#he just refuses to acknowledge it cause reputation

[wolvesandshine]

James: Did you just give me a sunflower

Regulus: Yes it’s your favourite

James: You remembered?

Regulus: Your voice is so annoying I couldn’t forget it if I tried

James *smiling widely*: I love it when you’re nice to me

[wyniepooh]

Red

red belonged to coriolanus snow. you, belonged to coriolanus snow.

capitoluniversitystudent!coriolanusnow x capitoluniversitystudent!reader. university rivals w immense tension. reader puts on a facade of deeply despising corio, but rlly its just unaddressed attraction. I would say corio is pretty character accurate, so expect manipulation, light sociopathic tendencies, possessiveness, etc. corio has an unexpected interest in reader and catches u bad-talking him, decides to claim his power... and u???

coriolanus had made it. he was attending the capitol university, had the ideal mentor, and possessed a reputation that regularly caused classmates to crowd around him and sing their praises. all of this was evidence to the bright future he would undoubtedly grasp, very soon.

he just hoped that you wouldn't ruin everything for him.

you, the new student who had transferred in the middle of the year. you, who absolutely refused to make eye contact with him, and always squirmed by him in the hallways. you, who never, ever, acknowledged any of the distinguished prizes coriolanus had won, and all the prizes he would soon own.

coriolanus had thought that after the 10th games, he would never have the issue of not having someone always at his feet. sure, they may have all just been after his money or influence, but at least he knew they were all on his side. all except you, apparently.

as he stared at you from across the room, sat straight and proper with a finger wrapped in your hair, he couldn't make himself focus on anything other than the tip of your pencil poking at your lips. and you, seemed to be focused on anything, and anyone, except coriolanus snow.

he barely registered the sound of his other classmates packing up their things and skidding back their chairs. it was only when he saw you grabbing your bag did he follow suit, heading quickly through the door and down the stairs, hypnotized by the swing of your ponytail.

he kept a generous distance behind you, making sure he blended in with the rest of the students heading to the cafeteria, but also ensuring he always had eyes on the nape of your neck.

he stopped when you stopped, squinting his eyes with suspicion as you headed into an empty classroom.

the door made an unpleasant creak when swiftly opened and closed. coriolanus stood still for a minute with his hand paused in the air. After a minute of contemplation, he gently twisted the doorknob to reveal a sliver of your familiar figure, sitting on a desk with your legs crossed.

"ah, you're here," a voice said from further inside the classroom.

you chuckled as you pulled your food out. "so I am. sorry it took me so long to get here. I was trying to get rid of red. I swear, he's trailing me."

The previously faceless voice finally appeared in frame. her hands came up to her face, and a mixture of a gasp and a giggled escaped her.

"seriously? god, what is his deal? whenever we have class together, he’s always staring at you," she snarked as she made herself comfortable on the desk across from you.

“and I mean, it's not even in a charming way. it just seems like he's... trying to figure out what's going on in your mind at all times. kind of creepy"

you hummed between chews. "be careful. remember who you're talking about. if dr. gaul or mr. plinth catches you talking even remotely bad about him, say goodbye to the desk you're sitting on and the stability of your future."

the other girl sighed. "you're right. he always has someone asking for his approval or begging for a reference. he's on another level from us.” She sighed.

“but you have to admit," she continued, "he has quite the face. I don’t even think I would mind him following me around all day. you’re too oblivious.”

"you’re horrible!” you joked, “but I’m not oblivious, I'm choosing to ignore him. I’m not into whatever game he thinks he’s playing.”

you chewed throughly before speaking again. “and I especially hate those who act as if they're above everyone. I mean, why is he always the one everyone asks for approval? why is he the ultimate reference? How special can he be? I’ll admit, he has more prizes and money than any of us, but how many of those prizes did he truly earn? He’s living proof that you can do anything, and be anyone, if you have the right people on your side."

she laughed at your words. "alright, alright. I won't force you to like him. but just know… your feelings are in the minority here."

"trust me, coriolanus snow will live just fine without my desire to get to know hi-"

the loud slam of the doorknob against the wall incited a gasp from the girl sitting across from you. you repressed the urge to roll your eyes when you saw the tall form at the doorframe. "speak of the devil," you mumbled under your breath.

"say that again."

"snow-" your friend began to say, but was promptly interrupted by the man.

"leave."

you scoffed, "don't tell her to leave-"

"leave. now."

your friend flashed you an exasperated stare, but not before she allowed a small smile to escape as she scrambled to gather her things, half-running out the door.

"great," you sighed as you brought another spoonful of food up to your mouth. but before it could touch your lips, coriolanus paced over and wrapped his hand around your upright wrist.

"continue what you were saying before,” he ordered. his grasp wasn't rough by any means, but it was firm, exactly how you imagined his grip would feel, which reflected the seriousness in his voice.

"what, I don't get to finish my lunch first?"

he flung his arm over to the side at your question, shocking you enough to drop the spoon. in all your bewilderment, you barely reacted when he grabbed the entirety of your food and threw it over your shoulder.

you heard the splat of sauce hitting the desk below you before you felt its coldness on your shoulder. you couldn't close your mouth, nor could you close the lid on your bubbling anger. you hurled away his arm and hopped off the desk, walking as far forward as the classroom would go.

"I told you to-"

"oh, I'll continue."

you swiveled around to face him, crossing your arms as he stood still by the desk, with his perfectly ironed pants and stupidly flawless, blonde, hair.

"I'll tell you exactly what I think about you, snow,” you huffed.

“I think that you're a scam. winner of the 10th hunger games, through cheating," you said as you counted a finger on your hand. you smiled at his shocked expression. "yes, I know you and gaul erased all the footage but, some people have surprisingly strong memories."

you slowly began walking towards him. "rich, through your conveniently dead friend." another finger. "honoured student of prestige, through corrupted power."

you raised the three fingers, staring stiffly into his eyes. "you're a scam, snow."

you stopped once you reached the desk. looking up at him through your eyelashes, you whispered with a pout, "and yet you still wonder why people don't like you."

you bent over to pick up your bag, but when you straightened back up, his hand was back on your arm. this time, his grasp was fierce, and he used tremendous force to pull you towards him.

you were so close that you could make out all the individual blue fibres in his eyes, and count each strand of his full eyelashes. you furrowed your brows, lips curling with an expression of disgust and disturbance. a pink flush occupied your cheeks, but you weren’t exactly sure if it was from telling him off so honestly or from the lack of space between the two of you.

"you're right," he scoffed lightly.

"what?"

"you're right, I said. I will live without your acceptance. I will live beautifully, in fact."

you sneered mockingly. "good for you, snow, good for you. not everyone has the privilege that you have,” you spat.

you tried to pull your arm away from his sturdy hold, but he only tightened the pressure, grabbing the small of your back to further press you against him. you couldn't help the gasp that came from you. you looked at him with the upmost confusion, lips parting slightly at the surprisingly tender caress of his hand on your hip.

he leaned down to you ear. "but... I don't want to. I don’t want to live without your acceptance. like you said before, it never hurts to have someone behind you. to catch you when you fall."

he drew back towards your face, staring unwaveringly into your eyes as he maneuvered your hand onto his shoulder, holding it in place with his own. "I can give you anything you want. I will, give you anything you want. money, power, glory. if only you wouldn't repress your feelings like this..."

with each breath of his that you felt grazing across your face, your eyelashes fluttered. for a split second, your eyes flickered to his reddened lips. your body seemed to relax against his, your head instinctively leaning towards. you hadn’t even noticed that his hand was no longer keeping your hand in place, but instead, you were the one desperately squeezing his shoulder.

his nose came down to touch yours, and your hands slowly brushed the back of his head. your fingers tangled themselves in his gelled hair, and your eyes automatically closed the moment you felt a brush of something against your lips.

then, coldness. the previously warm figure in front of you was gone.

your arms had been carelessly thrown off, causing you to stumble backwards. snow had backed up a couple steps, hands in his pockets as he smiled for the first time today. "and that is why everyone asks for my approval. this is why I am able to get anyone, anywhere they want, with a couple of sweet, simple words."

he stepped a little closer, extending a hand to grab your chin. his thumb moved up till it reached your lips, giving them a gentle nudge. "that's power, doll. corrupted or not, it has the same effect. not even you could deny that."

he turned around, and began walking towards the door. right before he stepped over the frame, he paused. slipping out his arms, he removed his red coat and twirled to face you again. "sorry about the stain. here, it's cold today." he tossed you the garment, giving you one last smirk. with a tilt of his head, he was gone.

you weren't sure you were ever going to be able to speak again. your own shaky hand came up to touch your lower lip, cold shivers spreading down your entire body at the newly formed memory. seeing your reflection through one of the windows, you knew you couldn't walk out with that stain on your shirt. so you put his jacket on, feeling that familiar warmth on your skin once more.

as you walked out the door, you gradually began to realize what this meant. red. he always wore red. he was the only student in the entire university who wore it, and wore it well. perhaps this was his intention all along. the subtle stalking, the staring, the provocation.

pacing down the busy hallway where everyone was rushing to get to their next class, you felt the glares of practically everyone in the building. first, focused on the blonde a couple paces in front of you, looking rather different than he had this morning, then on you, wearing the red coat that matched oh-so-perfectly with his red vest.

they all knew what it meant. you knew what it meant.

you now belonged to coriolanus snow.

-

a/n: so once again I have not read any of the books, so pls pls pls excuse any inaccuracies w how the university works and the exact details of what happened post lucy gray lol. anyways this is for all the ppl who don't want to fix him n actually will take him as he is, psychopath and all (me).

[brucewaynehater101]

"It's A Wonderful Life" AU with Tim and Jason

I only know the very basic premise of this movie, so we're going off of that.

Tw: death, suicide, violence

This could be a Titan's Tower AU, but I do think this could be a bit more fun after the BruceQuest.

Tim, who's had his support systems (even the JL ripped from him) and is seething in paranoia, gets cornered by Red Hood. The last time he saw Jason alone, he got a batarang to the chest (Battle of the Cowl). Tim has no reason to suspect this interaction will be friendly.

Red Robin is geared up for a fight. Red Hood has his hands up in surrender and far away from his hip holsters. It's not exactly reassuring (Jason can probably whip out his pistols in the same amount of time it takes Tim to grab a birdarang), but it does communicate that Jason isn't looking for a fight. Tim, who's one mental breakdown away from taking over Lex Corp for the hell of it, doesn't see this as a good sign. Why would Jason, the original Cain instinct, want to talk "peacefully" with his Placeholder? What's the aim?

Jason kind of just wants to apologize and is low-key concerned with how he's so isolated from everyone. He doesn't truly care about Tim, and he doesn't think it's his place/right/ability to be the support for the kid, but he can at least say sorry. Tim doesn't need to accept it, but he deserves the acknowledgement that it was indeed fucked up and not Tim's fault in the slightest. It's not much, especially with the scar on Tim's throat and the trauma, but it's a start. He still holds some resentment for the kid, but he's starting to learn that's more Jason and Bruce's fault than Tim's.

The conversation doesn't go great. Maybe Tim is being defensive and an asshole (which is fair since Jason's attacked him twice at least). Jason gets a little upset over this and snaps back (which is not what he's trying to do and counterproductive).

They get interrupted by this magician that sighs. They explain how fucking exhausting it is hearing them continue to misunderstand each other so they will show them what the world was like if Tim was never born.

Cue something similar to the movie I described. I haven't seen it, so here's what I think happens in that movie combined with this AU.

Tim and Jason stumble around Gotham at the current date in this alternative universe.

It's hell. They constantly run into crime on every corner, and there's no order.

They find out that Bruce had died within a year of Jason dying. Gotham fell to shambles due to Batman's declining reputation at that point. They had no hope and were hostile to any heroes that tried to help (due to the last hero they had turning on them). Gotham was eventually abandoned by the US government.

With his death, people found out Bruce Wayne was Batman. This causes Alfred to be sent to jail, and Dick could never return to Gotham. Dick only survived due to the Titan's refusing to let him destroy himself. He's still not okay.

Damian never came to Gotham cause Bruce had died. He's still set to become Ra's vessel, and no one (like Dick, the JL, Jason, etc) knows about this plot.

Jim Gordon was killed, and Barbara had to move out of Gotham.

Steph joined Helena for a bit. They made a kickass team, but they didn't survive to the current day.

Duke and his family moved out of Gotham before the gates closed, but he lost his parents in the escape.

Cass was never taught language.

Jason killed the Joker and then himself.

Anyways, Gotham goes to shit and Bruce kills himself on patrol (let's himself be hit and doesn't give himself needed rest). That's the basics of what they learned in this alternative universe.

