#hindsight is better than foresight

[howifeltabouthim]

None would yet know of the evolving tragedy that would be their lives.

Chris Whitaker, from All the Colors of the Dark

[rosesradio]

🚬

[averagelivingbeings]

The black magic tube

Top Blade/Bottom afab Dan Heng

In which Ren finds an uncannily realistic fleshlight and decides to fuck it, unaware of his boyfriend Dan Heng feeling it from miles away.

Word Count: 4516

Tags: PWP, Afab Dan Heng, magic fleshlight, vaginal sex, cunnilingulus, big dick Ren, public sex, public humiliation, a little bit of pussy spanking, long distance sex, they aren’t even in the same room once, humiliation

AFAB language used for Dan Heng

——————————————

Ren found the strange cylindrical tube while cleaning up around the apartment. The outside was of an even shape made with smooth, black plastic and fit comfortably into Ren’s large hand. Upon closer inspection, he noted that it had a lid, a simple screw lid.

Perhaps it was one of the tubes Dan Heng used to transport his artworks with, albeit a very short one. Usually he’d just use a folder for the smaller papers and a longer container for the large ones.

However, upon unscrewing the top, he was neither greeted by a thick roll of paper nor the darkness an empty tube would contain inside.

Instead, the bright, rosy lips of a pussy, complete with clit, hood and hole greeted him.

Ren swiftly slammed the lid onto the tube, a mad blush spreading on his cheek. He certainly didn’t remember buying that thing and unless Dan Heng wanted to tease him with a foreign hole, he had no reason to either, lacking the anatomy to actually use it.

He pensively stared at the black tube, barely paying attention to his broom falling over, as he took it to their shared bedroom.

~/~

“Yo, what if we just had a threesome?”

Dan Heng sighed, moving on to drying the freshly cleaned plates, which were messily piled into the dishwasher, courtesy of his laid-back colleague Jing Yuan.

“Wouldn’t that be incest?”, Caelus replied, thoughtfully swirling the contents of his third cup of coffee for the day around. “I mean, we’re twins, that’s even worse.”

“Yeah, but you won’t be fucking me, we’ll both just fuck her”, Stelle rebutted. She had just gotten started on her fourth cup and Dan Heng was really contemplating not giving them anymore caffeine, its effect on the twins similar to alcohol.

They had been debating their could-be romantic relationship with Firefly in front of Dan Heng at the cafe he worked part-time at for weeks now. Apparently all three were head over heels over each other, with the exception of Caelus and Stelle, and couldn’t decide how to proceed after a coffee drunken day had led to a spontaneous hookup.

“What do you think, Dan Heng?”

Of course he’d be dragged into it again.

“Well, it all depends on what each of you wants, of course”, he began, already seeing the exasperated eyerolls make their way into the twin’s faces and quickly continued: “But you could have an open relationship with Firefly dating both of you. And you two just… Keep your hands off of each other.”

“That’s true, but what if we want to marry someday?” Caelus raised an eyebrow at both of them, the question prompting Stelle to choke on her drink.

“You’re thinking about marriage already??” She looked at him in disbelief, half of the cafe lazily turning towards their little group, before going back to their business of reading newspapers or working.

“Well of course! Foresight is better and cheaper than hindsight”, Caelus insisted.

“That’s not foresight, that’s overplanning.”

“I’m not planning anything yet, I’m just…”

Dan Heng shook his head, the ghost of an amused smile playing at his lips, as he went to fix up another customer’s order.

Yes, today was a good day.

~/~

Upon closer inspection, the fleshlight, which Ren came to realise the tube to be, looked awfully familiar. Or at least the pussy inside of it, not the item itself.

The sun-kissed, smooth skin, a single mole near the clitoris, just the shape of the labia as well as the coloration.

Ren had seen more pussies than he thought he ever would in his life, but the image of the one of his beloved boyfriend was practically etched into his mind at this point.

Gingerly, he reached out to touch it, gently stroking the labia and nudging the folds. It felt smooth and soft to his touch, the plush material dipping the slightest bit at his touch, almost exactly like it was the real thing.

Ren held the tube between his thighs and used his thumbs to spread the hole apart. Despite probably just being a piece of silicone, he couldn’t help but be entranced by how realistic it was designed. The pink insides glistened, as if it was already wet and he felt the hole tighten up around his fingers.

“Mghhh…” With a lustful groan, Ren leaned over to place a kiss onto the hooded clit and reached down to palm his clothed cock. He was amazed by the feeling of his lips touching the fake pussy, his grip tightening on the base of his dick.

Slowly and gently, all thoughts about what a degenerate he was for licking a fleshlight like it was his lover being discarded and forgotten, Ren wrapped his lips around the clit and began sucking on it.

~/~

Dan Heng froze, as he waited for the milk to heat up, gripping the counter tightly and clenching his thighs together. There was a strange tingling sensation at his crotch, as if someone was touching it.

He felt the ghost of a rough finger brushing over his labia, but upon looking down, there was nothing. His legs allowed no room for anything to touch him, yet the phantom digits kept going anyway.

Dan Heng’s breath hitched, when he felt two fingers shamelessly spreading his hole open. It took all of his willpower not to whine at the teasing and exposing gesture. Ren loved doing that whenever he was about to demolish his cunt and afterwards to watch his cum seep out of it.

“Dan Heng?”

“Huh-?” Blinking, Dan Heng’s gaze shot to Jing Yuan who had been calling out for him.

“Your milk.” The taller man motioned to the coffee machine with the glass he was cleaning.

Right, his milk. The milk for the coffee. The milk for his customer’s coffee.

“Right, sorry…” Dan Heng awkwardly grabbed the container and shuffled over to make it foam up, all the while, the fingers or rather, the finger by now kept massaging his pussy and inevitably driving him to wetness. Watching the milk foam slowly dripping out of the measuring cup into the actual cup only spurred on his arousal, as he fantasised of his boyfriend. Ren always had fairly big loads and no matter whether he dumped them on Dan Heng’s face, his chest, his stomach or in his cunt, he found it mesmerising to watch.

“Ngh-!”

The milk spilled over onto the counter, as a sudden, wet kiss hit his clit, making Dan Heng jolt.

“Fuck-! Sorry…” He bowed at the grey-haired customer with the strange wing and halo accessories who had been standing patiently in the same spot all the time. Grabbing a towel, he quickly wiped down the counter and moved to prepare a new cup.

“Ah, don’t worry about it.” The man smiled at him, his golden eyes shining in an uncannily kind manner, as he pointed at the cup Dan Heng had miserably failed at. “I’ll take this one.”

“If you insist, sir…”, Dan Heng squeaked out pathetically, his growing arousal making it hard to focus on the task at hand. Carefully, yet shakily, he cleaned the cup, finished the coffee and lifted it up to hand over to the man.

