#he’s clearly M O T I V A T E D y’know?!

[strywoven]

To think , all it took to strike that deep-hidden wellspring of long-neglected j o y was simply to SPEAK TO HIM .  Kaëltyr b a s k s in it ( true , curses feed & fester upon negativity , but this one is different ; it derives satisfaction from positivity in a way much of its ilk finds displeasure ) , nickering softly , contentedly , as the teen curls himself around its neck and head , cradling it like a child might a PRECIOUS TREASURE .  The sentiment behind the gesture is not lost upon the entity , nor is it unfamiliar ( after all , it has been the comfort to many mortals afore , this is not new ) , but it is thus that brings even the Immaculate its own sense of peace and comfort , for it now knows it can g i v e something to Megumi few others can : HAPPINESS , and one that it senses had been long-lacking.  That , verily , is PURPOSE MADE ; the teeter of balance at last swaying in his favor once more , blessing him with the presence of a cursed creature so b e y o n d all reason and logic , but one most gracious and gentle with his wounded soul ( as is owed ) .

The rush of positive energy causes the entity to rumble , a sound much like a l a u g h , its pelt shimmering along the breast with heated breath as it chuffs and chortles , clearly appeased.  Carefully , minding its large crown , it raises its head from Megumi’s lap and leans forward , pressing wet-velvet nose to his cheek in a k i s s ( the one he denied himself ) .  ❝ I’m glad , ❞ It nuzzles him gently , own shifting tones speaking to a giddy lilt , ❝ Do y’know that there’re people who ARE scared of this aspect of mine ?  But I don’t like being seen as scary.  Not a bit ! ❞

Ears twitch , fur bristling slightly at the summons and the shifting of energy in the air.  It cocks its head , turning slightly to acknowledge the shikigami stationed some distance nearby , own expression CURIOUS & ALERT .  But there is no fear in the beast , it senses no ill and thus reflects the same in the moment.  Its antlered head shakes , muzzle-maw twisted in a near-noticeable s m i l e , ❝ I can see it , yes , and I’m not scared.  It feels … Similar , to your own energy.  Familiar , if you’d like to call it that.  It’s givin’ off a presence that tells me I don’t have anythin’ t’worry ‘bout.  Does it have a name ?  Is it one of your partners ? ❞  It genuinely wants to know , almost e x c i t e d to hear his answers.

A new peak of awe was discovered and conquered at each turn of the rabbit-hole winding path, only for Fushiguro Megumi to come about a new, monumental height of awe. His sister had never seen this side to the teenager, and he trusted her with the entire world. She was the one Megumi donned a brave face for, yet there was no other person to know him better. Tsumiki, however, never witnessed the side of him which smiled with ease as if he had been brought up in a household of love and the living instead of the dead and the indebted.

Certainly, his sister saw more smiles out of him than anyone else, but modest smiles were happened upon by accident when he was interacting with animals and his shikigami. It felt oddly vulnerable to smile ( perhaps it was merely guilt ) even in the presence of a person he loved and trusted the most, but his shikigami and non-human animals were a completely different matter. Animals only judged the cruel, so he felt free and light to love and smile to his complete delight . even if such animals were tethered to his abilities and those who appeared out of the woods of Tokyo like a creature out of old myth. What was next, a sly fox with a riddle upon its maw?

Eyes dulled by the horrors of realities were gleaming like gemstones, brought to life by the magic of the woodland creature. He felt six again when his Divine Dogs first appeared to him. He looked like he did back then, too, with a smile so large it hurt the muscles which were rarely used in such fashion. While keeping a respectable distance of the massive antlers, Megumi curled his body about the resting creature's head and pet soft fur with admiration. He could have kissed the strange creature on its wet nose, but he refrained from acting like a selfish child.

Could this be one of the shikigami he was to subdue and make into one of his shadows? It would be the strangest encounter thus far, but no . . he knew it wasn't true the moment the thought appeared in his mind. This creature @strywoven was full of light, and shikigami held a different essence. Yet there was no doubt this was anything but normal from appearance to the strange sensation which tickled fingertips to the mental connection. It was acutely similar in the method he spoke with his shikigami. Megumi was absolutely delighted.

