#his luck does not extend to those around him

[enderham]

"I dreamt that you died." Aventurine says, apropos of nothing.

Veritas lifts his gaze from the book he'd been reading, across the first class cabin they're sharing, and to his colleague. Nothing in his expression betrays any emotion or thought about the statement he let out into the world, as is customary for the gambler. Veritas takes a moment to study him more thoroughly.

Aventurine isn't looking at him. The chip in his hand is dancing faster than usual, he's wearing his tinted glasses despite there being no need for them on the transport, and his other hand is hidden in his coat. Veritas has learned to look for that left hand whenever he suspects something is amiss with Aventurine.

He considers his next words carefully. "In many cultures across the galaxy, dreaming of someone's death is believed to produce the opposite effect. It is considered a good omen that brings longevity and prosperity."

There's a long moment of silence, then the chip suddenly stops. Aventurine had been looking at him from the corner of his eye, an indicator that he was listening as Veritas spoke, but he looks away again now.

"Not in mine," He says lightly, almost sings it.

It sounds like mockery, like Aventurine's typical attempts to get a rise out of him, like contradiction for the sake of it, but Veritas knows him better than that. The gambler may seem frivolous on the surface but he always speaks with purpose. The trick is figuring out what that purpose is.

Closing his book, Veritas leans forward, almost into Aventurine's space. The other does not lean away, and finally looks him in the eye, but he can see his shoulders are tense. His left hand is still hidden in his coat. Perhaps, instead of a non-sequitor, his opening statement was a damning admission, Veritas thinks.

"We both know this upcoming mission will be dangerous." He says quietly, he doesn't expect Aventurine to interject, but he pauses anyway. True to expectation, Aventurine stays silent, watching him intently. Veritas continues. "However, we also both know that your role in it is much more perilous than mine. I believe you made sure of that yourself, no?"

The gambler still remains uncharacteristically silent. Gauging Veritas' reaction to his grim statements no doubt. Veritas has passed many a test in his university days with little stress, so it is a new feeling to experience, this uncertainty. He feels like there is a right and a wrong thing to say in this situation, yet he does not know exactly what it is.

"It is my opinion that you should be worrying about yourself, gambler, instead of me, but if it eases your mind, I shall promise to stay alert on Penacony. Not that I wouldn't otherwise be, as you should well know by now."

Perhaps he's revealed too much, shown his hand, as the resident gambler would say, but he's found himself much too invested in said gambler's emotional wellbeing as of late, so he doesn't mind. Especially as that wary glint fades just a little from Aventurine's vibrant eyes, and he wrestles his signature grin back onto his face.

"True to form as usual." He teases. "I can always rely on you to bring rationality to the table, Doctor."

[xjulixred45x]

That's a good question @donanimee !

When the Baby of Yuu is Born

• If we're talking about the birth itself, I think it would have happened sometime between books 6 and 7. I already mentioned that when Yuu arrived in Twisted Wonderland, she was already a month or two pregnant, so by the time those events occurred, Yuu should have been around 8 months at most. Besides, with the stress of the situation, the baby probably came out prematurely.

• Obviously, I don't think Yuu would have participated in the same way in book 6 because of the pregnancy, but let's just say that once they reached dry land, her water broke, to everyone's horror and concern.

• Riddle was the only one who more or less kept his composure and sent the others to get things for Yuu while he and Adeuce took her to Ramshakle (and Grim brought Crewel, the closest thing they had to a doctor). Ace, being Ace, had Crowley give Yuu his hand so she could squeeze it with all her might (it was cathartic and extremely necessary, thanks Ace), and the other students were calling doctors, bringing things like healing potions in case things went wrong, etc.

• It was chaos in short. The labor lasted approximately 8 hours (with luck, it could be less or MORE hours), and Yuu ends up giving birth to a beautiful baby girl.

• All the panic finally dissipates when the students hear the baby cry for the first time—a loud cry of a healthy baby :,)

• Of course, as soon as everything calms down, Crewel and Trein kick everyone out of the dorm so Yuu can have a few quality days alone with her baby (the only one who can stay is Grim).

• The first few days of motherhood are quite pleasant, fortunately. The baby is healthy and strong, she doesn't wake up much at night, and when she does, the ghosts try to entertain her so Yuu can sleep (unless she has to be fed).

• Yuu also doesn't have to worry about bringing food; several students leave things at Ramshakle's door so as not to bother her with visitors (food, blankets, clothes, etc.).

• Grim is definitely quieter than usual when the baby is born. He's partly afraid that Yuu won't love him anymore or considers him dangerous to have around the baby. But when she offers to say hello and introduces him as a BIG BROTHER... yeah, you can bet Grim cried in Yuu's arms and the baby for a looooong time.

• Riddle is one of the first allowed to visit, and he brings a ton of gifts from the Heartslabyul students (Cater, Trey, and Adeuce). He's the most tense when it comes to interacting with the baby at first. Even though he's taken all the necessary sanitary measures, he's so afraid of doing something wrong. But when Yuu helps him carry her properly and the baby sits comfortably in his arms, he melts.

• He invites Yuu over for tea more often (either to catch up on studies or because he sees that Yuu is really stressed), with the baby, of course! The students in the dorm are happy to take turns watching her so Yuu can have some quiet time. I'd say Riddle still sees Yuu as a sort of maternal/older sister figure, only now his protective instincts also extend to the baby.

• Leona is probably the last one to realistically meet the baby. He doesn't have a good relationship with the children (he can barely stand Cheka), and even if he doesn't say it out loud, he doesn't want to feel left out now that the baby is finally born (mainly because he knows it's a shitty feeling for a shitty reason). Leona only gets to meet Yuu's baby when he stumbles upon her by chance at the botanical garden (not because Yuu was looking for him and Ruggie ratted him out, not at all).

• Leona isn't very patient, but he definitely makes sure the baby is in good hands if Yuu can't watch her for a couple of hours (probably making Ruggie do all the work), preventing the baby from doing stupid things once she starts crawling and putting things in her mouth (no herbivore, don't eat dirt—or toys! You almost look like Ruggie). he acts like he doesn't care, but he'll jump out of his seat if he sees the baby with something in her mouth that shouldn't be there.

• Azul, along with the twins, have probably never seen a human baby up close—they're so small! Floyd is probably one of the first people to visit Yuu and her baby—even Jade mentions it to him when they go to Monster Lounge—and they’re surprisingly careful with the baby, especially Azul, who holds her like she’s made of glass.

• I imagine that when the baby starts walking, Yuu gets so stressed out from taking care of her AND being Crowley’s errand girl that she forgets to eat. To solve this, Azul implements something new at Monster Lounge: a baby menu! The catch is that Yuu also has to order something to eat FOR HERSELF ;) no shrimp will go hungry in their watch.

• KALIM ABSOLUTELY LOVES THE BABY! Although sadly, he couldn't take her to Scarabia because she cried so loudly during the festivities. Kalim is an EXPERT at putting babies to sleep (again, this guy has 30 younger siblings) and can play with her for HOURS. Meanwhile, Yuu and Jamil get a much-needed break from their two hyperactive children.

• I'll just say that Yuu will be lucky if her baby doesn't have a whole festival dedicated to her birthday thanks to Kalim. That, and now her food stash is stocked to the brim thanks to Jamil and Kalim (and probably some money, but shhhhh). Kalim just wants to help in any way he can.

• I like the headcanon that Vil is good with kids; by extension, I think he finds Yuu's baby absolutely adorable. Sure, he keeps a certain distance from the baby and himself because of her clothes (and also because he doesn't know what effects makeup could have on such a young baby), but he's definitely not above bringing a few things for Yuu and the baby with Rook and Epel.

• Another great one is providing a space for Yuu to care for him, especially when the baby is already a few months old or if Yuu is dealing with any consequences of childbirth. I honestly don't think Vil brings up the topic of losing baby weight right away because I think it's common sense that it's a pretty sensitive topic for women; instead, he focuses on Yuu feeling good about herself.

• Ortho was probably one of the few students allowed to come to Ramshakle every day to check on the baby's health with his scanners. Thanks to that, Idia is probably the one who is most attentive to the health of both the baby and Yuu. She almost seems like a mother hen. Is Yuu eating things with iron? Is it beneficial for pregnant women? Or maybe she should send him food with vitamin D? Is he being too creepy by monitoring this kind of things?

• Idia definitely freezes every time the baby climbs on him, just accepting his fate of being this creature's new favorite fluorescent toy (Ortho has videos of this that he shows the first years).

• Malleus, OH MY GOD, MALLEUS, remember how I told you the baby was born shortly before his Overblot? You can bet everyone was super tense with him around Yuu and the baby after that, almost like a Protection Squad.

• Then again, Malleus had no idea how human birth worked, so he definitely got really distressed when he heard Ramshakle's screams of pain, or when they told him that if they didn't act quickly either Yuu or the baby could DIE. It was like a reminder that, even giving birth to another human being, they are very fragile. Malleus was so relieved when he learned that Yuu and her daughter were okay, but the scare never fade.

• He definitely acts like some kind of weird uncle. He even talks to the baby as if she were an adult, and they have full conversations. The baby just babbles or says random words, and Malleus nods as if he understands and makes up a conversation, much to Yuu's amusement and everyone's confusion. At least Malleus can still have his nightly chats with Yuu, given how little sleep babies get.

• Ace and Deuce try to be as careful as possible with the baby, almost seeming like other people due to the kindness they show the baby in contrast to their normal selves. Although of course, they still have their tricks. Ace especially wants to teach the baby how to say his name, and when that doesn't work, he makes her learn funny nicknames for the others (like calling Riddle "red dwarf," knowing he'd never get mad at the baby).

• Deuce tries to prevent this, but it's in vain. When Yuu and they go out on campus, the baby is usually carried on one of their shoulders (they constantly fight over who is the "favorite uncle," unaware that that position already belongs to Grim).

• BONUS: THE STAFF

• Crowley definitely gives Yuu more work now because she's "no longer incapacitated," but he doesn't give her maternity leave. That is, until a mob of angry teenagers comes to his office to complain about his lack of basic human decency, and he decides to give him a month off. Every time Crowley is near the baby, she cries, but not a normal cry, no, a HYSTERICAL cry. Yuu thinks the problem might be the mask, but you can see how the baby makes faces at Crowley's voice.

• Sam always has things in stock that the baby might like, things like toys, bibs, clothes, etc. While Yuu is shopping, the baby likes to play with Sam's shadow. He thinks it's very interesting that the baby isn't afraid of them and tells Yuu that his baby has a very unique personality.

• Vargas remains essentially the same, a stereotypical gentleman who makes his students also be proper gentlemen to the ladies. If Yuu wants to join the class but has to bring the baby with her, Vargas will happily carry her while yelling at the students to move, occasionally tickling the baby, or passing her some candy.

• Trein is the ultimate babysitter. Not only does he have the experience, but the baby automatically trusts him without hesitation; he's the opposite of Crowley. Trein and Yuu remain close friends (I'd say Trein sees a lot of his daughters in Yuu), and he's willing to lend a hand if she has trouble with the baby. He's also the best source of baby-related advice at the school.

• Crewel's first reaction when the baby was able to leave school was to go shopping for clothes with Yuu, mostly matching clothes—he thinks they're the cutest thing ever! He's definitely bought her Dalmatian onesies. He definitely takes every opportunity he gets when he visits Yuu for tea to see the baby (it's like that "move bitch" meme).

• Overall, a big, dysfunctional, happy family was formed.

Shares, reblogs and comments are very welcome!

[shanastoryteller]

Happy pride!!!! Dealers choice, but something gender?

a continuation of 1

Steve meets Iron Man and immediately wants to punch him in the face. It probably wouldn’t do much, considering he’s made out of solid metal. But it might make him feel better. And hey, he’s punched though solid metal before.

He’s sarcastic and rude and makes derisive, pithy comments and doesn’t take anything seriously. Plus he immediately starts hitting on Natasha, who’s obviously more than capable of taking care of herself, but it makes him think of all the people who used to underestimate and denigrate Peggy and he has to grit his teeth.

The worst part is it’s clear no one else feels the same way.

Everyone greets him cheerfully, rolling their eyes and laughing at his jokes. Even Natasha likes him, not flirting back but also not shutting it down, easy around him in a way that so far she’s only been around Coulson. Fury and Hill seem to be the only people that share his irritation.

Tony Stark walks onto the hellicarrier, hair short and jeans tight with an MIT sweatshirt several sizes too big, and the first thing she says to Steve is, “Heard you met my better half.”

