#his feats blows everyone else’s out of the water

[berrybore]

I’m sorry but Percy would win in a battle to the death against Nico so easily. He is the most powerful demigod, as established by canon—multiple times. Like don’t get me wrong Nico is crazy powerful but we already got Percy defeating two ridiculously powerful underworld gods in their own realm why would you think he’d struggle against Nico?

Percy defeated hades in tlo and Akhlys in hoh. And no, before anyone says the curse of Achilles is the reason, it wasn’t. The curse helped him solo hades’ entire army in minutes yes, but the confrontation between them wasn’t a fight whatsoever. Percy deflected hades’ attack with his sword right back at him and it knocked him out of his chariot and onto the ground. And in hoh, Percy was literally two steps from dying when he overpowered a primordial so like that speaks for itself.

Like I’m not saying Nico would never win, only that his powers drain him a ton and he can’t sustain a long fight the way Percy can. He’s also not a remarkable swordsman, so his best bet is to land a single fatal blow immediately. Like I don’t know maybe shadow travel right up to his face and slash his throat or something, except we know form ttc that Percy’s reaction time is fast enough to deflect bullets so who knows how well that will work. Probably how he reacted fast enough to deflect hades’ attack.

And yes I’m aware Nico can turn demigods into ghosts but the demigod in question didn’t really have a power to attack Nico with. Like I’m struggling to see Nico turn Percy into a ghost while he’s chocking on his bodily fluids.

Like it would be extremely unlikely and he’d need the power of anime and god and surprise on his side to do it.

(Also, small side note. Demigods aren’t meant to be stronger than gods or be able to beat them. The fact that Percy beat ares in tlt was meant to be earth shattering. It literally sets him apart from the get go. He’s compared to Hercules more than once. And yes, big three kids are different and stronger than everyone else but even among them he’s operating in a different league. In the entire series of pjo, I can’t recall another instance of any other demigod stepping up to a god and winning. Hoo screws up the entire power scale by letting other demigods do that on the fly, it makes the gods look small in comparison to their children. Mind you, Percy doesn’t always win in his series, and sometimes he only does on a technicality— like forfeiting the fight against atlas, or injuring ares. )

[imrllytootiredforthis]

Pent up~Teaser

pairing: changbin x sexshop employee worker

summary: changbin goes to a sexshop looking for a little something to fill up his lonely nights but gets more than he initially bargained for-not that he's upset about it~

warnings: in teaser-dom reader, sub changbin, obvious praise kink, mentions of masturbation, mentions of sex toys and bdsm, needy changbin. in full fic (of what i know so far): pegging, masturbation, cumplay, exhibitionism, teasing, size kink, etc

a/n: teaser bc i feel like it-and @arlojulien-nightchild-of-hades requested no.10 in my drafts, so here it is-also for binnie's birthday!

Changbin had never been embarrassed about masturbating. 

He knew that he felt pent up from time to time from stress and work and life in general-from what little life he did have. From having to deal with Han and Chan, because while he did love them, putting up with them wasn't the easiest feat, though he'd never tell them that.

His life was busy and things were frustrating, so much so he’d have to restrain himself from doing things he’d actually regret.

Like smashing Chan’s laptop when he stopped listening to all reason, locking himself in his room for days on end without getting any sleep, food or water. His self-destructive tendencies doing shit for the group and even worse for his own mental state.

Or like shouting at Han when he was acting like a brat, stuck in his own ways, which would result in him crying every time. He'd grown a lot in the past few years but he was still stubborn as shit and too sensitive for his own good.

And as Changbin had realized, was that doing any of those things rarely ever helped the situation but only aided in getting his own frustrations out.

So he'd found that the natural way to get rid of those frustrations while also not doing something that he’d regret later on was to blow off steam in other ways. Take things into his own hands in other words. After all, a busy person such as himself wasn't about to go out and look for a good lay every so often.

Masturbating and self-pleasure wasn't unhealthy by any means, he knew that and he’d never really understood why it was such a stigmatized topic, but that was a whole conversation for another time.

The point was, he'd never felt ashamed to the fact that he needed some alone time every once in a while. 

Not until now. 

Standing in his local sex shop in front of a very large selection on the shelf, trying to decide between two sizes of dildos. He could get the bigger one or the smaller one. Money was no problem and he could buy both if he really wanted, but he'd really rather not have to figure out how to hide not one but two fake dicks in the dorms in which any of his snooping roommates could find at any time plus it felt a little excessive to have two dildos.

But it really wasn't this part that he was ashamed of. He was just dandy with the fact that he was standing here browsing the shelves of dildos, looking for one that he was going to use on himself later tonight. 

Changbin knew exactly what he was signing up for when he walked in here and he wasn't embarrassed about it at all. This wasn't his first time in a sex shop and he could honestly say that they were pretty chill for the most part.

It was his first time in this one though. He'd wanted to switch it up a little-he'd wanted to finally go to the one near his place, accepting the fact that he could potentially run into someone he knew here.

Good thing: There was no one that he knew here.

Bad thing: He couldn't help the pang in his chest, the flicker of something he wasn't quite ready to face inside him realizing that he seemed to be the only customer in the shop who was single. 

Everyone else wandering through here was with a partner. Linked arms while quietly discussing which items they wanted to purchase, stolen glances and small smiles.

Sexual tension was thick in the air in this store today. A lingering look and quick meaningful touches between everyone except for him.

The sting of jealousy he had for that guy currently standing next to him was bitter. Someone who was looking at the same collection Changbin was but he had a partner with him; who teased him, nudging at his side as she tauntingly asked which one he wanted.

He couldn’t help but feel just a bit envious that the guy blushed and his partner coo'd about how cute he looked, brushing a finger down his face before whispering something too quiet for Changbin to hear into his ear.

The fact that he was in a store full of couples looking at things to take care of each other with, while looking for things to use on himself.

Deep down, even though he tried to ignore it...it made him feel, oh what was the word? Lonely? Unwanted? Maybe just the tiniest bit pathetic-and not in the kind of way that he likes.

"If you pick one by the count of three, I'll use it on you in the car~"

He tried not to look at either of them as he grabbed the bigger of the two toys off the shelf, pushing past them and quickly making his way past them to the counter.

Fuck this place.

He dropped it on the counter without looking up.

He was going to go back to the dorms, where thankfully, for once in a blue moon all of his roommates were out. For the whole week actually, they wanted to go on a camping trip but Changbin was too busy for that. He had work, and going to the gym, and…well that was it, but it consumed a lot of time. Time he didn’t have to sleep on the hard ground on top of rocks and sticks and bugs in the forest. 

He normally liked camping and he felt bad to turn them down but he knew he needed this. A bit of alone time. There was no way he was going to give up the chance at being alone for a whole week while Chan, Hyunjin and Han were gone.

He was honestly just surprised that Hyunjin agreed to go with them.

Tonight he was going to forget all about this. About the want to be pounded by someone. A person. And not just his own hand and a toy. He was going to forget about the want to be teased and touched and loved by someone else. He was going to forget about all of that, throw on some porn and try out his new toy with the handy bottle of lube hidden in his nightstand.

"Cash or card?"

He rifles through his wallet for a few bills, "uh, cash please." he mutters, putting them in the counter as he counts, making sure he he’d taken out the right amount.

This would all be but a distant haze later tonight in his sex-addled brain. Nothing but a dream when he'd make himself cum over and over again to ensure he'd forget this.

“Don’t be rude. Look at me when you say that."

Changbin’s whole body froze, unmoving. He didn't even need look up to feel eyes burning into his skin.

"Don't make me repeat myself." He didn't know why he listened. It was just something. Something about the voice, firm in a way that he craved. Something coaxing and calming, rather than screaming at him to obey instead guiding him to it, making him want to listen.

Finally, his eyes managed to flick upward to the face the person talking to him. 

You smile pleasantly, so familiar yet unlike to the way you'd just spoken to him, in a way that makes him feel warm. You raise an eyebrow, gesturing for him to go on, the expression making his face heat up for some reason. "Good boy. And your payment?"

Wha-

What did you just say?

Did you just-?

He tries to recollect himself. Hopefully fix his jumbled thoughts before he embarrasses himself further, tries to find his voice, "I, uh..." all while you sit there, looking nothing but amused at this entire very un-amusing situation.

You hold back a laugh, eyes alight with mirth. "You paying with cash pretty boy?"

His mouth opens, then closes before he works himself up to a nod and manages to push the money across the counter to you.

What the hell was going on with him?

This time, you do laugh, throwing your head back like he had said something legitimately funny and not stumbled over his words like an idiot. 

"Sorry-sorry, I don't mean to laugh!" you don't sound very sorry, with the way that small giggles make way through the words. He can't help the way butterflies erupt in his stomach. 

You calm down and take the cash, putting it in the till, "Bag?" he still can't seem to bring himself to speak so he only nods. You notice but take effort not to start up again, putting the item into an inconspicuous bag and giving him his change. 

He pockets it, and that's it. 

He'll turn around and walk out of the store and never show his face in this place again, too mortified to see the very attractive sex shop employee that turned him on by just telling him to look at them. 

Too lonely to come to this weirdly couple-populated sex shop too.

God, he really needed to get laid. 

Maybe it was really time to give in and download one of those dating apps that Han kept suggesting. 

He wouldn't start anything serious. He didn't have time for that as mentioned before. He'd do it for nothing more than to meet a one night stand that would fuck his brains out and leave the very next morning. He was sure that wasn’t what Han intended when he’d suggested it, but it really wasn’t any of Han's business either way.

Changbin picked up the bag.

"What's your name pretty boy?"

You rest your chin in your palm, slouching against the counter and looking at him. You're taller than him normally but you’re the slightest bit shorter than him now and it makes him feel both nervous and excited.

"...Changbin."

"Hello Changbin, I'm Y/N." You reach a hand out to shake but he ignores it, preferring for you not to know exactly how sweaty his hands are at this very moment.

He doesn't know what to say next. Doesn't know what you were trying to do by asking for his name and introducing yourself. 

But he doesn't have to wait before you're glancing back down toward the bag that burns in his hand. "Ever used one before?"

Are you even allowed to ask that? Probably not. But he doesn't care.

"N-no...I, uh, figured that I'd try something new today. My roommates are out for the week.”

Okay and maybe it wasn't the best idea to inform you that he was going to be home alone and using a 9 inch dildo to masturbate tonight but he can't seem to hold his tongue back.

You take your sweet time to reply, letting him sweat for a good few seconds that he counts in his head as a slow smirk crawls across your face. "Adventurous." You now point at it. "and I'm, uh, guessing that you're using it on yourself, right?"

What were you suggesting right now?

“Uh-“

“I mean like, you’re not dating anyone right? Single?”

This must violate some kind of code of conduct about you working here. You should not be able to ask your customers this.

"Yeah." his voice sounds hollow, feels breathless. "Yeah I am."

Why is he even replying?

Meaningfully you scan him, watching him grow twitchy with nervousness. You then pull out a piece of paper from under the counter. Changbin stares at it as you messily scrawl some numbers onto it. When he looks back at you, you're already staring at him. "Listen pretty boy-"

"-Changbin."

Your face contorts into something unrecognizable that makes his stomach churn, in a good or bad way he can't tell, "Changbin. I’ve been working all day and I really don’t have the patience so I'm just gonna come out and say it.” You pause for emphasis, “I'm more than open to using that on you," you linger on the word, even though you don't really have to, you just like seeing the blush grow on his face. "If you don't want to, that's fine, don't feel pressured at all, but you seem to be wanting…someone in your life.” You glance back over to the couple, still looking at the dildos he had been.

Were you watching him? 

His heart pounds in his chest so loud he's afraid that you can hear it. His cheeks are flushed in mortification that he had been that transparent. That a stranger at a sex shop can see how desperately he needs to have his back blown out.

"So what do you say?"

Is it a good idea?...Yeah...probably not. 

“You don’t have to answer me now. Just,” you slide the paper across the counter and despite his best efforts to be in control of his body, Changbin grabs it, pocketing it all while you look smug. “give me a call if you would like to take me up on the offer.”

You glance at something over his shoulder and his eyes follow yours to the clock on the wall. He looks back right as you’re slinking to the back, through a rainbow wall of beaded curtains. “Hank!” You shout. “I’m going on my break, you’re on checkout!”

You glance backward one time, winking at him before disappearing into the back.

a/n: just lmk if you wanna be tagged in the final product, it is going to be the next fic i (hopefully) come out with so yeah

[jester-lover]

A Sunday Kind of Love

Twisted wonderland characters with a girlfriend who wears suits

feat- Trey, Jade, Floyd, Jamil, Rook, Lilia, and silver

cw- fluff, stupid gender roles being destroyed, very flustered boys, insecurity (not from the reader), talks of gender roles/identity, whoever reads this is so cool, reader is so hot and confident (did I mention she’s so hot)

Trey

Mmm domestic baker boy

He is so enamored with your confidence and classy attitude

For the first time in his life, he’s genuinely flustered by the sheer presence of another person

You two tend to both keep Riddle in check, him with his calming attitude, and you with your gentle sternness

The place where he comes from, women are expected to be more subservient, so he likes to think of you like the Queen of Hearts herself, a headstrong woman capable of taking control of her own destiny

Trey loves when you allow him to help you with your outfits, like buttoning up your jacket for you

He was probably a little intimidated by you at first, with your powerful aura and sleek aesthetic, you brought intimidation with you wherever you went

Another thing Trey loves is order and cleanliness, your clean and sublime aesthetic keeps him stable

Househusband material, no explanation needed

“Sweetheart, your lapel needs fixing, do you mind if I get that for you?”

Jade 

The both of you have such staunch, serious aesthetics, with such caring, passionate personalities behind them

You value the way you dress and look in a way Jade admires greatly, he knows the value of dressing well to create an image for yourself

Jade understands the trust you can earn from people when they deem you to be elegant and professional

You two revel in the looks of both awe and confusion, hand in hand

No matter if you're wearing the most outlandish colorful suit, he’ll find an accent color to incorporate into his own outfit

It's a small way for him to show people that he’s taken

His air of confidence is often left on his coat hanger, knowing that the both of you have a shared sense of comfort with one another always makes him smile

Jade knows what it feels like to not entirely fit into a societal mold, he himself is a literal fish out of water, and he understands that he needs to support you as a young woman accidentally portaled to an all-boys school

You two find unity and connection in your differences

“Dear, would you like to share a cup of tea after my shift is over?”

Floyd

Floyd enjoys fashion and business-type silhouettes, even if he tends to loosen up his own

Seeing that you are a young woman, and Floyd is (begrudgingly) respectful of your personal space, he’ll always ask before squeezing you

That is until you start squeezing him first

He loves a woman who takes initiative!

Floyd absolutely adores all of your more fancy outfits, especially during galas

He finds those fancy events so boring, until you show up and blow everyone out of the water

Floyd finds it especially funny when irrelevant little guppies try to make fun of your traditionally masculine attire, and you just laugh at them

You two share a similar aloofness towards the opinions of others, and it just brings you closer together

After a while, he is sorta wrapped around your finger, grinning and going pink at every wink you send his way

“Shrimpy’s dressed all fancy, is it just for me?”

Jamil 

Jamil tends to prefer more casual clothing for himself, but the allure of you in a full suit is powerful to him

You probably meet at one of Kalim’s parties, where your aura of grace and androgyny catches his attention

If he finds time to talk to you, he’ll be stuttering over himself constantly

Why would a strong, successful young woman like you want him? Why would you settle for second best, when you could have Kalim and by extension everything else?

You did want him though, you appreciated his tough work ethic, and his dreams to better himself beyond his condition

Jamil usually finds dressing or taking care of other people to be tedious, but when it's you, he can’t refuse

He loves helping you style yourself, especially if you let him do your nails to match

Small moments of time shared between the two of you, helping you tie your tie, or do your makeup, keep Jamil going

Another one who’s prime househusband material

“I-I’m not blushing, now would you let me paint your nails in peace?”

Rook 

Rook is very curious about you when he sees you, sure, he knows about feminine men, but he has yet to converse with a masculine woman!

Oh but when he does, Rook finds himself startled

He has never met someone with such effortless charisma, such power and dominance in language alone!

Our poor little french boy has a crush almost immediately

He writes you poetry about your beauty, about the gorgeousness of your androgyny and loving spirit, slipping the notes into the shaky mailbox outside Ramshackle 

Rook thought he would get away with it long enough to confess, but you were too smart, and figured out it was him, his red face during that conversation was delightful

With Rook as your partner, you often take long walks together, hands placed snugly in your suit pockets

His favorite accessory on you is a pair of cufflinks, which he gets you often as gifts

“Mon ange, you look absolutely brilliant, the two of us will be the talk of the town!”

