#i have a friend who is practically like faust

[feisaru]

So would Jedidiah be considered a Faust kin or...?

[child0feden]

LOVE IN MY DARK HEART

bård “ faust ” eithun x reader

- general dating headcanons for bård!

my favourite drummer boy! reader is slightly referenced to be shorter than bård because i think a majority of people are but if you are not, i am super sorry! this is kind of a bit throuple-y with vegard but not really <3

- view my metal masterlist here

reading music recommendations: the moors of death by urgehal - death to planet earth by craft

- bård really gives me the vibe of someone who would just be absolutely obsessed with his partner, no one else matters to him except you!

✩ like he is just so so so obsessed with you and quite literally everything you do…

- applying your lipstick? or chapstick? he is watching you like a hawk with such obvious love and admiration swirling around in his big brown eyes

✩ your freshly applied lip cosmetic does not last very long before he is making a complete mess out of it with his own lips pressed against yours, most of the pigmented lipstick transfers from your lips onto his own which makes you chuckle quietly before quickly grabbing a makeup wipe to help him clean it off

“ get this shit off of me, please… love you ” ( he swears he hates your lipstick but whenever he has been making out with you in helvete and someone points out the residue on his lips, he smirks so big, wearing it almost like a mark of pride )

- painting your nails? he is giving you his own slightly shy but honest opinion on what colour to do them and spoiler alert: it is almost always black or crimson red

✩ he just loves his partner so much… he loves everything about you, everything you do and everything you say…

- some of his friends might give him flack for being so obviously smitten with you but he takes one look over at you and it is like, how could he not be smitten with you?

✩ so he really never lets those comments get to him, he knows you are worth being smitten for, knows you are worth obsessing over

- bård absolutely loves when you come to his band practices for emperor with him, he always gently pulls you by your hands to make you sit on his lap and hold his can of coke whilst he plays the drums, his hands drifting up your thighs between short breaks and lips pressing soft kisses on your shoulder

✩ you probably become very close with vegard and tomas! the four of you almost always going out to grab take out together after a concert, you wearing your boyfriends leather jacket, their corpse paint smudged beyond belief as you offer to fix it up for them whilst waiting on your food

- dare i say you and bård have even had a couple half drunk threesomes with vegard? vegard is kind of the only other person bård would trust to treat you right in bed, to treat you as well as he himself does

✩ but anyways… let us just move on from that for now…

- whenever you are anywhere with bård, you are almost guaranteed to be sitting comfortably on his lap with one of his hands drawing an assortment of patterns on your back whilst the other rests on your thigh as he talks to your shared group of friends about upcoming concerts

✩ bård is not super into really crazy pda but when in helvete, he will gladly make out with you! he feels comfortable in helvete, feels comfortable with how quiet the store usually is, quiet when it comes to people anyways! bård is a little more reserved when out and about on the streets of oslo but he will always have at least one hand somewhere on your body wether it be his hand holding yours tightly or an arm wrapped around you with his hand holding your shoulder or hip

- because bård is so much taller than you, you likely have to stand up on your tippy toes and he has to bend down quite a bit just to be able to kiss properly which becomes just a little bit annoying for the both of you at times

✩ this is why he prefers to make out with you in helvete because there, he can just help you up to sit atop the counter, making it much less of a stretch for both you and him

- whenever øystein sees this happening, he is always overly peeved, feeling like he has to beat you both away with a broom because you will “ scare off his customers ” as if worse things do not happen in the grimy basement…

✩ bård always just throws a small yet almost sly smirk in his direction before simply helping you down and motioning you over to his slightly more secluded little corner

- bård is certainly very possessive of you! whenever you are at a concert together and he sees someone eyeing you a little too much for his liking, he is quick to make it known to them that you are all his, albeit a little nervously

✩ usually he does this by getting very grabby with you or just tilting your face up to him by your chin and shoving his tongue into your mouth, sloppy open mouth making out right in their line of sight, bård gets a major boost of confidence when jealous and possessive…

- by the time you are done and he looks up, he finds that the person is long gone, much to his relief!

✩ you guys have so many pictures together that were taken in photo booths! they almost completely cover the fridge door in your shared apartment

- most of them are very sweet, sharing soft kisses, lips pressed together with your hand gently holding his blushing cheek and some of them are slightly risqué, his hands pulling your shirt up to reveal your lacey bra to the camera just as it flashes with a cheeky grin on his face whilst you laugh up a storm… you briefly forget that the pictures are printed on the outside, where anyone walking by could see them… it is only then that you smack him on the shoulder and quickly leave the booth to grab the strip of pictures

✩ more often than not, you are the one who paints his face for him!

- you will straddle his lap, forcing him to keep his hands on your hips because you do not want to mess it up over him grabbing your ass or squeezing your hips…

✩ bård is always impressed by how much better his corpse paint turns out when you do it and soon enough, vegard is asking you if you’d be able to do his before emperor concerts too

- bård is not an insanely romantic person but for you, he really tries his best!

✩ he takes you on a date whenever he can afford it with the small pay checks he receives, usually just taking you shopping for whatever you want to buy and then walking around a local cemetery, hand in hand as you talk quietly about music and movies, before sitting down on one of the wood benches as you smother him in kisses as a thank you

- he really pretends to just be so irritated but anyone with working eyes can see he is so obviously actually loving the affection from you

“ okay… yes, baby, i know, you’re welcome… your lipstick is all over my face, i know it… ” ( it is indeed all over his face )

✩ whenever you get really drunk at a party or concert, bård will gladly carry you home on his back whilst pausing every now and again to let you off and hold your hair back as you vomit…

- you love watching horror movies together! wether it be cuddled up in his little corner in helvete or curled up in bed at your shared apartment

✩ bård is really eerily quiet whilst watching them but his hand is usually playing with your hair, gently twirling it around his fingers which usually lulls you to sleep in his arms

- i just know bård is so loud in bed, he is not at all afraid to make his pleasure known… when you two first got together, he was definitely way more on the shy and insecure side about it but after a while, after he fully realised that you like it when he moans, he does not hold back anymore…

✩ your neighbours hate the two of you so much and have absolutely filed a noise complaint due to the near constant blaring black metal music and loud moaning ringing out through their walls whenever you’re home

- bård claims they are obviously jealous and hey, he is probably right! he just thinks they are jealous that he has such a beautiful partner who he gets to bone all night <3

[fanfictionstuff]

Can I request a jealous Mephisto x reader? Whenever he is being a bit possessive when another guy talk to reader^^

Hello! I hope this is okay :)

 You’re heading towards Mephisto’s office when someone calls out to you. “______, how are you?”  A young man around your age grins brightly at you, a new teacher employed by True Cross Academy. You wrack your brain, trying to remember the man’s name. “Tanaka-sensei.” You nod kindly to him, unable to remember the given name he had requested you call him by.

“Please, call me Kenzo. You’re not one of my students.”

“Right, Kenzo. I’m good, how are you?”

“Great! I was wondering if you have some time this evening?”

Time for what? “I’m actually heading to the headmaster’s office to drop off some important documents.”

Kenzo’s eyes drop to the rather thick envelope in your hands. “I can wait for you.” He offers, assuming it’d be a quick drop-off. “Maybe we could see a movie? I heard there’s a new movie that’s just come out tonight.” 

A voice from down the hall interrupts, causing you to glance towards the demon king, who smiles despite his clenched teeth. “_____, Tanaka-sensei,” he says, emphasizing your given name. “You know, workplace romance is frowned upon,” he declares theatrically, shaking his head in feigned disapproval.

“Sir Faust! Good evening. It’s not like that. I hoped we could watch a movie together as friends.” Tanaka looks at you anxiously, hoping you’ll support him. Neither of you wants to put your careers at risk, right? As a new teacher, he cannot afford any negative marks on his record. 

The faux grin drops, “Is that so?”

“Sir Faust, I have some important paperwork for you.” You raise the file, trying to divert his focus from the poor man beside you. Of course, it doesn’t work in your, nor his, favor.

“Sir Faust?” Mephisto raises a brow at you; honestly, you could slap the demon king at this moment. “Since when do you call me Sir Faust?” 

Kenzo watches in confusion. Do you have a relationship with the headmaster?

Mephisto turns his attention back to the new teacher. "I must say, your boldness in pursuing my dear ______ is quite commendable. However, I must warn you, treading in these waters may lead to unexpected depths."

Kenzo stutters, surprised by Mephisto's remarks. "I-I apologize if I offended you, Sir Faust. I was only suggesting a friendly outing.” He swallows nervously, aware of the implicit threat in Mephisto's caution. “I meant no harm," he stutters, stepping back.

Mephisto's smile widens, revealing a hint of his sharp canines. "No harm done... for now." He casually waves his hand, sending Kenzo practically scurrying away, anxious to escape the headmaster's unsettling presence.

As Kenzo rounds the corner, you face Mephisto, a look of exasperation on your face as you move closer to him. "Mephisto, you didn't need to scare him like that. Kenzo is just a nice guy looking to make friends," you scold.  

Mephisto chuckles quietly, sending chills down your spine as he looks at you with an amused glint in his forest green eyes. "My dear _______, you need to realize that not everyone approaches you with genuine motives. I just had to remind our enthusiastic new teacher about the boundaries he should respect." 

You let out a sigh, knowing Mephisto's words hold some truth; yet, his possessiveness still annoys you. "I can manage on my own, you know," you reply, arms crossed over your chest. 

"Of course, my love," Mephisto replies smoothly, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of your hair behind your ear. "But a little reminder now and then never hurts." 

Before you can reply, Mephisto moves in closer, his captivating gaze fixed on yours. "Shall we continue our discussion in a more private setting, my dear?" he proposes, his tone suggestive.

