#he was a chatterbox?ofc he was

[jabberamongthetrees]

Dear Vera,

[redridcr]

Modernverse and Liselotte having a five year old: François. Can be called the English equivalent: Francis.

He’s pegged as Philippe’s son by the dark hair and blue eyes. By the way he sucks in his cheeks when he’s mad and tosses his toys off the table.

And he illustrates himself as Liselotte’s son with his resilience, running out of the corner during time out and bravely being dragged back, because his mother also refuses to give up the good fight.

[wasteland-lover]

i had another dream with ochoa in it

[konigsblog]

Heya! Sorry if it's stupid ask, but I have read your post a while ago that you're Scottish (If I'm wrong then I'm sorry and I would feel embarrassed.🙃) And I want to write Sergeant Johnny Mactavish and Captain John Mactavish x reader. And since they are also Scottish I want to write/them say some Scottish lines, or just words. So I was hoping what usually Scottish people will say, I don't want to mess up. I only know aye, shite and lass but that's much about it.

Sorry if my English is bad.

And I wish you an great day/night/evening!😊

SCOTTISH PHRASES AND WORDS TO USE WHILE WRITING FOR SOAP MACTAVISH.

— yes! i am scottish, so here's some phrases and words i hear, and say, in scotland and what other scottish people usually say. :)

bonnie = that means calling someone pretty, like bonnie lass means pretty girl, since lass means girl. i'd say this is usually aimed towards girls, like a man would call a woman a bonnie.

lad means boy, like a friend usually. lads is plural ofc, and you could use it to say soap and the lads, or his pals. — “me and the lads.” (lads isn't scottish, it's british - which obviously being scottish means your british, but anywhere in great britain you'd hear this. as well as the one below.)

pals means friends, friend is a pal. — “thought he was yer pal.” = “thought he was your friend.”

dinnae = don't, it's how we say it in our accent. “dinnae do that.”

dae = means do, again, how we say it in our accent. “dae that for me.”

“haud yer wheesht” means shut up, like be quiet.

blether means talk, you might call someone a blether if they gossip or they're a chatterbox. — “stop blethering.”

crabbit means to be annoyed or grumpy. — “why ye crabbit?”

aye means yes. — “aye, dae that.”

ken means know. “a ken that.” not the barbie doll, it means know :) — “a ken that.” means “i know that.”

eejit means idiot. — “yer' an eejit.”

“ah umnae” means im not. ‘ah’ means im, or i, ‘umnae’ means not. it's hard to explain, just our accents though.

‘peely wally’ means pale. (heard this too many times towards myself, im pale as paper..) — “yer' lookin' a bit peely wally.” honestly, i don't think you'd need to say this that often in fanfics with soap, but maybe if someone is ill, you'd say that.

“gonnae no do that” means don't do that. “gonnae” means gonna, so like “gonna not do that” you'd say to someone if they did something you didn't want them to do.

“yer bum's oot the windae!” you're lying, being dramatic, or over exaggerating something.

“dafty” means stupid. — “yer' a dafty.”

VIDEOS TO WATCH FOR HELP AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE ACCENT:

it shows the accent differences between a scottish person, an english person, and an irish person.

https://youtu.be/Z-WliS0HHF8?feature=shared

[crimsonhydrangeavn]

In one of the asks you said Teagan would call our parents mom and dad. If mc had a bad home life would Teagan have liked it if instead mc called their parents mom and dad/ or just seeing them as moreso parental figures rather their own parents, grew close to Teagan’s parents and sleeping over whenever they can in high school cus they’d rather be there (also love the idea of Teagan’s mom calling after the breakup to see how you are and finding out Teagan never told them you broke up ofc LOL)

I absolutely love the game!! Already love all of the cast! 🩵

Awww! That's such a sweet scenario! If only the truth was as wholesome. :(

Honestly, Teagan would have been more than happy to share their parents with you, if they were around that is.

They were usually busy with work, but whenever you did see them, Teagan's parents seemed nice enough. Given the size of their house and how new and modern everything was it was clear they had a lot of money. At least more money than your family had. Whenever you did sleep over, Teagan's parents let you both order whatever you wanted, easily footing the bill. Teagan's mom was nice enough whenever she was around. She would ask you questions about yourself, compliment you, and ask about Teagan whenever they were out of earshot. Teagan's father on the other hand was a bit more reserved, however he was never rude or mean towards you, just quiet, especially in comparison to his wife and Teagan.

Now that you thought about it, it was always strange how quiet Teagan got around their parents. They were usually so outgoing and a bit of a chatterbox around you, saying every little thing that popped into their head. It didn't seem as though they were nervous or scared of them but almost as if they were ...emotionally detached? To be honest, Teagan never did open up about their home life with you. They'd always change the subject one way or another until it you naturally forgot about it.

That being said, Teagan's mom probably would have reached out after the break up, not just because they were concerned about you, but because of Teagan's erratic behavior following the break up...

However, whatever message they sent must have gotten lost in the countless voicemails and messages that Teagan sent you trying to get in contact with you once you left them.

Eventually you had to change your phone number and delete all social media to make it all stop. Unfortunately you had to cut them out of your life as well in fear that they would share your new number with Teagan and all of the messages would start all over...

[daenysthedreamer101]

Youngest Original ~ TVDU

Mikaelson!OC headcanons

Finn's relationship with Kassandra

TVD Masterlist

These two have such a pure, precious relationship

When Kassie was little she used to follow Finn around the village, clinging to his leg, wanting to be carried 🥹💕

He taught her how to ride a horse

HEAD PATS!!!!

Elijah gives her forehead kisses, Finn pats her head

Kassie was extremely pissed when Klaus kept Finn daggered back in 1114. She was ready to throw hands 😤, but Elijah persuaded her out of it

She gave Klaus a whole speech as to why he should undagger their brother, but ofc, Klaus just ignored her

She would repeat this speech every hundred or so years. It never worked

Once Finn finally gets woken up from his 900+ years of sleep he is confused, to say the least.

It was the year 2010 and Finn was shocked but not surprised Klaus kept him in a coffin for so long

He was confused by everything - the way people dressed was drastically different, especially women

The technology really confused him to no end. Electricity in particular or any electrical device really

Kassie was there to help him every step of the way. She showed him how to use something called a mobile phone - he had to give it to the humans, they always were very creative creatures

She and Bekah took him to a place called a barber shop and cut his long hair

Apparently, most men wore their hair short nowadays

He also had a bit of trouble learning the language

They helped him learn modern English - it sounded vastly different from the English he knew

Though in the privacy of their home, Finn would always revert back to Old Norse, their native language

I headcanon that in general, the Originals speak Norse to each other in private

You cannot tell me that once they start fighting they don't revert back to shouting at each other in Old Norse 😭

I also headcanon that Finn is a Libra just like Kassie, both just want peace and quiet and hate conflict

Everyone in the family (and in the fandom) harps on Finn for being boring but Kassie disagrees

She loves his quiet, reserved nature

She is a chatterbox and will talk his ear off but he never stops her. He just smiles and listens even though he understands nothing

Once, they were in a mall, and Obsessed by Mariah Carey was on; the amount of auto-tune did a number on his brain lol.

