#how many variations of his name does he have lol

[aplusod]

A panel I did for @voxxazine!

[atticsandwich]

burnt toast, sunday

pairing: mephistopheles / gn!mc

slice of life, bonding with mephisto's younger brother, mephisto being a boyfail (endearingly) but he's also a really good older brother

"Don't you have royal babysitters for this kind of thing?"

"Yes and no, but I'd rather have someone I trust to look after my precious little brother."

"So you trust me?"

"Wh...?! Only because Lord Diavolo does!"

or: a babysitting favor-turned-impromptu sleepover party, accidental wingman-er, wingdemon little brother, and poor Mephisto having an internal crisis

[set in the OG timeline, pre-NB]

quick a/n: i cannot for the life of me think of a name for mephisto's brother, so watch how many variations of "little brother" i can use before u get sick of it <3 i like to picture him kinda like a Luke-sized version of Mephisto lol

a/n part 2: erm. i might've accidentally made this a full-fledged fic instead of a quick little drabble help

-

"So let me get this straight," you start, trying to process what the noble demon before you just proposed.

"You want me to babysit your little brother this weekend, because..."

"--Because I need to attend an event, and I have no one else to turn to but you, yes, that's the gist of it," he finishes, both arms on his hip as if he's recounted this to you 5 times over.

(He has.)

"What about your parents?" you inquire.

Sighing, he returns to his seat across from you, like the thought of them gave him a headache.

"Off to who-knows-where in an exclusive excursion. Last time I called they were somehow in Santorini."

"In the Human Realm?!"

"If you're wondering if there are any more demons masquerading as humans up there, no, there aren't. They'd need permission from Lord Diavolo first lest they get hunted down by Barbatos."

"Oh. That's assuring."

"It's a bad look for the Devildom if we leave our denizens unattended. Anyways, back to the topic at hand--"

"Don't you have, like, royal babysitters for that kind of thing?" you interject. "Like, you know, a personal butler?"

"Yes, and no," another sigh escapes him.

"While we do have butlers, they're more for tending to the estate. Plus, I doubt they could tend to my little brother's pasttime interests. I could very well simply hire a royal babysitter, as you would call it, but I'd rather have someone I trust look after my precious brother."

"So... you trust me?" you try to stop yourself from giving him a smug grin, but the chance was too perfect to miss.

"Wh...?! D-Don't twist my words, human! I only say that because Lord Diavolo does!" his face is flushed in embarrassment, clearly taken aback by the quip. He diverts his face away from looking at you, instead suddenly finding the Newspaper Clubroom's accent wall of interest.

Classic.

"Plus, considering your background experience with those brothers, I'd say you're more than qualified for the job."

You hold back from giggling - which he picks up on - much to his annoyance. But you find yourself curious about his home and his brother, who he's mentioned in many separate occasions. You have to admit, you'd also like to meet what kind of brother Mephisto has.

"Alright, I'll do it," you finally say, standing from your seat, fully decided.

"Wh-Really? Oh. Good. Perfect," he tries hiding the way his shoulders relax from stiffness, clearly relieved you finally agreed.

"...On one condition, though."

"Hm? Name your price."

"Ask me again, but this time, say 'pretty please?'"

(And if the students outside that room jumped from the doors suddenly bursting open, with a red-faced demon chasing a laughing human around, cane in hand, well, they'll just chalk it up as another normal day at R.A.D.)

-

"Whad'ya mean you won't be home the whole weekend?!" Mammon's whines fall on deaf ears as he watches you pack your overnight bag. You've already told him about the arrangement a few days prior, but it seems the information just processed now.

"It's not like I'm moving away, Mams."

"But what if you fall in love with his house and decide to stay there forever?!" he whines more, as you let out an amused giggle.

"I'll get you a little souvenir when I get back, okay? We can hang out then."

"Promise?"

"Promise. You won't even notice I'm gone!" you zip up your bag, finishing up your pack. As you do, a knock on your door grabs the attention of both of you.

"Yeah?"

"Um..." the door creaks open, revealing a groggy, half-awake Belphegor. "There's a guy waiting for you outside, I think he's one of Mephistopheles' drivers."

Giving the youngest demon a thumbs up, you stand, slinging your overnight bag on your shoulder. It's not too heavy, and after double checking if everything's in order, you make your way out of your room.

"Ride's here! See ya later Mams! Thanks Belphie!"

You walk past some of the brothers on your way out, bidding your goodbyes as you do, although not before taking a little extra bag full of snacks that Beel insisted you bring with you. Upon reaching the house's front gate, you're greeted by a tall demon, clad in formal wear. He introduces himself as your designated driver sent by Mephisto, and ushers you in the vehicle after you return the introduction.

The ride to Mephisto's estate is quiet, and you occupy your time by scrolling through your D.D.D, updating Lucifer that you just left the house, as he had to leave earlier to finish R.A.D-related paperwork. You also send updates in your group chat with the brothers, as well as the guys from Purgatory Hall - who insisted on getting updates, too.

Before long, the car pulls up to a giant, gilded gate - extravagant feels like an understatement, you think, the intricacy of its details almost reminding you of classic gothic architecture from the Human Realm. The mansion itself isn't something to scoff at either; you already knew Mephisto's family was filthy, stinkin' rich - Mammon's words, not yours - but seeing it yourself is an entirely different story.

The car slows down to a halt, stopping at the manor's front entrance. The driver quickly exits the vehicle to usher you out, before driving off to a separate part of the estate. Mephistopheles is standing by the front door, already dressed up for the event he mentioned.

"Lookin' good, Mephisto! That coat looks great on you," you tease and wave a greeting.

"You've arrived. I trust the drive was pleasant?" rolling his eyes, he pretends not to hear anything you just said.

"Definitely beats walking to here, that's for sure," you say as he opens the door for you, beckoning you inside

"Someone's being a gentleman today!"

"Tch," he furrows his brows in annoyance. "Only because you're a guest, so don't get used to it," You can't help but giggle at the treatment, saying a quick thanks as you walk in.

His manor is huge - the large, open foyer that greets you the second you step in is embellished in gold and marble pillars, with a chandelier befitting its grandeur. A portrait of two demons is its centerpiece, who you can assume are his parents. He leads you through an arched entryway leading to the living room, decorated with a large ornate rug and furniture that looks like it got taken directly from a rococo painting - not to mention the actual rococo-style paintings hanging on its walls.

"As you can tell, this is the living room," he pauses for a bit before continuing. "Although we only really use it if my parents have guests over. Even then, they prefer having tea at the backyard."

"Dude, your house is like, a museum," words fail your thoughts.

"Don't be ridiculous, you've been to the Demon Lord's castle plenty of times for you to still be ogling at some gilded furniture."

"Yeah, but he's like - the prince - and I already expected that anyway since the word castle is in the name, y'know?"

He rolls his eyes, continuing the mini-tour.

"Past that hall is the kitchen, and the dining hall is opposite of it," he points out. "Don't worry about food, though. I've already informed the butlers of your staying. They'll call when food is ready. You can ask tea from them at any time, as well."

"Aw, really? I kinda wanted to try cooking at a fancy mansion..."

"Don't you already do enough cooking at the House of Lamentation?"

"Yeah, but I rather enjoy it - plus, my baking skills are a bonafide way to make any kid like me! Or at least, that's what Luke says..."

He rolls his eyes again, before sighing in resignation. "Knock yourself out then, I'll let the butlers know. They'll inform you where everything is if you ask."

"Heh, thanks Meph." he grimaces at the even-shortened nickname, but lets it slide anyways.

"For the main point of you staying here, my brother's room is upstairs," he leads you to a set of staircases at the end of the living room leading to a large hallway at the second floor. "Follow me to his room - I've made arrangements so the room next to his can be your quarters. There's an en suite bathroom, so you don't need to worry about that."

"Thanks, you've really thought of everything, huh?" he rolls his eyes again, but doesn't retort.

"My brother's quite shy, so it might take some time and a bit of coercion for him to warm up to you. He's never really had a proper babysitter before," he pauses, stopping at one of the doors, before giving a firm knock.

A soft "come in" can be heard from the inside, as Mephisto and you enter the room. The room itself is quite different from the overall feel of the mansion - it's a lot more casual and comfortable. It's still quite large, with a seating area and a multiple bookshelves, leading to a large bed. You see a young demon seated in a sofa, book in hand, as he stands to greet his brother. He's about the same size as Luke, although unmistakably of the same blood as Mephisto - similarly colored well-kept hair, green eyes... yeah this demon is definitely his brother.

"Big brother!" he greets enthusiastically. Just from that, you can tell how close they are. "-- and... um..."

"Hello there," you give the smaller demon a wave and your warmest smile. Embarrassed, he hides his face behind the book he's holding.

"No need to be shy, this is, er, my friend from RAD who I mentioned will be looking after you while I'm away," he explains. The younger demon peers at you from his book, before nodding to his brother.

"Hello..." he's too cute, you think, almost wanting to squeeze the life out of the boy. He continues looking at you, until it looks like something clicks in his head.

"Big brother, are they the human you keep telling me about?"

Oh? You had to stop yourself from spitting out a noise in surprise, although turning to Mephisto, who's suddenly beet-red from what his brother said, didn't help your cause, and unfortunately, just made you want to let out a louder laugh. His younger brother's eyes just sparkle even more.

"It is you! Big brother's told me about you before! You're even prettier in real life!" his enthusiasm is cut short when Mephisto covers his mouth to keep him from saying anything else, although he's conveniently looking everywhere but at you. For now, you spare him mercy and lean down to his younger brother's height.

"That's nice of you to say," you smile, Mephisto's hand finally releasing his brother's mouth. "Your big brother has also told me about how much of a wonderful little brother you are."

He's embarrassed again, returning to hiding his face behind his book. The moment is interrupted, however, when Mephisto's D.D.D starts beeping an alarm, and, upon seeing the time on the screen, turns it off and nods to the two of you.

"Ah, that means I must take my leave. I'll leave you to it then - and uh," he turns, looking at his younger brother. "Please don't embarrass your big brother..." he half-whispers to him, although you hear it quite clearly. "Give me a call if anything happens. I should be back by lunchtime tomorrow."

"See ya, Mephisto!"

"Take care, big brother!"

-

Looking after Mephisto's younger brother is a delight, you think. Although the demon was indeed, pretty shy at first, the moment he saw your Ruri-Hana keychain dangling from your D.D.D - gifted to you by Levi - his eyes started sparkling and all the icebreaker meekness got thrown out the window.

"I-I love Ruri-Hana! I watch all her shows!"

"Why don't we have a little watch party tonight? I'll bake some themed cookies, too!"

"R-Really? You'd do that?" his voice is clearly quivering from excitement at the prospect. You giggle and pat his head in response.

"Absolutely! If you want, you can help, too!"

The elated smile he gives in response is bright, and he pulls you across his room to show you the little corner where he keeps all his memorabilia. His enthusiasm is endearing, and you can't help but feel a sense of older-sibling duty, not too dissimilar as what you feel with Luke.

"Wow! That's a figure of that one time she dressed up as Santa-Devil for a Devilmas special!" all the bingewatching with Levi finally paid off, as you silently thank the third-born in your head for getting you into the franchise as well.

For a while he shows you his collection, until you have an idea and pull out your D.D.D. You show him pictures of a recent convention you went to with Levi, and all the pictures you took with Ruri-Hana franchise cosplayers. His eyes light up at each one, excitedly naming each character. Not long after, a butler knocks on the room, informing the both of you that lunch was to be served.