“What,” he says.

But she’s already moved on, talking excitedly to Bruce Banner who for the first time doesn’t look like he’s contemplating throwing himself off the edge. Everyone else is ignoring her, but Steve can’t look away. She sits at the table and taps her fingers against it, finally getting fed up and interrupting Fury to call him an idiot, arguing about the cube and scepter, and for someone who hadn’t been on the ground she seems to know an awful lot. But Howard had been like that too, never involved with the actual fighting.

Then there’s a couple comments about the armor and repairs and what reinforcements she’ll have to add before Iron Man is sent out again. Her earlier comment clicks into place and he blurts, “You’re married to Iron Man?”

How could an ass like that get a girl like this?

That causes the entire table to go silent.

“Wow,” Natasha says. “Does Rhodes know you’re cheating on him? That would explain why you look like you just rolled off the couch.”

“Shut up, fuck you’re annoying,” Tony says. “No, Rogers, that was a joke. He’s my highly compensated employee and bodyguard who I have strictly professional relations with otherwise Pepper will scratch my eyes out. She’s one more PR disaster away from taking an extended vacation in Bora Bora.”

“And she occasionally releases him from his services to help us fight crime,” Coulson says with a straight face.

She points a finger at him. “I’m going to start billing you for that.”

“You already bill us for texts you send comprising entirely of emojis,” Fury says, deadpan. “Don’t push your luck.”

“Those emojis were instructions on how to diffuse a bomb, and also the tech team understood it, so,” she shrugs. “Perfectly logical. If you have an issue with my billing, take it up with Pepper.”

Steve doesn’t know who Pepper is, but Fury frowns and changes the subject, so she must be pretty intimidating.

[delicious-in-imagines]

Hiiiii~! Could I get some kiss hcs for kabru, mithrun, and falin?

Of course you can, hun! (Also man, the Kabru love - all three requests I've gotten have him in there!)

Kabru of Utaya

Kabru definitely seems like the type to take good care of himself, so he's definitely got soft lips, if only a little rough on the very edge of the inside from lightly chewing them.

We all know that Kabru has his eyes on everyone constantly, reading their behavior, their reactions - and that absolutely extends to you. Especially when the pair of you are locking lips.

Oh sure, it's going to start out all sweet and chaste, just a peck here and there. But, as he does so, he's always going to be taking in the way that you react to each kiss, finding each one of your weak spots before you may even realize you have them.

He's definitely a tease. He loves long, indulgent kisses, starting with a brush of his lips against your hands tucked into his own, grazing along your knuckles. He'll slowly make his way up your arm, along your shoulder, into the crook of your neck. His pace is absolutely glacial as he continues up along your jaw, and finally, once you're desperate for his lips on yours - he goes in for the kill.

Those kinds of kisses are obviously reserved for private moments between the two of you, though he isn't against a quick smooch in front of the others.

Usually these happen before setting off for the day in the form of a 'good luck' kiss, quick and chaste as can be. Holm will tease him wondering where his good luck kiss is, meanwhile Mickbell is gagging in the background like a small kid watching their parents smooch.

Spoilers for Mithrun and Falin below!

Mithrun of the House of Kerensil

Mithrun's kisses are going to depend entirely on what point in the manga that you're getting them from him.

Pre-ending, you're going to have to be the one to initiate every kiss. He feels the effects of the kiss on him, the heat pooling in his gut, the way his heart may skip a beat - but that lacking desire really makes him struggle to reciprocate. He doesn't feel the want to kiss or embrace you, even if his body reacts to the sensations.

It's something that you wil continue to struggle with through to the end, just like making sure that he eats and sleeps to his body's satisfaction. The longing in his heart that doesn't make sense in his head - only replaced by the gentle thumping in the wake of your kisses.

Post-ending is a different story entirely. His pursuit of creating new desires means that he plays a much more active part in the relationship, especially when it comes to his kisses. They're gentle, soft things, and yet carry the insistence of a man chasing after finally wanting something in over forty years.

He'll press and press and press intent on taking everything that you're willing to give in the kiss. He'll leave you gasping for breath, face flushed and heart thumping a staccato against your sternum, meanwhile he looks only the tiniest bit ruffled. Completely unfair.

His lips are almost always lightly chapped, and if you stop him before he kisses you to tell him to put some balm on, he'll come back almost immediately, which means you get to share!

He hardly cares wherever he is, or whoever he's around. When he feels that inkling that too much time has passed since he's locked lips with you, he's going to get that kiss. The Canaries will groan, whoop, and tease constantly, considering that they are usually in the front row for these lip locks. For all their reactions, each and every one of them are glad to see Mithrun beginning to return to some sort of normalcy.

Falin Touden

Before her transformation she's more of a shy kisser. You can always tell when the two of you have been doing it, because she's all disheveled and flushed in the face.

Some of her favorite kisses are when you pepper her face in gentle kisses, though she once again gets so flustered. She'll try to reciprocate, but it usually ends in the two of you bumping noses, or clicking teeth, and peals of laughter shared between the two of you.

You can always tell whenever she wants a kiss from you, because she'll sort of hover around you, wringing her hands. If you ask her if she wants a kiss, she'll give an embarrassed squeak before nodding, and leaning in to meet you half way.

After her transformation and second revival, she's a little more of a go-getter. Gone are the days of waifishly swooning while she waits for a kiss, she'll grab ahold of you by the face, smiling so wide before she plants one right on your lips. You can feel her happiness plain on her lips, and your kisses are peppered with giggles and cooing.

She'll also continue to chase the kiss, and it almost feels like she's trying to consume you from the inside of your mouth. She won't stop until you're the one pulling away, the slightly pinprick to her pupils, blush painted along her cheeks as she rests her forehead against you, waiting for you to catch your breath before going back for round 2... or 3.

[amoosarte]

𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐃𝐀𝐃 𝐘 𝐄𝐋 𝐌𝐀𝐑, 𝐂.𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐙 𝐉𝐑

SUMMARY ! in which Carlos and his wife enjoy their little life in spain with their children but are somewhat a cute family dynamic !

FACECLAIM ! julia.hatchh, TROPE ! long lasting love !

It was no secret that Carlos Sainz Jr. wanted a family of his own. Growing up in a household that held so much love was all he ever wanted in the future. He and his sister were showered with love since well..forever.

Carlos thought of it all the time while holding his wife in his arms every night, in his eyes it would be a long night for him but he wouldn't nag about it. Carlos was a sincere man, he would shush his wife to sleep when she was overstress and tired, massage her hair to caress her to sleep, then hold her while looking at her delicate body.

Carlos would study the women that had catched his heart with just a look. Those brown doe eyes just looking at her like she was the moon, he was looking at her in a way a woman dreamed of. He was utterly in love with her, wishing to be by her side forevermore.

Lana was a woman that was soft spoken, a woman that would praise him for right about everything. She would shower him with love when feeling low. She was his best friend, a woman he could never get tired of.

When the topic of children rose in conversation, Lana became shy. She had admitted she did want a family with Carlos and said it was always a thought in her head. She dreamed of them having his eyes and his way loving. It had almost brought him to tears, twirling her around in excitement.

With that, they were blessed with a baby boy. His name soonly becoming Lorenzo Sainz, most of his uncles calling him 'Enzo'. A boy that look exactly like his mamita, but having his papitos eyes. He was and adored toddler until simply two years later he had his baby sister.

Carolina Sainz was her father's carbon copy with her mamitas eyes, and she was a daddy's girl. Becoming the princess of the Sainz family, with everyone adoring her.

Carlos decided that this would be enough for him, becoming traumatize with his wife pregnancy. Lana would admit both of them were harsh pregnancies but she didn't want to let her husband down.

Now they were a simple family living in spain, somewhere near a part of the ocean. In hacienda spanish style home, where both children live their childhood dreams.

"Caro, linda, estás listo para ir a ver a papi?" Lana said while making her son look presentable. Lorenzo just looked at his mother while she called out for her four year old daughter. "Si mami, me miro bonita?"

Although she looked like her father, she had a bit of her mother witty personality. "Preciosa." Lana smiled at the girl, sitting her down on the bathroom counter. Her silky brown hair were tied into pigtails, making her look absolutely stunning. "yo tambien?" her little boy said.

"guapo." She said before kissing them on their cheeks, staining their brown skin with a lipstick stain. "Listos para mirar ver a papá en su auto de carreras?" Lana smiled sweetly at them, watching them nod furiously.

They left the house on time, driving to see Carlos drive. It was somewhat special since it was a home race but if Carlos was being honest, it was Carolina's first time watching him race in person.

Trust that he told every soul in the paddock, and they loved seeing the spanish driver all excited. Though he wished it was under a better situation, Ferrari didn't extend his contract and he somewhat he needed to focus on landing on the podium.

"Well aren't you excited!" A very well known english accent rand from behind him. "You have no idea." Carlos smiled sincerely at Lando, making the younger boy laugh. "Is our princess coming for the first time today?" Lando was not going to express it but he loved the kids to an extent.

"Yes, and I must land on the podium to celebrate it." Carlos said half serious and half jokingly. Lando rolled his eyes playfully the wishing him luck.

Carlos had entered the Ferrari garage before a squeak called out to him. “Papi!” There she was the golden girl of Ferrari.

"Caro!" Carlos immediately crouch down to embrace his little girl, a large grin spreading like wildfire across his lips. "Papi! Papi! estoy de igualitas con mami!" Carolina let go of him and jumped before spinning around. "Si? Donde esta mami preciosa?" Carlos asked and right on que, Lana walked right in.

She was wearing white sundress with her red ballerina flats, looks gorgeous in his eyes. Then his eyes drifted to his son, cuddled in his mother's arms. Carlos sighed before listing his little girl up into his arms. "Todo bien amor?" Lana asked him, earning a smile from him.

"Se puso mucho mejor desde que te vi entrar.." Carlos kissed while she let out a small laugh. Carlos then felt a small hand push him off his wife, right beside him was his son looking quite annoyed. "¿No te dije que tu mamá no puede te cargar por tanto tiempo?" Carlos told his son who just stuck his tongue out.

"Papi, es tio cha!" Carolina squealed and ran to one of her uncles, who gladly picked her up. "Tioo cha!" Enzo jumped out of his others arms and ran towards his uncle. While the kids were occupied by their uncle and knowing colleagues, Carlos dragged his wife to his arms who gladly embraced him.

"Todo bien amor?" Lana asked yet again but in her soft honey voice, making Carlos melt almost immediately. "Solo estoy nervioso." He mumbled into her ginger hair, she then let go of him and walked towards Charles. "Can you watched them for a minute Charles?" She asked him, making him nod and go towards Alex to introduce the kids to her.

"Amor, no tienes por qué estar nervioso, eres un gran piloto, eres el mejor." Lana cupped his face after entering his driver room, making him relax a bit in her arms. She smiled softly analyzing every adoring feature on him, of course she saw bits of children in him and that made her happy. Carlos would say the exact same thing, he could only be so greatful.

"Dale gana, pero no olvides que te amamos." With that she kissed him on his nose. Carlos had laughed just a bit before lunging in to kiss her properly.

With his wife and kids encouragement, Carlos came out on 2rd, proudly standing at his home podium. With Carolina and Lorenzo screaming happily for their papa. Not missing how they ran towards him after his podium, knocking him to the ground.

What a cute family.

MENTIONS ! @landitolover, @moneygramhaas, @d6za1, @ch3rryknots @louvrepool @thearchieves

𝓂𝒶𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉, ⟢ more!

[alexa-yukiyu]

Trust and Patience (Wriothesley x gn!child!reader)

A/N: The way I sat on the plane staring at nothing for like an hour thinking of a genshin piece I could do, so enjoy 😂 Do be adviced that although this id a soft wriothesley fic it does contain hints and evidence of abuse although it does not occur live

Headers by @/saradika

Wriothesley growled as the person below him kept struggling, trying to avoid the cuffs the male was trying to put him on.

"Stop struggling; it will only make it worse for you," he called as he managed to slide the cuffs into the wriggling man.

"Get off me, you damn mongrel," the man hissed, trying to buck Wriothesley off him with no luck.

"Hard way it is," Wriothesley sighed as he brought his metal-lined gloves to the back of the man's head, effectively knocking him out. Looking up after he did, narrowing his eyes as he scouted the room

"Was there anyone else reported to live in this house?" He called to the subordinates behind him

"No, Only he was listed in the residency records. Is there a problem, sir?