Kassie had to explain why music nowadays sounded so weird (play one kpop song to him and this man is in the grave 💀)

He much prefers classical music

He once asked her why her eyelids were so shiny.

She had to explain what eyeshadow was. And eyeliner. And fake eyelashes.

He was glad to see she still wore the necklace they got for her 100th birthday.

He loved spending time with Kassie, cause she was the only one who didn't speak badly about his reluctance to murder

She, like him, had a hard time adapting to vampirism, so she gets where he's coming from

She's the only one of his siblings he doesn't hold a grudge against

[aoflameandco]

GrimmNell: character study

Well-well-well, I mentioned once that my GrimmNel brainrot is far from being over - so here we go! What else's to analyze about them though? Well, this time we have a new subject to focus on... the Bleach personality quiz!

Yes, I know it's a bit questionable source for a character study, but let me explain! June 2011. The third Bleach Official Character Book UNMASKED was released in Japan. This databook was mostly famous for giving Ulquiorra a more detailed backstory and showing more of Halibel and her Fracción. However, there was another small tidbit for Arrancar's fans - the official quiz from Kubo - Which Bleach character are you? 

The quiz was extremely simple.  Add up the numbers of your full date of birth and don't forget your blood type. Voila! In the end you get a short profile about your Bleach "personality type", which highlights the key qualities of this particular character.

Now, y'all know where I'm going with this. So, what's like to be like Grimmjow- or Nel according to the databook? Let's check it!

And- Even without any translation, we immediately bump into the first problem. There's only Nel's profile. Not Nelliel's.

Well, they're the same person! It would be weird to separate them, right? But yeah... there's a solid difference in a way her kid and adult forms act.

So the question remains - can we apply this profile's info to the adult Nelliel? Let's read it to find out.

a bit messy not word to word translation's incoming, pls take it with a grain of salt

Cheerful and playful

Nel type!

Good at opening people's hearts. Very quick to make bonds, no matter with who - friends or foes. She is attentive and good at conveying information to those around her. But sometimes she says too much.

• works at her own pace • high sense of camaraderie • doesn't run away from difficulties • hero of justice

Ofc this info perfectly fits baby Nel. She quickly befriended Ichigo, even though he was a shinigami; she was a sort of his guide, explaining how Hueco Mundo works; also she is a big chatterbox, saying surprisingly harsh things sometimes. Her attentive side shined during the Ichigo vs Grimmjow fight, when she noticed Orihime's turmoil and gave her a good advice. She is surely down for justice, but it's a little bit difficult to fight for it in her small body. So the real Nelliel has to step up.

Same qualities but a different approach - that's what I would say about adult!Nel. And it's very visible when it comes to her later interactions with Grimmjow, esp in CFYOW.

But before giving some bright examples, let's take a look at his quiz profile as well - to understand the similarities and contrasts between these two characters.

Responsible but mischievous

Grimmjow type

There's still a bit of a boyish heart (shounen no kokoro) in him. But deep inside he's unexpectedly serious and has a sense of responsibility. He catches the information fast and adapts quickly, but his tendency to get bored could be a problem. If he'll improve this aspect, good fortune is likely to come his way.

• has a sense of responsibility • thrives in adversity • quickly adapts • gets bored easily

And - the quiz highlighted thrice (!) that Grimmjow is indeed a responsible person. Something Nelliel didn't expect as well. As a true hero of justice she was prepared to stop Sexta as soon as he starts an unnecessary violence. But to her surprise - Grimmjow was far from an uncontrollable beast and followed his own codex.

A sense of responsibility didn't turn Grimmjow into an obedient boy though. Him and Nel keep arguing due to their different perspectives - especially when it comes to handling the former enemies.

Nelliel easily bonds with anyone - quincy, Aura, etc., meanwhile Grimmjow picks a fight as a first option. This choice isn't just a result of his bloodthirst though. Grimmjow's survival instincts are strong, so he always stays on guard and doesn't trust easily. That's why he warns Nelliel that her pacifism might end up badly for them all.

Another proof that even though he acts as if he doesn't belong to the group, Grimm isn't as indifferent as he pretends to be. Very responsible of him, huh?

Yet there's another obstacle in their dynamic. Their pacing. Grimmjow is quick to adapt and quick to act, meanwhile Nelliel doesn't like to rush and prefers to gather as much information as possible.

Hard to say who's wrong in this case. Quick reaction benefited Grimmjow in general, but ofc Nel likes to remind him about Askin's incident, her favorite argument to cool him down.

And usually her persuasion works, surely Grimm argues back but still stops. When his stubbornness wins though- there's no way that Nelliel will just let him go. She'll do everything to find him, stop him and bring him back.

Nel complaints but doesn't give up on her fellow arrancar, no matter how difficult the other side is. Knowing Grimmjow's past, the sense of camaraderie isn't an empty word for him too. With creak he opens up to Nel, sharing his thoughts with her. Even though she is too bold with her words sometimes, it doesn't look like Sexta feels a grudge against her.

Grimmjow isn't a friendly type. He likes to fight, but a disappointed look quickly appears on his face, if his enemy doesn't meet expectations. He gets bored easily, he always needs some action. And yet- for some reason Nelliel got his attention.

There's no doubt that he sees her as a nice opponent, he even provoked her to fight with a smirk. He easily forgets anyone who didn't pique his interest and yet Nel's reiatsu is safely stored in his memory.

However, it wouldn't be correct to reduce Grimmjow's attention to a desire to fight, when we have several scenes of him watching Nelliel's peaceful shenanigans. He was calmly watching over kid Nel in anime probably wondering about the connection between this brat and the mighty Tres, he was dying of boredom, but still didn't take his eyes off her tea party in the novel. Even Halibel noticed it and offered him to join, but ofc he proudly refused.

So what did we confirm again? Even though Grimmjow and Nelliel share rather opposite views when it comes to socializing or making decisions, some of their character traits are surprisingly compatible. Grimmjow gained some respect points, when Nel started to notice his responsible side, meanwhile he opened up to her pushy yet reliable presence. Nelliel doesn't give up on her persuasion and he doesn't get bored of arguing with her. Covering eo's flaws they make quite a powerful duo, isn't?

