#i adore you my beautiful gambler

[venleaf]

I sure luv ma girlfriend!!!

oh also these two pathetic gaes and their daugter

I named boothill's Daughter Kathy (Katherine) and I enjoy drawing soft avenhill including her LIKE GIMME THAT FOUND FAMILY STUFF I SHALL EAT IT RIGHT UP SHHSHSHSJ

[walpu]

Hello hello 🫂 how are you? I hope you're well! This is my first time request 🏃 feel free to ignore

I was thinking that reader just bought a house and now having troubles with paying the electric bill and water bill they couldn't even prepare a proper meal for themselves, so the reader decided to put on a website open one spot for a roommate with a condition of course. Here where Aventurine found the website and saw who it was.. the person who helped him once, would they remember him anyway? and Aventurine decided to sign up and meet the reader at reader place, discussing about the agreement and spilt who was paying the bill. not Aventurine mind he decided to pay full bill and buy groceries anyway stlas of course he got scolded

Eventually they got close,, close friends even.. reader started taking interest into Aventurine liking, well reader doesn't know he's a gambler ((or is he?)) Overtime,, Aventurine started to become more touchy, well reader doesn't mind it since they adore love affection,, well sometimes they got flustered when Aventurine touch becomes more bold ((yk what I mean?)) Not until they got pinned down OR Aventurine the one got pinned down?

This is too long hhh I love your HC Aventurine 🫂 (it's yummy) have a good day!

Hello!! Thank you so much, I hope I got it right since I wasn't sure if I should make in into a modern au or make it canon compliant (spoiler I've ended up with the second option)

being roommates with Aventurine

notes - gn!reader, fluffy, hurt/comfort (sort of?), no beta

Considering Aven's leaked story, it'd pretty much canon that Aventurine doesn't forger people who helped him at least once. Which is not that surprising, when you think of it. Not many people were kind enough to land him a hand without expecting something in return.

He found the website by pure coincidence. Another case of his luck working in mysterious ways.

He recognizes your face immediately. Like, almost embarrassingly fast.

But, you know, whatever, not like you remember him, right? He sends you a random sum of money as a thank you for helping him in the past, not elaborating on who he is and why he's paying you. Scared you shitless I bet. But other than that, he doesn't see any need to reach out.

Except he just can't stop thinking about this add.

He never had comfortable living conditions before he joined the IPC. It would be a huge luck for him and his sister to have something soft to sleep on. And after he lost her, after he was shackled, caged, stripped of his pride... Well, not the memories he likes to go back to.

Now he has a huge apartment and a comfortable bed, a privilege to sleep under a warm blanket. Yet he has no one who would be there for him to distract him after a nightmare, no one to make this place feel like a home. It's a beautiful golden cage, nothing more.

Meeting you to talk about your add was a whim. Something to do for fun, really. A way to distract himself. Maybe he'll just see how are you are doing. Maybe you'll remember him.

Well, you don't. He signs the arrangement anyway, mentally beating himself up for it. Stupid. Pathetic.

But... you really look the same. Like you didn't change one bit since the day you showed him that small amount of kindness.

He'll just pay off his debt. That what he tells himself. He doesn't even have to live with you, just pay his half of the bills for some time. He may be a cunning businessman but hey, he has a reputation to uphold (at least for his own sake, since you have no idea about the mental gymnastics he's doing), he can't just let his benefactor starve!

Also, it's a bit funny to look at your reactions. You may not knows he's one of the Ten Stonehearts but you're not stupid, it's obvious he's not the last person in the IPC. Why would a guy like him need a roommate??? Also, he lies to you that the money you received earlier were just a prepayment, he just forgot to elaborate when he sent it. Shady. How tf did he learn you card information to send you the money. What a weird guy. Up to no good, it seems.

He can't help but laugh in amusement, seeing you squirm. But hey, not like you have a lot of options, right? You gotta take him in~

At first he doesn't plan on staying at your place, like, at all. Maybe once or twice a month so you wouldn't freak out about his "suspicious" absents.

But... You're fun. Fun to be around, fun to tease. You recognize his Sigonian eyes but you don't say anything. You don't try to get into his personal space but you also seem to be sensitive to his subtle mood changes. You don't try to be overly nice and don't ask for his money, his luck, nothing of sorts. It's the bare minimum, even lower than the bare minimum, it's just basic human decency yet it makes him feel warm.

Like, look at his and Ratio's relationship in canon. Ratio may not be the nicest and the most polite person but he treats Aventurine with respect and look at how Aventurine behaves around him. He's more relaxed and playful, genuinely lookin for some kind friendly companionship. So like I'm 100% sure that despite his "ohhh you can use and betray me," approach this man is such a sucker for any sort of sincerity. He's just friendless and miserable let me bite him.

So anyway, he sticks around far more often than he planed. Even if he has every right to do so as your literal roommate, he still feels like compensating it by paying for all of your bills, just because he can. Maybe it will make you happy with him, maybe you'll start needing him, maybe you'll be happy with him staying by your side.

Well. He gets scolded. Apparently, being roommates doesn't work like that. He refuse your attempts to pay him off your part off the bills though.

"You can make it up to me some other way. For instance... Let's play a game, shall we?"

He is knows for making the situation favorable for himself, after all.

Just like that, you slowly get closer. He teaches you to play card games, even offers to take you to the casino with him. Jokingly, of course. There are a lot of dangerous people who want him gone there, after all.

His heart flatters every time when you take the initiative to know him better.

"Soon enough you'll master me in this, dear" he says playfully, his hand brushing against yours as he takes the cards from you.

Aeons, the touches. Touches! He never took a notice of how him and his sister would accidentally brush against each other when they were still by each other's side. It was natural, after all. After her death, he didn't have anyone to be close with, no one to relax around. And now he has you. You're not family, he's not even sure if he can call you a friend (what is friendship anyway?? he can playfully call you his friend here and there but if he would call you this with all seriousness, would you run? would you pull away? stupid, stupid, unreasonable thoughts). So with this unclear relationship, how can he handle the touches when there are so many of them? Most of them are casual, accidental. Yet he can't just simply ignore them. Even if you can... (local gambler finds out not everyone is as touch-starved as him more at eleven).

He does the only thing he knows. Tries to be bolder. It's a risk, sure, you may easily push him away. But we all know he's a gambler and a great one too.

Anyway, you don't push him away and he's lost because, apparently, you don't mind him clinging to your side and whining when he's tired. And you don't mind him hugging your arm when he teaches you another card game. And you don't mind him hugging you from behind when you cook something for both of you. Btw him discovering the comfort of living together with someone and sharing chores, getting used to each other's patterns and such is another huge thing but I'll run out of words soon so maybe I'll leave this for another time.

Okay back to the topic. You don't push him away even if he was secretly expecting just that. It's just too good to be true, no?

Well. You start being affectionate as well. Now what.

He can't just stop now, even if he feels like he should. It's all too new, to scarry. But it's so good. Leaning into your hand when you caress his hair, falling asleep on your shoulder. Your soft eyes on him. You waiting for him to come back home.

He gets even bolder, more touchy. You'll push him away soon enough and, at least, this sweet delusion will end. And before that, he at least can see your flustered expression when his cold fingers slide under your shirt, holding onto your waist.

"What exactly are you doing?" you ask him one day and he thinks that's it. You're fed up. You'll push him away now.

Instead you push him on the couch, pinning him down, looking at him with unreadable but intense gaze. Seems like it's his turn to get flustered.

"Oh? Did I cross a line, my dear?" he asks with a laugh that was supposed to be playful but ended up being shaky. Damn you and your charm, you make him too weak. And instead of being merciful, you just chuckle at his struggles!

Tease him back!!!!! Kiss his cheeks!!!! Or his lips!!! In this moment, he's all yours. You want to cuddle? He'll be happy to. You want something more intimate? He will oblige. Just let him know you want push him away no matter what.

[kimetsu-chan]

Disclaimer! ⚠️: this is not meant to take jabs at the ocs as some of these characters have unpleasant personalities. I chose these based on similar traits, outfits they’d look good in, and the ultimate talents. If you would like me to alter the outfit, I will. It just needs to be recognizable as the specific character’s outfit. This will take me an incredibly long time, upwards to multiple weeks. Since I am doing splash arts and one big art piece. If you are uncomfortable with the character your oc was given, please let me know and I’ll do my best to rearrange things. I will only being drawing YOUR oc in THEIR outfit and pose. I will not be mixing the characters.

this’ll be a long post so get ready

First off, this can contain spoilers for Danganronpa V2.

Kyoko Kirigiri technically shows up for the anime version on V2 but I want to include as many ppl as possible. + she’s my favorite so haha

Oc: Akari Fuyutsuki (@thewinterpillarhashira)

Talent: The Ultimate Detective

An honorable mention since Eva thought Celestia would work better than Makoto 😋

Oc: Eva Himiko (@muitsuri)

Talent: The Ultimate Gambler—

Byakuya Togami is the first person I thought of for this oc 😋 he and Makoto are sorta same in the sense that they appeared in the anime. Although Byakuya had an impersonator pretend to be him in the actual game

Oc: Celestine Ellis (@saffron0v0)

Talent: Ultimate Affluent Prodigy

IF ANYONE KNOWS TERUTERU’S PERSONALITY, IM NOT TRYNA BE MEAN I PROMISE— I hate Teruteru okay 😭 I just like his accent and outfit

Oc: Kirika (I couldn’t find her last name) (@ta-ni-ya)

Talent: The Ultimate Chef

Mahiru Koizumi so underrated omg 😭 I loovveee herrrr.