The Duke frowned at the information but did not respond. It was faint, but he was sure of it; he had heard the distinct sound of someone gasping as he had knocked out the man.

"Take him back to the Fortress; I will deal with this," he called easily, picking up the limp man and passing him to his subordinates, who nodded and took their leave.

"I'm not sure if you were involved with that man's crimes or not, but if you don't come out now, even if you were not aligned with him, you will be charged as such," he called, receiving no response

"Have it your way," he called, walking closer and rounding around the crates that hid the person, only to pause as someone threw themselves at his feet.

"I-'m sorry, Mister." What looked to be a small child cried, sniffling and small whimpers escaping them.

Wriothesley frowned, kneeling down to their height.

"Hey, what are you-

His words halted, and his eyes widened as the kid raised their head, revealing their poor state, a black eye covering a significant part of their upper face, their cheeks sporting prominent bruises with the clear outline of handprints on them.

"Please. I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Hey." He called an undecipherable look on his face

"Did he do this?" he questioned

"I don't... I fell, it's nothing, I'm just clumsy," they stutter out nervously, adverting their eyes from his

"Hey," he called once again, gently putting his hand on the child's chin and pulling their attention back on him, frowning when they flinched at his action.

"He's gone, and he won't be coming back. If it was him who did this, you need to tell me. I will make sure you get taken care of, but you need to be honest with me. Was it him who did this?"

They pause, seemingly thinking over their options before they slowly nod, a few tears escaping their eyes as they did

"Come here," he called softly, letting another sigh as the child made no move to approach him.

"Hey, Listen, I know it is hard for you to trust anyone right now, considering what you have gone through. I understand, but I will need you to trust me," he explained, extending his hand toward them.

"I just want to take you to a friend of mine; she will be able to fix those for you," he said, gesturing to their bruise-littered skin.

"And then? Will I get exiled too?"

"I'm not sure what will happen next, but I promise you, you are not in trouble. I do want to take you to the fortress, but only in order to get you patched up and to find what the safest place for you is," he said, gesturing to his extended hand once again.

They looked at his hand, slowly lifting theirs to meet his, touching his fingers and retracting their hands in fright. They looked up at his face and expected anger to grow on his features, only to see the same gentle smile still on his face as he continued to hold his hand.

At this, they looked back at their hand and finally extended it once again, this time connecting it with his.

"Let's get you out of here, okay?" he called as he stood up, gently pulling them with him.

"Hey!" He called worried, pulling the small child to his chest to prevent their fall as their feet gave up on them as soon as they had tried to put weight on them

He glanced at them, noticing the unnatural swelling in one of their ankles and frowning.

"I'm going to need to pick you up; you are in no condition to walk."

"I won't do anything you aren't ready for, if you need time, I will wait," he promptly reassured them as he noticed the apprehension his words had caused.

"Why?" they mumbled, looking up at them

"We all need time sometimes," he answered simply.

"Are you okay with me picking you up?"

They nodded, letting a small whimper as he took a hold of them, their injuries making the position harder to maintain

"Don't worry; Sigewinne will get those treated for you as soon as we arrive."

"Thank you," they cried, enveloping their arms around him, trying to muffle the sound of their cries by pressing themselves closer to the Duke

"...You're welcome.".

What we thinking?

[aziraphales-library]

hello, I thank you very much for what you do, I wanted to please ask recommendations of fan fics that are romantic, the most romantic there are, I would appreciate them a lot 💕

Hi. Here are some romantic fics for you...

Five Times Crowley Fell Asleep and the One Time Aziraphale Did Too by toastergrove (NR)

Five times Crolwey has fallen asleep and one time Aziraphale did too. It's very a fluffy and cute little fic

The Very Second Day of the Rest of Their Lives by AntiquarianAndUnusual (T)

It's the first Monday since the Armageddon That Never Was, and Crowley and Aziraphale start their new lives out with the quiet, gentle, and almost romantic morning they deserve.

Never Too Late by AppleSeeds (T)

It's been thirty-five years since the height of Aziraphale's enormous crush on rockstar Anthony Crowley, but when he sees that Anthony is still performing, Aziraphale feels he owes it to his younger self not to pass up the opportunity to finally hear him sing live. The last thing he expects is for Anthony to actually approach him once the concert is over, extending an invitation that surpasses every fantasy Aziraphale harboured about him as a young man and resulting in the most memorable night of his life.

天明 (Tenmei) by angelsnuffbox (T)

“This, right now, could be one of those moments you’ll look back on in ten years and wonder what could have happened, how the night could have gone if you’d taken that strikingly handsome man’s offer of a night stroll around Tokyo.” “You certainly like to flatter yourself.” A rush of relief went through him now that Aziraphale looked more relaxed. “All I’m saying is, wouldn’t you rather look back and know how the night went instead?” “You’re actually serious.” “Say yes to me, Aziraphale, and I’ll make you the happiest you’ve ever been — at least for tonight.”

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? by theshoparoundthecorner (G)

“Bit of an odd tradition, if you ask me,” he said, if not to get his mind off the longing that had settled in his chest. Aziraphale shrugged. “I think it’s rather sweet. A kiss for good luck. Seems a nice way to start the year. Very human.” Crowley nodded. “Can’t seem to keep their hands off each other, that lot. Always finding excuses. First it’s mistletoe at Christmas, then it’s luck for the New Year…” “Well there’s no need to be so grouchy about it,” Aziraphale said. “I think it’s lovely.” Crowley’s heart ached a little more as he watched Aziraphale smile up at the glowing numbers on the building above them. Yeah, he thought, lovely. Five times Crowley thought about kissing Aziraphale on New Year's Eve, and one time he did.

Pictures of You by AnnetheCatDetective (M) (WIP)

It starts with a well-meaning gift, and a hopeful invitation. Mod note: While this one is technically a likely-abandoned WIP, it does end in a satisfying place

- Mod D

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

GENUINELY I would read an entire fic about your bnha/dunmeshi crossover that sounds like so much fun-

Do you have any other thoughts about it or plans? Or is it just gonna be a nebulous blob that haunts you occasionally? (Completely understandable, I have MANY of those)

I have some thoughts:

I'm thinking Izuku is like... eight/nine when he activates his Quirk. Chilchuck is 23, and his wife has recently left him.

Cilchuck really isn't okay with having Izuku around, but the issue is that they don't have another choice. They tried to speak to other Tallmen, but no one believed them; they thought the thing was a scam.

So Chilchuck is stuck with Izuku. He's not that much of a dickwad to just leave the kid alone, so they start off as an apprenticeship which evolves into parental. Good luck getting either to admit it.

Chilchuck, thanks to helping raise Izuku, is much more open in this AU. He's still our grumpy divorced union man, who keeps secrets and doesn't talk about his personal life. However he is more emotionally open, and actually keeps better contact with his ex and daughters.

Izuku's Quirk is interesting as while he can't bring a lot of objects through both lives before OFA, he does get affected by both lives in each other. His muscle mass increases thanks to his life on the Island in his MHA body. He is healthier then many in his Island body due to the nutrition he gets in his MHA body.

This does extend to his injuries, including deaths. If he dies in the dungeon, he wakes up in his Japanese body and cannot return until he's revived.

Chilchuck convinces Izuku to tell Inko about Bakugou's bullying, and Inko teaches Izuku how to forage.

When Dungeon Meshi starts, Izuku is fifteen. I think it happens when He is training for UA, so he is really getting the gains of both lives.

After Meshi, Izuku gets into UA. He's a battle hardened fighter who is going to kick ass.

Other random notes:

Izuku started joining Chilchuck on adventures when he was eleven, when Chilchuck joined Laios. After a single mission, Chilchuck felt there wasn't a worry about Izuku's health with the party. It helps that Izuku being a Tallman was noticeable by then, which was causing issues in town.

Laios is Izuku's big brother for all intents and purposes. Fallin is his big sister.

I imagine that Chilchuck becomes a fatherly figure to the siblings. This makes him more open to them and makes him care for them more.

Izuku eventually develops the ability to move people between worlds. Which is good, cause I have had a brain wave:

Izuku can carry letters between worlds, which lets Chilchuck and Inko get to know each other. This leads to them developing feelings for each other. Now that they can visit each other, their relationship becomes fully romantic. Both are in the same life stage, both being of middle age. Plus, in this AU, Inko knows she will eventually develop Huntington's as her Quirk makes her ten times as likely, and it runs in her family. The life span issue will not be a problem.

Izuku is pretty shocked by this.

Inko decides to stay on the Island but only after Izuku is done school—at least until All Might offers to house him, when it's easier for her.

Izuku brings his family over to Japan often, and it is a very nice time.

Though Senshi, they're all human. Not monsters.

Izuku gets OFA early since he is strong enough to get it, and it helps in the dungeon.

Izuku is thought to actually be Chilchuck's son who took after a Tallman wife. it causes issues back home since everyone thinks he cheated or something, but his daughters and ex support him. He's doing much better now.

[peculiarly-paige]

okay but consider sebalex but they move to zuzu city together

like, sebastian has decided he's moving out, he's going to the big city, he's finally doing it. but he's gotta be prepared, ya know? so robin is helping him find a place and preparing him to live alone and talking about it to EVERYONE in town, of course, and ya know who heard about it and immediately starts Thinking? that's right, Evelyn Mullner.

evelyn loves having alex around, she really, truly does, but she knows he isn't happy, that he's always dreamed for more than what pelican town can give him, so she approaches him one night with a plate of cookies and an idea.

"honey, you know sebastian, don't you? robin's son? yeah, the two of you are about the same age, right? well, robin was just talking about how he's moving to the city, and he's looking for a roommate, but he's not having much luck. well, i know i'd prefer my boy to be living with someone i know to be trustworthy, and i know that you've been looking to get out of this sleepy little town for a while now..."

sebastian has no fucking clue how he ended up moving into an apartment with alex of all fucking people. it wasn't that he hated the guy, per se, but he knew what george mullner thought about stoners and fags, and sebastian had never exactly been quiet about being either of those things, and he couldn't help but be nervous that alex would share his granddad's sentiments. but, hey, at least he knew he'd be able to afford rent.

and a couple of weeks go by and they barely see each other. sebastian is working for a game studio, and while he could do a lot of it from home, he feels like he's finally found his people and finds himself spending a lot of time at the office. alex is working some part-time job or another while interning with a physical therapist, so he finds his weekdays to be rather packed full, and he spends the weekends partying with some old gridball friends. but one weekend, alex's friends are busy and sebastian is in between projects, and they find themselves at home at the same time for an extended period of time, and they actually talk? and realize they actually like each other's company?

and they spend more and more time together, and then one night they get high and seb confesses in a rush of words that alex was the first boy he ever had a crush on. and alex laughed and said the first boy he ever had a crush on was shane. and seb laughed even harder than alex had.

"you like guys too? i hadn't realized."

"ah, well, i haven't told many people."

"your grandparents?"

"grandma evelyn was very supportive. grandpa george, well... he eventually came around. i think cuz grandma told him she'd leave him if he didn't make things right with me. she's always been my biggest supporter. with everything."

"she seems like a real nice lady. i wish my mom was more like her."

"robin seems nice?"

"she's nice, sure. definitely loves me. but it's hard sometimes. i think she still sees my sperm donor when she looks at me. and he wasn't a good man. so i can't really blame her. but i'd wish she'd realize that i'm NOT him."

"i feel ya. my mom struggled with that too, i think. but grandma knows i'm not my dad. only sees her darling grandson. and she helps me to see myself differently, too."

the silence that followed wasn't awkward. it was nice.

"have you ever kissed a boy, seb?"

"yeah. sam and i, a few times. it never really meant anything though. and i've had a few sloppy experiences here in zuzu. none of those really meant anything, either... what about you?"

"oh, uh, nah. almost, once. you remember that old man who owned the rundown farm west of town?"

"him?!"

"yoba, NO. his grandson. do you remember that summer he came to pelican town? we must've been, i don't know, thirteen, fourteen?"

"um... yeah. yeah, i think i do."

"well, he and i got pretty close that summer. and at the dance of the moonlight jellies, he pulled me aside and hugged me real tight, saying that he'd always remember that summer we had. and when he pulled away, he looked so beautiful that i almost forgot where we were, WHO we were. and i found myself leaning in, and then HE was leaning in, and then i came crashing back down to reality, and then i... ran away. and i haven't seen him since."

sebastian was awfully quiet for several moments. eventually, he responded.

"damn, dude. that poor kid."

"yeah, yeah, i know, i'm an asshole."