So let's hope we'll see more of their rocky bond next season~

[foundtherightwords]

The Firebird - Chapter 9

Pairing: Prince Paul (Catherine the Great) x OFC, Fairytale AU

Summary: When Paul, a spoiled young prince, spots a strange bird in the forest near his palace, he impulsively chases after it, hoping to both escape from and prove himself to his disapproving mother. Thus he is plunged into an exhilarating adventure across a magical realm populated by enchanted princesses, dangerous monsters, and powerful wizards, an adventure that may change him more than he can ever imagine.

Chapter warning: some violence

Chapter word count: 4.5k

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8

Chapter 9 - Knights and Nightingale

As soon as Paul, Zhara, and Elena cleared the trees, all three of them collapsed, breathing in the sweet night air of the meadow and the open sky. Even the donkey seemed to be calming down and started grazing the fresh grass with relish.

"Thank you," Elena exhaled. "Thank you both. I never would have the courage to stand up to her if it wasn't for you."

Paul paid her no heed. His attention was on Zhara, who was cradling her injured hand and looking pale. He found a piece of clean linen in their supplies, dipped it in the nearby stream, and started washing the blood off her hands.

"You are going to say that was a very stupid thing to do, aren't you?" she asked with a sullen grimace.

"No," Paul said honestly. More than anything, he longed to kiss her palm, but he couldn't, not with Elena there, so he settled for caressing her hand instead. "You were very brave."

Zhara's fingers went still for a heartbeat, then closed around his. "I think you were very brave too," she said softly. 

For a moment, they sat holding hands, unable to tear their eyes away from each other, until a small cough from Elena made them dart away like two criminals. Paul turned around and found Elena standing awkwardly next to them, holding a bunch of frothy pink and white flowers she just picked from the meadow.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Woundwort," she replied, crushing the flowers between her fingers. Perhaps it was Paul's imagination, but he thought the flowers glowed briefly. "Put it on her hand, it'll heal faster."

Paul took the crushed flowers from Elena and carefully placed them on Zhara's wound before binding her hand with another strip of linen. If he took a long time doing it, and if his fingertips lingered over her palm and her wrist more than necessary, she showed no sign of noticing.

"Sleeping on a field on Kupala Night, how fitting," Elena mused, looking around the empty meadow. She glanced at Zhara. "Perhaps we should have waited until morning to defy my mother."

"Oh, if you don't mind, then I don't either. We've been sleeping under the stars for weeks now, haven't we?" Zhara said, nodding at Paul with a warm smile that bore no trace of her usual mockery. For some reason, the natural, easy way she said we sent a thrill through Paul. "Besides, I don't want to be around a lot of people in the morning."

"Why not?" Elena asked, bemused.

"You'll see" was all Zhara said in reply.

***

Elena took Zhara's transformation surprisingly well. Paul had the feeling that she had been confined in her own kingdom for so long that anything would come as a shock to her, and when everything was a shock, nothing was, so she took everything in her stride. He discovered that she was something of a chatterbox as well. She asked him about Russia, about his journey with Zhara so far, and about Alyosha and Afron. Paul tried to answer her as best he could, but he was unable to keep up with her pattering. Luckily, Elena was so thrilled to have someone to talk to that she didn't seem to mind, like a child who had recently learned to talk. When she had exhausted her store of questions, she started pointing out every plant and tree they saw along the way and listing their properties and uses. Paul didn't hold it against her. He supposed that when one was one quarter-leshy, a love for botany was in one's blood. After a while, he learned to tune out her excited babbling and focused on putting one foot ahead of another—the donkey could not carry both of them, so he gave it to Elena and walked instead.

Zhara's wound had healed almost completely, but she didn't fly ahead as she often did when she and Paul were traveling together. Instead, she stayed close or perched on Paul's shoulder, watching him and Elena with an enigmatic, scrutinizing expression. Paul wanted to tell her that she needn't worry about him falling in love with Elena. Although he didn't mind Elena's company, he missed those early days when it was just him and Zhara, missed falling asleep across the fire from her, even missed their bickering. But he couldn't say any of it in Elena's presence, so he only brushed his fingertips briefly over Zhara's wings. She returned the gesture by nibbling his hand gently with her beak. She ceased her watching after that, though she remained on his shoulder.

After reaching the first mountain pass that night, they discussed what to do should they run into Nightingale again. Zhara pointed out that the robber didn't seem at all interested in humans and only took the donkey and the supplies, so if they freed the donkey and crossed the mountains on foot, perhaps he would leave them be.

"What if there is another avalanche?" Paul asked. "We only escaped by sheer luck last time." He could still feel the stab of fear that had gone through his heart when Zhara went missing, and never wished to feel it again.

"We can make some snow wings," Elena piped up. Zhara and Paul turned to her questioningly, and she explained, "That's what the people of Bryansk do when they have to go up the mountains. They weave these frames out of birch and willow branches and strap them to their backs. They will save us from getting buried completely in the snow."

So they spent the night gathering branches from the lower slopes and tying them together with birch bark into something resembling a long and flat hamper. They made two, one for Elena and one for Paul, while Zhara, who would be in her avian form, simply had to stay airborne.

"Will this work?" Paul asked dubiously, as he tried one on.

"I—I've never used it before," Elena said. "But it should work." Her answer didn't instill a lot of confidence in Paul, but they had to take it.

They started their ascent of Perun's Crown early in the morning. The first two days were quiet, and they began to hope that perhaps Nightingale would not attack. Still, they were particularly careful as they neared Perun's Peak, as this was the site of the avalanche and where Nightingale was rumored to have his nest. Zhara flew overhead on slowly wheeling wings, ready to sound the alarm should she see anything suspicious, while Paul and Elena walked on the slippery path, with the donkey between them.

An echoing shriek made them all jump. Zhara soared up so high she was only a speck of red amongst the gray-and-white peaks, while Paul and Elena pressed themselves against the rock walls on either side of the path, preparing for the avalanche. It never came. They heard another shriek from somewhere up ahead, along with other sounds—the rushing rustle of a tempest, male voices shouting, and the panicked whinnies of some horses.

Paul and Elena exchanged curious glances. Could it be that some hapless travelers had been caught by Nightingale? They ran toward a bend in the path, where they cleared the Peak and the rock walls opened up into a vista of the lower mountains and the valley further down.