This causes Tim to feel a bit better about all the sacrifices he made. He was vital and important to the Bats. He did good. He was necessary. It doesn't erase all the pain and hurt, but it boosts his self-esteem just a small bit.

Jason didn't realize the extent of what Tim did for them. He didn't realize the impact of Tim's decision and how he saved everyone. The two of them part, and Jason starts to uncover all the sacrifices the teen made.

Tw: suicide

If you want extra angst, maybe the magician reveals that Tim was planning to kill himself before he saw that Bruce needed him (thus the world is what happened if Tim went through with his OG plan). Tim has severely unhealthy coping mechanisms now, but his tendency to help people allows himself to feel needed. Lots to unpack there.

[jedischooldropout]

Rhaenyra’s Sexuality Adds More Context!🏳️‍🌈

Hello again, back with more opinions. I was thinking about Episode 2.06 and the reveal that Rhaenyra is also attracted to women. Some people are saying “this is out of nowhere.” It really isn’t.

In the first season, Rhaenyra brings Alicent to the dragon pit while she flies Syrax, even offers to take her for a spin, which Alicent refuses. Dragon riding is a very intimate thing. It’s a status of power for Targaryens and very exclusive. For Rhaenyra to offer that to Alicent, someone who is not a Targaryen, speaks volumes. She even mentions wanting to fly around the world with Alicent, enjoying life away from the throne.

Now, when Viserys reveals he will marry Alicent, Rhaenyra’s reaction seems more intense than expected. Yes, she feels lied to and it’s VERY gross to think of your father marrying your best friend. However, she harbors such animosity towards Alicent and towards baby Aegon, this to me screams jealously. She’s furious that the woman she loves is married to her father and is having his children. I also believe that Rhaenyra’s coldness towards Aegon also has to do with the succession, but I think the heart of it is that every time she looked at Aegon reminded her of Alicent fucking someone else. I think Rhaenyra would feel this way towards anyone who married Alicent.

This also raises the question why Alicent had no suitors before Viserys. Yes, Otto was grooming his daughter for the throne. However, in medieval times, if you were a lady-in-waiting for a Princess, it was part of the Princess’s job to find you a suitable match. How come Rhaenyra didn’t do this for Alicent?

Rhaenyra’s search for a suitor also highlights the fact that she loved Alicent. On her tour, she only travels for a couple months and in the end insults the men who put their names forward and returns home immediately. After she returns home, she reconciled with Alicent! She acknowledges that Alicent didn’t have much of a choice in what happened. It’s like she had a realization after experiencing being a pawn in the suitors own motivations that she realizes what Alicent went through.

Now, the catalyst of this whole thing: the accusation. I truly believe this is what causes the Dance because when Alicent hears of Rhaenyra’s dalliance with Daemon, she is furious. She is not coming to Rhaenyra as a friend, concerned for her reputation and offering to help her; she is coming to her as a woman scorned and demanding if the accusations are true. It reminded me of seeing couples accusing each other of cheating. I know Alicent’s whole thing is about duty and honor, but her reaction is way more intense than just approaching a friend about a one night stand. It becomes Alicent’s mission to prove Rhaenyra’s promiscuity, like a suspicious partner checking their partner’s phone. It’s after this that Alicent splits the family apart and makes it her mission to take the throne from Rhaenyra.

Rhaenyra also did everything in her power to avoid a war. She offers a marriage between Jace and Helaena. Her reckless plan to talk to Alicent in King’s Landing shows just how much she still loves Alicent and wants to reconcile. The fact Alicent didn’t turn her in also shows how much she still loves her.

I think Rhaenyra was bi-sexual this whole time and her love for Alicent motivated her to spurn her half-siblings. Meanwhile Alicent’s closeted feelings for Rhaenyra caused her to harbor anger towards her. If these two women had just kissed, they would be one happy family right now 🤷‍♀️

GIF from @gameofthrones

[streets-in-paradise]

Eternal Courtship - Achilles x (fem)Captive!Reader

Troy (2004) Oneshot

Requested by Anon

" hi dearr! Please a story of achilles, in which he falls in love with a woman in the middle of the war and shows his most sensitive side (in the achilles way)"

Abso-fucking-lutely!

I love this so much and hope I did your request justice. Like i told you in the answer of your ask, I got the idea of making her a captive because it's an easy way for them to meet in the middle of the war, but their dynamic is the opposite of the one he has with Briseis in the movie's canon.

Warnings: warrior x war captive romance with grumpy x sunshine vibes. It's implied that the war lasts a bit longer than in the movie, with a time gap happening between the arrival of the greeks/argument of Achilles and Agamemnon and the pacted combat of Paris and Menelaus. This fic is meant to take place in the course of that time gap.

Summary: The wrath of Achilles is a matter of grief for the greeks, but it comes like a ray of hope in your days as their captive. His absense on the battlefield is good news for your people at the other side of the wall, and a calming sign for you. Despite his countrymen are too focused on his pride as the major cause, you believe a warlord willing to risk so much for a simple slave girl is someone capable of performing noble acts.

Intrigued by the glimpses of that kindness he refuses to acknowledge, you approach him without fear and your guesses get confirmed. In your determination to prove that he has a heart, you fail to realize of your slow conquest of it, untill the proof you are looking for comes in the form of his passionate love.

Note: Inspired by a prompt by @creativepromptsforwriting

Prompt 9 - " Why do you always manage to persuade me with your charm? "

Tags: @thorsslxve

The greek army was marching, but the myrmidons had stayed. Their leader refused to take them to combat in protest for the humillation he suffered through the mistreatement of his stolen slave. Briseis, your companion in captivity, was dragged away to the tent of Agamemnon, and the things you have heard about that man were so vile that you feared for her fate more than yours. Her first master had given you to his cousin, a lad younger than you, and you would have never imagined he himself would bother that much for her. Still, he went as far as abstaining from fighting when she got taken away from him.

What happened on the tent of the mycenaean king was commented all over the camp. It was said that the angry myrmidon was about to kill the guards, fellow greeks on his side of the war, for that trojan girl he had just meet. In the language of men, Briseis wasn't different from a pile of gold. They spoke of insults on the honor of the invincible warrior being deprived of his reward as the cause of such mercieless reaction coming from his pride. Ríght after leaving the tent with evident frustration, Patroclus claimed his cousin was heartless for abandoning their countrymen over a distribution dispute. If captives were the issue, he was willing to give you back to him. After all, he didnt want a slave in the first place. You were the compensation he received for not being allowed to fight, a distraction Achilles wanted him to have so he won't insist on the matter.

Since he remained on his tent for the rest of the day, you were sent there as an unwanted present returned to its source. It was the first time you were going to be completely alone with Achilles, and you had a peculiar opinion on him.

To you, his recent actions couldn't be framed as a mere temper tantrum. For as much desperate as the greeks could be to get back his intervention on the war, all their defeats without him would be blamed on him. It was a huge risk for his reputation, that he took after nearly assasinating some fellow soldiers trying to protect a slave.

What the camp perceived as brutal selfishness were acts of great kindness in your perspective. The man you despised barely a few hours ago had won your respectfull admiration. Curiosity overcame any fears as you peeked inside his self reclusion shelter. Common sense would have suggested to approach with caution. Instead, you were standing there with a polite smile and a bowl of food.

He barely looked at you, too lost in hoarding anger.

" I'm not hungry. "

The dry treatment didn't stop you.

" A bit lonely, perhaps? " You sweetly inquirred. " Patroclus is worried for you, so he has decided to give you his present hoping to cheer you up over loosing Briseis. "

The explanation got him more interested in starting a conversation.

" Is that what he believes i'm all about? The reason of my rage? A toy the big bad king took from me and i can simply replace? " He mocked the presented assumption. " I promised that girl that I would keep her safe. I gave her my word, but Agamemnon spat on it. "

The response was fascinating, even better than what you imagined.

" I value your commitement to that promise, no other would have defended her as fiercely as you did. "

Achilles received the compliment with skepticism.

" You should have seen how repulsed she was by that. "

The warrior was pretending to be careless because he wanted to know your opinion. Used as he was to stumble with the hate of Briseis, your more docile attitude was hard to understand because you didn't seem scared enough to be pretending submission.

" I'm impressed, and quite confused. " You admitted as you took your first steps inside. " The destroyer of the temple didn't hesitate in spilling the blood of sacred servants, yet barely a few hours later he turned against his own kind to protect the last one standing. "

You paced arround the place seeking for a spot to leave your load, then passively invited him to check it by choosing one on his reach.

" Your countrymen think you are being recklessly selfish, but i believe otherwise. A man who risks so much for a war prisoner he just meet proves that he is more than the destruction he caused. "

The trusting bright in your eyes got him out of his absortion.

" I will have to break your childish illusions, girl : all i care about is glory. Agamemnon is denying me the recognition i deserve, breaking my pacts for me, and I can't allow it."

To that seriously delivered statement, all you did was releasing some light chuckles and proceed to deliver some sweet mockery.

" Sure, sir … Whatever you say. "

Never before a stranger had reacted to him in such a relaxed way. Hate would have been easier to deal with than your sweetness.

He had no weapons to fight it, only his sarcasm.

" Mind to explain what you find so amusing?"

You didn't mind to share your theory, impatient to see how he would react to it.

" Turns out you have a heart after all, and you are upset because i discovered it. "

Achilles gave you the cold look he would show for an enemy in a singular combat.

" I'm a ruthless killer, I would slaughter your entire family and feel nothing about it. "

The warning was completely effectiveless.

" You couldn't even handle my best friend to your king knowing he would be capable of raping her. " You reminded him. " And you gave me to your cousin already aware that he would respect me. "

Facts had spoken better than his words and he realized that your nice positivity wasn't foolishness.

" That doesn't change what i am, only tells you that I wouldn't hurt helpless women."

" And you think that's not important? In this war, particularly?" You recalled inmediately. " I heard other greeks cheering themselves up saying they would all sleep with the wife of a trojan to avenge Menelaus. If the spartan king lost control of his wife, then marriage as an institution is threatened. They need to kill Helen and rape as many trojan women as they can so the horror will keep their women at bay. "

Intrigued by the practical wisedown of your words, he tapped with his hands a spot for you to sit beside him. As you followed the command, you remembered the food served near him.

" Eat, I made it specially for you. "

Achilles looked at what appeared to be an exotic version of a lamb stew.

" Are you trying to win me over with trojan food? It's humanly impossible for you to be this kind after what I have done to you." He concluded his suspicious inspection. " What's the trick? Is it poisoned? Did you spat inside as you were making it? "

You were still looking at him so sweetly and he became even more disconcerted.

If he needed proof, you were more than willing of eating the food for him given all you had previously was the terrible dishes served for slaves.

" It lacks some of the proper spicing, but I worked hard on it, so i'm not going to let it go to waste. "

Your shocked master couldnt take his eyes off you, observing you eating as if you were back in your home.

" Is it good? "

" Could have been worse, at least I was given to a good man. " You commented on your situation instead of the dish. " One that would be willing to threaten his own countrymen and inmovilize his army if something wrong happens to me. "

The praise made him smirk.

" Lovely … Where do you find such niceness?"

You drank some of his own wine before replying.

" King Priam's philosophy is deeply based on the power of kindness. "

He stiffled a chuckle, fearing you may find his amusement insulting.

" He should reconsider the strategy, wars aren't won with kindness."

" No, but small gestures can make big differences. " You corrected him. " Look arround you : if Agamemnon wouldn't have proceeded with cruelty, he wouldn't have lost your support. It can also be said that the kind promise you did to Briseis has the potentiality to shift the course of the war. "

The myrmidon was speechless, understanding some logical reasoning behind the naive optimism.

" I'm still an enemy of Troy. "

To the dark reminder, you had yet another sweet comeback.

" We can still respect each other. "

Achilles didn't waited much to correct you.

" I believe respect is earned, not owed. "

For the first time in the talk he had trully managed to annoy you.

" Then you can accept that your infamous wrath has earned you my respects and eat your food. "

You got him under his same reasoning and he conceeded you the victory.

" Is there more of that for me to try? "

Achilles developed a clear verdict out of that first encounter. He did enjoy the food, but he liked you way more. Even when your mindsets and attitudes were completely opposite, the way you have choosen to work on that difference made him feel oddly good arround you. No accusations from a stance of moral superiority came from you. Instead, you were proving your higher morals with your everyday acts of mundane kindness. Sometimes he got the feeling that you weren't even really Interested in being the better person, since respect and reciprocity were more important to you than being ríght.

To be yelled at was way easier than adapting to your attentive behavior. Softness like yours was confusing, specially knowing it wasn't performative. You weren't a scared girl trying to appeal a master, those actions simply reflected who you were.