Oc: Marilyn Kaizumi (@cloudymistedskies)

Talent: The Ultimate Photographer

Peko Pekoyama has such a fun name omg. I like saying it over and over again. Once again, and underrated character

Oc: Ilona Dulina (@tokito-dulya20)

Talent: The Ultimate Swordswoman

I don’t really like Hiyoko either, but she’s adorable and I think her outfit would suit this oc very well

Oc: Akira Sakuranbura (@tinyperson00)

Talent: The Ultimate Traditional Dancer

Ibuki is so chaotic and I love it. She’s so adorable. I love that she’s described to be pitch perfect and tone deaf at the same time—

Oc: Irina Gonshira (@shycroissanti)

Talent: The Ultimate Musician

Mikan is such a shy girl. She also cries when embarrassed and stutters a lot. She’s not my favorite, but I don’t hate her. She’s really clumsy which I find relatable—

Oc: Milo Suzuki (@larz-barz)

Talent: The Ultimate Nurse

Usami will be taking the place of Nekomaru since I don’t feel comfortable with draw Yuna in his clothes and such. Plus Usami’s the teacher and I thought it would be fitting.

His character was a little hard to choose, but he’s actually pretty adorable. He calls everyone else “mortals” and he’s my sister’s favorite character

Oc: (I can’t remember her name 😭) (@littleolspring112)

Talent: The Ultimate Animal Caretaker

Nagito is quite possibly the most popular character in the entire franchise. Man has simps left and right. It’s probably bc he’s a little crazy— and he has a rlly sad backstory 😭 he’s also the ✨ main antagonist ✨

Oc: Boo (idk their last name) (@boo-simplified)

Talent: The Ultimate Lucky Student

Chiaki is the lead female character and I like her quite a lot!

Oc: Hanako Kimura (@rion-isnot-an-ai)

Talent: The Ultimate Gamer

Hajime Hinata is the lead protagonist in this game CONGRATS TO THIS OC WHO HAS HIM

Oc: Yuki Ayaka (@sweetstarryeyedgirl)

Talent: He doesn’t have a talent though 💀

I think you can tell by just looking at him… but he’s the mastermind. He also shares a body with Hajime 😃 (wee wo wee wo, wee wo wee wo weeeee—)

Oc: Ayuna Katsuki (@ayunakatsukiwolfhashira)

Talent: I think he’s also talentless, just really smart—

My beautiful, stupid, girl. I love Akane. She’s really energetic and loud so she fits this oc

Oc: Asai (I can’t find her last name 😚) (@night-mince0)

Talent: The Ultimate Gymnast

Sonia’s got two outfits, I’ll do this one though. She’s a literal sweetheart

Oc: Kiyoka Watanabe (@kiyokatokito)

Talent: The Ultimate Princess 0-o

Kazuichi is such a goody goober. Keep your beanie on though. Please.

Oc: Amari Delarosa (@naramaiz)

Talent: The Ultimate Machanic

Kazuichi calls him “boss man” and “baby face”. He hates it. Internally a sweetheart though

Oc: Basil (idk his last name) (@aceofstars0)

Talent: The Ultimate Yakuza— yes he’s part of the mafia. or at least his parents are

And that was the last one 😭

ima plan on doing a group pic, but I might not end up doing it— just cause it’s a lot of work 😭

Ima replace Nekomaru with Usami/Yuna and add poses for everyone else who’s character doesnt show up (that’s not Byakuya I promis, that’s the impersonator)

[snowblack-charcoalwhite]

Hello! It’s me again with your daily Wesper thoughts. I think I could write a short essay about the contrast between Jesper’s usual arrogance and bravado and to how flustered and unsure of himself he can get around Wylan. After he realizes he has romantic feelings for Wylan (I mark this as That Face he makes when Wy is playing piano), he’s so awkward around Wylan. His typical confidence is absent. It’s like when faced with something so real, Jesper doesn’t know how to fake it anymore.

Hello! You`re always welcome in my askbox😊

Exactly! Jesper is shocked by the power of his feelings for Wylan and by their realness. He can`t brush them off, he can`t get away from them. They have changed him - or rather not changed but brought out the parts of him that remained half-hidden for a long time.

Jesper is a loving, caring and loyal person, and it shows in his relationship with Kaz and Inej - especially with Inej. She`s essentially his beloved sister - he absolutely adores her, and he`s going to miss her terribly. But Jesper is also a gambler, used to win a lot today and lose more tomorrow. He`s not exactly holding on to much in 'the chaos of Barrel life'. That`s not to say he wouldn`t do his damnedest to protect Kaz or Inej should the need arise - he totally would. He`d die for them, in fact.

And here`s how his relationship with Wylan is different. He would die for him, yes. The thing is he doesn`t want to. He wants to live for him. Dying is easy in Jesper`s world where risk and danger are all around. Living - daring to be happy and doing everything to make your special one happy as well - is way harder. And for Wylan Jesper is willing to try.

It`s enough to look at the way he holds him - often with both hands, often clutching Wylan instinctively. A gambler who has finally found what he isn`t willing to put on the line.

The 4th gif is by @dramaism

It’s like when faced with something so real, Jesper doesn’t know how to fake it anymore. - This made me think of what Sybil Vane said to Dorian Gray: 'I thought that it was all true... I believed in everything... I knew nothing but shadows, and I thought them real. You came—oh, my beautiful love!— and you freed my soul from prison. You taught me what reality really is... You had made me understand what love really is... I might mimic a passion that I do not feel, but I cannot mimic one that burns me like fire'.

Of course, Jesper is no Sybil and Wylan is no Dorian. Yet, the general sentiment is somewhat similar, I believe, - maybe not so grandiose as the poor girl makes it sound but deep and true nevertheless.

Also, Halo by Beyonce is a Wesper song, change my mind.

It's like I've been awakened Every rule I had you breakin' It's the risk that I'm takin' I ain't never gonna shut you out - are you kidding me?😍

Love is a terrible force - and a beautiful one, what`s more to say.

[zenonaa]

Can I request a drabble of Celes and Maizono? Maybe she uses her "esper" powers to mess with that poker face a little by reading something correctly

Celes doesn’t usually wait until the third date, but Sayaka is far prettier than her usual prey. They sit opposite each other in Celes’s bedroom, a coffee table draped in black cloth between them. A deck of cards studs it like a star, and Sayaka’s face hangs over it as pale and pretty as the moon.

But beauty won’t help Sayaka. Not here. Celes doesn’t even need to glance at any of the five cards in her hand. She breathes in, smiles, then discards two cards and draws replacements.

When her usual opponents see her play like this, without looking at her cards, they freak out. Make stupid decisions. Sayaka is surprisingly calm, only a slight furrow in her brow.

“Do you honestly believe you can defeat my gambler’s gift?” asks Celes sweetly.

It’s not the ante that has Celes’s lips curling, her heart thrumming. The pot contains a mere two thousand yen. No, she wants Sayaka to witness her power, but where others are consumed by fear, she wants Sayaka to be enchanted. To be awed. To worship her. To desire her.

... Okay, and maybe experience a little bit of fear too.

“Giving each suit and number a particular scent was a cool idea,” says Sayaka.

Celes’s heart skips. She keeps her voice even. “Pardon?”

“Lavender for hearts. Sandalwood for clubs. Is the smell on the top half of the card for the suit, and the bottom half for the number?”

No one has ever realised Celes’s trick before. She thought all the incense would cover it up. Her head twitches back. “H-How...?”

“I’m an esper.”

Celes’s tongue squirms, hunting for words in her gaping mouth. A wide grin lights up Sayaka’s face.

“Just kidding. I have good intuition.” Sayaka winks. “And I’ve watched Yu-Gi-Oh!”

This was it. Now that Sayaka had exposed Celes, she would leave and tell everyone Celes’s secret. Her reputation would be in ruins. She would lose her chance at winning Sayaka’s heart. Hifumi would try to make Celes join his manga club again, and worst of all, she would have to accept his invitation this time. No one else would want her around.

“I didn’t know you were a fan too,” says Sayaka. “That’s adorable.”

“A-Ad-or...ab...?” Celes feels her face burning.

Beaming, Sayaka sets down her hand. “Royal flush. I win.”

[etesienne]

what are some of your fav authors ? or books? looking for recs if you have some :)

Here's a list ! Just be aware that I read primarily in French, so there are many authors that I would recommend but as far as I know there aren't any translations available.

Authors :

Nancy Huston

Alessandro Baricco

Toni Morrison

Goethe

Annie Ernaux

Charlotte Delbo

Ying Chen

Kafka

Jorge Louis Borges

Virginia Woolf

Emily Brontë

Primo Levi

Marguerite Duras

Specific books/novels

The Man of Jasmine by Unica Zürn (her visual art is also amazing)

Sula by Toni Morrison

Dora Bruder by Patrick Modiano

Aracoeli by Elsa Morante

The Gambler by Dostoïevsky (the narrator is my personal little meow meow)

Homer, Iliad by Alessandro Baricco (in my opinion the most beautiful adaptation/rewriting of the Iliad)

Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov

Austerlitz by W G Sebald

The Road by Cormac McCarthy (I'm not a fan of this author, but. this book. I adore its style)

Poetry

Rainer Maria Rilke

Tomas Tranströmer

Louise Glück (my beloved)

Anna Akhmatova

Ocean Vuong

Thrillers

Natsuo Kirino

Tana French

Karin Slaughter

He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

and if you can ever read them in French... my heart goes to these authors :

Anne Hébert

Élise Turcotte

Michaël Trahan

Dominique Fortier

Louise Dupré

Philippe More (my favorite poet in the entire world)

[starrbright]

Starr's Collection

creations i very much truly adore and so deserving more of appreciation

Haikyuu:

Don't Come Morning | Kuroo Tetsurou, written by @the-masked-ram - I have already showed my countless obsession over this piece because it is just that good and the fact that it's tetsu even more.

To Have and To Hold | Kuroo Tetsurou, written by @hhawks - no words. just beautiful. I truly feel lucky that there's these lovely pieces for us fat readers about tetsu, no less 🫶🏼

Separate Worlds Apart | Miya Osamu, written by @lazuruspit - the angst? the sex amidst? yearninggggggggggggggggggggggggggg, i live for it.

Nothings gonna hurt you | Bokuto Koutaro, written by @flwrbo - just lovely, really. i wanna eat him.

Along For The Ride | Miya Atsumu, written by @todorokibois - a gem that i found so late.

Wrong Send | Sakusa Kiyoomi, written by @shaisuki - need i say more, honestly.