The dining hall, despite only having you and Mephisto's younger brother, is filled with chatter as you both eat. You learn that he also reads a ton of books, a sentiment that you share. He tells you his favorites, and expresses interest on reading Human Realm literature. You promise to bring over some the next time you're over, which excites the little demon.

After lunch, you start prepping for baking, and after being given a quick kitchen tour by a butler, you work on laying out everything you need. Mephisto's brother is on the other side of the counter on a step stool, so he can see the countertop, pencil and paper in hand, drawing cookie shape ideas to fit the theme.

By the time you both finish cutting and carving off shapes for the dough, it's already late afternoon and the butler comes by to offer you both tea and some light snacks. The younger demon suggests a tea break in the garden, and you go along with his suggestion. He leads you outside through a hallway past the kitchen, and you're greeted by a large expanse of lush flora, and even further, you spot a large clearing where multiple Devildom horses are grazing.

"That midnight one over there is the fastest, he's my big brother's favorite!" he points out, and you spot the horse in question. It's a gorgeous stallion, its fur seemingly glittering under the Devildom moon.

"I have a horse of my own too, but big brother says I'm still too young to race..."

"I'm sure you'll be at it soon!" you assure him. "I don't know much about horseback riding though, so you'll have to show me the ropes when the time comes."

"Oh! Maybe big brother can teach you! Then you'll be able to ride horses, too!"

You lightly laugh at his enthusiasm at the topic, although the image of Mephisto helping you on a saddle flashes in your mind. You hurriedly swallow down the thought - and the slight fluster - with some tea, before you can dwell too much on it.

"I doubt your brother likes me enough to teach me," you lightheartedly joke. The furrow in the young demon's brow slightly surprises you though, as he turns to face you.

"That's not true! Big brother likes you a lot!"

"He... does?" He does?

"Yeah! He's a bit weird about it sometimes, though. He says he's impressed by you and how you reign around the demon brothers, but then he'll also say how much he wants to squeeze the 'life out of your pretty face!'"

"Ah..." your cheeks are quickly turning red, but you try to shake off the imagery. You take another sip of tea to try calm your beating heart down.

"I don't know what he meant by that, though. I don't want him to crush your face!"

His childlike naivete reminds you of Luke, causing you to laugh. "Don't worry, I'm sure he didn't mean it literally," you assure him. You pause, in thought for a second. "So... what else has he said about me?"

"O-Oh! He says that you're such a hard worker. He's told me that not only are you a student council member, you're also a sorcerer's apprentice! That must be hard..."

"Well, it is, but I manage. I do enjoy being in the Devildom, after all."

"He...uh, he says he hopes you're getting enough rest though," the younger demon's voice pauses, a bit hesitant to continue, which you pick up on.

"Hm?" Interesting. "What do you mean?"

"Uh, um... sometimes he'll complain about finding you asleep around school and that now he has to make sure no one disturbs you... so he-ah--! I think I've said too much! Please don't let big brother know I told you!"

You're thankful he's hiding his face in shame because you're pretty sure your own face is also red from being flustered. In your head you're already teasing Mephisto with this information, but you can't deny that your heart fluttered upon learning he's been watching over you all this time - how typical of him, you think.

"How about I tell you a little secret too? Just between us," you offer, calming him down.

"Um... okay, I'm listening," his eyes are focused on you now, clearly all-ears in anticipation.

"I really like your big brother, too."

"R-Really?! You do?"

You nod your head in assurance. "Promise not to tell him though?"

"Yeah! I promise!"

"Alright then. How about you help me make the icing for the cookies now so we can decorate immediately after dinner?"

Before he can respond, however, your D.D.D. starts ringing from where you put it on the table. Looking at the caller I.D., you can't help but breathe out a little giggle. Speak of the devil.

"Meph? What's up?"

"I'm just checking in to see how everything's going. There hasn't been any problems, has there?"

"I-Is that big brother? I wanna talk to him!" again, this kid's enthusiasm is endearing.

"Here, why don't you talk to your brother?"

-

To say he's been restless the entire event is an understatement - Mephisto has been fidgeting and pacing back and forth the entire time. It's not that he doesn't trust the human to look after his beloved sibling, no, it's the dawning realization that his brother might start saying things. Suddenly, the countless R.A.D. stories he's told him that involved you became embarrassment fuel. He's tried distracting himself by socializing with the other nobles in the grounds, however all the attempts have been proven futile. Glugging down demonus didn't seem to be working either, having to be cautious that he wasn't drinking too much.

Checking the time, he infers that it should be fine to give a call - just to make sure, he assures himself, scrolling his contacts list until he spots your name.

Just one call, Mephistopheles, don't overthink it!

A few rings later, you pick up, and he lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in.

"Meph? What's up?"

"I'm just checking in to see how everything's going. There hasn't been any problems, has there?" he's fidgeting the cuff of his sleeves, still restless.

"Is....brother? I wanna....talk....!" he recognizes the voice in the background as his little brother, although talk about poor reception - he'll need to speak with the venue coordinator later.

"Here... don't.... talk.... brother?" the reception sounds like it's getting worse, which is not helping his nerves at all - he can't decipher what either of you are trying to say.

"Brother.... help.... icing.... decorate.... watch.... bad guys....."

?!

"H-Hello? Are you still there? Hey! What do you mean help?!" he's frantic now, trying not to jump to any conclusions - in any case though, he definitely heard his little brother say help and bad guys before the line got cut off from the poor reception... Right?

So like any responsible big brother would, he apologizes to the event host, citing an emergency, and hurriedly calls for his chauffeur to get him home as soon as possible.

-

"Hm? That's weird, the line got cut off..." you both stare at your phone screen, wondering what happened.

"Oh...."

"Don't worry," you try conforting the younger demon. "I'm sure he just had some business to attend to. Let's try calling him again later, yeah?"

"Okay! I wanna tell him about the Ruri-Hana cookies....!"

"Let's go prepare the icing then!"

Nodding, he excitedly gets up from his seat, taking your hand as he hurriedly leads you back to the kitchen. Upon arriving, you both immediately get to work, and he picks out food coloring combinations while you mix up the icing base, dividing it into multiple bowls. He's at first worried that there wouldn't be enough colors, until you remind him that he can mix for new ones, and he's back to excitedly listing down which colors correspond to which bowl.

You both finish prepping everything just in time for dinner; the little demon scarfing down his meal as fast as he could - almost reminding you of a certain ginger demon - and you laugh as you try to match his pace. Before long you're both back in the kitchen, watching the first batch of cookies turn a nice golden color before pulling them out of the oven to cool. You explain to him that the cookies need to rest first before decorating, and he resists the urge to take one cookie as a trial piece. Endeared, you give in and tell him he can get one cookie - as a treat for being such a good helper, you say.

"It's already so good!" he exclaims.

"Heh, I bake a lot with the brothers back at home, so I'm glad you like it!"

"I'm serious! These might be the best cookies ever! I can't wait to decorate!" you swear that if he wasn't restraining himself, he would've been bouncing up and down in excitement. To satiate his energy, you ask him to start preparing the Ruri-Hana CDs in his room, so the watch party can immediately proceed once the cookies are ready. He happily obliges, rushing off upstairs.

Giggling, you take out your D.D.D to pass the time while waiting. Recalling Mephisto's call earlier, you decide to contact him to give an update, as his call from a while ago got cut off. Surpisingly, he answers the moment the call beeps.

"Hello?! Is everything alright there?! Don't worry, I'm by the gates now so-"

"Uh... Mephisto? Are you okay?" he sounds panicked and in a rush, much to your confusion.

"Wh-?! The call earlier, I heard something about a bad guy and needing help?!"

Ah, it immediately clicks for you.

"By any chance, did we get cut off because of bad reception?"

"Well... uh... yeah?"

"Mephisto," you stifle a laugh, but can't help but let it out. The demon on the other side of the line sounds bewildered, urging for clarification. "I think you misheard what your little brother said, and jumped to conclusions."

The line is silent, almost eerily so. You try to stifle another laugh, to no avail.

"Meph, you do realize I'm a capable sorcerer and have seven demons on my beck and call if anything bad were to happen, right?"

"Listen--"

"Please don't tell me you panicked and left your event early."

"Don't rub it in!"

"Well... at least you're in time to help us decorate cookies?"

"Shut up."

You laugh again at the absurdity of the situation as he hangs up, just in time for his younger brother to come trotting down the stairs.

"The CDs are all ready! Can we decorate now?" his pleads, eyes sparkling.

"We can, but I think we have a surprise guest. Why don't we meet him out front?"

"Huh? Who else is coming?"

"You'll see. Come on!"

-

By the time the two of you reach the foyer, the front door is already opening, revealing a disheveled, clearly drained Mephistopheles. You stop yourself from laughing, again, while the younger demon next to you jumps in surprise.

"Big brother! You're back early!" he runs up to him to greet him into a hug, which Mephisto reciprocates, giving him a pat on the head, as well.

"Yes, yes. I was, uh... able to leave early due to some--" he turns his gaze at you, furrowing his brows, flustered. You let out a small huff of air, looking away. "--circumstance. I trust your day was well, my dear brother?"

The younger demon gives a vigorous nod of excitement. "The best! I love my babysitter, big brother! They're the coolest!"

"Really, now?" he raises a brow in interest, urging his brother to continue.

"Yeah, we were just about to decorate cookies for our Ruri-Hana watch party... Oh! You should come help us decorate, big brother!" he doesn't even let the elder respond, already dragging him towards the kitchen. You follow suit, entertained by the two brothers. Mephisto looks behind towards you, casting a questioning glance, and all you do is mouth you'll see.

At the kitchen, Mephisto is given a quick crash course by his little brother about which colors to use, and what to decorate, pulling out the drawings he did from a while ago. Being the doting older brother that he is, he can't say no, and instead tries to follow the instructions he's being given. You transfer the separated icing mixtures into piping bags and show the two brothers the trick to get icing out evenly with even pressure and a steady hand, and despite some mishaps - mostly on Mephisto's part - you finish decorating every cookie, now having a gorgeous Ruri-Hana themed spread. You make sure to take a quick photo to send to Levi later.

"My work here is done then," you proclaim, dusting off bits of flour from your arms. "I'm guessing you'll want me gone now since you came back early...?" you turn to Mephisto, waiting for a quip from him.

"Wha- No...!" his younger sibling is immediately at your side, grabbing ahold of your shirt. "You can't leave yet! We were gonna watch Ruri-Hana!" his voice cracks.

"Big brother, you won't let them leave yet, right...?" he gives Mephisto a pleading look. You glance at him as well, and he catches your gaze. Flustered, he looks away, huffing.

"W-Well... I suppose you already did make plans, so..."

"Did you hear that? You can stay...!" he jumps in excitement, still grabbing onto you. "You can watch with us, big brother! We'll tell you all about the show!"

"And he did help with cookies," you add.

You can tell he initially wanted to decline the offer, but one look at his brother's expectant eyes crumbles him down immediately, sighing in resignation.

"F-Fine. You can leave the cookies here, I'll bring them up after I change."

Giggling, the younger demon proceeds to urge you quickly up to his room, where the watch party is set up. You suggest building a pillow fort while waiting for Mephisto, and if you thought the little demon couldn't get even more excited, you were mistaken. He's immediately onboard the idea, taking all the blankets and sheets off his massive bed. You quickly stop by to what was supposed to be your room to grab additional pillows and blankets, bringing it back to the other room.