The mystery of how you kept clinging to you kindness in such an adverse context occupied his mind out of boredoom. His thought process constantly battled with the evidence of his everyday getting to know you, trying desperately to ignore he was at the edge of an infatuation.

Making him company wasn't a problem to you, since it was way more of a pleasant activity than doing slave chores on the camp. On good days, you would even manage to get him out of his tent for a walk on the beach at the hours that the ausence of all the other armies made the place more quiet.

Visiting Briseis was complicated even when Agamemnon wasn't near, but you managed to get news proving the protest had some effect. Her new master didn't lay hands on her and she confessed you she believed the man had no idea of what to do with her because he only took her to punish his political rival.

It would be a matter of time before you would reunite again and, once that would happen, you were planning to beg the myrmidon leader for your liberation. Your friend thought that keeping your hopes in that man so up was a mistake, but you were convinced that he could be willing to do the ríght thing. He was hard to deal with, but never cruel to any of you.

In your particular experience, you had no complains of his treatment. If you wouldn't be dressed in misserable clothes everytime you had to wash your only decent dress, you would be feeling as if you were getting to know a suitor that your parents had you promised to. It was a thought you often toyed with, a sort of secret fantasy making the shackles feel lighter.

With the only exception of his self naturalization of nudity, Achilles had behaved like a true gentleman and you were happy to reciprocate the good treatment. However, if he would protectively hold your hand during your incursions outside his tent, you would forget for an instant of the war going on and feel as if you were all alone in a process of eternal courtship.

For as much as he kept denying to have a caring heart, you were seeing it from a mile away. You understood he needed to keep the facade despite that was all it was. Appearances, his rougeness of warrior hidding his sweeter emotions. At the time most greeks were calling him heartless, blind to their suffering, he stopped making himself blind to the pain of the only ones in the camp they won't care about.

He turned his back against them, but showed you his heart.

Every night since you left the tent of Patroclus, the new routine with Achilles was having dinner together and sharing the límits of his tent to sleep. In the beggining, he allowed you to have your space and pick a corner to be away from him. That changed one rainy night, when the sound of thunder from outside made you seek shelter on him.

Achilles noticed inmediately how you approached in silence to snuggle against him like a scared child.

" Did your parents never told you that's just Zeus bringing his cheers to mortals? "

You looked up to face him, as if you were trying to justify yourself but couldn't come up with anything.

" They did, but that didn't change much … Thunder still frightens me. "

Darkness didn't hide from him the peculiar beauty of your pleading face and he simply couldn't resist it. Patience lead him to a good end and you were approaching him willingly. He felt you clinging to his firm body, using him for comfort in a sleepless night and begging with your eyes that he would let you in.

It was perfect, perhaps too perfect.

" Mind if we stay like this tonight?" In your cluelessness about his feelings, you finally asked. " The weather gets on my nerves. "

He dreamed of being so close to you, but would have cutted one of his hands before admitting such vulnerability.

" Why do you always manage to persuade me with your charm ? "

He got to hear more of your light chuckling thinking that, if he wouldn't be cautious about scaring you, he would have kissed you.

You started to relax arround him and that allowed you to explain yourself better.

" My uncle died in the sea, a bad storm wrecked the ship and very few survived to tell the story. Briseis' father was with him, loosing someone when we were so little brought us close and that's how we became friends … What I never told her is that I blamed myself for years because my father was meant to go in that travel too, but he had other business to attend in the city. "

The usually cheerfull tone of your voice turned sadly serious as you tried not to cry remembering that.

" Why did I got to have mine and she lost hers? Her uncle told us it was the will of the gods, … but it's all happening again. She is stucked with Agamemnon while i'm safe with you. "

He understood the reason of your guilt, but wasn't going to let you keep thinking on that.

" Lucky girl. " He purred in a raspy voice. " Do you like being with me? "

The crashing sounds outside made you grip him tighter and he rounded your waist with one arm. The poor garments you were wearing made it odd to the touch and he wished he would be feeling your skin instead. Following his sleeping habit, he was naked at least from the waist up, and he did noticed you developing a subtle curiosity for his body.

" You are nice. " Was your vague reply. " Patroclus was very dissapointed when we meet. "

It wasn't exactly what he was looking for, but he kept trying.

" Trust me, it wasn't your fault. You were a wonderfull gift, but my little cousin is the opposite of the mycenaean king. He wants to do all the work and doesn't care for the pay. I didn't let him fight that time, so being presented with a reward for doing nothing got him upset. "

You got his point, but cassually threw in another idea.

" Maybe i was too old for his taste. "

The moment stimulated him to share some of his own load in reciprocity for your previous confession.

" My father died in the battlefield and i'm doomed to share his fate, but I don't want that for him. "

You awkwardly moved your head so it would rest on his chest and he started playing with your hair. No word from you flowed within the action, fearing any interruption would have make him aware of his fallen mask.

" Had you ever felt so sure about what you want for your life, completely convinced of how you want it to be like, then one day everything changes and shakes every certainty you had? "

It was most likely he didn't think his words carefully, because that was literally your story.

" Well, while my friend became a priestess, I knew I wanted to be a wife. I told her I was not going to let our different paths separate us, so i have been asisting as a bystander in every religious ceremony she has been in. As a noblewoman, i was allowed to, so I did. "

He had a close idea of were the tale was going, but didn't dare to sarcastically interrupt it.

" Polydamas was heartbroken when he found out Briseis had choosen priesthood, so i reached to comfort him. I must have been very good in that, because he started seeking my company. Since them we had been flirting for a while and i told myself that was my call. He is a fine trojan warrior and a seer, a man of excellent reputation and a personal friend of Prince Hector … So, i believed my life was taking its course I was following his game untill courtship would lead to marriage. That was the life I had planned, untill one day your men invaded my friend's temple. "

You stopped for an instant, before the callout would get too obvious.

" Tell me about yours. What kind of perspective changer event is ruining your plans? "

Achilles felt relieved of not sensing the enthusiasm of an enamored girl in your description of that trojan noble you were mentioning. If he would have found out you were in love with someone else waiting for you at the other side of the wall, he would have felt a heartbreak for the first time on his life and he had no idea of how he would have reacted to that. He couldn't care less about the trojan possibly wanting you for a wife, as long as he felt you weren't convinced of wanting him.

" I found some light for my obscure existence. " He vaguely admitted you. " I stopped fighting and realized there is so much I gave away for it, so much i will never have, and maybe what I got from a lifetime of warrior isn't worthy … I wasted my life following the orders of that fool of a king. "

Your fingers were tracing the patterns of his muscles as if you seeked to relax him out of those troubled thoughts.

" I believe it's never too late to start over, if that's what you want. " You adviced. " Take me as example: i came to terms with the fact that I will never be the wife of some honorable warrior. I will never make my family proud, to them I will be a memory too painfull or to shamefull to keep alive ... And if by chance I return to them, i will become a load for my father's home, because no trojan will want to marry me knowing I have been the slave of a greek. "

Hearing you express disenchantment was very unusual, and it was killing him. He couldn't stand your sadness, feeling sure that he would have done anything to end it.

" You would have been the best wife a warrior could aspire to get. "

That kind praise meant a lot to you, so you moved up just a bit in order to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

Achilles smirked, ready to tease you despite he felt the gesture was very proper of you.

" You call that a kiss? Had Polydamas never give you a real one ? "

His provocation surprised you, but you weren't alarmed about it.

" Most trojan noblemen flirt keeping some decorum. " You attempted to explain. " Despite what the Insidious imagery of the war suggests, Paris is an exception to the courtship conduct of a trojan man. "

The myrmidon glanced at your lips, then deep into your eyes.

" If you let me, I can show you a glimpse of what you have been missing. " He seductively offered. " I will gift you a nice memory you can use to fight the fears. Instead of thinking of your dead uncle, or the guilt you felt, you will think of me everytime you will hear the sky cracking."

Your most inmediate response was a nervous smile.

" Would you do that for me? "

His mouth was dangerously close to yours and you parted your lips to let him in without a thought. The taste was wonderfull and with every instant of your pleased reception, his passion increased. You were at his mercy, almost completely lost to the new sensations and he knew he could have done with you whatever he wanted, but he didn't.

The trail of kisses had reached your neck when Achilles rolled on top of you. He was trying to stretch the fabric of your clothes, fighting for access to more skin without having to undress you ríght away. At that moment he got to hate your replacement wearing given in captivity as much as you did. There were no decent women clothes in the camp, so you got what his men could find for a slave. He despised it, that thing didn't make your beauty justice like your dress did. You deserved better, you weren't just a slave. Not anymore, and he haven't feel like that with you in a good while.

He was in love with you, and he haven't dare to say the words. In your quest to find his heart, you had taken ownership of it without realizing how deep you were reaching. The emotional intimacy and your adictive sweetness had won him over.

For him, that was as new as the physical contact was for you. He was paying close attention to your every reaction, surprised that you let him get as far when he sneaked his hands underneath your clothes. His caresses followed the sides of your curves and your closed eyes got open wide out of surprise, but you were still smiling under him.

It was the loveliest vision and he got enraptured by it.

" You are so beautifull … " He whispered softly. " Such lovely girl. "

You easily melted to his praise.

" Really? "

The sound of your voice calmed some of his overtaking passion. He remembered of how trusting you were of his softer side, how firmly you believed he was a good man despite of his war crimes.

For as much strenght as it would take from him, he needed to control himself for you. It was too early to claim you completely.

" You are the light shinning before my darkness. "

Achilles gave you a peck on the forehead and retired his hands from your body to caress both of your cheeks. With one more deep kiss, he prepared to cradle you in his arms for the rest of the night.

It was the most thoughtfull proof of love he could have given to you, but he didn't stop there.

Days later some traders from Lemnos had arrived to ressuply the greek army of various articles, but they were loaded of other items they meant to sell somewhere else on the way back home. From them Achilles got you a beautifull dress worthy of a lady, that he made you wear on the first dinner he shared with his men since his wrath was unleashed. You considered that telling stories and singing songs was little price to pay for such magnificent gift, but the experience showed you something else.

He kept you by his side the whole time, as an honorable warrior would while showing off his beloved wife.

[kfaem]

Love and Deepspace; when their S/O is a kpop idol

notes: brrr new fandom lets go. also yes i went MIA but hey im not like dead

the boys when MC is an idol :) this is self indulgent. im a zayne girlie but i got carried away with raf lol. im tired so this is unedited, poorly written, no structure, and kinda just rambling

Rafayel:

here me out

he was a fan for the longest time, creating multiple pieces based off of you and your likeness

you and your members go to one of his exhibitions and when you make eye contact he's immediately in love more than he was before

kinda in a weird way

but when you approach him first he's in shock and doesnt know what to do

after the initial talking period and when the relationship starts he acts like his normal self

attends every concert and fan meeting

spends hundreds of dollars on your albums, collecting your photocards and solo posters

brags about being your boyfriend on sns and your manager tries to get him to stop

thomas is so embarrassed everytime your manager reaches out and begs him to calm down cause its a bad image

doesnt care about the reporters, is willing to fight with elites over you and your reputation

he's a simp but is also kinda mean sometimes lol

is jealous when you go live and refuse to respond to him to at least an hour and makes his presence known in your chat

i find the image of the matching outfits, couples goals posts on sns, and articles where he names you his muse to just be so <3333

Xavier

You guys bumped into each other at a convenience store, both reaching for the same bag of chips

both flustered with red cheeks, you let him have it and apologized

awkward

so, so very awkward

both of you are stuck in a awkward, silent encounter and neither of you want to say anything

one of your members comes over to see whats taking you so long and realizes that you're in a standoff with a cute blond and decides to play cupid

it worked

you two end up becoming good friends, and then eventually some sort of situationship

he doesnt want to damage your career and acknowledges that you both dont have time to spend with each other

but still acts as a loving boyfriend, buying your albums, concert tickets, merch, birthday specials etc.

then when you guys go on a snack run, a reporter recognizes you and within the week you're caught up in dating rumours

deciding that you guys couldnt avoid the truth, the situationship turned into a real relationship

doesnt really make a big deal out of your relationship or your popularity. would rather spend your guys' spare time reading together, watching movies, eating good food and relaxing

the media eventually forgets but the fans dont

they love every piece of media that ever gets showed, glimpses of xavier in mirrors, reflections on water, glasses, windows. mentions of a lover in interviews when asked what inspired you

just a loving boyfriend who tries to give you a sense of normalcy outside of the flashing lights

Zayne

Childhood friends

he hates your career and how much soul it has taken from you, but also acknowledges that you love what you do and are willing to risk your health and privacy

zayne is the king of situationship lmao

dates all the time, dinners at small restaurants hiding in booths in the far corners since you both like to be alone, together

your members genuinely dont understand how hes "not your boyfriend"

has lingered on music video shoots, using his title as your personal doctor to not raise any eyebrows

doesnt go out of his way to buy your albums but... if hes at a corner store and sees it, he'll buy it. or two. or three.

keeps one of your photocards and a normal picture of you in his wallet, grayson found it on the floor in his office once after it fell out of his wallet and he could never live it down

the entire hospital staff knows but wouldnt say anything for fear of their life

always sending messages no matter what side of the world youre on. Please remember to eat, drink water, and rest as much as you can. Too much strain on your body can cause long-term side effects.

buys tickets to your concerts, trying to hold back his smile as you glow on the stage while performing in front of your many fans

yeah he gets jealous

wont say it

and you can barely tell

but the chill that fills the room when another idol hugs you and is being overly touchy is so very much obvious and has people rushing to do something else

a reporter approaches him and tries to ask about your dating life. he shuts them up with a glare. the reporter doesnt even dare publishing that article.

your fans have a basic idea of what zayne is to you, but they respect you enough to not make a scene of it.

then one of your members gets drunk on a live and asks about your boyfriend and it comes unravelled

you post a picture with him, captioned with a heart, and its never brought up again

has brought your fans food and drinks whenever they set up cafe events for support

he appreciates everything that your fans do for you and has asked them to take care of you when hes not around

your relationship is never actually made official but yall live together when you arent required to be at the dorms and own like two cats so idk

still the caregiver that we love

[anshares]

Once upon a time, there was a prince most beloved by all.