Plan B | Kuroo Tetsurou, written by @cottonlemonade - my dumbass of a husband 🫶🏼

The Show Must Go On | Semi Eita, written by @purin-gambler - LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. charming and it's delicately intense.

Jujutsu Kaisen:

Affirmations | Gojo Satoru, written by @nnihilnovum - i've said it before that only a few works i've read with body image very well and that i really love and this is one of the best for me.

Heavenly Delight | Gojo Satoru, written by @shaisuki - this one really made me feel things 🧍🏽‍♀️

Pianissimo | Fushiguro Megumi, written by @scummy-simp - YEARNINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG. beautiful beautiful beautiful work, that's all there is.

My love mine all mine | Fushiguro Toji, none other by than @shaisuki - i need to tell you that i'm not that fond of this man but the sweetness on this one😓

Say it's here - Where Our Pieces Fall in Place | Nanami Kento, written by @sukunasun - literally no words i could say to express how incredible of a writer she is.

MMA Geto | Geto Suguru, by @sukunasun as well - the way she writes tension!!! PINING!!! DENIAL!!! just brilliant.

-will add whenever. dividers by @ioveartfilm

[defiedlife]

@gemkun asked: tonight , the glow of penacony is warm , embalming the residents of the reverie in soothing tones. even a scholar , as indifferent and distant as he , can appreciate the tranquil evening. admire and bask in the effervescence. and his company , seems to be equally as enveloped in the ambience of the dreamscape. for now , they agree to set aside their mission , as if to forget the ipc entirely. if only for this night , in celebration of a fleeting yet meaningful day to plenty. a foreign but still welcomed event by the pair , evidenced in the outstretched gift of solace for the duo in the golden hour. perhaps , a last minute arrangement , but one nonetheless. after all , it is the thought that counts. ❝ if our encounters were as pleasant as this one , perhaps , i would not voice my disinclination so often. ❞ a passing comment befalls , audible beyond the alabaster head of his that guarantees no infernal interruptions. ❝ yet , gambler , i'd wager you could not stay silent for an entire evening even if we were to bet on it. ❞

"You really think so, Doctor? I'd wager that I could do it if we make it a bet. I don't lose, remember?"

There are, of course, workarounds to dealing with an imposed rule of silence—texting, pen and paper, physical gestures, and general body language—and he's prepared to use all of them. One evening of no verbal communication doesn't sound so bad, especially if he can get something worthwhile out of it. But then comes the question of what to bet, as both of them have ample money and material goods. He is, however, well aware that the scholar beside him values truth and knowledge above anything else. An idea strikes, and he grins. "Before I pipe down again, I have a proposition for you. I'll attempt to be quiet the rest of the night, and at the end of it, whoever wins the bet gets to ask the other a question and receive an answer that's as straightforward, honest, and complete as possible. If I stay quiet, I win, and if not, then you win. How about it?"

Without waiting for an answer, he falls silent, just in case Ratio decides to take him up on his impromptu little game. Next to the scholar, he eases closer until their arms brush together. The Golden Hour is beautiful, its ambience at once both compelling and captivating, but even more so is the man beside him. That plaster head, as laughable or creepy as it is to most, is neither in his eyes. To him, it's as beautiful as the hands and mind responsible for sculpting it. He knows the true heart hiding behind it, and that is all the reason he needs to gaze upon it with adoration when most would shy away.

He glances at that head, a small, soft smile tugging at his lips, and his gaze slowly drifts to their hands, almost touching. A few seconds pass, and he reaches down, one of his hands deftly removing the glove on the other. Air meets bare fingers, and he sucks in a quick breath, hoping Ratio doesn't notice. Slowly, he reaches down again, ungloved hand seeking the scholar's own and lacing their fingers together. A squeeze follows—a silent "I love you."

[casspurrjoybell-21]

Pirate Chains - Volume 1 - Strong Tides

*Warning Adult Content*

Chapter 22 - Drunken Bunny - Part 2

Agenor

The look of confusion in his eyes was priceless as he tried to recall what had happened. I found it quite entertaining to watch him struggle. Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock.

"I yelled at that large guy with the bat. And... Baril. Oh please tell me I didn't yell at him too."

"Don't worry about Baril," I said. "You have bigger problems now."

"But I didn't insult him, did I? He just started treating me okay and..."

"No, you didn't insult him. You just told him his galley was filthy and unhealthy."

"Oh God! Wait, I think I remember him laughing."

"Yes, you were lucky he was already drunk."

He breathed a sigh of relief but I wasn't done yet.

"Lou, on the other hand..."

"Who?"

"The guy you threatened to 'kick his ass' in front of everyone, after you chose 'storm-boy' as your favorite nickname."

His expression turned frightened and his jaw dropped. I enjoyed watching him squirm for a moment. Despite being upside down, he was still beautiful.

"I distinctly remember asking him not to call me 'girl.' He laughed at me and I can't believe I let slip what I said next," he said, looking at me with a mix of adorableness and defensiveness.

"But to be fair, he started it first. He was incredibly rude, and I was quite drunk. It was the most I had ever drank before," he took a deep breath to calm himself and then added firmly.

"I won't apologize to that bastard. If he comes seeking revenge, I'll... I'll fight him."

I couldn't help but wonder if he was truly sober. His determination to fight Lou surprised me but it also seemed foolish. Nyx never thought like a pirate, even though he probably lived among them now. It would take him a long time to resemble one.

"What about Maren? Do you remember anything about him?" I asked.

"No, I never yelled at Maren or insulted him," he replied.

He covered his eyes with his hands and said

"Oh God, please kill me now."

I struggled to suppress my laughter at his reaction.

I had been furious when I saw him pat Maren's head yesterday and declared... 'I love you monkey-boy, hang in there. I'll save you from the pirates,' ...but I had soon gotten over it after witnessing the rest of his antics.

I feigned a grave expression and uttered...

"Nyx, given your final performance yesterday, killing you would have been a merciful fate."

He opened his eyes, clearly confused. But I wasn't done yet. I reached out and pinned his head down onto the bed, locking eyes with him.

"This is taking longer than expected, so let me explain. Those gamblers were asking about the punch you kindly delivered me. They also asked if we had slept together. And you, you hushed them and said, 'Shh. Don't tell Agenor I punched him.' And to top it off, you helped them with their final bet."

Nyx stared back at me, holding his breath.

"You really put on a show," I said, smiling.

"You called them indecent and pointed to me, saying... If your devil touches me again..."

"I'll be the one who fucks him up," he finished as he remembered.

His eyes widened and he shook his head slightly in denial as he remembered his outburst. A wide smile spread across my face as his words reached my ears once more. They had taken my breath away yesterday and hearing them again now sent shivers down my spine. It was like the time he defied me by attempting to swim to his beloved Regina, his daring spirit always had a way of fully inciting me. I gazed at him, my prey and he was speechless. He pushed all my limits and his eyes betrayed his regret while his lips were slightly parted, hesitating to come up with an excuse.

Yesterday, when he was drunk, he was surprisingly no longer his polite and dignified self. But I was glad alcohol didn't affect me much, for even after all I drank, I could still enjoy and remember the show. I had seen a side of him last night that he himself might not have known existed. He was insultingly honest, rude, daring and I even got to hear him cuss. But the best part was that he was held back by nothing and no one, he was totally free. Facing my silence, Nyx thought I was angry, he broke his silence charm and stammered...

"God, I'm sorry. I told everyone. What will you do?"

I couldn't help but laugh heartily.

"You still have time to worry about others?"

"But... now they know," he said.

"So?" I replied.

When he didn't answer, I continued...

"Do you honestly believe that I care about what those hooligans think?"

He nodded hesitantly, a worried expression still etched on his face.

"You should, you're their leader."

"As the captain of this ship, the only opinion that truly matters to me is my own. I have never regretted or felt ashamed of anything I've done and I don't feel the need to justify my actions to anyone. This includes my decision to make you mine, Nyx, body and soul."

Overwhelmed by my feelings, I couldn't resist leaning in to kiss him between the eyes before passionately biting his lower lip. I could feel him protest but I silenced him with another wild kiss, exploring his mouth with my tongue. When he pulled back for air, I couldn't help but admire his flushed cheeks and that look that I adore, a heady mixture of desire, fear and denial.

The confusion in his eyes only feeds my pride, it's proof that he is tainted by the devil... by me. I smiled at him and I could see his fear subside. It pleased me to know of the effect I had on his emotions. I slipped my fingers under his collar. Then I tilted my head and lowered my voice as I spoke next to his ear...

"Now, I'd really like to see how you will fuck me up."

[pocketmemes]

star trek: deep space nine, s1e01  ∕   sentence starters dialogue taken from s1e01, “Emissary,” of the 1990′s science fiction television series by Michael Piller and Rick Berman. lightly edited for clarity.

‘ it’s gonna be okay... i’ll get you out of there. ’

‘ have we met before? ’

' sounds like they’re not ready. ’

‘ you’re throwing it all away! ’

' well then, don’t ask for my opinion next time! ’

‘ this is where the adventure is. this is where heroes are made. ’

‘ one should never look into the eyes of their own gods. ’

‘ this is going to take some getting used to. ’

‘ i’ve never figured out how to live without her. ’

‘ you have a strange eye for beauty. ’

‘ it’s really quite simple - you’re not going to leave. ’

‘ it was only the beginning of your journey. ’

‘ i’m not a thief. ’

‘ i’ve made a career of knowing when to leave. ’

‘ all my life, i’ve been forced to pass myself off as one of you. ’

‘ you may want to wait until we get safely back before you put your name in the history books. ’

‘ there is a risk, but then again, you are a gambler. ’

‘ i guess we got his attention. ’

‘ thank you for your concern. but i think we’ll see for ourselves. ’

‘ why would you want me to stay? ’

‘ oh, i love a woman in uniform. ’

‘ we have to assume they know everything we know. ’

‘ we are constantly searching, not just for answers to our questions, but for new questions. ’

‘ it is quite simply, the journey you have always been destined to take. ’

‘ i am not your enemy. allow me to prove it. ’

‘ what do you mean? you can’t do this. ’

‘ what the hell is happening out there? ’

‘ there’s nothing we can do. we have to leave. ’

‘ another time, perhaps. ’

‘ you do know how to make a perfect onion soup. ’

‘ you don’t want to ask me that. ’

‘ i cannot give you what you deny yourself. ’

‘ i have the bad habit of telling the truth, even when people don’t want to hear it. ’

‘ your mother is going to adore me. ’

‘ most people, in my experience, wouldn’t know reason if it got up and shook their hand. ’

‘ if you want a war, i’ll give you one. ’

[thunder-at-dawn]

October 5th

word count: 1,801

prompt: cuddles

summary: sapnap can’t find a single blanket or pillow anywhere in the house. when he finds the thief, a small punishment comes to mind.

i became very switch for quackity while writing this LMAO

warning: this is a sfw tickle fic! don’t read if that makes you uncomfortable :]

Sapnap had gone through a very simple day. He mainly stayed at home, and his two fiancés did the same. So if he had barely done anything, then why was he so tired?