The finger had stilled for the most part, but it was definitely still there. He was glad that the mouth had retreated though.

“Here’s your coffee, si- Mghh-!” Dan Heng couldn’t hold back a moan and nearly dropped the coffee onto the customer’s pristine suit, when he suddenly felt a mouth wrap itself around his clit and suck harshly.

“Woah-!” The man caught the coffee just in time to prevent it from spilling, yet the unsettling smile prevailed on his face. “Thank you, sir. Have a nice day.”

“Have a nice day…” Dan Heng couldn’t even look the other in the eye, as he left, his cheeks were burning from arousal and humiliation, both of which perpetually amplified each other.

“Fuck…”, he muttered under his breath, when the mouth on his clit didn’t let up and kept sucking, licking and even biting his sensitive nub. The sensation made his body burn from pleasure, it felt exactly like his boyfriend eating his pussy.

“Dan Heng, are you alright?”

Not Jing Yuan again. Dan Heng blinked and looked to the side, his knuckles having turned white on the counter, as he kept subtly moving his hips and clenching his legs in a futile attempt to drive the invisible molester away.

“Y-Yeah… I’m…! I just-“ He bit his lip, pussy clenching around nothing, as he felt an orgasm approaching. His underwear was surely soaked through by now and he thanked his apron for hiding any stains that could make it through his pants.

But before he could come in his pants like some depraved teenager, both the mouth and the finger retreated, leaving him panting, sweating and horny beyond comprehension.

Looking around, he noticed Jing Yuan as well as Stelle and Caelus at the counter shooting him concerned looks. The rest of the cafe thankfully couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to him.

With a sigh, he stood up straight, trying to even his breathing and coming down from his denied high. “I’m fine… Sorry for that…”

Seeing that the sensation wasn’t coming back, he went back to work as usual and upon seeing him back to normal, Jing Yuan and the twins relaxed as well.

~/~

“Hnghh, hahh…” Ren grunted, as he slipped his hands into his pants and started fisting his cock. His grip was tight around the fleshlight to the point it may as well be in danger of shattering between his fingers.

His dick hardened in no time, soon standing tall and proud in its full glory, the tip an angry red and veins bulging at its shaft. He thoughtfully thumbed the tip, as he inspected the hole of the toy. It was small, not smaller than the average pussy, but the type of small that made Ren hesitate about whether he should just ram himself inside.

Would he fit? He wondered silently, as he slowly stroked his cock, comparing its length to the tube. At least he could fully push it in without issues, but he was certain he’d be spearing that hole open.

Unsurprisingly, his dick twitched when he thought of that and he smiled a little. Arousal pooled in his gut, when he thought back to Dan Heng’s first time taking his dick and how he had whined about his size being too big. The fact that he alone had reduced the other to a moaning mess drowning in a perfect blend of pleasure and pain did things to Ren’s ego.

Fuck this shit, Ren thought to himself, dropping the fleshlight grab a bottle of lube and spread the contents over his length.

Picking the toy up and gripping it tightly, he teased the hole with his tip, spreading the lube everywhere and making the pussy glisten as if it was wet. With an aroused hum, Ren grabbed his dick and slapped it against the artificial cunt multiple times, watching the way the realistic folds bounced lightly from the impact.

Finally, when he had teased himself to his limits, he pushed forward, his tip slipping inside and already pushing the hole to its limits. An almost sadistic grin spread on Ren’s face, as he saw the hole try to accommodate his girth.

“Awww…” Cooing and stroking the clit, he waited a few seconds, as if the toy was a partner that had to get used to him first. With his patience running thin though, he discarded the thought and slammed the toy down hard on his length.

~/~

Dan Heng shouldn’t have had hope. Despite the mishap with the grey-haired customer’s coffee, everything went fine. He could even stand back and relax a little, remembering that he knew the eerie man from a mysterious sex shop he recently stumbled into on a rainy day.

But of course, good times never last.

The sensation of flesh touching his private area returned, this time different. The… Thing touching him was far thicker and smoother than the fingers, it’s wet and Dan Heng could feel bumps similar to veins in some places.

“Mgh…” He shifted uncomfortably, no clenching his legs together or trying to bat at it deterred whatever ghost molested him. Leaning back against the wall, he clenched his eyes shut, his panties were still wet from the aggressive oral sex he had been given not too long ago and his arousal quickly spiked again.

“Dan Heng, are you sure you’re okay?” A large, warm hand gently came to rest on his shoulder.

Ren, was his first thought, until his eyes snapped open and he stared right into Jing Yuan’s face.

“You’re very red and warm, maybe you should-“

“Ghh-! Please excuse me-!” Dan Heng weakly punched Jing Yuan in the chest, his face turning even redder upon feeling the thick, hefty thing which he now recognised to be someone’s fucking cock slapping against his pussy and clit. Curse his masochistic side for loving it and wanting to moan and beg for more like a slutty bitch.

Jing Yuan gave way despite the hit carrying only the strength of an ophthalmologist and Dan Heng dashed off, trying to look as normal as possible while a fucking huge cock, as he realised, slapped his cunt.

He nearly fell to his knees in front of the door to the bathrooms, when he felt the tip slip in. It was painful, the thing was big and stretching him to his limits. At the same time, only Ren could spear him open in such a deliciously pleasurable manner and Dan Heng gradually felt his resolve crumble.

He hastily stumbled inside and shoved his shirt into his mouth to muffle his groans of pleasure, as the rough pad of a finger returned to stroke his clit. The person in the mirror was sweating and blushing madly, his black hair sticking to his forehead, while his eyes were hazy with lust.

With a whimper, Dan Heng shoved open a stall door and retreated into it, before slamming it shut and locking it tightly. He had just turned his back to the toilet, his legs reflexively spread to accommodate the thick phantom girth between his legs, when it suddenly slammed right into him, causing him to fall back onto the toilet lid with a moan.

Deliriously, he stared down at his crotch, seeing absolutely nothing there, even when he flipped the apron up and took off his pants. Only when Dan Heng slipped a hand into his underwear and touched his soaked clit and wandered down to his hole, did he notice it gaping.

It looked and felt as though it was being stretched past its limits by a thick, hefty girth, but no matter where Dan Heng moved his fingers, he felt nothing, no trace of the phantom cock or the fingers and mouth.

~/~

“Hahhh, grrghhh-!” Ren groaned in surprise, delighting in the tightness of the fleshlight. He paused, once fully inside, relishing in the way it seemed to squeeze him like a vice, like Dan Heng’s pussy.

After a while of imagining his partner moaning and arching his back while seated on his cock, Ren slowly gripped the toy and started moving it up and down his cock.

The plush, soft walls felt heavenly around him, despite the tightness and how they seemed to suck him back in every time he lifted the fleshlight, the glide was smooth and easy. Ren loved the friction against his shaft, the way his tip kissed the deep end of the toy and how thoroughly speared open the hole looked.