Lilia 

Lilia is often considered to be a feminine individual by strangers, he knows what it's like to break gender norms

You have a certain air of power around you he has never seen on a human, so he often jokingly questions if you are human after all

It's almost impossible to make Lilia blush, the closest you’ve ever gotten was during a dance, when you spun and dipped him

Lilia often goes clothes shopping with you

Especially if you enjoy a more vintage aesthetic of suits, who’d be better to ask then someone who was actually there?

He loves your confidence most of all, Lilia is very comfortable in his skin, so of course he’d want a partner just the same

You know you’re hot, he knows he’s hot, it's a match made in heaven 

“Beastie, your tie is shifting, won’t you allow me to tuck it in for you?”

Silver 

The moment you walk through the portal, Silver has his eyes on you

You love flustering him, he’s such a sheltered person after all

Pulling him in by his collar to kiss him, wrapping your arms around his shoulder in pictures, and so much more

Silver is enamored by the way you dress, it feels so mysterious and yet so open and kind

Besides teasing your poor little boyfriend, you also love being affectionate towards him, like slipping your blazer over his sleeping form whenever he falls asleep in inconvenient places

He saw you then, with your blazer off and your vest slightly unbuttoned, and he knew he saw beauty in its purest form

Silver may be shyer when it comes to romance, but you’re naturally dominant nature helps him push himself forward with you

Everytime he buys you a bouquet of flowers, he makes sure to tuck one into the pocket of your suit, so you can keep a bit of his love with you at all times

“I saw these black petunias, and they reminded me of you, I hope whenever you look at them you think of me too.”

[childotkw]

Next chapter will you write what Tom thinks at each moment of the fight? If not, could you tell us what he thinks about Hadrian's actions (especially the end) during the duel? I'm really interested in how he sees and analyzes all Hadrian's actions, and I'm even more interested to see what he thinks about such an important event!

ooooh good question! I wasn't planning on doing a beat-by-beat reaction, tbh. I was just planning to have Riddle retroactively admiring our boy.

The scenes in CS59 are pretty jam-packed with issues and everyone scrambling around - so there wasn't time to really go in-depth into Riddle's perspective on the match.

I would say though, that overall, he's quite pleased at the fight Hadrian put up.

Hadrian was largely in control of the pacing of the duel from the get-go. He was conducting much of the flow, weaving in and out of the action at the right times, and displayed some pretty impressive feats of magic.

Hadrian used most of the major elements (wind, fire, water) which is hard magic to perform, and he demonstrated incredible control over things like his transfigurations and defensive spells. His application of healing multiple times throughout the fight was also a point in his favour. Most witches and wizards only learn basic first-aid charms, but Hadrian was using mid-to-high level spells nonverbally and while barely concentrating at parts.

Also, watching a wizard employ hand-to-hand combat in a duel is strange enough to be very enticing. Hadrian's body is a weapon and he's unafraid to use it.

Then there's his active use of curses and hexes and jinxes.

Hadrian didn't shy away from using a bit of Dark magic throughout the match - meeting Kaiser's arsenal easily and only escalating as she did. Even though he took more hits than she did, arguably Hadrian landed the more devastating damage when his attacks did connect. He was actively tossing that girl around the arena (she definitely has more than one broken or cracked bone), and even that showed his control over events. He is the type of fighter to let his opponent land a blow if it gets them a step closer to where he wants them. Riddle appreciates that (even if he's miffed that Hadrian's been hurt).

How he ended the duel though? That has Riddle practically purring in delight. There's no misunderstanding Hadrian's intention with that curse - and Riddle greatly enjoyed getting to see that anger and savagery on full blast (aimed at someone else :D).

He's known since the beginning that Hadrian had dabbled in Dark magic more than once, and he's seen small glimmers of his expertise over the year - but what Hadrian did to Kaiser? Yeah, that's a step up from even Riddle's expectations.

Our resident Dark Lord is oozing horny vibes rn.

[hernakedmuse]

The Poet's Rusalka

Synopsis: Marina Czerwonka is a young Romani woman from a little village in Poland, after her mother dies her path changes drastically , dreams of ink stained fingers and green eyes, friends with beguiling strangers and an altercation that cements her course at a London tavern. She meets a rogueish lord and eventually wins the heart of not only the rake but a British monarch.

This is a Hal story, some things have been changed and its nothing like The King. This takes place during the restoration era of England in the 17th century, instead of Charles II being king its Hal, but he's Henry X not the V. Historical characters like the rebel poet John Wilmot, Nell Gwynn, and etc. Play huge parts in this story and I don't own them.

Big disclaimer, this is a very mature story and could be offensive.

🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀

Chapter I: A Fish out of Water

🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀

Most Men are Cowards, all Men should be Knaves.

The Difference lies, as far as I can see,

Not in the thing it self, but the Degree.

-John Wilmot

🥀

It's been one year since I left Karpacz, one year since I buried my mother, and one year since my life changed forever.

I arrived in England only knowing Polish and Russian. I hardly had anything with me, and I took what I could of what was important. 

Traveling in November through Eastern Europe to western is no easy feat.

I traveled through horses and carriages, it wasn't easy dodging shifty characters, but I've managed.  My shawl and jewelry easily allowed everyone to know I am Romani, naturally I've been treated like a common whore, a thief, or both. A witch too, constantly but that's been my whole life.

When I made it to Paris, I was lucky enough to run into fellow Romani, Django Delort. He was handsome, tall and lanky and dark with laughing brown eyes, a thin mustache, and long, satin auburn curls he always had tied back with a purple ribbon. I stayed with him and his sister, Penelope, and her kindly husband Antoine. They were newly weds and pregnant with their first child.  The family is very kind and didn't mind sharing their caravan with me and their food, so I made sure to be plenty of help. They taught me French, luckily Django and Penelope are fluent in Russian due to a maternal lineage.

Django was always full of laughter and jokes. He's an actor for the stage and inspired my interest in the theater, seeing such emotion and becoming somebody else was inspiring.

He wanted to marry me though, despite the constant attention he gains from the female population of Paris, and I couldn't have that. One, Django falls in love at least once a week, and I do not love him, and I won't marry for less.

"I don't want you to feel used, Django, you're my dearest friend in the world, a difficult feat in this world. Our bond is strong but unromantic, I am undeserving of your affections." I spoke to him in French as he helped me board the boat to London.

He stroked my cheek with such benign affection, his reddish brown ringlets blowing ardently in the May winds of Northern France. I gazed upon his cognac colored eyes that usually held so much joy and laughter, but now bathed in longing and despair. And I was the cause of that.

"You are more deserving than any prisoner of this realm, mon cherie, I am not good enough for you and that is why Cupid decided not to relinquish your heart to me. I understand this now, although it leaves me bitter. Do you have to leave for dreary old England? With people colder than your Polish winters?" He returned, in his native tongue.

I blinked away tears saltier than the sea, and stroked my friend's Motley colored scarf. "I know it's silly, but I've been dreaming visions of it. As a fellow Romani, you'd understand that can't you?"

"Ah yes, your dreams of long ink stained fingers and hooded green eyes in the shadows…our mother's would rise from the grave if we ignored such dreams." He brushed his fingers through my loose hair. 

"Mon ami, this isn't forever this isn't goodbye, I love Paris. I will return to Paris, I will return to you and Penelope, and Antoine, and their child and children yet to come. "

He shoved me away but it was gentle and he took a large intake of breath, as if he found even something as natural as breathing unbearably difficult to pursue. "I want this to be as undemanding as possible, ma belle. Just go before I demand more than you can give." His voice was heavy with tears and I nodded mutely before boarding.

He didn't leave once I was on, but he didn't look my way either. He just gave me his back to gaze upon as I sailed off and away to the unknown, saying goodbye to the only friend I've ever known.

[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]

Current Day, The Three Crowns, London, 1674

Jane was the first to be kind to me.

She found me struggling to speak English.  I had only known hello and thank you, she could tell I was in search of a position. Although she knew not Polish, Russian, or French, she had pulled me by my arm to a slender, beautiful young man who was sitting on the lap of an intoxicated and pawing excuse of a man. She said something in English and he immediately spoke French to me. A heavy weight was lifted off of my chest, and the fair young man had introduced himself as Jem. We spoke in French and he had explained to me his father was an English navy man who knocked up a French lady of the night, his mother. He had informed me that she died of syphilis when he was only ten. I offered most empathetic condolences, and both of us bonded over the loss of our mother and growing up in the world as bastards.

Growing up as Roma, you learn that you do not have the privilege to judge others, I didn't turn my nose up at prostitutes, it's not always easy finding work. Jem and Jane had spoken to the owner of The Three Crowns on my behalf, and Thom Pugh the owner took one look at me, desperate to make me one of his working girls. Jem had told me my exotic gypsy features and amethyst eyes made the man eager to make a bit of coin off of me. But Jem had assured me Jane persuaded Mr. Pugh to take me on as just a serving wench as well as a laundress for his rooms. I was safe due to the generosity of my newfound friends…for now.

Jem was teaching me English and he and Jane loved when I would read their palms and show them how to tell people's fortunes. It was all about trusting instinct and getting to know the person. I read people well, which is why I know Mr. Pugh isn't a man of his word and I made sure to stay out of sight as often as I could.

It was hard keeping the customers hands and eagerness away but I managed, I wasn't going to be a shaking little doe, like animals, people smell fear.

I helped Jem and Jane how to keep up with their hygiene as well, with that you could really see how beautiful the two are. Jane stands at a petite stature with curves of a noble lady, wide hips and a full bust she always has falling out of her bodice. Her coloring is pretty in a wild exotic way, sun-kissed like my people. Her eyes remind me of a sly cat, and they're a pretty blue-green, her full lips are always painted with Rouge like her cheeks and her jawline is squared off like a member of the gentry, whoever Jane's real parents were, they did her terribly wrong leaving her in the gutter. Her hair is like dark gold and bounces down her back in coils, she's the most sought after girl here for a reason, and not just on beauty alone. She's never in a foul mood, always laughing and bringing sunlight in wherever she goes, jesting and pulling pranks along with Jem. When I felt homesick and longed for my mother who now lived buried deep in the Earth and my father who was a slave to the seas, she made me forget with her warmth and her smiles.

Jem too is so very beautiful for this Saxon underworld, tall and lean like an interpretation of David. Porcelain like the statue too, with freckles beaming like stars across his upturned nose, eyes so blue you swore he was part sea-folk, lips so full and red and pretty for a man, and his hair fell in youthful and boyish raven waves. He has the most enchanting smile, and tempted those who thought their desires relied solely on the softer sex.

He always made sure I ate, and asked me everyday if anyone bothered me, the answer was always no.

In half a year I was speaking English comfortably, although my accent didn't hide that I'm a foreigner and had people assuming that I'm empty-headed, but I minded not.

"Jem, you speak English so well, proper. Better than everyone else here, why is that?"

He was drawing black kohl around his eyes, he reminded me of my people when he did that. I smiled and took the kohl from him to help. "Oh you mean why don't I sound like a common whore?" He asked with humor in his voice. 

"I would never say it like that."

"No of course not, you're too sweet. The only one in this rotten little world God has dealt us with to not look upon my kind with revulsion." He handed me the rouge so I could paint his lips and high cheeks.

"We Romani are treated like mud beneath the wheels of a carriage, and my father is a pirate, I am not wealthy enough to judge."

He smiled. "There's a kindly gentleman, I'm to his liking. He brings me poems and oranges and lessons. I can read now too.''

There was something akin to love in his powder blue eyes, my friend is in love. I opened my mouth to speak on it but Jane burst in, in just a yellow corset with half her laces undone, a hiked up green skirt, exposing her red hosiery. "Jem, we've got someone for yeh." She smiled "oh look at that, pretty as a lady yeh are. Marina yeh so good at making us look more than we're worth somethin'." She took Jem's hand, dragging him out.

I cleaned up behind Jem and washed my hands in the wash bowl, humming an old song my mother would sing to me as a child. 

The door creaked open, it was probably one of the girls asking for something. I have a basket full of nicely folded laundry.

"I'll be right there." I called as I bent over to pick up the basket.  But forceful hands prevented me from doing so.

My heart clenched, my blood froze. I couldn't even breathe, foul breath perfumed my senses. I felt dizzy with illness.  Something hard pressed into my backside. "Not a sound you Slavic whore!" 

He started ripping at my bodice with a knife and I swallowed back tears, oh God this  was really happening. There was nothing I could do about it and no one would care. I attempted still, to wriggle myself free as he pushed up my skirt and he slapped me in the face so hard I tasted blood as he tugged on my hair. "Oi! Stop that–Aye!"

His assault had come to stop when he was torn away from me, I gathered myself trying to hold together my torn bodice and sleeve and my hair that was now loose at my hips.

"My-my lord-"

At that I sharply turned around to face my rescuer. Jane stood beside a tall, slender nobleman. I noticed his handsome beauty as he had an opulent cane raised above my assailant who was now cowering on the floor. With his rags it made my rescuer look all the more every bit of title and income I am positive he has. His jawline is sharper than a knife, his chin and nose proud and his pretty, far set, gray eyes even wore a nasty haughty lidding. But there was disgust that colored his eyes. He wore a long, curly brown wig with the hats of style upon his head, adorn with ostrich feathers. "Are you so pathetic and hideous as well as oafish, so utterly incapable of being loved and I dare say–tolerated, that you feel like your only choice is to force yourself upon this tiny creature?" He laughed and didn't allow my attacker to speak, he waved his cane in the air and hit the drunkard in the nose. There was a sickening Crack and crimson poured like paint from his nose. "I assume you're from a beginning akin to fenced pigs, I assume it is common practice to take someone from behind and force miserable tiny cocks like yours there into any hole. Even if it's a hole in the fence, I daresay you don't care if it splinters your smelly foreskin as long as it's a hole any hole will do, I imagine that's how you got here. Your mother methinks was just any hole, a sweaty unappealing sow being forced into the mud by pungent boars. How many were there during your conception?" The lord sneered. 

My mouth fell open in shock, my insides tickled in amusement, and I took dark delight in how thorough and detailed he insulted this man. Jane was having the time of her life laughing at the lord's cruel and entertaining words.

The lesser man had the audacity to look insulted and opened his mouth to answer, but the cruel and handsome lord didn't allow it. He took his cane and bashed the head into the rotten teeth of the pub crawler. His mouth overflowed with blood. The lord looked positively perturbed at the gory stain on his cane and with an irritated sigh, took out a pale green handkerchief to wipe it off. "I should cut your little porky cock off right now, it's far too small to be rendered useful. And even if your size was comparable to an adequate blade of pleasure and breeding, it'd still be without purpose for you haven't the slightest inkling how to use it." He grinned cruelly as his richly heel pressed down on the rapist's groin. The man wailed so boisterous in bloodcurdling pain that all who were present at the tavern had gathered around to watch the scene displayed. 

It was perverse how people gawked and took great pleasure in watching violence. "It's quite pathetic with how incredibly old you are that you still can't use this little cheese knife correctly. If your ignorant inbred brain understood the meaning of consent, that'd  be a start." He removed his plum velvet heel from the abused crotch.

It was finally the moment when my eyes met the stormy gray pair of my hero. Although taking in his slightly intoxicated eyes, his cruel tongue and where he was, I wondered if hero was the right word.

Mr. Pugh was outraged but at me, yelling at me about causing such trouble. He was ranting about how the only way to possibly recover from causing his establishment such reputation, which caused me to snort since its glorified brothel with a menu. The only way I could make up for it was to become a working girl. I opened my mouth to defend myself but my dark antihero had taken up for me once again. 

"Mr. Pugh, you're so adamant about this woman using her beauty for a bit of coin one might easily imply that you yourself had arranged this…well whatever this was." The lord smirked but it lacked humor.

I had such delicious joy watching my employer fumble with his words as if English wasn't his first language. But I felt sick knowing the attempted thievery of my virtue was a plot, a means to an end. "Mm, well Miss…" His eyes focused on me, he almost looked curious. 

He was asking me my name, I was flustered as I was in delay in answering.  "Czerwonka, Marina Czerwonka. "

His perfectly arched brow rose. "Czerwonka, is that Polish?"

I nodded attempting to pull my tattered bodice back together.