He really couldn’t explain it to you if he wanted to. It was as if any energy he had was just… drained from him. So when he went into the shared bedroom, he fell onto the bed like a skydiver, his arms spread out as he fell onto the soft surface of the mattress.

He turned around in the bed, staring at the ceiling. Karl and Quackity were elsewhere in the house, and he was alone. As much as he loved sleeping in bed with them, he needed some alone time. There was only one small problem, and he was too tired to realize it at first.

Where was the blanket?

Laying upon the bed, Sapnap realized there was no blanket on it. He got up and looked around, it hadn’t fallen onto the floor. So next, he checked the closet where all of the blankets were kept. Not a single one was there. And all of the pillows were missing, too!

“…What?” Sapnap mumbled, extremely confused.

He walked around the area, checking every room. Every blanket and pillow in there previously was gone. Where the hell were they? He had not a single clue. It wasn’t until he stepped in the living room where he found the source of where they all were… and who the culprit was.

“Hi, Sapnap!”

“…Hi, Karl.”

Turns out, Karl was a blanket thief. Well, Sapnap already knew that he would sometimes hog the blanket in bed at night, but he had stolen every blanket, every pillow, and a few chairs to make a humongous blanket fort in the middle of the living room.

“Do you like my fort?” Karl asked, beaming with happiness.

“Um… yeah. It’s nice.” Sapnap nodded, letting out a yawn. “I, uh, kinda need a blanket though. I’m about to go to bed.”

“You’re going to bed?” He looked up, stepping out of the fort. “What? No. If you’re going to sleep, you have to do it in the best way possible. And that is inside of a blanket fort!” Karl grabbed Sapnap’s hand, leading him inside. The area was nice and cozy, and Sapnap found himself instantly relaxing, laying down on the floor of blankets.

“How long did it take for you to set this up?” He asked.

“A while.” Karl chuckled. “The blankets kept falling off of the chairs, and I got trapped under them a couple of times.” He watched Sapnap laying down, and how his eyes were struggling to stay open.

“You just came in here, are you really that tired?” He asked. Sapnap nodded, and he smiled softly. If his fiancé was going to fall asleep here, he would make sure it was a good rest that he was about to have. He started moving things around, putting a pillow under his head, and pulling a blanket over the two of them. Sapnap smiled as his lover took care of him, and the two of them smiled as they looked into each other’s eyes.

“C’mere.” Sapnap said lazily, pulling Karl towards him and wrapping his arms around his waist. He held him close, the warmth of their body’s accompanying each other. His steady breathing trailed along the side of Karl’s neck as he adjusted himself. However, he was soon distracted by sudden twitching from Karl.

Karl turned to Sapnap, seeing a mischievous glint in his eye. Both of them knew what his next move was going to be, and Karl started to giggle nervously. “Sahap- noHOho- dohon’t!”

Feeling fingers start to wiggle along his sides, Karl squirmed in Sapnap’s grasp. Even though he was tired, Sapnap still held a firm grip on him, it was quite surprising. His touches were light and soft, and it was driving Karl mad.

“You’re so cute.” Sapnap leaned over, breathing the words of affection into his neck. Karl scrunched his shoulders up, currently in a giggling frenzy.

“Nohoho- wahAhait!” Karl snickered.

“No, you’re not cute? Well, that’s a lie! And it looks like I’ll have to let you know how truthful it is.” Sapnap chuckled, speeding up the movements of his fingers along Karl’s sides. The time traveler squealed, squirming around more, and then calling out two dreaded words.

“QuahaHACKihity! Hehelp!!”

Oh shit.

Aggressive flapping could be heard down the hall, getting louder by the second. To keep him firm, Sapnap hugged his fiancé tighter, wiggling fingers digging into his sides. The other squeaked, kicking his legs as he laughed softly. Suddenly, a third lover entered the fort.

“Karl?! I heard you call, what’s going on?” Quackity asked, looking down.

“Hehe hahas mehe trAHApped!” Karl giggled as the newcomer surveyed the scene.

“Oh, come on. He was being cute.” Sapnap insisted, watching as Quackity’s lips formed into a smirk.

“Aww, Sapnap, how could you? You’re making our beautiful fiancé laugh, and you didn’t invite me?!” He chuckled, noticing Karl’s panicked expression.

“Awww, what’s wrong, mi amor? Are you just a little bit too ticklish, by chance?” The duck hybrid asked, sitting down and lightly scratching at his bare stomach, which was exposed from his hoodie being pushed up in his struggle. Karl squealed, covering his now red face.

“DOHON’T! Dohon’t saHAY thaHAT!” He instructed with a muffled voice.

“Don’t say what? Tickle? Well, I don’t see what’s wrong with it!” Said Quackity, scratching Karl’s stomach ever so lightly. “Tickle, tickle, tickle! Tickle, Tickle, Tickle~!”

“I CAHAhan’t! GuhuHUYS!!”

“Alright, that’s enough.” Sapnap decided, smiling as Karl still giggled from feeling Sapnap’s breath on his neck. As the surprise attack ceased, he let go, and Karl curled up into a ball, still giggling.

“Eres tan adorable, mi amor.” Quackity whispered, slowly running a hand through his hair. Karl soon sat up, smiling at the two of them.

“You really think that?” Karl asked. He and Sapnap had picked up some Spanish from being with Quackity, and he was able to figure out that he just called him “so adorable.”

“Of course!” Quackity lightly caressed his cheek, holding his hand underneath Karl’s chin. Karl leaned forward, smiling softly.

And that’s when round two began.

That’s when Quackity felt Karl’s hands dig into his armpits and start to scribble furiously.

“FuhuHUHUHAHA- SHIHIHIT!” Quackity screamed, his duck wings flapping violently.

“Revenge!” Karl giggled sweetly, taking his eye off momentarily to look at Sapnap. “Come on, help me out!”

After a moment of consideration, Sapnap sat up, moving towards the other two. Quackity shook his head as he noticed him approaching.

“BaHAHACK OHOFF!” He warned, yelping when Sapnap placed his hands on his shoulders.

“Why should I?” He whispered, his breath dancing across Quackity’s neck, just as he had done with Karl earlier. The gambler grabbed his beanie, pulling it down to hide his face. The other two used this to their advantage, Karl pushing Quackity to the cushioned floor. He took his hands out from under his arms, and Quackity was more relaxed.

That is, until he felt hands spreading his wings out.

“W-WAIT! Nononononononoooo…” The avian shook his head back and forth, and his lovers knew that his face was only getting more red from underneath the hoodie.

“Oh, come on. Gotta get that cute laughter out of you somehow.” Sapnap chuckled, firmly pinning Quackity’s arms above his head. Once he was held firm, Karl started to slowwwly scratch at the surface of his wings. Quackity screamed, kicking his legs and wiggling back and forth.

“NAHAHAHAHAAA! WAI- WAHAHIT!” He snickered, squirming as much as he could.

“Aww, there we go.” Sapnap breathed softly on his neck, watching him giggle like a child and scrunch up his shoulders.

“GUHUYS, PLEHEHEAHASE!!” He pleaded, laughing as Karl picked up the pace a little bit. After an extra bit of kicking and screaming, he slowed down, and Sapnap pulled the hat off from his face.

“Awww, your face is red! Look at how cute you are!” Karl beamed, leaning down and planting kisses on Quackity’s neck. Giggles fell out of his lips, and he sat up once Karl finished.

“Ahalright, alright. Your turn, Sapnap!” Quackity grinned, tackling him into a pile of pillows and digging fingers into his ribs. Sapnap had no time to react, and attempted to grab at his hands while chuckling softly.

“Noho- cohome ohon!” He threw his head back, attempting to push him off.

“What?! You’re the only one who hasn’t been tickled out of the three of us!” He giggled, moving his hands up and down. Karl came over as well, lightly tracing fingers along his stomach.

“KaHAHarl!” He squeaked, moving a hand to push at Karl now.

“Hi, Sapnap!” The time traveler giggled, starting to scratch now. His chuckles quickly turned into laughter, he squirmed around, trying to fight them off.

“Yohou’re bohoth ahasshoHOHOHOHAHA- SHIHIT!! KAHARL!!” Sapnap felt a raspberry ripple through his stomach, the fabric of his shirt enhancing the sensation.

“And you always brag about being the least ticklish out of the three of us…” Karl rolled his eyes, planting smaller raspberries and assorted kisses along his stomach.

“YohOHOu’re bohohOTH wohorse!” He insisted, hiccuping through his laughs, and then snorting.

“Did he just snort?!” Quackity grinned in astonishment, looking between the other two fiancés. “I’ve never heard him do that before!”

“Oh yeah, the stomach is a total snort spot!” Karl nodded, watching as Quackity grinned evilly.

“Right here?” He asked, sliding his hand under Sapnap’s shirt and clawing at his tummy.

“DuhuHUDE- DOHON’T!” He snorted again, weakly batting at his hand.

“How come I never knew this before? Were you hiding this spot from me?!” Quackity asked, now clawing with both hands. Sapnap squealed, hugging himself across the chest and accepting his giggly fate. Eventually, the two of them stopped, laying down next to Sapnap on each side.