~/~

“Ahhh, hahh, mfgghhh~”

Dan Heng had expected the ghost cock in him to start moving, but he hadn’t been prepared for how good it felt. Shoving his fingers in his mouth to gag himself, he threw his head back and spread his legs, the burning humiliation from being fucked by a mysterious entity only adding to the heat forming in his stomach.

Slowly but surely he found a comfortable position on the toilet in which he could handle getting fucked in. His eyes rolled back and he slowly rubbed his soaked clit with the same rhythm of the cock forcing him open. Dan Heng must be looking like one hell of a slut, drooling all over his fingers with his legs spread and his pussy gaping and closing at regular intervals.

Of course, the moment he started to fully immerse himself in the pleasure, someone had to go piss.

Dan Heng groaned internally, trying to slow down his fingers and reduce the squelching sounds they made from rubbing his clit. Instead, he raptly listened to the heavy footsteps marching over to the neighbouring stall and dug his nails into his clit. A shudder shook his body, the stinging sensation of his sharp nails against the sensitive nub definitely felt too good to remain quiet.

Dan Heng hoped the sounds of sprinkling water hid the gasp he let out.

~/~

This thing was driving Ren feral.

At this point, he was growling like a starved animal, while his hands ached from gripping the toy too tightly. His cock had soiled the inside with pre-cum which was starting to leak out from the side, but the pleasure felt far too good to be coming from a simple fleshlight. It was so realistic, he could feel it squeezing and tightening around him every time he sunk into it and whenever he aimed his movements in a way to hit a g-spot, it clenched around him even more tightly.

When he closed his eyes, he could see a vivid image of his boyfriend bouncing on his cock, face red, tears in his beautiful, turquoise eyes, as his tummy and legs flexed from the movements. His sweet, little pussy spread obscenely around his veiny cock, as a small bulge appeared on his stomach with every thrust inside.

“Nghhh, ahhh~” With a deep moan, Ren lifted his shirt and started caressing his abs and chest with one hand, just like Dan Heng would do it. He dug his fingers into his pec, squeezing and pulling at his nipple and massaging the thick muscle, while speeding up his movements with the fleshlight.

~/~

“Nghh-!” Dan Heng couldn’t prevent a moan from slipping out, when the cock began pounding him faster, effortlessly reaching the deepest and most sensitive spots inside of him. His legs were shaking and he felt his pussy clench down tightly on the invisible intrusion.

“Sir, are you experiencing an emergency over there?”

Shit.

Dan Heng cursed himself, trying to catch his breath and to sound normal, as he pulled his saliva soaked fingers out of his mouth with a wet pop. “N-No, sir, I’m alright-! I’m perfectly alright-!” Of course, the cock inside him decided to take that moment to speed up and roughen up its thrusts. Dan Heng would have been bent in half already, if Ren was the one fucking him on the spot.

There was silence on the other side of the stall door.

Dan Heng held his breath, perfectly aware of the wet sounds his pussy was making. He had started playing at it with both of his hands, unable to resist the pleasure of rubbing his clit and stroking the inside of his spread walls.

“… I will not question your choice of activity in a public bathroom, if I may be so bold as to call it that.”

Dan Heng’s face was surely overcooked now from both arousal and humiliation, but just as he was about to throw any sense away and moan the guy out of the bathroom, the thrusts stopped. The thick, long cock was still lodged deeply in his hole and kissing his cervix, but it just sat there, he felt no cum, nothing.

“… But should you feel great discomfort at this moment, I can send someone to help you”, the scholarly, deep voice carried on.

Dan Heng rolled his eyes. Can’t he just leave? “Really, sir, I’m alright… Give me a few minutes and meet me outside in the cafe, if you are so concerned for my well being.”

A dramatic sigh. If Dan Heng had any fucks left to give, he would have described the guy as sounding like the epitome of a dramatic young male hero in ancient Greek mythology. “If you insist. I shall wait outside.”

“Do that…” Dan Heng murmured, relief washing over him like a cool ocean breeze on a sweltering hot summer day, when he heard the man’s footsteps carrying him outside. He faintly felt the dick inside him shift, as if its owner was planning something.

Hopefully nothing too devious.

~/~

“Hnghhh, anghhh…!” Ren groaned, as he held the fleshlight in place with an iron grip. Getting up from the bed, he determinedly walked over to Dan Heng’s study, swiped the stray papers, brushes and pens off and placed the toy with his still throbbing and rock-hard cock into it on the desk.

He held the black tube with one hand and ran the other over his torso, before starting to thrust his hips into it and oh yes, that felt so much better.

Ren always preferred setting his own pace and thrusting his cock into someone always felt better than letting them do their thing with him.

Right off the bat, he set a rough pace, the force behind his movements shaking the table with every thrust, as he rammed himself into the toy.

~/~

“Fuuuck-! Angh-!” Dan Heng threw his head back and spread his legs wider, when the cock inside him started fucking into him roughly. Each thrust was perfectly aimed at his g-spot and the powerful force he felt so clearly behind it sent jolts of overwhelming pleasure through his body.

His fingers aggressively rubbed his clit, while he pinched his nipple with the other. The overstimulation hurt and Dan Heng loved the pain, his cunt clenching down harshly onto the length inside of him.

“Nghh, hahh~ Ohhh, yesss-!” He couldn’t give a living shit anymore for anyone hearing him, he was getting close to a well-deserved orgasm and he wanted to feel it wrecking him.

Dan Heng felt the thrusts stutter, losing their steady rhythm and equally picking up in roughness, the harsh slams into his g-spot bordering discomfort.

“Mghh-!” Recognising the pattern as Ren’s telltale sign of an incoming orgasm, Dan Heng slapped his cunt, wet liquids splashing through the stall. It only took three consecutive hits to his clit, before he came with a shout, pussy squirting wildly all over the place. His entire body was shaking, as his orgasm washed over him and he was left gasping and panting on the toilet lid, soiled in his own fluids.

~/~

“Ngh-!” Ren’s orgasm hit him unexpectedly. He had felt the hole tighten up around him, but now it was clamping down on him like a vice, keeping him inside, as he dumped his load deep into it. With a groan, he rode out his orgasm, shallowly fucking his cum into it until it leaked out from the sides.

He stood there for a while, eyes closed and panting lightly. Half-expecting his boyfriend to eventually whine at him to let go of him, he lazily snapped his eyes open, only to realise that his softening cock was lodged in a fleshlight and his cum dripping out of an artificial pussy. He was even fully clothed with only his dick hanging out of his unzipped pants.

“Fuck…” Humiliation and a bit of shame washed over Ren, as he hastily pulled out and tilted the toy up to prevent it from soiling the floor of Dan Heng’s study. He couldn’t believe that he had let that simple toy carry him away and drive him into a sexual frenzy.