But that wasn't all they could see. Perched on a tree on the mountaintop directly underneath them was Nightingale the Robber, his back to them, his speckled gray plumage barely visible amongst the leaves and the rocks. From his mouth, a continuous shriek was coming forth, causing such a high, gusty wind that all the trees on the slope below were bent over, some smaller ones were snapped clean in half, and stones and branches and debris were tumbling down the hill. It was so powerful that Paul and Elena, crouched on the higher peak, could even feel some of it on their faces as it rebounded off of the mountains in the distance. The victims—two men in armor and their horses—were hiding behind a large boulder, which shielded them from the worst of the squall but didn't allow them to do much else. One of them kept trying to draw a bow, only to have to duck down again when half a sapling sailed past his head. The other one had a spear, which he drove into the ground and leaned against to keep himself from getting blown away by the gust.

"What do we do?" Elena asked.

"He's not paying attention to us at all. We can simply wait until he finishes with them and flies away," Paul said. Zhara, who had come down to watch and was now hovering over his shoulder, gave a dissenting chirrup and shook her beak. Paul sighed. "All right, so we shall try to help them," he said. "But how?"

"He's sitting on a cedar," Elena said. "It's a very brittle wood. Perhaps we can throw a rock to break the branch and make him fall—" Paul and Zhara, as one, turned to her with incredulous eyes, and she turned pink and put her head down. "I apologize. It's a silly idea."  

Paul reminded himself that he hadn't been much better than Elena was when he first arrived in Lukomorye. No, worse even, for he had been too busy raging and throwing tantrums instead of trying to be helpful. So he shouldn't find her naïveté frustrating. Besides, perhaps her idea wasn't altogether silly...

He cast his eyes upward, contemplating the snow-covered slopes above them, tracing their incline to the tree where Nightingale was sitting. He turned back to watch the archer trying in vain to loose an arrow at Nightingale, only to be driven back by the mighty whistle. A thought formed in his mind.

"An avalanche," he said. He turned to Zhara and pointed to the slopes. "Zhara, can you fly up there and knock down the snow with your fire? Not too much, just enough to distract Nightingale."

Zhara's eyes lit up with understanding, and she took off like a streak of gold toward the snowy slopes. A moment later, a small flame flared red against the white, and a square of snow detached itself from the slope and started its ponderous but relentless descent.

"Go!" Paul urged Elena. They took off down the mountains with the donkey, while Zhara swooped in close behind. Below, the two men had noticed the snow and were pointing at it, shouting. Paul only hoped that they realized the opportunity and were quick enough to seize it.

The shouts caught Nightingale's attention. He turned his head for no longer than the blink of an eye, saw the snow coming down, and launched himself up like a shot fired from a musket. But that brief pause was all that the archer needed. At the moment Nightingale soared into the sky, an arrow also flew from the bow, whistled through the air, and found its mark in the robber's shoulder. With a terrible scream, Nightingale tumbled from the sky, landed hard on the rocks, and kept rolling until he ended up at the bottom of the gorge, where he lay motionless.

By the time Paul and his companions reached the base of the slope, snow from the avalanche had piled up around the boulder. Nightingale was still conscious but at the mercy of the two men, who already had him bound and gagged. The archer, a powerfully built man with black hair and a curly black beard, had an arrow nocked and pointed at the robber, while the other man, younger and slimmer, with auburn hair and light blue-green eyes, was putting the tip of his spear to the robber's neck. Both men had about them a noble, heroic air, just like Alyosha Popovich, and Paul suddenly felt quite conscious of his disheveled curls and rumpled appearance.

"Who are you?" the archer asked, raising his bow at them.

Paul threw his arms up. "Please, don't shoot. We only wish to help."

The other man's blue-green eyes widened as they landed on Elena. "Elena the Fair!" he exclaimed. "How is it that you are here, so far away from Bryansk?"

Elena looked rather taken aback. "You have the advantage of me, sir," she said.

"Apologies, my lady." The knight—for Paul was certain these two men could be nothing else but bogatyrs—took off his helmet and bowed deeply. "Dobrynya Nikitich, at your service. You may not know me, but I have seen and admired you from afar during my travels through your kingdom. It is an honor to finally make your acquaintance."

Elena's porcelain face turned a lovely shade of pink, while Paul wondered how Dobrynya managed to make such a simple introduction sound so gallant and romantic.

"And I am Ilya Muromets," his companion said. Paul was reminded of Zhara's question to Alyosha about his brothers. So these must be them.

Zhara alighted on Paul's shoulder. The two knights stared at her in astonishment.

"Can this be—?" Ilya said, his voice hushed.

"Tsarevna Zhara?" Dobrynya asked.

Zhara inclined her head. Even as a bird, she retained her regal air, and the two knights fell to their knees in front of her—that is to say, in front of Paul. Then they began to speak, voices stumbling over each other.

"We've heard the rumor, my lady, but didn't quite believe it—"

"—ever since we learned of what happened in Arthania and what had befallen poor Alyosha, we have been searching for you—"

"—to pledge our swords and shields to you—"

Seeing they were distracted, Nightingale tried to sit up, but Ilya, with a quick movement that belied his heavy physique, put a foot on the robber's chest and pushed him back down. "Don't even think about it, Nightingale."

"That reminds me," Dobrynya said, watching Nightingale writhe in pain and anger, "what are we going to do about this one?"

"I say we kill him," Ilya said.

The robber's face went white.

"Or we can deliver him to Tsar Afron," Dobrynya suggested. "The tsar will be glad to know that the mountains are safe once more."

"Killing him would accomplish the same thing, and we don't have to waste time and strength carrying him across—" Ilya was saying, when he was interrupted by the shrill voice of a woman.

"No!" the voice cried out. "Please, merciful knights! Please spare my husband!"

They all looked up, startled. Through a crevice in the mountain above, they could glimpse the face of a woman looking out. The crevice was so well disguised on the rock wall that if it hadn't been for the woman's red headscarf, they would never have seen it at all. Several other heads joined the woman's—children, by the size of them, crowding around her like chicks surrounding a mother hen. The sight of those children caused Nightingale to thrash against his bonds even more violently, his face turning purple with rage or exertion.

The woman pulled at a windlass, cleverly hidden amongst the rocks, and brought up a basket. This she used to transport herself and several of the smaller children down to the bottom of the slope, while the three older children, two girls and a boy, flew behind them on fledglings' wings. The woman was human. The children had her rounded eyes and plump cheeks and Nightingale's bird wings and bird legs, though the younger ones were yet to molt. There were nine of them, six girls and three boys.

The woman prostrated herself in front of Ilya, shielding Nightingale with her body. "Please, have mercy!" she said, tears streaming down her face. "He doesn't mean any harm! He's only trying to take care of us!"

Paul, the knights, and the princesses shared shocked glances.

"What's your name, woman?" Ilya asked.