“You’re so adorable. Both of you.” Karl grinned, adjusting the pillow that he was now resting his head on.

“Even if you’re mischievous as hell.” Sapnap chuckled.

“Me? Mischievous? You’re the one who started this!”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t be so ticklish then!”

“I’m not that baHAD- Hehey! Dohon’t pohoke me!”

“I’m just proving my point heHERE- Quahackity!”

“What? I’m not doing ahANYthihing!”

The banter continued, and the three of them poked at each other, and snuck in a couple more tickly attacks, until the three of them were reduced into a giggly pile of soft laughter. The comfort of the fort brought ease to the three, as well as the warmth of the blankets, and their bodies. The laughter and chatter reduced down slowly, to the point of silence, when all of them had fallen asleep, wrapped up in each other’s arms with smiles on their faces.

[angeloroki]

the angel and her prince — keigo takami

« his angel, you were his angel. or was he your prince ? your fantasy ? »

— character ; keigo takami x poc fem!reader

— genre ; fluff, maybe angst ?, au fantasy

— warnings ; suggestive content

— a/n ; i wanted to write something that venerated the beauty of the black woman, i hope it's not too lame

you had been watching him for a while from your cloud. keigo takami, the prince of a kingdom with rich lands. he was handsome, strong, young. the princesses only had eyes for him, bla-bla-bla.

but he was a gambler, he had never fallen in love according to your friend Cupid. it was this information that had piqued your curiosity.

what about you ? you were mean. it was mean from you to disappear every time, leaving no trace of your passage after making him completely in love with you.. miss, you had the unfortunate tendency to let him the next day, alone and helpless. only your feverish kisses left a sweet and bitter hint of your lips on his skin. and perhaps sometimes, if luck smiled on him, a feather or two would fall from your majestic wings, to remind him of the graceful angel that you were.

but that never stopped him from wondering when he would see you again.

while you, from your cloud, only looked at him with an amused expression. you left him with his doubts that you were just a mirage.

but why that ? simply because your selfish fear of falling in love with him prevented you from getting together with the young prince.

however, this time you had left him a nice note in your beautiful handwriting, promising him to come back as soon as possible, promising him ever softer caresses and ever more loving kisses. his heart was beating wildly. and that was the effect you were looking for. the mere thought of you gave him an incomparable adrenalin.

that night you promised him finally arrived.

the moon reflected its whitish light on your dark, luscious skin, amplifying the divine air you already naturally exuded. the soft satin sheet partly covered your goddess-like body. a painting worthy of the greatest baroque painters, you were a muse unto yourself. your lips, reddened by the kisses you had offered him, were now blowing sweetness that made him blush.

you were perfect. but this perfection was real, it was not the word you dared to say to a beautiful woman you were meeting for the first time for example. your beauty was complex, supernatural, incomparable, pure.

your smile that you would address to him when he sometimes surprised you with his stupid human features. you remeber this discussion you had with him, the first time you met him.

« i want to buy you all the jewels this land has. it's my duty as a prince, let me embellish you with crystals, gold, and precious prayers. » a narcissistic smile appeared on his beautiful face.

you rolled your eyes. human pretension.

« i already have all the gold in the world, handsome. i am the angel of beauty. »

« so maybe my poems could make you fall in love with me ? »

but, yeah, that smile that could light up an entire city without power. that smile that had the gift of giving a second chance to a wilted flower. it was one of the many things that made you an angel.

but what the prince liked best was surely your stretch marks. those slightly darker brown features on your black skin that could only gratify it. they were witnesses of a natural beauty.

as for your cherry-scented hair, it was strewn with strange golden glitter. a characteristic unique to angels, you had once revealed to him.

these imperfections, or should i say, perfections, were adored by your lover. that's why you were called the angel of beauty. simply because you were the very definition of it.

wait, had he also mentioned the beauty of your wings ? those wings that turned a light and imperceptible pink in the sunlight, and then turned bright white in a darker place. this detail, which he had noticed from admiring you in your secret garden, was perhaps what had charmed you at first.

an angelic laugh, like celestial music, escaped from your lips. you did not yet have the power to read the minds of humans, but you could see that the man in front of you only had eyes for you. and you loved it.

« marry me, y/n. we don't need a ceremony, i can get us two rings now. and we'll just have to make our vows. »

your dark eyes widened slightly.

« don't be silly, my love. »

your words seemed to sadden him a little. your hands came to meet his face which you took in your hands.

« marriage is only a futile and human way to make us belong to each other. but you are already mine, as i am yours, keigo. my embrace doesn't prove it to you enough ? » you say in a honeyed voice.

and also, maybe is it because i can't marry you, takami ? an angel could never live forever with a vile human like you. we are both victims of a romantic tragedy, keigo, you were thinking of yourself.

« i could never stop loving you. » he says in a voice filled with desire.

a strange warmth came over your cheeks. what was happening to you ? could it be the effect of love rubbing off on you ?

« continue to take me as your muse and write these fabulous poems, darling. »

« are you going to break this one's heart too ? » your friend Cupid asks you.

too busy re-tuning your harp, a faint smile lit up your face at the thought of your lover.

« mmh you tell me... i think one of your arrows must have hit me too, Cupid. »

a crisp laugh escaped his lips before he gave you a bored look.

« don't talk nonsense, angels can't fall in love. specially you, the angel of beauty. »

the angel of love was far from imagining that he was wrong.

« oh and by the way, i didn't shoot any arrows at that human, y/n. if he's madly in love with you, it's because of you. »

[dweetwise]

A bit different from my usual content, this fic features @saycheesekid 's beautiful OC Minerva who is Ace's wife from before the fog. It's my first time writing someone else's OC and I hope I did her justice, because I adore her dynamic with Ace! (Also Felix POV because apparently I'm incapable of not including him in fics)

Ships 💞: Ace x OC, Felix x his girlfriend Warnings⚠️: Miscarriage mention Word count: 2.8k

[Ace X OC] Apple of my eye

Family.

Something that Felix had always considered the most important thing in the world. From trying to make his father proud to pulling himself together and preparing to give his unborn child everything under the sun, the concept of family had shaped most of Felix's life.

And maybe that was why it was so easy for him to see how closely the dynamic of his fellow survivors resembled one.

Opposite the log to Felix's, Minerva was braiding Meg's hair into an elaborate French braid. The woman let Meg rant loudly about her latest trial, always willing to lend an ear and patiently bear the redhead's frustrations.

Nancy walked up to the duo and spoke in a low voice Felix couldn't make out the words of, prompting Minerva to pause her braiding project long enough to hand the girl what looked to be a gauze roll. Nancy departed with a smile – a rare sight that Felix had only caught a handful of times – and Minerva focused back on the angry redhead at her feet.

A loud laugh carried out across the campsite, making Felix turn his attention to where Ace looked to be showing a magic trick to a small group.

The gambler was running a poker chip over his knuckles and between his fingers, the movement of the item difficult to follow until it finally seemed to disappear into thin air.

"Where did it go?" Ace asked his audience, a grin on his face as he held up his empty hands. "Everyone check their pockets, just in case!"

The others did as instructed. When a confused Feng fished out the very same poker chip from the front pocket of her jeans, Dwight gasped and Nea laughed and Feng, furious, started pestering a smirking Ace to “Tell me how you did it, it's not fucking magic!”

Felix, however, merely deflated and looked back at the half-empty, forgotten med-kit in his lap.

On one hand, it was incredible how even amidst the death and violence of the Entity's world, the survivors had managed to form a family of their own. He saw how they each had their own roles, from Nea's youthful brashness to Bill's grumpy caring, and the camaraderie they had all formed during the last few years was something Felix was honored to be part of.

But at the same time, Felix was supposed to become a father. Yet he was always stuck at the sidelines, helpless to do anything but watch as others more suited for the task comforted those who were struggling from homesickness or a bad trial. Felix could barely instruct Quentin about toolbox efficiency without tripping over his words, much less be a parental figure for any of the poor kids trapped in this hellscape with him.

It was clear that he needed outside advice.

═════════════ ♢ ═════════════

Felix resumed stocking his med-kit while he waited. Fortunately, it wasn't long before Ace returned to Minerva's side.

The woman was just finishing up Meg's new braid and sent the redhead on her way with a smile, Meg excitedly bounding over to where Feng was still busy glaring at the remnants of Ace's magic trick.

"Ciao, bella," Ace leered. Felix watched him lean to place a peck on his wife's cheek. "Is your hair salon finally closed for the day?"

"I might just have time to make you pigtails," Minerva replied with a smirk. "Did you have fun messing with the children again?"

"What do you mean, mess with them? I'll have you know that was pure magic!"

Minerva rolled her eyes at her husband's antics, though she was still smiling fondly.

The couple lapsed into comfortable silence – the kind Felix assumed came from years of being married – and he figured that this might be his only chance.

"They really like you," Felix said.

Minerva and Ace both looked up to meet his eyes and Felix cleared his throat under their attention.

"The teens," Felix clarified. "It's good that they have people like you – both of you. In here."

Realizing how awkward he sounded, Felix resolutely turned his attention back to the med-kit. This whole advice thing was turning out to be a spectacularly bad idea.

"Thank you, Felix," Minerva said. At the warmth in her voice, Felix hesitantly looked back up. "I'm glad you think so."

"Absolutely!" Ace agreed. "I don't know how much I'm actually contributing aside from the occasional dad joke, but it's good for the kids to have a campfire mom, huh?"

"Oh, don't sell yourself short," Minerva said. "The dad jokes are at least a daily occurrence."

Ace chortled and even Felix smiled at the couple's easy back and forth.

"You are both really good with the younger survivors," Felix said. "Do you have children of your own?"

"Oh, no!" Ace laughed. He reached out to grab his wife's hand. "Our life was plenty chaotic without a kid thrown into the mix; can't really bring a baby to a casino or have the kid change schools every two months when we moved across the world!"

"We would have had to drastically change our lifestyle," Minerva said. "And then those years had already passed."