Shaking his head at himself, he grabbed a tissue and wiped his cock clean, before moving on to clean up the mess on the carpet and the desk. The amount he could cum at once always astonished him once the post-nut clarity hit him.

Ren stuffed his cock back into his pants and pulled his shirt back down, before bringing the fleshlight into the bathroom to remove his cum from it and clean it up.

~/~

Dan Heng only now saw the mess he had made and his face was burning with humiliation, as he hastily cleaned it up with toilet paper. His pussy had dripped all over the toilet lid and the liquid he had squirted when he came was staining the floor and the door of the toilet stall. At least the hefty load he had felt being dumped inside him and dripping out of his cunt wasn’t even physically present to dirty the floor or his clothes even further.

He simply couldn’t think of any reason for why and how this could have happened. He could feel cum inside his pussy being gently pulled out by a phantom finger, which seemed to come back every now and then, as if wanting to deep clean his hole. The treatment wasn’t bad though, it was gentle, almost nurturing, as if soothing him after a rough fuck.

It reminded Dan Heng so much of Ren, he couldn’t wait to get off his shift and come back home to kiss and cuddle him. Throwing the toilet paper into the toilet and flushing it down, he got dressed again and left the bathroom.

Hopefully the weirdo from before wasn’t actually waiting outside for him.

Well, he wasn’t, but as Dan Heng washed his hands and freshened himself up in the mirror, another familiar man entered.

“Ah, it’s you, young man.” The grey-haired customer from before flashed his enigmatic smile at him, as he slowly turned on the tab to start washing his hands as well. “Don’t worry, the coffee you prepared was excellent.”

“Ah, I’m glad to hear it, Mr… Mr Sunday.” He couldn’t believe he remembered that name, but then again, he was just at the other’s sex shop last week to pick up an order he had placed.

“Pardon, but if I may ask…”

Dan Heng felt an odd sensation of smallness, like a human in front of a god, but at the same time a warmth, as if he stood in front of a benevolent god, when Sunday looked at him through the mirror and tilted his head to the side.

“Are you satisfied with your purchase from our store?”, Sunday asked, an innocent lilt to his voice. “Have you and your boyfriend tried it out yet?”

“Well, no, but we also haven’t had time yet for that”, Dan Heng answered. Despite the private and intrusive nature of the question, he somehow couldn’t find it in himself to care.

“Hm, that’s a shame, but I do recommend it.” Drying his hands, Sunday turned away from Dan Heng, the absence of his gaze somehow just as unsettling as the presence of it. “You will find the experience just as enjoyable as he will.”

And with that enigmatic statement hanging in the air, he left the bathroom.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

you don't have to answer this if you don't want to but what do you think about Yuu who alr knows Disney and is a bit of a better strategist than canon!Yuu? Like this Yuu would know from the first dream-vision they had that they mirror reality the next day and so whenever they wake up the next day after having these dreams and write down IMMEDIATELY about what happened and try to correlate it as much as they can to reality so they can strategize this way?? Added bonus if they know they're perceived as a weak, helpless magicless student and use it to their advantage so that others constantly underestimate them too!!

Well firstly, I think someone has most likely written this kind of fanfiction before. It’s pretty common to “novelize” the main story but specifically featuring one’s own Yuu variant and/or to do a “fix” or canon divergent story. Not my thing so I just skip over those, but I’m certain I’ve at least skimmed fic summaries of this nature.

Secondly, I don’t think it would make sense narratively (even for a more intelligent and proactive Yuu that has knowledge of Disney lore) to automatically suspect that their dreams correlate with real life events and that they should be alert for parallels. It’s assuming a lot of them, including that they’d have the hindsight before their first dream that their dreams are somehow prophetic. (I’m not counting time travel or time loop theory here, only what we know is canon right now.) That’s not really strategizing then, it’s jumping the gun and assuming that they’re a seer without enough cause to believe in it. Has this happened before to them in their original world? But dreams are rarely ever so closely associate with the things playing out 1:1 in the waking world. Why would Yuu develop this belief then??? I think they’d realistically start putting the pieces together maybe book 3 because 1 time (book 1) may just be coincidence + they wouldn’t be suspicious of anything, 2 times (book 2) is establishing a pattern, and then 3 times (book 3) would be enough times to firmly establish said pattern. It wouldn’t happen right off the bat.

I also feel like this kind of Yuu would not work for the current (canon) story TWST wants to tell. Having all of this information and/or going out of their way to prevent things from happening because of their foresight might just cascade into many events not playing out at all, even if only halfway through the main book. It means they’d be highly wary of many characters and could successfully avoid the pitfalls they glimpse in their dreams. They could seek out the “villains” of their dreams, deduce the issue, smooth things out sooner, prevent OBs altogether. Very, very different events might play out. (And if the main story manages to stay roughly the same in spite of all the measures this Yuu takes, then what was the point of telling it all with this intentional smarter and more actionable Yuu to begin with???) Diverging from canon happens all the time in fan creations, as I’ve said earlier—and again, there’s nothing wrong with this. I just don’t know of this would “work” with the current set up without deviating considerably at a certain point.

As for Yuu being perceived as a “weak, helpless magicless student” who “uses it to their advantage so others underestimate them too”… I feel like this is already done in canon, but very subtly and definitely relies a lot on player interpretation of what “kind” of Yuu they want to be. It’s already implied that Yuu is the strategist for battles, so they offer support in this way. Additionally, many characters recognize them for talents which lie beyond their magicless status. This includes the headmaster, who declares that Yuu has the makings of a beast tamer, and Rook, who gives Yuu the nickname “Trickster” for their cleverness. I believe that Yuu was even chosen to go for the harp in Beans Day because Jade was aware that the Monsters would underestimate Yuu and prioritize going after him, who is the more obvious threat. The world and its characters seem to constantly be telling us about Yuu’s strengths outside of a magical context, but they leave how Yuu actually makes use of their helplessness open ended for players to project as they like onto them.

It’d definitely be interesting to see a Yuu that leans into and plays up their weaknesses, but I also think that it would require a skilled writer to successfully pull that off. If not done well, the Yuu may come off as more whiny/desperate or too pompous and locked in their own self-aggrandizing head space. Maybe we’ll get a Yuu that strategizes with their deliberate helplessness in a future installment of the manga? Could be interesting!