He was highly doted on by everyone but especially so by two men: his older brother, His Majesty the Emperor, and by his secret suitor, a childhood friend by the name of He Xuan.

By all accounts, Prince Qingxuan should have a blessed life. Unfortunately it was nothing but a wretched beginning,with a wretched end.

His brother, wary of him vying forthe crown, kept him on a tight leash, while the other man in his life perished on the battlefield. To live your life in a guilded birdcage, that is the tale of this prince.

Click more for full plot!

ROYALTY AU (M/M Flavor Beefleaf)

Shi Qingxuan is a royal prince, brother of Shi Wudu the emperor who is known to be a tyrant

He Xuan comes from a military family but he refuses to practice the sword and prefers to read instead.

They first met in the palace as kids when HX was accompanying his father to a meeting and he explored the palace grounds while he waited for his father.

He is reading by the garden and meets SQX there who is playing hooky from royal lessons and from that moment on they become friends. (SQX the talker and HX the listener). Emperor Shi Wudu, seeing that his brother favors this kid, assigns him as his playmate.

Then one day SQX got kidnapped by rebels, HX tried to rescue SQX and found him after a day. They managed to escape from the kidnappers but were found by one of the rebels,

they tried to run as fast they could and managed to lose the guy chasing them but SQX sprained his ankle so HX had to piggyback SQX

luckily they were found by the royal guards and the rebels who dared kidnapped the Tyrant Emperor’s only brother were executed and put on display in the plaza.

Emperor Shi Wudu awards the He family for what their youngest son did and officially appointed HX as SQX future retainer and personal guard, SWD acknowledges how smart He Xuan is and was impressed by his bravery,

he saw potential in him and to HX dismay he has to learn the way of the sword which SQX teased him over because he kept whining about it during their breaks or sparring sessions.

As they grow up they become inseparable and people talk about how incompatible they are, like how the young prince who is beloved by everyone is with this gloomy person but it works. They are closer as ever CLOSER than anyone thinks.

They sometimes have a rendezvous in the library where they “study” or at the garden where SQX likes picking his favorite berries. SQX feeds HX one and he sucks the leftover juice in SQX finger which leaves him flustered.

The truth is they have been in a relationship for years now but they just hide to protect SQX reputation, as their genders and status won't let them be accepted by society and it will cause quite a scandal.

Hx and sqx also have talks on having life outside the palace and he sees that sqx is not really fond of palace life, and sqx admits that there are times where he just wants to run away from it all but he can't

Contrary to popular belief, emperor swd is known as a tyrant and his brother is no exception to the treatment. As his brother constantly watches sqx every move and punishes him even for the slightest mistake,

making sqx doubt himself and belittling him to the point where sqx life is controlled by swd.

This makes sqx be easily influenced that he himself even forgets he has choices on the matter.

All he knows is that his brother controls his fate, his marriage and as a prince he has a duty to his country, he can't entertain selfish thoughts which is why these few moments of reprieve where he could spend his time with his lover dreaming about life outside the palace is all he could do,

there's nothing bad with just dreaming inside his gilded cage with his lover by his side, he feels like he can soar free.

Even with HX gloomy countenance he is quite popular among the ladies that there were also rumors how HX is gonna be engaged to a woman he is usually seen with and visits his house

but in truth he just treats the girl as a younger sister and is actually from the family where his own sister is getting engaged to.

During a marriage interview where SQX meets with his possible marriage candidates he meets the rumored girl as she was part of the selection. She asked about HX to SQX and disclosed her true feelings about HX.

SQX assumes that something is going on between them and with how the rumors are, SQX gets worried about this so he asks about it to He Xuan, HX assures him that nothing is going on between him and the lady.

SQX is a little bit jealous so HX smirks and “do you want me to show you how much I love his highness” and they proceed to have a passionate night where they assure each other that they are the only ones they will love and be loyal too.

They actually talk about running away from the capital and just settle down in a rural village without their statuses getting in the way they'll just be Shi Qingxuan and He Xuan, just 2 normal people but skirmish/war with the rebel army happens so they have to draft up every son in each family.

It is also perfect opportunity for Shi wudu to get rid of a pest that might ruin his brother’s reputation because he learned of his brother's growing affection for HX since a palace maid witnessed one of their “study” sessions

so he dispatches him to the front lines at the border where he is the appointed strategist. SQX is not aware that SWD knows about their secret tryst.

Before HX leaves, SQX makes him promise to come back alive because he has something to tell him, HX asks why wouldn't he just tell him now SQX says it isn't the right time and at least he will have motivation to come back as soon as he can to the capital.

He was actually going to tell him “I love you” since they hadn’t said it to each other yet, SQX also requests that he write often, HX does but it gets intercepted by SWD and alters the contents so it'll look like HX is gradually changing his mind about their relationship.

Unfortunately HX dies in war with a lot of arrows in his back (like the visual in bloody festival) he tries to get back to camp but with his heavy injuries he won't survive,

he knows this but still tries because he promised SQX he will come back, he hasn't heard what SQX wants to say yet and it seems important.

SQX won't hear news of his death, Shi wudu will keep it under wraps and make up a story on why HX is getting transferred. He tried to ask around and find out why HX hasn't come back yet even though the war is over.

All SWD said was for their service to the country the He family was granted a piece of land to a far away place. HX decided to settle there and get married which was impossible since HX promised SQX,

did he change his mind after being away from each other for years, is this why his letter gradually stopped and the contents were not as sweet as they were during the first year.

SQX can't go out and check it out himself with no good reason, so he look at records and stuff everything checks out, he is hurt but he is glad that at least HX is alive and well somewhere even tho far away from him,

SQX doesn't want to get in the way of HX happiness even if they grew far apart from each other so he decides to let him go but SQX doesnt know that the reward also doubles as compensation for the grieving family and that the family decided to leave the capital because of painful memories.

At the end SQX monologues if it was a sin of falling in love with HX since they are both men and how he wishes in the next life he can love him freely without their status getting in the way and being condemned by society.

Epilogue:

SQX finally gets to go out for inspection and it's in the city where He Xuan's whole family relocated he was all cheerful like even tho HX is probably married now at least he can still visit as his friend as long as he is happy and healthy even if it wasn't with him that's all that matters

so when he asks the parents where he xuan is…. it got sus cuz why the home is so gloomy then he sees the family shrine…..with He Xuan's tablet in it.

SQX is shocked and can't believe what he is seeing because how could that be?? Were all the things his brother said to him are lies all these years….

Sqx didn't even know he had already lost hx years ago, did he die swift and painless, did they find the body in the battle field and give him a proper burial. He wasn't even able to give his lover respects and he couldn't even see him one last time because of her brother's intervention.

What about those letters then? Were they really from he xuan??

and then realizes it's indirectly his fault. He connects the dots and realizes that it's swd's fault but the blame doesn't just falls on his brother but also him for he wasn't strong enough to defy his brother,

didn't fight harder to ensure his lover's safety, he shouldn't have been ignorant, he should've have been more observant, he should've been more…..Then hx mom interrupted his spiraling thoughts as she noticed how pale and shocked the prince looked.

Hx mother knows how close she is with her son so finding out hx this way is shocking.

" Your highness, I wanted to let you know that he died honorably in battle protecting the city and its people.

They were able to find his body and give him a proper burial.

I can't thank the emperor enough for bringing my son home. Also I wanted to give you this, it was one of A-xuan's belongings, a journal. I think it may be best if his highness hold on to it."

After he paid his respects and did his exception he left the city with a heavy heart he didn't expect this outcome. As he journeys back to the capital, he opens HX journal. Its full of entries of hx listing everything that reminded him of sqx,

like how he saw the wildflowers that he used to collect for him to make into a crown as kids, how a nervous soldier reminded him of sqx's inability to lie, how he noticed sqx's influence in choosing the meals sent to the soldiers, etc.

Growing up as royalty he was thought to have a good handle on his emotions but he couldn't after reading the journal and so he broke down,

he sobbed and called out to he xuan even though he knows no one will answer anymore when he calls out the name. He just lets out all his grief, anguish and love lost.

When he calmed down he made a promise that he will devote himself to serving the people better so that they're not left at his brother's mercy and tucks the journal safely back to his sleeves as he sees the capital over the horizon.

-THE END-

[lovebeatriceplz]

✧ Late night conversations ✧

Finnick x Fem!reader

You twist and then turn, squeezing your eyes tighter. Maybe if you could fake it you'd eventually fall asleep. After adjusting your hard pillow again, and a few more twist and turns you jump out of the bed in frustration.

The quarter quell and the rebellion has been a big adjustment to you. District 13 being an even bigger one. Of course no one knew that. You had a reputation, always staying strong for everyone else, always quick thinking and on your feet, always solving problems... that's what people knew you as. There is always one person, just one person who can't seem to mind their own business, who always seems to know what's really going. And to be honest, you needed that right now. Someone who would allow you to rest for a moment and be vulnerable, someone like Finnick.

Finnick! Before your mind processes anything your feet are moving, walking with uncertainty at first, then a light jog, then your zipping through the doors, hallway to hallway. Where the hell is he? When you actually need him you can't find him. You stop running and you walk around aimlessly, restless. You come across a room that you don't remember seeing. You slowly peek your head through and a light chuckle catches your attention. "Don't princesses need their beauty sleep" Finnick says playfully, his voice filling up the empty room.

Your eyes dart across the room, it looks really old, but very spacious, like it used to have different levels. Finnicks eyes follow yours "it used to be a library". "A library?" You say as you sub - consciously walk towards him. "Yup" he replies, scooting over, giving you space to sit beside him. "So....what exactly are you doing here, so late" you ask him. "I could ask you the same thing" he says with a chuckle, though it lacked his usual humourous charm, he looks tired. You don't respond, you look anywhere but at him, scared that he might be able to tell what's going on in your head. "Look at me" the sudden urgency in his tone startles you and you refuse to comply. "I know why your here, can't sleep? Needed someone to talk to?" His speech goes back to the soft tone your used to. "Yeah.." you muster out. He shifts closer to you until he's satisfied with your proximity, your knees touching, directly infront of each other. "Me too" he says quietly. You're not surprised "nightmares?" Hoping that you weren't crossing any boundaries by asking. "No actually" he replies "just too much things to think about, my mind can't rest, so neither can i" he responds with a sigh. "I'm guessing that's happening to you too?" He says it like a statement and not a question which makes you feel the need to be guarded. "Um no...no no that's not why...not why I'm here i was just checking up on everyone" you reply, avoiding his gaze. What the hell were you doing? Didn't you want to be vulnerable? Isn't this why you came looking for him in the first place?.

The look that he gives you makes your heart skip a beat. "Don't you get tired of it" he says with unwavering eyes. You know you shouldn't answer, you know that once you acknowledge it there's no going back. "Tired of what?" You respond, trying to be as nonchalant as possible. His hand reaches out, fingers curling behind your ear and it sends shudder through your body. " Don't do that" your voice no more than a whisper, "don't you get tired of taking care of everyone" his fingers moves along you face, your eyes flutter close. "aren't you tired of pretending everything is fine when it's not?" His fingers now under your chin, your eyes aren't open but you can feel him moving closer. "Who are you hiding from?" A finger grazes over your lips which causes your heart to pound in your ears. You can't see but he's close, you can feel his breath and you almost believe that he's going to kiss you. "Look at me" his tone is laced with a hint of desperateness, but still, you just can't seem to do it, or face him. The warmth leaves your face as he pulls back with a sigh. You slowly open your eyes, looking over to the side. He's silent for a long time and you can't help but feel a bit guilty, wondering if you hurt his feelings. You feel his warm hand slip under yours and you look up. He's not looking at you but his fingers slowly interlock with yours and it makes you feel better.