The fort is a little rough around the edges and haphazard, but the younger demon doesn't seem to care, smile never seeming to go down. Mephisto enters the room a little while later, tray of cookies in hand, looking more casual than usual.

"I've brought the cooki-- Er, what are you two doing?"

"Big brother, look! We made a pillow fort! We can watch Ruri-Hana even better now!"

"A... fort? I fail to see any sort of resemblance..."

"Just get in here," you urge him, taking the tray off of his hands, setting it at the center. Mephisto's brother has already found his spot near the side, hugging a large Azuki-tan plush close to himself.

"Oh! You can sit next to me! That way, I can tell you all my favorite parts! And big brother can sit next you!" he suggests. You comply, trying not to think much about the seating placement, or if the little devil had ulterior motives. After taking your place, Mephisto is still standing outside the fort, seemingly in conflict with himself, staring at the empty space next to you. You pat the spot with your hand, inviting him in. You hear him groan in contempt, mumbling an "I guess that works" to himself as he sits next to you. You giggle at his resignation, and he casts you a glare, although you could tell it had no bite.

The watch party starts off without a hitch - you and Mephisto's little brother gleefully react at all the exciting scenes, as if you've never seen the show before. Mephisto seemed confused half the time, although it's clear he was entertained enough to stay. You humour him every now and then by explaining some of the finer details, and he's surprisingly very attentive. It's not long before he brings his own commentary on the table on certain scenes, prompting discussions and lighthearted debates between the three of you.

Hours and a whole tray of cookies later, the younger demon next to you has drifted off to sleep, curling himself in, Azuki-tan plush by his side. Mephisto, although initially wanting to transfer him to his bed, eventually gives in to let him continue sleeping as is - it's a pillow fort, nothing's more cofortable! - you assure the usually snarky demon, who sighs in defeat.

"He's a really sweet kid," you tell him, placing a blanket over the young demon, who snuggles in comfortably. "--very much unlike his big brother," you add, teasing him.

"He's nice enough for the both of us," his reply is sarcastic, rolling his eyes in addition as a response. "But yes, he's the best brother I could ask for."

"Hah, just now, you kinda sounded like Lucifer when he gets drunk--"

"Do not compare me to that arrogant, self-absorbed, goat-horned jerk."

"Oh, that's a new one. I'll have to use that sometime," you laugh quietly, careful not to disturb your snoozing fortmate. You notice him trying to stifle his own laugh, more amused than he lets on.

A welcomed silence envelops the room, the lowered volume of a Ruri-Hana episode still playing in the background. You can't help but stare at his screen-illuminated face, engrossed in a fight scene between Ruri-chan and the epsiode's focused monster. It's not long before he catches you staring, however, but instead of a sneering quip, he instead gets flustered and turns his head back at the screen.

"So... uh," he starts, still trying to find what he wants to say, although his eyes are still glued to the screen, albeit unfocused.

"For... today. Thanks."

"If it's for looking after your brother, there's no need to thank me. It was fun."

"No, not only that. In truth, I was worried he wouldn't open up to you, and, well..." he breathes in, finally turning to face you. "I didn't like the idea of you two not getting along, I guess."

"Hey, I already told you, kids love me! ...I think," you say. It's light, but you hear a semblance of a laugh escaping him. "Plus, I got to learn a little bit more about you, too!"

"Hm? Like what?"

"Well... I got to meet your favorite horse - he's really pretty, by the way."

"Ah, so you've met Faust. Yes, he is a stunner, befitting only of someone such as myself," he huffs in pride.

"Speaking of, you should totally teach me how to horseback. Your little brother kinda got me intrigued."

He pauses for a moment, as if in thought. "I suppose that's not an... unfavorable idea. I'll consider it."

You're a little surprised, not expecting him to agree, but at the same time, you realize it was his own way of attempting to get closer to you. Recalling what his little brother said that afternoon, you decide to push your luck a little bit further.

"I uh... also learned that despite how you act, you're always looking out for me," it's your turn to avert your gaze, thankful that the room's dimness was enough to hide the pink tinge on your cheeks.

"Wha-ugh... He told you, didn't he..." the giggle you let out in response is light, almost inaudible with the show's ending song playing in the background.

"I think it's quite endearing," you assure him. "I mean, the brothers already try their best to make sure I'm always safe, so knowing you go out of your way to do so too, regardless... It's a nice feeling. Thanks, Mephisto."

"Y-Yeah..."

Silence envelops the two of you again, this time completely, as the screen in front of you fades to black, signifying the episode's end. Carefully, you shuffle yourself a little closer to him, and you take it as an invitation to go further when all he does is look at you quietly.

Wordlessly, you lean your head against his shoulder, softly breathing in the remnants of his perfume from earlier in the day; a comforting scent compounded with Mephisto's natural one. He stiffens at your action, but almost immediately relaxes himself, his hand finding yours under the sheets. His hand is chilly, you think, the demon obviously nervous, but you urge him to continue by letting out a gentle hum of assurance and giving his hand a quick squeeze.

"Hey, Meph?" you whisper, leaning yourself closer to him.

"Hm?" you can feel his head turn to look down on yours.

"I like you."

"Ah... I--" he's breathless, despite already seeing the confession coming. He's thankful the darkness is hiding his extremely flushed face, but he's unsure if you can hear how loud his heart is beating.

"I like you too."

You giggle lightly, squeezing his hand again, this time, a bit warmer. You feel him squeeze back, as you feel yourself starting to drift off to sleep.

"I know."

You're unaware of it, but as he hears your breathing relax and as your body naturally leans a bit more towards him, he's smiling at your form softly, planting a kiss on the crown of your head.

"Sleep tight."

-

Devilgram, the next morning

@ minimephisto : [img attached of you and mephisto sleeping, your head leaning against his chest, his head rested atop yours] my big brother and my favorite babysitter are so cute together! ( ⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝)♡

see all replies (20)

mammoney : hey! what the hell! get that bastard away from my human!

lucifer : language, mammon. mephistopheles, i will deal with you myself.

asmobaby : awwww! look at those lovebirds ♡

stn : you're not helping, asmo

-

thank you for reading! my asks are also open if anyone would like to request something. ofc, there's no guarantee that i'll do it (haha) but i'd love to hear suggestions :>

[satoruxx]

unanswered.

zhongli x reader | 1.1k+ words

——»» fluff, angst, implied death, established relationship, lol i apologize in advance for this

zhongli finds it endearing how curious you are.

you’ve admitted to him many times that you found his vast knowledge to be intriguing, it being one of the reasons why you fell for him to begin with. he thinks it somewhat flattering, but more so he finds it to be quite sweet. he likes that you ask him so many questions about the things you don’t know.

“teyvat is so big,” you explain to him, leaning against his shoulder as he sips his tea with a smile. “there’s so much for me to learn.”

——»»

he’s indulgent with you, answering your questions with patience no matter how childish.

“what exactly are adepti?” you ask him one day. it’s one of the first questions you ask, when your relationship is still relatively new, and he can only chuckle as he pats the hand you have looped through his.

“curious are we?”

you giggle, tightening your grip on his bicep and pressing yourself closer to him. “humor me. i know you’re an adeptus right? but what exactly does that mean?”

he explains to the best of his ability. about how he used to be the prime adeptus before he became the archon you revered. how he was the leader of the adepti who made a contractually binding agreement with them to protect liyue and its people.

you listen with wide eyes, not interrupting the flow of his voice save for the occasional nod. he thinks it’s adorable, how much you want to learn about him. he’ll tell you anything you want to know.

——»»

you quickly learn zhongli always had an answer. there’s not a question you’ve discovered that he cannot reply to. it’s awe-inspiring how 6,000 years of ever accumulating knowledge could be encapsulated into one being. you intended to make use of this privilege you were granted. having this much knowledge at your disposal was definitely a blessing, and when you stopped to think about the reason you were given such a boon, you could not find an answer. why the archon with so many names took an interest in one small human was beyond you. so you decide to ask him.

zhongli only raises a brow, eyes like golden honey as he stares down at you. “hm, this is a new variation of questions.” he gently leans forward, holding his chopsticks to your lips. you frown, though you take the bite like it’s routine. it is, and zhongli knows this.

“hey now, mr. zhongli said that he would always answer my questions.” you pout as you stare at him, still chewing. “archons shouldn’t lie. it’s setting a bad example for your people.”

he lets out a soft chuckle, shaking his head with a fond sigh. “alright, my love. you wish to know why i took an interest in you, correct?”

you nod eagerly, eyes shining with a familiar curiosity.

“well, i’ve met thousands of humans in my lifetime.” zhongli answers, his gaze trained on the swirling contents of his tea. “but you certainly were the most interesting.”

you deflate, crossing your arms. “what does that mean? i’m just as boring as any other human. wouldn’t one of the great heroes or someone famous be more interesting to you?” you question and zhongli laughs, eyes crinkling with amusement.

“no. because they are not you.” he answers. at the confusion in your face, he leans forward and presses his lips to your forehead.

“everything about you, from the outermost layer of your skin, to the innermost crevices of your soul, are absolutely beautiful. there are many words in the language we speak that may be adequate to describe the way i feel for you. you are bewitching, enticing, thoughtful, selfless, quite benevolent...” zhongli hums with a smile, reaching forward to tuck a strand of hair away from your face. he studies the surprise in your expression and decides not to comment on the flush in your cheeks, instead continuing with a bit of mirth. “…and absolutely mundane.”

your jaw drops, reaching out to smack his shoulder lightly. he only laughs, gently taking your wrist and pressing a kiss to your palm. “but it is that same mundaneness that makes you all the more interesting to me.” he finishes.

the smile you give him after that is uncharacteristically rewarding.

——»»

“what do you think it feels like to die?” you ask zhongli one day. your voice is quiet as you stare up at the ceiling. it’s a new type of question, both deep and tragic, unlike anything you’ve ever asked before. he contemplates your question slowly, letting a rueful smile grace his face.

“i wouldn’t be able to tell you, my beloved.” he finally answers, his fingers threading through your hair delicately. your skin is warm as you trace the faint glowing on his bare arms, a reminder of the powerful element he controls. you sigh, nodding your head before a playful smile tugs at your lips.

“i’ve finally found a question mr. zhongli can’t answer.”

his good natured laugh echoes through the room as he pulls you closer to him. “indeed you have.” he says softly. he’s smiling as you drift off to sleep in his arms, but there’s an odd feeling that settles in his chest, one that seems almost bitter. he chooses not to dwell on it, instead opting to let his body rest in the safe haven of your embrace.

he’d rather not think of anything else, even though he knows that soon enough he’ll have to face this gnawing in his gut. he knows it well, because it’s written in the stars.

——»»

“what do you think it feels like to die?” you’ll ask zhongli one day. he’ll only be able to hold you close, his golden eyes attempting to memorize everything he can about you in this moment. he’ll shake his head, his once rueful smile now looking so much more weak in the face of your inquiry.

“i…wouldn’t be able to tell you, my beloved.” he’ll whisper, pressing his lips into your hair. his chest will ache with something familiar, but the intensity is new.

this time, however, you’ll attempt to answer your own question. he’ll feel your fingers squeeze his, and your voice wobble as you laugh. “i bet it doesn’t hurt.” you’ll say to him.

this will be your last question, and he’ll search for an answer for the remaining eternity he has left. he’ll search and search, determined to find out because the day you are reborn and given back to him, he’d like to answer your question, just as he always did.

zhongli has never liked leaving you unanswered after all.