"Akulina Dudenchevna, sir," the woman replied. "In the time of the late Tsar Dolmat, Tsar Afron's father, my husband would ferry people across the mountains and get paid for it. When Tsar Afron took the throne a few years ago, he refused to honor the late tsar's agreement with my husband. He put it about that my husband was a monster, and nobody would let him carry them through the mountains again. That is why my husband was forced to turn to robbery to provide for us. But as Perun is my witness, he has never killed anyone!"

"Well, this certainly puts a different complexion on matters," Ilya said, scratching his beard. "If what you said is true."

"It is, all of it!" Akulina got on her knees and wrung her hands. "Please believe me! If you kill him or take him away, I don't know how I can feed my children..."

"What say you?" Ilya asked, turning to Elena, Zhara, and Paul. "Should we give him a chance?"

Paul was rather taken aback. In his mother's court, his voice was never heard, and his thoughts counted for nothing, yet this knight, whom he had met only mere minutes ago, was asking for his judgment on a man's life. He was ashamed to realize he didn't know what to say. Not used to having his opinion asked, he had not learned to form one of his own.

"I think we should let him live," Elena said. "Do you think so, Dobrynya Nikitich?"

"Of course, my lady," Dobrynya eagerly agreed.

"And Lady Zhara?" Ilya asked.

Paul realized Zhara was no longer on his shoulder, but before he could worry, a peal of laughter and cooing sounds made him turn his head. Zhara had found her way over to Nightingale's little children, and was playing with them, preening the feathers of the younger ones and swooping and flitting between the older ones, challenging them to a race, making them shriek with laughter. The scene put a smile on Paul's face. Trust Zhara to always find a cheerful side to everything, no matter how dire the situation.

"I think she's in favor of sparing his life as well," Dobrynya said, also smiling.

"So be it then," Ilya said and removed his foot from Nightingale's chest.

"Oh thank you!" Akulina exclaimed. "Thank you and bless you, good sirs and ladies!" She went around kissing all their hands, even Paul's, making him squirm with embarrassment.

Ilya untied Nightingale and removed his gag, warning him not to try anything. "And if we hear you're back to your old tricks, I shall put an arrow into your other shoulder." The robber glowered at the two knights, but his face softened when he was reunited with his family.

Ilya and Dobrynya fetched their horses and prepared to leave.

"But how are they going to live?" Paul heard himself asking as he watched Nightingale's children reluctantly part with Zhara.

The two knights looked at each other. It was apparent that the question hadn't occurred to them. It was Elena who provided the answer. "I shall talk to Tsar Afron and convince him to honor his father's agreement with you," she told Nightingale. "And perhaps I can convince my—my mother to agree to something similar as well. That way, you can ferry people from both Smorodina and Bryansk across the mountains, and earn an honest living."

Akulina looked like she was about to cry again. With his uninjured hand, Nightingale plucked a feather from his wing and gave it to Elena. "Thank you, my lady," he said in a gravelly voice. "Should you ever need my help, just burn this feather and I shall be there."

And so they went down the mountains, Elena now riding with Dobrynya on his horse. Paul was back on the donkey, feeling more inferior than ever as he trailed after the two stallions, but Zhara was on his shoulder again, and her presence was a great balm to his bruised ego.

Along the way, Ilya and Dobrynya asked Paul the details of Alyosha Popovich's fate, and they both looked so distraught over it that Paul had to promise to take them back to the oak tree where Alyosha was laid to rest so they could pay their respect—though he doubted he could find it again. He also explained about their search for Baba Yaga and Afron's quest. At the mention of Afron's marriage request, Dobrynya threw a dismayed glance at Elena, but said nothing.

They stopped at dusk to let Zhara transform. They were not far now from the foot of the mountains and decided to push on.

"Lady Zhara, would you do me the honor of riding with me?" Ilya asked.

"Thank you, but I think I prefer to stay with Pavel Petrovich—" Zhara replied, glancing at Paul.

Paul imagined sitting on the donkey with his arms around her, her hair brushing his cheeks, her back against his chest. It would be unbearable. "The donkey cannot carry both of us," he said, ignoring the hurt and questioning look in Zhara's eyes. "You go ahead with Ilya Muromets."

Silently, Zhara allowed Ilya to help her onto the saddle. She sat behind the knight, holding to his thick waist, and resolutely refused to look at Paul.

They crossed the last few versts to Simeon's hut. The old man was greatly surprised to see Paul and Zhara not only return unscathed but also with some friends, and received them with his usual hospitality. That night, after Simeon retreated to his stove, the princesses made do with the narrow cot, and the knights bedded down outside to keep watch on their mounts. Paul tried to make himself a bed in front of the fire, but sleep eluded him. His head was crowded with so many unaccustomed thoughts and feelings, about Zhara, about Elena, about Nightingale, about the two knights, about the journey ahead. After tossing and turning about for what felt like hours, he gave up and went to sit just outside the door, wrapped in a quilt.

Hearing a rustling, he turned and saw Zhara's bare feet, sticking out from under her chemise, standing next to him.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked. "Why aren't you asleep?"

"Why aren't you asleep?" she retorted.

Without waiting for an answer, she sat down, snatched one end of the quilt from his hand, and wrapped it around her own shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Paul asked, alarmed. The quilt now covered both of them, and they were snuggled up underneath it.

"I'm cold," she said with a little smile, wriggling her bare toes as if to demonstrate. Paul fought the urge to lift her feet into his lap and rub those toes, although warmth was radiating from her body, making him acutely aware that there were only two thin layers of linen between them. "Is something bothering you?" she asked.

Yes, he wanted to say. You. I want to kiss you so badly but I can't, not with all these people around, not when I don't know if you would welcome a kiss from me. Such thoughts had never deterred him before, but he had a feeling Zhara would not take kindly to such liberties. "No," he said, clearing his throat. "I was—merely thinking."

"About what?"

He looked up at the sky, trying to make sense of the thoughts that cluttered his mind. It was impossible, like trying to unravel a ball of yarn that had been pawed by some energetic kittens, made doubly so by the presence of this enchanting, infuriating girl by his side. His eyes rested on the waning moon, spreading its light on the ground in a dappled silvery carpet, and what he said instead was, "I wonder if the moon here looks different from the moon in Russia."

"Does it?"

"I don't know," he said honestly. "Back home, I never bothered to look up."

"But you do now, don't you?" Zhara said, voice soft as a breeze. He turned to her. She was looking at him, her lips parted, hanging on to his every word. That eager, expectant look made his heart beat with a half-sweet, half-painful hope, and he had to turn away again.

"Do you think Afron will agree to the arrangement with Nightingale?" he said, changing the subject.

Zhara pressed her lips together. "If he truly loves Elena as he said, perhaps she can persuade him," she replied.