"nah, man. i meant you."

until then, the two had been staring up at the ceiling. now, sebastian found himself staring into two rather frightened green eyes.

"you were just a kid, man. a scared kid in a small town. you can't blame yourself for that. i doubt the farmer's grandson does either."

"i... i guess. i wish i had kissed him. wish i was brave enough for that."

they found themselves growing closer.

"are you feeling brave tonight?"

"i... i think i am."

and the small town emo and the small town jock found themselves making out on the couch they found by a dumpster in their shared apartment in the big city that their maternal figures nagged them into getting. and everything was right with the world.

[burkhxrts]

IMGONNAGETYOUBACK! [chapter one.] | A. Judge

"and if i'm not the one for you, you've got to stop holding me the way you do." -adele

summary: after the great meltdown of '24, you fly to new york to follow up with the lead journalist, not knowing that you'd run into the same person who broke your heart all those years ago.

warning(s): slight angst, cursing, reader has a nervous breakdown but she pulls through

authors note: on call for seven hours last night discussing different scenarios but we up!!!

Subject: Congratulations on Your New Role with the New York Yankees!

Dear Y/n,

I just wanted to reach out and extend my heartfelt congratulations on landing your new position as a journalist for the New York Yankees! What an incredible achievement and such an exciting next step in your career.

Covering one of the most iconic teams in sports is no small feat, and I'm sure your passion and talent will be a perfect fit for the role. I have no doubt you’ll have amazing experiences and stories to share along the way.

Wishing you all the best as you embark on this new chapter — and if you ever need anything or just want to chat about the world of sports journalism, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Again, huge congrats and best of luck as you take on this awesome opportunity!

Warm regards,

Matt Daley

“Sweetheart, please tell me the light in the kitchen is you getting water.”

You freeze like a deer in headlights, looking up from your computer. Your mother’s soft but stern gaze pierces through you, the bright glare of your computer prevents any attempt at a lie. 

“I’m getting water?”

“I didn't realize that getting water also meant computer time.” She raises her brow, pulling her baby pink robe tight around her waist. You hear the squeaks of her infamous bunny slippers as she slides into the seat in front of you. 

“What’s wrong?” she hums, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear. 

I'm being a sensitive little bitch, is what's wrong.

“Just thinkin’” you shrug, pushing your thick reading glasses up your nose.

“About?” she asks, tilting her head. God, you hate when she does that. It’s like she studies what detectives do in an interrogation. 

“Notshowinguptomyfollowuptomorrow-“

Mom sighs, drooping her shoulders. “Honey-” 

You put up your hands and swiftly stand up from your seat. “I know what you’re gonna say! I know, I need to woman up and just take the job with no exceptions.” 

Mom takes a long breath, her brow furrowing. She stands up slowly, as if considering her words carefully, then leans against the kitchen counter, arms crossed.

“Look,” she says gently, her voice soft but firm. “I know it’s complicated. But this is a huge opportunity. You’ve worked so hard to get here. Don’t let one bad experience with someone—someone who, let’s be honest, was never really the right guy for you—stop you from doing what you’ve worked for.”

You rub your temples, feeling the familiar tension in your shoulders creep up. "I know, Mom, I know. It’s just—" You sigh, pulling the chair out again and sitting down, avoiding her gaze. "Aaron... he's there. Every day. And I just don’t think I can do it. It feels like I’d be walking back into a chapter I closed for a reason. A pretty painful reason."

Mom’s eyes soften, but she’s not giving in. She steps closer, her voice more quiet now, understanding but resolute. “Bug, I get that. I really do. But think about it. This isn’t about him. This is about you—your career, your future, the next step in your life. You’re better than running away from this just because of the past. You’re strong enough to handle it. You have to choose to be better than the situation that hurt you.”

She pauses, as though she’s letting it sink in. “And think of it like this: If you don’t take the job... then who wins? You walk away, and he gets to keep his space, his job, and you’re stuck where? Sitting in this house wondering 'What if?' every day? I don’t want that for you.”

You stare at her for a long moment, her words slicing through the fog of self-doubt. Your fingers trace the edge of the table. “I don’t know if I can fake it, Mom. I mean... working in the same building as him? Every single day?”

She smiles, but it’s the kind of smile that’s both loving and knowing. "You’re not faking anything. You’re doing your job. If anything, he’s the one who’ll be faking it—acting like he doesn't notice you there. But you—you’ll be the professional. You’ll be the one who walks in, does your thing, and leaves the past behind. Because that's what you do. You move forward."

You take a deep breath. She's right, of course. As much as you want to hide, as much as you want to run from the memories, she’s always right about one thing: you’re stronger than you think. But he—he was your first love, the one that crushed you. And now? You’re supposed to work side by side in the most public of settings.

But... maybe it’s time to stop letting him have that power over you.

“Okay, fine,” you mutter, sitting back in the chair. “I’ll go to the meeting. I’ll hear them out. But if I walk in there and they start talking about game schedules and press passes like it’s all casual, I swear to God—"

Mom grins. “No promises, honey. But you’ve got this.”

You narrow your eyes, but the weight in your chest feels a little lighter. Maybe she’s right. Maybe it’s time to take back the narrative.

And if you crash and burn? At least you did it on your terms.

[sundaysconsort]

Entry : " Eyes don't lie "

Pairing : Aventurine | Oc! Shadow (@aventurineswife) ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ )

Information : Aventurine's refusal to allow Shadow any control over her own wallet is apparent. Seeking out a specific brand of glove for a dear friend, Aventurine offers to be her guide. Unbeknownst to her, it would become somewhat of a date for the pair.

Tags : Mutual Pinning, Slow Burn, Angst If You Squint, Fluff, Romance, Intimacy, Emotional Healing, Domestic, Intimacy, Mutual Vulnerability, Internal Conflict, Hurt/Comfort

Word count: 4.4k

A/N: I worked on this longer than expected, and am still not quite satisfied with the result. However, I wish to shed some light and express my gratitude towards you. Despite the chaos, I hope you enjoy.

Whether you choose to window-shop, or waltz towards an article of clothing that tickles your fancy, you're a subject left in the hands of the general public. Your eyes drift for a second too long towards their product; and you'll have somebody invite you in, warm smiles used to hold rapport.

"Jewelry, wristwatches, handbags, and haute couture… You can find the most high-end and opulent merchandise in Penacony here!" You'll face salesmen and their attempts to manipulate you, coarse you into purchasing something you know you don't need; far out of your budget. Populated streets make it a competition between rivaling stores to pick up more possible customers, "▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇!" "▇▇▇▇▇▇▇!"

The best you can do is drown it out, or choose against this and ultimately lose yourself in the industry's tactics to lure you in. Ever heard the phrase "More fish in the sea"? Well, this is not a phrase used for romance alone, oh no. You're undoubtedly the fish within these bustling streets, as each store extends their reach to hook you in.

Some, however, know how to play around their theatrics' like an expert.

"Penacony appears never to dwindle, that is for certain." Voice written in velvet, a young woman combs a hand through her hair with an exasperated sigh. Brunette strands side-swept temporarily, only to begin falling back in place. Reluctantly tearing her eyes away from a window with the glamorous assortment of garments, she is met with a familiar face.

“Neither does your beauty, dear friend~”

Eyes don't lie Eyes don't lie Say you're mine Eyes don't lie

"...Aventurine?" Her ocean eyes would narrow, soaking in his appearance. Lips parting to speak once more, "-I thought you mentioned some form of important business left you with little free time? Have I remembered incorrectly?"

Aventurine, a member of the Interastral Peace Corporation; IPC for short. His title holds weight like no other, especially after the events he played a hand in towards the present of Penacony. A member of the Ten Stonehearts. A handsome face renowned for his luck, willing to bet everything on a mere chip.

"Ah yes, I did say something along those lines." He'd hum in agreement, eyes reading hers before pulling himself back up to his usual stature, no longer level with the lady. "-So, Shadow. What brings a woman such as yourself to these streets? Has the express chosen a new destination? Found trouble within this dreamscape once again?"

"Pssh. Nothing of that sort," Shadow would roll her eyes, playfully swatting the air as if to reprimand him. His eyes focus solely on her, taking note of the wallet grasped in her hand. Pressing it inside a purse she'd thrown over her shoulder casually. "We came at someone's request-"

"-Shadow!!" A chipper voice would suddenly shout, drawing the attention of both Aventurine and Shadow. Coming into view would be a pair of women, one with a bright expression and pink hair, while the other wore a color palette resembling the rising sun. Expression is only described as exhaustion, tension written in the way she is dragged along by their friend. An arm outstretched, stumbling over her own feet which drag on the ground. "-Aventurine? Are you both..?"

The energetic lady would let go of her companion's hand and lift the same limb dramatically to her brow as if scouting the couple closely. Unsure whether she has interrupted something or not.

"My oh my, is the entire crew here? Long time no see, Friends!" Aventurine would speak, his gaze deciphering what may be the reason for their return to Penacony. "-Stella, you've certainly seen better days... I take it March convinced you to tag along?"

Strelitzia, a fellow member of the Astral Express crew. Little was known of her or her species, besides her vague similarities to the Halovians. A pair of small, fascinating wings would twitch on top of her head, lifting her gaze towards Aventurine, only for him to receive an intense stare. One filled with emotion, far too much depth to decipher in a single glance. Her eyes resemble his own in color, falling narrow, void of any sort of light despite their surroundings.

"-Stella found interest in a conversation you had over text with the Trailblazer." A voice chimed in, his head turning towards Shadow who stood tall by his side. He'd notice her eyes stuck on the lady they were casting the spotlight on. "Which led to our return. There was mention of..?-"

"...' Night Diamond'" Stella whispers, crossing her arms in discomfort. Her wings are unable to remain still, fluttering up and down impatiently, casting a shadow on her face with each subtle movement. "...Gloves."

Aventurine's lips would tug into a smug smile, pulling out his phone to scroll through his messages. Finding the exact text Strelitzia would've been interested in, "This?" The man hands the phone to Strelitzia. Her hands cautiously took the mobile device from his grasp, unfamiliar with such a luxurious casing. Looking towards Shadow who wore a warm expression, encouraging her to speak further with Aventurine.

'Take, for another example, these "Night Diamond" series gloves, the last masterpiece by the deceased design master Van Jagh. They're handcrafted and limited to ninety pairs galaxy-wide, perfect for parties and special occasions.'

"...Yeah." Strelitzia would hand the phone back towards Aventurine, pointing towards the exact message in reference. Reeling back as their hands brush against each other. Keeping to herself once again, responding to him with small glances rather than making use of her voice.

Shadow feels a free arm snake around her waist out of the blue, pulling her close to Aventurine's side, leaving little proximity between the two. Wishing to include her, and gain somebody else's insight, the gambler began turning his phone towards her, allowing a clear view of the texts. Gaining the attention of both March and Strelitzia with his hands-on approach with Shadow, keeping their lips shut.

…Until March noticed him lean his head against Shadow, their blonde and brunette hair tangled together.

"-Are you two a thing?" March would blurt, shocked by her revelation. Tilting her head in curiosity, she'd murmur for Strelitzia to hear. "...Did you know of this and not tell me?"

Strelitzia shakes her head with a pair of furrowed brows, confused by such an accusation. Unable to speak, she'd felt March take hold of her hand once more, grinning widely. "Well, I think these two need time on their own. We'll find those gloves on our own, kay? Catch you both later!"

Unable to argue, Strelitzia's wings would lay flat on her head like a saddened puppy. Turning to watch Aventurine and Shadow as she reluctantly retreats with March, disappointed their interaction with Shadow ended so abruptly.

"Well, anyway..." A sultry voice cuts through the silence between him and Shadow, Aventurine's arm loosening around the woman's waist as some passersby look at their public display of affection. "...where were we? aah, right." He'd confirm something within himself, admiring the casual appearance Shadow wore during her time out.

Can't lie to you, baby Wanna feel your body close You say that you hate me But tell me shit nobody knows

"Do we genuinely look like that in their eyes?" Shadow spoke out loud, left in shock at the idea of her friend implying such an idea. Shifting outside of Aventurine's hold, and stepping back for room to breathe.

Truthfully, Shadow knew she had been pinning for Aventurine long before March brought up such an accusation. Choosing to ignore it due to their past circumstance... but such proximity made it hard to avoid. Thoughts drifting to the idea of his feelings.

What could she possibly make of his poker face? The emotions he shields from the naked eye?

Led on for years, creating a distance, only to be in his embrace once again.

She felt her heartache, the longer her heart wished to peruse him through reconciliation.