[mydearlybeloathed]

OLD MASTERLIST

𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞

𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜. ♡

➼ moodswings

in which the hormones attack. zoro x f!reader, sanji x f!reader, luffy x f!reader

���𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐲 ♡

➼ are you still sad?

luffy had always been more observant than you gave him credit for. f!reader

➼ i remember thinking i had you **

you'd always had a feeling luffy's dreams would outgrow you, but when that day finally arrives, you're not as prepared as you'd thought you'd be. now he's willing to take a chance to make his dream come true, fully believing you're right behind him. you have a decision to make: risk everything for the boy who means everything, or set him free of your doubts. gn!reader, multi part fic, opla!luffy

𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐣𝐢 ♡

➼ flavors of home *

in which even though you've been rescued, you're homesick. a certain pirate chef is more than willing to help cure the ailment. f!reader

➼ we are never getting back together (?) *

in which you, now a successful singer, and sanji, now a pirate, reunite unexpectedly when you return to baratie for a one night only performance. f!reader

𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐣𝐢'𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐚 ♡

➼ my sister, my responsibility **

even as you grow older, you'll always be his baby sister.

➼ another birthday down the drain

you would have thought your birthday would keep zeff and sanji from bickering—well, you thought wrong.

𝐳𝐨𝐫𝐨 ♡

➼ get some sleep

you just can't get to sleep thanks to a terrible rainstorm terrorizing the ship. luckily, your tossing and turning inspired nami with an idea: just go sleep with the swordsman. f!reader

➼ got me spinning like a ballerina

in which zoro doesn't dance, but he has no issue in watching you twirl yourself off your feet. so long as you twirl back to him when your feet get tired. f!reader

➼ sail again **

once upon a time, you'd weaseled your way into the demon pirate hunter's confidance, and maybe even his heart too. but one bounty gone wrong leads to you being left behind, and you just can't understand why. f!reader, opla

𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞

𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜. ♡

➼ hindsight * foresight

in which your death brings the heroes of olympus back together, after nearly a decade of fighting. f!reader

➼ a fatal habit

in which nico intends to prove that your habit could kill you. platonic!gn!reader

𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐡 ♡

➼ surprise

in which annabeth has a birthday surprise for percy.

➼ spider slayer

in which mortal!annabeth really doesn’t like spiders, and is lucky to find someone willing to fight them for her.

𝐣𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 ♡

➼ clear sight *��

in which you do some late night investigating in the woods near your house. f!mortal!reader

➼ a loss for words

in which you and jason have a moment alone over the city. gn!reader

➼ a camp halfblood christmas **

in which you thought creating a real life frosty the snowman for estelle blofis, a regular camp visitor. it goes... unexpectedly. f!reader

𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧 ♡

➼ goner

in which the castellan that stayed has a hard time at camp. f!castellan!reader

𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜. ♡

➼ granger danger *

in which hermione’s time turner malfunctions.

𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 ♡

➼ frostbite *

in which sirius better have a very good reason for being late to your date. f!reader

➼ sleepless nights

in which sirius, a year after azkaban, is still suffering from nightmares. gn!reader

➼ sunday mornings *

in which you and sirius have always bonded over what you might just love more than each other: your hair. f!reader

𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐮𝐬 𝐥𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐧 ♡

➼ my boyfriend's back

after rejecting a boy in your hometown, he goes around spreading rumors about you and him. luckily, you have full faith in your wizard boyfriend, who just so happens to be coming back form his fancy wizard school in just a few days. gn!muggle!reader

𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐫

𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐦 ♡

➼ rainshowers *

in which neteyam is more affectionate than you’re used to. fem!omaticaya!reader

𝐥𝐨'𝐚𝐤 ♡

➼ grounded

in which you have nothing better to do than fix your lover’s hair. fem!omaticaya!reader

𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜.

𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐚 ♡

➼ dating jim headcanon

➼ the sword on the table **

in which whilst in the depths of the heroes forge armory, you and your friends come across a peculiar sword that has a mind of its own. gn!reader, hinted jim x reader

𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ♡

➼ the accidental confession

in which those three little words finally slip out steve harrington x f!reader

𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧 ♡

➼ an evening out

in which you’re a princess visiting camelot, and both you and arthur are aware that a marriage is likely in the works arthur x princess!reader, wip

𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐟 ♡

➼ selenophile

in which ondine beck doesn't believe in monsters... until she doesn't have much of a choice. liam dunbar x fem!oc, hiatus

𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐬 ♡

➼ star boy's lament

in which the more important things could wait till morning. for now, it’s only you and him and the sky. ezra bridger x f!reader

➼ not it!

a simple day on the ghost goes awry as chores are assigned, and the age old law of Not It is enacted. ghost crew x gn!reader

[sashayed]

A Word on Statistics

Out of every hundred people

those who always know better: fifty-two.

Unsure of every step: almost all the rest.

Ready to help, if it doesn't take long: forty-nine.

Always good, because they cannot be otherwise: four—well, maybe five.

Able to admire without envy: eighteen.

Led to error by youth (which passes): sixty, plus or minus.

Those not to be messed with: forty and four.

Living in constant fear of someone or something: seventy-seven.

Capable of happiness: twenty-some-odd at most.

Harmless alone, turning savage in crowds: more than half, for sure.

Cruel when forced by circumstances: it's better not to know, not even approximately.

Wise in hindsight: not many more than wise in foresight.

Getting nothing out of life except things: thirty (though I would like to be wrong).

Doubled over in pain and without a flashlight in the dark: eighty-three, sooner or later.

Those who are just: quite a few at thirty-five.

But if it takes effort to understand: three.

Worthy of empathy: ninety-nine.

Mortal: one hundred out of one hundred— a figure that has never varied yet.

Wisława Szymborska from Miracle Fair, 2002

[prairiedawn]

On Jon and Choices

Back when I was a kid (and I think for some time after) the schools where I lived were very much invested in framing discipline as a set of choices. Everything a child could do or fail to do, from fighting to not putting a name on a paper was a choice.

You chose not to bother to turn in the homework you spent an hour doing. You chose to catch the attention of a bully. This seemed, to me, to put me on the wrong side of choices I did not know I was making. And if I said so--I didn't choose not to write my name on my paper--then I would be treated to a long chain of actions I might have taken that, were I neurotypical, might have resulted in me doing The Correct Thing. I think this emphasis on "there always had to have been a way you could have made all the right choices and made no mistakes and you should have known through foresight what was deducible by hindsight" is behind a lot of the psychology of TMA. Elias uses it explicitly, as does Annabelle Cane (the two characters who have the most real power in the narrative) to systematically strip Jon of his agency while insisting that he is doing it to himself by making choices that are either A. perfectly reasonable under the circumstances, B. Influenced by outside forces he was unaware of, or C. A forced choice between Terrible and Also Terrible. And the way other people in his life (other than Elias and Annabelle, who are doing it On Purpose) respond to him seems informed by that same false belief that if he was only better he could prevent every bad outcome.

He's being held responsible for his own abuse and the behavior of his abusers in a way that feels painfully familiar.

[clockwise-works]

This is gonna be a weird one, but one thing I've never understood about the Sonic Community is how we go about talking about Sonic Heroes.