[audreyscribes]

Wait?! I had another idea (I’m so sorry I don’t mean to spam your inbox, feel free to ignore me if you want).

So like, a child of Pandora, Pandora is an immortal in the Pjo universe but not necessarily a goddess. So if she had a kid I feel like they’d be something like a demigod or legacy (considering Pandora was brought to life by the gods) but also like kinda not.

Like do you see the vision.

They just kinda show up at camp and the campers are just slightly in constant fear at the thought of the child of Pandora releasing some kind of evil upon them.

Meanwhile the child of Pandora is just minding their own business and like playing pinochle with Mr D.

I mean you can argue that all of humans are technically a legacy of Pandora, being First Mortal Woman that was formed by the gods…alright I’m joking. I know what you’re getting at lol. 

Pandora becoming an immortal after her death would make sense if we go with Pandora being made with the hands of the gods and their essence mingled in with her, and she is immortalised by memory by being said-first woman and also for opening the Jar that led to…humanity suffering all kinds of evil that plague mankind. 

I can see her descendants being treated as a legacy, since she’s not really a god so she can’t have demigod children, and you can make the argument that Pandora is a demigod too but schematics and technicality. 

As for the legacy of Pandora being received…well legacies and reputation does exceed and carry on very well. With the variation of tellings that Pandora released the plagues of evil was unintentionally, as the gods made her very curious and she opened it unknowingly, or evil and cunning because the gods told her to and she complied; honestly, the gods made Pandora to open the evils in punishment and so it just sticks unfortunately. Being a descendent of Pandora does have its advantages however. In the PJO retelling of the story, Zeus took Aphrodite’s suggestion and had Hephaesteus moulded Pandora out of clay; Zeus breathed life into her; Aphrodite gave her great beauty and charm to make her irresistible; Apollo with how to sing and play the lyre; Demeter with how to tend to a garden; Poseidon gave Pandora a pearl necklace and promised she would never drown; Athena gave her cleverness and curiosity and weaving and crafting, Hermes with his ‘deceitfulness’ (In Hesiod version, Hermes gave her boldness and cunningness specifically). 

So you can imagine that being a descendent/legacy of Pandora, there’s a chance you either have all of Pandora’s attributes or much like being human, they feel more in tune with some aspects and some not so much. Storywise; just as the children of Pandora inherit her legacy and gifts, they are also burdened with Pandora’s legacy in what she had done, forever to carry it as long humanity continues, as well as being plagued or cursed with one of the evils that was released from the pithos. Like being chased or cursed with one of the embodiments of the evils.

I think it does fit somewhat that Mr. D playing a game of Pinochle with the legacy of Pandora since well, its Dionysus, he’s immune to any potential vibe that the child of Pandora may be carrying due their lineage.

FUN FACT: Pandora ends up giving birth to a girl named Pyrrha (Fire) who is the first child born of a mortal mother. Pyrrha marries Deukalion (son of Prometheus) and they end up having many sons and daughters…including a girl named Pandora who is named after the first Pandora.  Leading on with the fun fact, it’s only inevitable that if that every legacy of Pandora who ends up being a born as a girl is cursed to bear the name Pandora as a constant reminder of the First Woman’s legacy. Truly a legacy, but what is a legacy? 

[moonstruckdraws]

Plant Portraits

(pst- psssssst!- Hey, hey you. Yeah, you! Want to see something cool? look at this post by @hellishgayliath. It's about the characters shown here! They worked on it for a week straight, so check it out!) . . .

Hi, yes, hi, hello. Yeaaaaaah- steering away from the angst me & Helli brewed while I recover from crying. This was inspired exactly a month ago from this ask I made to Helli ask bout their oc's fav plants. I wanted to try out a new rendering style & thought this be a good opportunity + plant practice

Pico; He likes cinnamon plants/trees & likes to knaw on cinnamon sticks. So I did cinnamon plants! Specifically Cinnamomum cassia, or known as Chinese cassia, that is the most commonly sold cinnamon in North America (yes you are getting plant facts this took longer to research than to draw mainly because I like learning but that's besides the point and I wanna share knowledge) I really like how the leaves came out! Twas very fun. His plants are well maintained, healthy, & green (maybe too green lol) which shows his craft in gardening & care. Luci doesn't have teeth, so she can't really 'knaw' on things, so she didn't like trying Pico's snacks when she stole one. She was coughing on cinnamon for the next hour after. Pico laughed at her, obviously Ingenuity: the quality of being clever, original, and inventive

Bao; He likes wisteria flowers, the purple variation (my fav colour)! I loved loved LOVED coloring these plants, but it feels the most empty out of all of them (Clem is all over the place lmao) but I also kinda like it. Like it reflects their personalities this way, like he's the most upkept in society (despite his utter lack of gardening knowledge). Apparently, American wisteria is a host plant to native butterflies and moths! Add that to another reason Luci likes Bao lol. I feel like anytime she comes to the tea shop, Bao would bring her to the garden he & Pico would be working on. And everytime he's show her the plants he managed on his own they'd be drooping and dying lmao. Bao would be so confused & Luci is just unsurprised. And yes, I did think of & look at the wisteria in demon slayer Versatility: the ability to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities

Clem; She likes (take 3 seconds to guess) citrus fruits!! Like her name. So I of course did citrus fruits, lemons & oranges. She has my FAVORITE pose, her reaching for the fruit while juggling some in her other arm is adorable. And of course that cute face of hers! Her plants are just EVERYWHERE & is the only one to touch the ends of the canvas (that I wanted to avoid but oh well, it didn't look good otherwise). Besides, it shows her big personality and chaotic energy children have. Apparently, they're sometimes called 'Christmas oranges' because they're in season in winter months. I thought that was interesting. Does Clem like the cold, Helli or does she despise it like Pico lol? Apparently, they are also those cuties or halos oranges I use to devour as a child lol. And because of said memory, I say that Clem does too. I like to think Luci learns to share, like a child, from Clem, a said child. Luci sells back people's stuff overpriced all the time, and only shares things with Repo. She obviously isn't sharing anything with Pico & she mainly hangs out with Bao at the tea shop so she only buys things. She stole Clem's fruits in front of her once. Let's just say a bunch of sad faces and crying, not only bleed her earholes, but made her feel bad (but she'll never admit it). Does she share things now? Kindaaaaa- no. No, not at all. Only Clem & Repo Affability: the quality of being friendly and easy to talk to

aaaand my inspo board just cuz I was going to draw Vera, I really was! (I was so FRICKIN EXCITED to draw the plant with the braided stock next to the pink flower) but... one look at her head and the pose I chose, I said "No."

Bao was already troubling enough I don't need to build up hate to a character I barely know & already like by getting frustrated with their head (again). So no Vera, Helli, sorrys. Her descriptor was going to be 'nobility' btw

GO CHECK OUT HELLI'S POST IT'S SO GOOD (sad) BUT AMAZING!

[bookofmac]

okay okay okay, thinking thoughts

So I find the concept of Names really interesting in Camlann, reading into the extracanonical stuff put on the tumblr is giving me food for theory crafting. The Catacylsm seems to be some kind of return of magic to the world (possibly heralded by the return of The King of the Britons in their hour of need?) and thus people with significant Names have access to something because of it. they fall into the stories of their namesakes; Perry, Gwaine, and Kay are Knights, Morgan is Morgana Le Fay, and we now have a Gwen in Shújūn.

Based on Kay's dicussion with Perry if more people can fill in the roles of their stories to more 'to plan' the stories will go, Of course this is not good news if you know the general end point of Arthurian legend (Betrayal, muderer, war, most everyone dead, the 'Glory' of camelot gone). It's inherently kind of a doomsday cult if you stay in those stories, you know where parts of this are going (i'll get back to this)

it also seems like there may be some, for lack of a better term, kin drama going on. There are 900 members of the court and Kay mentions that Peredur is a really uncommon name outside of Wales, meaning there are certain knights who are more common, i assume Lancelot's, Kay's, maybe a few Talisin's, a bunch of Gareth's, and like 50 Elaines like in the legends lol

We also dont have the context for how Names work full yet and neither do our characters. I think theres a lot of answers to be had with Shújūn/Gwen with how it works, how you know other than the buzzing in you're head and desire go through the motions and Follow the Story

Now, where does Dai fit in all this?

Dai doesn't have a Name, and I think theres going to be a point where he changes his name in a major way, but not to a Name, but a Bardic name. In welsh poetic and story telling tradtions Welsh poets, THE OG Bards, will take on pseudonyms tell their stories. This practice stems from the medievil era, but goes forth to today, and many modern Welsh and welsh heritage poets have connections to this tradition (Dylan Thomas' middle name was his great uncles bardic name, Sarah Williams published her work under the name Sadie), I believe it's also a requirement to have one if you intend to perform in the major Eisteddfod, (I am Australian so my experiance of Eisteddfods here is very different so if i'm wrong on that let me know)

Why would he do this? I think Dai is going to, at least try, to write him and his friends a way out.

Much ink is spilt over how Arthurian legend doesnt have an 'orginal text', and as such there are lots of stories that are inherently contradictory; Bedwyr is the best knight, but so are Gwaine, Lancelot, and Galahad. Mordred is some random king until his Arthur's son. Arthur has a sister, no he has two, actually he has three and one of them is an Elaine. This could be used to explain any doubles (are you my Gwaine), as well as why we see a few different spelling varients which are, the very welsh Peredur as opposed to Percival or Parzifal, the anglisised and more boarish Kay as opposed to Cei or Caius (this last one might just to keep Dai and Kay distinct tho). These variations are no more or less 'canon' than any other telling of the story, and so often the writer of a given telling of Arthurian legend is going to have their own bias. But things dont HAVE to end the way they always do, and sometime you need to have someone outside the story you're caught in to tell you a new one.

You are not locked into that ever looming cloud of Thomas Mallory and Le Morte d'Arthur.

Other evidence I have for this is that Dai sings at the begining of each episode, and sings in welsh at that. He also is, to a point our narrator, existing both in and out of the current narative. Also his name is an a lyric of Sosban Fach (a song i would be surprised if it wasn't in the show at some point) 'Dai bach y sowldiwr' which is also not from the text the song was based on. Tangential yes, but i think it's worth thinking about.

I think there is also something to be said about choice in what your name is and how it feeds into the overall theme of identiy, and how that plays into other themes at play in the story, like Transness, Imperialism, and Predestination

TL:DR; While he doesnt have a Name, Dai's gonna give himself an epic bard name and save them all by writing a killer hook to get them out of the story

[rjalker]

can Gravity Falls fans please stop saying "lol I looked up a summary of Flatland and if I was born there I'd blow up the entire dimension too, Bill was right to destroy literally his whole entire universe and everyone in it, they all deserved to die for some of them being bigoted"

it's like. something the first time. but a dozen times over and it's just. what you are describing is ecofascism.

the entire world does not deserve to be blown up and every single person in it killed because systems of oppression exist. Slaughtering all of the oppressed people along with their oppressors is not the right thing to do and it's getting really aggravating seeing so many people joke about this like it's funny. Like all of the minorities suffering and fighting for their freedom are less important than the feelings of exactly one (1) guy.

It's getting real exhausting seeing people constantly joke about how it's good to murder all of the minorities in the entire universe to get back at the oppressors, even if it's "just a joke".