[devourable]

☹ the alt kids

sfw | tags : poly!nb!yans x gn reader (only prn used for reader is ‘you’), obsessive thoughts, slight manipulation, mentions of drinking

listen,,, i know melchior / nb demon yan beat these three in the poll but im itching to write about them. this goes out to my friend who wants to get piped by faust + lolita anon. love yall mmmmwah

also for reference, faust is they/he, delta is they/them, and anton is he/she/they !

please rb to support me ���

the alt kids were notorious for seeking out club newbies to play with. it was just something they did.

there was just something so adorable about the way someone totally out of their element dipping their toes into their scene! and the three had made it clear that fresh meat was off limits to anyone but them.

it was a simple cycle — someone new would enter the club, they'd swoop in and show them a good time, take them home at the end of the night if they're lucky, and repeat.

they thought it'd be no different when you came along, but...

oh, how wrong they were.

see, faust could practically feel the inexperience dripping off of you the moment you entered the nightclub.

all on your own, your eyes wide as you took in the flashing lights and loud music, the way you cautiously stepped around the sea of dancing bodies in attempt to find some place you could fit in comfortably? definitely another cute little freshie that'd soon join their ranks.

but faust didn't account for the zip of heat that ran through his body when you and him locked eyes from across the club. he didn't expect the unfamiliar feeling of his heart racing, a feeling only comparable to how he felt when he saw his partners — but why was it so much stronger? and when you offered up a shy little smile and averted your gaze, it damn near knocked him back.

who were you?

they had no clue, but they knew one thing. they needed to leave this club with you at the end of the night.

so faust all but ran to your side, appearing by you before you had even noticed their approach. god, you were even cuter up close... the way you looked up at them made their heart want to leap from their chest!

but they kept their cool. faust introduced themself, commenting on how they noticed you from across the bar and how they couldn't just let a sightly little thing like you venture around all on your own. the club could be so intimidating for newcomers — dangerous, even! but you didn't have a thing to worry about with them by your side.

they loved how demure you were, how you held your heating face when he complimented you, how you tried to wave off their advances but seemed to enjoy it just a bit too much to wave them off. were you intimidated by them? or… did you like them back? they wish they knew!

so you joined them, and accompanied them to the bar.

it was there you met one of their partners — a startlingly tall, reserved goth. you saw him well before you even got to the bar! between the major size difference, her icy gaze, and seemingly disinterested demeanor, it was safe to say you were intimidated. so you were incredibly surprised when faust strutted right up to them, pressed a kiss to his cheek, and waved you over to meet her. and it surprised you even further when they took one of your hands in theirs, pressed a kiss to your knuckles, and introduced themself after studying you silently.

unbeknownst to you and faust, anton was feeling that same intense fire in his chest that faust got when they first looked at you. he couldn’t help but let his eyes wander over your attire as you gave your name in turn.

you were so small compared to him. as was most other people, but… it was strangely endearing when he looked down at you. it’d be so easy to just scoop you up, wouldn’t it? and you wouldn’t be able to do a thing about it. he kept those thoughts to himself, but they flickered across his mind every time you came enough for him to take in the difference in your sizes.

the pair bought you drinks, got you a nice seat and showered you in attention. chatting you up, complimenting you, practically treating you like you were part of their polycule already. though they never mentioned it, faust and anton knew they had the same feelings towards you. the intense desire to just… have you. and not just for the night, either. you were so much more than all of their previous flings.

then delta came along. petite, sly delta who liked to play coy when it came to those they were interested in. they had pretended to be too busy dancing the entire time before joining their partners and you at the bar, but they were watching. and after witnessing how their boyfriends were all over you for so long, they had to join in. what were you doing to them?

they walked up to the three of you, pointedly looked you up and down, and… they understood in an instant. man, you were a looker! and even sweeter than the usual folk the three would usually play around with. they easily invited themself to the conversation, taking a seat right on faust’s lap and stuck up a chat with you as if they had been there the entire time.

they loved how flustered you were, so overwhelmed by all the attention the three were now pouring onto you. and despite your overstimulation, you were trying so hard to talk to them all anyway. you clearly had no clue what to do, poor thing… they had no choice but to take the lead for you!

“wanna dance? ..no? that’s fine~ let’s get another drink!”

“it’s so loud in here. let’s go somewhere quieter, yeah? i wanna hear that pretty voice more clearly.”

“aww, you wanna leave? you can sober up at our place! it’d be dumb if you got a ticket you could’a avoided.”

“you’ll stay the night with us, won’t you, darling? we’d hate for you to leave us so soon.”

[tcustodisart]

What are some cute moments that occur throughout the different acts that aren’t necessarily in the game but live in your head rent free?

Oh, this one is going to be a long answer, because there's a lot of squatters in my head and there's a lot to be unleashed. Let's start with this doodle with the boys playing lanceboard at camp and continue under the cut. Lots of cringe and brainrot incoming, so brace yourself.

Act 1:

Connie is constantly bickering with Astarion over him stealing his journal. Gale suggest to cast arcane lock on it, but Connie knows it won't stop that gremlin from reading it so why bother.

This sad pile of rugs is where I imagine Connie sleeps in Act 1. Additional Astarion line: "Damn darling, you live like this?"

During the first romance scene Connie tells Shart about his family, about how he and his brother know the city inside and out, about his parents and the tavern they run, about the trap incident. It's the most he talked to someone who wasn't his family or his crow in years. He wishes that night would never end.

Connie sends letters to his family via Faust, he stops after entering Underdark.

Act 2:

I mentioned it before that Connie is not taking the Shadow Curse very well. He misses the sun, misses the grass, he's unable to contact his family, Shart has distanced herself from him. Karlach notices it and tries to cheer him up. They end up having long talks almost every night. That's the moment their friendship evolves from just friends to besties.

When Connie finds the second warding bond ring, he wishes he could give the other one to Shadowheart, but finds the moment inappropriate. He ends up giving her the ring at the beginning of Act 3.

Act 3:

I have a lot of stuff for this act.

This is inspired by one of Jaheira's lines: "'The Cub and the Crow'- sounds like a cautionary tale. As it probably should." Connie draws her a mock up cover for a kids book. Jaheira sticks it to the traveling chest (I mostly store food there, so to me traveling chest = fridge).

Connie goes through a serious breakdown at the start of this act (after a companion is abducted), he ends up crying and saying that for the first time he doesn't believe they're going to make it, that he'll never hug his mom, never hear his brother sing again, won't be able to tell his step dad that he saw Darkmaw the Wicked. He's being comforted first by Jaheira and then by the rest of his party.

His favorite armor gets damaged one time, he's very upset about it. But the next morning he finds it magically repaired (Astarion fixed it, from the start of Act 3 they become besties).

This wip that I'm very slowly working on happens during act 3. Connie makes some flower crowns and talks about how his mom taught him to do that. I'm not going to say more, because I really want to finish that comic.

Connie has a deal with Popper that he'll pay him double for every night orchid he finds (I actually did that in game, I bantered him more money for the flower than he asked for, I love that little guy so much).

This one is more funny than cute but when Connecticut Tav was younger and still lived in Baldur's Gate he used to visit Sharess's Caress pretty regularly because it was the best way to practice drawing people. He really enjoyed talking with the workers there, he eventually convinced them that maybe creating an union isn't such a bad idea. He ended up being banned from entering the brothel because of that. So when the party approaches it to meet Voss, he's very nervous that the owner will remember him (she does). There's a dialogue in my head but it would work better with some visuals, so maybe one time I'm going to draw it.

In my head, the cottage they end up living in is Connie's old hunting hut. So after the conversation with Shadowheart about her plans for after defeating the brain, he suggest that it would be the perfect place to go. He then draws the house to show her how it looks like, tells her that it's surrounded by a forest, there's a lake nearby, a small stable that can be turned into a barn if needed, and that he's not sure about the quality of the soil, but he did grow some herbs there, so maybe it's going to be good enough to grow flowers.

At the end of the game Connie decides to stay in Baldur's Gate for a while to help his family fix their tavern (which was heavily damaged). He tells Shart to go the house I mentioned before, because he wants her to start her new life as soon as possible + because it would be better for her parents. He stealthily puts his journal in her stuff with a note attached to it saying that he finished it this morning and she can read it if she wants to. He also gives her Faust so she can write him letters whenever she wants to. After 2 tendays he arrives at the cottage with some gifts (night orchid bulbs and a pamphlet about how to take care of them, there was supposed to be another gift, but he wasn't able to find it just yet, but that's for another story).

Epilogue party (because I'm that insane):

It's been sitting in my wips for more than two months, so I don't know if I'll be able to finish it. But during the party Connie and Shadowheart take 10 minute brake to visit the place from the first romance scene. They have a very similar conversation like before, but their roles are reversed now - It's Connie asking questions about Shart's current life. "Tell me something about yourself, but no tadpoles, weird artifacts, petty goddesses. Something about you."

[loosesodamarble]

Hello, I was the one who requested a few Nacht head canons that you wrote recently. I loved them so I'm here with one more request. It's a very long one so you can ignore it or take as much time as you want. So here it goes: How would the magic knight squads react if they find out one of their members has a crush on Nacht? How would things play out after that.

Oh my! Welcome back then, Anon! Glad you enjoyed them, despite their timing.

….......

Black Bulls

Everyone would have to pause and go "our Nacht Faust?"

And you'd have to confirm "yes, our Nacht Faust. As if there are any others."

Half the squad would bust out in hysterics.

The other half would be dead silent from shock.

Remember, Nacht's first impression with several members was... poor. To say the least. So hearing that you liked Nacht was an experience for everyone.

Asta and Yami are the first ones to cheer you and Nacht on though.