"I think he will be less amenable when he learns she doesn't want to marry him."

"How do you know that she doesn't want to marry him?" she asked sharply.

Paul looked toward the sleeping forms of the two knights. "I think she's fallen in love with Dobrynya Nikitich. And he with her." Throughout that afternoon, he had seen them share stolen glances, blushes, little touches. It could mean nothing else.

"Oh," Zhara said, voice softening. "That's what you meant."

"What did you think I meant then?" Paul turned to her, puzzled. Now it was she who looked away, lashes fluttering as she cast her eyes downward. Paul decided not to push it. "You must be glad for their company," he said, nodding at the knights.

"I am. But I rather miss those days when it was just the two of us."

So she felt the same. The thought sent blood pounding through his veins and hammering in his ears, and he didn't quite know how to respond. "Hopefully, they can make up for all the troubles I've caused," he said.

Zhara huffed, exasperated. "Are you still mad at me for calling you a burden?" she asked. "I did apologize, didn't I?"

"I'm not mad at you. I'm simply saying—"

"You are like Nightingale. People tell you that you're a monster long enough, and you end up believing it and acting like one!"

"So I am a monster now?"

"No! You know perfectly well that's not what I meant. And stop saying that you are burdensome, good-for-nothing, or useless, because you're not."

"What am I then?" Paul faced her, not caring how heated his voice was becoming.

"A fool," Zhara said, and she kissed him.

For an endless moment, Paul could only sit there, feeling her soft, soft lips on his, their impossible warmth scorching him like the brand of a glowing ember. Then he opened his mouth, perhaps to say something or perhaps simply to breathe, which he seemed to have forgotten how to do. As if on cue, Zhara leaned closer, pressing her lithe, compliant body flush against his, and deepened the kiss, sending liquid fire coursing through him. Before he could recover enough to kiss her back, however, she broke away, her eyes twinkling gold in the silvery light of the moon as she studied his face. He must be looking even more foolish than usual, for she gave him her familiar teasing smile, though there was a trace of bashfulness in it as well.

"Good night," she said, brushing her lips over his once more. Paul leaned forward expectantly, but she had gotten to her feet and gone back inside, leaving him at the door with his mouth hanging open, too stunned to move.

Chapter 10

Taglist: @ali-r3n

[danieyells]

Omg I'm so emo over the Rui lines 😭😭😭

I have no idea if he was already a flirt before he was cursed (highly likely) but it's be really interesting if he at least exaggerated his persona to be extra frivolous (I can't think of an English word rn but basically whatever is the equivalent of "charai otoko") so that it's obvious he's "Looking for a good time but nothing serious" bc he can't touch anyone but at the same time craves human connection so his best bet is to just be a chatterbox who everyone likes to hang out with but never expect smth deeper out of. Can see it with MC too like how he randomly asks her out on dates but if mc actually says yes he's like oh sorry you gotta get permission to go out of campus with me(one of the campus talks) like he wasn't actually expecting her to accept.

But then ofc he actually starts growing feelings and keeps inviting her to stay over so they can at least talk more 😭😭 his max affinity line 🥺🥺😭

Ngl I'll go crazy if in the Obscuary chapter he accidentally makes contact with mc during the heat of battle or smth and they find out she's not affected by it and then he gets obsessed bc wow finally someone he can touch without worrying about murdering bc he is very clearly touchstarved!!!

And the irony that IF by chance that is the case, then he can only touch her within the year bc by then either she's dead or they lift her curse and the counter effect is gone 😭😭😭

HE REALLY IS PRETTY TRAGIC LIKE. . .HE MUST FEEL SO LONELY. He has to stay away from people even though he clearly loves people a lot haha. . . .

Based on the line about how he used to go surfing and pick up women I assume he was a flirt beforehand! (I imagine the best way to translate チャラい男 would be like. Playboy? Maybe womanizer or player if you want a negative context.) Maybe not as much as now(or maybe he was even worse back then--he is attractive and back then he could touch people, so I can see him as the handsy type, or a total playboy who slept around a lot) but he was probably still somewhat similar! But I can absolutely see him playing it up more once he can't touch anybody because it's like. . .the only way he can express himself is through words and actions now, not touch. Even being too close makes him nervous. He doesn't usually go into the main building(it's so crowded he's worried about accidentally touching and killing someone) and Tohma said his movements are quite restricted(because, again, can't get around too much if you're a kill-risk!) so he must feel pretty lonely. . .but being the shoulder to cry on, being able to provide the service of running a bar(although it seems like mostly other ghouls show up), being the flirty friendly guy who's just out of arm's reach makes him extremely popular and well loved while also keeping everyone safe. . .it lets him have some company without putting anybody in danger.

Sure, his clothes and gloves probably keep him from really putting anybody in danger, but who wants to test that? The possibility of being able to touch somebody isn't worth the risk of somebody dying to test it. Valuing peace and harmony is one of the generalized traits of Obscuary students--if it means everyone can be at peace and be safe, then he can sacrifice his needs for physical contact. If it means his curse does no harm he can stay away from people.

But yeah it does seem like he, as flirty as he is, sometimes doesn't expect to actually be taken up on his offers. Especially when some of them are really extreme, like when he suggests you stay overnight and such. On the other hand, I think he would let you stay overnight. . .just in another room or bed. You can sleep with Lyca! He'll curl up on you like a big dog should. I think he would go on dates with you on or off campus, if you had permission. But i think he'd also be scared of getting too close. Because that's how accidents happen. Even with how popular he is among the general students, the general students fear ghouls and probably keep their distance no matter how much they like him, even if they don't know about the curse. That combined with, like you said, he's clearly not in it for a commitment which helps keep the safety of space. . .but that doesn't work with the pc. They want to be close anyway.

And his affinity goes up and he likes the pc more and more. . .he wants them around but also is so scared of what he could do to them if they get too close. . .why couldn't he just have been normal. He wants them close by. . .he starts to indulge. He says they can come over whenever they want. Let them in on his personal life a little. He'll talk, he'll listen, he'll feed them and give them someplace to call a second home. They're part of his little family.

He wishes he could do more. Even if it were just holding their hand.

But imagine if he failed that test of his curse's limits with them.

Then they'd be gone. And it'd be his fault.

I HAD THIS THOUGHT A WHILE AGO of something I wanted to write--Rui and the pc find that he can, in fact, touch them through clothes. And Rui doesn't want much like one might think. They convince him to lie his head on their lap and take a break from housework. And while he naps they carelessly touch him and die.