To my surprise, the dark lord took off his velvet cape to wrap around me. "If you would prefer the employment of the spider who trapped you like a fly in his web, over being under my employment with very little play but a warm bed in the country. Then by all means stay behind." With that he turned to the door and kissed Jane's hand. "Another time Jane. " 

She winked. "A pleasure as always Johnny. "

The lord she was so informal with left the room, I sputtered. "J-Jane, who was that?"

She grinned. "That's right, you're still so new…that was the infamous Lord John Wilmot, the 2nd Earl of Rochester."

I had no idea what these English titles meant. "What is he infamous for?"

She grinned and bumped my hip with hers. "The worst things."

"Could you help me pack  before his carriage leaves?"

"Thatta girl." Jane guided me to my room, and I couldn't stop thinking about Lord Rochesters ink stained fingers…

@sufferingstarlight @meetmyothersouls

[reedreadsgreek]

John 5, Reed's Version

Some time later, Jesus traveled up to Jerusalem for one of the Judean festivals.

Now, in Jerusalem there’s a pool near the sheep gate, which is called ‘Bethsaida’ in Aramaic. Surrounding the pool are five covered walkways, where a great many handicapped people would lie, including those who were sick, blind and paralyzed. One of them was a man who had been disabled for thirty eight years. Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had been unwell for so long. So he said to the man, “Do you want to get well?” The man who was disabled replied, “Sir, how can I? I don’t have anyone to help me into the pool whenever the waters stir. So while I am trying to get down, someone always gets in before me.” But Jesus told him, “Get up. Take your mat and go home.” The man immediately became well, and he got up and took his mat and he could walk.

Now, it was a Saturday when this happened. And as the man walked home, he was stopped by some Jewish leaders who said, “It’s Saturday. It’s not right to carry your mat on the day of rest.” But he told them, “The man who healed me told me to pick up my mat and walk home.” So they asked him, “Who told you to pick up your mat and walk home?” But he didn’t know who it was who’d healed him, since Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. Some time later, Jesus ran into the man in the Temple area, and told him, “Look, you’re now well. Stop sinning, or next time it could be worse.” So the man went off to inform the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him. So that’s when the Jewish leaders began to oppose Jesus, because he had done this during the Saturday rest.

But Jesus answered their accusation, “My Father is working today, so I am, too.” At this they became furious and were even more determined to see him executed. Not only did he ignore the rules about Saturday, but by saying that God was his Father he was making himself equal with God.

In his defense Jesus replied, “Consider this: the Son doesn’t do anything on his own ambition; he only does what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son follows His lead. You see, the Father loves the Son and includes him in the work He’s doing. For sure, the Father and the Son will do even greater feats than what you’ve already seen, which will blow your mind. Just as the Father has the power to raise the dead and give them life, so the Son will also give life to whomever he wants. The truth is, the Father doesn’t judge anyone; He’s entrusted all judgment to the Son. And so everyone who honors the Father will also honor the Son. If you dishonor the Son, you also dishonor the Father, since He’s the one who sent him. So pay attention: if you listen to what I say and believe that God sent me, you have everlasting life and won’t be condemned. You’ve already moved across from death to life. Without a doubt, the time has now come when the spiritually dead are hearing the voice of the Son of God, and those who respond to it are becoming spiritually alive. You see, the Father is self-existent, and He has bestowed self-existence on His Son also. And He has given him all authority as judge, in accordance with his duties as Son of Man. You shouldn’t be surprised by this, because the time is coming when the dead will hear God’s voice and rise from the grave. Those who did beautiful things will be raised into eternal life, but those who did worthless things will be raised to face judgment.

“I do nothing of my own volition; I simply judge by what I hear. So my judgment is impartial, because I’m not motivated by my own purposes, but only those of God who sent me.

“If I were to testify about myself, that testimony wouldn’t be valid. But there’s testimony from someone else — that is, God — that agrees with mine, so my testimony is verified. You also heard John testify to the truth about me; not that I need any human testimony, but I’m pointing this out so you’ll believe me and be saved. John’s lamp shone and burned bright, and even you appreciated his light for a short while.

“But My testimony is weightier than John’s. That’s because the work that the Father has given me to do — the very work I am now doing — confirms that I was sent by Him. The Father who sent me has also testified about me. True, you’ve never God’s testimony straight from His lips, but you do possess His written words — and yet you’ve never taken them to heart, or else you would have believed in the one He has sent. You analyze the Scriptures in detail, hoping to gain eternal life from them. But Scripture is meant to point you to me, and yet you’ve refused to come to me and receive life.

“I’m not looking for approval from you because I know you; there’s no love for God in your hearts. I’ve come to represent my Father, but you won’t accept me. But if a Messiah came along representing himself, him you’d accept. Of course you have no faith! How can you? You’re only looking for approval from one another. But approval from the one and only God? That you have no interest in. I’m not the one who’s going to accuse you in front of the Father; in fact it’ll be Moses who accuses you, the very person you’ve pinned all your hopes on. If you really believed Moses, then you should believe me, too, since he told you about me! So if you won’t believe what he wrote, of course you can’t believe what I’m saying.”

[sacaeblade]

Tibarn resurfaces with Lachesis in his talons and Lyn breathes a sigh of relief to see the two of them relatively unharmed, if not a bit soggy. The tension that she had been holding in her shoulders bleeds out, relief washing over her just like the waves that lap at her skin.

Thank Father Sky for wings!

Patty's laughter rings like a bell from above and Lyn cracks a smile, as well. She's right—now that everyone is safe again, it is a little fun. For its size, the beast is not as fearsome as it looks. Aside from the one big attack it unleashed when they had felled it for the first time, everything else rolls right off of them.

(She would laugh, as well, if opening her mouth was not such a risk.)

Summoning all of her remaining strength, Lyn thrusts her sword out through a part in the waves. Without solid ground to steady herself, her swordplay is awkward, certainly not her best work by any means, but good enough for being half-submerged. With so much surface area, missing entirely would be quite the feat.

She scores its flesh, tearing at the wounds already opened up by Morgan and Patty.

Lyn 10/10 hits Charybdis 14.5/25HP with Chrysaor. Finesse Blade activates! [Roll: 2+4; 6 = -9HP] Charybdis 5.5/25HP hits Lyn 10/10 with Raging Waves. [Roll: 9-4; 5; -2HP -3RES = -0HP] Lyn 10/10HP

Charybdis sends another wave crashing to shake off Lyn and she yields, allowing the water to carry her back once more. So long as she does not fight them, the waves cannot harm her. Besides, if anyone should want to land the killing blow, then it would have to be the person who almost drowned.

She waves up to the blonde woman from where she treads water, "Make it regret ever crossing you!"

@lionheartedsunflower

Yelp Review: 7.8/10 Too Much Water

[otomes-world]

Sorry Azul and Leona and Idia but February will be Neige month. Seriously who could say no to this cinnamon roll. Not me definitely. Also I decided combine this request as they pretty similar. Plus little update: if you ask for g\n mc, then I won`t use any sex pronounce (only you\your), so main character in that case will always be reader.

@simp346

Everyone love apples

Probably, what you definitely did not expect was the beginning of a relationship with a celebrity. Although moving to a world completely different from yours was already an out of the ordinary event. By this alone, you should have known that your life would never be the same again. Compared to this, Neige was that very spoon of honey in a barrel of tar. The second one in your life you have quite a lot.

In your defense, you could say that you never meant anything bad. Just as soon as you take on at least something, forces invisible to the eye took on the responsibility of painting a dull, ordinary action in all the colors of the rainbow. However, this explanation did not suit either the director, or the teachers, or the head of your dorm - Riddle. Needless to say, despite everything that happened, you did not wear a collar. It just didn't make sense to deprive you of what you didn't have in the first place. They punished you, and unfairly, you could say, in a different way.

You remembered well how one day you decided to try yourself as a cook. You definitely remembered that you cooked quite tolerably. Of course, you could not challenge the chief specialists of the college even if you have desire, but, with a hand on your heart, you could admit that you did it many times better than Vanrouge. However, when the kitchen turned into something little recognizable, and in the middle of it, the installation "Devil's Assault on Trey's Holy Abode" - as Cater named and tag it in his account - appeared in an unknown way, the entrance to the kitchen was henceforth closed to you. A traitor named Trey Clover also did not take your side, although the cookies you baked turned out to be very tasty, which was noted by the already cooled Riddle. Delicious cookies were insufficient argument, put on the scales, which were outweighed by the mess you made in the process.

If you recalled your track record, then another feat of yours came to mind. How else to call the fact that you practically got out of the water, the duet of ADeuce plus Grimm did not know. You, in first place, didn't know it either, to be honest. It happened during one of your Potions lessons, when you managed to blow up the lab. You refused to admit guilt in this until the very last. You could be understood. You quietly, disturbing no one, prepared your potion, carefully measuring out the necessary substance bit by bit. Suddenly, someone rushed behind you, and you, having lost your balance, poured more than you needed into the cauldron. You could have sworn that you added a gram or two more, but the explosion occurred in any of the cases, as did the call to the carpet to the director. Even there, you almost stood up for your honor and innocence until Professor Crewel made a concrete argument. While everyone was making one potion, you were doing something completely different. As a result, you were forbidden to approach the laboratory even for a kilometer. You handed over all practical classes in writing, and then answered questions to the teacher.

This was a brief summary of the reasons why, of all the options LeBlanche, who undoubtedly had more than enough, could choose anyone but not you. The head of Pomefiore periodically reminded of this.

"I knew the potato didn't have good taste, but not to have it at all," Schoenheit made a somewhat caustic comment.

You didn’t answer anything to this, except that you mentally added a phrase for which the model’s hands would slowly but surely reach for your throat. If Neige was the fairest of all, then you had taste, excellent for sure. However, you remained silent, and your life was saved for a while.

Back to your boyfriend... to be honest, it still sounds a little weird, even in your head. You don't say this phrase out loud. After all, you never knew when and where Vil would decide to go. Even though you didn’t say any words, by the sarcastic smile on your face, don’t guess what you are thought could only a blind person. Everyone could say that you walked on the edge, but you healed all your life like that. So you did not attach more importance to this than the same thing was happened in the laboratory.

He was the embodiment of the ideal, that same prince on a white horse, only without a one. Although you strongly doubted that in the academy there weren`t horses. If the college had a stable, then the RSA included riding lessons in the curriculum. Closing your eyes to this, you would immediately admit if someone said that fate covered all the years of unluck in this way. However, it was difficult to call it a failure. After all, it was the people around you who suffered the consequences, not you.

Be that as it might, sitting in the nearby woods near the Academy - you wouldn't risk having a date near the college - and watching Neige weave a wreath for you, you felt like you were in a fairy tale that was usually read to children at bedtime. You were read completely different stories, so you imagined it only remotely, relying on your current feelings, but, probably, this was what people dreamed about. You chose to ignore why there was such a blooming clearing in the forest, dazzling with every possible wild flower. At such a romantic moment, you didn’t want to use logic, although seeing how different animals settled around you, attracted by Neige’s gentle tune, you really wanted to.

However, for the sake of such a "princess" you agreed to become even a prince, even a knight, or a second princess.

Noticing that his hat was a little slanted to one side, you reached out your hand to straighten it and the strands of hair that were escaping from there. The young man immediately turned to you, his cheeks turned into a delicate shade of pink, and a radiant smile appeared on his face, which you could not help answering. Never in your life you thought that someday you would communicate with someone through sounds and short chuckles. Like how it looks from the outside. You even guessed who would look away in disgust if you would chose sit not just anywhere, but in the garden of Pomefiore. Ignoring the urge to do it next time, you closed your eyes. While most thought Neige was prince in your relationship, you often caught yourself thinking that he was more suited to the role of princess.

[moemammon]

hey !! I've recently discovered your writing and fallen in love !! everything you do is so amazing !!! I love it all!! could you write about how the boys would react to MC getting a little cold/stomach bug and needing to be taken care of ?? if this hits too close to home I'm sorry !! you def don't have to write it but I've always been a sucker for sicfic fluff !!

MC is Sick?! (Feat. The Demon Bros!)

(Tw for illness)

Lucifer

It was universally known that humans were fragile, and prone to illness. Some even died from simple colds. That being said, your little cold was still enough to bother the oldest brother. So much so that his work has been... of a lower quality than usual.

This dude is all disheveled and haggard because he's so worried over you, but that doesn't mean he's skimping on your care.

It's a surprise to everyone that he keeps you in his room, where he can monitor you and make sure you have everything you need. Might even cheat a little with magic from time to time, as long as it speeds up your recovery.

He's also making sure you're comfortable and at ease, often putting on a soothing record to lull you to sleep. In reality, he might also be using it to de-stress, too-

"To think you ended up like this while in my care... I should have paid closer attention to you. But now, you're my entire focus. Leave your recovery to me."

Mammon

You've been sneezing, coughing, and vomiting all over the place! This is some kinda human illness, right?? aRE YOU OKAY-

Proceeds to go OVERBOARD with the care. You're wrapped in twenty blankets, you've got an ice pack on your head and a thermometer in your mouth (the kind used in cooking because they don't own a normal thermometer), and he's gathered every medicine he could get his hands on

But once he calms down, he's actually pretty good at caring for you. Mammon isn't COMPLETELY useless when it comes to caregiving, so that's a plus. He's just especially worried because it's you.

Refuses to leave your side, and won't let you leave your room. If you need anything, he's just going to get it for you! He's also barring his brothers form entering, claiming that he's trying to keep them from getting sick.

"Who told ya to go out and get sick, huh?! Makin' me all worried and stuff... Guess I've got no choice but to take care of ya! I'm not leavin' your side, ya hear??"

Levi

Levi's literally been dreaming of a scenario where he’d be able to nurse you back to health. Uh, not that he wanted you to get sick, though!

He's always wanted to do the 'pressing your foreheads together to check your temp' thing.... And 100% own a nurse cosplay that he's tempted to wear

But it's a little hard for him to focus on his fantasies when you look so pitiful. He's got to make sure you're back to full health ASAP! There's a marathon you two need to binge, and he doesn't want you throwing up every five seconds!

He'll take you to his room, since he'll be able to take care of you 24/7. And tbh?? He actually does a decent job?? He's a little annoying about it because he keeps checking on you every three seconds and talking to you when you're trying to sleep, but he means well.

"If only the 'Kira Kira Curing Beam' was a real thing.... For now, I'll just do my best with what I've got! Ganbare, MC!! Faito! Faitoooo!!!!"

Satan

The first one to notice that you're getting sick, so he's on it 👌

Obviously he's read enough to know the basics of taking care of a sick human, and he can study anything else he doesn't know, so you're in good hands.

Also EXTREMELY worried. It's written all over his face, despite his attempts to keep it cool. He's read how humans can succumb to things like this....Actually, he just finished a novel where that was essentially the main plot-!

So gentle with you throughout the entire process. He makes sure to keep you warm, brings you all the essentials, makes sure you're hydrated, and keeps tabs on your medicine. He's got a schedule for your care and everything!

"Honestly, you should have told me sooner that you weren't feeling well. It's fine to come to me for things like that, you know? I'll always be happy to take care of you."

Asmo

Snot, phlegm, AND vomit??? Yeah,,,, that's a hard pass,,,,

It's taking every ounce of his mental strength not to abandon you in your time of need, but thankfully his love for you is greater than the disgust for now

But his dramatic ass is gonna come into your room in full hazmat when he takes care of you, no exceptions. Even if you ask him to bring you a glass of water, he's acting like you have the plague.

But he's also pretty good at taking care of you? Even demons get sick, and Asmo has a tendency to get pretty intimate with wide varieties of demons, so he's had his fair share of sick days.

"How am I supposed to hug and kiss you if you're so sick?? It's killing me, MC! Though, they say you can sweat an illness out of your body if you try hard enough. I think I know plenty of ways to work up a sweat~"

Beel

Now is no time to think about how hungry he is becaUSE HES WORRIED ABOUT YOU

Beel isn't the type to really know much about humans, other than stuff about their food and how weak they are, so he's pretty much assuming you're going to die.

Literally won't leave your side. If you need anything, he brings it. If you need to go somewhere, he's carrying you.

He doesn't know how to care for you, so he asks his brothers for all the help he can get. Though he insists on personally bringing you the remedies they give him.

"Hang in there, MC. You should eat more to build up your strength. I know you can't keep anything down, so I asked Satan to make something good. Here, it's soup. I'll blow it off for you, so open wide."

Belphie

Honestly, he thought you were just taking a REALLY long nap. You hadn't left your room at all, and you didn't even go to RAD. He was lowkey jealous that Lucifer didn't scold you until he realized it was because you were sick.