I know you like Bill Cipher. But him murdering every single person in his home universe including all of the minorities isn't actually a good thing that you should find relatable. And I would really appreciate it it people could stop putting this in the Flatland tag for real life minorities like me to see.

I know you all mean it as a joke. But you all just keep saying it over and over again and it's. can you just please stop?

it does not feel good to see people constantly joking that it'd be good and just and right and funny for me and people like me to be killed just to spite the people who hate me.

Especially right now when this kind of argument is being used to justify genocide against Palestinians by painting them as uniquely hateful towards Queer people to justify slaughtering them.

It's not funny. Please just stop.

Or at the very lease remove all traces of "flatland" from your tags so it stops showing up when I am just looking for Flatland posts.

And yes. If Bill Cipher killed every single person in his home universe including all of the minorities, he is in fact a monster and he should in fact feel bad about that, whether or not you like him as a character or not. It's is in fact a bad thing to mass murder people. It is in fact a bad thing to commit genocide against everyone including oppressed minorities to spite the oppressors. He is in fact a horrible person to have done that thing, and it would be cool if people could stop pretending that it was justified and funny and relatable.

Oppressed people do not deserve to be slaughteted to get back at our oppressors and it would be so great if you could all stop joking about this idea like it's a good funny relatable thing.

At the very least, stop posting things like this in the flatland tag. Remove flatland from all of your tags. Don't use any variations of it. If you are talking about gravity falls, then don't put it in the flatland tag. Use the actual word from gravity falls that is actually used for bill's home dimension. If you have the word flatland anywhere within your tags, it will show up in the flatland tag. It might even show up if you just use the word in your post. And if gravity falls has a completely separate name for where Bill is from, then use that instead of flatland.

If you are not talking about flatland, and if you are joking about genocide like this, don't put it in the flatland tag. We didn't ask to see that and we shouldn't have to keep seeing it over and over again.

Most of the people who use the flatland tag actually care about flatland for itself, not just as a backstory for Bill Cipher, and a whole lot of us have original characters from Flatland who are as you may have guessed, oppressed people. You are joking that all of the oppressed people in flatland deserved to be murdered by your favorite character because they were oppressed by other people. That is not okay.

[tenjikubaby]

you have one (1) new message!

s62 (+ kakucho) texting/messaging HCs

Rindou: The “whats up” guy

Fair emoji use, texting abbreviations, and slang. Can’t care less about proper capitalization or spelling words correctly unless he really wants you to leave him alone. He can be a bit dry as a texter because he prefers to tell you stuff in calls or in person. Usually takes hours or even days to reply unless you’re special to him (you only need to wait minutes if so). Being an extrovert, I think many people messaging him so sometimes your messages might get buried under everyone else’s, and he’s usually too lazy to check everything. 

Ran: The “Good morning. How are you?”  guy

He wants to sound formal and intelligent over text, so he’s got complete sentences, good grammar, proper punctuation and capitalization even if you’re close. Rare emoji use, and if he uses one it’s only the basic smiley/sad faces because he’s too lazy to check out the other emojis outside that. Would likezone you on Messenger or send you those sparkly gifs and it doesn’t mean anything! He’s just kind of a boomer. Leaves you on read often but that also doesn’t mean anything because he might have a) fallen asleep, b) started zoning out, c) just forgot to reply. 

Shion: The "WHAT" guy

WACKY. Lots of emojis (his favorites are the fire, 100, and devil emojis), abuses Caps Lock, may spam you when excited. Sometimes, you might wake up to 35+ new messages from him, a lot of them different variations of “[NAME] WAKE UP BRO CHECK THIS OUT 🔥🔥🔥” (and it’s just a screenshot of a scammy “Congratulations you won a new iPhone!!” message from a free movie website. He already put his details in.) Reply speed is FAST unless he's in a fight or meeting. Laughs at the memes you send like 'HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA' because he doesn’t believe in lol or lmao or rofl. He’s quite fun to talk to because his reactions are so enthusiastic and extra. 

Izana: The “yes? 🤯” guy

Heavy emoji user. Uses emojis that sometimes mismatch the tone of his message so he can be confusing to talk to. It’s just one of his quirks though. You’ll know immediately if he likes or dislikes you because if he doesn’t like you, he just sends something like “shut the fuck up 😄”. Doesn’t abbreviate too much, but adheres to proper punctuation and types complete sentences. The type of person to respond to you with pictures instead of typing. (Like, if you ask “Where are you?” he sends you a close-up of his face and just above it you can see the sign of the restaurant he’s about to enter). Likes to send memes and reaction pics as well.  Reply speed is quite slow but doesn't exceed a day. 

Kakucho: The "hello :)" guy

Refuses to use emojis, prefers to just type out his smileys/sad faces. No caps. Abbreviates a lot of words but still uses proper punctuation because he doesn’t want to sound monotone. His texting is quite informal but still very much polite unless you’re close friends (he’ll be less polite then). He apologizes if he took too long to reply to you, which happens every time because Kaku isn’t on his phone much. If it’s really urgent, you’re better off calling him. If you send him a meme, he might not get it because he’s also not much of an internet person (unless you sent something that’s universally funny, to which he’ll reply “haha :D”). 

Mocchi: The "sup" guy

It’s really much better and easier to talk to him in person or just call. This guy’s phone is almost always dead. He plays lots of mobile games and spends so much time on YouTube, then forgets to charge his phone. When he does reply, he sounds so lazy: 1-3 words and little-to-no-effort in continuing the conversation at all. You see abbreviated words and no emojis, punctuations and caps. This is not because he doesn’t like you, but it’s because he prefers to talk to people face-to-face. 

Mucho: The plain "Hi" guy

Sounds way too serious in text. He’s not one for perfect grammar and punctuations in text, but you still feel his seriousness. Another slow replyer—barely on his phone because he actually touches grass. He prefers to talk through call, but when you do call, make sure it’s really important or you’d hear a deep sigh on the other end before he says goodbye and hangs up. Would likezone you just like Ran because these two are boomers deep down. Leaves people on read if he thinks the message is not worth replying to. 

[lupizora]

DCMK Empire of Corpses AU

This will be based on the 2015 anime movie Shisha no Teikoku or The Empire of Corpses. (I can't believe it's been almost ten years since it came out. The grip this movie has on me *sighs*). If you haven't watched it, I'll be dropping MAJOR SPOILERS from it for the overall development of this AU. Kind of like a speed-run of the important plot points. Also, lots of Character Death mentioned left and right. So, please consider yourselves warned 😅

The basic premise of it is that in an Alternative History Victorian era with a lot of steampunk influences, people have found the method of reanimation. Reanimated corpses don't have fully human sentience. They're more akin to zombies and can lose control just as fast, if the reanimation code is damaged in some way. Therefore, they're usually used for manual labor or in wars since they are still considered Undead.

The movie follows John Watson who reanimated his recently deceased close friend "Friday". Doing that outside of the government's control is considered illegal, so to avoid going to jail and other more personal reasons, he's roped into a mission from the government to find the notes of Victor Frankenstein, who was rumored to have produced the first Corpse that retains a soul. It has several philosophical debates about the nature of the soul which I personally found fascinating. Plus, it's gorgeously animated with how it combines the zombies/steampunk aesthetic (even if the ending leaves a lot to be desired imo. I mean we can't know if that was the author's original intent since he apparently passed away before he could finish the novel the movie was based on and someone else stepped up to finish it in his stead. But I digress since I will incorporate the movie's ending into the AU anyway lol).

Okay. Back to the AU.

Given that the characters were more or less contemporary historical figures or fictional heroes of the era, case in point John Watson, and even a cameo of dear Mr.Sherlock Holmes in the post-credits scene, my brain jumped at the opportunity of making it about DetCo.

DetCo has so many characters that could be used for this, but my first thought was focused on the Gosho Boys quartet. You can literally go for every ship variation between them, especially if you don't want to follow the movie's plot to the letter.

However, my BFF and I both agreed that the one who encompasses the headstrong, laser-focused determination Watson exhibits was Hattori Heiji. Because of course, Heiji will throw caution to the wind and go to great lengths for a friend (and/or potential lover).

If anything, this AU is so HeiShin-coded that you could more or less reenact the whole movie and not change much; even with the allusions in the credits scene that Friday turns out to maybe(?) be Moriarty when he gets his soul back. Like in my humble opinion, Shinichi and Saguru (the true Sherlockians) seem to personify different sides of Sherlock Holmes, with Shinichi being closer to (and I'm paraphrasing): "If he didn't give his brilliant mind to solving the crimes, he would be a criminal mastermind instead".

But! I never make things easier for myself that way so this turned into a HeiSagu/SaguHei AU 😂

Frankly, going for this ship angle was more compelling for me. Because Heiji's motivation behind his actions will come from a place of necessity instead of true compassion at first. Like he and Saguru were barely on civil interaction terms, maybe even academic rivals to a degree, at the point of Saguru's death. On the other hand, he couldn't let one of their generation's brilliant minds disappear like that. If Heiji got to prove his "rival's" theory wrong too in the process, no one would be any wiser.

This fictional British Government does not take lightly illegal reanimation, more so from a foreign citizen on their soil. So to avoid forced deportation and/or jail, Heiji and his "servant" (I'm not sure what sort of different name Saguru could have as a reanimated corpse. I was thinking some kind of bird of prey because of his falconry hobby) are tasked with finding the Karasuma notes. Said notes are currently rumored to be in the hands of some researchers Heiji and Saguru were having regular correspondence with. Special Agent Sera Mary and her daughter Masumi tag along as insurance so they won't run off.

The researchers are holed up at some secluded place in Siberia though, so the team ends up finding guides in the form of Kaito and Aoko. Despite Kaito's antics, the one Heiji finds odd is Aoko instead. She rarely eats, rarely sleeps, and she keeps talking in third person about herself. Heiji wonders if she's some kind of advanced corpse but Kaito dodges the question.

Before they reach their destination, they get attacked by corpses with higher mobility that usual. Then it's revealed that Aoko is a high-specs automaton Kaito had built himself when her arms change into weapons mid-fight. They are saved when another automaton, Conan, appears and fries the system running in those advanced corpses with a pulse attack. Conan explains that they were made with designs someone stole from his creators, who were trying a different approach than what the Karasuma notes were describing.

After the final stretch, they find the secluded town they were trying to reach filled with the original design of those advanced corpses and the only alive people there are Shinichi and Agasa. Nothing else seems amiss at first, even if it's creepy how life-like and not at the same time the citizens appear. The team stays there for a couple of days. Heiji is delighted to learn that Shinichi had been the one exchanging letters with him, instead of some stiff researcher like his teachers back in London. But Shinichi keeps diverting the conversation when inquired about the Karasuma notes.

It all comes to end the moment Shinichi realizes that the corpse following Heiji around is Saguru. Because all the time in the world can't prevent him from dying due to an accident or sudden illness before finishing his research. The reason the town's corpses look kind of alive is because they were created when the person was near-death. This time, in his fit of desperation, Shinichi does the procedure to a very much alive Kaito, hoping to preserve both of them for if/when proper reanimation succeeds, and follows suit in front of an appalled Heiji (this part in the movie was so unsettling, to put it mildly. I still shiver whenever I remember it. Here's even more terrifying to imagine because their appearance is so similar 😰). Shinichi does manage to tell them before he loses awareness that the previous researchers took the Karasuma notes with them to Japan.