Followed by the likes of Noelle, Henry ("Henry, don't change the floor plans so their room are together. HENRY WAIT!"), Grey, and Gordon.

Vanessa and Finral would be down to set you and Nacht up on a date. And they'd throw in a makeover free of charge!

Gimodelo and the other devils are very excited to see Nacht get all romantic. They just want their master to be happy!

Don't be surprised if the Bulls start calling you to dinner later than the rest of them and doing the same to Nacht so you both are force to sit with each other at the only empty seats.

And there would be other schemes to keep you two in close proximity.

Really, the whole squad just wants to support their squadmates and friends in the very normal endeavor of starting a relationship.

Golden Dawn

William does his best to show a polite amount of interest in your crush. After Nacht's key role in the Spade Invasion, William feels he owes a debt to that man.

And William thinks that he can repay the debt by setting Nacht up with you since you've taken an interest in him.

At best, William offers you opportunities to visit in the Black Bulls' base (delivering paperwork or parcels) if you want to see Nacht in person.

David is the nosiest of the squad and will ask all the details. How you first met Nacht, when you started liking him, do you plan on confessing, etc.

You might start hanging around Yuno if you weren't already close with him. You know, to ask about Nacht's appearances at any vice captain meetings.

Blue Rose Knights

SHIP SHIP SHIP SHIP SHIP!

The ladies of the Blue Rose Knights are going to have your back if they find out about your crush on Nacht.

First Charlotte is blushing over Yami and now you for Nacht? It's like the squads are destined for something greater together!

The other squad members will insist that you and Charlotte have a double date with Nacht and Yami. Let your loves bloom together~!

It actually works out relatively well.

You keep Charlotte from panicking around Yami and in turn, Charlotte gives you plenty of openings to initiate conversation with Nacht.

And don't worry. Charlotte will shut down any egregious meddling from the squad.

Like say, locking you and Nacht in a closet without your grimoires so Nacht can't just shadow out of there.

Puli, the brains behind Operation Get the Devil (Host)'s Heart, is going to contrive of a lot of ridiculous scenarios though... Good luck.

Crimson Lion Kings

Nacht puts Fuegoleon on edge. His practices and demeanor aren't ideal in Fuegoleon's eyes but as a loyal Knight of Clover, Nacht is at least decent.

Fuegoleon warmly encourages you in pursuing Nacht. But he also warns you not to get too distracted.

"I don't have any romantic experiences to speak of but adding to your personal life is sure to give you more to fight for as a Knight."

It's just a nice way of saying that getting a boyfriend might improve your morale for work.../lh

Leopold doesn't know Nacht at all but he'd very willing to be your wingman by dragging you along to the Bulls' base when he goes to visit Asta.

I'm sure if you asked, Randall might bring your name up at a vice captain meeting and gauge Nacht's response.

Don't let Mereoleona catch you waffling on your feeling for too long. If she thinks you're being coward about your crush, then her hand might be forced and you'll find yourself doing volcano training alongside Nacht.

I say not in the sense that Mereo has an interest in romance, let alone others' romances, but I honestly think she'd get pissed off to know that a member of the Crimson Lions is being a coward about anything.

Other members of the squad would generally support you and urge you to do your best with getting Nacht's attention.

Silver Eagles

To me, the Silver Eagles are a squad wherein the members largely keep to themselves. It's mostly polite conversation with a bit of gossip from the noble circles.

Most of the Silver Eagles wouldn't pay much attention to your love life, if I'm to be honest.

However, they are an elitist squad (or at least that's their vibe) and with devil possession being Forbidden Magic, some might raise a brow at your crush.

"Even if he's a vice captain, that Faust man can't be anything but trouble. Especially if he's a Bull."

If Nozel hears of your crush, he'll have mixed opinions.

His opinion of devils and devil hosts is abysmally low due to his own history but Nacht proved himself a worthy ally and so not a horrible pick.

Nozel's bad at showing it but he does wish the best for you in your romance with Nacht. You are a member of his squad after all.

Like Fuegoleon, Nozel warns you not to let your infatuation get in the way of work.

Aqua Deers

The Aqua Deer has the vibe of being some free-spirited folks. Not so much as the Green Mantises or Black Bulls, but with a captain as young as Rill, the squad has learned to be able to accept anything.

"Following the captain's example and falling hard for someone, are we?" some will joke with you.

If you can catch Rill during his free time, he two of you could have a heart-to-heart and help each other sort through your crushes.

"Love can happen so suddenly, can't it?" Rill remarks. "Like bolt of lightning or like throwing a palette at an easel! It's bold and messy and scary too! But that's what makes it so amazing, huh?"

I imagine Fragil being a bit of a romantic so she might have some advice based on a romance novel or dating advice column if you went to her. But that's just what I think of her.

Coral Peacocks

Dorothy will be poking her nose into the business of your crush. No ifs, ands, or buts about it!

She's a bit of a gossip. So uh... prepare for Yami finding out via her loose lips.

In her sparse free time, Dorothy will encourage you to practice confessing to Nacht in her Glamour World.

Only to turn on you and tease you with her imaginary versions of Nacht.

This gif of Shouto form BNHA:

Dorothy creates a Nacht version of that to tease you. Good luck.

Kirsch will give you advice on how to be "beautiful" for Nacht to fall in love with you.

Green Praying Mantis

The folks in the Green Mantis squad are largely commoners. They're casual and a little wild.

So I'd imagine some of the more interested parties placing bets on how long it'll take for you to confess or maybe even betting on how you confess.

Some of the members might mention that Jack might've known Nacht in the past but going to him earns you the threat of being sliced apart (Jack being twin blind will be a sore spot for him from now on. No, this isn't relevant but I'm saying my piece.)

I dunno why but the Green Mantis squad gives off the vibes of inviting you and Nacht to a bar to let the alcohol break down your walls.

(Although if you're not a drinker of alcohol, that plan is a bust.)

The squad members would probably go out of their way to mess with the Black Bulls to get Nacht's attention for you.

Which... you might be thankful for the support or you might be horrified by their "plan."

They mean well, really.

Purple Orcas

All I can really say for the Purple Orcas is that Kaiser and her wife would be more than happy to give their insight on starting and maintaining a loving partnership.

[alizha]

𝑰 𝑭𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒀𝒐𝒖 | 𝒁𝒆𝒌𝒆 𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒙 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 | 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝟑

Rating: E Word Count: 5,230 Tags: reader has a name but is not described, childhood friends, zeke yeager being an asshole, flashbacks, pushy parent nagging about marriage and grandchildren (idk that bothers me), mild sadism, discussions of pregnancy, some dom/sub dynamics (sub zeke), rough sex, blowjob, cunnilingus, 69, face-sitting, orgasm denial

Summary: After nearly ten years, Zeke Yeager reconnects with you, an Eldian doctor assigned as his psychiatrist. As children, you were out of reach—two years older and the object of a youthful crush. Then, he became a Warrior, and the dynamic shifted. Now, as you navigate the complexities of your new professional relationship, where do you stand? Who holds the power in this tug of war?

previous chapter | next chapter | masterlist | cross posted to ao3

Chapter 3: Zeke

Now

Zeke sits across from you in the cozy dining room of your parents’ apartment, the rich aroma of vegetable pot pie filling the air. Your parents flank you on either side, and your mother appears to have pulled out the nice cream-colored tablecloth for dinner, the one he recalls she likes to spare for her most favored guests.

“Your grandparents must be beside themselves. How long will you be gone, Zeke?” Dr. Faust asks.

The information about his mission to Paradis is strictly confidential, of course. You glance up at him through your lashes, clearly curious about how he’ll respond. But the Marleyan brass have provided him with plausible covers for exactly this purpose.

“Oh, no more than a few months,” Zeke says smoothly.

He meets your gaze, hoping for a flicker of emotion—surprise, irritation, anything. But you’re too practiced, turning away to focus on your dinner. The slightest hint of a smirk touches your lips as you roll a carrot from your crust and cut it in half with your fork.

Your mother sighs, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. “A few months? Well, don’t forget to visit when you’re back. It’s a shame Stella doesn’t have more friends around the house these days. With all her work she’s hardly at home anymore.”

She shoots her daughter a pointed look, and though her tone is light, Zeke can tell it’s a frequent point of contention in the household from the way you react. Your fork pauses in mid-air, half a piece of carrot falling from the tines back onto your plate, and your brow furrows just slightly before you smooths your expression.

“Mom, I’m perfectly content with the number of social calls I’ve been receiving,” you say evenly.

“Well, I just worry about you, sweetheart. You’re in your late twenties now, and you’re still so focused on work,” your mother fusses. “When do you plan to relax? Meet someone nice? Give your poor mother the grandchildren I’ve been dreaming of.”

You nearly choke on that carrot. “Mom. It’s taken me this long just to get through med school and residency. I’m not gonna give it all up now.”

Zeke can’t help but find thrill in your discomfort, but it’s tainted when your mother is the one doing it. It needs to be him , drawing out those awkward shifts in your seat, those flustered looks. He leans back, glancing over at your father, who looks torn between agreement and an unspoken wish to avoid the topic entirely. Seeing his chance, Zeke jumps in.

“Stella doesn’t need to rush into anything,” he says, catching your eye. “She’s beautiful enough to have any man chasing after her, and she’s got all the time she needs.”

Your mother beams at him, and Zeke catches the hint of a blush creeping up your neck. There it is, that gorgeous darkening of your flesh that he’s been longing for since that session in your office. You take a sip of water, attempting to hide your embarrassment, but he can tell he’s hit his mark.

“Ah, Zeke, you always did have such a way with words,” your mother says, patting you on the arm. “Zeke thinks you’re lovely, darling! If only he could be a permanent part of the family, hmm? He’d make a wonderful son-in-law.”