── ❛ You could never scare me. You're amazing, and you can . . understand me, and I can understand you. ❜

Megumi contacted his Divine Dog Kuro from the shadows of his heart and soul, and the shikigami formed from the shadows created by the trees some 30 meters away from them. Enough distance to be perceived while providing a reasonable distance as to not appear like a threat. Megumi looked between Kuro and the hoofed creature. All the while Kuro acted with both free will and that of his master's liking, on alert yet calm. Would they see a likeness in each other, an ethereal kinship, or would they be repelled by each other?

── ❛ Can you see him? Does it scare you? ❜

[pseudofaux]

Why did Ranamun enter the harem? It was stated that he probably wasn't going to unless his father forced him bc of his pride but it turns out that he actually entered the harem on his own free will. why do you think he had a change of heart?

Oooh, thank you for asking, that’s flattering! Ranamun is a character that we get a lot of information about from other people in the story. I think it’s important to keep in mind that Ranamun himself doesn’t say a ton. Still waters can run very deep! These are just my takes and theories. I’ve only read the freely available episodes on the Webtoon app, so while I am tagging this as spoilers (just in case I’m right! 😳), this post is NOT me revealing what I know to be coming, only what I think from what I’ve seen in the story so far.

My take was that Latil’s retainer thought Ranamun would not want to enter the harem because he’s known to be reclusive/not very social. Duke Atraxil thinks to himself that the institution of a harem must be damaging to Ranamun’s pride (because some people viewed Ranamun as the likeliest husband for Latil), but Ranamun himself doesn’t say anything like that, that I remember. He was not obviously interested in Latil when his father introduced them once the Atraxils backed her claim to the throne. He doesn’t even have to be asked to join the harem, though, he says he wants to (like you said), and then he yanks the harem application paperwork out of his father’s hands and signs! those! damn! documents!

Ranamun does seem quietly, uh, NOT THRILLED that there will be a harem. But there are a lot of ways to interpret those panels! I don’t remember any thoughts or dialogue from Ranamun about how he felt about likely being a consort before the harem was announced.

>> There is (was 💀) definitely SOMETHING going on with Ranamun’s family and Latrasil’s half-brother Thula (and likely his mother Anatchka). When Duchess Atraxil was urging Duke Atraxil to back Latrasil, she made a face when she mentioned but trailed off something about Thula, and MY THEORY is there was bad blood between Thula and Ranamun— I think a conflict with Thula might have been the reason Ranamun was such a reclusive person when we first hear about and meet him. And if that’s true, I think Ranamun could be some silent combination of furious at and grateful to Latrasil for having Thula executed. Maybe this was the point at which he went from passive grump to interested contender.

>> I don’t know if this is super meaningful yet/at all, but when Latil’s courtiers are kicking up a fuss about her wanting a harem, she points out that it was Duke Atraxil who suggested her father take consorts (in part “to keep the empress in check”)… which I’m sure Latil did not fail to notice was how they got Anatchka in the first place.

If Ranamun’s pride was damaged, then I think he entered to prove he was the damn best even in a contest of other people the Emperor approved for the harem. He tells his father he wants to be a consort. He only asks for the books on sex and so on AFTER he decides to apply to join the harem. He declares that the emperor WILL name him the royal consort within a year. Though he be but bookish, he is dick proud… gotta wonder if Guesta is the same way, not so deep down?!?? Maybe he wants to establish himself as royal consort and be so good at pleasing the Emperor so he can work to make sure there are no more Anatchkas/Thulas? Get the empire away from harems altogether.

More, possibly related theory! This is totally conjecture, though: I think Ranamun’s mom, who seems to have a brain, might have been a big supporter of the Empress (Latrasil’s mother, who is at a temple or something like that— it’s implied this is because Anatchka was making the empress’ life difficult? Man, FUCK Anatchka), and Ranamun values and aligns with his mother’s position more than his father’s. Originally Duke Atraxil wanted to wait and not support Latil, but his wife very openly and directly encouraged him to back her.