You break the silence "do you think we'll get him back?" There it is, you're cracking, saying things you wouldn't dare allow to escape your mouth. He looks over to you. "Who?" He answers the question before you can respond "peeta?". You nod. His thumb runs over you knuckles in a comforting manner. "I mean- i hope we do" he pauses and looks at you with a slightly worried look "have you been thinking about it?" He asks. His eyes lock onto yours and you feel the walls cracking. How could you lie to this pretty face, if you weren't careful he would have you wrapped around his finger, spilling all of your little secrets to this man. "I've been thinking about everything Finnick" you admit "I'm fine though". That last part doesn't seem to reach him "thinking about everything yeah?" His gaze flickers back to your hands in his "what about me?" . You could have sworn that there was a slight waver to his voice, why was he looking down again?. A smile tugs at your lips "what? What about you?". He almost looked... offended?. "W-what about me? C'mon you know what I'm asking you, don't play dumb" his eyebrows furrowed and the frown playing on his face makes the situation funny. You shrug "i don't follow, i thought we were talking about peeta-"

He grabs you by your arms, causing a jolt of electricity to course through you. His lips are basically touching your ear and you can feel the warmth radiating off him. "You know what I'm talking about princess" his voice dropping to a low, husky sound "I'm talking about me, you said you've been thinking about everything....what about me?" His grip loosens and he pulls back to see you face. "Well have you?" This was so odd, he almost sounded like he was begging for your attention. You let out a shaky exhale "all the time" his lips curl up in smile but he quickly suppresses it. For the first time in a long time you felt open and vulnerable, but it didn't make scared. He felt it too, you could see, you could feel it. He reaches out a begins to caress your face again. He moves closer and closer, and closer. "Would you think I'm crazy...if i said i felt something for you". His voice is so raw with emotion, so unlike his cocky, teasing routine. You can't help but laugh and you bring your hands to your forehead "yes, I'd say your completely mad" leaning into his warmth until your noses are touching. He chuckles, hands sneaking around your waist "well...would you still think about me anyways?" His voice drops to a whisper. "Everyday" . His lips barely brush against yours, but none of you do anything. The tension in the room was so thick, what was he waiting for?. That's when you remember how vulnerable he's been, you can't help but feel that this finnick is the real Finnick, you can't help but wonder if he's scared. So you reassure him, moving an inch closer, and with that closing the small gap. His lips lock with yours. You feel your heart racing and blood running through your body but it felt good.He pulls you closer, until your bodies as pressed against each other. His hands interlock with you hair and your fingers curl against his chest. His lips and demeanor were gentle and slow , but the longing was there. It's crazy how this decides to happen when the world is literally at war. He breaks the kiss to catch his breath. His face flushed, and exact replica of your state.

"W-" you're cut off by him kissing you again, taking control this time. The kiss has more energy and he deepens it. You grip on to his shirt, wanting him closer. He starts to toy with the hem of your shirt as your lips move in unison. Cold fingertips slip under your shirt, tracing the skin of your bare back and giving you goosebumps all over. His tongue darts out, begging to get just a taste. And how could you refuse this Greek god of a man hm?. The kiss intensifies and you begin to feel lost in the feeling of his touch. You're the one that has to pull away this time. "What were you saying?" His breathing was heavy. "Don't leave" the only thing on your mind was him, and his lips. He smiles and pulls you into him to place a kiss on your nose. "You said you couldn't sleep right?" He says as he begins to stand up, taking you with him in the process. You nod "not a wink"

"Let's fix that"

[quimichi]

Diluc is a type of man to be a switch leaning towards bottom but refuse to acknowledge that fact.

Yes cause, HES SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF YOU. He pays for you, takes care of you, takes you out on date, protects you and so much more. Stfu he's no bottom??? He isn't gripping the sheets or your hair hard when you suck him off. He isn't desperately leaking by just the mere sight of some skin of you.

Give him some time and eventually he'll at least let you Dom him. So many people expect so many things from him. He also has a reputation to uphold. Hes just insecure so pls take care of him, he needs it too ♡

[lunavagans]

Idea for what I‘m calling the fairytale AU right now. Ganon‘s not around, the colours are siblings and Vio‘s a scholar who wants to save his reputation, job, feeling of self-worth and dignity. Shadow‘s a fay and, compared to the manga, relatively chill - he just bothers travellers for fun and definitely never abandons them to the wolfos.

Vidow slow burn with a fantasy scientist/test subject dynamic, no angst, just magic, mystery and mistaking your gay awakening for a supernatural being because all of your brain cells are basically fraying at the seams because of stress and anxiety. (That moment’s not in this part, but it‘s the scene I‘m building everything off of. (Also it‘s not like Vio‘s wrong.))

(500-ish word intro below cut)

The people of Hyrule are loud in their worship of what they believe in. They host celebrations lasting days, sing and cheer and cry in the name of the Golden Three and Hylia. Pride is all to see in the chaotic parades and the solemn prayers, and in the libraries and studies afforded to their teachings.

Gilded columns and stained glass windows painting light-brushed images on stones floors are the backdrop to that which is good and holy and familiar.

The people of Hyrule whisper about that which they doubt. Behind closed doors and fences of salt and iron, they protect themselves from invisible ears, earthly, divine or otherwise. But no matter how often they‘re assured that the mischievous and malevolent will be held at bay by guards and priests, they can never stop believing in the shapes rushing through the night.

All known about these others are hushed accounts from trembling merchants led astray, symbols in the fields and stars misarranged for one night.

In the bastion of the Goddesses, the golden-dappled towers and roofs of Hyrule City, there lives a scholar. With three brothers accomplished in other fields, a father distant and awkward in his good meaning, an absent mother and no close acquaintances, he‘s lonely - starving for things he refuses to name, all but one of them.

It‘s the acknowledgment he craves, the confirmation that the knowledge he seeks is needed, even wanted; a place in his own profession, much like those of his relatives. That muchs he admits to his family when he stands in the front door of their house, travel bag in one hand and his horse‘s reigns in the other.

He can see that they don‘t believe in his cause, either. The notion is too outrageous for these poor narrow-minded fools, and he doesn‘t blame them. The study of fay is prohibited for a good reason, and the chances of no return are greater than a return eternally scarred. Any other outcome is negligible, and he pointedly doesn‘t mention it.

But they don‘t stop him. They know about the risks of him leaving, but also about the risks of him staying. Others may be content fading into oblivion, admonished by their mentors and brushed off by their colleagues, or simply changing jobs. But what would it imply about Vio if he were to take the polite dismissal in stride and continue to remind his colleagues of his name, let alone his topic of research?

To tame a fay, study its workings, present it to the public and reap the rewards; that is the silver lining Vio sees before him. Has it been done before? Not according to trustworthy records. That will only afford him and his field the prestige they need and, once he’s succeeded, deserve.

He finishes preparations, waves goodbye and mounts the horse. As much as he doubts his chances along either everyone watching his departure, his permission to undertake this venture has already cost him the last bit of favor with the king, even if swayed by the princess.

He leaves without turning to see his family once.

[wwrenwrites]

You know what would have been funny.

Jason Todd being lactose intolerant.

Like no one would actually expect this big-ass more than 6 foot of a man.

One of the best fighters in his family and the vigilante community. A big eater, a decent sweet tooth and is actually pretty good with spice. But has a fucking weakness for anything dairy.

Would say ‘fuck it’ if it comes to good ice-cream or gelato. But any good cheese in pasta?

Pain in the fucking ass.

Still good if it weren’t for the awaiting sleepover in his beloved bathroom. Which is absolutely hilarious cause it is only you who would figure it out when you notice the pattern of him being in the toilet for 20 minutes.

And him refusing to acknowledge it like you’re telling him he can’t indulge eating a greasy-ass 4 cheese pizza anymore? nor his go-to mac and cheese recipe he perfected with a good ole take-away of Wing Stop???

This would go on for months. No. Forever.

Till he dies again.

Completely convincing himself and you that it is just some stupid worm.

And that’s also a very Jason thing.

He would continually be stubborn and ignore the little lactose pills that would solve all his problems.

Cause he has pride.

A reputation, he says.

He’s a fucking ‘big boy’ he says.

Hell, his family doesn’t even know about it.

Not even Alfred.

So every-time there would be a family dinner in the manor. And the one time it’s Italian cuisine theme. Homemade pasta and different variations of salad. A big plate of fried calamari and special whole roasted chicken. Red sauce, white sauce, oil-base sauce. With complete sides and extra condiments, meaning plates of sliced cheese and shredded.

The fucking variety knowing Alfred.

And then there’s you, encouraging Alfred to add as much parmesan as he wants since you said “Jason loves it the most with that kind of generous amount.”

You knew he was glaring at you, even ignoring him when he pinches your ass. He scoffed at his other siblings who whined on him hoarding all the cheese.

Mind you it was good quality cheese. Imported from Europe, Alfred said. And you even told Jason, cheese from Europe won’t make you shit. You smiled with love to the side-eyeing handsome man; eating his share of plate clean.

[kristeristerin]

I’m obsessed with Taylor songs and acotar charaters!!! Could you write one where the reader is pining for Azriel and admiring his beauty!! I’m thinking Gorgeous from reputation!!!

AN: Thank you for the prompt! This was a little something I threw together real quick and I hope you like it!!

Song: Gorgeous

Pairing: Reader X Azriel

Content Warning: None

Words: 801

Most nights you enjoy the feeling of the pounding bass and the sweat-slick bodies at Rita’s, but tonight everything seemed too loud and too close. Finding an unoccupied corner to the right of the bar you close your eyes as you let your head fall back against the wall.

You take several deep breaths before opening your eyes only to find the bane of your existence staring at you from where he sat across the club. You allow yourself a moment to take the Ilyrian in. He’s ditched his usual fighting leathers and is instead wearing a fitted black shirt. It leaves little to the imagination when it comes to his impressive physique. You let your eyes drift back up to his face and when you’re once again looking into his hazel eyes you can’t help but shudder at the smirk on his face.

“Cauldron damn me, that male could ruin my life,” you whisper to yourself before pushing off of the wall and making your way toward the exit of the club.

You are almost there when a hand wraps around yours. “Leaving so soon, yn?”

You turn, but miscalculate just how close he is to you and run directly into Azriel’s chest. He swiftly wraps an arm around you to prevent you from falling to the ground.

“I just need some air,” you manage to murmur as you move to leave his grasp. His arm tightens around you.

“I’ll join you then.” When he lets go of you he once again takes your hand in his, interlocking your fingers, and leads you toward the front doors.

You expect him to let go of your hand once the two of you are in the cool night air of Velaris, but instead, he gently pulls you into an ally beside Rita’s.

“So,” he lets go of your hand and turns to face you fully, “are you going to explain to me why you’ve refused to acknowledge my existence? Outside of ogling me from across the room that is.”

You take a step back further into the alley to put some space between the two of you and find a rather interesting discarded wine bottle to look at before answering him, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Azriel.” He steps toward you, causing you to take another step back.

“That’s bullshit, y/n, and we both know it.” He sighs and runs a hand through his dark hair. “Have I done something to offend you?”

Your eyes snap up to him, “No, you’ve done nothing wrong.”

He nods but grimaces when he takes a step forward and you take another step away, this time your back coming in contact with the brick wall at the end of the alley. “What is it then? You get along with everyone else just fine. Fuck, I’ve even seen you joke with Nesta, but I can’t even get you to hold a conversation with me.”

You close your eyes and take a steadying breath. “I have avoided you because I’m attracted to you.”

“What?”

When you open your eyes you can see he’s watching you with his eyebrows drawn together.

You take another deep breath and decide to continue before you lose your nerve, “At first when I was seeing Finnian it was easier to avoid you because there was no use pining after someone who I was not involved with. When he and I broke up I was devastated, but not because of the end of that relationship. I was devastated because I had to face the reality that I was truly pining after the most gorgeous male I had ever seen, and I didn’t stand a chance.”

He took another step forward, this time caging you in with his body. “You beautiful, infuriating, silly, female.” He breathed, “I’ve been trying to get your attention for months and I couldn’t figure out what I’d done to push you away. It wasn’t until you were watching me tonight that I thought maybe there was hope after all. Can I kiss you?”