And very sick from the looks of it. There were tissues everywhere, your room was hot, and you looked like you'd been dropped in a lake, fished back out, then beaten up and thrown back in.

He couldn't even tease you when you were in such a pitiful state. Belphie had seen illness plenty of times, so this wasn't anything new. It didn't ease his worries, though.

So he keeps you company by curling up in bed with you, not caring if he's close enough that he might get sick. He's not the best at actually caring for you, because he tends to forget to bring you things or falls asleep on the way, so he leaves that to his brothers.

"You must be lonely, being holed up in your room all alone. It can't be helped, so I'll stay with you until you're feeling better. Just don't get your snot on me, okay? ....heheh, I'm just joking. Come here."

[bad4amficideas]

@dcsupersimp of couse Robin!Reader is the Peter Parker cinammon roll of Bruce.

Note: English is not my language, so I hope you will be understanding of any flaws you find.

AND I'm calling this AU "Reader it's Robin" Earth-112 XD

And it's gonna feat the Teen Titans and Young Justice 1st seasons as "TITANS" (Raven, Starfire, Cyborg, Beastboy, Kid Flash, Aqualad x2 maybe one change their name to aquaguy/aquakid/aquaboy?, Artemis/Tigress, Arsenal, Miss Martian, Superboy, Zatanna, WonderGirl) cast with villain!Batfam aka Talon!Dick, Demon!Damian, Siren!Steph...

And I'm not so sure about Jason and Tim, Cass and Barbs, send suggestions because I don't like Joker so if I put a Joker Junior I'm killing Senior.

... RagDoll! Someone (feats Scarecrow, because I love the aesthetic even if Flash has a villain called so)

About Robin!Reader

🐣 It may or may not be isekai ... what? What did you expect, it's ME.

🐣 Reader was in one of the Wayne Foundation orphanages as a problem child, since the houses in Gotham that adopted her did so for money and kid didn't like got beaten.

🐣 Reader wasn't from Gotham, her family were there on the way to a third place when they got involved in one of the villains weekly schemes they died and she ended up in the system.

🐣 Because sleeping in so many bad foster homes, sleeping in quiet places gets on her nerves, she had trouble sleeping in the mansion at first.

🐣 Bats met Robin in a storm near where Bruce parents died. She looked like a boy, she was dressed in an orange hoodie with the white silhouette of a bird and gray sweatpants (charity clothing)

🐣 Robin!Reader helped Batman to get in the batmobile in one of those weird moments after getting out of a beating.

🐣 Bruce and Alfred says her codename comes from when the second told Bruce "When robins appear, loved ones are near" as she appeared as a helping hand sent by his parents. Also, robins can means the ending of an old phase and the promise of something new.

🐣 Robin helps Alfred by cleaning her room and bathroom, doing the laundry and cooking with him. She doesn't want to be a hindrance and not overly dependent either. Also because she is a girl and wants privacy.

🐣 Reader is afraid of being replaceable and tries to be nice to everyone.

🐣 But at the same the idea of loving someone and or someone loving her scared hers.

🐣 She has a second room for her hobbies because she's actually pretty spoiled so her fears had no base.

🐣 Not that she's not scared of being a vigilante, but she's addicted to adrenaline so she's great at dissociating and then passing out at home. But this only Alfred knows.

🐣 At least in the beginning. The great thing about being Batman's protégé is that you have access to information from all people in the world. And knowledge is a helpful power.

🐣 The reader's suit is very well protected because Bats is paranoid. She even has her own chunk of kryptonite in her "robinbelt". And a gas mask and another to breathe both in water and in space.

🐣 Reader wears a wig/helmet when going as her vigilante persona. She changes it color often. The people who got took it from her found themselves receiving it as a ball in the face. Now everybody who knows that she's wearing a helmet, refrains from removes said helmet for fear of the blow.

🐣 Reader Weapon of Choice is a staff that can be split in two (like, we mix Tim and Dick's weapons here) and do discharges.

🐣 For reasons that she will not enter Reader knows how to use lassoes and whips.

🐣 Reader has an open offer to work in one of the Lantern Corps.

🐣 Seeing her fight and deal with villainy is more of a choreography than anything else. A bit of an OCD by her part, she must do it pretty.

🐣 All the heroes adore her although she doesn't have the charisma of a traditional leader, she's the representation of the trope "the heart" of the team. She always giving her all and willing to help.

🐣 Reader enjoys theorizing and is a specialist in suggesting the use of people's powers in non-conventional ways (like using being elastic to enlarge your brain and be smarter like Mr. Fanstastic would or pump more blood pressure in your muscles as Luffy does)

🐣 For the same, her plans are quite good.

🐣 Unlike Dick was in another universe, she isn't a particular fan of Superman, because ahe doesn't like "perfect" people (she and Shazam started to get along when she saw that he was a brat who also got into fights). Not that he hates Superman, but she doesn't like the "perfect" christianlike hero image.

🐣 Sep, Billy here is almost the same age, he's studying to be a reporter and he's her best friend.

🐣 In her time at the Gotham Academy she was picked on for being Wayne's charity case. She had a hard time because she knew better than return the blows in weaker-than-her kiddos.

🐣 Although she came back one day and the bullying suddenly disappears, which was weird.

🐣 Reader!Robin for the moment wants to dedicate herself 100% to vigilantism and be a hero. She's living her dream.

🐣 Her future goal is to think of something to do for when she is too old to continue in that job.

🐣 Reader goes to Gotham University and takes courses for pleasure like any rich kid who has no goal in life.

🐣 Literally, she has a very strange mix: plastic arts, graphic arts, mythology, filosophy, business management, finances, psychology, translation, communication, criminal justice, and more the strangest popurry.

🐣 Bruce and Alfred aren't looking forward to her leaving home, so she is welcome study what she wants as much as she wants and not work. She is an enlightened/ilustrate soul, they say.

🐣 The only downside is that Robin always has to accompany Bruce to the galas.

🐣 Bruce has hired a private stylist for her and buys her jewelry specially for clothes that she will only wear once. It's an exaggeration. Reader is exasperated.

🐣 It's also nice to be bathed in affection though.

🐣 Regardless of what Reader looks like, as the press comments on something about your appearance, Bruce is eating up their company. He's done it twice, so everyone knows that asking superficial questions is a no.

🐣 His daughter isn't a doll she is a rich and deep human being and if someone wants to appreciate her, they will appreciate her for that, not for how good she looks (although he knows the looking good part it's true too)

🐣 Gotham villains have the "peculiarity" of not doing so much nonsense or on such a grand scale during exam time, although if you ask them, they will vehemently deny it.

🐣 They are also good at answering Robin questions or giving her advice on something school related.

🐣 But Reader is polite even with the villains, after all they have practically been private teachers of hers between detailed explanations of evil plans, going so far as to repeat themselves when she was in doubt.

🐣 Once upon a time, Robin went on a field trip outside of Gotham and someone jokingly mentioned that she had finally found her "lovebird" and when she came back everyone was crazy giving her talks, warnings and advice. The thing got out of her hands.

🐣 Bruce didn't say anything because he was busy taking note of the advice they gave him.

🐣 So now everyone thinks that Robin has dated a super and she doesn't know why a super. If Conner or John or Kara, people discourse it.

🐣 Reader's first kiss was stolen by a villain. Of course, Starfire stole one too.

🐣 After that someone started a betting fund on the next one. And if Batman would killed said person.

🐣 Damian never lived at Wayne Manor, so he and Robin met at 18.

🐣 At first there was a bit of resentment in a "you took away my position" way from him, but this Damian is an Al Ghul in the end.

🐣 The rest of the Batfam has been vying for Reader's attention since young.

🐣 Reader has never had a second date, because anyone she knows, villains and heroes alike makes sure to scare to death whoever dares to agree to go out twice with her.

🐣 Reader delusionally thinks that, it's sad when she tries her partners are actually not interested in her.

🐣 Thanks to the masked and costume themed balls, all yandere-for-Robin!Reader cast have managed to get at least one dance out of her.

🐣 They keep score. From their melee fights, their solo encounters, their dances, it would seem that it's a competition, but it's because they are possessive as fuck and want to make clear "their territory".

🐣 Seniors have their own bet on who will win or do so. Enough to try and play matchmakers. Barry Allen in the good guys side and in the bad one Lex Luthor are the current winners (the last one because he expend more time you would think in this bet, but Carol Ferris go next)

🐣 Robin!Reader uses bird terminology and phrases to go with her theme and so exasperate people (I'm perched, flock, flying to the nest, preening, chirping, chick, cage, feather, lovebird)

"If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, we have at least to consider the possibility that we have a small aquatic bird of the family anatidae on our hands." Douglas Adams

“A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” Maya Angelou.

“No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.” William Blake

“Birds of a feather flock together.”

"Until you spread your wings; you'll have no idea how far you can fly." Napoleon Bonaparte.

"It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds." Aesop

"The homing instinct in birds and animals is one of their most remarkable traits: their strong local attachments and their skill in finding their way back when removed to a distance. It seems at times as if they possessed some extra sense - the home sense - which operates unerringly." John Burroughs

"A forest bird never wants a cage" Henrik Ibsen

"I think penguins are the most human of all the birds, which may be why people love them. They're cute, they stand upright and they look like they're wearing tuxedos." Shia LaBeouf

"Soft feathers cannot make a cruel bird kind" Munia Khan

"I'm a little bird that has broken out of the egg" J.M. Barrie

"We think caged birds sing, when indeed they cry" John Webster

Birds born in cages think that flying is a disease.- Alejandro Jodorowsky

“The robin flew from his swinging spray of ivy on to the top of the wall and he opened his beak and sang a loud, lovely trill, merely to show off. Nothing in the world is quite as adorably lovely as a robin when he shows off — and they are nearly always doing it.” Frances Hodgson Burnett

“Not every hen lay eggs. Not every hen that lays eggs gets them hatched. Not everyone born with greatness becomes as such. Go, hatch your eggs.” Israelmore Ayivor

Why nobody told me I can copy&paste the colors of samsung notes to Tumblr??? Yellow its coming bitvhes!ro

[madswonders]

Here, Have A Chocolate

Pairings: Spencer Reid x GN!BAU!Reader if you squint

Genre: The BAU bickering like a family, feat. Reader

Word Count: 1k

A/N: Wanted to write a blurb about that scene in Community where the girls find out that Abed has been charting their menstrual cycles except with Spencer and the BAU women.

Masterlist

--------

“Here, have a chocolate.”

The sound of Spencer's voice dragged your attention away from the book you were reading. He handed a red chocolate drop to JJ, who accepted it with a smile.

“Thank you, Spence. That's so sweet." She cooed.

You raised your eyebrows curiously at the doctor, but he only shot back a suspicious glance. "One for you too?" He offered the same to Emily, except purple-coloured, and she looked back gratefully.

"Awww — thank you!” She chimed, instantly unwrapping it and popping it into her mouth.

He had to know what he was doing. There’s no way he didn’t. Or you were going to eat your hat.

That was when Penelope rushed into the bullpen.

"Guys, you have to see this video of a baby panda," she paused to sniffle, "trying to walk for the first time!" She practically wailed as the other two gathered around her phone aww-ing.

Wordlessly, Spencer handed the tech analyst a tissue which she practically snatched out of his hand. "Have I ever told you that you've always been my hero?" She gushed at him, but not before blowing into the tissue violently.

The genius smiled proudly at himself, and that's when your patience snapped. You closed the book on your table loudly, causing everybody to look at you.

"You know that Dr. Reid here is keeping track of your menstrual cycles, right?” You announced, a small smile tweaking at the corners of your lips as Spencer's body tensed up.

There was a brief silence before Penelope shrieked. "No way! No, no, no, no, no. He couldn't, right?"

"Why the hell would he... oh my god." Emily muttered to herself in realisation.

"Spence, seriously?" JJ glared at him, both hands on her hips.

"I know. It's really creepy, isn't it?" You smirked at the doctor, pouring a heaping of metaphorical fuel on top of your metaphorical fire.

Spencer threw you a fierce glare, before turning back to them. "I can explain." He said calmly, raising his hands in surrender.

"There is a common theory that a woman's menstrual cycles begin to sync up with the women around them when they spend enough time together. So, out of curiosity, I've been observing your mood swings and cravings, and sure enough, a pattern began to emerge." He began.

"Of course, there were a few variations between each of your cycles — usually within two days to a week — but eventually there was a one to two day window where everyone's cycles overlapped." You couldn’t believe it, but Spencer actually began to smile as he got more and more caught up in his findings.

Oh, he was so screwed.

"And what did you do after that?" You asked innocently. He didn't even glare at you that time, instead answering your question with full enthusiasm.

"I figured there must be some way I can help, so I looked into natural solutions to alleviate period cramps and slowly narrowed down the most effective one." He explained, while the rest stared at him, completely gobsmacked.

"Wait, is that why you came to my house to cook me breakfast that one time?" JJ's mouth was agape in shock.

Spencer nodded. "Turns out eggs and peanut butter don't contain enough vitamins and minerals for an immediate effect. Nor do pineapples, salmon, bananas..." He counted them off his fingers, before waving them dismissively.

"Ultimately, chocolate and ginger yielded the best results, but it was too expensive and challenging for me to make ginger tea regularly, not to mention some of you aren’t the biggest fans of ginger," he glanced at Penelope, "so chocolate was the best option."

At that, Emily burst into laughter while the rest continued to stare blankly at him. “I can’t... believe I’m saying this... but he actually... makes sense!” She gasped for air, wiping tears from her eyes.

"I don't get it." Penelope said dazedly. "Do you have a little black book where you write down all of our secrets? What else should I be worried about? Are you monitoring our tax returns?"

"No, I have an eidetic memory, and no to your other questions." He replied matter-of-factly.

Penelope made a gagging noise. "The fact that you would use your big, usually beautiful, brain for something this gross makes it even... grosser."

"She’s right. Spence, this is highly inappropriate. Even if there was a good outcome." JJ reprimanded.

"I-I'm sorry." He looked almost guilty, but you noticed his hand reaching for the bag of chocolates and you tried to stifle a giggle. "More chocolate?"

Penelope grabbed the pink chocolate drop out of his hand and began to unwrap it, only realising belatedly what he was trying to do. She shrieked and flung the sweet across the room.

"I can't believ— get away from me!"

"Spence!" JJ reproached, placing her hand on Penelope's back and guiding her back to her office, away from... whatever this was. You couldn't hold it in any longer, joining Emily in crazed laughter.

Meanwhile, Spencer slumped into the seat in front of you, looking as sad as a genius with curly hair could. So you managed to suppress enough of your laughter to entertain him. "For the record, I thought it was brilliant." You offered.

"When did you realise?" He asked, still dejected.

"The first month. These girls trust you way too much, but not me." You bragged, gesturing at the bag of chocolate. "Now, can I finally have one?"

He looked at you strangely before dropping your favourite flavour, the dark chocolate one with honey comb, into your outstretched palm. But when a strange filling exploded in your mouth, your face scrunched in disgust.

"Ew— what is— blergh!" You chugged your water in attempts to drown out the flavour.

"Red bean." He answered, laughing at your disgusted expression. "I guess you do — what did you say earlier? — trust me too much?"

"Oh, you are going to pay for this." You fumed, but a devillish smile danced on your lips.

"Bring it on." He grinned.

--------

permanent tag list:

@averyhotchner @amesandpineapples @willowrose99

[julieloves074]

Out of the Darkness pt.2 (Darkling x reader story)

The minute I was shown to my makeshift tent I sat at the table, the pavilion was greatly smaller than the Darkling’s but his rested only two tents away. The guards stood outside, I twisted my wrist and watched the dirt from the floor swirl.

A squaller. That he didn’t know yet.

If I could just create enough power to blow away the side of the pavilion without being heard by his soldiers I could escape, if I was just quiet enough I could be out the camp in twenty-five minutes. My calculation carried out by the other camps I made my way through before.

After a few attempts I realised still that the material was well attached outside and the feat to remove it would be harder than I’d anticipated. I could do it, but the not getting any attention rule would be broken. That was one that I was not quite able to mend.

I consider slowing the hearts of the soldiers.

A heartrender and healer. He also didn’t know that.

Their yelps still could be louder than I’d need, then he’d know I was trying to escape, I might even be considered a traitor, and I am far from a traitor, I’m loyal to myself and only to myself, but loyal at the end of the day. I didn’t make anyone else any promises for loyalty not even him.

Water wouldn’t give me much assistance in this situation either, it would only reveal more about me, another one of my secrets. Making myself a threat, to him, to everyone, to myself.