[juyoens]

coffee, waffles, & the boy next door | eric sohn

summary: you’re not really into this whole adulting thing yet, but now you have two things to look forward to: the new guy next door who keeps jokingly asking you to dinner every time you see each other, and the person who found out they’ve been unintentionally stealing your favorite waffles at the cafe and has started telling the baristas to leave notes on your coffee being all cocky about it. pairing: eric sohn x gn!reader ft. some tbz members making cameos pairing: slice of life, romance :p warnings: you & co. def say ‘fuck’ at some point, you and eric are kind of crazy, horrible attempt at comedy

It’s been over a year since you moved into your new apartment, which has you over the moon because 1. You live alone now and you can do whatever you want, and 2. It makes you totally feel like a legit adult….if such a term even exists.

And as for the third reason, well…..

“Y/N!” The cheerful, hearty voice that always greets you as you make your way back from work belongs to Eric Sohn, your next door neighbor.

“Hey! D’you have a good day?” you plastered a smile on your face once you turned to him. Ever since you moved in he has always greeted you, some days even helping you carry your groceries inside since he knows you live alone.

The routine of asking each other about how your days went had gotten you two standing outside your apartment doors for like 30 minutes while you just kind of….awkwardly held onto your key already inside the keyhole.

But you were always so immersed into your conversations with Eric, having the positive energy of someone so funny and cheerful constantly around you be such a contrast to your days at work where you’re still trying to get the hang of things. In summary, you’ve grown fond of your neighbor. Your really really really cute neighbor.

There’s always this one line that he says though that catches you off guard each time.

“What if....you went to dinner with me?" jokingly, of course.

You’re not sure how he even manages to casually slip that in each time and why he does so jokingly, but it always ends in the two of you bursting out into laughter before waving goodnight and getting inside your respective apartments.

“They’re clearly interested, who the fuck asks that everyday?” a co-worker of yours, Chanhee, says with simple directness as the two of you walk inside the nearby cafe before heading to work.

“There’s no…..way. Fuck!" your smile slips as soon as you reach the display of pastries, seeing your favorite waffles filled to the brim with cream, gone, once again. Just like every other day.

It shouldn’t piss you off this much, but the baristas know about your whole struggle and have told the person who keeps getting them ahead of you all about it, leading to them having the baristas leave messages for them whenever they hand out your coffee.

Chanhee simply lets out a chuckle as you let out a gloomy sigh. The usual barista working the morning shift and the reason behind this weird waffle war starting, Younghoon, gives you an awkward grin as you walk up to the counter.

“The usual, Younghoon. Thanks.” you order, and he doesn’t say anything and just gets to work with it. You watch with an annoyed look as you watch him place the post-it note on your coffee cup.

“Well, well, what’s it gonna be this time,” Chanhee mocks as Younghoon hands over the cup to you. “Thanks….Younghoon.” you force a smile at him, and he simply shrugs. “You were just late by 2 minutes, y’know.”

“We really shouldn’t have stopped in the middle of the sidewalk just to talk about my cute neighbor,” you turn to Chanhee with a disappointed look.

“There are other waffles in the city, you know that right?”

“It’s not like this one though.”

Chanhee rolls his eyes at you at how ridiculous and funny he found this whole situation, while you look down at your coffee cup and take the sticky note off.

I won again! You should get here earlier, they sell out fast, if you haven’t figured that out yet ;)

“I do know that!” you huff, and Chanhee nudges you to tell you that you just said that out loud and now the people behind you are just giving you weird looks, but you completely ignore that and just get out of there.

The day passes by with you forgetting the whole thing like you usually do, and you write a mental note to yourself that you’ll be there earlier tomorrow, which, you’ve wrote so many of that your brain is on overload with the same note being written every single day only for you to not succeed and get that damn waffle every morning.

There’s something good to look forward to, at least.

“Y/N!” The familiar voice is like music to your ears at this point. “We seem to always get off work at the same time, no?” he chuckles.

“How was your day? I don’t really have much to tell on my part, but there’s this really funny person who keeps trying to get the waffle at the cafe across the street from where I work, and I do feel bad but also those are my favorite so I’ve just found it fun to leave them-”

“What?” your eyes widen and your voice raises at him, cutting off his babbling. "That was you?!”

