

He hoped it was the latter.

“So what are you planning to do now that you’re back in New York? Are you staying or is this just a visit?”

Letting out a thoughtful hum, Alec turned his gaze to look at Magnus, blue eyes capturing him in a way that he couldn’t look away.

“I believe I’m going to stay a while, I’ve missed the City and I can’t imagine being anywhere else right now.”

This made Magnus’ cheeks feel vaguely warm. He hadn’t ever had this reaction to someone before, not even when he and Jace started. He just hoped it would pass him by and he could forget about it, it wasn’t anything to worry about.

“And anyway, I’ve got a residency to start and it looks promising in the long term. A respectable place in Manhattan but a few tattoo shops in Brooklyn have expressed a desire for me to do guest spots, which I wouldn’t mind doing once I’ve got my feet on the ground.”

Alec had gained the attention of the table, everyone had quietened down to listen to him. He just seemed to have that presence that people wanted to pay attention to.

“That sounds exciting to say the least. I would love to see your work sometime.”

“I have photos I can show you but you’re welcome by to see my portfolios, you may see something you may even like yourself.”

A wink was sent Magnus’ way.

“Hell yeah, Bro! This means you can finally get started on what we had planned.”

Jace’s excited tone brought Magnus’ attention back to the group, head slightly hazy.

“Yeah, I spoke to the guys at the parlour and I can schedule you in as one of my main clients. You’re still wanting a back piece right?”

“Of course.” Confirming with a nod before moving to stand. “I’m getting more drinks, another round?” A slight cheer went up with a laugh here and there causing Jace to roll his eyes before making his way to the bar. Magnus followed him with his eyes before finishing the rest of his drink.

Alec had been fiddling with his phone for a few moments before nudging Magnus to gain back his attention, holding his phone so they could both see the screen. Magnus was captivated by the images he was seeing. It was no doubt that Alec had talent, he could see why he was in demand and he definitely wouldn’t mind seeing something like this on Jace’s body, he wasn’t opposed to something like this even on his own body. Not something he had ever really thought about before. That was an idea he would stick a pin in for another day.

The subject of conversation then made its way to Magnus’ job, Clary’s disbelief that he managed to get Simon, clumsy flailing Simon, into a pretty decent dancer.

“How did that even happen?”

“Well, you know that I love a challenge and that was one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced,” another indignant noise, “but he is quite good. You should come watch some time.”

“Okay guys, I know I’m not the most graceful of people but there is something about dancing that can just clicks.”

That caused Simon to receive some semi-serious replies because for all the ribbing that he gets, they’re still all friends. Still can be proud of what they all can accomplish.

It was then Jace arrived back with more drinks for everyone, tray being placed down in the middle of the table.

“Are we talking about how Simon doesn’t actually have two left feet?”

Smirking as he moved around Izzy to grip the other man’s shoulder with a friendly shake, avoiding the slap sent his way.

“Boys, boys, calm down. I swear you two are like children.” Izzy laughed as she tried to separate them, caught in the middle.

This was something Magnus enjoyed, watching how carefree Jace was, it made his heart clench before he turned his attention back to Alec, everyone falling into different conversations.

“So, a dancer, huh?”

“Indeed, and a pretty great one at that.”

“Well, I see you’re very modest.”

“Why should I play down my best talent that supports my living?”

The look the other man was giving him made Magnus squirm on the inside, it was deep and imploring. Something he was not used to, it was like Alec was taking him apart, trying to solve a puzzle that Magnus didn’t think he was.

“You are right and it’s refreshing. You should be proud of yourself from what I’ve heard from the other’s. Running a successful dance school along with your other projects. Don’t you have some music videos that you’re to take part in?”

“How do you know about those?”                                                                    

“I’m not the only person these guys seem to talk about so admiringly.”

This made Magnus glance up at his friends, the people he considered his family, feeling extremely lucky to have them by his side.

“And I had to do my own research about the wonder that is Magnus Bane and I must say, you are pretty impressive.”

Paying too much attention to the people around the table, falling onto Jace that the dancer missed the appreciative gaze that ran up and down his form.

It became a common occurrence now that the group would meet up at the bar. Often as a whole group but also frequently by whoever could show up. Magnus liked going to keep their friend Maia company as she worked. They were close, sibling like, he was as close to an older brother she never had.