Your breath hitched and you nodded.

It was all the confirmation he needed and in a second he lowered his lips to yours. The kiss started slow and sweet, but as the need grew he pulled your lower lip into his mouth and bit it before gently sucking. The sensation caused you to groan.

A cough at the end of the alley caused the two of you to jump apart. “We’re all leaving and heading back to the townhouse. Are you two coming?” Mor stood with a brow raised and one hand on her hip.

You shook your head.

“No, I think I will head home alone tonight.” You paused and looked over to Azriel. “Unless you’d like to come along?”

[paragonrobits]

I was rewatching the 2nd episode of Hunter the Parenting and I was thinking about how Pyotr isn’t that weird looking for a Nosferatu and it hit me that all of the Sabbat group here are deliberately contrary to how their Clans normally function, both in the sense of stereotypes about them but also in the way the outlooks fostered by those Clans don’t apply to them in a way that doesn’t quite feel like the way Antitrubu (Vampires who go against the grain of their Clan’s normal political leanings by joining the Sabbat if they are normally Camarilla aligned) tend to do

Pyotr is the obvious one and the one who sparked this whole avenue of thought. The first and most obvious case is that he’s weird looking but not as much as expected for a Nosferatu. He looks odd, yes, but huge eyes, a somewhat skeletal face and exposed teeth is incredibly mild by the standards of the Nosferatu. The fact that he’s something of a sexyman here also adds to it, since the Nosferatu curse (whether in this setting or in Requiem) manifests as instinctive revulsion so its not the sort of thing that gets found attractive except through sheer charisma, and he’s so determined to be a monster that he doesn’t even bother to try that.

The second bit though is that he is the most loose-lipped of the vampires, barring Ape’s attempts to be a Sabbat speaker so much that he annoys the others. He doesn’t just drop terminology like Ape, he actively explains things to them and tries to win them over to the cause by just telling them all about the vampire condition, albieit from the Sabbat’s warped perspective. This is notable because the Nosferatu are widely known as the Clan of information brokers. They do NOT just tell stuff like this. They know everything. A Nossie just telling info like this is deeply subversive.

Additionally, he is the most overwhelming evil of the Sabbat and while that is expected for the Sabbat, especially someone as fanatical as he seems to be, the Nosferatu have a reputation for being more moral. Not that much in this setting, true; they ARE still vampires. But the rejection and being forced to live in the shadows tends to make the Nosferatu more inclined to notice the plights of others and feel compassion in a way other vampires often refuse to, and they can’t pretend they’re something better. They’re monsters, and acknowledging this makes it easier to be something more than just the beast that haunts the blood. Pyotr on the other hand is remarkably cruel and unpleasant to the point that of all the TTS characters, he bears the most resemblence to the DARK ELDAR of all things!

Ape is a stand out example. Firstly, while he’s odd looking its a bit weird that he LOOKS so human; its honestly hard to tell he’s animalistic and not just a weird looking guy if you don’t notice his teeth and claws. The Gangrel in this edition developed permanent animal features whenever they frenzied, and even a young would-be Sabbat should look absolutely inhuman, and yet he doesn’t ,which indicates he’s probably not quite as genuine about it as he tries to act. The second bit is that he’s kind of a dumbass; the Gangrel are genuinely a Clan of cagey, cunning survivors and they tend to be smart, since you have to be smart to survive as a Gangrel; Requiem goes a lot further with this. but a meathead Gangrel is a pretty big difference given that the signature Gangrel character was Beckett, who is a professional scholar.

On a more tragic level is Shitbeard; its been noted he was most likely a highly moral man who felt passionate enough about learning that he went to college later in life, only to have that mortal life taken from him when he took part in a blood drive. And this ties into his biggest grief, the feeling of losing his mortal mundanity and the pleasures of being truly human, when as a Brujah he should have the easiest time holding onto those feelings. The vampires of this setting are often depicted as creatively sterile and burned out, with difficulty maintaining genuine passion for anything other than bloodlust or darker pursuits, but the Brujah are deeply passionate to a degree that it can imbalance them into destructive rages. Not for nothing are they the ones that keep the Anarch Movement going; they can muster a raw passion most humans can’t match, let alone a vampire. (Werewolves probably have them beat, though.)

So for Shitbeard to so intensely feel and mourn everything he’s lost is deeply tragic, because he should have the easiest time keeping in touch with what once kept him human.

This brings us to Kevin, who is the most different from the usual expectations to such a degree I honestly think it’s likely Alfabusa and the rest sat down, worked out the Tremere’s normal stereotypes, and wrote a character that flaunts them at every measure. The Tremere are proud, arrogant and widely disliked assholes that are so broadly evil that the very concept of a likable Tremere is, itself, kind of shocking, given that they tend to be arrogant and disdainful to everyone and everything. Kevin, on the other hand, is a very likable guy.

Tremere are also tightly linked to heirarchy and the dictates of their sires; while Kevin has worked his way free of it, the Pyramid is such an integral part of the Tremere mindset that this is even more shocking on a huge level.

He’s compassionate and attached to animals, when casual cruelty is very common to the Tremere. He’s as human as a vampire can be while being in modest standing among the Sabbat, he tends to use his Dominate powers in surprisingly nonviolent ways (i meant he did try to stab Big D but in the world of darkness, a delaying tactic at all is pretty humane), and perhaps most noteworthy, it’s not clear if he can use thaumaturgy, the blood magic of the Tremere. He clearly knows ABOUT it and he’s very defensive, but he has very clearly not used it at all, which is odd for a Tremere, they’re very stuck up about it. This is possible given that since he has a clear low ranking among his fellows, its possible he was only given the most basic training in thaumaturgy before he cut his own way loose and finds it better to exploit Dominate rather than more bloody skills.

[thatfanficauthor107]

KARASUNO THIRD YEAR ANGST HEADCANONS

TW: abuse, neglect, suicide attempt, self harm, depression, illness, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, alcoholism, drug abuse, death of loved ones, panic attacks

DAICHI: - his father is frankly an alcoholic and likely on types of drug more often than not. - he’s made it his job to keep the man away from his younger siblings, though that means that he takes far more punishments so they don’t have to - his father is lowkey abusive towards him, especially since he found out Daichi was queer (bisexual transmale) - mental health isn’t the best but he ignores that - has considered self harm multiple times and scares himself with how dark the thoughts get some nights - emotionally unavailable often, not at all connected with his feelings and emotions - was taught from a really young age that showing emotions (esp negative ones) showed weakness - his mother died when he was a kid, and his stepmother is either oblivious or ignores how his father treats him - he resents her for this although she’s never actually done anything directly to him - probably has undiagnosed AuDHD - doesn’t have many medical resources available for things like his asthma and his joint issues - doesn’t entirely understand Asahi’s anxiety as he was raised in a way that didn’t allow him to show any form of fear so he just pushes his own away - this has caused many arguments between the two because he just can’t understand Asahi’s point of view - ^^^ absolutely hates this - insomniac - doesn’t sleep well/at all for days on end and it really affects his mental health and mood, it’s more obvious to others than he realises - refuses to ask others for help or open up to them, even when he desperately needs it. suga had to force daichi to open up about sometimes the smallest things - skips meals often - doesn’t think he ‘needs’ them - ^^ his weight is one of his biggest insecurities - he had an eating disorder throughout part of junior hight - yui and hayato monitored what he ate for weeks after they found out

KOUSHI: - has two present parents but isn’t that close with them - his father cares more for his work than his family. his mother tries her hardest to be fair to them both but she fails often in koushi’s eyes - loves his younger brother but hates how he partially resents him for always being his parents favourite - his brother has a lot of medical issues so his mother always doted over him and left koushi in the care of his elderly grandmother - when his grandmother passed his parents hardly acknowledged it and he found that infuriating - used to overwork himself to be the top of his class in school to get his parents to notice him more (they never did) - continues to overwork himself throughout high school for any form of validation - always exerted himself in social situations and built a large social life for himself to avoid being at home and to not feel ignored - daichi and asahi were the first friends he made where he actually felt seen - his father is lowkey homophobic but only shows it behind closed doors in off-handed comments - ^^ his father cares about his reputation more than his family - his main worries and impacts on his mental health started during first year when he realised how bad Asahi and Daichi’s were - he was so scared over them hurting themselves or worse - genuinely didn’t know what to do and ended up having his first panic attack over it and several more

ASAHI: - his father passed in an accident before he was born, his mother passed away from an illness a few years later - was raised by his much older (by 11 years) sister - his sister doesn’t have any mental/mental health issues/disabilities. if their parents were still alive she would have been a glass child - often wanders what it would be like if he actually did have parents - absolutely hates mothers’/fathers’ day, and days at school where people bring in their parents. (always does something with his sister on mothers’ day without fail) - feels really guilty over how his sister had to raise him instead of living her years as a young adult - his sister works abroad most of the year, so he spends most of his time alone - was very lonely as a child - struggled to make friends his whole life, and was pretty severely bullied most of his life too - this bullying only stopped in highschool after Daichi and Suga ‘adopted’ him - ^^ this quickly turned into rumours rather than bullying - the rumours really get under his skin and affect how he sees himself (doesn’t like how he looks anymore, already low self worth plummeted) - used to self harm throughout the end of his junior high years and the beginning of high school. quitting was much harder than he had expected. - attempted in his first year at some point, everything just got too much for him and he needed it to stop. he overdosed on sleeping pills. It didn’t work, he woke up disoriented and sore hours later. He didn’t plan on telling anyone until Daichi and Suga forced him to open up. - the time he took off from volleyball he also took off from school in general. it was a longer depressive episode. - the comments he got after returning, even if they were just jokes, really got to him - to the point where he questioned coming back the next day or ever - he hates how daichi can’t understand his anxiety even though he knows it’s not daichi’s fault. he hates even more how there are some days he resents him for it

[cascodedtech]

"Ah well, always did want to go his own way. Always asking damn fool questions, too."

Okay, I'm trying to get my thoughts together here, but let me see if I can verbalize why this line bothers me so much.

I generally take the final fifteen at face value (although I absolutely love reading any and all meta/theories about it). I think Aziraphale believes that he can make a difference, and I think he honestly thought making Crowley an angel again was a good thing, not because he doesn't think Crowley is good (he tells Crowley such on multiple occasions), but because I think there is a part of him that believes that Crowley doesn't like to cause misery for humanity and this would give him an out. I don't think he really considered how it would sound, and I think he was honestly surprised by Crowley's reaction. And I think that sometimes Aziraphale uses Crowley as a moral compass to some extent, not in the sense of Crowley knowing what is good, but Crowley knowing the shades of grey and what doesn't feel right, which, in part is why he was reconsidering going to heaven when The Metatron came back into the bookshop.

HOWEVER, this line from The Metatron always bothered me. We've already established that Crowley and The Metatron know each other, and are familiar enough that Crowley recognizes him right away (I don't think this is just because of the trial video he watched in heaven, because Saraqeal saw it too and didn't recognize him, and Michael and Uriel also interacted with him during the trial and neither recognized him).

I think that whatever rank Crowley was in heaven (I have my own theories), it involved close work or interaction with The Metatron on a fairly regular basis, and I sometimes wonder if The Metatron didn't have something to do with his fall (I acknowledge that Neil has told us Crowley is an unreliable narrator, so I don't think he fell by "accident"). From what I can remember about biblical lore, Lucifer (and his angels) fell, not because he questioned God, but because he refused to put humanity above his love for God. Crowley, from what I can tell, is the only angel who *questioned* God. He actually does love humanity more than God, so he actually really didn't go against God's will in heaven, per se.

So, when The Metatron tells Aziraphale that Crowley always did want to go his own way and how he was always asking questions, it implies some kind of familiarity, and I don't think it was necessarily just by reputation.

Consider that in 1x01, Gabriel didn't even really seem to know who Crowley was (which always struck me as a little weird), despite the fact that we know Crowley fought in the war in heaven, and logic would posit that "The Supreme Archangel" would have also fought in the war. And sure, there were probably hundreds or thousands of participants in the war, but Crowley is well-known enough that he is recognizable to both demons and angels that he hasn't interacted with for thousands of years.

...

I've lost the thread now. Uh, to sum up, I think Crowley was important and powerful in heaven. I don't think God is who made Crowley fall. I think The Metatron did it or played some role in it, and I think that he knew Crowley would never go back to heaven, but needed to sever the connection between Crowley and Aziraphale because he knew that Crowley would know something was going on in heaven, when Aziraphale might not (I think Aziraphale knows heaven is toxic, but I think he is willing to go back because he truly believes he can make a difference *for humanity* by being in charge, I just don't think he's actually going to be in charge, and Crowley knows that but Aziraphale doesn't).