A tidemaker. He didn’t know that yet.

I could use the ability of a materialki right about now, I think as I let out a huff, I contemplated over their abilities. I used to think they were useless but maybe, just maybe if I was able to yeild it now, I would have been able to manipulate the material frames that were trapping me in this material, and I’d be able to run.

Not a materialki. He does know that. Just like that he gained a point against me but at the same time it didn’t make much a difference since he thought of me as an inferni in his mind. Yet I am so much more.

What did he need me for anyway? Didn’t he have loads of Grisha already? I could see plenty of their tents here and I’m sure that there are four if not five times as many back at the little palace. He will peck away at me until I tell him how I got through the fold.

So after giving up momentarily on planning my escape I instead decided to narrow my mind to making up an excuse, a fake way of making it through, a few things were to consider. I bared no marks, I were an inferni in his eyes, my fire and light would have up most definitely attracted the volcra like a child ran to sweets.

I gulped down as I heard commotion outside the flap of my tent, the guards were talking but there was a third voice too, but it wasn’t the darkling’s. I quickly stood up and made my way to the flap, lifting it slightly, there stood a solider, hair just longer than fully shaved, his crisp stance held an intriguing voice, he looked injured.

“I know her! We grew up in the same village,” well that was a lie, but the solider looked desperate to speak with me, it wasn’t just because I was now a ‘Grisha’ or what these people would call me right?

“We were all so worried about her!” his voice climbed up the ladder for plead and worry, I don’t recognise him, but maybe he was in fact someone from my village, someone from before I ran away, he did look around my age.

No. A voice in my head cheered alarmed, if someone was so worried about me back then, I wouldn’t have left, I would have reached out, asked for help, for sanctuary. But I didn’t.

“Please I beg!” he fell onto his knees but the guards didn’t seem too bothered, in fact they had given up trying to converse with him. Then our eyes met, my eyes met his brown ones and the desperation in his knew that I would help him, even if out of pity. I shook  hemyad and opened the flap fully before I had time to think my actions through.

“What is the commotion out here-” I paused for dramatic effect, the guards turned to her both putting a hand in front of me, in protection? Or to stop me from getting out, both were likely, but I hoped it wasn’t the latter.

“No! It can’t be-” I started, again pausing, hoping he’d go along with it.

I’m  about to lose hope in him when he says, “Mal, yeah it’s me! Where did you go?” he tried to approach me, I wasn’t worried about his touch, he was just a solider, I didn’t think he’d hurt me, and then there was also the guards.

They stopped him again, this time I laid my hands on their straight out arms, lowering them down a little, beckoning him to move closer.

“My god Mal! I’m so sorry it’s been so long!” I exaggerated carving my arms around him, he hugged me back over the guards’ arms, it felt almost wrong to recieve this kind of affection after so long.

The situation now became awkward, and they lowered their arms to not be in between the hug. When I stepped back the soldiers’ eyes looked as if he could praise me for years, if I didn’t know better I would say that tears hid like crystals in the corners of his eyes.

“Come in! We need to catch up before I leave for the Little Palace!” I exclaim but try to seem indifferent on the place you were leaving to, the soldiers again tried to stop the boy I now know was called Mal from entering, but I grabbed his arms and dragged him inside, only daring to speak when I closed the flap again.

He shuffled backwards and sat in the chair across the one I previously sat in, I turned sharply to him, eye dead straight forward.

“Who are you and what do you want?” I narrowed my vison at him as the harsh whisper escaped, he tried to shuffle further back at the sudden change in mood.

“My- my name is Mal, I’m a solider from the first army, a tracker, miss” he stumbled on his own words, you took a deep breath, I’m not that scary, though looking back over my words venom did fill every single syllable as I approached him cynically.  

“Yes but what does that have to do with me?” I slowed down my pace, I don’t know him, but he wasn’t going to hurt me, I could tell from the frigid way he sat.

“Rumours spread that they were taking a new Grisha back to the Little Palace, I knew this was my only chance to get a message to my friend, Alina Starkov,” he started and I let out a chuckle, did this solider want me to pass a verbal note to the sun summoner? He was just another believer in the Sankta.

“No- I swear, we grew up together, in an orphanage, ask her if you must, but I need to pass on a message to her,” he grew very serious very quickly, but the rushed tone never slowed, he looked alarmed and his eyes rushed around the room as if the General was about to beam in here and punish him.

“Ok and what exactly is that message?” I asked, though I didn’t plan on actually making that trip to the Little Palace or on meet the sun summoner, hell, that would be pretty cool but no it wasn’t worth my freedom.

“Tell her that I miss her and that I’ll rescue, I already her a letter, please make sure she has received it by the time you arrive, she’s my closest friend, I can’t lose her,” his hands twined together on the table, he was really exposing himself to you.

“She sounds like more than a friend,” I said coldly, watching his every move, this could all easily be a ruse, the laughter on the isnide of my head wasn’t displayed on my face, he said he was going to rescue the sun summoner, she was as safe and locked away in the Little Palace as anywhere in Ravka.

“My best friend,” he corrected so I just smiled and nodded, then before any more words could be exchanged the flap of my tent opened up again, both of us shot up our heads, anticipation killing my thoughts.

It was just one of the guards.

“You should leave before the General finds out we let anyone here, we are under strict orders,” he commanded, and so the solider stood from the chair across from her, he smiled at me, nodded back and left.

Almost like a fever dream.

I wasn’t sure I believed that this man was a friend of the sun summoner’s but I was surely intrigued, did Alina not want this new life? And ow how quickly rumours spread. Like a fire. I hope that one day those rumours burn the General’s pretty palace down, with his selfish corruption.

I laid herself back in bed, realising a breath, my head again pondered over all the possible excuses and through all my yawns I refused to let myself fall asleep. But the bed was so warm and it even had a duvet, no matter how thin it was, it was still better than anything I had in weeks, months maybe.

Like that I dozed off to be waken up by the guards yelling orders, opening the flap door of the tent and coming in to lift me off the bed, they were probably calling me for a while, but the sleep was so good, so senseless, I forgot about the whole ordeal.

Then again I was faced with the outside world of the camp, still in the early hours of the morning, the sun barley even coming up, lots of people were already out and about, when I released a breath I could see a little grey cloud coming from my mouth from the cold.

The guard’s hold become looser, but it was a hold no matter what, I tried not be make a scene, no need to bring more attention to myself than required. Subtly I flung my arms from side to side until their grip tightened again.

They walked me in the direction of the carriage, the black carriage. It’s distinctive black colour made me hyperaware of everything and everyone around me. The patters on it even more fascinating than from afar.

There he was, the General, holding a red kefta in his hands, watching as me approached.

“I’m not corporalki,” I commented sourly, no one but him and the guards heard me. I knew your words were lies, but still they slipped out as easily as truths did, I had years of practise.

The darkling leaned down to whisper in my ear, and a shudder passed down my spine, but I didn’t dare move.

“Would you rather wear my black colour instead?” his question sounding genuine but a trap all the same, he didn’t move, waiting your answer, two could play this game.

“Have I made you speechless?” he asked. So simply.

  Part Three

[tigerkirby215]

5e Gangplank, the Saltwater Scourge build (League of Legends)

(Artwork by Joshua “HUGEnFAST” Brian Smith, made for Riot Games.)

I feel like I could title this post “how to play Matt Mercer” and it would get way more clicks.

Gangplank is one of those champions that everyone knows about but no one really plays. I doubt it’s controversial to say that barrels are weird and GP as a whole is one of the higher skill-cap champs in the game. But Ruined King game got me interested in GP again (spoilers by the way, I guess) and both the expansion of his lore and the impact he has on the game are great. I mean listen to his battle theme. (Can’t embed it anymore lol.)

Doesn’t mean I couldn’t stop hearing him as Matt Mercer doing a pirate voice. Oh and I’m also pretty surprised that I couldn’t find anyone online (Dorans & Dragons) who’s already done a build for Gangplank, so I guess that makes me the first!

GOALS

Barrel! - Line up a few powder kegs to blow them all to high hell; we’ll need to pack enough explosives to sink any ship.

They're not just oranges; they're blood oranges - You may be facing many dangers, but then you can just eat an orange and it’ll be k.

Pistols or blades; don't matter to me - Be it handguns, ship cannons, or just a flaming sword we need to have an arsenal of assorted weapons on demand.

RACE

Gangplank is a human, and man after eight whole builds it kinda feels nice to return to Variant Human. You get +1 in two Ability Scores of your choice so grab a bit of Intelligence and Strength. You also get a skill of your choice like Survival (which is rather important to avoid dying in an explosion), and a language which you can pick as you fancy.

But the main appeal of Variant Human is obviously the free feat at level 1 and you’re not tough enough yet to survive being blown up, so grab the Tough feat for 2 extra hitpoints every level.

ABILITY SCORES

15; INTELLIGENCE - You don’t become the (former) King of Bilgewater just by swinging a sword around well: you need smarts to overpower your foes.

14; CHARISMA - Having Charisma to lead loyal men is also a good quality of a leader.

13; STRENGTH - You do still ultimately need to swing a sword around.

12; CONSTIUTITION - It takes Constitution to survive nearly being blown up... which is why we have it so low... Put simply we needed all the other stats more but +1 to CON saves still helps.

10; WISDOM - Look we had to dump something. Gankplank is brash enough to (DO SPOILERS) in the Ruined King game so it’s pretty clear that hindsight is his fatal character flaw... among many others.

8; DEXTERITY - Gangplank is a slow melee toplaner in-game, but feel free to swap this out with Wisdom if you want better initiative but worse saving throws.

BACKGROUND

Man if only there was a background for being a Pirate... So anyways take the Pirate background for proficiency with Athletics and Perception as well as Navigator's Tools (which would normally be someone else’s job) and Water Vehicles, because every good ship needs a captain!

Your background feature Bad Reputation will make sure that everyone in Bilgewater fears the name Gangplank, and won’t try to stop you unless they want a sword through their ribs. I mean, as long as you don’t do anything too crazy obviously.

(Artwork by Alex “Alexplank” Flores. Made for Riot Games.)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - PALADIN 1

Starting off as a Paladin not for Saving Throws this time, but so you can actually put on Dead Man’s Plate. But proficiency with Intimidation and Insight is also helpful for a captain.

You also get Divine Sense to help discern friend from foe on the Shadow Isles in ways I don’t want to bother describing, and Lay on Hands to eat an orange to both heal yourself and remove diseases.

LEVEL 2 - PALADIN 2

Second level Paladins get the main meat of this class choice. For one you get to choose your Fighting Style: if you want more damage then grab Dueling, but if you want to be the party tank instead Defense works just as well.

More importantly you get Spellcasting! You can prepare a number of spells equal to your Charisma modifier plus half your Paladin level (rounded down.) To give your enemies a Trial by Fire grab Searing Smite, and yes this is about 80% of the reason I took Paladin levels. To keep in the fight with Grasp of the Undying Heroism will keep your health up as you make trades, and for a quick heal Cure Wounds will let you munch on an orange more efficiently.

These are all Concentration spells so if you don’t want to go through the trouble of casting them and making sure you don’t lose them just opt for Divine Smite to skip the “fire” part of Trial by Fire, pumping them with Radiant Damage instead equal to the level of the spell slot used (up to 4th) plus an extra d8. And if you happen to be in Grey Harbor Divine Smite does an extra d8 to undead. (So [d8 x level] + 2d8)

LEVEL 3 - PALADIN 3

Third level Paladins get to choose their Sacred Oath, and the Oath of Vengeance will let you take back what’s yours by force. You get two Channel Divinity options: Abjure Enemy will let you instill fear in your foes, and Vow of Enmity makes top-lane trading easier with guaranteed advantage against the chosen foe. You also get Harness Divine Power if you don’t want to use your Channel Divinity for anything other than more Smites.

You could also use your spell slots for your Oath Spells: you get both Hunter’s Mark and Bane added to your list, which are good to make foes weaker to either your sword or your barrels. And finally you get Divine Health, because an orange a day keeps the diseases away.

LEVEL 4 - PALADIN 4

4th level Paladins get their first Ability Score Increase and I’m going to suggest an increase to... Charisma, instead of Strength. I promise there’s a reason for this beyond being a better captain and more spells.

Speaking of more spells you can prepare more spells, but I’m going to wait for...

LEVEL 5 - PALADIN 5

5th level Paladins get an Extra Attack, allowing them to swing their sword twice in a round! More importantly however you get access to 2nd level spells: your Oath Spells includes Misty Step (for Flash and I won’t lie Misty Step is half the reason I took Oath of Vengeance) and Hold Person (to hold people in place.) Additionally grab Branding Smite to ignite your foes for vision, and  Lesser Restoration to cleanse some crowd control off yourself (or an ally.)

LEVEL 6 - PALADIN 6

6th level Paladins can be very good captains with the help of Aura of Protection and that’s why we took the Charisma increase. Keep oranges in your system to add your Charisma modifier to any saving throws, and share in the citrus with allies within 10 feet of you to boost their saves as well!

You can also prepare another spell like Protection from Poison for more tools to prevent scurvy, but remember that Paladins are prepared casters so you can take spells that you think will be more useful in the moment. Which is my way of saying you should really be taking Aid instead. Also remember that as your Charisma increases you can prepare more Paladin spells, which will be important later.

(Artwork by Sperasoft Studio. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 7 - ARTIFICER 1

Now that we can swing our sword around how about we get our gun? 1st level Artificers don’t get a gun (it takes awhile for Miss Fortune senior to craft them for you) but they do get Magical Tinkering, which is kinda hot garbage. You can read what the ability does for you on your own but in essence it’s shitty Prestidigitation.

Much more importantly however is that you get more Spellcasting! Artificers get cantrips but you could be fooled into thinking they don’t because they only get two: anyways take Firebolt for a not-quite gun and Mending to keep your ship in tip-top shape. You can also prepare a number of Artificer spells equal to your Intelligence modifier plus half your Artificer level (rounded down.) Take Absorb Elements for some magic resistance, Catapult to ready your cannons, and... I dunno. Purify Food and Drink? Look we don’t need much from 1st level of Artificer and we’re in it for the long haul.

What’s cool about multiclassing two half-casters is that your spell progression is essentially the same, so you’ll still have 5th level spell slots by the end of this. You can refer to either class to see your spell progression instead of getting confused with multiclassing

LEVEL 8 - ARTIFICER 2

2nd level Artificers get Infusions, allowing you to have the best hardware Bilgewater has to offer. You can learn four infusions (and make two) but I’m going to tell you right now: make the Enhanced Defenses and Enhanced Arcane Focus infusions. There’s other good infusions you can take (Mind Sharpener is never a bad one; you can maybe give it to an ally until you actually get decent casting) but having high AC and a nice gun will be of peak importance.

Also depending on your DM you may be able to use the Enhanced Arcane Focus as a focus for all your spells, as opposed to just your Artificer spells! Along with boosting your Paladin spells nicely this also means you won’t need multiple focuses!

You can also prepare another spell which we definitely need from 1st level.

LEVEL 9 - ARTIFICER 3

Third level Artillerists get to choose their specialty and what I love about Dungeons & Dragons is that you often get a champion’s ultimate before their basic abilities, because getting cannons is somehow easier than getting a pistol. We shall be taking the Artillerist subclass to summon an Eldritch Cannon. I’m not going to go too in-depth with this feature (please just read it yourself) but if you want the general jist here it is:

You can either make a handheld “cannon” (for a pistol) or a medium-sized cannon that can move around and fire wherever you aim it.

Firing the cannon takes a bonus action.

The most accurate to your abilities would be the Force Ballista, which can make a ranged attack within 120 feet and also pushes foes back a bit when it hits.

You can also make a flamethrower and a shield generator, which are both odd but definitely useful, and there’s no reason why you can’t make them just because Gangplank doesn’t have them in LoL.

The Flamethrower and Force Ballista do 2d8 damage, and the Shield generator gives everyone Temporary hitpoints equal to a d8 plus your Intelligence modifier.

Oh and your cannons can be destroyed if your enemies shoot at them instead of you, which is why we have the Mending spell (to heal them.)

Oh and they last for 1 hour. You get one for free and have to use a 1st level spell slot to summon more of them.

You also get Shield and Tunderwave added to your spell list as Artillerist Spells (one of which you’ll use far more than the other), and finally you get proficiency in Woodcarver’s Tools because you aren’t making guns despite the fact that they look like guns and sound like guns. And if you’re lacking tools you can make The Right Tool for the Job out of thin air with an hour of work.