Eric drew his eyebrows for a second in confusion, before terror overtook his face as soon as he realised what you were implying.

“Y-You….Oh my god. That was you, Y/N?”

“I asked you that first! You mean to tell me I’ve been so friendly with the guy who's been stealing my waffles for the past months?!”

“I didn’t steal them!”

The two of you bicker, your voices echoing through the halls before some guy named Sunwoo peeks his head out his apartment door and tells you two to shut the fuck up or at least lower your voices.

Now with your little argument interrupted, the two of you mutter your apologies to the poor guy before turning back to one another in awkward silence, unsure how to return to it.

After a few seconds of silence, you tried to stifle a laugh, before bursting out into laughter. “What?”

“We just...argued about waffles.” you breathed out, making Eric burst into a fit of laughter with you.

Your neighbors probably think the two randos who were just loudly arguing about waffles and now laughing like maniacs in the hallway are batshit insane, but you two couldn’t even care less about that right now.

“Ok, well, I’m really sorry about the notes thing. I promise tomorrow I’ll let you have it. If only I had known that was you….” he says, making the effort to sound assuring.

“It’s fine. I don’t care now that I know who’s been doing that,” you assured, letting out a chuckle. But then, a bright idea. This was your chance to get that dinner that you wanted.

“Although,” you begin, Eric’s head suddenly jerking back in your direction. “Since you’ve been jokingly asking me to dinner all this time, you should get on that for compensation.”

Eric grins. “That wasn’t a joke at all. I just kept doing it since you…..kept laughing it off."

Great. Good to know you both are crazy and really fucking oblivious.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh. As payment for that, I’ll be getting the waffle again tomorrow.”

[shotgunningtheuniverse]

Some affairs end with a bang

WC: 491

a|b|c|d|e|f|g|h|i|j|k|l|m|n|o|p|q|r|s|t|u|v|w|x|y|z

All things considered, Fundy wasn’t sure how he hadn’t picked up on it earlier. And if you asked him if this was about Dream cheating on him or being a criminal, Fundy would have to say both.

He didn’t know Dream was in the mafia, much less the mafia leaders bitch. That he was cheating on Fundy with, and managed to get pregnant from? Like what are the chances?

The chances that your co-worker in coding and fiance’s best friend is a Mafia leader, and fucking the brains out of said fiance. Very weird chances Fundy figures.

He also hates and loves both of them. Because some part of him thinks, maybe the way Dream treated him. Like he was wanted, was real. That if there have already been so many odd chances, maybe that one was real too. And just, George had something else Fundy hadn’t. What was that? He didn’t know.

And he wasn’t sure he wanted to.

“So, is there any particular reason for telling me this?” Fundy finally asked George, sitting on his couch. Telling him all this.

George shrugged, “I thought you deserved to know. And y’know. I figured if you wanted to do something about it, I’d also be here.”

“What?” Fundy asked, confused.

Shrugging again George nodded sweetly, “I was kinda cheated out too y’know. I suspect we both didn’t see things we didn’t want to see.”

Fundy watched George closely as he patted the sofa and stood. Leaving.

Moving, Fundy sat down on the sofa after George, abandoning his arm chair. As he sat something bumped into his thigh uncomfortably. Looking down there was a black handle sticking out of the couch. Fundy tugged at it. A loaded gun. With the safety on. And a note.

feel free to use it ♥ -G

Fundy shoved it into a drawer and locked it.

-

George smiled at Dream ever so sweetly, kissing him. Watching the cheating lying bastard smile back. Holding his belly. What a shame he was pretty. He might have to keep the child. If Fundy let him.

George smiled again, for a different reason.

-

For months Fundy waited and waited. Watched Dream birth a child that wasn’t his. Held a child he had no part in created. And they were beautiful. Their deep curious brown eyes clearly from someone else. Fundy smiled at his child.

He set them down in their crib and unlocked the drawer. Shutting the door firmly behind him.

He aimed, and shot. A bang rang out into the air. Fundy smiled. And opened the door again. Picking up his child. And then he walked out the door. Taking the gun with him. The small note from a while ago tucked into his pocket.