"How about this, mh? Allow me to be your companion tonight—won't you, Shadow? I know all the best locations. Anything you seek, ask, and you shall receive~" Not minding March's behavior, he decides to lean into it. Moving on from the subject immediately, brushing over Shadow's question, leaving room for her to dwell on whether it was intentional or not.

He remains open-ended. A man left up to interpretation.

"You and I both know I can't afford any store you suggest-" Shadow clicks her tongue, arms crossed disapprovingly, finding his proposition blastomas. Hearing Aventurine release a hearty laugh.

"Ah ah ah, humor me, won't you? Plus, as I said, Tab's on me-"

"-You never said that"

Shadow's gaze would narrow, reading into his every breath. Softening as his eyes met hers, losing what little resolve she had inside. She'd turn her head aside, neither accepting him outright nor rejecting the proposal.

"Now I have," Aventurine smiles, one fueled by his irresistible charm—but she knew better. That smile never reached his eyes.

He'd lift her head with a single finger beneath her chin, guiding her to look at him once again without a motion of his own, giving her that freedom to refuse or turn. "Tab's on me, I insist." Her walls crumble.

"Right, right. Lead the way, Handsome."

"Handsome?"

He’d let out a weary exhale, not realizing it was held for an extended period, attempting to brush this interaction off.

A single word from her.

Tension unearthed from his heart, struggling to accept such praise from somebody genuine. Lips thinning, he'd force an uncomfortable smile. Coward, he thought.

"C'mon, the sooner we find those gloves the better. For Stella's sake."

Right, for their friend's sake.

He was foolish to believe this could be a moment in time—shared for just the two of them. Lowering his hand in defeat, he'd be caught off guard when Shadow takes the lead by capturing his hand before it falls, turning to walk forward with him in her wake. Fingers intertwining.

The sound of music, idle chatter, and cheers cease to exist. His heart beat uncontrollably with each step.

“…”

Aventurine’s smile fell, far too exhausted to continue once she'd turned away from him, preoccupied with her thoughts.

Pathetic.

His expression morphed solemn, holding himself together barely. Thankfully she was unaware of his turmoil, or, refused to acknowledge it. He felt utterly pathetic, his tongue tied—Left to admire her from behind, out of sight. Just how it should’ve always been.

How could he possibly deserve her? How could he protect her in this chaotic realm? Perhaps, in another life...

Shadow's hand tightens, lending him a warm squeeze in silence. His hands trembling the entire walk, clutching onto her in their brief time alone. Appreciating her willingness to play as his anchor.

They've been here before.

Yeah, you're beautiful, don't have to try Darlin', you look divine

"You'd look beautiful in this, though, ...beautiful may be an understatement." Aventurine unhooked a revealing dress from its rack, whistling and holding it in front of him. Envisioning Shadow fits snuggly in it's fabric. "-Shadow?"

"We're here for Stella." Shadow reminds Aventurine adamantly, the warm lighting of the store complimenting her body deliciously. She couldn't help but fidget, shifting weight from one leg to the other anxiously, aware of how Aventurine seemed to devour her in a single glance.

"Come now, you couldn't possibly be this against treating yourself."

"I'm not-" Shadow attempts to argue, listening to Aventurine as he raises a brow at her futile retorts. Making it clear who's in control of their predicament,

"Well, then try this on for me." His expression was written smugly, already aware of who would come out the victor. "-Shouldn't be an issue if you aren't against a little treat for the both of us?"

"What? That's not what I said-" Shadow grows frustrated, a dust of pink adorning her cheeks as her inevitable defeat approaches. Wishing to clean that smirk off the blond's face.

"Please?" Aventurine silences her, kneeling in front of her, holding the dress in his hands neatly. Lifting it towards her as a servant would for their queen, "Wouldn't you be so generous as to allow me first class witness of your absolute divinity." He winks.

"...Kakavasha! People are watching-!" Shadow's thoughts race, feeling the eyes of those around them bore into their figures. His theatrics garnered unwanted attention. Growing embarrassed, she lost her composure, voice escaping her; referring him to be somebody he was no longer before she could restrain herself.

"Let them." He shrugged nonchalantly, anticipating her response to his request. The eye's not once wavering, not once straying from his desire.

If his old identity escaping her lips bothered him, he didn't show any sign of it.

"You're insufferable," Shadow murmured, accepting her defeat as she took the dress from his hands. Holding it against her chest, the satin seamlessly drapes over her arm. Its material is cool to the touch.

"I know." Aventurine smiles, taking her criticism without complaint. Leading her to feel regret, she readied herself to apologize, only to leave it alone at the sight of him. He seemed content.

And so, she made her way to the changing room. Felt his eyes trained on her the entire way.

Eyes don't lie Eyes don't lie Say you're mine Eyes don't lie

Shadow slides the curtain in a swift motion, exposing herself and the changing room's interior, the sound of a whistle immediately meeting her ears.

"Well, If it isn't the most attractive woman in the entirety of Penacony," he'd wear a shit-eating grin. Approaching her with his usual strut, his hands slipped into her own, "I'd bet my last chip on that, sweet beacon of light." The man whispers against her ear, guiding her towards the closest mirror.

Shadow couldn't help but clench the fabric of her dress, eyes averted in an attempt to glimpse at the man behind her. Felt a hand trail from her hip, up her torso, and towards her cheek; careful to avoid anywhere she might be uncomfortable with him grazing. Guiding her to face the mirror,

"I'd argue you're the most attractive, not I." Shadow smiled tenderly, too busy looking at his reflection to admire her dress. Losing herself in his presence.

"Haha, say that once you quit ogling over me and focus those pretty eyes on yourself." He'd nudge her to look towards the mirror, nodding his head with that same confident grin. "-stunning."

His voice held a tinge of warmth, his breath brushing against the shell of her ear. Causing the woman to blush faintly, listening to his every word, not noticing the smile of her own until he playfully reached to squish her cheeks.

"Aventurine."

"Yes?"

Then followed silence, her eyes admiring the view of them in the mirror. He looked... happy. Whether it was an illusion or not, she wished to stay here permanently.

Aventurine's expression is confident, while hers is relaxed. One hand of his is enough to cup beneath her chin, pressing her cheeks together between her finger and thumb. Leaving her with a kissy face; her brows furrowed. This seems to further entertain him.

Aventurine's free hand caressed her hip, exposed by the dress's open window teasing beneath the material, skin hidden from sight. The dress itself is quite snug, complimenting the young woman's figure. A simple appeal, raven colors with a few feather-like designs on the very bottom of the mermaid flounced dress.

"What are we?"

Shadow's voice escaped her, sounding significantly more vulnerable than she anticipated.

You tell me your secrets You keep your life between your lips You know you're my weakness Tell stories with your fingertips

"What are we not?" He chuckled dismissively, unbefitting of his true character.

Aventurine wouldn't lend her a direct answer, again. What did she expect? She could sense his hesitant nature, always playing so cautious with her... her heart ached in uncertainty.

"Give me an answer, Aventurine." Her eyes narrow, refusing to play along with this game of his any further. She needs an answer. Enough hints, enough of whatever role they play in this game.

"I'm uncertain," His words came without deceit, his hands making their way to both settle on her hips, a cheek pressed against the top of her head. Hiding his expression. "I... need time to understand what the answer you deserve is."

"Aventurine, I don't want the answer you believe I want. I need your honesty-"

"-I don't know, Shadow. I don't understand what we are; I don't know." His grip tightens, almost enough to bruise. She wasn't phased, growing further concerned.

Shadow hesitates to push him any further, choosing to combat her inner turmoil in silence. She knew Aventurine better than anyone, or she believed she did, and trusted his word. Lifting an arm, Aventurine felt her fingers scratch at his scalp, soothing his weary soul.

"I don't know." He'd murmur again, feeling his composure slip away.

"Shh... It's okay." Shadow whispers, warm and comforting. "We'll be okay."

She'd recognize her own saddened smile in the mirror, observing Aventurine's stillness in quiet acceptance. Satisfied that he hasn't pulled away from her touch. Fingers tangled in his luxurious hair.

Aventurine wouldn't speak, his hands loosening to caress her skin tenderly, grounding himself. His every intention is to remind her that she's more the a shadow. She's a beacon of light in his life.

No matter how stunning she may be, in her eyes, nothing is equal to his natural appeal. Admiring him so long as he allows. The scent of his cologne rubbed off on her, her eyes shut, and the world around them drowned out.

Yeah, you're beautiful, don't have to try Darlin', you look divine

"Are you sure? This is far too expensive," Shadow said, uncertain, her brows furrowed. Staring at the dress slung over an arm, "there's no guarantee I'll wear it often..."

"Trust me, this hardly leaves a scratch on my account. Allow me to treat you tonight." Aventurine laughs, leaving Shadow no room to argue further; his hand encasing hers while they walk. "Plus, it was basically made for you, wouldn't you agree?"

They've been seeking the "Night Diamond" series gloves for longer than expected, her mind undergoing suspicion. Shadow felt as though Aventurine had been playing dumb throughout their time together. Refusing to call him out, she found herself enjoying his attempts to lengthen their time together.

Aventurine takes notice of Shadow's eyes as searches relentlessly, lingering on a dress similar to the one already draped over her arm, however, it matches his signature aesthetic rather than her own... quick to avert her gaze.

"Aren't those the gloves?" Shadow lifts their hands to point towards the lone gloves behind glass, left safely in their showcase.

"Good eye, as expected of my most trusted partner." Aventurine never missed the opportunity to praise her over the most simple of feats. Smiling warmly, one significantly more genuine than his play on confidence earlier. Whether he was aware or not, she was left unaware.

Aventurine hesitantly lets go of Shadow's hand, "Stay here, I'll handle this. If you spot anything else during my absence, well... I wouldn't mind adding it to my card" He'd wink, making his way towards an employee, leaving Shadow behind momentarily.

She'd smile fondly, watching how he conversed with the employee. His charming grin was infectious, watching his gaze before she'd avert her gaze and act nonchalant.

Just as requested, she allows him to take over. Making her way towards a golden hairpiece, from it hung an untied, yellow ribbon. Reminding her of Stella, she'd feel the material slip between her fingers,

"You want this as well?" Aventurine's voice suddenly met her in a hot whisper, breath trickling down from her ear; causing her hair to rise on the back of her neck. "I never saw you as the type to wear such a bright color, y'know, given you claim to be a shadow and all." He'd tease, feeling her press a hand clasp against his mouth and ultimately silence him; a single brow raised in question while she felt his grin against her palm.

The man's eyes glint with intent, left unnoticed by Shadow.

"It's for Stella," She'd respond, looking towards him. "-if you insist on buying me the dress, and her gloves, I... would like to buy something for her myself." Shadow's gaze soon returned to the ribbon, her eyes refused to escape the hair accessory afterward, that was until she'd recoil, pulling her hand away from his face at the feeling of his tongue against her palm.

"I- I don't even know what to say to you." She'd stare at him dumbfoundedly, her nose scrunched in disgust while rubbing the saliva from her palm to the unfortunate fabric of her clothes.

He'd merely shrug with a proud smirk, eyes sharing an unrelenting glimmer; he'd spare her momentarily. He found a moment of pleasure in her disgust, wishing to rile her up further.

"You're so....-weird," Shadow stated quietly, arms crossed, she gripped the accessory between her fingers, listening to the beat of her heart in both ears. "Let's... pay for this all and meet with the others. I wish not to leave Stella waiting longer than necessary."

Aventurine's eyes glimmered like never before, whether it was the lighting in the store or the joy of the moment. She... couldn't erase the image of his gaze from her mind. Taking a peek at him, she notices it gone once more, frowning quietly. Their dynamic is still painted blue.

Eyes don't lie Eyes don't lie Say you're mine Eyes don't lie

"Aventurine! Shadow!" A loud voice breaks through the crowd's endless chatter outside the store, "Over here!!"

Many turn their heads, looking towards the young lady who laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of her head. Embarrassed at the unintentional attention she attracted. As Aventurine and Shadow reunite with March, they look around… noticing something strange.

"Where is Stella?" Shadow is the first to ask, concerned about her whereabouts.

"Don't tell me," He paused, "-you lost poor Stella in the crowd? Poor girl…" Aventurine lifts a hand to his cheek, heightening his theatrics. Receiving a pout in return by March, and a playful glare from Shadow.

"What?! Of course not!" March defends herself, "She saw Mr. Yang and ran off without a word, she doesn't usually handle these crowds well… but something tells me-"

"Sunday came with him?" Shadow adds, a knowing expression visible on her face.