LEVEL 10 - ARTIFICER 4

4th level Artificers get an Ability Score Improvement, and since we’re in Artificer town you should get more Intelligence to make your Artificer abilities better.

You can also prepare more spells, but in a level we’ll get 2nd level spells so...

(Artwork by Kienan “Knockwurst” Lafferty. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 11 - ARTIFICER 5

Are you sick of your “gun” only being available for 1 hour without using a spell slot? Well here’s an actual Arcane Firearm that will let you add a d8 of damage to one target of any spell, including Firebolt!

You can also prepare second level spells! As an Artillerist you get Scorching Ray and Shatter (the latter of which can act as an early barrel) and you can also prepare spells like Enhance Ability to help your crew man the ship, Heat Metal for some more trial by fire (as long as they’ve got metal on them), and Pyrotechnics, which is bad but very in-flavor for Gangplank.

LEVEL 12 - ARTIFICER 6

6th level Artificers get more Infusions: grab the Cloak of the Manta Ray in case your thrown overboard (maybe some audacious redhead blew up your ship?), Lantern of Revealing for wandering the Shadow Isles, and a Spell-Refueling Ring which is probably the one you should be making. Get back a third level spell slot for more volley fire or more Smites!

You can also prepare more spells like Grease from 1st level which I somehow forgot until now, and you get Tool Expertise for expertise with tools. Yup.

LEVEL 13 - ARTIFICER 7

7th level Artificers make sure their crew doesn’t fuck up with Flash of Genius. When another creature you can see within 30 feet (or yourself if you feel like it) makes an ability check or saving throw, you can use your reaction to add your Intelligence modifier to the roll.

You can do this a number of times equal to your INT mod and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Obviously the best way to do this is to save your crew from devastating damage and obviously the most in-character way to use this would be to save your own hide, so do as you wish captain!

LEVEL 14 - ARTIFICER 8

8th level Artificers get another Ability Score Improvement and seeing as we just got the ability that works off INT mod and gains uses off INT mod clearly capping off that Intelligence is in your best interest.

This does mean you can prepare more spells, but I’m going to wait for...

LEVEL 15 - ARTIFICER 9

Total level 15 isn’t too late to get your barrels, right? 9th level Artillerists get Explosive Cannon which along with making your cannons do an extra d8 of damage also lets you blow them up, dealing 3d8 Force damage to anyone nearby who fails a DEX save (with half as much on a success.) You can only have one barrel up and won’t be hitting any barrel combos, but if your foes try to swarm your barrels you can shoot them away from your foes!

Additionally you can now prepare 3rd level spells! Wind Wall may belong to the Ionian helping your arch nemesis, but Fireball is very in-character for a big explosion to blow away your foes! Fireball is one of those spells that is intentionally overpowered so getting it this late honestly isn’t that bad, although I still probably wouldn’t recommend upcasting it.

Anyways you can also prepare Create Food and Water for all the supplies you could need out at sea (although this spell does not provide oranges; and here’s the part where I remind you that you don’t need to listen to my recommendations, especially since Artificer is a prepared caster), and Ashardalon’s Stride to try everyone by fire!

(Artwork by Kelly Aleshire. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 16 - ARTIFICER 10

10th level Artificers get more infusions and you’ve probably noticed our fairly low Strength. Well with Gauntlets of Ogre Power you can put on Dead Man’s Plate and actually swing your sword well! Now I do realize that total level 16 is a bit too long to actually get a decent sword swing which is why I’ll likely be posting an errata to this build if you wish to play it in a low level campaign, but I would consider this to be near the peak of how to play Gangplank efficiently.

Other than that the Cloak of Protection is probably your best infusion, but you have other good choices too: the Helm of Awareness (which is Artificer specific), Bracers of Archery for the party gunner, Headband of Intellect if anyone dumped INT (the lower their INT the more value this has!), Winged Boots... You have more than enough Infusions to choose from and the only question is which ones you’ll have prepared! Because you also get Magic Item Adept which allows you to attune to more magic items (and craft some of them faster I guess.) And to top it off your Enhanced Defenses infusion becomes a +2 to AC!

You can also prepare another spell and holy shit you can get another cantrip. For your spell if you don’t have the Cloak of the Manta Ray on (which you really shouldn’t have) Water Breathing is a good utility in case your ship sinks, and for your cantrip Acid Splash is good if your foes are clumping up or if they have high AC and low mobility.

LEVEL 17 - ARTIFICER 11

11th level Artificers get their Spell-Storing Item, and normally I go into this long paragraph about how “2nd level damaging spells aren’t that great at this level so you should prioritize more utility-based spells” and how Vortex Warp from Strixhaven is ridiculously useful but this time I won’t. Just stick 10 charges of Shatter into that shit and line your barrels up in a row.

LEVEL 18 - ARTIFICER 12

12th level Artificers get another Ability Score Improvement: since your Intelligence is maxed out go get more Charisma for a better Aura of Protection and more Paladin spells.

Speaking of spells you can prepare more Artificer spells, but in one more level we get...

LEVEL 19 - ARTIFICER 13

13th level Artificers get 4th level spells and that’s literally it. As an Artillerist you get Ice Storm to summon a cannon barrage and Wall of Fire to blow up a bunch of powder kegs! You can also prepare spells like Freedom of Movement to be completely CC immune (sorta) thanks to the power of oranges!

LEVEL 20 - ARTIFICER 14

14th level Artificers can make 14th level Infusions! I’d say make the Arcane Propulsion Armor to have a prosthetic arm but that infusion is kinda... bad? So I’m instead going to suggest you grab the Amulet of Health for a big boost to your hardiness and a Ring of Protection for even more AC. I’d also suggest replacing your Gauntlets of Ogre Power with a Belt of Hill Giant Strength because it’s objectively better, and will give you a proper +5 to your attack rolls. And sure you could grab a Ring of Free Action but then that completely invalidates our not-oranges, which would suck.

In any case you also get Magic Item Savant which gives you a 5th attunement slot, and also allows you to attune to any magic item even if your classes normally couldn’t take it! So grab some dark trinkets from the Shadow Isles and send in a harrowing!

You can also prepare one last spell and I’m going to suggest Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere to stop your enemies, protect your allies, or protect yourself while your ship explodes. Are there better spells to choose from? Yes, but Artificers are prepared casters and if I told you the use of every single Artificer spell I’d basically just be RPGbot at that point.

FINAL BUILD

PROS

You haven't seen blood yet - You have a very nice mix of damage with both your action and bonus action, being effective both in melee and at range with versatile options to dish out damage no matter how your enemies fight.

Dead men tell my tale - Aura of Protection gives both you and the Jagged Hooks a nice boost to saving throws, and +2 Plate Mail will put you at an easy 20 AC (22 if you grab a shield on top of it!) If death didn’t take you the first time what makes them think you’ll die now?

Hits the spot - Nothing that a few oranges can’t help. You’ve got a nice bit of utility spells to keep yourself in the fight without having to deal with pesky debuffs or the whole “health” problem.

CONS

The smell of powder sets my blood to boil - A good captain always has options but do you really need them when you’re just going to stab ‘em? All the spells and attack options in the world can quickly overwhelm your choices, and a lot of your lower level Concentration spells become rather pointless in higher-tier play.

Forged in blood and bile - A good score in 3 stats isn’t that great when the other 3 stats are notably lacking. Being a Paladin saves your Wisdom saves but both Dexterity and Constitution saves are extremely common, and all you have is your Aura of Protection to help with those. Hell your CON saves in particular being so low means that Concentration will be dropped rather frequently.

I'll take back what's mine! - 16 levels to swing a sword midway decently isn’t great, and 20 levels to swing a sword well isn’t good either. Like I said your Paladin levels are more ceremonial than functional and exist almost entirely just to give you your Passive. Again expect another post detailing how I’d make a low-level version of Gangplank that still captures the same feel without being as MAD nor as level-dependent.

But if you were weak you would’ve drowned long ago. Gather enough black powder to sink the entire island and show the world what happens when you mess with Gangplank. Just remember that there are still men willing to swear allegiance to you, and a captain is only as good as his crew.

(Artwork by SixMoreVodka Studios. Made for Legends of Runeterra by Riot Games.)

[nypmphetsbastard]

They Both Die in the End (ch.2)

Chatter filled the makeshift cafeteria as everybody had just now began returning from their long hours of hard labor. The port finally completed meaning everyone had to start preparing for the arrival of more enemy and new comrades. Chatter filled the makeshift cafeteria as everybody had just now began returning from their long hours of hard labor. The port finally completed meaning everyone had to start preparing for the arrival of more enemy and new comrades. 

You leaned against the table and munched on some bread as you listened to Sasha talk. Despite your current situation, you couldn’t help but live in the present while everyone else worried of the future. Maybe this is why you preferred Sasha’s company more than anybody else’s.

The young brunette never liked stressing herself out thinking of the future, said it would give her gray hairs early — she lived in the present and made the best out of any situation that was thrown her way. Her presence felt like a breath of fresh air to those around her, it was no surprise Sasha has so many friends. Hell, even Floch likes Sasha and he doesn’t like anybody. 

“And then he tried to take my meat so I-” Sasha was cut off by Armin’s voice called both of your names from afar, he jogged over in a state of stress.

”Have you seen Eren?” He spoke aloud but you knew the question was more directed to you considering the two of you almost never left each other’s side. 

“Um no. The last time I saw him, Hange and the others were taking him back to his cell for the night.” Armin sighed.

”Yeah he was, but Commander Hange said he asked to stop for a second to take a piss and when they looked back he was gone.” Armin explained, running his hand through his hair. You sighed and gave your unfinished reread to Sasha who gladly took it. 

”I’ll help you look.”

It wasn’t uncommon for Eren to run off sometimes. Frankly, it happened whenever he got stressed and didn’t feel like being smothered anymore. He never went far, never went somewhere completely off the grid, but always somewhere he knew you and only you would find him. Today being an example of that. 

Legs burning from all the walking, you finally reached the rocky shore where you saw a distant body swimming in the water. Muttering an annoyed “what the hell?” under your breath, you walked closer to the shore.

Stepping up to the elongated rocks that acted as a deck, you make out your brown haired boyfriend bobbing up and down in the water until he finally noticed you. His eyes lit up as a smile stretched onto his face and he pulled himself out of the water, wasting no time in running towards you with open arms. 

Making a playfully disgusted face, you curled into yourself and Eren threw himself onto you and wrapped his arms around you. You groaned and he squeezed you tightly.

”Gross, you’re all wet.” You playfully complained, he didn’t say anything and instead pulled away, holding you by your shoulders. “Why did you run?” 

He shrugged, “I didn’t run.” You gave him a pointed look, ”I merely got distracted by a butterfly and casually walked away from their line of sight.” 

You rolled your eyes, “Yeah well it’s still considered running, Eren.” You placed your hands on his chest, “What are you doing here, anyways? It’s already dark.” 

“Just wanted to take a little swim.” He grabbed your hand on his chest and lead you towards the edge of the rocks where he let go of your hand and jumped in. 

“Since when do you know how to swim?” You giggled, Eren’s head emerged from the water and placed his head between your thighs with his arms folded on the side of your thighs. 

“Since now, of course.” Smiling cheekily, Eren placed a kiss on each side of your thigh. 

“Haven’t you heard the stories of this place?” 

“What stories?” 

“Apparently, many years ago there were these two Eldians who had escaped the walls, lovers. They left before night fall meaning it was simple enough to get through Titans as they were beginning to slow down without the sunlight. And when they finally reached the ocean, they thought they made it...but then came an abnormal. Adam, the man he was grabbed by the Titan and told Lilith, the woman to run away into the sea and leave him behind. But it was useless and after devouring the love of her life the abnormal came after her in the water. And as the Titan held her in his hand, mouth stained with the blood of her lover, Lilith vowed that any lovers lucky enough to reach the sea and swim in it would be cursed, as her and her lover were.” 

Silence came between you as you finished the tale until Eren finally spoke up

“Oh darling,” he leaned up to your lips, “we’ve always been cursed.” Just as his lips met yours, his arms wrapped around your back and yanked you into the water with him.

Ice cold water prickled your skin sharply as you two fell in, Eren still holding onto you while you flailed around. Letting go of the breath you were holding underwater, you slapped Eren shoulder once you reached the surface.

“You asshole!” He laughed aloud at your anger and threw his head back, “It’s not funny, Eren. I can’t even swim!” You exclaimed.

“Oh I can tell, you’re squeezing me like I’m about to drop you!” Eren laughed, referencing your legs that were tightly wrapped around his waist and your arms that followed. 

“Or will I?” He joked, pretending to let go of your legs to which you screeched and held his shoulders tightly, nearly drowning him yourself.

The boy was still in tears at your reactions, mouth wide open giving you the perfect opportunity to splash water into it. He quickly stopped laughed and coughed harshly at the salty taste in his mouth. 

”Not so funny when it’s happening to you, huh?” You chuckled, after his coughing feat he joined in on your laugher and began pushing himself around in the water, sending you into another state of panic. 

“Ow, stop scratching me.“ Eren complained, your nails digging into his shoulders

”Then stop moving!” 

“How else are you supposed to learn how to swim, my love!” He laughed, “Here, I’ll help you.” Ignoring your refusals, Eren pried your legs off of his waist and let them float in the water. 

“Okay now start kicking.” He instructed, you gave up and listened for once.

“Ah, good girl,” Eren pried your hand off his shoulders next and held your hands at an arms length away.

You let out a breath, trying to freak out and you kicked your legs like Eren instructed and swim together. Eren continued to praise you as you got the hang of it more and more, a genuine smile splayed across his cheeks as he watched you. 

“You see? Told you it’s not that hard.” He encouraged

”Yeah right, the only reason I’m still afloat is because you’re still holding my hands.” You scoffed.

”Oh yeah? What if I was drowning?” You rolled your eyes at his hypothetical

”Pfft, you’re on your own for that one cause I am not saving you.” 

Eren raised an eyebrow, “We’ll see about that.” Were his final words before he let go of your hands and went underwater. 

You gasped and tried to reach out for him which didn’t work as he floated downward. You kicked and splashed around, trying your best to stay afloat and alive.

”Eren? Eren?! Eren, stop it’s not funny anymore!” You splashed around to try to get his attention but after another couple seconds of silence you began to panic. 

“Eren? ....Stop it, the jokes over I get it...” you looked around you, only got find yourself completely and utterly alone. Slowing down your panicked breathing, you sucked in a deep breath and stopped kicking around, letting yourself fall slowly under the water. 

The sharp stinging of the salty water hit your eyes when you opened them, trying your best to find the brunette. After a couple double takes, the sight of a slow falling body caught your eye and you immediately swam towards it. A wave of fear ran through you when you finally caught up to his body, his eyes closed and his lips not their usual pink color—he looked kind of...dead. 

Wrapping your arms around his waist as he once did early on, you pushed his body higher up to the ocean top, knowing you wouldn’t be able to carry him the whole way yourself without you drowning too. You repeated this process until the moonlight was visible under the water and you finally pulled his up, his body weight falling onto you. 

Multiple curses escaped your lips and adrenaline pumped through your veins, not even feeling the burning in your lungs or the tears in your eyes until you finally reached the rocky sand and dropped Eren’s body onto it. You coughed and started chest compressions.

”What the hell, you crazy bastard?! Jean was right, you’re a suicidal fucking maniac!” You cried, switching between pushing your interlocked hands up and down on his chest and blowing your own oxygen into his lungs. 

“I swear to Ymir fucking Fritz, I will kill you if you die on me, Eren Yeager!” 

Your arms stung, your knees bled, and your head was getting lighter and lighter, not even hearing the distant voice of Armin who called out to you. It didn’t matter how much it hurt, it didn’t matter if you had to rip all the air out of your lungs for him, none of it mattered until he was safe. 

You were always that kind of person. The person who’d take all the breath out of their lungs for others. A lover, a friend, an elder, a child, a stranger or a foe, all human life was precious. Violence never solved the problems of today, Marleyans killed Eldians centuries ago until they themselves were slaughtered and the roles were reversed. For even more centuries Eldians tortured Marleyans, constantly reminding them of what their ancestors had done long before them, and now, again the cycle continues. 

Push up

Push down

Replace his breath with yours

Push up

Push down

Replace his breath with yours

Push up

Push down

Replace his breath with yours

Push up

Push down

Replace her breath with yours

Push up

Push down

Replace her breath with yours

Push up

Push down

Replace her breath with yours 

Hers? Her breath. The breath that was slowly fading more and more. Armin’s voice calling out to you in the distance. It didn’t matter. It didn’t matter. It didn’t matter. You had to save her. You’ve done it before, why isn’t it working now? Why did they all stop?