He cared for them all deeply. It had been less than a year that the others had become so important to him, apart from Simon who he had known for some years with his dear Clary. He was the oldest of them all and he would protect them at all costs. They all had their pasts and Magnus would always provide them with the support they needed, the one they all would go to.

Now he had Clary back but he was now welcoming Alec into the fold and it was too easy. Letting this man in. It was easy and it scared him but he was Jace’s brother. And that was why it was easy.

At least that is what he told himself. 

“Hnnn…”

It was hot, it was burning, it was pleasure, it was rushed.

A quick fumble under the covers before collapsing down onto their backs. Magnus felt limp and sated, Jace breathing heavily beside him as they let the feeling gradually return to the bodies.

“Fuck, you know there should be a religion just dedicated to your mouth, it deserves worship.”

“I believe that goes against what religion is for.” Letting out a breathless chuckle, head tilting to look at his lover who replied with lazy flick of the hand.

“Technicalities. The point still stands. Your mouth is positively sinful.”

Magnus rolled his eyes before moving to sit up, picking up the silken robe that had been dropped to the floor, slipping it over his body as he stood, knotting it loosely in the front.

“Coffee?”

“Nah, I’m fine. I need to make my way out actually. I have to be at the gym in an hour for a client, so I only have time for a quick shower before heading out.”

Making his way around to Magnus, not caring about his nakedness, moving to place a lingering kiss to the other’s lips before making his way through the loft to the bathroom. Magnus couldn’t help but watch that ass as the blonde walked away, letting out a quiet sigh, grinning slightly.

“Damn.”

Sweat was building up on his skin as he moved. Arms moving fluidly to roll down the rest of his body. The music reverberated through his bones as he danced. Feet gliding over the floor as he took advantage of the space he had. Body turning with precision, a jerk here, a twist there, eyes concentrating on the mirror to ensure the movements were correct, stopping here and there to repeat a movement, clearly unhappy with what he had just done.

It was all about practice.

Move and repeat.

Repeat.

He could hear the class next door practising. He wasn’t the only instructor there, he wouldn’t be able to handle his own dancers, run the place and focus on his own career that branched out further than this. The school would always be his baby but he would always push himself further.

Pausing for a moment to gather his breath before restarting the routine as the music picked up again, the playlist he created pouring into the room from the sound system.

He pushed himself through a complicated manoeuvre eyes focused on the mirror in front of him before he stopped suddenly, eyes catching sight of someone leaning against the wall. Someone who happened to be Alec.

“Alexander?”

Moving over to pause the music, dropping them into silence.

“Alexander? Nobody has called me that in years.” A broad smile pulled at the taller’s lips as he pushed himself off the wall to stand straight.

“Sorry, I don’t know why I called you that, Alec.”

“No, no. I like it.”

Rolling his eyes, Magnus moved to wipe himself down with his nearby towel, he was desperately in need of a shower.

“What can I do for you? Did Jace send you?”

“… No, Jace didn’t send me.” There was something a little off about Alec’s voice, eyes drawn to Magnus’ arms before clearing his throat. “I just thought I would come and see you in action and Isabelle told me where to find you.”

“Oh … Okay. You know you shouldn’t really sneak up on someone like that.”

“Well, I’m pretty sure I announced my presence but you were too focused so I decided to let you continue and you are right, you’re great at what you do.”

Smirking at Magnus before stepping a bit closer.

“I was wondering if you wanted to go get something to eat, I asked the others if they wanted to join but they were busy.”

“Well I was going to see if your brother wanted to do something…”

“He didn’t tell you?” Alec frowned a little, Magnus decided that as attractive Alec was in his seriousness, he liked the smile better.

“Tell me what?”

“Him and Clary met up a bit ago and had gone for food with Izzy.”

…

“He did?”

Magnus felt uncomfortable as Alec nodded, he wondered why Jace hadn’t said anything.

“Okay then… Sure, why not. Let me go home and clean myself up and we can meet up wherever we’re going.”

“There’s a Thai place not too far away that is recommended, I’ll text you the address and I’ll see you there at seven.” Alec spoke as he walked backwards to the exit, eyes on Magnus.

“Yeah sure…”

Alec was about to disappear from sight.

“Wait, you don’t have my number!”

But Alec was gone and Magnus was confused before…

“Isabelle…”