"Bingo! Or… that's my guess at least. Ehe…" March giggles once again, not minding Strelitzia's sudden urgency to flee. Perhaps Strelitzia merely took up the opportunity to escape March's excitement while she had the chance. Shadow knew better.

"To think he'd show face in his unfinished symphony…" Aventurine hums to himself, wearing his signature grin. "Perhaps this is where we part ways, mh? Shadow?"

Would her answer matter? If she asked for him to stay, would he?

"Yeah." She'd take a deep breath, remaining composed. "We've got all we came for if not more…" Shadow thinks, "-I feel I haven't thanked you enough for this."

She'd lift the bag of luxury merchandise, peeking inside the bag that felt expensive on its own. She barely could afford that hairpiece for Stella, but, managed nonetheless. Would she regret it? Of course not.

I swear friends don't get this close Pull you in exchanging souls Trace my skin, losing control

"Pssh." Aventurine waved a hand, watching how March pivots on her foot, in search of any sign of their companions. Taking this as an opening, he'd step closer towards Shadow, "I have an idea as to how you could… repay me; if you're interested that is."

Shadow raised a brow, suspicious of his intentions that are left unclear. In response, Aventurine lightly tapped his cheek with his index and middle finger, face turned at an angle that still allowed his eyes to bore into her own. Expecting something, he'd allow Shadow to interpret this however she wishes.

"What?" Shadow inquired, her heart twinged between his clever fingertips. Left unsure whether she had missed any subtle cue on what he may desire.

After what felt like an eternity, Aventurine's laugh meets her unresponsive behavior, truly shaken by the idea of his implication.

"Well, you better catch up with March before she gets lost as well." Aventurine felt hesitant to leave, however, knew it was best for the both of them they separated once again. HIs chuckle unsettling, for her; knowing that it's full of falsehood.

"Wait." Shadow spoke up, refusing to accept his attempt to leave. No, it was far too soon.

"Miss me already?" Aventurine turned towards her, his breath escaping him as Shadow reached for his face suddenly. Hands clasping each cheek, she'd lean towards him, her body pressed against his chest. The bag of goods left at their feet.

"This is what you wanted isn't it..?" Shadow's voice lowers significantly, eyes peering into his with underlining resilience.

"Haha… not quite," Aventurine responds weakly, knowing full well it's close to what he previously bargained for.

"Then if I said I wanted this, would you reject my proposal?" Shadow asks, her breath leaving a warm tingle against his skin.

"…Shadow," Aventurine says, her eye's a window to the soul. He was afraid.

"Answer the question, for Aeon's sake." Shadow grew frustrated, Before the silence could break, he'd inch close towards her. Not minding the uninvited eyes, his arms wrap around her waist, lips crashing into her own with fervor. Desperate, both members take the waltz together after an entire day of tension.

"haha…" He'd pant, eyes half lidded; releasing Shadow reluctantly.

"Haha.. can't get enough of me can you?"

Shadow's hand grasped the window of his shirt, clutching it for support while leaning in for another. "You're more attractive with your lips sealed." In quiet acceptance, he'd lean into it once again, smiling tenderly. To hell with it all, if this is what she desires, who is he to neglect her further?

Eyes don't lie Eyes don't lie Say you're mine Eyes don't lie

Once this cycle meets an end, Shadow leans down to pick up her bag of contents. Meanwhile, Aventurine adjusts his clothes, smoothing them out as if nothing had happened. Taking care of each stay's hair, he'd treat her much the same.

"C'mon Doll, can't have you returning to your friends looking like this," Aventurine admits, admiring her tousled demeanor.

Shadow argues, "And who is responsible for my appearance?"

"You're more attractive with your lips sealed." Aventurine grins cheekily, pressing a finger against her lips momentarily.

Pulling away in due time, they'd bid their farewells.

Both she and he are left with more questions than answers, and neither would have it any other way. For once, content with a goodbye, knowing it won't be their last.

Eyes don't lie Eyes don't lie Say you're mine Eyes don't lie

Fin.

[themattress]

Analyzing Celeste's Class Relationships

Because I'm in a Celeste mood often these days.

Based on all info from the games/manga/anime/stage show, plus these relationship charts.

POSITIVE

Celeste & Makoto: This is one of two of the most developed relationships Celeste has with a classmate. Makoto is drawn to Celeste because of how mysterious she is. He is instantly wary of her and under no illusions as to what a bitch she can be, yet also cannot help trying to get to know her and be nice to her in order to understand her better. As seen in her final FTE and School Mode, in spite of her best efforts this does end up getting to Celeste, leading to her promoting Makoto to "C Rank" in the former and even "B Rank" in the latter. The bond they formed even gets displayed in the Chapter 3 Class Trial where Celeste momentarily malfunctions trying desperately to stay in character when she is shaken by Makoto's earnest plea for her to just be honest, and after her execution where Makoto is upset that Monokuma tempted her into villainy since he truly did consider her a friend up to that point, with him later absolving her of all guilt in the Chapter 6 Class Trial once he learned that Junko stole everyone's memories, since nobody would have murdered anybody had those memories been retained. While the positive nature of their relationship makes sense on Makoto's end, on Celeste's end it's more enigmatic until you realize that she probably sees much of her hidden self of Taeko Yasuhiro in Makoto: a plain, boring kid with a passive talent based around luck. In learning to love Makoto and the unexpected kindness he shows to her, she is slowly, subconsciously beginning to learn to love herself beyond just the Celeste cover.

Celeste & Mondo (One-Sided): Celeste has a strange sort of respect for Mondo. While she considers him dumb and isn't afraid to let him know it, she admires him for living true to himself, the way she sees herself doing. In actuality of course, she is not living "true to herself", and she probably senses on a subconscious level that neither is Mondo. Seeing some of herself in Mondo also extends to his explosive temper, which she always calmy tries to defuse whenever it comes out. Mondo, however, doesn't care all that much for Celeste.

Celeste & Byakuya (One-Sided): Being as rich, smart, powerful and famous as she would like to be, Celeste naturally holds great admiration toward Byakuya. When she attempts to tell him that the two of them are similar, however, Byakuya takes it as an insult and tells her to shut up, as he can tell she's a mere commoner playing pretend. Byakuya thinks so little of Celeste that in School Mode he even forgets her name upon Makoto mentioning it...and then when he remembers her to be "the gambling girl", he says bluntly that he has no interest in her at all. The only time he expressed respect toward her was when she was a murderer.

Celeste & Sayaka: We only see a little of their relationship, but it seems to be one of mutual cordial politeness. Celeste appears to suspect that there is more to Sayaka than meets the eye and that she is much shrewder than she lets on, but doesn't pursue the matter. As far as she's concerned, Sayaka should be allowed her social mask just as she is allowed her own.

Celeste & Kyoko: Kyoko is someone that Celeste respects for her intelligence, something she displays in the first two Class Trials, which leads to her conversing more with Kyoko on serious matters during the third chapter. When composing her murder plan, Celeste sees Kyoko as the biggest threat to it and tries to ensure she's involved as little as possible. After being exposed as the culprit in the third Class Trial, Celeste also remarks that she knew Kyoko would figure out that she utilized Alter Ego in her plan, and before being executed specifically chooses Kyoko to give the key to Alter Ego's location, almost letting some genuine feelings slip since she knows Kyoko is the most invested in the idea of Alter Ego as a means of escaping Hope's Peak...an idea Celeste just couldn't bring herself to believe in.

For her part, Kyoko starts out not showing Celeste any more emotion than she does any of the other students. However, Kyoko's reaction in Celeste's official Relationship Chart and her commentary when Makoto brings Celeste up to her in School Mode suggest that, just like Makoto, she finds Celeste's mysterious deceptiveness intriguing and enjoys trying to "solve" her. The calm yet faintly sad way she looks at Celeste prior to her execution indicates that she does end up seeing past her facade, and the manga even confirms that she internally mourns for her after being given the key to Alter Ego, showing that she respected her too..

Celeste & Sakura: They hold a mutual respect for one another, as Celeste admires Sakura's diligence while Sakura admires the "steady courage" that resides within Celeste. In USC, after Sakura carries Celeste to where she can receive medical attention after spraining her ankle, Celeste displays an almost romantic attraction to Sakura by bemoaning the fact that she is not a handsome man because she would gladly have her live with her in her castle if she was. Sakura tells Celeste that she must have patience, for meeting the right sort of men for her dream will likely take time; advice that Celeste begrudgingly accepts from her. In the stage show where the third and fourth chapters are combined, Celeste is also shown to have respected Sakura and is thus infuriated when she sees her ingest poison, mistakenly thinking that she's simply trying to escape the Killing Game through suicide. This causes her to snap as she tries to beat Sakura to death with a metal bat so that she can instead be the one to escape: either through becoming the Blackened if she succeeds in killing Sakura, or through execution if she fails...in other words, a gamble, one that is worthy of Celestia Ludenberg.

Celeste & Chihiro (One-Sided): Celeste respects Chihiro for persevering despite the visible fear she shows, the kind of fear that Celeste keeps repressed at all times. Chihiro, on the other hand, is understandably intimidated by Celeste and thus doesn't go out of her way to hang out with her. The respect Celeste had for Chihiro means that she is angered when Chihiro dies having broken the Nighttime Rule that Celeste created, with her coldly saying that Chihiro got what she deserved for her defiance of the rule. Unfortunately, we don't get to see a reaction from Celeste upon learning Chihiro's true gender or hear her thoughts about it.

NEGATIVE

Celeste & Taka: Taka shows annoyance at Celeste for flouting school rules and not pulling her weight in group efforts enough, while Celeste is irritated at Taka for being such a hard-assed stickler for school rules even when they aren't partaking in a regular school semester. Celeste also becomes afraid of Taka when he becomes "Kiyondo", seeing him as a potential threat since he's behaving like the previous murderer, which is why she targets him for killing.

Celeste & Leon: Leon holds no interest in Celeste since he's "into more pure-hearted girls", while Celeste (like most) sees Leon as nothing but a frivolous moron. She is also angered by him starting the Killing Game by killing Sayaka when he didn't need to (whether out of anger or a misguided attempt at helping her by himself), although his execution still disturbs her.

Celeste & Hiro: Celeste dislikes Hiro immediately, since he's a lazy, imbecilic bum who has her real last name as his first name. This is why she callously frames him for murder later on.

Celeste & Hifumi (One-Sided): And this would be the other most developed relationship Celeste shares with a classmate. In Chapter 2, Celeste decides that she needs a servant in her back pocket now that the Killing Game is on, so she recruits Hifumi since he appears the easiest to manipulate. Right away, we see that a servant's loyalty means a lot to her, as any backtalk or failure on Hifumi's part risks her breaking her facade and erupting in anger. Hifumi's infatuation with Alter Ego becomes the last straw, as Celeste decides to use him and his feelings for it in her murder plot that involves killing him too after he's served his purpose in helping her. And even here Hifumi ends up causing her a lot of trouble through designing an unwieldy Robo-Justice costume which makes it impossible for Hiro to have killed anyone while wearing it, wiping his glasses of blood and throwing away the handkerchief which exposes that he was faking his death at the time, and saying her real first name of Yasuhiro before dying for real. It's to the point where simply thinking about him enrages her during the Class Trial, and thus the guilt she feels for betraying and killing him is willfully buried deep.

Hifumi, meanwhile, liked and trusted Celeste, making his ultimate fate all the more tragic.

Celeste & Hina: Their relationship is a simple one - Celeste finds Hina to be dumb and Hina finds Celeste to be mean. Despite this, they are able to tolerate one another's company often, and despite her anger at being manipulated and having two of her friends killed by Celeste, Hina still sheds tears for Celeste when she is executed, as she still valued her life.

Celeste & Mukuro (One-Sided): Mukuro as "Junko" seems perfectly fine with Celeste, but Celeste is irritated by Mukuro's inability to conceal her emotions, with her temper and vulgar language reminding her too much of Taeko Yasuhiro for comfort. Thus she coldly bids her a "good riddance" after she is killed, with any horror at her death being masked perfectly.

Celeste & Toko: Toko is as hostile and judgmentally misogynistic toward Celeste as she is the other girls, while Celeste either ignores Toko altogether or treats her with condescending amusement. And naturally, Celeste steers clear of Genocide Jack after she first emerges.