Why didn’t it work?

Armin called out to once last time, placing his hand on your shoulder, “Hey...that’s enough. She’s gone.” 

You pushed his hand off your shoulder and shook your head, “No...no, she’s not...she-....Sasha...” you whimpered and went limp in Armin’s arms, the blonde carefully holding your head and shoulders against his chest as you both cried together. 

Questions were all that filled your thoughts. Why did this happen? Why was Sasha the target? She was innocent, she was kind and beautiful and everybody loves her, why did this happen? Who did this? 

Well, who did it was already an answered question. Yes, the simple answer would be the child but, it wasn’t her fault. She didn’t pull the trigger unprovoked and she most certainly wouldn’t be here if the scouts never invaded Marley. And the reason the scouts in invaded Marley was because of....

”Eren...” you pulled away from Armin’s hug and stomped over the back of the airship where Connie had just finished breaking the news. 

You maneuvered around him, ignoring everybody else in your way as your hand impulsively raised and lowered, meeting the side of Eren Yeager’s face. A sharp stinging sensation on your palm snapping you out of your adrenaline high, and it all came crashing down. 

“You killed her! She was my best friend and now she’s dead! All because of you! She didn’t want to come here, I didn’t want to come here but we did. Because of you!” You shouted. 

As much as Levi personally loved throwing Eren around himself, he couldn’t stand you being the one to do it, knowing you’d feel the highest of regret later on. He stepped in, trapping your arms under his as you flailed around trying to get out of his grip.

Anyone who knew the two of you was more than a little shocked at the sight. Hell, even Zeke, who had only heard of you through his brother’s adoring words was shocked. The way Eren spoke of you, even he knew that this outburst was one nobody was expecting. 

By that point, you had already given fighting against an Ackerman and fell limp in Levi’s arms. Although awkward, Levi knew he couldn’t leave you in such a vulnerable state at the moment. 

The ride back home felt like years. Years of avoiding the back room in fear of seeing Sasha’s cold and lifeless corpse laying there, unmoving. Mikasa let you lay on her lap and cry your eyes out, not caring who was listening to you and never judging you for it either. She had lost her best friend too, but she knew she wasn’t alone in this.

Sasha was everyone’s best friend.

Even Eren’s. 

And no matter how cold and distant he seemed, he would always make room in his heart for Sasha. She was...odd, a strong soldier and an amazing asset to the scouts, it didn’t help that she was one of the only people who could make him laugh. It was nice, hearing her and Connie crack jokes that were funny because they weren’t, seeing her make Mikasa and Armin smile, and especially seeing how good of a friend she was to you.

He knew after every argument or every interaction you and him had would immediately be brought to the attention of Sasha and Mikasa. Sometimes, through the cracks of the stone in his cell, he would hear the three of you giggling and whispering about boys.

Through the cracks of the stone in his cell Eren stared. He knew what he had to do in order to protect the people he loved, and to do that he had to distance himself as much as possible from them. Starting with Hange.

They cursed under their breath as they left the room, Eren’s chest clenched but he ignored it and sat on the uncomfortable bed given to him. He didn’t hate Hange. He never could. In fact, he held a high respect for them, but he knew if he needed people to turn away from him and his destructive behavior, he had to start with the one in charge. 

Little did he know, you offered Hange some sleepy tea recommended by Levi and slipped into the basement where he was being held. The brown haired boy flinched and became defensive at the sound of keys jingling, getting ready to attack when necessary but relaxed when the warm colored light illuminated your face. 

He sighed and looked away, “What are you doing here?” You gulped and unlocked in cell, closing the door behind you and standing over him. Eren didn’t look up from his seat on the bed, choosing to stare at concrete floor instead of your eyes that were filling with tears.

”I’m sorry.” 

Eren shook his head, “For what?” 

“I hit you. A-and I know I was upset about....but that’s not excuse. I shouldn’t have put my hands on you, no matter what.” Looking up at you, Eren noticed your eyes downcast trying to hide the tears streaming down your face. 

He cursed himself mentally and stood up sharply. You gasped at the sudden movement and looked at him, not expecting him to yank you into a hug, his head in your neck. Immediately, you wrapped your arms around him and let go of the breath you were holding. 

“You were right.” He spoke up

”What?”

”To hit me. You had every right to.” You tried to pull away to look him in the face but couldn’t escape his strong grip. 

Ever since you all went to Marley, Eren had been acting different. Even before Sasha’s death, his eyes seemed duller, darker, he didn’t seem to care about the innocent lives he took. He barley even looked you in the eye despite not seeing each other for months. 

“What? No, why would you say that? You would never put your hands on me so I shouldn’t have either, where is this coming from?” You questioned 

“I saw it. I saw her die.” Eren mumbled, finally letting you pulled away. ”When I got in control of my Titan more, I saw it. I saw the future, I saw Sasha die and I thought I could stop it but...” You didn’t waste any time in sitting Eren down once more and wrapping your arms around him, letting him lean on your chest. 

Millions of thoughts were running through your head but all you cared about was making sure he was okay. And considering everything you had all found out in the past 4 years, it wasn’t as surprising to find out he could see into the future. 

For those little moments of silence, you ran your hands through his, now long brown hair and let him relax. There wasn’t any time for Eren to “relax” recently sand there wasn’t much you could do to help him considering you never knew what was going through his head, but for those few minutes were all he needed. 

All he needed to act selfishly. 

Eren suddenly pulled away from you and held your face in his large hands, “Do you trust me?” 

“Huh?” 

”Do. You. Trust. Me?” He repeated sharply

”Yes? Yes, of course I do.” You reassured him and maybe even yourself.

”After tonight you can hate me forever, or you can follow me forever, it’s your choice. But I won’t stay here.” He said, you shook your head, trying to figure out what he was trying to say.

”W-What? Eren, don’t tell me...” 

Eren took a deep breath and leaned in, pressing his lips into yours as if it’d be the last time he would. 

“I’m sorry...”

”Wha-“ 

With a sharp sting on your neck, your words were paused as Eren punched a thin syringe into your neck. You opened your mouth to speak but the artificial melatonin pumped through your veins quicker than you could think, finally taking a toll and allowing you to fall limos in Eren’s arms. Not catching the single tear that fell from his left eye. 

When you awoke, keys and yelling filled your ears before your sight did. As your eyes fluttered open, you found Commander Hange standing over you in both fear and anger, calling your name.

”Cadet! Where did he go?! Where did Eren go? Did you let him out? Did he escape? How did you get in?” All sorts of questions were thrown your way.

But nothing could shake the stake in your heart at the hands of Eren Yeager. Though...this won’t be the last time you’d be feeling that. 

[yoichichi]

Big Brain Bitches Playlist ❣️

For the lovely @nataliahaslosthershit , thank you for always being so kind and being patient!!!

disclaimers: this is a fem!reader since it is a request, so if there’s any instances where those pronouns or the fact it’s a fem reader is alluded to that’s why!

warnings: Tsukishima, that’s the warning

gif not mine, credit to owner

a/n: thank you for being so patient sweetie!! I really hope you like this and I did my best with the playlist to include a little bit of everything you like!!!

Relationship Headcannons

As much as Tsukishima would lowkey HATE the way you always wanna make friends (not really he just likes being a shithead) he also just finds it so cute??? Like he’s like 🙄✋🏼 must you talk to everyone?? But is also like :) shes so friendly and tries so hard to be nice :) how did I find someone like her :) but he keeps that on the lowkey a bit and GOD LET ANYONE BE RUDE TO YOU WHEN HE SEES YOU AS AN ABSOLUTE ANGEL‼️‼️‼️

Tsukishima is also focused on his studies and would appreciate you being focused as well, he would hate to see you over stressed from the importance your parents put on it, and he’d always be doing/saying things to get you to relax as best as he could

“You’ve gone over this 5 times, do you really think you’re that stupid that you have to go over it again?”

“We should take a break, let’s go take a walk to the corner store and find some good snacks. Studying is always more effective if you take breaks like that anyway.”

It is, but he’s more concerned with removing those frown lines from your forehead and warming your hand up with his

Sidenote - definitely the type to blow on your hands while their held in his to warm them up

ANYWAYS

Regardless, it’d become a habit for you two to always do your studying together since he wants to be sure you’re not overworking yourself.

STUDY DATES‼️‼️

Idk I can just see him always bringing a second bottle of water with him just in case you need it ??LMAO like y’all would be studying and you’d be like

“I’m a little thirsty, I’m gonna get-“

“🤨”

boom bottle of water on the table for you

PLS he won’t give it to you until you mention you’re thirsty tho, unless he feels like he hasn’t seen you drink enough water

I don’t see him as a big talker while he studies with you unless you’re helping each other out, he just kind of likes your presence while you guys are studying cause it feels like bonding and he just likes spending time with you :)

A bit off topic of study dates but you can’t tell me his love language ISNT quality time and he would never admit it but he’s definitely clingy lowkey LMAO

like he just wants to spend his free time with you even if it’s just being in the same room together but doing different things?? He thinks being able to be your own person while still enjoying each other is important in a relationship

So of course he’ll sit in a room with you and eavesdrop read a book while you gossip with your friends over the phone and then listen to you rant about it after

just like how he appreciates when you ask about his day while you cook dinner together and ask him all kinds of follow up questions, cause you actually care and want to know!!

Ok but ANYWAY back to study dates:

So like I was saying, not a big talker, but I feel like complete silence would freak him out?? This mf always got his headphones so one of you has got to be playing music while you’re studying, but do you know what this means?

This means that a song has definitely come on that he likes and he totally was humming or even quietly singing along to himself, not really thinking about the fact you were there and can definitely hear him, and as soon as he realizes he would just look at you and shut up SO fast LMAO

Like he’d just get wide eyed and breath in and stop singing and just kind of look up at you AND HIS EARS WOULD BE SO RED (he’s an ear blusher for sure) and he’d do that WHITE BOY SMILE THING WHERE HE HAS DEAD EYES AND HIS MOUTHS A THIN LINE but he’d look so shy and embarrassed plssss and he’d just look back down to his textbook and try not to think about it

And you’d just giggle and he could only groan and be like “let’s move on 😐” BUT YOURE DEFINITELY NOT FORGETTING THAT

But study dates?? Yeah they’re important to you two

Tsukishima would also be constantly making sure you’re taking care of yourself outside of studying, like making sure you’re needs are taken care of since you have a tendency to over look them in the favor of others (which I feel like would really drive him crazy cause you’re his baby!!! He can’t stand that thought !!!)

Like if he saw you offer a friend your last snack knowing you hadn’t eaten enough today he’s slapping a snack in your possession so fast like 😐 eat this, now.

ITS A LITTLE AGGRESSIVE IN THE CALMEST WAY but it’s just cause you’re important to him

The bullying??? Yes he’d love that cause he’s just like 😳‼️ you keep up with him and he’d just love the back and forth between you two so much

Queue the eye rolls and lopsided smirk while he’s grabbing your hand and kissing it telling you to shut up

Regarding your stims - he’d definitely take notice and probably do things like always holding your hand to make sure you aren’t hurting yourself too bad!

I know people have mentioned him not being that big on PDA but I feel like he’d take a neutral stance on it, like holding your hand is so innocent and if it helps you not pinch your wrists or picking at your nails of course he’s gonna do it!! It’s his way of showing you he notices and cares 🖤

Regarding your self confidence, he’d definitely still bully you cause cmon 🙄 this is your guys love language and he knows you know it’s harmless, and the last thing he’d want to do is make you feel like he’s coddling you and suffocating you by not being silly with you the way he normally would

HOWEVER

If anyone else clowns on you whew please it is over for them

Like let’s say you meet the boys and you and hinata are clowning on each other?? Tsuki is NOT playing games LMAO like he’d definitely be like

😐😐 hinata I KNOW you’re not talking and you’d have to remind him in private that it’s ok he doesn’t care he will bully hinata any chance he gets

Okok real talk Tsukishima would think it’s so fucking cool you know how to speak more than one language!!! Not the type to necessarily be like let me hear it 🤠 but if you do speak another language around him he’s always like �� wow, that was pretty cool

Ok also?? Both of you being introverts?? Tsuki is happy to the MAX

Like he just gets to come home to you and detox in his little home and sit with you on the couch and talk about your days and watch whatever you’re feeling and it’s just so recharging for him and he’s so grateful you’re perfectly ok with that :)

And finally, tell me he wouldn’t bully you for your height but also find it so so adorable 🙄‼️

Ahhhh!! Ok here is the acclaimed playlist I made for you!! I hope you enjoy it❣️

Ok I did my best to include your variety of music tastes in here!! But if there’s anything you’d like me to change please feel free to let me know and I will!!

Ahhhh I hope you like it, enjoy my descriptions below!

1. The Most Beautiful Thing - Bruno Major: ok so yes we’re starting this off with a dash of Tsuki angst, as much as I know he’d deny it he yearns for love. Like the idea of someone being so important they get his attention and devotion and they love him the same is sooo comforting to him! And sometimes he would daydream about it like :) I wonder when I’m gonna meet them, I wonder how, I can’t wait - but the way he would he embarrassed if anyone knew this - and when he DOES meet you it is not what he expected LMAO

2. 80’s makeout session - dacelynn:  OK SO HE MEETS YOU and is just like 👁👄👁 and it’s everything he dreamed of, if he was feeling irrational he might’ve even believed it was love at first sight but there’s one problem, the way Tsuki is be lowkey mad he wants your attention LMAO. Like you would meet and he would just look into your eyes and he feels his heart stop; and you’re so nice when you’re introducing yourself to him and your voice is so sweet and he can’t stop thinking about the way your curly hair is framing your face and he just oop 🤒 he got the love bug bad AND HED BE SO MAD cause like, he tries to only do things for himself! And that’s exactly why love was a daydream cause UGH HOW PATHETIC IS HE. He never tries impress anyone else cause he’s his biggest critic anyway, but suddenly he wants to be noticed by you and impress you and the way that would just irk him, but he cant help it 🤷‍♂️ sorry bout it Tsuki

3. IFHY (feat. Pharrell) - Tyler, The Creator: more on Tsuki being mad he likes you LMAO - I think what would push him to get over himself and how it’s kind of scary for him how much he likes you would be imagining what could happen if he DOESNT grow up and just let you know. The thought of you with somebody else? Yeah he don’t like that one bit and that’s when he knows he better suck it up and accept he’s got it for you hard

4. Make Me Your Queen - Declan McKenna: OK CALLING TSUKI SIMPS OUT- you’d want him so bad but he’s so bad at showing his interest!! So on your end it’d be soooo much pining and patience and a little bit desperate like PLS I jus wanna be your s/o man 😕 but don’t worry he likes you just as much, he’s just awful at showing that at first LMAO

5. Kiss Like A Woman - Mona: ok but once Tsuki accepts he’s got it bad, I don’t see him as someone who wastes time at. All. Like he’s like ok well she’s fucking great obviously if I like her cause I have great taste so it’s only a matter of time before someone else tries to get her attention, so I gotta act fast. However, he’s clueless so he’d think he’s being obvious but he’s not. Like he starts his habit of bringing you snacks and water on your study dates before they’re actually dates and you have no idea he likes you. And he thinks he’s being smooth like, how could you not know he likes you? But it’d be the end of your study session and you’re about to leave and he’s been wondering why it seems like maybe you’re not interested? He can’t tell so he’d just be like, “do you like me, too? Or am I making you uncomfortable? I’ve been waiting for you to let me know how you feel but you really haven’t said anything, so.” AND YOUD JUST BE LOOKING AT HIM LIKE 😳🧍🏻‍♀️ and you’re blushing hard so he’s like ok obviously she likes me? And he would kind of tilt his head in your direction and raise his eyebrows waiting for you to answer, cause he still wants to be sure. And you’d hold your books tighter to your chest and nod so fast. He’d walk over to you and kiss you on your cheek and be all, “see you tomorrow, idiot.” And walk off like a bad bitch, cause that was pretty smooth, but once his back is to you and his headphones are on while he’s walking away BOY IS BLUSHING HARDDDD CAUSE HE’S LIKE did I really just do that oh shit 🥴

6. A Sunday Kind Of Love - Etta James: when I mentioned Tsuki liked to think about love this is exactly what I mean. He just wants something so relaxed and devoted and when he gets that with you? WHEW he is not letting that go!!