She gives a wistful sigh, clearly picturing it. Zeke taps your foot with his own and relishes in your deepening blush. Your fork clinks against your plate, and you clear your throat.

“Mom, please,” you mutter, drawing your foot out of reach beneath the table.

“Come now, darling. You two practically grew up together. It’s just nice to imagine, is all,” your mother says. “And Zeke’s such a gentleman. Maybe he could give you a few pointers on, you know, loosening up.”

You look like you wish you could disintegrate on the spot, but Zeke can’t resist the opportunity to stoke the fire.

“Actually, Mrs. Faust, I’d be more than happy to help her with that.” He leans forward, grinning openly at you. “In fact, I’d say she’s already made some progress.”

Although you’ve clearly been trying to avoid his gaze, you shoot him a furious glare at that. Another thrill shoots through him, this time pure and raw. He wants to drag you back to your dark little bedroom and steal kisses from your pouty mouth until you’re bent over backwards for him again.

“See? I just knew you’d bring out the best in her, Zeke.”

Dr. Faust coughs into his napkin, finally managing a soft, “Dear, perhaps we should let Stella find her own way.”

You barely wait until your father has stopped talking before standing, your forced smile flickering. “Well, it’s been… lovely. But Zeke has to go now. Busy schedule and all.”

Your tone is firm, making it clear as day that this is not up for debate. Zeke allows himself to be tugged out of his chair and toward the door. Your mother looks mildly disappointed, your father relieved, but neither of them argues as you all but drag him into the hall.

As soon as the door closes behind you, Zeke snickers. “Couldn’t wait to get me out of there, huh?”

You don’t dignify that with a response, your heels clicking briskly as you head for the stairwell. He trails behind as you descend the narrow, dimly-lit stairs and emerge outside. The night air is warm and thick, the remnants of summer hanging on despite the late hour.

“Grandchildren, huh?” he remarks, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Your mom seems set on it. Should I be flattered.”

“You know how I feel about that,” you snap, leveling him with another glare. “It’s not a choice I’d make.”

Zeke raises a brow. “Still? No children? Ever?”

“Not in a world where they’ll be hated just for being born,” you reply in a clipped tone.

The conviction in your words gives him pause. Most people he knew paid lip service to ideals, skimming along the surface of their beliefs without delving too deeply. But you had clearly thought this through. You’d committed yourself to your stance as thoroughly as any Warrior.

“You really believe that, don’t you?” he murmurs, mostly to himself.

You stiffen at his tone, as if waiting for him to undermine your reasoning, but he doesn’t. 

“What do you say you spend a little more time with me before I leave? Provided, of course, that your parents aren’t around to spoil the fun?” he says casually.

You narrow your eyes at him. “And what exactly would that entail?”

He grins, pleasantly surprised that you didn’t outright reject his suggestion. “Remember when I used to climb up to your window?”

Your lips part, your gaze dripping with skepticism. “You’re serious? You’re far too big to pull that off now.”

“Where’s your faith?” Zeke retorts, lifting his chin defiantly. “I’m still a Warrior, you know. Scaling a building’s not beyond me.”

You stare at him for a long moment, probably half-convinced he’s bluffing. Then, with a resigned sigh, you relent. “Fine. I’ll meet you up there.”

Zeke’s heart thumps against his ribcage as he watches you head back inside, shaking your head as if trying to figure out how he’d talked you into this. Once you’ve disappeared, he makes his way around to the side of the building perhaps a little quicker than he’d admit. After a quick glance to make sure no one’s around, he climbs.

His muscles coil as he pulls himself up, finding footholds in the familiar nooks he’d used as a boy. The building’s not exactly sturdy, but he’s undeterred. He’s too eager, too hungry to be alone with you within the four walls of your small bedroom. He hoists himself higher, slipping into the same old rhythm as if no time has passed at all.

Your window is still open, the way you left it, and your room is quiet and bathed in shadow. As he pulls himself over the edge of the sill, he hears the faint creak of footsteps in the hall. A moment later, you emerge from the door, slightly breathless as you closes it behind you.

“Still got it,” Zeke whispers, throwing you a lopsided smile. “Did you doubt me?”

“This is absolutely ridiculous,” you mutter, closing the distance between the two of you with a few short strides.

For a moment, he thinks he might have actually pushed you too far, and you might shove him out your window. But then, your hands come up to his chest, twisting into the fabric of his shirt, and you pull him into you. Zeke lets himself get dragged away from the window, falling onto you on your tiny bed, eager for your gentle touch. Except, you’re anything but gentle.

You open for him and delve your tongue past the seam of his lips, plucking and swirling and taking . Your fingers tighten, holding him firmly in place as you give a slow, lush roll of your body against his. Zeke strangles a moan deep in his throat, and you greedily swallow the remnants of the desperate sound slipping past his teeth.

“Quiet,” you command, and it sounds as authoritative as Magath’s barks at a fraction of the volume.

Without giving him a chance to respond, you dive back in, kissing him hard. You taste like the spicy-bitter smoke of his cigarettes and long, hazy summer days. When you dig the hard enamel of your teeth into his lip, you put your spite and your hostility behind it, but you doesn’t draw blood this time. The pain jolts straight to his cock as you roll you body again, the movement languid but far from soft.

Your hips grind against his, and Zeke thrills at the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shiver that racks your frame when you realize he’s stiffening in his trousers. The mattress creaks quietly beneath you, and your heels clatter to the ground one by one as you maneuvers yourself fully on the bed. Zeke’s got his legs half dangling above the ground. He struggles against your firm grip, bracing himself on his forearms so he can kick off his loafers.

Once you’re both barefoot, you waste no time hauling him up on top of you. Zeke flicks his tongue against yours, shifting his weight to his knees straddling your thighs to move his hands to the front of your shirt. You make a disapproving noise in the back of your throat and grasp his wrists, yanking them off your chest and holding them in place on either side of your head.

Your message is clear. Outside, he might be in control. But in here, you’re the one calling the shots.

“This is dangerous,” he murmurs, pulling back just enough to speak against your lips. He weaves his fingers with yours, pressing your hands into your mattress. “One word from you, my psychiatrist, and the brass could cut my life short before my five years are up.”

“Yeah, well,” you pant, pupils blown wide, “you’re just as dangerous. You sent your own parents to Paradis, Zeke.”

He growls softly and bites down on your lip, luxuriating in the way your face pinches as you try to muffle the sound of your resulting moan. “You know fuck all about that, Stel.”

Oh, you’re gonna punish him for that. Your gaze darkens up at him, and you tilt your head to sink your teeth into his neck. Zeke hisses into your ear, feeling himself twitch in his trousers.

He’s hyper aware that your room sits close to the living room, where your parents like to relax in the evenings. His own room is no better, sharing a wall with his grandparents’ bedroom. If he’d told his younger self he was going to be sneaking around like a teenager again after all these years, he would have laughed in his own face.

You rip your hands away from his and grab either side of his face to angle it further. The searing heat of your mouth devours the length of his neck, from his collarbone to the edge of his beard. Zeke buries a groan in your hair.

“So, Doctor,” he rasps. “Are we going to talk about your taste in company, or are we going to keep pretending this is strictly professional?”

You lift your head to look at him and reach one hand between your bodies to palm the bulge at the front of his trousers. “Don’t talk, Captain. You’re ruining this.”

Zeke curls in on himself, his ears ringing for a moment. Then, he arches into you, or tries to anyway. You’re already withdrawing your touch and settling your hand on his hip.

“If you don’t wanna hear me talk, give me something else to occupy my mouth,” he says with a smirk.

Your thumb digs into his flesh through his clothes. “You’re very confident. You’re sure you won’t disappoint?”

“Certain,” Zeke says, dipping down to mouth against the soft skin of your throat. “Let me taste you.”

The shadow of a moan rattles against his lips, barely more than an exhale from deep in your chest. “Ask me like you actually want it.”

“Fuck,” he breathes, the hand at his hip grounding him. “Please, let me taste you. I’ve been thinking about it for ages— shit , I need it— please .”

You thread your fingers into the hair at the back of his head and mash him deeper into your neck. He lets out a muffled sound against you and sucks hard. Your thighs clench, rubbing and sliding together under him.

“You sound like you want it too much,” you sigh. “I don’t think you deserve it.”

Zeke groans in protest and shoves his way up to look at you. “Bullshit, Doc. Don’t act like you don’t want it, too.”

“What? And have that scruff scraping and scratching down there?” you scoff, your gaze darting briefly to his beard.

“I’ll have you know oil it,” he says, indignant. “It would not ‘scrape’ or ‘scratch’.”

You huff a hint of a chuckle, grinning up at him. Your lips and your neck are flushed and bitten in a way that makes the last of his blood rush south, and he’s suddenly overtaken by the very desperate need to be touched. He tries to grind his achingly hard length down into your groin.

“Needy,” you murmur, shoving a knee between his body and yours.

With a forceful push, you shove him up and roll him onto his back before swinging a leg over his hips. Your skirt flutters with the movement, and you lift yourself up to sit just below the tent in his trousers. Zeke gapes up you, transfixed by the sway of your hair as you toss it out of your face.

“Take those damn glasses off,” you demand, pressing the heel of your palm firmly against his cock.

His hips lift of their own accord as he scrambles to fold up his glasses and set them on the bedside table. You’re undoing the flaps of his trousers, nimble fingers pulling at the buttons. Zeke’s breath comes in shallow as he watches you reach in his underwear, then it hitches as you pull his throbbing length from its confines.

The unconscious way you lick your lips with your eyes locked on his erection makes him twitch in your hand. He’s so hard it hurts, a shiny bead of white liquid already gathering at his tip. You bend forward, close enough for him to feel your breath against his heated skin, and dip your tongue into the slit to lick the precome off his dick.