The child smiled up at Fundy innocently. Giggling. He coo’d back at them. “We’re going to be fine lovey, just fine.” Fundy assured the child. They’d be just fine.

[hbostolemysoul]

Band of Brothers fluff alphabet: Joe Toye

A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?)

Walking into camp Toccoa had been terrifying for you, not that you would let it show. Having gone through basic training you knew better than to show your ‘girly’ emotions around the guys. That being said having every single set of eyes on you as you walked through camp was nerve-wracking. Most of the men stared at you, some whistled, but most of them left you alone.

You didn’t really have a problem with any of the men until you were out at a local bar one night enjoying your weekend pass. Cobb had seemed like an okay guy, a bit cynical and bitter at times but your interactions had been limited. He approached you, spilling some of the beer in his mug as he invaded your space. Clearly, he had overindulged, and his comments towards you went from inappropriate to near threatening as you denied his advances. Turning to leave you were yanked backward, your lower back slamming into the table behind you. At this point some of the men around you had taken notice, some looking like they wanted to step in, but also not wanting to add to the building tension. You felt your face flush, you broke Cobbs hold on his arm and he stumbled a bit.

As you turned to leave you hear Cobb sputter “Hey bitch”,

You turned on your heel and instead of throwing a punch at Cobb you were surprised to see Toye, Joe Toye if your memory serves you correct, with Cobbs collar in his fist muttering a quiet threat to Cobb to ‘leave the lady the fuck alone’. Behind Toye you could see Guarnere, Randleman, and even Lipton looking ready to back him up should the need arise.

Cobb backed down and stumbled back to his seat on the other end of the bar. Toye turned towards you, hand extended as he introduced himself. The boys ended up inviting you to their table while sitting you leaned closer to Toye,

“I appreciate the sentiment and all, but I could have handled that myself” Joe gave a gruff laugh,

“You flatter yourself too much sweetheart, I stepped in for his protection, not yours”, that got a laugh out of you. You and Joe got on pretty well after that.

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)

Joe had dropped out of high school in his junior year to work in the mines to help support his family. He had been raised to put family first and should he ever get married or have kids their wellbeing would be his first priority.

After losing his leg and spending about 9 months in hospital he is at a loss as to what he can do for work. Before the war, he had worked in the mines and mills but without his right leg, those were no longer options. He wrote to you and in his own ‘tough guy’ kind of way expressed that he felt lost. He did eventually find work as a drill bit grinder at one of the mines in Reading, Pennsylvania.

When the war was over, and you had been shipped back home you decided to visit Toye. You two had always had an easy friendship, so coming to visit felt pretty natural for both of you. A one week visit extended to several, to you eventually moving into his guest bedroom, to said guest bedroom being made into an impromptu nursery.

Your pregnancy hadn’t been planned, but you and Joe took it in stride. Your friendship had always been an easy one, and when you two sat down to talk about things it became apparent that you both had been harboring ‘deeper’ feelings for each other.

You were a champ through the delivery because that child was by no means small. A hearty little thing that was a perfect mix of you and Joe, just having them in your arms made up for the 21 hours of labour you just went through, not that you would tell Joe that. Him doting on you had been kind of nice, and you were going to milk it for as long as possible.  

C = Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

You will usually fall asleep close together, and wake up your back to Joe’s chest, his arm wrapped securely around your waist.

D = Dates (What are dates with them like?)

Joe is a pretty simple guy, beer and pizza. You also happen to like those things so you two often just order in and hang out. When his leg isn’t acting up you two sometimes go down to one of the local bars. If it’s a particularly good night Joe will even dance to a slow song or two with you.

E = Everything (You are my __ (e.g. my life, my world…))

“You are the toughest little thing I have ever met, y’know that?”

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)

You and Joe had talked about ‘feelings’ and what not when you first found out you were pregnant. While you both knew you loved the other the words hadn’t been said yet. Truthfully, they hadn’t felt right until Joe saw you with a hand on your lower back, gently scolding the child within you for “kicking my damn bladder again”. Joe wasn’t a super touchy-feely guy, but for whatever reason, he just blurted the words out. It was kind of funny as you looked up at him, he blinked owlishly at you as if shocked by his own admission. You just grinned and waddled over, raising on your tip toes you place a gentle kiss to his mouth, “Love you too. Do you think we can get pizza for tonight? I really want olives”.