But Heiji does not want to hear about the notes anymore or anything else really. He goes out in the cold to grieve and mope. Despite not giving him any commands, Saguru joins him. This only serves to anger Heiji because it doesn't prove that this action was made from any remnants of Saguru's "soul", and not a byproduct from the reanimation code. So Heiji lashes out, tackling him to the snow-filled ground. His fist stops midway though because he realizes that there is no point venting his frustrations on someone that will not comprehend why or even fight back.

Mary comes to remind him that he can't stop the mission whenever he wants, so they have to head out. They take Aoko and Conan with them while Agasa stays behind to take care of everyone for as long as he has left.

In Japan, they track the notes all the way to Osaka. Heiji learns that after the news of his transgression reached his father, he was disowned. Fine by him. It does not stop him from roping Kazuha and Otaki into helping him bust into the lab of the shadowy organization that seems to have the notes. And they do actually which amidst the chaos Heiji feeds them into Saguru's reanimation code to analyze them. Right about then though, the rumored successful reanimation project of Karasuma himself—Vermouth (of course it was gonna be her lol) appears, kills Mary and Otaki before she steals the notes.

The place burns down, separating Heiji and Saguru from the rest as they end up in the sewers. Since the notes were analyzed halfway and jumbled Saguru's code, he acts like a feral zombie. Heiji tries to hold his ground, but there is only so much he can do against a corpse that doesn't hold back its strength at all. Pinned against the wall by Saguru trying to choke the life out of him, Heiji ponders why he got into this mess and if dead people should stay dead and dammit he might have cared about Saguru more than he originally thought but he sure as hell won't allow him to run amok any longer. So he headbutts him, causing Saguru to drop him. While Heiji is wheezing for breath on the floor, he notices Saguru isn't moving. If anything, it looks like he calmed down. And then, a soft sound starts coming from him until it's apparent that Saguru is laughing. Heiji flashbacks to the aftermath of a fencing duel they had during their first days in the academy. For a moment, the images overlap and Heiji could believe that Saguru is still alive right before he "shuts down".

Reconnecting with the girls and Conan, they escape Japan through Kazuha's connections (she stays behind to cover their tracks). Saguru is back to being feral the next time he "wakes up", but Heiji has seen hope that he's still there (even if inevitably this is confirming Saguru's theory) so he continues to struggle to fix the scrambled reanimation code. While on Vermouth's trail, they come across the Kudous along with Nakamori Ginzo and learn that Aoko was modeled after his daughter because her body had been cremated before Kaito could even consider the thought of reanimating her. Aoko isn't interested in playing make-believe with Ginzo, even with the implanted memories Kaito had given her. Since she's just an automaton, therefore lacking a soul by conventional means, she wants to find her place in the world by herself.

Around then, Vermouth kidnaps Aoko to use as a vessel to bring back her beloved "angel" (Ran, the only human who showed her kindness) and the recently fixed Saguru because he has the missing portion of Karasuma's notes inside of him. Heiji, Conan and Masumi follow her back to a London in flames. Vermouth intents to use the Archive of the Dead that holds every reanimation code ever issued which is akin to holding humanity's collective conscious along with the notes for her plan. Although they manage to intercept her in the control room and Masumi shoots her, Vermouth's "soul" had already entered Saguru's body.

Heiji asks Conan to overload the Archive while Masumi reluctantly helps him connect himself to it through Shinichi's reanimation method. In the sea of humanity's collective conscious, Heiji finds Vermouth clinging to Saguru like a parasite because otherwise her artificial "soul" would disperse and disappear. Heiji yells at her that there is nothing artificial about someone with such a strong will to live. It's just that humans were not made to last for centuries on end and there is not much left of her anymore. Right then, someone looking like Aoko (but not really) appears and after fusing with Vermouth's remnants, disperses into their surroundings.

Saguru opens his eyes, finding himself in Heiji's embrace. Heiji offers his congratulations to him for being right about this, but the latter does not accept it. Because Heiji's recklessness to be here will make him die when he returns to his body. Their little reunion is interrupted by Kaito and Shinichi showing up, since the Archive overloading connected every Undead around the world into the sea of humanity's collective conscious. They all brainstorm together if there is a way to prevent Heiji's death or actually resurrect Saguru. Kaito proposes that before the Archive completely collapses, they could connect Heiji's living body and Saguru's reanimated one and feed the system the leftover pieces of the Karasuma notes (it's similar with how they implant memories on automaton brains). But if it works, they'll lose every memory they have of each other. While the notes work like the glue keeping their souls tethered, a certain amount of energy still needs to be spend for all this.

Heiji wakes up and tells the others of Kaito's proposal. Conan tells him that there is no guarantee that both of their objectives will become true. Heiji's final words are that he doesn't care if his soul takes all of the burden for Saguru to return to life.

***THE END?***

Quite a while later, Kazuha drops Heiji at a lodging in Tokyo.

After he returned from London still being disowned by his father, Heiji worked odd jobs here and there; relying on his employer to provide him with a place to stay. His latest job unfortunately doesn't, and even though the pay is alright, it's not enough for one person to live alone. So Kazuha had asked around and heard from Momiji that someone was looking for a roommate, before dragging him there.

Heiji is a bit hesitant about all this. The house looks kind of out of his budget, even with a roommate. His alarms go off when Kazuha vanishes while the housemaid (Keiko) had just let them in. But before he could make up an excuse to leave, the master of the house comes down the stairs.

He seems familiar; from his build to how he handles himself and the way he speaks. The only thing that strikes Heiji as odd are his eyes. For some weird reason, he was under the impression they were going to be blue and faded. They are a warm brown instead.

The man introduces himself as Hakuba Saguru.

Heiji had heard of him. Something about rebelling against his father wishes to join the military and leaving for London to pursue some kind of criminology field. Several different people had asked Heiji if he ever met him while he was still in England, and Heiji had denied it. But this familiarity, tugging him to close the distance between them, is unmistakable.

"Do I know ya?" Heiji asks.

Saguru smiles politely as if he's humoring him. "I would have certainly remembered someone rude enough not introduce themselves first."

Irritation, that comes off as borderline déjà vu, flares up in Heiji's chest as he gives back only his first name. That catches Saguru's attention as he inquires about it. Despite his reservations, Heiji admits that he isn't allowed to use his family name anymore.

"Why don't you take mine?" Saguru says.

At the shock of Keiko, more so to Heiji himself, he backtracks and goes on about housing laws and contracts being troublesome without full names from both participants. However, Heiji can somehow tell that Saguru is a bit flustered from that fumble.

"Sure," Heiji says with a chuckle. "As long as ya won't take yer word back."

Outside, in a cafe across the street, Kazuha joins the others to discuss the success of their little scheme. Conan wonders if this would be alright in the long run, because the chances of them remembering everything is close to none. Kazuha starts harping about fate and similar romantic notions, leaving him unimpressed.

Aoko stirs her teacup with a mysterious air about her. "We only helped them find each other faster. It's up to them whether they will cling to the past or set forth to make new memories."

Changing the subject, Masuki asks her if she has decided on her name yet. Aoko is conflicted since she has always been Aoko, but after what happened at the Archive, she isn't so sure about it anymore.

"Something starting with M sounds interesting though."

Around then Kazuha notices that Conan is gone. Masumi reassures her that he has been doing this kind of thing lately. Even after following him a couple of times, it didn't seem like something to worry about.

Conan enters the dilapidated warehouse he had been visiting and finds its sole occupier tinkering on his body again.

"I know I'm better at taking things apart than fixing them," he complains, "but you could have waited a bit!"

Turns out that before making Aoko, Kaito had made an unfinished automaton prototype based on himself that he hadn't told anyone about, more so Shinichi. While Conan was connected to the Archive, he saw it in his memories. Apparently, he had reactivated amidst the chaos of Vermouth's plan, fixing himself little by little and sending out some sort of signal. The first thing Conan told him when he found him was that only someone like Kaito would think to make trial runs on himself. Automaton!Kaito asked if he hadn't done the same since Conan is technically Shinichi (made from Agasa as a compromise for his parents, in case things went wrong with his research), not to mention his self-destruction in Siberia.

"Even in death, we still kept a lot of secrets from each other," Conan says with a bitter smile.

"Showing all your cards leaves you vulnerable. Isn't it in human nature to hold a part of ourselves hidden?" He pauses, thinking it over. "Although, I suppose we don't qualify as 'humans' at the moment."

Conan rolls his eyes. "It's a matter of perspective."

Kaito teases him about his optimistic outlook when they are merely shadows of the originals, stuck into artificial bodies.

"But we are still here, aren't we?"

[vacantgodling]

#25. Daran "Papa" Isai

The three most important things in life are to feel fat, fucked, and cared for, and your entire business model is based on that premise. You traveled from far off lands to set up your roots here in this bustling city, and you make it your mission to ensure that your home is a home to every patron who passes through. You care for them as it’s all you can do, watching from the sidelines. You cannot ease their trauma with anything other than good food, an ear, and someone in their corner, but it’s enough. It’s enough.

“daran” is a derivative of the god MIZDARR. “isai” is a historical name taken from the island region of Diisai, where he is from.

54, cis man (he/him), romance: yes. sex: yes. preference: feminine.

a tall broad man built like a bear, stomach and all. he’s hairy all over with a bright, wide grin and smile lines around his lips and eyes. his eyes are a bright olive green, and his hair is already greying, but was once a dark green shade. he has large calloused hands and a old faded scars from his youth, each one having a more ridiculous story than the last. he has a long braided beard that he usually adorns with jewelry and usually braids behind his neck while he’s cooking.

he is called papa because he acts like a fatherly figure to many a young adventurer when they begin their guild-employement in lathsbury. especially if you become one of his favorites, he’ll give you board for free if you’re too drunk to get back to your guild, and always makes sure to check in on adventurer’s well-being. it seems like he’s been blessed by KIBARUM (the god of harvest among other things) himself because he always has anyone’s favorite alcohol in stock no matter how long its been since they visited. 

loud, exuberant, and full of joy, papa is exactly the guy you want to go to when you’re feeling down for your hefty dose of a pick me up. he has such a warm and welcoming personality, he is the pinnacle of hospitality. he can definitely be stern like a father; don’t mess with anyone he cares for or fuck up his bar, but he’s just as easily won over. he has a good opinion of anyone who steps foot in his bar, and everyone who goes to him is always on their best behavior. 

being from diisai, papa traveled to the mainland when he was in his 30s to follow the wave of explorers who wanted to make a name for themselves. there’s nothing better than a diisaian ale—and that holds true even on the main continent. he’s very close with the other characters from diisai, miona and erik namely and they all have variations of the same diisaian twang (it sounds similar to a scottish accent in our world). papa is the mid-range between accents, while miona’s is light, and erik’s is very strong. he also has a close relationship with saith, piper, deux, kalifia (in the sense that she’s the only person she allows to talk to her and ngl he does definitely have the hots for her but he can keep it professional lol), clear, forte, cameron, felicity…. i can go on. pretty much everyone knows papa and he pretty much knows everyone.

[brasideios]

10 Characters/10 Fandoms/10 Tags

Thank you for thinking of me my dears @krankittoeleven & @ainulindaelynn

Lemme see. This is long, sorry about that. I’m in a rambling mood. These are just the characters that came wandering into my noodle in no order - at least, that was intended.