For those who don't know, Sonic Heroes was the first mainline Sonic game to be released on all major platforms. It's important to acknowledge that this was an absolutely important step the franchise took, because it ended up introducing tons of new audiences to Sonic, namely Nintendo fans who were once Sonic fan's "rivals." I will always give Heroes props for that, HOWEVER.

Whenever people go about reviewing or discussing the game, when bringing up its more buggy nature and lack of polish, people almost ALWAYS have to specify which version of the game they're playing, and if not they get accused of purposely playing the worse versions (PS2 AND Windows).

And like, 1. That shouldn't matter in the slightest. Yes, some versions of the game are more broken, which is undeniable, but those releases were still official ways to play the game. They fully intended of audiences playing those versions, and so I've always felt it is more than fair to base your opinion around the edition you played. I'm sorry, but players shouldn't have to seek out a "better" version to make their experience more tolerable. And while YouTube reviewers ARE offering their own personal experience, that experience is still valid and serves as an overall assessment of the game, in which issues the overall player base of the game most likely experienced for themselves too.

And 2. People are WAY too quick to dismiss the PS2 version of the game when realistically? The PS2 was the BEST SELLING system, meaning the PS2 port was the most easily accessible version of the game to buy. Yes, Nintendo fans were introduced to Sonic through Heroes and the multiple compilation titles released around that time, but the GameCube just wasn't in as many homes as the PS2. I think it's unfair to write off the version of the game that was released on the best-selling system, most likely ensuring most people played THAT version, just because it's more broken.

And realistically, I can't imagine casual gaming consumers having the foresight to know that the PS2 version would be released in that quality. Nowadays, most people know that Switch ports of triple A games are lesser quality because it's more common knowledge that the Switch is significantly less powerful than even the Xbox One and PS4. Gaming info prior to release is also way more accessible. Comparatively, there's really no way people could have known the PS2 port would've been the worst version. The PS2 wasn't widely known to be less powerful with lower quality 3rd party games, because it really wasn't. The gap between it and the GameCube were minimal. So there can't even be an argument that casual unassuming gamers purposely bought the worst version just to portray the game in a bad light.

And I think that's important. When talking about a game, it's also important to talk about its impact when released. In fact we hear this all the time, like how earlier I brought up how Sonic Heroes is applauded for introducing Sonic to new audiences, or Colors "fixing" Sonic's reputation following 06, Secret Rings, Black Knight, etc. If we're going to bring up the timeframe when games released to properly understand the landscape when it released and its effects on that landscape, then we also have to account for the things I brought up one paragraph earlier. That people couldn't have known the most accessible version of the game was the worst one. It's important to remember all that when talking about its issues because that means that release was the general experience most had, that the PS2 version can't be written off because "people know it's worst one."

Like yeah, in hindsight, we all know that, but that doesn't invalidate a completely legit way people experienced the game, and have a right to criticize the game for. If you hear people talk about their issues with Heroes, and your first thought is "well, you probably played the PS2 version" as if that's some sort of retort to their completely valid way of playing and valid way of critiquing the game, then I think your an asshole.

Did the game do important things for the franchise? Undeniably yes. But can people write off a legitimate and valid way to play the game just because some releases were "more buggy" and are nowadays common knowledge? No.

Oh, and the game being "rushed following Adventure 2's release" doesn't excuse the bugs and lack of polish either. They sold a game, fully intending people to play that game in that condition, and therefore, people have a right to base their opinions off that condition. Does it add context as to why the game and many other rushed games are the way they are? Yes, but that doesn't justify or nullify and criticism of said issues.

[carminavulcana]

My first Salaar fic :)

Summary- They say hindsight is 20/20. In the violent, blood-soaked world of Khansaar, hindsight is for the weak, while foresight is the weapon of the strong.

What happens when the wronged prince pays the price for daring to disrupt this balance?

He reflects. He regrets.

Snippet:

Varadha Rajamannar remembered how anxiety had settled in the pit of his stomach like an immovable rock, at the thought that there was a chance Deva would refuse to come with him. It had been a legitimate fear too.

25 years was a long time. In some ways, it was an entire lifetime— a lifetime in which Deva had lived a life filled with melancholy, experiences, and that quiet resilience that was so definably his. And he, Varadha, had spent that quarter of a century waiting.

In hindsight, that had been a rather stupid thing to do. Mad men waited for ghosts from their past. And Varadha should have known better than to give in to a moment of madness.

But insanity wasn’t unique to him, was it?

[tainbocuailnge]

The way you talked about Setanta sorta-kinda reminds me of Elizabeth in a lot of ways, namely the trying to distance themselves from what they'd become if I'm not misunderstanding.

I think elizabeth is a different situation (though hers IS similar to draco's), this one is more like shirou clashing with archer because he doesn't grasp the reality of their ideal. it's not that setanta wants to avoid becoming his future self, it's that he lacks the maturity to understand or accept what it takes to become his future self. he was never good at not being himself, cu chulainn grew up to be the person he wanted to be when he was setanta and setanta wants to become a cu chulainn he can be proud to be. but the living setanta had to simply do his best while the servant has the foresight of hindsight and he struggles to reconcile the life he lived with the one he imagined he'd live, and in particular the way he died with how he thought he'd die.

I don't think he's consciously trying to distance himself from his death. i think his focus on still being in training and wanting to become stronger before he feels like he can use the name cu chulainn is rooted in childishly reasoning "I'll just become a better cu chulainn then". if it were him he would simply not lose to medb. if it were him he would simply save everyone and do everything right. he's too immature to understand how he could have let things get so out of hand that he had to meet his end disgraced by many broken geasa and tied to a rock to stay upright. he accepted a gruesome death when he took up arms despite cathbad's prophecy warning against it but now that he knows what that death ended up being he's subconsciously recoiling and going "really? that gruesome? can't I do better than that?"

[candor-creator]

gods are not people. gods are stories.

when the Greeks created Zeus and Hera, they did not create them with the thought that people thousands of years later would declare their relationship atrocious and their actions cruel. they didn't write these characters with the idea that they should be scolded for punishing victims.

because gods are not people. Hera is marriage. beyond the goddess of marriage. she Is Marriage.

if you do not respect your marriage, terrible things will happen to you. to tell a story and to make their world clearer, the Greeks attributed those terrible things to Hera. do not break your oaths, or Hera will punish you.

if you are inhospitable, trouble will find you. a tyrant king will be toppled by the angry army of peasants crushed beneath him. a thief of renown shall be hunted down by those they've robbed and they will lose everything they once had. attack those around you who trust you, and hell shall follow. they named this hell Zeus.

with this in mind, I wanted to talk about the deities of Hallownest.