Anyway, I have no idea if this stream of consciousness makes any sense to anyone else, but, I'm very interested to see if we will get more heaven flashbacks/minisodes in Season 3, particularly of The Battle and Crowley's fall.

[tenebraevesper]

Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 66: Burn It All Down

''She's a spark in the night, a tempest untamed, Surge the Tenrec, in a glitch reborn as flame. Forged by Starline, no past to reclaim, every hero's downfall, she proclaims her name! (Hey! Hey! Hey!) A memory wiped clean, a cybernetic dream, thunder in her veins, a revenge supreme. No future for the foes in her furious beam, Eggman and Sonic, caught in her scheme. (Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!)''

– Burn It All Down [What if AI made a Surge the Tenrec song? (Electric Version)] by Retro Bird AI (Theme of Surge)

xXxXxXx

''I'm still amazed that Eggman actually confirmed that he's in charge of the Tamago Corporation,'' Warren said, him and Tails observing Lucas after the latter had returned from his investigation to the Taylor Workship. Several holographic screens were surrounding him, with the rest of Team Neos, the Chaotix and even Rouge (thanks to them still being with Lily and Knuckles) being informed about what had happened.

''I suppose that he figured that it would be easier to just confirm everything than keeping it a secret,'' Lucas replied.

''So, what do we do now?'' Minami asked the question that was on everyone's mind. ''Should we go after him?''

Lucas sighed, his answer surprising everyone. ''No, we won't. We'll keep up with the status quo.''

''What?!''

''This would be the prime opportunity to get rid off Eggman,'' Rouge pointed out.

''I know, but none of us has ever gone for the offensive, at least not in this sense. Instead, we always waited for Dr. Eggman to attack, dealt with whatever threat he threw at us, saved the day, and continued with our lives. I don't think it would be necessary to go after him now,'' Lucas explained, his eyes narrowing as he lowered his gaze. ''I know that this is probably not the most logical decision, and I'll probably regret it in the future, but I feel that this is the best move in this case.''

There was a moment of silence, with Lucas feeling a little anxious as he waited for a response. He glanced at the screen where Sonic was, the cobalt hedgehog giving him an assuring smile.

''We did agree with Eggman that we would treat this whole battle as a game, didn't we?'' he said, not noticing the 'Are you serious?' gaze Shadow was giving him, due to the dark hedgehog standing behind Sonic.

''If you want my honest opinion, I think it would be a stupid idea to attack Tamago Corporation,'' Lily said, drawing everyone's attention. ''First of all, it's considered a respectable company by everyone in Starpoint Area and messing with it would just draw the ire of the public. Even if we did reveal that Eggman is behind it, no one would believe us without some proper evidence, and even then, they would continue refusing to acknowledge the truth because Tamago Corporation is an important company.''

''I guess that you got that from your parents,'' Makoto said, with Lily shrugging.

''Well, what can I say? Reputations make or break a company, especially in the gaming industry, and my parents know that's something you should never mess with unless you want to lose both customers and investors rapidly. I don't doubt that the same goes for Tamago Corporation,'' Lily added.

''In other words, we won't do anything until Eggman decides to attack again,'' Minami said, summarizing the whole conversation. ''Yeah, I can live with that.''

''I'm surprised that Eggman is not taking advantage of Tamago Corporation to cause more damage,'' Amy suddenly said. ''That is, if we don't count the incident with the Buddy Bots.''

''That's probably because he wants to keep Tamago Corporation as a front, so drawing attention to it wouldn't be beneficial in the long run,'' Tails said.

''If that's the direction you guys want to take, we're also fine with it,'' Vector said. ''We could gather evidence about the connection between Eggman and the Tamago Corporation; for a little fee, of course.''

''I don't think it'll be necessary,'' Lucas said. ''Speaking of which, have you managed to learn more about the owner of the warehouse?''

''We know that they have expanded their business to Mikado City,'' Espio replied.

''Hey, Shads and I are on the highway to Mikado City! Maybe we would go there and see what's up?'' Sonic suggested.

''That's not necessary. We have already called the police there, and they're currently investigating the address we gave them,'' Espio replied. Sonic just shrugged, figuring it was worth a try.

''You could help us figure out who destroyed the warehouse,'' Charmy suggested, with everyone giving him confused looks. ''There was someone else with us and they almost blew up the whole place, and KA-BOOM! The wall and roof caved in!''

''Maybe it was someone who had a grudge against the owner?'' Silver suggested. The group on Lily's end could only shrug idly.

xXx

''This… was a disaster,'' Dr. Starline said as he rubbed his temple, only for Surge to groan in annoyance.

''Com'n, Doc! We did everything you told us to do! We trashed the Badniks and we didn't get caught by anyone! What more do you want from us?'' Surge responded in protest, with Kit just giving the platypus a blank look. Starline sighed.

''I told you two that this was a stealth mission. You two destroyed a good chunk of the warehouse – that is not how you do a stealth mission,'' Starline replied in a firm tone, only to get startled when Surge grabbed the armrest of the chair he was sitting on, getting in his face as electricity crackled around her.

''We completed the mission! We should be moving on to the next point, which is destroying Sonic! It's that simple!'' Surge shouted at Starline furiously. ''That's what I'm here, even if I don't know why should…'' Surge blinked, slowly stepping back as puzzled look formed on her expression, ''…should I destroy that…'' She lowered her head, rubbing her temple as she tried to recall what her motivation was. ''Why do I even want to destroy him? I don't think we've ever met.''

''Whatever you want to do, I will support you,'' Kit said, taking note of Surge's confusion. The tenrec huffed, shooting a glare at him, leaving the fennec startled.

''I know you want to support me! That's all you do! But, why?! Why do you support me?!'' Surge felt frustrated, feeling as if her mind was hitting a mental barrier that she simply couldn't pass through.

''I-I don't know…'' Kit replied, cowering due to Surge directing her frustration towards him. ''I just do…''

''Well, that answers nothing!'' Surge shouted, slamming her electricity-charged fist onto the table, to the point of causing the table to shake and the drawers to pop out. Kit was taken aback, and when both of them turned to the platypus, they were met with a displeased gaze and an outstretched hand. ''What are you-?!''

''Aaaand, reboot,'' Starline muttered, sounding almost bored, pointing the Hypno Glove towards the two and putting them to sleep. He sighed, his eyes narrowing as he thought, I had created Surge and Kit exactly the same way as my counterpart did, deciding once again against giving them a proper history behind their motivation to keep things simple, since it would be a hassle to make up a backstory for both of them. It was certainly an oversight, and with the way their acting now, I am personally heading towards the same fate of getting betrayed by the two. Starline gazed at his Hypno Glove, only for his eyes to flick towards the now open drawer, taking note of the manga he haphazardly shoved into it. He had told himself that he would be keeping Surge and Kit's true origins a secret as long as possible, making sure that they wouldn't turn against him, but now he had to wonder if it was time to suddenly change his plans. As much as he hated to admit it, improvisation wasn't something he excelled in, preferring to carefully manufacture plans he could follow to the letter and even improving on them. If Surge does attempt to rebel, I had installed a fail-safe patch that should keep her in check, with Kit following her suit. There is no doubt that they would be furious if they found out the truth. But, perhaps that truth is what I need to stop them from rebelling. Of course, I would have to keep certain information a secret. Starline smirked as he heard the two groaning, both feeling a strong headache as they slowly woke up. Showtime!

''What happened…'' Kit groaned, holding his head and turned to Surge, who looked quite out of it. Both were startled when Starline suddenly placed his arms over their shoulders.

''Thank goodness you are all right!'' Starline said in an overly concerned, if not even fatherly, tone, surprising both Surge and Kit. ''I hope you haven't broken anything!''

''Uh… no?'' Surge rose an eyebrow, feeling no pain in her body besides the sense of dizziness and headache.

''You have Kit to thank for that! He caught you just as you glitched out,'' Starline said, with Kit being surprised and a little flustered by the sudden praise.

''Thanks for the help, kiddo,'' Surge said, flashing a grin at Kit and giving him a thumbs up. ''You always have my back, don't cha?''

''Y-Yeah,'' Kit replied, feeling happy that Surge was thankful to him for saving her. Surge then turned to Starline, a questioning look forming on her expression.

''You said that we glitched out…'' she muttered.

''Indeed,'' Starline said, giving her a look of guilt. ''We've gotten into a heated argument over the history of your origins. You insisted that you needed to know who you truly are and where you come from, and I simply wanted to protect you from the harsh reality. Tempers flared, and your upgrades overloaded. I'm so sorry, I should've monitored your condition better.''

Surge rubbed her head, not too sure whether that was true or not, as she could remember absolutely nothing. She did assume that Starline was telling the truth, though, but something about the whole situation felt weird. She turned to Kit for an opinion, but the fennec just gave her a look of concern, clearly upset that Surge got hurt during the argument. However, before she could get another word in, Starline got ahead of her.

''I understand that you might want to know more about your past, but there isn't anything I can tell you besides what I know. As you are already aware, all three of us are Irregulars, meaning that we came into this reality without any memories that explain who we are. It is, in many ways, a new start,'' Starline said, reaching for the manga in the drawer. ''I had done some research on my own past, and I must say, I have been appalled by the person I used to be.'' He gave the manga to Surge and Kit to read, who were shocked when they saw the cover of Surge fighting Sonic, and quickly started to flip through the pages while Starline continued his soliloquy, ''I had believed that I could do better than my counterpart, and when I found you two, I realized that I needed to properly train you to survive in this reality.''

''You kidnapped us, erased our memories and brainwashed us?!'' Surge suddenly shouted, shoving the manga page showing Starline experimenting on them. ''And then you let us die multiple times?! I should kill you for this!''

Starline gulped nervously, well aware that he put himself into a very dangerous situation with just how volatile Surge got. ''I-I understand that this is all very upsetting. In fact, this was the very reason why I haven't told you anything…''

Kit shot him a dark and cold gaze, his eyes glowing malevolently. Starline knew he had to quickly regain control of the situation, but this time, without using his Hypno Glove. If he played his cards correct, Surge and Kit would remain loyal to him.

''You have to understand that first and foremost, you are not the same as you are depicted in this manga,'' Starline responded to a furious Surge and Kit. ''That was a revelation I had struggled as well, so I understand precisely what you're going through.''

''It's easy for you to say!'' Surge snapped back, dropping the manga. ''We don't even have a backstory in this manga besides you creating us!''

''That would be the fault of the writer, not mine…'' Starline said, only for his eyes to widen when sparks of electrictiy to fly around the room as Surge charged up, clearly not satisfied with the answer and more than happy to fry Starline. ''I just followed the story!''

''That… That makes sense…''

Both Surge and Starline were surprised to hear Kit talk, the fennec having picked up the manga and flipping through the pages, reading them. Surge rose an eyebrow, giving Kit a curious look. ''What are you talking about, kiddo?''

''I feel that it makes sense for Starline to recreate our backstory based on our manga counterparts after he found us, since that is all what we have,'' Kit explained, turning to an unnerved Starline. ''That is why you had joined the Eggman Empire initially.''

Starline felt a sense of relief washing over him as he realized that Kit's logical side prevailed, with Surge also calming down a bit as she listened to her partner. ''Indeed, that was the reason. But, seeing how bad the situation had gotten, I believe that all of us should simply cut off whatever previous history we had and continue building our own path. After all, you both know your purpose.''

''The purpose you forced upon us,'' Surge growled.

''But, I still gave you a purpose,'' Starline interrupted, his sense of arrogance breaking through his composed appearance. ''Imagine if you hadn't been found by me. You wouldn't know anything about yourselves and wander aimlessly until you get caught by the Hunters. Your life would've ended before it even began.''

''I-I guess that's true…'' Surge muttered, feeling defeated by Starline's argument. She hated that he was right in that sense, but she had no response for it.

''Furthermore, I am convinced that both of you would deeply desire revenge on Sonic and Tails, if not all of their friends,'' Starline said, grabbing the manga from Kit. ''You saw it with your own eyes that you were created in this story solely for the purpose of being Sonic's next enemy until you get discarded by the writers for someone better. But now, you're here and you can change you fate. You can become something more- All of us can become something more!''

''I do like the sound of that…'' Surge muttered, thinking about it.

''M-Me too,'' Kit added. Starline just nodded in response.

''As expected, you never settle for just being the second best,'' he said, tapping with his fingers on the manga. ''What is written here will never reflect the current situation, no matter how many similarities there are.'' Starline then tossed the manga to Surge, with her and Kit staring at it. ''If you wish to study it in details, you are free to do so, but always keep in mind that the Surge and Kit in the story are different from the Surge and Kit standing before me.''