FLIPPED TO POSITIVE

Celeste & Hifumi: Whenever the Killing Game isn't a factor, Celeste and Hifumi actually get on quite well. Hifumi is able to become a competent servant for Celeste who satisfies her unquenchable thirst for royal milk tea, and Celeste in turn provides Hifumi with a lot of inspiration for his manga creating. In the past before their memories are wiped, we see a photo where Hifumi has stolen fake eyelashes from Celeste, who is trying to take them back while attempting to be angry but clearly blushing and laughing as she does so. We also know that Celeste let Hifumi in on her real name, which she wouldn't do unless she trusted him. In USC, there is even a nice moment between them at the bonfire where Celeste tells Hifumi that she will save a room in her castle for him if he ever reincarnates into a handsome vampire, and showing no judgement when he says he'd rather reincarnate into a Magical Girl. Their mutual fondness for manga is also an unspoken source of camaraderie between them.

Celeste & Taka: In School Mode, Taka mentions that he has played darts with Celeste, and in UTDP we see them engage in a friendly, respectful shogi rivalry, with Taka serving her tea every time he loses. Since he constantly loses, he bemoans his failure and calls himself a loser, which causes a fleeting showing of empathy from Celeste as she looks sad. When he finally draws against her, she praises his luck, while he insists it was the result of his hard work in never giving up challenging her, which sparks a bet between them as to whether his hard work can improve society at large or not. In USC, they even play video games together.

Celeste & Mukuro: In scenarios outside of the Killing Game, Celeste is more polite and respectful toward Mukuro. They aren't exactly friends, but there's no hostility present either.

Celeste & Toko: In USC, Celeste is shown to be friends with Genocide Jack. Knowing that she has retired from murder and not in a Killing Game where murder is required, she has no fear of socializing with her, as seen when they and Kotoko order food and have "girl talk".

Celeste & Hina: They work just fine together at the Summer Festival in USC.

[herofics]

Hii, since i saw that saw that you're asking for requests can i ask for platonic fluff with Gojo and Geto (separately)? When they chill together +playful banters?

A/N: Lol, I kinda just rambled, this is probably not very fluffy but definitely platonic

~Geto Suguru~

•He’s got his family, which you’re of course a part of too, but you’re also a bit different from the others

•You’re his best friend, and he has a different kind of relationship to you than anyone else in his inner circle

•He knows you can handle yourself in a fight, but if you were to need his help, he most likely has a few curses watching you in case something happens

•It’s a habit of his, and he does it to everyone in his family, he wants to look out for all of you

•Anyway, Geto doesn’t exactly get many days off, being a cult leader is a 24/7 kind of job so a lot of your time together is spent at his office and the cult headquarters in general

•Geto isn’t exactly a jokester, but he does have a good sense of humor and it’s compatible with yours

•He can also sometimes be quite nostalgic, so while you don’t know Gojo Satoru personally, you certainly know him by reputation and from what Geto has told you, which is a lot

•You let him talk about pretty much whatever he wants to and he extends the same courtesy to you

•No matter what your problem, Geto is there to listen even if he doesn’t always have an answer or a solution for you

•What he’s guaranteed to have are some dry humor comments and an eye roll, but he reserves those for the appropriate moments

•Sometimes when you’re upset or super tired you just sit next to Geto and just lean your head on his shoulder while he works and every now and then you even fall asleep

•He’s doesn’t mind, because it also happens to him from time to time

•Geto has never learned much else about doing hair than his signature style, so when you decided to learn how to do his hair, he was a bit apprehensive

•He let you practice while he worked, and you actually ended up becoming quite good at it 

•All kinds of braids and buns and stuff like that

•Geto dedicates most of his time to the cult, but he still makes sure to keep you in the loop about his life and to ask about yours

~Gojo Satoru~

•Gojo doesn’t have many friends, he has colleagues and students, but not really friends

•And while no one will ever replace Suguru, you are a very good friend and Gojo cares deeply for you

•You’re also a jujutsu sorcerer too, but he’s still pretty protective of you and tends to check in on you a lot during your missions

•Your missions are of course suited to your skill level, but Gojo still worries, he’s seen what can happen when a mission goes off the rails

•Anyway he loves to buy you gifts, little knick knacks and sweets, and all kinds of dumb stuff he comes across

•He also loves to gossip, so the phone calls you have tend to be very long

•Gojo will always pick up your calls, even if it’s in the middle of a mission or in the middle of the night

•When you’re chilling together, you like to watch movies or play something, be it cards or a video game 

•Gojo has incredibly bad luck with Uno though, he never seems to win and he’s a bit of a sore loser

•It’s still a lot of fun though, especially listening to all his “Oh come on”s and “What the hell?”s that he whispers under his breath

•You and Gojo tend to call each other the stupidest nicknames, like you call him “a moomin” because of his white hair or “eight eyes” because he’s got the six eyes and the glasses so it makes eight

•Even though you’re not a couple, Gojo is still pretty affectionate, he is a pretty touchy person after all

•Nothing inappropriate and not anything you’re uncomfortable with, he just likes to hug you every now and then, maybe pick you up and spin you around a bit if he’s really excited

•He’s also got a tendency to tousle your hair when he wants to annoy you or when he’s just happy to see you

[itsclydebitches]

A new stupid Ted Lasso drabble? Oh worm? 👀

“Would you still love me if I was a worm?”

It was too early for this shit.

Roy turned to find Ted staring intently at his computer screen, with Twitter—no fucking wonder he was losing his mind at 7:00am— encroaching on the Richmond desktop. Across from him Beard licked his thumb and deftly flipped a page of The Secret Garden. Had they planned this?

“Yes,” Beard said, not bothering to look up. Ted let out an explosive breath and smiled, like Beard’s promise of worm devotion meant fuck all when they had actual shit to do. Keeley was still waiting on a statement. Rebecca had a small library for them to sign. Higgins— Roy shuddered—wanted to talk finances in half an hour.

Which meant that instead of prepping for any of that in any way, Ted’s gaze crept towards him.

“Fuck no,” Roy barked.

Ted pouted. No, no, if Phoebe couldn’t sway him with doe-eyes at the tender age of six then Ted Bloody Lasso wasn’t going to do it around a fucking mustache. Roy set his teeth against the sliver of an apology trying to force its way out. “You’re a worm,” he said, as if that explained it all. Because dammit, it did.

“What kind of worm?”

Head jerking, Roy schooled his look of betrayal at Trent taking this seriously. He had his glasses off and everything, tap-tap-taping against his mouth as he stared contemplatively up at the ceiling.

“Uhhh...” Ted consulted the digital hellfire, but apparently no answers were offered up. Figures. “I don’t know. Just a worm? Are there a lot of ‘em?”

“Oh yes. Well over twenty-thousand last I checked.”

Roy twitted involuntarily. Twenty-fucking-thousand? And how the hell did Trent know that? Was he the goddamn worm whisperer? Made sense, given what a spineless pest he was.

Not anymore a voice whispered, sounding suspiciously like Ted. Yeah. Fine. He’d changed or what-fucking-ever. Roy growled and resigned himself to a worm lecture as penance.

“Worms are as varied as any species,” Trent was saying, curdling Roy’s stomach with every word. He took his pen out, mindlessly twirling it as he gathered his thoughts. “Silkworms, tapeworms, the humble earthworm. They seem quite simple on the surface and yet they’re a vital part of our ecosystem. Forget the bees; remove the worm and you risk a near total collapse of our agriculture. Ah, and did you know that the leech is a worm? Certainly they’ve been invaluable to the medical community as a natural anticoagulant. Science will always advance, but sometimes all you need is a good old-fashioned blood sucker—”

“Stop,” Roy groaned, fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt. Trent glanced over, one eyebrow raised.

“The point—sorry, my editor is always on my case for ‘overly verbose prose.’ As if she’s one to talk with those emails—the point is that if you were a worm, Ted, you would remain just as valuable a member of society as you are now. Of course we'd still love you. And why shouldn't you remain a part of our lives? I would determine your species and then set about finding a suitable environment for you. One that, hopefully, we would all be able to visit with frequency. However, if you’re a tube-worm I’m afraid you’re, well, shit out of luck, if I’m allowed to be crass. None of us are going anywhere near a hydrothermal vent and that’s even if I knew how to swim. Most land-living species would be doable though.” Trent bit his lower lip, considering. “If you were a worm I’d research everything I could about your nutrition, enrichment, life cycle. Given the magical nature of these events—I assume in this hypothetical you weren’t always a worm, yes?—I would take steps to ensure you were well looked after, should your life extend past mine. Luckily, Amelia already had a fondness for all things creepy and crawly, so I’m sure she’d be thrilled to receive you in the will. In the same vein, I’d use whatever contacts I still possess to connect with the leading researchers in Nematology and Helminthology, see if we couldn't find some way to communicate with you. I have no qualms about you being a worm, Ted, but I would miss our chats.” Trent smiled, a little wistfully, and then shook himself like a man coming out of a dream. “Why do you ask?”

“Jesus Fucking Christ,” Roy said, thunking his head down on the keyboard. Whatever these two nerds had going on he needed to bottle it and sell the shit. He'd make a fortune.

Ted let out a strangled noise. “No reason,” he said, clearing his throat. “That’s a mighty kind offer of yours, Trent, and I do appreciate it. Yes, ma'am, I do. I suppose you could say I—”

“Don’t,” Roy growled.

“—wormed my way into your heart?”

And he was done. Nearly tripping himself in his haste to leave the office, Roy unfortunately still saw the high-five Beard gave Ted—complete with a “Booya!”—and the heart eyes Trent was sending his way, fierce as fucking laser beams. Honestly, they were disgusting, the lot of them.

Still, that question was going to haunt him now...

“Wonder if Keeley and Jamie would love me if I was a worm,” Roy muttered, ignoring the look Higgins cast him and the question of where he was off to with their meeting on the horizon. Fuck finances. Worms didn't care about finances.

Roy took a right towards the exit, towards KJPR, and hopefully an answer half as romantic as the dork's.

[f1-disaster-bi]

Write about 5 very different dates throughout their relationship.

Norrix 🩷

Maybe love at first sight au and/or paparazzi au? 🩷🫂

Oooo I don't think I've talked about lot about the past in paparazzi au!

First Date

Their first date was months in the making. Lando and Martin kept dancing around each other, unsure if what they were feeling was friendship or more at the start, or if the whole long distance, constantly traveling thing would work between them.

And then Martin came to a race and Lando, surprisingly, was the one to make the leap.

However in true Lando fashion, he simply asked Martin if he wanted to check out this "cool place to eat" without ever telling Martin it was a date until Martin coped it half way through a shared desert and teases Lando relentlessly about it until Lando shuts him up with a kiss in the car.

Sixth Date

Their sixth date does not go as planned. Martin had picked out a club for them to go to after the race but Lando crashes and his whole world stops for a moment.

Although Lando is okay, he is banged up and bruised and high on pain meds. Instead of calling off the date, Martin turns staying in into a date. He goes and buys them Lando's favourite cheat food, some sweets, some stupidly patterened robes that are super comfy and fluffy socks, and he asks for extra pillows to make the bed comfy.

Their sixth date ends up being them in comfy robes and clothes, eating spring rolls and sharing some junk food while watching each other's favourite movies.

The Extended Date

Lando invites Martin to join him on his mini-world tour, especting Martin to only join for one stop but Martin clears his schedule and calls it their "extended date to make up for all the time we were apart".

Lando could fill a bookcase with photo albums with all the pictures he took of Martin looking at him with heart eyes.

Their First Public Date after being Outed

Lando almost cancels it a million times. He wants to stop being scared of people staring and the whispers. He wants to be able to hold Martin's hand in public like he had dreamed about doing but it's hard when he's still getting threats over being queer.

Martin is the one that calms him, promising to whisk them out of there the moment Lando feels anyway panicky or uncomfortable.

They go to a little christmas market near where Lando grew up. They hold hands, trade stories of when they were kids, share samples of food and Martin kisses Lando under a mistletoe claiming that it's bad luck to ignore it.

It's wonderful and freeing and the only people that come up to Lando are fans that are nice and respectful and tell them they look good together.

Their First Date as a Married Couple

Their first date as a married couple is to the end of season gala where Martin gets to see Lando accept his WDC and listen to the speech Lando has been rehearsing for days about how this wasn't just a win for him and the team, but for all those who felt they were different or couldn't be themselves, that it was for them to show them they could survive and do anything.

Martin has to pretend he's not crying because it's a beautiful, heartfelt speech, but getting to kiss Lando afterwards and be the proud husband he is, means everything to them both

Write about 5 very different dates throughout their relationship.