But it doesn't end in tragedy. I'll write it out someday haha. BUT YEAH I REALLY HOPE THEY LEARN IT'S ACTUALLY OKAY FOR THEM TO TOUCH IF ONLY A LITTLE BIT IN THE OBSCUARY CHAPTER. . .and then he gets one real good hug in. That's all he really needs. That'll keep him going for a long time, I think--I can't imagine him wanting to ask too much, just. One good, solid hug. It's support for both of them to get through their curses.

It's important to remember the ring too! It protected them when it was Hera's Snakes, I feel like it's gonna protect them from death somehow. It's stuck on their finger after all, it wouldn't want its host to die!

[vivisols]

oh I loved the new TADC episode, I wish Zooble was in it more though, honestly

It’s nice to meet another Zooble enjoyer, they’re a funky character and their deadpan attitude is fun

I saw you also have a character for TADC! What a cutie, may I ask what their personality is? And pronouns ofc

Oh and what role do they play in the circus?

How do the other characters interact with them?

Oh and they’re shipped with Zooble right? How’d the relationship start?

Is Ezirp an NPC or a human also trapped, if so how long have they been there? How do they feel about the circus?

Are they a cat as well? Looks like a little water cat which is so fun!

How do they feel about Caine?

Can I perhaps, eat them? Just like their inspiration, they feel so edible

Oh and one more question! Explosion.Jpeg?

Heheh got youuuu >:3

YEAHHHHH I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!!!! SUCH A FUN RIDE!!!! no matter how many times I watch it IT DOESNT FEEL LIKE 25 MINUTES XDDD

AND ALSO I AGREE!!!!! MORE ZOOBLE!!!! thankfully episode 3 is apparently gonna be SUPERRR zooble focused... I HAVE HOPE AND FAITH!!!! HANG IN THERE ZOOBLE FANS!!! WE WILL SURVIVE!!!!!!!!!

BUT YEAHHHH im such a BIG zooble fan!!! LIKE! trust me anon when i saw them in the episode i SCREAMED. SCREECHED EVEN.... the people who i was on call with can confirm i was LITERALLY fucking feral LMAOOOO

ANY WAYS! ERZIP QUESTION ANSWERING TIME !!!!! YIPPEE!!

erzip uses she/her! she's another human in the circus and she got there a few months before zooble did. she doesnt mind the circus but she definitely wishes that she could explore more and that some things would change :3c

personality wise, erzip is typically pretty nice! she's somewhat adventurous, as she loves to discover new things, though she prefers to do it all on her own. even so, she is sociable by nature and almost always loves talking to others when she can! like she's 100% a chatterbox and will go on long rambles about whatever random fact she had just remembered at the moment when prompted... erzip also likes saying absolutely wild things out of the blue for fun, usually in the form of threats LMAO

hmmm... circus role wise, erzip be an acrobat! and group wise, she's definitely the friend who always wanders off and has to be dragged away from whatever thing she'd gotten invested in since she went missing. you go through one crowd and you lose her because she went to go look in some random shop window halfway across the street xD

the other characters interacting with her.... asjkadfhdsjdh I HAVE THOUGHTS...

erzip and jax? mutual hatred. they both despise each other. though it is WAY more serious on erzips end xD she would gladly fight him any day of the week (and she has indeed done so in the past LMAO)

erzip didnt mind caine at first, but eventually he had gotten on her nerves. she now chooses to avoid him if possible. she just wants to go off and explore! why must he keep popping up!! >:P

pomni is on... less than ideal terms with erzip. theres just something about pomni that erzip doesnt like. pomni tries to be cordial, but still typically tries to avoid her and as a result, the two aren't really the closest.

ragatha is more of an acquaintance than anything. she's nice, but erzip fully believes that she can handle herself and doesnt turn to ragatha for much. they just respect each other. its not tense or awkward or anything and they often have pleasant conversations, its just that they aren't as close as they could be.

erzip and kinger get along pretty well! theyre definitely decent friends! erzip thinks hes neat (even if he keeps pulling on her keychain)

gangle and erzip are pretty close! they interact a lot and are pretty good friends! they have a lot of shared interests and can usually be found hanging out together and talking about them! (:3

and zooble... well they interact pretty positively most of the time! they both like talking to each other a lot! nd they mostly just go off on their own to hang out together hehe!!!

their relationship was a very slow and gradual thing xDD it took a bit for the both of them to become friends, but once they did they quickly got pretty close. though it was a suuuuuper long time before they both actually opened up and revealed how they felt. it was honestly super out of the blue! erzip hadn't been planning on saying anything at first, but the confession just slipped out and here they are xD even so, its still an incredibly down-low thing.... mainly because there hasn't been a convenient time to bring it up and they don't really care about the rest of them knowing. so the others are unaware, though they're certainly suspicious that they may be in a relationship now xD

and yeah erzip a cat!!! since she's based on water filled computer mice i decided a cat would be fitting as like... a twist on the idea xD

AKJSADFHASKJDF you can certainly try to eat her! ....though your mouth would probably be full of plastic shards and chemicals as a result xD

ALSO AAA!!!!! EXPLOSION.JPEG!!!! NOOO!!!!!!!! IVE BEEN GOTTEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! o_O

[starsfic]

I think I said about as much as I want to about what I'm calling "Indigo Play" for the time being, as I should probably keep at least some beats to myself. But for fun, I'm gonna drop a buncha out-of-context quotes taking place both in present day and in flashback scenes. (Knowing existing lore and things I said previously might shed light on missing context for some, granted.)

"I'd heard toys say it tastes like chicken, but personally I think it tastes more like pork."

"I don't know 'bout you, but I feel better when I'm dancin'."

"There's no time to spellcheck; we need to get this packaged and sent into The Outside now!"

"Go ahead, kill me. All my friends are already dead now, thanks to you and your…tiny minions."

"Ugh… I thought the park was creepy at night before we fixed it up. This place is ten times worse, and it's daytime."

"Who's the fat hippie, and why's he important to me?"

"Haha, wow! Imagine being so defined by being a chatterbox that your creator literally names you Infodump."

"I thought it was 'Grant'."

"HOLY FUCK! WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU PEOPLE ABOUT KNOCKING FIRST?!"

"Theodore… Theodore, STOP! YOU'RE GOING TO OVERCH--"

"Whoa… So this is The Outside? … Radical…"

"Well… Apparently, the Pizzaplex burned to the ground… Again… So we're ordering from Pizza Shed instead."

"Heh… Me nakey."

"Oh my god, they really do have the souls of children, don't they?"

"I'm sorry, but I just can't take ASCII Art Face here seriously."

"And this is what they call…a smartphone. Yes, mobile telephone technology has come a long way since mechanical bricks that people needed to charge in their cars back in our time."

"Zzzzz--wha… It really was the bagel!"