Minerva looked down at their joined hands with a contemplative expression. There was an unexplainable tension in the air and Felix was eager to move on from the subject.

"I see," Felix simply said. "I just thought from how natural you act with them, you seemed like you had experience in parenting."

"Well, we've been around kids a lot!" Ace said.

Minerva perked up. "I've got many nieces and nephews," she said, "And Ace has younger siblings. You often took care of them in your childhood, correct?"

"Unfortunately," Ace scrunched up his nose. "Gotta say, changing diapers is one thing I don't miss. Especially when your baby brother happens to have really good aim."

Minerva giggled and Felix politely chuckled, even though he didn't really understand the joke. What would a baby need target practice for?

"What about you?" Minerva asked, addressing Felix. "Do you have experience with children?"

"No," Felix said. "And that’s the problem. I –"

He hesitated. Though he would consider Ace and Minerva his friends, they weren’t exactly close, as Felix had been careful to keep most of his personal life private. Everyone except Élodie and a few others only knew that his girlfriend was pregnant at the time of his disappearance. Hopefully, the couple wouldn’t judge him for this.

"I fear I won't make a very good father,” Felix confessed.

Minerva's expression softened. "I'm sure that won't be the case."

"Yeah, just don't worry about it!" Ace exclaimed.

Felix stared blankly at the man's cheerful smile. If he could simply will his anxiety away, he would have done so about thirty years ago – not be stuck with it screaming at him about what a terrible parent he would make.

"Kids are easy!" Ace continued in a way of explanation. "Just talk to them and make them laugh if you can. And let them be kids and run around and climb in trees without worrying about if they'll get hurt! Kids are much tougher than they look."

“I agree with most of that,” Minerva said. “But I still wouldn't recommend things like playing catchwith them.”

"What?" Felix frowned, his idyllic fantasy of throwing a ball with his future son shattered. "I thought that was a child-safe activity. I guess the ball could injure the child, but I don't throw very hard –"

"Oh, no, baseball is absolutely fine," Minerva said, then turned to give Ace an unimpressed look. "But Ace plays catch by throwing a three-year-old six feet into the air and hoping he'll catch them –"

"And I have a one hundred percent success rate!" Ace protested. "Better than any baseball player. Totally safe activity! And your nephew loves it, he's always waddling up to me and reaching up his arms –"

While Ace kept rambling and horrifying Felix more and more by the second, Minerva looked back at Felix, shook her head and mouthed "no" and Felix instantly relaxed.

It was good that he wasn't expected to be physically throwing his child anywhere.

═════════════ ♢ ═════════════

Minerva and Ace kept recounting anecdotes of their own while trying to reassure Felix's new-parent-stress. They were being incredibly accommodating and didn't seem to be judging Felix for his lack of experience.

And maybe that was why Felix felt comfortable enough to ask a question that he hadn’t dared voice to anyone before.

"What if it's…" Felix hesitated. "What if the baby is a girl?"

Ace's head tilted comically in confusion – like that was the dumbest question Felix could have possibly asked.

"I didn't have any siblings," Felix hurried to explain. "I have no knowledge of what interests young girls have and what type of care they need."

Minerva smiled – still much too patient. "Well, first of all, girls aren't an alien species."

"That's exactly what an alien would say," Ace interjected.

At another look from his wife, Ace raised his hands up in surrender and quieted down.

"There’s just as much of a chance that she would end up liking soccer and a boy would want to ride horses," Minerva continued. "No matter what the child's interest or gender, they need their father's love and attention to thrive."

Felix hummed in understanding, then looked at Ace for his viewpoint.

"I mean," Ace grinned. "I'd only add that maybe don't buy a pony when the kid inevitably begs for one, but you can obviously afford it, so…"

"As long as you don't spoil them," Minerva said. "I know you have the means, but boundaries are important for a child."

Felix nodded, though that didn't really tell him anything. How was he supposed to know what purchases would further his child's well-being and what would be excessive?

Ace elbowed Minerva with a good-natured grin. "I think we lost him.”

"Sorry," Felix hurried to apologize. "I appreciate your advice. I just don't know if I'm going to be able to make the right decisions as a parent."

"Felix… I think you're forgetting that you aren't alone in this," Minerva said. "The child has two parents. You won't need to make decisions on your own; both you and the mother will come to know your child best and can decide. Together." 

"Yeah," Ace agreed, looking at Minerva with a smile. "Having someone to share the highs and lows with really makes all the difference."

Minerva returned the smile and brought up a petite hand to cup her husband's cheek. "And you wouldn't change it for the world," she murmured. "Even if they sometimes drive you insane."

Ace chuckled and leaned in to kiss her and Felix politely averted his eyes.

He hoped that one day he and his girlfriend could be as comfortable and open with each other as those two. Maybe Felix should have been more honest with her, about the work stress and his grief and fears about becoming a parent. He had seen the look of worry in her beautiful eyes every time he stumbled home late from a bar, but had brushed off her attempts at reaching out and only managed to pull himself together once she shared the news of the baby.

God, he wanted nothing more than the chance to make things right. He missed her like crazy; it had been two years in the Entity's realm and he had no way of knowing how time passed outside of here. He only hoped that she hadn’t been forced to have the child alone, an unwilling single parent struggling with the same doubts that Felix was now, in addition to thinking that Felix had abandoned them –

"Felix, I don't think you ever mentioned kt," Minerva started, pulling Felix out of his spiralling thoughts. "Can I ask how far along your girlfriend is in her pregnancy?"

"Oh," Felix said. "Four months, when I disappeared. Though I’m not sure how time progresses here; the child will probably have already been born when I return."

Minerva nodded, though there was something… odd about the faraway look in her eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Felix asked.

"No, I – ah," Minerva faltered.

"Honey…" Ace said, clear worry on his face.

Minerva, however, seemed to have made up her mind, and continued. "Please don't take it for granted," she said, her voice strained. "There’s a possibility that when you return, the child… won't be there waiting for you."

And then Minerva, normally so elegant and put-together, curled in on herself and wrapped an arm around her midsection. Shame washed over Felix; the woman’s grief was obvious, and he felt absolutely horrible for having brought up unpleasant memories.

Instantly, Ace was there. He pulled Minerva close and kissed her temple, at the roots of her hair where blonde became black.

"But even if the worst happens, you'll get through it," Ace told Felix as much as Minerva. "I know you're excited for the kid, and it'll feel like the end of the world if something happens to them," Ace's smile wavered ever so briefly. "But you'll pull through. As long as you're there for each other and give yourselves time to grieve, you'll be alright."

Minerva reached for Ace's hand again. Ace’s hand enveloped her smaller one and he rested his head on top of hers.

Felix looked down at his feet both to give them space and contemplate their words. He hadn't even considered the possibility that his child might not make it into this world; he had been much too stressed about what types of diapers to buy and which kindergartens were the best in his area.

Perhaps he needed to get his priorities in order.

"Wow, look at us," Minerva suddenly huffed. "We're scaring him with every worst-case scenario."

"Oh, ehm –" Felix stammered. "Don't worry about me."

"Aw, jeez," Ace chuckled. "We're gonna get some angry calls from your girlfriend about 'Felix keeps talking to the baby bump 24/7 and refuses to even let me go to the bathroom alone', aren't we?"

Felix felt his neck flush from embarrassment. He might be a little bit of a worrier and had a tendency to overthink things, but surely, he wouldn't be that bad –

"Felix," Minerva said, gaining his attention. She was smiling again. "I didn't mean to worry you. It's merely that… there's a lot of things nobody tells first-time parents."

Now, Felix definitely got the picture that she was speaking from experience.

"Thank you," Felix said. "I appreciate all your advice. Truly."

"Thank you for listening to us ramble," Ace grinned. "We can be a lot, I know."

"No, you were both a great help," Felix said.

"That's kind of you to say," Minerva smiled. "And I have no doubt that you'll be a great father."

Felix cleared his throat and fidgeted in his seat. "I'll try my best."

"You'll be just fine. The way you worry just shows how much you care –"

"What the fuck were you thinking!?" a distinctly Laurie-like voice screeched across the campsite, effectively interrupting their conversation.

The rare occurrence of the girl swearing had the trio turning to look over to where a small commotion had formed. Apparently, the group to arrive from the latest trial had some things they needed to air out.

"It was supposed to be a guaranteed escape!" Steve protested Laurie's verbal assault. "I had the perks and the salt offering and everything! Ace told me it would work –"

"That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" Yun-jin interjected from beside Laurie. "You nearly got me killed!"

"It's not dumb!"

"Argh! Minervaaa!!" Laurie yelled.

Minerva offered a small sigh. "Coming!" she hollered to the others.

"Well, looks like I'm needed elsewhere," Minerva said, rising to her feet. She brushed off her jeans and straightened her shirt – always taking care of her appearance even in this world of nothing but blood and dirt and violence.

Ace grinned and made no move to follow her. "Have fun!"

"Oh no, you're coming with me," Minerva said. Ace opened his mouth, but she was quicker. "You started this whole mess, and you'll clean it up."

"Your evidence won't hold up in court," Ace joked, yet obediently got up to join his wife. "Fine, I'll go see what the little rascal has been up to."

Ace made for where Laurie was still glaring at Steve.

"So! I heard someone is in dire need of a lawyer to get them out of these preposterous charges –" Ace began.

And that was apparently the cue for Laurie, Steve and Yun-jin to all start talking over each other.

Felix saw Minerva roll her eyes before she looked back at him.

"Another parenting lesson for you," Minerva said, the corner of her mouth quirking up. "When dealing with children, you can say goodbye to your free time."

Felix chuckled as she made her way over to the group to start sorting out not only the others' disagreement, but also her husband egging on the argument.

So maybe Felix wouldn't be the perfect parent. But from what was apparent right before his eyes when Laurie looked at Minerva speaking in clear adoration and Steve grinned at Ace defending him, Felix’s child would probably still love him.