G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

Don’t get me wrong Joe can be very gentle, but that doesn’t mean you always want him to be gentle.

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

Again Joe is not super touchy-feely, but when the mood strikes him he has no problem taking your hand in his larger one.

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

He had seen you around Toccoa, and he had heard enough about you from the men to feel familiar enough with you. Prior to the ‘Cobb’ incident, you two hadn’t really crossed paths. What he remembers clear as day was how you were definitely going to lay Cobb out on his ass if he didn’t step in. Not that the guy didn’t deserve it. After talking with you that night he realized that you were quite funny and would totally take a guy down should the mood strike you. What can he say, he liked you.

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous?)

Joe can get jealous, it happens more now that you two are officially together than it did before. Sure while overseas he would get annoyed with the way men would look at you, flirt with you, touch you, breath in your general vicinity, but hey you were just friends so he kept his feelings in check. But now that you are together he gets to pull out that ‘back the fuck off’ look that he does so well.

K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)

You honestly don’t remember. You two had been bickering about whether pineapple had a place on pizza and somehow your mouths ended up together.

L = Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

Joe did. You had been standing in the kitchen muttering to your acrobat of an unborn child when Joe just blurted it out. It had been sweet, and so uniquely Joe that it was kind of hilarious. (Also you did get that pizza you asked for)

M = Memory (What’s their favourite memory together?)

The first day you came to visit after the war had been pretty great. You two didn’t realize how much you had missed each other until you were in the same room. You two had stayed up late that night, drinking beers and just catching up. Joe also ‘forced’ the photos of Guarnere’s various kids upon you. What the hell else was he going to do with all those photos anyway?

N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

Pizza is kind of your thing. You two aren’t particularly materialistic, so it’s the simple things that keep you two happy.

O = Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?)

Red. You are fiery, funny, and a total badass (beast in bed).  

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?)

Sweetheart (not in a sappy way, but like totally Joe if that makes sense?!)

Q = Quaint (What is their favourite non-modern thing?)

He has an old watch that his dad gave to him. The watch face is cracked and the battery died long ago, but it came from family so it means something.  

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

Joe’s leg acts up when it rains, “something about the pressure systems or some shit” as he likes to say. So you two usually stay in, sometimes playing cards.

S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/others up?)

Joe (tough guy) doesn’t get sad, his head just gets cloudy sometimes. Pizza and beer usually fix it, until baby Toye comes along. Joe likes to have ‘conversations’ with your babbling baby, it literally keeps them entertained for hours.

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)

Day to day life stuff mostly, “Have you seen the remote?”, “Why is our child covered in peanut butter?”, “Have you seen my watch?”. You know. Normal things.

U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)

Joe will never admit it, but he loves napping with the baby. He will never admit to needing the naps though, always some excuse “The kid was already asleep. Seemed like a crime to get up and disturb ‘em”.

V = Vaunt (What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)

Again Joe isn’t very materialistic, or showy. He is just happy to have the things he does, (You, baby Toye, a reasonable distance between the Guarnere clan and your home)  

W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?)

The topic of marriage comes up occasionally, but you and Joe never really felt the urgency some other couples have. It wasn’t until baby Toye had tuned into ‘full on tiny human Toye’ that the conversation comes up seriously. Mostly because you kid straight up asked “Why don’t you just ask mom to marry you already?”.

You guys had a small ceremony, your families and friends came to the reception afterward. Guarnere full on cackled when he found out how you two ‘got’ engaged, he then promptly high fived your child.

X = Xylophone (What’s their song?)

Guest Room- Echos

Y = Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?)

You two had tossed the idea around, it wasn’t until your child literally scolded you that you two got your act together.

Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)

Joe had a clear dog or nothing rule. Until your child came home with this mangy cat that they were clearly in love with…It took Joe about two days to come around, but he most definitely did not fall asleep with the cat on his chest. No, that never happened.