"Oh, they don't call themselves Ohio Fried Chicken anymore. I think they were going by Oven Fresh Chicken for a while, to sound healthier? But they're just OFC now."

"Pants or no pants, you're still a Fancy Pants, Fancy Pants."

"There's some real sweet art and fanfic of us online. You guys gotta check out this killer 'space riders' thing I found!"

Oooh, fun!

[bobasthrone]

Hiii I'd love to know all about ur sw s/i!! What's their occupation, what are they like, how do they meet Boba? :3 @rexscanonwife

hi hii!! :DDD

tbh i'm kind of unsure about how they met and my s/i's occupation (which is funny since he's been my f/o for what like 2 or 3 years now??) I do have a few ideas floating around in my head. Nothing really set in stone, though.

Before I continue, I haven't watched the show, The Bo.ok of Boba Fe.tt. That's the version of Boba I ship myself with. The things I know are from fics and posts that are about him. i'll definitely get things wrong vbgfbgf

Sometimes, I have them work with boba and sometimes I don't. It really depends on my mood! If they do work with him it'd be either cook or cleaning staff (not at the same time). Or a vet of sorts, and how they met would be because boba asked them to help his rancor, to my s/i's horror. Or I just see them as unemployed!

My s/'s personality is a lot like mine but with some changes:

Shy and anxious at first but once they're close to someone, they're very talkative and silly. They don't really talk about themselves despite them being a chatterbox. Due to their deep seated insecurities, they hide their true self to avoid the possibility of being hurt. They have a big personality underneath it all - There's a fiery side to them that they try so hard to suppress. There's moments where it just slips out.

Boba being his observant self ofc notices things about them others may not have picked up on.

[jabberamongthetrees]

Dear Vera,

[poptartmochi]

girl help... my ocs always turn into musicians 😭🙈🙈

[imagine-darksiders]

You think any of the makers/horsemen sleep-talk? This has become a little headcannon to me that almost everyone has sleeping problems, so they tend to talk asleep a lot

Imagine. Aside from sleeping beside a gigantic being (compairing it to human standards) on a big comfy bed, they now start talking about COMPROMISING STUFF

Ulthane was going to make you a surprise-gift the next day, and now you just have to act like you don't know (bad acting ofc) Karn/War simply enjoys your company each time you're close, so now you spend even more time with them Strife talks about how he ate your ice cream yesterday and now you have to find a way to seek revenge

Oooh that would be so sweeet?? !!!

But what if they have nightmares?

Ulthane gets horrific nightmares about his involvement in the End War and keeps whispering ‘I’m sorry,’ into your hair as you sleep on his chest.

War is a total chatterbox in his sleep, because he’s so quiet in real life.

War: ….

War: DEMONS!

Y/n (startling awake) Nygggh what!? Where?!

War: Angry fish! I love my human! No, grapefruit hurts.

Y/n: Aaaaw?!?!?? <:D

[ceciliablossoms]

random hugs with childe albedo aether zhongli kazuha (if you’re just friends?) pls ase

I got you bestie

I'm so tired

Idk what's wrong with me

Tartaglia

Is no stranger to your random hugs

From very early on in your relationship, he noticed that you hugged the people you considered close friends

So as the two of you grew closer it was very easy for him to figure out why you suddenly began to get huggy with him

He doesn't mind of course

In fact he quite enjoys it

It makes him feel warm, like he's back home in Snehznaya, and his siblings are clinging to him in the den of their home

Probably the least hesitant out of all of them to return you affection

And also the quickest to begin to greet you with affection as you do him

His hugs are strong but not bone crushing

And he gives you a firm pat between the shoulder blades

They're comforting and quite frankly always bring a smile to both of your faces

He's the most likely to pick you up and spin you

They last as long aa you want them to, especially if you're the one that initiated

Probably will ruffle your hair as an added addition

The hugs are on sight™

-

Albedo

Not very touchy or used to affection to begin with

So your affectionate nature is very new to him

At first he just tenses

And I'm sure at first he never reciprocates because his brain turns off very briefly especially if you startle him

The only person that really hugs him is Klee tbh

Probably the most hesitant to return your hugs at first

Eventually it turns to just patting your back with one hand

Then as you do it more frequently, he gets used to it and will always return them.

His hugs are gentle

He never squeezes to tightly nor does he hug too loosely

They're always very short too

Unless you say something

If your hug is from behind, he'll just pat your arms gently and continue with what he's doing

He's very boring sometimes smh

Won't initiate affection because as I mentioned before he isn't very touchy

-

Aether

Also caught off guard at first but will slowly return them in confusion

!! A hug??

Where did you come from??

Almost as quick to start returning your hugs as Childe, but will still have minor hesitation at first

BUT it'll get to the point though, that he's expecting them and will happily greet you with open arms

Literally lmao

The man loves hugs, so he's pretty happy to recieve them as well

As many friends as he has, he still gets lonely without his sister

Hugs make him feel a lot better

His hugs are firm

Sometimes he squeezes you, sometimes the hugs are very loose

Sometimes they're long, sometimes they're short

It all depends on how both of you are feeling

Sometimes he really needs one and it feels good to have some affection, y'know?

Will initiate just as often as you

-

Zhongli

Pleasently surprised

Always places one hand on the back of your head and the other between your shoulder blades

His hugs are very soft and kind

10/10 the best hugger here imo

He's very warm both body heat wise and in personality

Will never not be caught off guard by your hugs

Even if he sees you coming at him

But nonetheless he returns it

And he appreciates it immensely

It's very nice

Will more often than not ask you about your day, how you've been, etc.

He's quite the chatterbox, but ofc we all know this

Won't initiate very often, usually only when you're upset

But will always ask beforehand

He doesn't want to startle you

-

Kazuha

You'd been huggy ever since he'd met you

Almost immediately after he joined the Alcor's crew, he'd notice how affectionate you were with everyone

He'd sit in usual spot and watch as you complete various tastes for your crew mates, hugging them all before you departed to help with the next job asked of you

He'd begin to expect that it'd be only a matter of time before he became a part of that as well

And become a part of that he did

Not long after, he too began to receive hugs from you

His hugs are very inviting

They make you feel a sense of home

Tbh he as a whole is inviting

Will often carry on idle with you after the fact

You usually tend to do his tasks last so you have more time

And seeing as he loves to talk sometimes, he very much appreciates it

Unfortunately however, no sneak hugs

The wind always tells lets him when you're approaching

He's always ready to greet you

-

Tag List: @fictionalcharactersthatsit @youaskedfurret @nagatorou @seiiblue @dai-tsukki-desu @dilucs-claymore @duhsies @tempehlust @yoimimi @kapisddrmachine @somemothgoingferal @yanfei-main771