[ghstchan]

— incantation ;

→ pairing : hyunjin x male reader

→ summary : hyunjin is no stranger when it comes to the world of witchcraft and magic. one night, he has a bad feeling about his home and he goes to investigate but it’s not what he thinks.

→ genre : angst

→ warnings : blood, murder, betrayal, some gory scenes, mentions of sharp objects.

→ word count : 2,652

→ author’s note: i was channeling gojo satoru, scarlet witch, seulgi 28 reasons era, vengeful witch while writing this.

→ songs currently stuck in my head :

cry for me by twice, crown by seulgi, red sun by dreamcatcher, venom by stray kids, this world by ateez.

hyunjin was known by those around him as something of a psychic, in the sense that whatever he dreamed of would eventually happen in real life. everything from great fortune and luck to his friends, premonitions of demonic entities terrorizing the living, and death to those who crossed him in the past.

one famous instance of death to someone who crossed him was 5 or so years ago, when a close friend at the time, whom hyunjin considered a sibling-level kind of friend, committed the ultimate act of betrayal towards him. hyunjin and his boyfriend, at the time, had broken up, and it was a very heavy breakup in emotional terms, especially towards hyunjin. word had spread that his best friend and his now ex-boyfriend at the time were at a party together; lots of heavy drinks were involved, and his friend brought the ex over to the apartment that he and hyunjin had shared. they had hooked up that same night on the living room couch. lucky for them, hyunjin was not home.

hyunjin has a psychic ability, similar to spidey sense, when something is wrong or something bad is about to happen. some people call it intuition, but he calls it a warning sign. the voice that warns him usually says the name of the person, a command, or something that’s coming.

he was at a friend’s house because he didn’t want to be alone during such an emotional time. they were watching a movie, and just as hyunjin was about to fall asleep, that’s when the "hyunjin-sense" began. it started as a sharp sting in his mind and trickled into goosebumps across his body, which is then followed by a voice in his mind. "check home." the voice says. "do you mind if you take me home? i have to check something." he says. "is it your senses going off again?" the friend asks.

hyunjin only gave him a look and that was all the friend needed. it didn’t take him long to find the keys to his car and for both of them to head over to hyunjin’s place within a matter of minutes. the friend parks his car right in front of the apartment building. "i won’t be long." hyunjin says as he unbuckles his seatbelt. he puts his hands together in a praying gesture, and a wave of absolute silence blankets the car’s atmosphere; hyunjin is deep in thought as he visualizes the interior of the apartment and which room he’s mentally standing in. simple incantation is mumbled under his breath, followed by a simple command. "teleport."

his friend closes his eyes and covers his ears and hyunjin disappears into a blue-to-white mist. "i should probably set a timer to see how long it takes him to get back." chris says before grabbing his phone and setting a stopwatch timer.

hyunjin is now inside the apartment, standing in the bedroom. his eyes fading into a white hue to help him see in the pitch black darkness of the apartment. his arms fall to either side of his body as fingers extend and he gently pushes his hands up and down in a slow, gentle motion. "levitate slightly." his body rises a few short centimeters off the floor, as he does not want to make a sound with his footsteps. smart move on his part.

his heart begins to race, almost like his heart is like a metal detector trying to find the source of what’s making the machine go off. he can hear the creaking of the couch’s wood against the walls, moaning but not agonizing moans of someone who is in excruciating pain; it’s moans of absolute pleasure. "be silent. be careful." the voice says.

he glides towards the bedroom door, placing his hand on the doorknob. "silent." he whispers as he twists the doorknob and slowly pulls the door open. not a single sound is emitted from him opening the door, almost as if he’s a ghost. his heart beats faster as his hand twists the doorknob, as if he’s next in line to get on a rollercoaster.

chris stares at the stopwatch, which is increasing in its time. "fourteen fifty-nine... fifteen minutes. i wonder what he’s doing." he says to himself. he opens youtube to distract himself in the meantime.

the dark brown pupils of hyunjin’s eyes begin to peek through in the midst of the white clouding his corneas as he sees what’s happening in front of him. tears quickly form and roll down his cheeks, and his heart continues beating fast like it’s trying to jump out of his chest. in the living room, with the lights completely off, his best friend in the whole wide world was making love with his ex on the velvet couch.

hyunjin re-enters the bedroom and closes the silent door. his breathing trembles as he inhales and exhales, his heart hitting the overexertion point like it's about to shatter in his body. although he’s floating, his legs feel numb, and he falls silently onto the floor. his eyes can’t stop generating and releasing tears streaming down his face. "be calm. stay in control." the voice says, and almost instantly, hyunjin’s heartbeats calm down, and he wipes the tears off his face.

he takes a few seconds to regain control over his breathing before facing what’s going on within the room just beyond the bedroom door. he sits down on the floor with his legs crossed. his hands lay on his thighs, with his thumb and middle fingertips touching, and his other fingers lay still on his pants fabric.

he mumbles words in pure latin, a language considered dead within modern-day dialects. his eyes continue to form tears that glide down his cheeks, but he feels no sadness anymore. all he feels is pure anger.

the lighting in the entire apartment begins to flicker intensely for a brief two seconds, which catches the attention of adrian, AKA the soon-to-be ex-best friend, who was on the couch. "did you see the lights?" he asks josh, hyunjin’s ex. "yeah but i’m not focused on that right now. i’m only focused on you." josh says. he leans in to kiss adrian.

"go now." the voice screams in hyunjin’s mind, like a war cry. hyunjin’s eyes burst open, glowing in a crimson red color. his body teleports into the living room, directly behind josh. adrian’s eyes widen as he sees hyunjin and he screams like he’s seen a ghost. "behind you!" adrian screams to josh, but josh pulls away and looks behind him only to see nothing behind him. "wh- what? there’s nothing behind me…" josh says. "i saw him. clear as day, hyunjin was right behind you." adrian says in a fearful tone.

"babe, no one’s behind me. if he was here, he’d come right through the front door." adrian says as he laughs. he looks back at josh, only to see hyunjin standing right in front of him. "now you see me." he says as adrian screams bloody murder and is flung towards the front door to the apartment. josh doesn’t see hyunjin but only sees adrian being thrown at the front door. "hyunjin, wherever you are… this isn’t what it means." josh says as his eyes dart around the room, looking for a sign of hyunjin within the room.

the lighting in the room flickers from bright white to a dark red which is followed by slow six knocks at the front door. "josh, are you there? it’s me." hyunjin says. "do not open the door." josh says to adrian. adrian gets up off the floor and dusts himself off, running to grabs his clothes and belongings in a hurried frenzy fueled by fear. "fuck this, i’m leaving." he says.

he runs towards the front door and his hand is now on the doorknob. "do not open that fucking door." adrian says as his voice begins to tremble. "please don’t. something bad is going to happen." he adds as he begins to cry. "i’m not going to be here when that happens." adrian says as his hand twists the doorknob, opening the door and just as he’s about to leave, he stands face to face with hyunjin.

"you’re right about that." hyunjin says as he grabs adrian by his neck, lifting him up off the floor, and throws him back into the apartment. he enters the room then closes the door and locks it with a flick of his finger. "you really think i wouldn’t find out? don’t you know who i am?!" hyunjin exclaims as the room trembles with each word that leaves his mouth.

josh falls back onto the couch and sits in a fetal position, his hands covering his face as he begins to cry into his palms. adrian is searching around for a knife or any blunt object nearby to use as a weapon. adrian finds a knife and places the blade on hyunjin’s throat. "you really think you can just come in here and-" adrian is cut off mid-sentence. josh hears the cutlery begin to shake, uncovering his face only for his eyes to widen.

knives floating all across the living room, the blades pointing directly at adrian at different angles. "you do not get to speak, your actions did all the talking." hyunjin says. "you broke my heart only for you to come into our apartment, actually into my apartment since i signed the lease, and fuck my best friend?" hyunjin asks as the grip of his hand on adrian’s throat begins to tighten and his nails dig into the skin, making droplets of blood trickle down adrian’s neck.

"you broke my heart, now i break you." hyunjin whispers to adrian as his nails slowly pierce into his neck, as he screams in agonizing pain. "feel the pain you gave me when you broke me." hyunjin continues, as josh’s cries form into sobs of fear. "what was it you said earlier?" he asks adrian as both their eyes widen; adrian’s in fear as he remembers what he said, trying to push hyunjin off, and hyunjin’s eyes widen in a rising vengeful anger. the light in the room begins to turn a dark red. "you won’t be here when that happens, was it?" hyunjin asks with a devious smile.

"for once, you’re right about something." hyunjin says as his nails and fingers fully pierce into adrian’s neck, grabbing a hold of his adam’s apple. a single tear rolls down adrian’s cheek as his screams begin to fade out, then hyunjin rips out his adam’s apple, and a squelching sound is emitted.

blood gushes out of adrian’s mouth and throat, onto hyunjin’s face and clothes as well as onto the floor. soon, a pool of blood surrounding their feet grows in width and adrian’s lifeless body falls onto the floor. hyunjin’s face is covered in the dark red liquid as he stands over his ex-boyfriend's body, shocked but soon bursting in laughter. "you two are so done." he says as he turns around to face josh.

the light continues to flicker and hyunjin uses the flickering to his advantage. each time the light goes from bright, he appears one step closer to josh. in the dark, he fades away. the only thing you hear are his heavy footsteps approaching him slowly.

"joshua, you have betrayed me. how could you do something so low and disgusting, especially to me?" he asks. hyunjin’s voice echoes around the room, as josh’s cries begin to return. "in this life and the next, wherever your soul and physical entity is, i will always be there waiting for you to kill you over and over again. you will remain living in fear, trying to hide from me, but i will always find you. i will never let you go." hyunjin says as he conjures a sharp katana glowing in a scarlet red hue.

hyunjin appears in front of josh, pointing the blade at his heart. "consider this a warning." hyunjin points his index finger up then josh’s body begins to levitate up off the couch by his neck. his legs squirm around as his arms try to reach hyunjin but nothing works. "never cross a witch." he says before impaling josh’s chest and digging it into his torso until it appears on the other side, leaving the katana in. "i want you to cry for me." he continues.

hyunjin places his hand on josh’s chest, glaring directly into his eyes. his other hand begins to generate a tiny ball of glowing red fire that grows into an orb to the size of a baseball. hyunjin’s hand pulls away from his chest, transferring the magic energy into both hands now. "my voice is a spell that haunts you. wherever you are, i’m with you." hyunjin says before he slams his hands onto the center of josh’s chest. gut wrenching screams spew out of josh’s mouth as the fiery orbs burn into his skin and hyunjin’s sharp nails dig into his chest to rip his heart out.

his hands grab a hold of josh’s heart, ripping it out in a swift motion. blood spills out from the exposed hole in his chest, quiet whimpers of pain leave his mouth as he stares at hyunjin who holds his beating organ. "die." he says as he rips his heart into two with his fingers. josh’s limbs start to fall and dangle at his side, his head falling and moving side to side as he exhales his final breath.

hyunjin releases the hold of josh’s deceased body and lets his body fall onto the floor. he looks around at the mess he’s made. "what a mess." he says to himself, then snaps his fingers on both hands, making the two bodies and bloody mess all over the apartment and on himself simply vanish into nothingness as if nothing happened. "all better." he says with a smile as he teleports back to chris’ car and into the passenger seat.

"hey! how long did i take?" he asks chris, who was asleep with his phone in his hand. the car turned off by himself, and he sees the stopwatch on chris’ phone screen. "an hour and six minutes.. geez." he whispers as he doesn’t want to wake chris. he puts his hands together in a praying gesture as the car begins to be enveloped in a blue mist, then teleports the car along with themselves back to chris’ house. his car now sat parked in the driveway.

hyunjin exits the car, levitating chris’ body carefully out of the car. he unlocks the front door with a flick of his finger and enters the home. he guides his friend into his bed, wrapping his body with the warm blanket and saying a spell to help him sleep fully until morning. hyunjin closes and locks the door with another flick of his fingers, then lays on the couch, exhaling a sigh of relief. he drifts off into a deep sleep.

hyunjin’s dream starts to reveal a time in history where people were hunting down witches and burning them in an attempt to "cleanse the world of wicked evil." hyunjin could feel himself immersing himself more into the dream, as if he were inside his own dream and exploring around. not before he heard his name being called by an unknown man in his dream, turning around to see someone holding a pitchfork to his neck. "are thou a witch?" the man asks. that’s when hyunjin knew that he wasn’t in a dream anymore... or is he?