“Fuck,” Zeke whispers as you wiggle your way down his legs a bit and drop your head down to hover over his cock again. “Oh, fuck.”

You take him into your mouth, slicking up his length with your spit. And then, you’re bobbing up and down, swallowing him down fast and dirty. Your tongue is molten velvet along the underside of his cock, massaging him with each stroke as you take him deeper and deeper. Zeke’s mind whites out like static when you hollow your cheeks and pause to give him one hard suck, popping off with a wet, obscene sound.

“Goddamn, your fucking mouth,” he chokes out as you sink your lips over his cock again. “Fuck—let me lick you, Stel. Please."

He half sits up and reaches for you with near-frantic hands on your waist. You squeak quietly on his dick, rhythm interrupted, but let him pivot you around carefully. Once you’re more or less facing away from him, Zeke lifts one of your legs, settling your knee over him to straddle his torso, then yanks your ass up above his face.

His hands smooth the curve of your hips, the soft globes of your ass. He’s already breathless from the almost sloppy way you’re taking down his cock, but the anticipation of exposing your pussy is making his chest painfully tight. Impatiently, Zeke flings your skirt out of the way, letting it bunch around your waist.

The moment he slides a finger under your underwear, he feels the head of his dick hit the back of your throat. He freezes and bites back a moan and feels the rumble of your chuckle around his length. Spurred, he takes the thin fabric of your underwear with two hands and tears.

You lift off his cock to swear at him, but Zeke’s already tossed the ripped garment to the floor, and he pulls you down to his face without preamble. His lips slot against your cunt, and you’re arching your back with a sharp inhale. Zeke curls his fingers firmly around your thighs and drags his tongue through your folds, surrounded by the dizzying musk-salt scent of you.

“You’re so fucking wet. Dripping ,” he whispers into your pussy. “All this for me?”

Your hand squeezes hard around his cock, drawing a whine from his throat. “You’re one to talk, Zeke.”

He huffs a quiet laugh and drapes one arm across the top of your ass to drag you in even closer, until you’re practically sitting on his face. Then, he goes to work. He swirls his tongue around your entrance, gathering the wet arousal there, and slides it up to your clit, delighting in the small twitches and jerks of your hips.

Slick and swollen, he flicks against the sensitive bundle of nerves a few times teasingly before flattening his tongue. You moan wantonly around his cock as he starts firmly lapping at you, focusing his attention on your clit. You shift, hips trying to shy away from the intensity, raw and searing, but Zeke holds you in place, unyielding.

Your squirming titillates him. He tightens his grip on you and slips his lips around your clit to suck. The sheets beneath you shift and rustle as you fist them violently and muffle another moan on his dick. Goaded into action, you redouble your efforts and take him to the hilt, the tip of your nose nuzzling against the satin skin of his balls.

“Shit ,” Zeke hisses.

You swallow around him in response, and the resulting squeeze of your throat around his cock threatens to haul him over the edge once and for all. He can feel his legs shaking, fingers digging into your soft flesh as he holds himself back from the precipice. When you turn to glance over your shoulder at him, there’s a smirk on your wet, darkened lips.

“Good boy,” you whisper. “No coming until you make me finish.”

Your words shoot straight to his dick, and Zeke pulls you in again to groan against your cunt. You let out a sigh of contentment. Instead of licking at your clit again, he drags his tongue past it to dip inside the clenching ring of muscle at your entrance.

“Yeah, that’s—just like that,” you mumble against his head.

He draws back until just the tip is inside you, only to thrust his tongue back in a moment later. The whimper you let out is delicious . Zeke wants to make you scream, but he’ll settle for the frustrated little sounds you’re desperately trying to hold back for now.

When he starts fucking you with his tongue in earnest, your hips move to meet him. You’re sucking his cock again, though your pace stutters here and there and briefly falters altogether when he brings his thumb to your clit. He draws tight circles there in time with the expert movements of his tongue.

Even though you’re clearly having trouble concentrating, Zeke’s already come close to his peak, and he feels it lingering, slowly creeping back toward him. The familiar crackling heat at the base of his spine signals the approach of his climax, and he’s shuddering again. He bucks his hips, seeking the friction of your lips. You pull off him with a hiss and wrap your fingers tight around the base of his cock.

Your grip is a vice, and frustration shoots through Zeke’s veins like prickling ice. He growls into your pussy as his orgasm fades into a dull ache. Every muscle in his body slowly relaxes, but it feels like misery rather than relief.

“Fuck you,” he gasps through heaving breaths of air.

“Seems like I’m the one fucking you,” you murmur. “You want it? Show me you deserve it.”

Without any further prompting, Zeke sinks his tongue into you again. Your hips cant into him, slowly—carefully—but passionately nonetheless. His thumb works your clit faster, more deliberately. You’re panting, humid breaths fanning against his throbbing cock.

Your fingers have loosened, and you’re faintly rolling your wrist, stroking him with frustrating tenderness. It takes a pathetic amount of willpower to keep himself from bucking up into your hand as Zeke spears your cunt with his tongue over and over. Soon, your exhales morph into breathy moans, and your thighs start to quiver, and you take his cock into the wet heat of your mouth again.

You’re close. You must be. Zeke thrusts into you as deep as he can go and presses firmly against your clit, and you choke back a cry with his dick on your tongue. Your hips roll as you ride out your climax, and you’re still shaking when he lets himself follow you over that cliff.

Before he can have the chance to warn you, he bursts inside your mouth, coating your throat with his release. He lets out a half-strangled groan from deep in his chest and thrusts into you, shallow and careful. You swallow around him, gulping down every drop he gives you until his hips still.

Zeke collapses fully into the mattress as you lift off him, sucking him clean until his cock falls from your lips and slaps against his shirt. Wiping your mouth with your sleeve, you swing your legs over the side of the bed and wobbles a little as you stand. Your skirt falls around your legs, and when you smooth down your hair, you look almost as put together as you'd been before falling into bed with him.

“You can leave from the front door. My parents should be in bed,” you say as he’s tucking himself back into his underwear.

“Not so cold that you’d kick me out the way I came in, hm?” he teases.

You shoot him an irritated look, but there’s not much heat behind it. You’re too softened from your climax, still half-drifting through the hazy aftermath of it. Zeke fixes his trousers and stands, bending to pick up his shoes. It’ll be easier to sneak quietly down the hall barefoot.

“I’ll make sure they’re in their room first and signal you to come out,” you tell him, hand on the doorknob.

“Aren’t you even gonna wish me luck on my mission?” he asks, plucking his glasses off the bedside table and unfolding them with his teeth before slipping them back on.

“Please. I’m not worried about you,” you say, glancing back at him. “You’ll have Pieck there with you.”

Zeke chuckles. “Fair. Guess I’ll see you for my post-mission evaluation, then.”

You roll your eyes and push the door open, stepping out into the hall. Your footsteps fade as you head towards your parents’ room to make sure the coast is clear. Zeke follows a few moments later, moving quietly.

You tiptoe after him to the front door and open it for him while he slips on his shoes. Zeke lingers for a brief second as he goes to pass you, pausing to run his fingertips over your cheek where your flush is receding. Then, he heads out and down the stairs, slipping into the shadows without another look.

➴ ➴ ➴

Then

The streets of Liberio are alive with music and laughter, lanterns strung haphazardly between buildings. It’s hardly grand—the festival looks like it’s been put together with scraps and spare change, stalls slapped together from crates and patched-up tarps. Vendors sell simple fare, the smell of fried dough and watered-down wine filling the air. But Zeke can barely care about any of it. He only has one thing on his mind.

Weaving through the crowd, he scans for you in the throng of people. You’d promised to meet him here, and he’d staked out the spot they agreed on earlier—right by the street musician whose fiddle is scratching out old upbeat folk songs. Zeke wonders if you’d still like them, now that you were practically grown.

But he’s excited anyway. Days away from fourteen. He’ll soon be the same age you’d been when you first met. For a brief, shining few years, you’d been able to run through the streets together and share those carefree days of childhood. Yet today, he’s caught up to you, in a way. You can’t look down on him as a kid anymore, not when he’s shooting up like a sprout and quickly overtaking you in height.

The crowd swells around him as the music picks up, and Zeke catches a glimpse of the familiar flash of the color of your hair, a delicate white bow pinned to the back of it. He surges forward, calling your name, but his voice is lost beneath the clamor of singing. Finally, you appear fully, your dress swinging just above your ankles and your eyes flitting back and forth.

Zeke’s heart does a little leap. You haven’t changed much since turning sixteen, even if you wear your hair up now, and your skirt reaches lower than before.

“Stella!” he calls, and your eyes light up when you spot him.

“There you are,” you say, grinning as you close the distance between them. You look at him in surprise, reaching up to compare your heights. “Look at you, catching up to me, Zeke Yeager. How did you grow this much in just a few months?”

He knows you don’t mean to patronize, but he feels a slight sting at your words anyway. “I’ll be way taller than you soon.”

“Keep this up, and you’ll tower over me,” you tease.

It bothers him that you joke, and he straightens as if he can will himself to prove your jest right, but you’re already leaning forward, captivated by the dancers. The musicians pick up the pace, and skirts fly as people spin their partners. Zeke thinks about nudging you, asking you to join him for a dance, but the thought of putting himself out there in front of so many people makes his pulse quicken for all the wrong reasons.

Zeke shifts on his feet, and before he can second-guess himself, he blurts out instead, “I’ll grab us something to drink. Stay here?”

You give him a quick nod, your eyes still on the dancers with that soft, faraway look he’s only seen you wear at these festivals. His heart thumps as he turns toward the line of makeshift stalls to find a drink vendor. Zeke maneuvers through the crowd, his mind whirling as his thoughts bounce between your words, your laugh, the way you don't seem to notice how much he’s changed—how much he’s trying to change, for you.