The Pale King gives the gift of mind to those who live in his kingdom, has the ability to predict the future, was an engineer, a researcher, and he was very, very, prideful. egotistical. he fully believed his kingdom would never fall, better than all the rest. he believed his plans to protect his land would succeed. he made countless sacrifices and was full of regret. he made innumerable mistakes, but remains beloved by his people, who endlessly called out to him when he vanished. he holds affection for his wife, his home, his people, his children. he gave a gift to someone he believed did not care for him, and crafted a memorial for them when they were sacrificed.

the pale king is the Mind. he is the concept of thinking highly of one's self, thinking one can do no wrong, he is pride and joy, he is curiosity, he is embarrassment and regret and shame and mistakes and fumbles and learning and growing, he is memory and he is hindsight and he is foresight, forethought, carefully considering every option on the path ahead, he is grief and he is love and he is the inability to cope with loss and he is the inability to understand the finality of death and he is the hope that things will never change and everything will be comfortable just as it is forever. he is Mind.

The White Lady is the wife of the pale king, and she is a mother, but not a Mother. she is a wife, but a cold one. she is a queen, but she is absent. she is a god, and she is selfish. when a vessel stumbled into her chambers, where she imprisoned herself of her own volition, she gave away her late husband's wedding ring, speaking of its potential power. not of its sentiment, for it was broken and useless without its other half, not of its purpose or who owned it or why she carried it, no. she gave it away and asked her child to sacrifice their own life for her.

trees do not care what happens to the fruit they bear. it falls from their branches and is either carried off by animals or reduced to rot in the grass. the seeds inside are all the tree could care about, flourishing for its own gain. the more trees, the better. nature does not care. The White Lady is Nature. and she does not nurture. The Mind loves her dearly, for her branches and her life and all she is and ever will be. Nature is neutral in return.

The Radiance is an arrogant goddess who believed in herself just as the Mind did, believing in her own beauty and power, that she could unite everyone beneath her if they just focused entirely on her, on achieving the feats she wished of them, and from arrogance she birthed arrogance, as her people abandoned her for better, clearer things the moment they were able. she wished for them to follow their Dream, and once they did, she made them regret it.

The Hollow Knight was born to be purity and perfection. something mindless and yet clever, something stoic yet without will, something silent yet sending a message. and the hollow knight looked upon this impossible task, then out across the kingdom that would be relying on its success, then up towards the eyes of its proud father, the Mind believing in its Patience and perseverance and its ability to hold strong for as long as they would need, and Patience acted for the good of the world around it.

and an eternity later, a lone knight stepped into a kingdom, listening to its final breaths, suspended in a moment between life and death, and the knight came forward to decide its Fate.

[howifeltabouthim]

How could he have been so inconceivably foolish? He saw it all now, the vile indiscretion, the betrayal. Why had he not seen it earlier?

Iris Murdoch, from A Fairly Honourable Defeat

[dillweedshole]

I could talk about Lily's current situation with her sister (also not current that shit has HISTORY)

But that wouldn't do a whole lot. There's plenty of people who are way the fuck better at that than I am. Even her own sister is dunking on her.

Nonono, I am more of a content person. I think it's both fun and funny to just have a laugh at how god damn goofy her content is, not the good goofy either. Just so happens that Madhouse falls under what I do and make kinda well. Yeah it's Pokemon LMFAO

I wanna talk about how silly some of the things are in PM. Expect this to be your "This thing will either not exist or get replaced in MA".

---The Mating Bond. It literally doesn't need to exist. Why would it need to? There's no conceivably not-boring way to make the story drag out so long the lifespan part of the bond ever makes sense, and the mental link can be explored in literally a hundred other ways. Worst part is: That's the single most awful thing about the entire fucking story and yet it's so important that haphazardly removing it kind of removes so much from the overall story. You can't write in something, make it so important it defines how the characters interact for the rest of the series, and then fucking hand-wave it goodbye. I think we know WHY it's there, but let's not open that can of worms here lmao. ---Gardevoirs being endangered. It was clearly introduced because she wanted to do something with it but it makes no sense even from a regular standpoint. Mate, Dittos. Apparently there's very few Gardes out there that have absolutely zero issues or diseases or whatever the fuck, and G is one of them (why is that even a thing??? it doesn't mean anything to us it's just there for tension that never gets brought up lmfao), and she's gay. Okay. Again, Dittos. They literally do not conform to gender or sex. I think there are some Pokemon that can only be bred with Dittos. Way to show you know your way around the Pokemon franchise lmfao. Then to add insult to injury, how do we fix this endangerment issue? A CLONING MACHINE, MOTHERFUCKER???? Gotta be the coppest cop-out to ever cop the fuck OUT what is THAT *foghorn* ---The Multiverse thing. ??!???!?? I literally don't have anything to say here what the fuck was that all about???

There's definitely more, I might make a video talking about everything, but holy cow some foresight or even a little hindsight might help. Most issues with this series needs more proofreading than "wife that worships me" and WAY the fuck more foresight cuz fucking christ lmao

[tumblingghosts]

What do you enjoy about time travel so much?

hello! i actually answered a similar ask over here, but the gist of it is that i think it's really interesting to consider how a character might act with the benefit of hindsight. they know how things will go and how it ends for them & anything they do will create change, for better or for worse.

using time travelling eurylochus as an example -- he's become a different person along their journey, and going back from the thunder saga to the troy saga, he has to confront a very different dynamic than the one he's grown into over the past years at sea. he's facing odysseus who has yet to become desperate enough to become the monster. he is facing a crew that is still whole. yet he is also weighed down by what he has faced, and those struggles cannot be truly shared because he is now the only one who remembers those events ever happening.

i like all the possibilities that can be shaped from it. there's angst from what cannot be prevented even with the given foresight. there's fix-its where the time traveller can shape a better outcome for themselves and everyone else. there's grief from mourning the future that will no longer be. there's hope for what the future can now become. there's a lot of explore in it & which character is sent back (and how they are sent back) can create conflict within itself.

thanks for the ask! :D

[cordeliaflyte]

Trans. Joanna Trzeciak

A Word on Statistics

By Wisława Szymborska

Out of every hundred people

those who always know better:

fifty-two.

Unsure of every step:

almost all the rest.

Ready to help,

if it doesn't take long:

forty-nine.

Always good,

because they cannot be otherwise:

four—well, maybe five.

Able to admire without envy:

eighteen.

Led to error

by youth (which passes):

sixty, plus or minus.

Those not to be messed with:

forty and four.

Living in constant fear

of someone or something:

seventy-seven.

Capable of happiness:

twenty-some-odd at most.

Harmless alone,

turning savage in crowds:

more than half, for sure.

Cruel

when forced by circumstances:

it's better not to know,

not even approximately.

Wise in hindsight:

not many more

than wise in foresight.

Getting nothing out of life except things:

thirty

(though I would like to be wrong).

Doubled over in pain

and without a flashlight in the dark:

eighty-three, sooner or later.

Those who are just:

quite a few at thirty-five.