[shisnhou]

— jujutsu kaisen

- fluff

you’re beautiful, gojo satoru

caught, fushiguro megumi

one more love song, nanami kento

- angst

just friends, gojo satoru

traitor, gojo satoru

selfish, gojo satoru

i don‘t know how to love, fushiguro megumi

end of the world, nanami kento

atlantis, fushiguro megumi

kill gojo, gojo satoru

- headcannons

inumaki meeting someone who knows how to sign

- drabbles

home sweet home, nanami kento

everything, itadori yuuji

love song, fushiguro megumi

when i met you, nanami kento

after dark, gojo satoru

gambler! toji

everybody loves somebody, gojo satoru

toji fushiguro thirst

adore you, fushiguro megumi

a dangerous game with gojo satoru

red bone, fushiguro toji

kiss it better, nanami kento

the hills, nanami kento

shameless, gojo satoru

until i found you, fushiguro megumi

under the influence, geto suguru

shinshou’s directory, requests

do not copy, modify, or repost my work to any other social media platform, same goes with using it for asmr audios, please do not use my work.

[mageofseven]

Back again with the request of the brothers and undateables reaction to MC drunk texting them that they love, Love them ❤️

Oh thank you so much for resending this! I'm sorry about the mishap before. I hope you'll enjoy these~ Since you didn't specify, these are written from the perspective that MC and the boys are in a relationship when they text the boys.

Also, I decided to split these up into two posts so this one will only have the Brothers in it, but I will put up a post for the Undateables real soon!

~

Lucifer:

The man sighed at his desk, signing what felt like the thousandth paper that night. It was only 1am so the night was still young; he knew he'd be at this till morning only to have to go through his duties tomorrow without rest. It was not unusual for him, but the oldest brother was still feeling a bit burnt out.

Ding.

He paused for a moment before setting his pen down and picking up his phone from the corner of the desk.

'Daaaddy. Mammnk dispered'

Ignoring the name they gave him, the man just stared down at the text. He gave another big sigh.

'MC, where are you?'

'I djnno. I went tk a party with Mammm and Asmo and thyy jsyt went poooff.'

God, his brothers were idiots. What if something happens to MC while they're off doing whatever?

'I'll track your phone then. I'll be there soon'

'Nuuu. I jsut wanna get my phone bacc from Mamsmm'

Oh dear Diavolo...

'Love, you're texting me off your phone.'

'Ooo. Yur rite!'

'I am coming to get you now.'

'Okaaaa bye Daddynm. Love yuo.'

The man rolled his eyes, but smile slightly down at the screen. What was he going to with his Love?

Mammon:

Shit! Where'd they go?! He took MC with him to the casino to help distract the other gamblers as he played cards-- hey don't judge!! He promised to buy them a few drinks afterwards. So there they were, sittin' and drink together when this guy he owes money to starts running up and yelling at him! Of course Mammon had to bail! He told MC to run with him but at one point he turned around and the human wasn't there! He's been rushing around and searching for them for the last twenty minutes. Where did they go??

Bing. His phone went off. The moron facepalmed. He has his phone! He should have been calling them or something.

'Baaaabbby. Im loneyl.'

'Oi! Where'd you go? I told you to follow me!'

'But I waz tlkin to thhe fnny man! He evn boght more deinks.'

Shit. They're still back at the bar. But with him of all people??

'Babe, why ya drinking with that jerk??'

'Im not. Hss wife cam e adn got him.'

Wife? Oh thank Diavolo, Belinda came through for him!

'Stay put, got that? I'm heading back now.'

'Kk I love yuo babbny 😘'

Mammon blushed as he read that last message.

'Ya, ya, just stay put, human.'

Leviathan:

Okay so Levi himself is not really a drinker in most circumstances. He pretty much sees it as another thing normies do and use as an excuse to spend time with other normies. Like, why would he care about something so stupid anyway?

Still, that doesn't mean there aren't exceptions to that kind of thing. Like the new bottle he won from a contest run by the creators of the anime I Partied So Hard That I Ripped Opened The Frabric of Reality And Was Met By My Future Wife Who Is Secretly A Cat Girl From Venus! I mean, it's seriously cool! It's the same brand of Venustian wine that Nyanitia loves in the anime!

Levi was so excited when it arrived that he practically begged MC to come to his room to drink it with him as he played his new video game from Akuzon. Honestly it didn't end up like he thought it would though. The wine barely did anything to him at all. I mean, yeah, the third brother didn't have a lot of experience with alcohol but he thought he would at least feel a little different than normal. Eh, whatever. The effect is kinda lame but it's still from the anime! If it's good enough for Nyanitia then it's good enough for him.

The demon shrugged it off and got absorbed in his video game to the point where he even stopped talking to MC, which wasn't unusual. After dying a couple times, he threw his controller down.

"Uggghh, can you believe that MC--"

The boy just noticed that he was alone. Oh... was he really that boring to hangout with? The Avatar of Envy started mumbling a lot of insults to himself as he picked up the bottle.

"Was my gaming that bad? Or was it the wine?" He mused sadly. "No, I bet it was the wine. It barely did anything to me so I doubt it effected them either...."

He starts reading the label on the back, skimming till he reads a section on alcohol level. Level for demons: mild.

"That explains it..." He grumbled, continuing to read in his head.

Level for Angels: low medium. Level for Humans: HIGH. WARNING. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF HUMANS.

Oh...oh no. What's gonna happen to his Henry?? Are they gonna die?? Is Lucifer gonna kill him??? GAH! Where did they go--

Beep. His phone!

'Leeevvvvvi. I fels wooozy.'

Panicking, the boy typed back.

'Where are you??? Are you dying???'

'Nuuuu. I'm jsyt wwwoooosh.'

Gah! What does that even mean?? Before the demon could respond, he got another message.

'Leeeevvvvi chan I lvoe you~.'

The boy's face and ears blazed red. I mean, yeah, it's not the first time he's heard/read them say that but still! Now isn't the time for this!

Another message.

'Sweeeeetue. Coem love me 😢'

The demon let out a panicked yell and charged out his door. His foot collided with something and he heard a whine.

"Sweeeeetie why?" MC laid on the floor of the hallway, pouting and looking more hurt emotionally than physically.

Still panicking, Levi picked up the human and brought them back into his room. He laid them in his bathtub and start researching the affects of Venustian wine on humans.

Boy nearly collapsed from relief and exhaustion when he found out they only had a sip and shouldn't have any health issues from it.

Ends up apologizing a million times over and becomes extra protective of them for the next couple weeks and is paranoid about every food and drink placed in front of them.

Satan:

It was an average evening for him. He was in his room, reading in bed as he waited for MC to come home. Asmo managed to convince them to go to a party with him. Satan didn't really want them to go tonight, but he saw their eyes light up with just the idea of it and the blonde couldn't bring himself to say a thing. Like him, MC didn't really have any experience with parties prior to this, but unlike him, they had a great interest in them. How could he ask them not to go if this was an experience they had wanted for a long time?

Ding.

The man laid his book down next to him and reached for his phone that he laid on the closest stack of books.

'Satn, peple are sk mean 😥'

The demon launched into a sitting position.

'Who needs to die?' He texted back, protective instincts springing up inside himself for them.

'Nno. Teh people here just amke me feel so lft out.'

He sighed. MC was too sensitive for that kind of environment.

'Kitten, tell Asmo to take you home now.' Satan texted before adding 'Tell him I said so.'

'Btu hes tlkin to a succubus'

'I don't care. Tell him what I said.'

'Okaa 😔'

The demon waited a few minutes, but didn't get a new message.

'Kitten?' He texted them.

Minutes when by. Nothing. The blonde got out of bed and started pacing. When that didn't help, he started to transform from the anger at his brother. He decided to text Asmo.

'Bring them home now or so help me, you will face a different type of hell when you get back.'

No reply from his brother either. The Avatar of Wrath was ready to start breaking shit.

Ding. He quickly checked his phone. It was MC.

'Bb I love you.'

The blonde stopped in his tracks. Why--after over 20 minutes of waiting-- was that their only response?

The demon reached out for his door knob, ready to go out and hunt for them, when his door swung open, revealing his brother, who was holding up an intoxicated MC.

"Ugh, you ruined my night!" The fifth brother complained.

Satan, still in his demon form, was ready to deck the other man at best and at worst, who knows. He didn't get the chance to find out because instead, MC tumbled forward and into his arms.

"Satan," They whined. "I wanna.... I wanna lay down."

The blonde took a deep breath before looking to his brother.

"Just leave. Now." He slammed the door closed on the other demon before laying MC down in bed and joining them. He pulled the blanket over them both and held his Kitten close to his chest.

"I should have...stayed home." They mumbled.

He kissed their forehead.

"It's fine. You're fine now, Kitten."

Asmodeus:

After a long, but fun night at The Fall, the Avatar of Lust had his fill was ready to get his beauty sleep. Sadly, he had lost track of his Doll. Oh dear, where could they be? Despite being so late, there were still plenty of people out and he was having trouble tracking them down.

Beep. The demon checked his phone.

'Azzy, I lvoe you🥰'

Asmo giggled, texting back.

'Aww! I love you too! Now where did you run off to? I miss my Dolly~.'

'By eth bahroons'

The man headed off that way and found MC on the floor in the hallway that led to the bathroom.

"Well, what are you doing down there?" He teased.

MC started giggling.

"I fell."

Seeing that they weren't hurt, the demon simply bent over and helped them up. The human instantly leaned against him and hugged him close.

"I love you, Azzy." They told him, closing their eyes as they enjoy the embrace and pressing their cheek against his.

Asmo let out a small laugh then pulled back just enough to kiss his Doll on their cheek.

"Oh you're just too adorable, you know that?" He told them before leading them to the front of the building. "Now let's go home, okay?"

Beelzebub:

Beel woke up for a midnight snack and headed to the kitchen. It was a quick in and out thing, not wanting to be caught by his brothers. He grabbed a whole cabinet full of snacks and carried them back to his room.

Ding. His phone went off and as he opened the door to his room.

The demon laid his snacks on his bed and got in before grabbing his phone off the nightstand.

'Beeesly, I love oyu~'

The redhead smiled happily. It was MC.

'I love you too. When are you coming home?'

No response. The demon simply opened up a bag of chips and started eating. It's fine; he can be patient.