It takes longer than he’d like, but he finally finds a vendor selling cups of lemonade. Clutching two in his hands, he hurries back, hoping he hasn’t kept you waiting too long. But as he rounds the corner, he stops in his tracks, his heart sinking.

There you are, laughing and beaming, and you’re not alone. A few boys—three of them, all around your age—are crowded around you, clearly captivated. One of them is leaning a little too close, saying something in your ear that makes the wispy tendrils of your hair quiver. It’s like you’re caught in your own little world, and Zeke’s left outside, watching from the edges.

Jealousy twists in his chest. He stands for a moment longer, fists tightening around the cups as his face grows warm. Without thinking, he strides forward, pushing through the boys with an air of irritation that he doesn’t even try to hide.

“Hey,” he says sharply, shoving one of the cups into your hands with more force than necessary. “Don’t you guys have somewhere else to be?”

The boys look at him, taken aback, until one of them steps forward with a cocky grin. “We’re just talking, kid. Maybe you should take a walk and come back when you’re older.”

Zeke’s jaw clenches. “Yeah? Maybe you should take a walk and not come back at all.”

The smug boy narrows his eyes, clearly considering a retort, but you step in and put a hand on Zeke’s shoulder.

“It’s fine,” you say, your tone light, but your eyes flash with worry. “They’re just being friendly.”

The group of boys exchange glances and drift away into the crowd, muttering amongst themselves. You watch them go before turning back to Zeke, eyebrows raised. He meets your gaze, expecting a smile or a teasing remark. Instead, you sigh exasperatedly.

“Really, Zeke?” you say. “You can’t just drive people off for speaking to me.”

He opens his mouth, but his response falters at first. He glances away and mumbles defensively, “They were bothering you.”

You laugh coldly. “No, they weren’t. You’re just—,” you pause and shake your head. “You’re just being mean.”

Zeke’s stomach turns to lead. He can see it now, how your eyes sparkle with the attention, how you seem to lean into the easy flirtations you get from your peers. You’re not just tolerating it—you’re enjoying it. Maybe, you even look forward to it. He feels as if he’s shrinking in your presence, suddenly too young, too naive. Too small .

He tries to swallow the feeling down, but he can’t ignore it. Without another word, Zeke whirls on his heels and pushes into the crowd, the noise and bodies a blur around him. He hears you calling his name but doesn’t turn back. He just keeps walking, letting the music and chatter swallow him whole until he’s far enough away that he can’t feel your gaze on him.

Anger churns in his chest, but it’s not directed at you. Not exactly. It’s more at himself, for letting himself carry on this childish crush for so long, for foolishly believing you’d wait for him, as if he had all the time in the world to catch up.

But that’s the problem—he doesn’t have time. Not really.

[jasper-pagan-witch]

Hehe. more!

What's your favorite video game? What about show? And movie? And on each, what makes it your favorite?

What are some blogs you'd suggest to people that are kinda like yours?

When did you get into The Elder Scrolls? What about Magic the Gathering?

How often do you typically practice magic?

Optional additional question because it is a bit loaded and not everyone wants to answer something like this: What's your most hated discourse in the pagan/witchy community? It can be valid or kinda just ridiculous, your choice.

You are feeding me and I love that.

What's your favorite video game? What about show? And movie? And on each, what makes it your favorite?

O...only one? I like a lot of video games...but honestly I can't get over how fucking funny the Monster Hunter series is. Like yeah, random person, go fight some fucking monsters. Take up to two cats with you. Here's a giant sword or a gun. Godspeed.

As for show and movie, uh...I don't...watch a lot of things, admittedly. I prefer to just turn on YouTube videos in the background instead of a show or movie. But if I had to pick, I'd pick Robin Hood: Men in Tights for movie and Legends of Chima for show. If you've seen the fights I've been picking on my main blog, I hope they've been entertaining.

What are some blogs you'd suggest to people that are kinda like yours?

*cackles* Time to summon the friends and the people I follow.

@windvexer - Out here doing the most when it comes to musing on ways to take things from witchcraft 102 to witchcraft 207. A bunch of their posts about divination have taught me more about how to read tarot better.

@stormwaterwitch - Hey kids, do you like seeing someone else's fully-developed elemental system? Do you like deities? Do you like books? My dear friend does it all!

@lazywitchling - DIY galore. As someone who enjoys putting things together, I also enjoy seeing her stuff too!

@sewceress - *grabs you* If you have ever thought too long about astrology, planetary magic, and stuff like that, you will enjoy this blog. That's a threat.

@aesethewitch - If you think it's neat how I can drag people for filth with a single card, you will enjoy Aese doing the same thing on their blog. This is also a threat.

@the-weaving-cryptid - If you enjoy region-specific magic and are interested in Appalachia, give Runa a look!

@strixhaven-study-hall - My dear friend Faust who is on that MTG pop culture shit with me. I need to bother him more, actually. And so should all of you.

@fernthewhimsical - Like with the note on Runa, Fern is big into regional stuff - specifically, Dutch paganism. Fae has all kind of cool posts and shit, I've greatly enjoyed chatting with them.

@creature-wizard - Do you like when I drop twenty-seven source links in one posts? Would you like better critical thinking skills about the bullshit that appears in online religious and occult and witchy spaces? Check out this blog. Particularly their stuff on the New Age to Alt-Right pipeline.

@crimsonsongbird - A fellow follower of Greek deities with some of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching devotionals I've ever read. She's also designed spells based on my OCs in the past!!! They're very neat (both Crimson and the spells).

@will-o-the-witch - Another wonderful reader and a Jewitch. Incredibly easy to chat with through the ask box!

@stagkingswife - Another fun blog to follow if you're interested in folklore or seeing someone who's really comfortable in her path! I enjoy learning about their unrecorded pantheon (which is different from a constructed pantheon, I must stress).

@breelandwalker - The author of what is hands-down my favorite book on witchcraft ever, Grovedaughter Witchery. If you enjoy actual history, debunking misinformation, and beginner-friendly posts (they have a whole advice page for beginners!), then Bree is a good blog to follow.

I think I'm running out of the ability to tag blogs, so I'll pause here. But I follow or am mutuals with all kinds of really cool folks here on Tumblr!

When did you get into The Elder Scrolls? What about Magic the Gathering?

I started playing Oblivion on my biological father's PS3 before Skyrim came out when I was a youngin (I'm gonna say around the age of 9?) and just kind of. Kept with it.

Meanwhile, I finally got into MTG in 2016, when the Shadows Over Innistrad and Eldritch Moon sets came out. My first ever deck was the Blue-Red precon, Dangerous Knowledge. And I hated it. This was before I figured out how to make Blue work for me. The first deck I ever built was a Red-Green Wolf and Werewolf deck, and I still have it to this day - it's my most powerful deck besides maybe my monoBlack Rat deck.

How often do you typically practice magic?

It depends. When I'm in my fallow period, it's literally nothing. Once I'm out, it could be anywhere between "for my entire waking day" to "like, five minutes" to "I have not done anything magical in two weeks". I am inconsistent as fuuuuuck!

Optional additional question because it is a bit loaded and not everyone wants to answer something like this: What's your most hated discourse in the pagan/witchy community? It can be valid or kinda just ridiculous, your choice.

I am biased on account of being a pop culture practitioner, but the "is pop culture magic/paganism valid or not" question that keeps rolling back around every now and again is stupid. We're all magical practitioners and/or religious folks. We are at equal levels of verification, which is "basically none to someone skeptical enough".

There are actual, genuinely good concerns that can be talked about in pop culture magic/paganism, but everyone keeps focusing on "it's faker than our shit lmaooo" instead of discussing things like copyright or capitalism. And even when people bring that up, it's almost always as an addendum to people saying that our shit isn't valid because it comes from a piece of media instead of cultural stories or history. It's like "damn, you're already biased, so I'm not going to listen to your points because you stink", you know?

Anyway, thank you for sending all of these in!

~Jasper

[blueberrypancakesworld]

Oh the fluff alphabet for Euronymous was really good, now I’m curious about one for Faust

Thanks for the request dear anon, glad you liked the fluff - Alphabet and I hope you like this one. Have fun reading :)

Fluff Alphabet - Faust

warning : It' getting fluffy under the cut

masterlist

Disclaimer : I don't want to glorify anything, it's about the actors who play a role, not the real events.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A = Adoration (How do they worship you?)

°Since you came into his life, he seems to have found another pleasure besides mayhem, the black circle, violence, murder and other crimes. He lets you feel this at all times and tells you so at all times. You have become indispensable to him and he is happy to have you.

══════════════════════

B = Best friends (What would they be like as best friends? How would the friendship start?)

°He would be the one hundred percent reliable and loyal friend who may be a little short on words but who gives the best advice and tips and cares about you.

°You would have met at a Mayhem concert on the way to the bar to grab a beer when you collided and got talking.

══════════════════════

C = Cuddling (do they like to cuddle?, how do they cuddle?)

°Yes he loves to cuddle Faust is the biggest cuddler in the black circle even if it doesn't look like it. Just pulling you close and putting his arms around you is the best. But he also loves to get hugs from you whether short or long everything is great.

°He loves long cuddles, pulling you onto his lap and just holding you against him. It gives him a sense of security that you will never leave him despite what ever happens.

°,,A little longer for eternity"

══════════════════════

D = Domestic (how would they settle down? How are they cooking and cleaning?)

°He would live with his mother in the beginning and then either come to you or you to him depending on the situation. But as soon as you both have a job, you will get a flat together.