But if it takes effort to understand:

three.

Worthy of empathy:

ninety-nine.

Mortal:

one hundred out of one hundred—

a figure that has never varied yet.

[mydearlybeloathed]

Can we get a pert 3 of hindsight/foresight? They were just too perfect to not ask

𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄𝐒

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: finals approach at new rome university, but the restful break turns out to be the opposite after a little... realization.

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: leo valdez x erischild!fem!reader

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 1.3k

𝐚/𝐧: ask and ye shall recieve! someday im def going to go back and edit the first two parts, maybe add onto the first one, but for right now here's what comes after foresight!

The baristas at the local coffeeshop had grown used your presence, and took to ignoring your frantic study sessions spent in the corner of the little shop. You hadn’t had to stand to order more coffee in weeks—they felt your stare and happily brought you more, leaving you to your notes.

You were so grateful for their encouragement as finals closed in, although Reyna couldn’t say the same.

She closed in like a hawk on a studious little mouse, disapproval written all over her face as she came up to your table and pushed your mug away from your reaching hand. You straightened up and shot her a glare, already knowing exactly who dared to disturb you. 

“Reyna,” you grunted, as if you were facing some long-term enemy. She rolled her eyes and sat down acrosf from you.

“Y/N.” She parted the sea of notes to better face you. “You know I respect you.”

“Ah, yes, here’s the but.”

Reyna emphasized, “But you’re worrying several of your friends—me included.”

You attempted to avert your eyes by fiddling with your pencil. “I need to keep studying.”

“Then change your scenery. Drink some water. Or, dare I say it, take a break.” In all her coolness, Reyna was pleading with you now, genuinely concerned with how exhausted you were.

“You know I can’t,” you murmured as you met her gaze head on. “I need to pass, or this was all for nothing.”

If you couldn’t pass finals, then all the grit and bearing would be for nothing. All your doubts would be right. You couldn’t let that happen, no matter how much sleep it cost. New Rome University was your last chance at making something of yourself, and by the gods you would not let it slip through.

“Thank you for your concern,” you said sincerely. “But I’ll be fine. Just need to get through next week.”

She pressed her tongue to her cheek whilst you proceeded to ignore her and go back to studying. Reyna was never one to give up so easily, especially not with your health on the line. Luckily, she had one more card up her sleeve.

“Leo said the same thing, you know.” Your eyes darted up from your notes, and Reyna knew she had you in her trap. “Honestly, he looked worse off than you. I didn’t know somebody could have eyebags as bad as his. Of course, he was chugging energy drinks, not coffee.”

Your hands stilled at your sides, thoughtful now. A few more moments passed like that, with Reyna fighting off a smirk and you rolling the image of a suffering Leo around your mind. “Where is he?”

“Somewhere in his dorm,” she replied, standing. “I’m sure he wouldn’t be opposed to a distraction. Not if its you.”

Somewhere between realizing her trick and wodnering just what she meant by that, you started packing up your things, much to the baristas’ shock. Reyna shock them a smirk as she slipped outside.

Minutes later you were trudging through New Rome, eyes on the ground as you took the practices route to the University, right up to the familiar boys dormitory built up on the far side of campus. You shoved open the doors and came face to face with a few students hanging around the lobby. Venus kids, if you remembered right.

“You seen Leo?” you asked, noting how your tone was deeper than usual. Maybe you did need sleep.

One of the girls among them hummed. “I think I saw him out on the patio.”

Thanking them quickly, you beelined back out the door, rounding the building and laying eyes on the marble octagon situated in the distance, surrounded by cool green grass. And on the picnic table at its center was a boy hunched over a series of books, just as you had been in the coffeeshop.

You slung your backpack to one shoulder as you approached, hopping up onto the marble and grinning when Leo startled. He blinked up at you, trying so very hard to seem awake, but you saw right through it. 

“You look like shit,” you teased as you slid into the seat across from him, tossing your bag aside.

He scoffed with a roll of his eyes even as he forced down a yawn. “Yeah, yeah. Back at you.”

You tilted your head, still smiling, and lazily reached to tug his books away. Leo huffed and tried to claw them back, letting them slip in the end. You caught his eye then. “Wanna head inside? We can watch a movie.”

Leo sat back and passed a hand over his curls. “Did Reyna send you?”

“She all but kicked me out of the coffeeshop,” you mused. 

“Out of Ambrosas?” he exclaimed, brows vaulted. “How will you ever survive?”

You took a moment to examine the many red bull cans scattered around. “Says the man who’s heart is bound to explode.”

“Touche.” Leo tried to return to his books, but he took a look around and felt his eyes crossing from overuse. “What movie?”

“The Hobbit?” you offered. Leo lit up slightly, his hands itching to toss all his things in his bag. 

“... Okay, but just the first one.”

As expected, you didn’t stop at just the first one, and as the credits rolled on the third movie, you glanced over at the window of Leo’s dorm to find the moon strung up in the sky. The pair of you were alone, wrapped up in blankets atop Leo’s bed. His roommate, some Apollo legacy called Sam, ahd taken one stpe inside before he scoffed and headed right back out. It was very weird.

It definitely had nothing to do with the fact that you and Leo were not only bundled in blankets, but also wrapped around one another, his head rested on your collarbone as his arms hugged your middle. 

On that thought…

You peered down at him, swiping away some of his curls to find his eyes fallen shut, soft breathes leaving him. A smile graced your lips as you settled further down under the covers. His roommate’s behavior really was odd, but at least it left you and Leo alone.

In his room.

In his bed.

Together.

The thought left you all warm and you found yourself curling around him as the threat of sleep grew larger by the second. Sam was just being weird, you dismissed.

Just a minute had gone by when Leo rustled slightly, his hand grazing your skin as your shirt rode up and—oh.

Oh.

That’s probably why Sam left in a hurry. Heat creeped up your face and it had nothing to do with the human heater at your side. But why would Sam ever think that? You and Leo were only just friends, nothing more, nothing less than good ol’ buddies—

Your face was flaming at this point. Oh. Oh no no no. 

Leo sleeped soundly and awoke pleasantly, ready to begin a day of studying hopefully by your side, only to find you ducking your head into the covers of his bed with a prolonged groan. You flopped around a bit longer, avoiding his eye and touch, and mumbled something about getting breakfast. He followed you out of bed, watching as you stumbled for his bathroom where you kept a spare toothbrush handy.

“Weird,” he murmured, not noticing how you squeaked when he shut the bathroom door behind him and joined you at the sink.

You were clinging to sanity. This was just what you needed. Finals just a week away, and you still had feelings for Leo Valdez! Running hand over your face, you glanced up to find him offering you your toothbrush, his own stuck out of his mouth. You took it wordlessly, ignoring how wonderfully cute he was.

You needed to make some calls, preferably before you combusted into flames.