1. Dorothea from Middlemarch (by George Eliot). She’s probably my fave character ever. I think in a mostly abstract way, she’s come nearest to mapping out how I perceive the feminine part of myself. She starts out so so idealistic - wanting to do something to change the world, to matter, but society has its own rules that eventually beats her down, but she’s so stoic, enduring, and self-denying, that her happy ending is earned… but then the epilogue is so melancholy so was it happy? and… I don’t know. There’s something in it all that I’ve never found a better version of.

2. My brain is on D names now lol so Daphnae from AC Odyssey. The more I think about her story, as little as we’re given of it, the more I find something tragic and fated in it, and then there’s the possibility of changing that fate, or embracing it. Something, something doomed by the narrative, unless…?

3. Demosthenes from my pdfs lol listen - ancient history RPF is a fandom (apparently) so this is valid. I have been down some serious rabbit holes with this man of late - I won’t even start on why or this will be an essay. I could also have put Thucydides in this position - but I’m on D names.

4. Daria. No seriously. I loved this show when I was a teen, and she’s honestly my spirit animal. It was my nickname because I was unfortunately very much like that. I adore her deadpan, acerbic remarks and many of them will live on in my brain forevermore. I wasn’t as witty btw - but the vibes were the same.

5. Hedwyn from the vg Pyre (woot! My brain releases me from the letter D!). I’ve played it several times now, and he’s my fave. Just a sweet guy - so sweet, you always want to free him first, but then you also very much wanna keep him with you - and sometimes I’ve been selfish enough to send everyone else instead. I also like Volfred a lot but that has everything up do with the VA 🙈

6. Alfie from Peaky Blinders. I have no excuses - the character is an unhinged maniac but Tom Hardy just brought something (a twinkling eye) to the role that makes him a very likeable, back-stabbing psychopath.

7. Caesar from HBO Rome. Ciaran Hinds has been a fave of mine since Persuasion - and I liked how he acted this part / how he was written. That’s all I’ll ever say about Caesar - character or historical figure. There are at least another half a dozen characters in this series I might’ve mentioned too. I must rewatch it one of these days.

8. Gannicus from Starz Spartacus. Dustin Clare is an old time favourite from waaaay back when I was persuaded to watch McLeod’s Daughters - really bingeable but quite trashy Aussie TV - sorry to any fans - but it really is. I so enjoyed his vibes and he brings all of that to Gannicus and it just works so well for the character. Pure cheekiness, and when he does this face 🥺 chefs kiss. Side note - I will pretty regularly say some variation of ‘my cock rages on’ about the most random stuff so - thanks to this character for that gem lol.

9. Johnny Spit from the movie Gettin Square. Yeah this is left field and I seriously doubt there’s a fandom for it - but what a character - quintessentially Australian deadbeat, (played by David Wenham). There’s a courtroom scene that kills me every time. I hope he got square, for good this time.

10. Kenny from Mad Men. I don’t even know how to explain it, I just want to protect him and he doesn’t even deserve it, and he wouldn’t have thanked me for it - maybe it was just the way everyone else was just an asshole about his writing. I want to know more about the short story about the egg. I could’ve picked almost any other character from this show though. They’re all so good/bad for their own reasons.

I made it! Haha! I have no idea who to tag - I think the only people who usually join in have already been tagged - so I’ll just add a few and call it ten. Sorry for any double ups.

No pressure at all - @nemo-of-house-frye @theinkandthesea @liminalspacecowboah @cyrus-the-younger @myriath

[mariana-oconnor]

Tagging on AO3

Because I've come across this a number of times in the past few weeks and I know other places work differently:

On AO3, you don't need to add variations of your tags.

What I mean by that is if you are tagging a certain ship, you don't need to tag "Name A/Name B" and "Name B/Name A" and "ABShipname". AO3 has a system that's pretty well established now that, with the help of many tag wranglers* (All Hail the Tag Wranglers) behind the scenes, does that for you. All of those tags are linked together so if a person filters by one of them, they see all fics tagged with any of them. In fact, it's probably better for you to stick to a single tag, because that means potential readers can scan through your tags more quickly to check what's in the fic, making them more likely to read it if it's got tags they like.

Not only does it link tags with the same meaning together, the wonderful tag wranglers (their praises be sung) also create a sort of hierarchy of tags, so multiple more specific tags are all included under a more general umbrella tag.

For example, if you are tagging your fic where beloved side-character Tom Fakename is a werewolf, you can tag it "Werewolf Tom Fakename" or "Tom Fakename is a Werewolf" or "I made Tom Fakename a Werewolf Because I Love Werewolves LOL" and all of those mean the same thing. BUT your fic will also appear if someone filters by the more general tag "Werewolves"**. And all those fics, as well as fics where Tom Fakename (or his fan favourite ship partner Matt Blorbo) are tagged as being werecats, wererabbits, werebats or were-stick-insects can ALL be found if you filter by the tag "Were-creatures". Weirdly, were-creatures doesn't seem to come under the Shapeshifters tag, but I assume that was the result of careful consideration on the tag wranglers' (may their days be filled with joy) part.

In summary:

"Matt Blorbo/Tom Fakename" = "Tom Fakename/Matt Blorbo" = "Fakebo" = "Tom x Matt" (only one of these tags is needed***)

"Were-creatures" > "Werewolves" > "Werewolf Tom Fakename"

"Were-creatures" > "Matt Blorbo as a Werekitten is Something That Can Actually Be So Personal"

(You can tag with multiple of these if you want, but you only really need to be as specific as you'd like)

Of course, the tag wranglers (may the fandom gods bless their names) are only human and literally do not have time to read every 100k fic out there to check every single tag is absolutely correct, so sometimes things do get mixed up. However! You can aid them in their mighty task by using the tags that already exist where available and appropriate for you!

When you start typing tags into the little input bar on the AO3 New Work screen, you'll see a dropdown list of tags that are similar to what you're typing. If one of those has the right meaning for what you want to tag and it works for you, you can click on it, and your fic is already connected to the great tag web in the right place. Of course, if it ruins your comedic tagging rant, feel free to ignore this.

All good things come with a downside, though, beware the autofill!

Sometimes, when you're typing Werewolf Tom and you press enter, there may be another fandom with a character called Tom Otherguy who people love to make a werewolf (Tom Otherguy is just crying out for werewolf AUs, you know how it is. He's just a werewolfy li'l guy). And if you press enter, you'll find that rather than you tagging your work simply "Werewolf Tom", AO3 has autofilled the most popular tag that starts like that: "Werewolf Tom Otherguy".

Naturally, this can confuse both readers and the tagging system, so in general I'd recommend always including a second name where available****. I.e. it's better for everyone involved if you tag your fic "Werewolf Tom Fakename" rather than simply "Werewolf Tom" so it's clear at a glance who you're talking about and AO3 doesn't accidentally jump to conclusions. Just to be sure, make sure you check your tags after you've entered them, in case one of them autofilled without you noticing.

*To learn more about the tagging system and tag wranglers (bright stars of the fandom sky), check out the AO3 wrangling guidelines. Or, if you're interested in becoming a tag wrangler yourself, they will post information here when they're looking for applications.

**The "Alternate Universe - Werewolf" tag is a little different because it depends on whether your fandom has canonical werewolves. It comes under the umbrella tag of "Alternate Universe". Likewise with the "Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known" tag.

***Canonical pairing tags (the ones that appear in the filter list) are written in alphabetical order by surname (If they have a surname). Therefore "Matt Blorbo/Tom Fakename" is the standard tag for that pairing. Or "Matt Blorbo/Zara Diedforplot/Tom Fakename".

****If the character only has one name then usually that name will be followed by the name of the fandom in brackets to distinguish them from other characters with that name, i.e. Name (Fandom). Some characters have nicknames they are more commonly known by and those are usually inserted between their first and last names in inverted commas, e.g. "James "Bucky" Barnes". Other characters have nicknames and half a dozen other names, e.g. "Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski De Rolo III". If you have irritating motherfuckers (affectionate) like these in your fandom, I'm going to assume you already know about them.

Disclaimer: I am not a tag wrangler, nor have I ever been one. All information above is presented as I have come to understand it from having used AO3 for over a decade. If any of the information above is incorrect, please let me know so I can correct it.

TL;DR - You only need to use one version of a tag, AO3 will make sure anyone searching for variations can find your fic, and be careful to check your tags before you post to make sure they're right.

[ploompkin]

Okay!! I finally wrote out some hcs for the mer AU for Colress and Faba—

-Both Faba and Colress are royalty (princes) but of different kingdoms.

-Colress’ kingdom lives in deeper, darker and more open water and therefore mer living there dress more defensively than Faba’s clan does, putting practicality above aesthetics. They’re used to being on the look out for and wrestling with larger predators such as Gyarados. Colress has the ability to discharge electricity from his tail and uses it to defend against these predators as well as aid in his inventions. Lantern’s electricity also helps with this- and lights up the dark. Speaking of! Colress has some bio luminescence markings on his tail which constantly emit a soft glow.

-Meanwhile Faba’s kingdom lives in warmer, shallower water— they’re more used to the sun and less used to dealing with predators, so dress to impress with little armour. If any Pokémon become aggressive, Faba has poisonous spines which come in useful to either get them to back off or kill them outright. Against the large predators that live around Colress’ kingdom however, his spines are close to useless. It takes time and a very harsh lesson for his ego to realise this, however. (Bro gets nibbled)

-There are a few other kingdoms dotted around nearby as well… but to be honest I haven’t given them much thought. Maybe Team Skull could be hanging around somewhere in the depths— although they’d be less of a kingdom and more of a band of bandits or something. At least, they definitely wouldn’t be living in palaces lol. More like… a cave.

-In this au Pokémon aren’t kept in Pokéballs, and just sort of… live with their trainers, coming and going as they please. Faba has a few companions: Bruxish, Starmie, Seadra and occasionally Primarina. Colress has Lanturn, Relicanth, Lumineon, and occasionally Empoleon. Empoleon in the mer universe are among the most highly revered Pokémon, and when he discovers Colress’ family has earned the favour of one, Faba is soooo jealous.

-Relations between Elios (Faba’s kingdom) and Achromas (Colress’ kingdom) are tense. A marriage is arranged between the two of them to avoid war, strengthen trade routes, and generally keep the peace.

-Faba appreciates Colress’ respectfulness towards him, but on their wedding night makes it very clear their marriage is in name alone and he has no intention of taking Colress as a mate. Colress is just mildly amused by this strange little man and how defensive he is even though Colress hasn’t made any moves on him, but respects Faba’s wishes for space. All the space in the world can’t save Faba from Colress’ relentless curiosity and endless questions about him and life in shallower water though. They end up agreeing to allow one another three questions a night, for the sake of Faba’s sanity.

-Faba refuses to share a nest. They have to travel between their two kingdoms fairly regularly to fulfil their duties, but always build and sleep in separate nests no matter whose palace they’re staying in. Faba prefers a soft bed of sea grass, and Colress, being more accustomed to the scarce plant life of the depths, prefers sand with perhaps a tiny bit of sea grass to soften the texture. Also, living in an area with so many predators he tends to build the walls of his nest quite high, and constructs a little alcove for himself to make for a more concealing resting place. Not that he needs to- he’s in a well-guarded palace- but instinct, y’ know?

-Colress’ species are hermaphrodites (can either carry or help another conceive young— I rlly hope I got that title right lol), so there isn’t much variation in body types aside from fat level. As a result gender isn’t really a thing in his kingdom, although most mer tend to pick a pronoun and stick with it for convenience. Colress being Colress, isn’t one of these mers. He uses any and all pronouns/royal titles: e.g. Prince, or Princess… although her servants usually just refer to her as ‘Majesty’.