Instead of getting a response however, he was greeted by his Muffin at door.

"I'm baaack~." The human giggled, stumbling just slightly as they walked up to the bed and flopped down before snuggling up to the big demon.

Beel kissed the top of their head, smiling at them.

"Did you have fun with Solomon, Muffin?"

"Mhmm." They said, closing their eyes and stretching out their legs, causing some of the snacks to fall to the floor. He didn't mind.

"That's good." He sat the chip bag on the stand so he could use both hands to hold them close.

The two of them laid there, cuddled up together. The big demon stroked their hair till they heard the human's breath slow and were asleep.

"G'night, Muffin." He whispered. "Dream sweetly."

Belphegor:

It was the middle of the night and Belphie was asleep. That might sound normal for the Avatar of Sloth to you, but in actuality, this was unusual for him. The sleepy boy slept so much during the day that he was usually awake starting from whenever he woke up from his after-dinner nap up until around 4 or 5 am.

Tonight, however, Belphie really wasn't feeling it. Ya know, the whole 'awake' thing. He didn't feel like being conscious. The same reason he didn't wanna be awake was the same reason why he wasn't sleeping very deeply either.; MC wasn't there with him.

That scum Mammon took them out somewhere and they didn't even tell him. He had to hear it from Beel. The 7th brother has been grumpy since then and didn't wanna do anything so he hid away in his attic and fell asleep.

Bing. Bing. Bing.

The demon let out a frustrated sigh. That was the 9th text he got in the last two minutes. He picked up his phone from the other side of the bed and begrudgingly read his messages.

'Belpphi'

'Beelphi

'Belphii'

'Babb'

'Babe'

'Babr'

'Beeelpie'

'Heeyy'

'Mr Moomooo man pay atttention ot me 😢'

"Mr. Moomoo man?" Belphie said out loud, scowling down at the screen. If he wasn't mad at MC, he would have cracked a smile.

'What's wrong with you?' He texted.

'Mammmn lfet me all alone 😔'

Belphie eyes went wide.

'What happened?'

'Mammo owes mnoey to this big Moloc guy and eh chased Maaamkn away.'

Ugh. Mammon's a dumbass.

'Where are you?'

'I dunno. He lefy me on a bench. Teh park?'

'The one by the school?'

'Mmaybe?'

The demon let out another big sigh.

'I'll be there soon. Don't move.'

'Okyy'

A couple seconds later, they sent another text.

'I love yuo, bb. Im srry 😔'

Belphie frowned. His anger at them was dissipating.

'Yeah, I love you too, butthead. Now stay there.'

~

Masterlist

[chalkrevelations]

Ep 27 of Word of Honor, and that was … Well. That was definitely the unicorn chaser to spending so much time and hugging with Awful Yifu in the last episode.

(Spoilers, as ever, so scroll away and come back later, if you’re still planning to watch unspoiled.)

I mean, what is there to say?

Ha, no, really, I can find plenty to say. Buckle up, I guess.

Clearly, I’m going to talk about The Scene, and there’s a lot going on here, besides the obvious cake frosting of everyone coming to everyone else’s rescue and the fighting and the crying and the declarations, and then once it’s all over, when everybody’s still hopped up on adrenaline, before the crash hits, the shouting and the laughing. At the end of it, we’re not even 20 minutes into the ep, and I feel like that should have been the climax (har), but they probably knew nobody would be able to concentrate on anything else that came before it. I’ve seen a couple of interviews now where Zhang Zhehan said he wanted to play Wen Kexing, and given the chance, he would probably still pick that role, and then everyone involved in the interview rambles on about the complexity of the Wen Kexing character, and it makes me worry that Zhang Zhehan isn’t giving himself or Zhou Zishu enough credit for the depth and range that he pulled out of the character. There’s a lot of various people yelling at various other people in many different places in this show, but there’s not been a scene yet that I felt it like I did when ZZS shouts at WKX after Ye Baiyi finally goes away, wanting to know what the fuck he was thinking. That felt real, and it felt layered – like, there’s a bone-deep fear that’s giving that anger extra strength, fear about the fact that WKX could be so self-destructive. Which also may force ZZS to confront for the first time the idea that WKX could die and leave him alone, just like all his other shidi died and left him alone. I’d have to go back and rummage around in previous eps, but I feel like this could be the first time ZZS really has to confront the idea that could happen, and he’s probably not at all prepared for it, because he’s understandably expecting to be the first to go. But this idea that WKX could just disappear, and get himself killed (because let’s face it, Ye Baiyi tossed them both around like toys), and ZZS would never see him again – that he would abandon ZZS like that, just to hide his secrets – I think that might be part of the anger, here. (You don’t fail me … and Zhou Zishou’s expectations for what constitutes not being failed are a pretty low bar, consisting mainly of not getting yourself killed like a fucking dumbass, and even that bar suddenly seems to be too high for Wen Kexing to clear.)

There’s also a clear parallel here, need I say, to the scene in a previous ep when Gu Xiang (WKX) begs Shen Shen (Ye Baiyi) that even after Shen Shen (Ye Baiyi) kills her (him), could he just for god’s sake not tell her (his) boyfriend who she (he) really was. Wen Kexing’s supposedly thought-out plan was basically just going to be what A-Xiang came up with on the fly, and stupid babies need the most love, I remind myself grimly, particularly when all this is about something Zhou Zishu already knew anyway, because he’s a brilliant former merciless assassin, not a good-hearted self-deprecating cinnamon roll who thinks he’s the least talented person in his sect like Cao Weining. We’ve also got some tasty philosophical stuff in this whole confrontation, including competing responsibilities – loyalty vs. justice vs. integrity – along with ideas of retributive vs. restorative justice. This is another good Zhang Zhehan acting moment, because that whole bit about how, actually, Grandpa, his shifu would have been about guiding his shidi toward kindness and making up for the mistakes he made – I actually believe he’s wholly thinking about Wen Kexing when he pulls out this philosophical rapier, and not at all about how restorative justice benefits ZZS, himself, considering how much blood he has on his own hands and that earlier conversation about frying in oil for 80 vs. 100 years. Good job, my friend. The one thing that makes me sad about this scene is that I’ve seen That Extra, and I hate we were robbed of not only Zhou Zishu actually laying his head on Wen Kexing’s shoulder but of Gong Jun’s single crystalline tear spilling down his cheek. Zhang Zehan’s right, that was a better take.

Anyway, Ye Baiyi proceeds to put WKX under house arrest, which, just. So he has to live with ZZS for the rest of his life? Please don’t throw him into the briar patch, right?

Also, yes, WKX. He’d die for you, dumbass. God.

Just to drive home the point of how the Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishou and Gu Xiang/Cao Weining relationships are the same relationship, we then go to a scene … well, we then go directly to a scene where Cao Weining is just sitting there, chin in hand, gazing adoringly at Gu Xiang, much the way Wen Kexing has been gazing adoringly at Zhou Zishu since about Ep 3 2 1 …  but that also leads into a scene where Cao Weining is interrogated about Gu Xiang by his shixiong in a milder, miniature version of the grilling ZZS just took from his elder. “Do you know who she is?” Whoever she is, he’s going to continue to respect her boundaries. “I promised her, so I won’t betray or distrust her.” “We’ve been through so much together.” (“We’re in the same boat anyway, we might as well stay together.”) I won’t fail you. Nobody in this scene has actually made the Ghost Valley connection, yet, and Cao Weining is not as canny as Zhou Zishu, so we’re not yet going to get any kind of resolution on the issue in this relationship - but given the way these relationships are running on parallel tracks, I have positive feelings about how Cao Weining is going to meet this challenge (not that I didn’t, anyway) once the info finally does come out.

What else, what else? We do go back to Xie Wang and Awful Yifu in this ep, and oh boy.

Xie’er: Ghost Valley Master’s faithful minion Heartless Amethyst Fiend has been sent by her master to sneakily follow Cao Weining and infiltrate the Gentle Wind Sword Sect where the Glazed Armor is being held.

A-Xiang, chillin’ outside the gated community in a rustic cabin with her fiancé, doing some mending and waiting for her wedding day: Never speak of my former master again, I have utterly left that life behind me. Also, what should we have for dinner?

I can see how you would come to the conclusion you did, Xie’er, but wow, the only time you’ve been more wrong in your life is about your Awful Yifu. Speaking of which, it appears the cat Awful Yifu is out of the bag. Xie Wang is still all, “Since you saved me, you can take my life back if you want,” and here we are in Zhou Zishu-Prince Jin territory again, shades of ZZS in Ep 1 not even blinking as he offers himself to Prince Jin and takes the gamble that he won’t just get his head cut off for his troubles. ALSO, I distinctly remember telling you, Xie’er, that you were empathizing (although not sympathizing) a bit much with the women of the Department of the Unfaithful, and here we do in fact get an explicit comparison, looking back to the conversation with Beauty Ghost about her loser boyfriend, when you refer to yourself as “also a gambler” as you take your leave of Zhao JIng. You need some Water of Lethe, buddy. Or do you think – to return to that conversation and the parallels with Beauty Ghost – that if you remember all this, you’ll stop making the same mistakes?

A last few random things:

lol, let’s all take a minute to giggle over the fact that ZZS has, in Ye Baiyi’s words, associated with this dude. Is that what the kids are calling it these days? Sorry, but I had to pause the show at that point to snicker like a 12-year-old.

Chengling: “How dare those ruffians beat my two dads! Let’s burn down their house.” Wow. OK. Xiang-jie has been … some kind of influence on her didi.

Last scene of ZZS and WKX, oh my god:

ZZS: You’re feeling bad for keeping a secret from a kid? What about me? How are you going to make it up to me?

WKX: Oh, my goodness, look at the time. I’m feeling so … sleepy. Yes, that’s it. I must go to bed. You also must be so … sleepy. You should. You know. Go to bed. Too. Also. To cure your … sleepiness. As you do, in a bed. Where I will also be.

Me, to the screen: He’s going to make it up to you on his back.

Also me: :facepalm: You are a pair of merciless killers. How are you this adorable?