°He is not very good at cleaning up and leaves most things where he found them. But he is the best cook you can get. He can conjure up five-star menus for you that is truly fantastic (and he makes sure that the black circle doesn't starve).

══════════════════════

E = Ending (how would they break up with their partner if they had to?)

°He would do it shortly after his murder or shortly before. He's just worried about dragging you into the consequences. He doesn't want the police to suspect you. But he'd be the type to either use a lie or just leave you without a word. Just gone. It would hurt him, but in his eyes, it's better than explaining, because then he'd just start being.

°,,That's it, it's over... get out of here by tomorrow"

══════════════════════

F = Fiance(e) (how do they feel about consent? How soon would they want to get married?

°Marriage yes and no I think he'd be the type to hear that and just decide, ,,Yeah, if you get married we'll get married too, won't we honey?". It would have been discussed faster than usual.

°,,How does a honeymoon in Transylvania sound?"

══════════════════════

G = Gentle (how gentle are they mentally and physically?)

°Even when he has his violent fantasies he is mentally rather calm. He knows when to say something and when not to. He knows how to deal with you and how not to. But he loves to be gentle. To take care of you, to kiss you and to love you.

°,,You just always bring me down from high"

°Physically he is gentle, judging from the murder and the force he used. As already mentioned, he loves to cuddle, to grab your hand and kiss it or just to feel you on top of him.

°,,Cuddle, hold, kiss...please just one more time "

══════════════════════

H = Hugs (do they like hugs? How are their hugs?)

°He loves hugs no matter if longer or shorter. Whether you hug him or he hugs you. Just being able to hug you at any time is perfect (plus the other guys will let go of you and he can show them that you are his).

°,,Come here for another hug"

°He loves to practically run you over with his size and weight and hug you to the ground of course if the ground is not too hard. It's fun and often ends in a few kisses.

══════════════════════

I = I love you (how soon would they say it?)

°Since you got together or when you first met, it would have slipped out almost immediately. But after that he always whispers it to you and especially when you are alone together he loves it. It's his way of expressing his feelings for you.

══════════════════════

J = Jealousy (how quickly are they jealous? What do they do when they are jealous?)

°He doesn't get jealous very quickly. He knows that you love him and he loves you with all his heart. He trusts you and knows you won't cheat or betray him.

°He would be the quiet jealous type. He would cast the deadliest glances at the unknown/enemy. If this doesn't help (it always does) he takes out his knife and plays with it a bit and that almost always helps. If need be, he can always pull the stranger into a street and kill the man.

══════════════════════

K = Kisses (how are their kisses? where do they love to kiss you?)

°His kisses are gentle and almost restrained, especially in public. He is just a bit shy when you are in public. At home, his kisses are more intimate.

°On your lips he loves to kiss you, otherwise he loves to kiss your hands and thighs, maybe on the way to a little foreplay in the bedroom.

°,,You are just so beautiful".

══════════════════════

L = Little ones (how are they with kids?)

°Faust system crashed. He has absolutely no idea how to deal with children. He gets restless, nervous and completely quiet and hides behind his hair before retreating, hoping to be overlooked.

°,,Take it away...I don't want it"

══════════════════════

M = Morning (How do they spend their mornings?)

°He usually wakes up before you to prepare delicious breakfast and if you haven't woken up by then, to put it to bed with you or gently wake you up and take you to the kitchen so you can eat together.

°,,There are scrambled eggs with bacon"

══════════════════════

N = Night (how are nights spent with them?)

°Believe it or not he likes to listen to a radio play to fall asleep. Some brutal psycho thriller or true crime case that he somehow recorded himself. But he usually falls asleep halfway through. Cute.

══════════════════════

O = Open (how fast would they open)

°It takes him a long, long, long time to open up completely and reveal his innermost self. Little by little he tells the things when he feels ready. Which is why even after months things come to light.

°,,My love... I have to tell you something"

══════════════════════

P = Patience (how quickly are they annoyed?)

°It takes a lot for Faust to get annoyed and his patience to wear thin. This is most strained when there are children around, too little alcohol, the police or he simply hasn't slept enough and you both argue about something small. But even when he gets annoyed he quickly drops it and tries to solve it.

°,,Damn it, please give me a break"

══════════════════════

Q = Quizzes (how much would they know or remember about you?)

°He remembers a lot, especially what he has picked up from conversations, whether he has talked to you or heard from his friends. But he remembers every little detail and he is a little proud of it.

══════════════════════

R = Remember (what is your favourite moment in your relationship?)

°After he killed the man in the park it wasn't his parents house he went to confess or anything. No, it was your house he went to and told you about it, even though he expected you to be afraid of rejecting him. But even though at first you were afraid, you assured him that everything would be all right. Before you helped him to wipe the blood off him and somehow help him to calm down.

══════════════════════

S = Safety (how protective are they? How would they protect you?)

°He is quite protective but only when he or you feel you are under attack depending on the situation. Which is why he quickly stands in front of you and covers you with his gestalt.

°Unlike Euronymous, Faust doesn't need friends to help him. He has a knife and a joy to kill again he definitely doesn't need a small army he can do it himself and more than well. But even without a knife he is good in a fight.

°,,Don't worry, one strike and they're gone"

══════════════════════

T = Try (how much would they invest in dates anniversaries, gifts etc?)

°He would invest quite a lot in ideas for a date, for example. But it would end up in a bit of a mess because he has too many ideas he wants to implement. Before he has to resort to his emergency plan.

°His best gift to you, in his opinion, is a knife. Whether it's a hunting knife, a kitchen knife or a pocket knife, you name it.

°,,Emergency plan to visit the zoo...if you want of course"

══════════════════════

U = Ugly (what would be a bad habit of them?)

°That he either shuts himself off from you completely, for example in stressful situations. Or he takes refuge in alcohol, movies and homicidal thoughts when he just doesn't know what to do to solve a problem. Not to mention that he has killed someone and that is more than just a bad thing.

══════════════════════

V = Vanity (how much do they care about their appearance?)

°As for his clothes, he'll just take something from his wardrobe. Whether it fits or not, everything is black and that goes with everything. The only thing he is precise about and almost oversensitive about is his hair. He has a whole grooming routine for his hair in the bathroom. Not only is he proud of its length, but the softness and shine is his pride and joy.

══════════════════════

W = Whole (would they feel incomplete without you?)

°Yes, because you give him the security of having someone who loves him by his side. He is not the greatest talker and is grateful for his friends but you. You are just something that gives him something more than friendship. Love.

°,,I...I need you to please stay with me forever"

══════════════════════

X = Xtra (a random headcanon for them)

°When he is extremely nervous and you are alone together, he starts to stutter a little. Because he wants to say a lot and then he's too nervous, so he's grateful that you just wait until he's sure.

══════════════════════

Y = Yuck (what is something he would not like about his partner?)

°I think he wouldn't like it if his partner didn't have an opinion. Not only when it comes to deciding things. Even if he talks about his plan to kill someone or try to kill someone and his partner just doesn't have an opinion, it would bother him and he wouldn't feel listened to.

══════════════════════

Z = Zzz (what is a sleeping habit of them?)

°He's always holding on to you somehow. Whether it's your arm, your hip, your leg or your hand. He just needs to feel secure that you are with him and he loves it when he wakes up that you are with him.

══════════════════════

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

What do the M6 spent an exorbitant amount of money on? So much so that it could be considered an addiction? (Doesn't need to be expenses related to the MC, but could be.) I feel like for Lucio it would be Furry Comissions (regardless of whether or not you want to set the hc's in a modern AU or the regular story).

The Arcana HCs: M6 and their shopping weaknesses

~ a request from my wonderful fantastic mutual @helshollowhalls ? Anything for you, friend! Enjoy the madness - brainrot ~

Depending on how the two of you like to split your duties, it may be more or less frequent for you or your beloved to shop alone. Most of the time you don't have to worry too much, they're an adult! They know what they're doing.

Until they creep into your shared quarters one evening, oozing both excitement and guilt as they hide the results of their errands behind the door. "MC, you wouldn't believe what I saw for sale in the market today."

Julian

He's standing almost like a soldier, chest bared and feet braced for your reaction, arms folded under his cape behind his back

"What did you buy, Julian?"

He's not ready to answer your question. "I have it in good faith that it may one day prove essential to saving someone's life."

He's really getting into character now, and you're beginning to worry

"What did you buy, Julian?"

"A rare instrument necessary to my practice! A scientific breakthrough! Behold!"

And with a grand flourish, he pulls out a feat of engineering that seems to be an obscure medical instrument. Fair enough

"So what does it do?"

You watch him deflate like one of those car dealership tube men at the end of the day

"... I don't know."

"And how much did you spend on it?"

He clutches it to his chest protectively. "Does it matter? I'll figure out a way to use it eventually! Maybe it pairs well with leeches!"

Asra

You can't tell if they're grinning or grimacing, but their dimples are out and they're almost sparkling with excitement

"They had so many options, MC. I've never even heard of most of them before!"

He can see your eyes widening as Faust tips over the duffle-sized bag behind the door, slithering over the piles of packages that pour out across the floor

"How much did you spend, Asra!?"

"Not as much as I could have, and only my own money. They had sample packs!"

Now that their secret is out, they're excitedly unwrapping every bundle and disappearing in a mountain of paper and twine

Faust seeks refuge on your shoulder and the sheer diversity of smells filling the room are making both of you a little dizzy

Small bottles of perfumed oil, tiny pots of lotion, mini candles and twigs of incense cover every surface of the room

All the candles and incense are lit. Every tester is being applied in random patchwork

He got over 50 new scents and he is thriving

Nadia

She feels a little guilty for going without you, but she's so excited to have been part of your world like this

She went to the central marketplace

And she got everything suggested to her

Because who would know better than the people selling what she needed to get?