-Colress is responsible for inventing most of the technology within her kingdom. She’s well liked for her inventions, but also her polite disposition.

-Faba on the other hand is despised for his rude attitude and sharp personality.

-Colress is the only mer who can make Faba laugh. At first it frustrates him, but he quickly becomes endeared. Colress likewise is endeared to Faba, because they think he’s so fun. I’ve said it before in vanilla universe hcs, but Colress does like spicy personalities~

-Their marriage was only in name, but eventually Faba finds himself wanting to actually take Colress as a ‘true’ mate. But he’s too stubborn to admit it. Colress is also beginning to feel that way as well, but remembering Faba’s very adamant stance on not wanting to become actual mates, keeps their pining to themselves.

-After Colress saves Faba from a Gyarados attack and sticks with him even after his debilitating injuries (tail fin shredded poor guy, swimming long distances is now exhausting for him), he finally does feel secure enough admit his feelings though.

-Colress eagerly accepts when Faba asks, of course.

[purplesurveys]

1892

What's your favourite flavour of soda, pop or whatever else you call it?: I don't drink soda at all. I never enjoyed the fizziness it has and I always found it more uncomfortable/painful than refreshing.

What level of brightness do you usually keep your phone at?: It's usually at max brightness for which I'll get occasionally made fun of since it's such an oldie thing to do lol. The only time I'll turn it all the way down is when I'm already in bed trying to fall asleep.

Have you ever attended a religious or private school?: Private Catholic school for 14 years, which from experience is also the easiest and quickest way to turn your kid into a rebel hah.

Do you have any pets and are they cuddly?: I have two dogs and a cat – Cooper is on-off cuddly, meaning he'll sometimes be bothered and show it if you get too close. Agi's super affectionate; will plop right next to you and doesn't ever mind being squished and hugged and kissed, even if you do it aggressively.

Max is the newest member of the family and is surprisingly affectionate. I've had mostly negative experiences with cats so he's been great at changing that for me (him and Miki, but unfortunately Miki passed away a week ago, just mere days after we picked him up from the streets).

What's the worst job you've ever had?: I've had one job ever so I can't really compare.

How many cars does your household own?: We have three.

Do you know anyone named Edward or any nickname of that?: I have a cousin with a variation of that name; he was named after his grandfather (my great uncle in law).

What time do you usually have dinner?: When my dad is home, anywhere between 7:30-8. When he's gone, my siblings and I don't follow a set schedule as we all just kind of eat by ourselves.

Are there any cracks or scuffs on your phone?: Impressively enough, none. I'm notorious for ending the lives of all my past phones from dropping them endless times, but my iPhone 13 seems to be stubbornly indestructible. My screen protector has a bubble from the time I needed to get the screen fixed, but that's it and it doesn't even count as a scratch haha.

What's your favourite meat?: Pork.

Do you need glasses to read or drive or need them all the time?: I need them all the time otherwise I'm a hopeless case (cause?).

How did you celebrate your last New Year's Eve?: The day part was a little quiet, but we had media noche with extended family in the evening and we pretty much just talked and listened to music until we entered 2024. When our guests left, I had a few glasses of wine and had my family watch The Beyoncé Experience with me until I dropped my glass and nicked my foot, stopping the party altogether lol.

Is the internet fast where you live?: It's fast for me because it's the internet speed I'm used to, but I know as fact that ours is very shitty from a global POV.

What is your favourite meal of the day and why?: Dinner. Typically the largest, and the best meals are usually reserved for dinner, so.

Do you like long surveys or short surveys better?: Such a safe and boring answer, but medium-length surveys are best for me – anywhere between 40 to 60 questions.

Xbox, PlayStation or neither?: Playstation.

Have you ever been to a cocktail bar?: Lots of times.

Do you consider yourself a fast typer?: I am, yes.

What's the best amusement park you've ever visited?: Universal Studios in Singapore was a lot of fun.

Do you keep the cabinets in your kitchen and bathroom organised?: Yes.

Have you ever had a romantic fling?: Nope.

Are you a very forgetful person?: Just about certain things, but I'd say in general my memory is pretty sharp.

What was the last movie you saw in the cinema?: BTS in Busan, 1 year and 5 months ago haha. I never go to the cinema.

How old were you when you got your first car?: I was 17 when my dad handed me the Mirage.

What colour is your shampoo?: White.

Are you doing anything tomorrow?: Just work, but Friday left me in such a pissy mood so I'm not looking forward to tomorrow very much. I might also need to use my lunch break to take Max to the vet for his first set of vaccines, as we weren't able to do so today.

Do you know anyone who's gotten pregnant over the age of 40?: Yes.

Who does most of the grocery shopping in your home?: My parents.

Have you ever been approached by someone in public preaching about religion?: Those people roam around my university all the time, but fortunately I never encountered any of them during my time there.

Are you listening to music right now? If so, what's the theme of the lyrics?: Being okay and accepting yourself despite your fuckups, because you are all you have. Uhgood by RM.

What was the last thing you had to eat?: Pizza, shrimp, and lumpia. Pretty damn great combination if you ask me hahaha.

[ace-in-the-author]

Oceanic Appreciation

Super self indulgent and projecting onto mc and Levi here but I hope you like it!

Warnings: mc+Levi have a stutter, mc repeats the same word two times in a row sometimes, nd coded mc+Levi, they/them mc, Levi misspells from speedtyping, Levi calls mc Henry once

As MC lays on the floor of their room, thinking about everything and nothing in a chaotic jumble of thoughts, they have an urge to ramble about something to their favourite demon; Leviathan.

‘ener me was stupi- Oh my GOD I HAVE TO TELL LEVI ABOUT MY FAVOURITE JELLY!!!’ MCs thoughts are focused on one thing, and that thing is telling Levi everything about their favourite type of jellyfish.

And so, MC sits up fast and sends their best friend a text.

Silly Nerd !!!! (Levi)

__________________________________________________________________________________

Hey Levi!! Could I come to

your room later? I wanna

hangout 10:57 A.M

??!!

You really wanna

hangout with me??

Uhh ok what time!!

Around 1:20 maybe?? Is

that okay?

Yeaj perfevt!!

**yeah perfect

lmao

Anyway thanks Levi!! C u soon! Read at 11:00 A.M

__________________________________________________________________________________

As MC and Levi end their quick chat, MC stands up. They switch to their preferred music app (Levi hacked it onto their D.D.D for them), connect their headphones to it, and put on their favourite playlist. MC walks over to their desk. They pull open one of the drawers, and take their sketchbook out.

Picking up their pencil and opening the book, MC starts to draw some jellyfish, and many variations of it; be it human versions, anatomically correct, or cartoony ones.

MC does this for two hours, sometimes spacing out or getting lost in scenarios with the music. And when they look over at their D.D.D, it’s 1:00 P.M, and MC feels like moving around.

MC stands up, putting the book away, and leaves their room to walk around the HoL for a bit, and s stops by the kitchen to get water, as their throat feels uncomfortably dry. After finishing their cup of water, they walk out of the kitchen and pull out their phone to check the time, hurrying quietly over to Levi’s door to be there two minutes before 1:20 P.M.

And MC waits, fidgeting with their fingers patiently and excitedly.

‘20… 30…. 50… 1:20!! Okay now you can knock MC!!’

They knock, the exact way they always do: one, one, two, one. And Levi opens the door immediately after.

“O-oh hey Henry! I didn’t think you’d actually show up, LOL! Anyway… what game did you want to play?” Levi exclaims.

“Actually Levi, I wanted to talk to you about something…” MC realizes how upsetting that sounds, “OH! OH NO, it’s not- it’s not a bad thing don’t worry!!” They sputter out, trying to reassure Levi that they weren’t mad. “I just wanted to tell you about my favourite jellyfish! Is- is that okay??” They say nervously.

“… Your favourite jellyfish!? LOL MC I know everything about them! I made them!!” He brags. The slight blush he has gives away that he’s flattered MC likes creatures of his element, though. He continues, “But sure, tell me all that humans know about your favourite one. Hearing it from my player two would be epic!!”

And tell him everything, MC did.

“My favourite has a few names, but is mainly known as a ‘Moon Jellyfish’, it’s very cute and is both the easy- the easiest to take care of AND its stings can’t be felt by humans, making it the most har- harmless jellyfish to humans. They usually travel alone, but on occasion move in groups called ‘a Smack’. Also!! Also, thanks to both Global Warming on Earth and water poll- pollution, the water temperatures are hotter, making it easier for them to live freely. Unfortunately, these little guys are targets of both sea,,, air, and land predators, making their lives shorter than they already are. The longest they usually ever live up to is one year. And they can asexually reproduce! They- they have a little clover-like design on their top and can touch by that to reproduce. They’re super cute and I love them so much!!”

Levi looks almost zoned out, with how intense he’s staring at MC. But then he says “Woah, MC… You know so much about them!! I’m happy you like jellyfish! I can’t believe it!!!! Can I- Can I tell you about my favourite kind of snakes??” He finishes excitedly.

“YES!!!!” MC says giddily, happy to be able to bond with him.

The two went back and forth sharing their interests and fixations, up into late hours of the night (switching to playing games while talking) and eventually fell asleep, controllers in hand, and game temporarily abandoned for the night.

[hazeisblue]

Weekly Tag Wednesday: Google Search Edition

Hiii, I was tagged by @thepupperino Thank you so much! <3 I had a lot of fun

name: any variation of hazeisblue (haze, blue, idk) lol or whatever honestly

where in the world is carmen sandiego? (or you) I had to google carmen sandiego lol. I'm in Lima, Peru 🇵🇪

ok, so this week we are going to snoop into your google search. type in each phrase and tell us what the first suggestion is that google gives you!

what is the best way to…learn English (By having unrestricted and unsupervised access to internet at a young age like I did. But tbh I'm still learning and I'm hoping to get my C2 certification soon!)

where can i… watch oppenheimer (I only saw a bootleg version for 15 mins and I got bored, I have a very short attention spam)

how old is…she en español (Cuál es su edad/Cuál es la edad de ella lol)

how long does it take…to get to the moon (about three days)

how many…how much (i bet a lot of my google searches are just going to be grammar related i'm sorry)

who set the record for…the highest jump (how come we all get the same one here?)

when did…einstein publish his theory of relativity (1905 according to Google)

what does it feel like to…be in love (wouldn't know but I bet it feels like whatever my cat feels when he lounges in the warmest spot of the living room under the sun)

can you…play roller derby with inline skates (so I go through these hyperfixations sometimes...)

when you…know you know (the spanish version of this is a meme in Tiktok lol)

why do…n't you get a job (i'm taking this one personally)

is there a way…to save karlach (i have never played a videogame in my life)

how old do you have to be…enter a casino (i think 18 here)

where do the…clichés go (apparently this is a manhwa and i might check it out)

what is the best time to…post on instagram (i wouldn't know, i only use reddit/tumblr)

and to finish us off… what comes up when you type in shameless? cast (I don't think I've ever googled the Shameless cast lol I just found out about gallavich and got deep into the fandom)

Tags under the cut :)

@fearlesbian @transsexual-dandelions @mikhailogallagherhoe @pookiebearmick @treeffles @onthepyre @southsidestory @kandyzee if you feel like it 🌻