Starline observed the two, a smug grin on his expression as he knew that he achieved what he wanted. Not only did Surge and Kit learn about their past – well, at least the one written in the manga – without getting too volatile, but he also ensured that they wouldn't betray his trust. Not only that, but this meant that he could explore even more possibilities of what he could do with them. He was quite excited, looking forward to it.

xXx

''Hey, Kit… do you see any cameras or listening devices?''

Kit was surprised by Surge's question, even more when she dragged both of them into a nearby broom closet. ''I don't think there would be any in a broom closet.''

''Good, because I don't want Starline to hear this,'' Surge said, glancing at the manga. ''I believe that there is more than what he had told us.''

''You mean, he's lying to us?'' Kit asked. Surge nodded in response.

''Do you even remember how Starline found us?'' she asked, with Kit giving her a confused look. He tried to recall their meeting with Starline, but his mind was blank. All he remembered was that he and Surge were already here at Egg Base Sigma when they first met him.

''No, I don't…'' he muttered, lowering his gaze.

''Exactly!'' Surge hissed, glad to get her point across. ''We don't remember anything before the meeting, and considering how Starline in this manga seems to be quite trigger-happy with his hypnosis glove, I'm sure he erased our memories of that meeting for whatever reason.''

''If that's so, maybe we could check the database?'' Kit suggested, his eyes narrowing. ''Starline keeps logs of everything and anything that happens here.''

''Now that's a plan!'' Surge said, grinning as she ruffled Kit's tuft of head fur, with Kit smiling back. ''Starline has no idea what we're up to, and once we get our answers, he's going to regret ever meeting us.''

xXx

It was dead in the night when Surge and Kit returned to the computer that Starline used for his video logs. They were scanning through all of the files, which seemed to amount in the hundreds.

''Chaos, this guy really loves to talk about himself, doesn't he?'' Surge said, both her and Kit stunned after watching a video of Starline having a mental breakdown over getting fired by Dr. Eggman and ranting about his own genius. ''He could make his own podcast, but who would listen to him?''

''I don't know, but I guess that there would be people interested in it,'' Kit replied, shrugging. ''There are podcasts about all kinds of topics, so one where people listen to Starline's rambles is possible.''

''I guess there would be people crazy enough to listen to this lunatic,'' Surge said, folding her arms across her chest. ''Try to find the video logs about us. Anything from before we arrived here.''

''I think I found something,'' Kit said, typing on the keyboard. ''Here.''

The two both watched the video of Starline as leaned back in his chair, narrating about a discovery he had made. ''…Egg Base Sigma used to be Prof. Hiroshi Sakamoto's research site. The now deceased Prof. Sakamoto was the lead scientist at the Codex Research Facility, being the head of Project Shadow and Project Shadow: Resurrection, both of which focused on the research and creation of artificial Irregulars; the result being Shadow the Hedgehog and Mephiles the Dark.'' Two images of Shadow and Mephiles popped up on Starline's right and left side respectively. ''Prof. Sakamoto had left a quite detailed document in regards to how to create artifical Irregulars, filled with many reports of his failures and eventual success. If one were to read it, it would seem as if creating an artifical Irregular would be difficult, but one has to take into account that the Professor was trying to create one from scratch.'' Starline then smirked, placing his gloved hand on his chest. ''I, on the other hand, am free to use all of his research to create my own artificial Irregulars, meaning that I won't have to waste time on trial and error.''

''What?'' Surge and Kit were stunned to hear that, both exchanging glances. Both felt a sense of dread as the video log continued.

''I have already picked which artificial Irregulars I want to create,'' Starline said, with two images popping up on his right and left side. ''Surge the Tenrec and Kitsunami 'Kit' the Fennec, both of whom my counterpart had used to achieve his goals of breaking the irritating 'Sonic Cycle', which I had explained in a previous video log.'' Starline's eyes shifted to the side as a nervous look formed on his expression. ''Admittedly, I am well aware that that experiment wasn't exactly a success due to… certain oversights on my counterpart's part.'' He then smirked, his signature arrogance returning once again. ''However, I see this as my second chance to make things right. I will prove to Dr. Eggman that he was wrong to fire me by eliminating his greatest nemesis with my own creation...''

''That is enough.''

Both Surge and Kit were startled by a sharp, resolute tone from behind them and quickly turned around, stunned to see Starline standing behind them, tugging at the edge of his glove. Surge shot him a glare, her hands clenching into fists, electricity crackling around them as they shook in rage.

''You! You created us!'' Surge shouted at Starline, giving him a death glare. What angered her even more was the calm and confident look the platypus gave her. She wished that he was cowering in fear instead of having the appearance of someone who had everything under control. She despised the way he was looking down on her. ''You brought us here just to use us for whatever stupid vendetta you had!''

''I had hoped that you wouldn't go searching through my personal files if I told you about your initial backstory,'' Starline said, pointing his open palm with the Hypno Glove towards them. ''That was another unfortunate oversight on my part.''

Surge, realizing that Starline was about to use his Hypno Glove on them, charged forwards to stop him. She had no idea whether he wanted to erase their memories or something worse, but she wasn't going to let him do anything. Unfortunately for her, Starline used the Speed Core on the Tricore, dodging her punch and then kicked her into her gut with his poisonous heel spurs, causing Surge to fall over, completely paralyzed.

Starline then immediately turned towards Kit, but before he could do anything, the furious fennec grabbed him with his water vines by his leg, lifting him up and slamming him into a wall. This knocked the air out of Starline as he was left dangling upside-down, staring into Kit's glowing eyes. Surge, who had managed to recover from the neurotoxin thanks to her in-built super-healing, grabbed Starline's Hypno Glove, putting it on her own hand and shoving it straight into Starline's face.

''I've had enough of you!'' she screamed, with Starline being frozen in horror. Then, his eyes closed as he fell into a trance, with Kit dropping him on the ground. Surge was breathing heavily, her body still fighting the effects of the neurotoxin.

''Surge, are you okay?'' Kit asked her in a worried tone, with Surge waving him off.

''I'm fine, but I'd feel better if Starline just goes to Hell,'' Surge said, gritting her sharp teeth as she glared at the unconscious platypus.

''I could drown him, if that makes you feel better,'' Kit suggested, his tone chillingly calm. Despite the tempting offer, Surge took a few more moments to calm herself down, trying to process everything they have just learned.

''I like the way you're thinking, kiddo, but that won't be enough. I want Starline to slowly suffer for what he had done to us,'' Surge replied, growling as she stared at the platypus. Kit was silent for a moment, only to look up at Surge with a curious expression.

''Then, what do you want to do? I will follow any order you give me,'' he said. Surge was silent for a moment, her attention drawn to the manga they left on the table. She opened it once again, finding the page of herself screaming about destroying everything and everyone in her path, because if she had no past, then the rest of the world would have no future. Their situation was no different, even if they had some form of context to their existence, that being Starline's pawns in both the story and real life.

''If we were just created to act as punching bags for Sonic and his friends, only to get discarded when we're no longer of any use, why shouldn't we go all out then? If we're here to suffer, then we'll drag the whole world down with us to Hell,'' Surge said in a firm tone, grinning maliciously as she stared at Starline. ''The Doc did have a good point – we don't know what happens to us later on in this story, since it cuts off before the big battle, but we don't need to know that. This is the real world, and we can do whatever we want. We will burn this world, its heroes and villains, until there's nothing left.''

''What should we do about Starline?'' Kit asked, gazing at the platypus. Surge didn't answer, but the grin she gave Kit made it clear that she also had plans for him.

xXx

Starline felt a pounding headache, his vision blurry as he slowly woke up. It was as if someone was driving a drill into his skull, and he rubbed his head, trying to understand what had happened to him. To his surprise, he saw Surge and Kit standing before him, while he was sitting on the swivel chair, the monitor behind him playing the video log of him explaining how Surge and Kit came into existence.

This feels familiar… Don't tell me… Starline froze when he saw Surge giving him a rather amused grin, while Kit just gave him a firm glare. ''Wh-What had happened?''

''We'll cut to the chase, Doc,'' Surge started, with Starline gulping nervously. ''We know everything about our origins, including the bit where we're actually artificial Irregulars that you created.''

''Y-You know…'' Starline reached for his glove, only to feel a chill flowing down his spine when he realized that it was gone. He stared back at Surge, who was holding the glove in her hand, still grinning.

''Those naps you put us through don't feel so nice, do they?'' Surge said, with Starline being unable to respond as he realized that he was in mortal danger without his glove. If Surge and Kit decided to kill him now, there was nothing he could do to fight them off. Even his poisonous heel spurs were useless since the two could easily heal from the neurotoxin.

''Wh-What do you want?'' Starline asked, trying to keep his tone calm. He was stunned when Surge suddenly tossed the glove back to him, and he gave her a confused look.

''What I want is to finally move on to our true mission,'' Surge said, surprising Starline. ''You made us to fight Sonic and Tails, so we'll do that.''

''W-Wait-'' Starline was completely flabbergasted, his grip around the glove tightening. ''You have just learned about your true origins… and your response is to move on with the mission?''

''Well, it's not like we can do anything else, since we have no other reason to exist,'' Surge said. ''I was made a powerhouse to match Sonic in combat and to defeat him, and Kit here is going to do whatever I want. Right, kiddo?''

''Yes, Ma'am,'' Kit replied in an almost robotic tone.

''See?'' Surge gave Starline a pointed look, but the platypus remained doubtful, taking note of the manga that stood open on the very same page that illustrated their current situation.

''This doesn't make any sense. Don't you want to betray me and get revenge on me for what I had done?'' Starline asked directly, only to get startled when Surge suddenly walked over to him, flicking his beak and sending a spark of electricity down his body.

''Of course I'd want to get my revenge on your for dragging us here, but I have my own priorities set,'' Surge said, with Starline rubbing his beak as he gave Surge an alarmed look. ''We won't participate in any of your nonsense of proving your worth to Eggman. Instead, you will help us come up with a solid plan on how to lure Sonic and his friends out so we can destroy them.'' She then tapped with her finger on the manga. ''Since me and Kit having no past is completely unimportant, we'll make sure that no one else has any future, yourself included.''

Starline gulped, but given the close proximity of Surge, as well as Kit observing him carefully, he knew that he couldn't do anything. All of his careful planning was gone in just one night, and he was alive only thanks to sheer luck.

''I-I guess I have no choice but to comply…'' Starline said, only to get noogie from Surge, leaving his hair messed up and his eyes wide in confusion.

''That's the spirit, Doc!'' Surge said happily as she let go off him, with Starline trying to fix his hair. She then placed her hands on her hips. ''So, what's the plan?''

Starline took a deep breath, trying to calm down his nerves. He knew that he was now in survival mode, and to ensure that he remains alive unlike his counterpart, he needed to keep Surge and Kit appeased by giving them what they wanted. Perhaps, he could still salvage the situation, but there was no clear answer to this issue. Starline cleared his throat, then started typing on the keyboard.

''I have a plan, but I suppose we will have to make several changes to it…''

Surge and Kit exchanged glances, both smirking in triumph.

xXx

''So, how much further to this meeting spot?'' Sonic asked. He was running down a street in Westoru, with Lucas, Tails and Warren following closely behind him, the teenagers using their hoverboards to keep up.

''It shouldn't take much longer to reach it,'' Lucas replied, his eyes narrowing as he thought about what had happened that morning. He was woken up by Sonic who showed him a message on his AR Visor, which came from an unknown sender, challenging him to a battle and instructing him to come to a specific location in Westoru. Lucas didn't have much time to think about it when a call from Warren and Tails came, telling the two the same thing. Not only that, but after doing some research, both noted that the messages were sent via the EggNet, leaving them wondering if Dr. Eggman was challenging them. Lucas had to admit that it made sense, especially after his recent discovery in regards to the Tamago Corporation, and the four set off. However, there was something that was bothering him about this whole ordeal.

''I believe that this is it,'' Warren said as they reached a quiet, residential area in Westoru. They were looking around, feeling a bit confused when they didn't see anyone, save for a passing pedestrian.

''There's no one here,'' Tails said, scratching his head and opening the holographic screen. ''This makes no sense. We're at the correct spot.''

''I wonder if-''

Before Sonic could even finish his sentence, a streak of green light suddenly appeared from out of the corner, slamming into him and dragging him into another street, leaving Lucas, Warren and Tails shocked.

''Sonic!'' Lucas went after his partner. Warren and Tails were about to follow them, when suddenly, water vines shot out from a different street, grabbing Tails and dragging him into it. Warren could only watch in surprise as the twin-tailed fox struggled to break free, and he followed his partner into the street.

Unknown to either of them, Starline then walked out of another side-street, arms crossed on his back, a slight look of concern on his expression. This was not how he expected his grand plan to unfold.

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