7. Black Dog - Arlo Parks: ok so this song itself is more intense than for what I’m writing for it and what it inspired me BUT this is really how Tsuki feels when he sees you overworking yourself. He can’t stand to see you stress so much over something, especially if it’s school, and then see you push your own limits in the favor of others. It’d definitely be a day where you come to his house to study but when you guys get there instead of pulling out the stuff from his bag he just sets it down and walks over to you and pulls you into his chest. After holding you for a while, he pulls back and makes you look up at him with his hands on your cheeks and leans down to kiss your forehead. “Are you ok?” It’s such a simple question but it really hits home and it’s one of the first times you guys simultaneously realize how much you care for each other. And you’d just hug him tighter and he decides nap time holds a little priority over studying right now.

8. come out and play - Billie Eilish: as smooth as Tsukishima can be or as clueless as he is, he’s also a shy lover for sure. It will take him a while to be genuinely soft and let his walls down and be vulnerable and tell you how much he cares about you, he try’s to show it as best as he can cause it can be easier than looking into your pretty eyes that make him all nervous and choke on his words while he tries to tell you he loves you. So it’ll take some coaxing and you being patient, but he’ll get there eventually and become more confident with his declarations of love.

9. Pleaser - Wallows: more on Tsuki being shy LMAO he wants to tell you he loves you SO BAD but he just cannot make himself do it

10. I’m Glad There Is You - Julie London: ok you mentioned slow dancing in the kitchen type songs? Stop it this is the one - to me this is the introvert love anthem , perfect for you two right? Like you’d be playing music in the kitchen while you two are cooking and this song would come on and normally he’s not a person who shows his affection much but this song would just get to him? Like he almost wants to cry??? He just looks at you, and maybe you’re humming a little, he really can’t tell but he doesn’t care cause you’re just so bright and gorgeous and the more he hears the song, the more his heart is starting to swell thinking of you. And so he wouldn’t be able to help himself. He’d just come up behind you and lean down so his head his resting on top of yours and his arms are wrapped around you. He leans down a little farther and presses a soft but long kiss to your cheek and just whispers how he loves you and hugs you tight one more time before going back to his part of cooking dinner; as if that wasn’t the first time he was finally able to tell you that.

11. Linger In My Arms A Little Longer Baby - Peggy Lee: kitchen dancing music kitchen dancing music kitchen dancing music !! I feel like once Tsuki dances with you ONCE he’d be addicted 😶 like you just look so happy and it hits him in his gut in the best way and he’d kill to feel like that with you again 🖤

12. Sweet Creature - Harry Styles: stop I fucking love Harry styles when I say Tsuki sees you as his home I MEAN it, it doesn’t matter what happens between you two. Sure, like any couple you guys argue and it can be rough sometimes, problems can arise it’s natural. But Tsukishima would never be the type to say something he doesn’t mean or do anything to ruin the relationship, you’re his person and no matter how much you two argue he’d always be sure you know he loves you and you’re the most important thing to him, and you’re very aware of that.

13. I Think I Like It When It Rains - Willis: ok a little bit of angst! In those difficult moments, sure sometimes Tsuki does wish it was like how it was a while ago when the pining and awkwardness was still there and you would go home after studying and you’d both still be giddy and trying to calm yourselves down. Cause the pining and awkward feelings were easy to solve, but these problems are harder, they’re the ones you solve for the long haul. But once he takes a breather he knows this is so much more important and worth it, and he’s reminded of how much he really loves you.

14. I CHOOSE YOU - Adam Melchor: you really would be living in Tsukis mind rent free LMAO and while he was all grumpy at first at the fact he even wanted your attention he’s so happy now it’s so cute pls. He goes to the store and sees something you like?? Yeah he’s buying it. Hears a song you might like? He adds it to the playlist you guys share (yes you would have one from when you would study together all the time and you’ve just kept it and he always add songs to it still for you) all in all, you take up his mind 25/8 now and he’s accepted it with a smile on his face

15. this is how you fall in love - Jeremy Zucker, Chelsea Cutler: introvert love anthem #2, this is literally so cheesy and I hope it fits your taste but anyways!! Falling in love is just so easy for you guys, it’s the easiest thing Tsuki’s ever done, and he holds a lot of pride to that statement.

——————

that’s it!!! That’s the thing!! Gosh I really hope you like it !! Thank you for being so patient and kind to me again, and don’t forget to message me if you need a change

-🐇out

[crystalbahamut]

ever onwards

FFXIV Write Day 12 – Make-up for Day 07 Speculate

Summary: G’raha Tia likes to gather facts first, but sometimes he still is surprised by the outcome.

Author’s note: I try to write ambiguous WoL but I always forget to take height into account. Deepest apologies to my lala friends; everyone else is more easily fudged. Also please forgive any mistakes; I wrote the whole thing in third person and found I just…really didn’t like it. I know second person isn’t for everyone, especially when used while shadowing another character’s perspective, but I just liked it better. And this is as edited as it is going to get.

Warnings: G’raha Tia/WoL, Shadowbringers spoilers, Crystal Tower questline, mostly unspecified/ambiguous WoL, romantic sap, fluff, 2nd person

Words: 2,692

 ---

G’raha Tia knew this expedition to explore the Crystal Tower would be the opportunity of a lifetime, but he had no way to know just how much it would change his life. The ruins, the relics, even the enemies left to guard the tower do more to serve his research than any tome he has ever found. It’s fantastic and more than he had ever dreamed it would be.

And part of what makes it all so much more is the presence of the Warrior of Light. It is thanks to you he can even access the tower, but more than that you are one of the few friends he has been able to make in his life. And…well, at first G’raha couldn’t help but start flirting. You are so much more wonderful and human than any story has ever made you out to be, and he can’t imagine anyone spending time in your presence and not becoming irrevocably in love with you. He had resolved to stop immediately should you make your discomfort known, but then…

Then you had started flirting back. And now G’raha doesn’t know what to do. Now that he has thought about it (a bit obsessively, perhaps,) he cannot help but marvel at his own foolish bravery to even try, and he wonders how in the world the Warrior of Light does not yet have a suitor. You have nearly all of Eorzea singing your praises, have even wrested the respect of your enemies, and hobnob with some of the most prestigious personages in the world. So how can it be you will not only laugh at G’raha’s jokes, but sometimes smile so abashedly when he himself praises you?

It is entirely possible you have no one special in your life– and given your favorable response to G’raha’s affections, it is not outside the realm of possibility that you might be interested in him as he is in you. While it may seem too good to be true, G’raha won’t relinquish such an opportunity if there is one…and the wondering thereof is starting to affect his work. If he is ever going to focus on anything other than your love life ever again, he must needs find out for certain.

So he shall end his speculation by collecting data. And today is perfect– everyone on site has the day off and you have told him you intend to spend the day not doing any work. ‘Tis a veritable miracle if he ever heard of one– even Cid had looked shocked. And so when you set off…G’raha sets off after you.

G’raha is not a bad hunter, and so he puts that expertise to use as he follows you around. You hadn't noticed him in the Shroud that first time and his tracking skills remain a point of pride now as he follows you to and around Gridania. You do some shopping– and he can’t help but stifle laughter as you get roped into helping out a stressed merchant, a distressed mother, and a pained courier, in that order.

But you do take the time to buy some things– some supplies for crafting you had mentioned wanting, a snack that makes G’raha’s stomach grumble in jealousy– and then you just walk slowly and take in the city, trading hellos with some few that feel comfortable enough to greet you. But through it all you remain alone, and when you pause to sit on a bench G’raha would say you actually look a bit…lonely.

‘Tis food for thought, for certain. Do you have a paramour who simply couldn’t spare the time today? But you are attuned to nearly every aetheryte in the realm; surely if you wanted to spend time with a beloved it would be no hard feat to manage? In fact, surely anyone lucky enough to have you would travel the world to be with you wherever you want them?

You dust yourself off and leave out of the east gate into the Shroud proper, and G’raha follows from a safe distance. You walk leisurely and G’raha can admit to himself the forest is nice, with the faint sounds of birds and a gentle breeze blowing leaves to and fro. He wonders what it would be like, to walk at your side…perhaps hand in hand…perhaps with his tail curling up your forearm…

There are a couple of times you seem to know you’re being followed and you turn to glance in his direction, but even while daydreaming utter nonsense G’raha is ready for such an event and makes certain you see naught but nature itself. Whether or not you feel a presence, you don’t seem terribly bothered, and he follows you all the way down to the South Shroud.

You cleave a little close to Toto-Rak for comfort, but it is a slight shortcut and nothing comes out to bother you before you’re back on the path to Quarrymill. You stop to talk to someone in the small hamlet and G’raha errs on the side of staying out of the way, so he cannot hear what is said, but he can clearly see when you leave out the other gate, which only leads to…

Urth’s Gift. So much for not working today. G’raha cannot help the way his tail twitches in annoyance as he follows behind you. You’re supposed to be resting and Urth’s Gift is dangerous. Yes, you are clearly capable and he has seen you in action in that very area before, but he can’t help but worry at how relaxed you seem about the whole business. Thankfully he had the foresight to bring his bow, and he follows a little more closely, until he gets the benefits of trees and rock faces to clamber and climb for better sight lines.

He doesn’t realize his mistake until you reach the edge of the water, stop, and fold your arms across your chest.

“Don’t worry; I’m not going to make you race me to Ixali territory,” you say with a raised voice and tilt your head to glance back in his direction. “I just fought Garuda again and I’m not keen to incite another summoning so soon.”

He drops down from his branch and assumes his face must be as red as his hair. “How long have you known?”

“I caught a glimpse of you in Gridania and couldn’t help myself,” you say and walk up to him with a friendly smile. “You know, if you wanted to come with me you could have just accepted the offer when I made it.”

“I ah…didn’t want to impose,” he says weakly and puts his bow on his back again. He would be content to run back to Mor Dhona with his tail between his legs right now, but you reach out and grab his hand and he has not the strength to deny your touch. Sweet Azeyma, how deep is he in already?

“If I invite you it’s not imposing,” you say. “I like your company G’raha.”

He looks at you. “Truly?” It comes out so desperate he coughs into his hand and tries to cover it up. “I simply thought– perhaps your time would be better spent with someone you like more than any other.”

“And who do you think that might that be?” you ask him.

“I…don’t know,” he says. Gods; how rude would it be to rip back his hand and run away? And yet this is too much like the tepid fantasies he had just indulged in. Granted the wild hogs and darker shade aren’t quite as lightly atmospheric as just outside the city, but he is still holding your hand in the forest. It must count. “I simply assumed you…must have someone.”

You step forward and you are so close G’raha’s very breath stutters. “No one has ever said anything to me,” you say and you lick your lips and now he’s staring at your lips by the Twelve why. “But I do have someone I like more than any other. And I suspect he likes me too, though I cannot be certain.”

G’raha’s heart sinks. “Oh,” he says and bites back a sigh. “Well if- if it makes you feel any better, there is no one that could receive your affections and not return them. And if this person does not then they are a fool.”

He cannot help how emphatic he becomes, but the idea that you could fall for someone and that person would squander such a precious–

You put your hands on either side of his face and lean in to kiss him. He can do naught but stare, wide-eyed for several seconds, though thankfully the kiss is chaste enough that his delayed clumsy movements can count for a returned gesture before you pull back, an enigmatic smile upon your lips before you ask him, “Are you a fool, G’raha Tia?”

He puts his hands over yours and, again, it takes his brain several long seconds to comprehend what just happened. “I…” He licks his lips. He wants to taste you, feel you, in ways he could have only imagined before. A world, a future is opening up before him, and he wants to see where it leads. “I may be a fool, but not such a deplorable one.”

You roll your eyes but there’s a faint embarrassed smile trying to hide in your face. “It’s not deplorable to not want me, G’raha.”

“We must agree to disagree.” Something snaps and he whips his head around, but there is nothing to be seen, no hogs in the wind, and he relaxes with a sigh. He winks at you. “I must say though, your choice of locale for such a stirring confession is a bit…odd.”

You chuckle and put your hands on his shoulders. “We first met here, so technically it’s where we first started our working relationship,” you say. “I thought it would be nice symmetry if we started our new relationship here too.”

He finds the suggestion…strangely appealing. Perhaps he is odd too, then. To be as odd as his Warrior of Light– well, there are much worst things in the world to be. He puts his hands on your sides and walks forward, guiding you along, until your back meets a rocky wall and he pushes in for a deeper kiss to sate his newfound hunger. Or perhaps it is a thirst he knows he will never quench. It matters not– you are more precious than water in an oasis, and he intends to savor every drop.

---

Decades later and a world away…

G’raha doesn’t know what he’s in for with your invitation to meet him out by the main gate, but he goes with a sense of curiosity and naught else. The night is cool, with a light breeze that blows pleasantly against his face as he walks. He nods in response to those that greet him as he passes by, but, curiously, there is no one present when he arrives outside the Crystarium– no one but you, and you walk up to him with a smile that reaches his heart. It’s embarrassing how quickly you can reduce him to an adolescent miqo’te with his first crush.

He clears his throat and tries to focus on something else. “Where is the guard?”

“Shift change.” You pull him close by his robes. “We have one minute and thirty-seven seconds at most.”

“To do what?” G’raha asks, laughing.

You answer him with a kiss. A deep kiss, dizzying, more than welcome, and G’raha returns it with all the hunger he has felt for far too long, tasting, touching, feeling you in a way that is so intensely personal and warm and wonderful and familiar in a way that makes him realize how much he has ached without your touch. It is, alas, too short, but you both pant in the wake of it.

“Oh…” G’raha gently touches your cheek and his soul sings as you lean into his hand. He licks his lips. He wants more, but the way you shift your eyes towards the gate makes him conscientious of the privacy you’ll soon lack. “I wasn’t sure if…”

“I’m sorry it took so long to arrange,” you say and take his hand to start leading him up the path back to the city. He will follow you wherever, if only you keep your hand in his to guide him. “I knew you probably didn’t want to do that in front of the guards, so I had to watch them to see when we would have a chance.”

But why do it out in the open at all? Why that road? G’raha doesn’t want to ask a question he should perhaps already know the answer to, but curiosity burns at him until he stops and grips your hand to keep you from slipping away. You turn back to look at him and he clears his throat nervously. “Pray forgive me but…why that particular spot?”

Thankfully you don’t seem offended by his question. Instead you grow a wide smile– nay, a full grin. “Do you remember…it’s been a long time, but do you remember the first time we ever kissed?”

“In the Shroud?” he asks. As though he could have ever forgotten; it was only ninety percent of the daydreams he’d had to soothe his mind and soul when the weight of his duty had nearly gotten to be too much. How you tasted, how you felt, how he had felt towards you– it had never failed to stir his heart and renew his commitment to his course to save you at any cost.

“You had followed me around all morning so I led you back to the Shroud, back to where we first met.” You step closer to him and his arms slide around you in automatic response. “At the time I wasn’t completely sure if you liked me like that, but I took a chance and it seemed appropriate to have our first kiss where we first met.”

Slowly, G’raha starts to understand. “Where we first…met. I see.” He cannot help his smile even though it feels so wide as to be ridiculous, and he pulls his hood over his eyes to try and hide how red his face must be for how warm it feels. But he covers the act with, “Perhaps this would have been more appropriate then?”

You laugh and G’raha thinks it shouldn’t be possible to be this happy, after so many decades of pain and fear and loss and longing, but he surges forward to kiss you again and you return the act in full.

“Mm, well,” you drawl sarcastically and gently run your thumb over his bottom lip. “I admit I did spend many a night wondering why on earth I couldn’t stop fantasizing about the Crystal Exarch’s mouth.”

“Oh?” His lips curl of their own accord as he thinks about it– because you would have a crisis about wanting to kiss a man you thought you didn’t know. The idea of you lusting after him though serves to boost his confidence and he pulls you to his body suddenly, tightly. “And what about G’raha Tia’s mouth?”

Your eyes soften. “Ridiculous man,” you say and kiss him again. “You still are, have always been, my G’raha, even when I didn’t know it. But I do now, and if you’ll have me I promise I love you just as much as I did then.”

“I’m not the same as I was,” G’raha says but leans in to nuzzle you.

“Neither am I. So…” You gesture at the gate. “Here’s to new beginnings?”

G’raha smiles. Perhaps he does not deserve to be so happy when his plans went so awry and only worked out due to your sheer stubbornness, but he has never thought himself so austere as to deny himself what he wants when it seems to want him just as much. So he leans in, takes your lips in his, and kisses you tenderly, savoring every second he can, before he pulls back just slightly and whispers, “To new beginnings.”