Two menservants are bringing in the multiple bags she brought back in the carriage while she goes over each thing with you, excitedly repeating their sales pitches

She's halfway through the second bag, telling you all about her new gilded mop holder when you finally interrupt

"Nadia, my love. How many things did you get?" You're holding your breath, hoping the question doesn't burst her bubble

"Oh, nothing extravagant. You should see the shipments that come in for palace events! We'll go back together, my darling, and we can do a proper shopping trip then."

You do go back together, and this time you steer clear of the salesmen taking advantage of her inexperience

Muriel

He's peeking around the door of the hut, and you can tell by the set of his eyebrows that he is embarrassed and has no regrets

You smile up at him, walking over to greet him after his trip into town

And the door swings a little further open to reveal his cloak, stuffed to the brim with something that keeps cheeping

He's got the squirming mass wrapped protectively in his arms, slowly kneeling to lower it to the ground

And from the depths of his clothing burst a tidal wave of baby chicks, spreading out to cover the yard and sending the chickens already present into a ruffle of squawks

"Muriel, how many are there?!"

" ... twenty-four. The pet shop had them with the kittens and puppies and," he pauses to peek at your face, "chickens are different. They wouldn't be happy in the city."

The ground is yellow. Inanna has turned into a sulky, wolf shaped jungle gymn. Muriel watches quietly. "Did I do the right thing?"

"Yes. But they are your responsibility."

Portia

You see the way Pepi perks up and Portia moves to guard the giant paper bags she's holding, and that's how you know it's food

You pick Pepi up to protect the goods and take a closer look. The two bags are each nearly the size of your beloved's torso

"Portia, what small army are we feeding!?"

She drops them on the table, flicks a stray crumb from her sleeve, and deflects Pepi's swipe at the pastry that tumbles out

"Ok so don't be mad, I may have overspent just a teeny little bit, but she was a traveling baker from up north! And I had to try some!"

"And then?"

"And then we started talking about baking, and she gave me a discount so I tried one of everything, but I didn't want you to miss out so I got two more of everything for us to eat together!"

You're not sure what to say. It's a lot of food

You end up inviting the Palace bakers to enjoy it with you (they'll be able to really appreciate the technique) and eating lentil stew for the rest of the week

Lucio

You're having flashbacks while he fidgets in the doorway. This used to happen every time you let him do the shopping alone

In his defense, nobody ever taught him to budget. His job was to hunt his food or eat his rations until the old Count took him in

But you two have been working on it together, and he's gotten pretty good at making and sticking to a list and limit

Which can only mean one thing:

"It was so shiny, MC. I know I made an oopsie, but look at it! It goes on my arm!"

It's a jewelry piece that he's clipped to the grooves on his gauntlet. It's not that big, so you can't see how it's an oopsie unless ...

"Is that an emerald? Is that real gold!?"

He nods excitedly. "Don't feel bad, MC, I got you one too! Now we match!"

It's beautiful, but, "Lucio, where did you get the money for this?"

"Next week's budget." He sees your face and grabs your hands. "But don't worry! I did the math, and I already found a job to cover it."

This man is going to be the death of you

[gt-daboss]

GT Friendships (Oneshot)

CW: Heavy Angst, comments on kidnapping, (let me know if anything else)

3.2k words (Est: 15 min read)

“I don’t care!” the words rang out from the giant before her. Lea stood with her arms crossed and eyes narrowed. She was a good deal taller than Abby just by herself, and it didn’t help that she was surrounded by 2 friends on either side of her, nearly taking up the entire hallway by themselves. 

“But, you- why would you LIE about the answers, You know I needed to score well on that assignment and-”

“Abigail, we don’t owe you anything, and we aren’t your homework slaves, don’t you have somebody else you can bother?” The way she said it so nonchalantly, at this point, Abby's face was surely red, her ears burning up as she glared daggers.

“Bother? I just- Why couldn’t you- Ugh! Screw you, seriously Lea, I-” Abigail couldn't finish, turning tail to hide her face, her eyes shut tight to avoid tears leaking out. She was screwed, so terribly screwed. She couldn't help but feel like there were a hundred eyes on her, it didn’t help that there were probably countless human students who saw that interaction from the balconies. Trying to save some face, she stormed away, at least I don’t have to see her for the rest of the day… fuck, still have another period left.

Despite how much she wanted to go back there and sock Lea in her dumb stupid face, It would only show how much her words hurt her, “Go bother someone else” She felt her fists clench up.

She didn’t have anybody else, no humans would interact with her because of her father, and no giants would hang out with her for fear of getting ostracized like her. It just felt… impossible, like there was nobody and nowhere to turn to. And now, here she was, on her way to another class, where she would sit in the back alone, it almost made her lose hope. 

Mope later, you need to get to class Abb, maybe if you’re lucky they might force you into a group project with…

“Sada!” Abigail called out, almost instinctually, at the sight of the human girl trekking on the elevated pathways toward the same class as her. Sada froze for a second, always a jumpy human, sharing schools with giants, –especially ones with reputations like Abby's– certainly helped her feel on edge. Still, Abb hasn’t done anything wrong yet, despite what conventional knowledge would say about what her father–

“Hey squirt, you ready for English?” Abby probed, giving almost no hint of the previous altercation in the hallway only moments before. Hopefully she wouldn’t notice Sada unconsciously gripping the railings as the giant casually walked over to her. “You’re gonna be late walking to class on those little legs of yours shorty.”

Sada knew Abigail was just teasing, she hoped at least. But it did nothing to lessen the impact of the words. Abb practically leaned over her now, doing nothing but helping the looming feeling that she just felt… small.  Noticing her ‘friend’s’ lack of response, Abby frowned herself, not wanting to have another Lea situation on her hands, her words still echoing in her head“Go bother someone else”

“Er- but hey, that's not a bad thing, Oh hey, how about, since I’m like, ya know, making you late, you could uh- well I could carry you to class.” Abigail offered, slowly laying a palm up hand a good couple of paces away from the human. Sada didn’t immediately refuse her offer like the giant feared, but that didn’t mean she would say yes.

‘No’ is what she should have said, an immediate response no different than any other human would have said when the daughter of Erik Faust asked to pick you up. Would she even let me say no? There are teachers and students everywhere, there's no way she could get away with anything anyway, but… she gulped, looking up at the giant in front of her. Despite what everybody says about her, she had been surprisingly… normal. No human had anything personal to say about her (other than the fact she was a Faust), and it honestly seemed like the Giants picked on her rather than the other way around. So even though it scared the hell out of her, she agreed.

“Yeah, I don’t see why not right? I’ll be right over,” Abby didn’t say anything in response, but her eyes told it all, beaming brightly as she watched the human inch towards her hand, “You’ve uhh, carried humans before, right?”

“Oh, no- not technically speaking I haven’t ever, but I have been through training, lots of it. They wouldn’t let me in this school unless I did because of my… situation.” despite that, Sada only briefly stopped, before heading towards her hand, once Abigail's hand left the railing there would be no going back just a couple more steps and you can't take it back… shit, that's a kinda messed up way of thinking about it. 

“Hey, uhm so, about earlier, I didn’t mean to demean you when I called you short earlier, I don’t know why I said that I was just… stupid, I was just stupid okay. No excuses, but I won’t do it again.”

That was all the motivation Sada needed. Hoisting herself up onto the giant’s palm, she settled down in the soft, spongy center. The heat emanating off the skin directly below her warmed her up where she felt just comfortable enough to crack a light joke. 

“Thanks, and you better watch out, my doctor said I still could grow a couple more inches, pretty soon I could be taller than you.” Abigail nearly burst out giggling, holding her free hand to her face. Preparing for her platform to go flying, Sada was pleasantly surprised when the hand stood firm throughout. 

*****

“Do you need me to carry you home?” Abigail asked. Sada looked like she was almost considering it, but eventually shook her head.

“It’d be nice, but I live in human-only residential. Thanks for the offer though.” Abby still stood there contemplating, clearly not happy with the answer.

“So you really walk all the way home every day? Doesn't that take you like, forever?” 

“It's only for today since my parents are helping my brother move, only an hour and a half walk Abb, no big deal.” Another frown, Abigail already hated walking the hallways to classes, even thinking about trekking Sada’s way home…

“OH! You could hang out at my place! Just until your parents come back!” Abigail said it almost immediately, not even giving it a chance to filter through her brain. She knew it was much too early to be inviting Sada over, the two had only been acquainted a few weeks, ‘friends’ for a few minutes, but Abigail was desperate for something positive to go her way for once. Plus she rationalized the situation is just perfect… well- perfect for me. Despite knowing what her answer would probably be, it still hurt when the reaction she saw on Sada’s wasn’t nearly as excited as she was.

“You mean like… listen, Abigail, I uhmmm.” Instantly Abigail’s face changed. Without even a word she knew what this answer would be, she had experienced it happen so, so many times. Of course, why would this be any different? Hell, Sada wasn’t even a giant, She probably only talks to you cause she’s scared-

“Abigail, hey, I didn’t say no, Goodness you looked like I just told you your cat died or something,” Abby blinked quickly and then refocused on the human, letting out a weak but genuine laugh. “Hey uhhh, I’ll think about it, alright? Class is about to start so I need to get back to the human desks, but I'll think about it okay? Just meet me outside after class.”

Abigail was this close to squee-ing when she heard that, barely getting a hold of herself, She couldn't stop the constant beaming of her face, a funny turnaround after she looked so pouty and sad just moments prior. Wordlessly she offered her hand to Sada, smiling even larger when she felt the ticklish steps of a human on her hand, her friend on her hand? 

*****

“Sada, what the hell were you just doing? Are you okay? Did she grab you?” Sada’s best friend, Penny, asked, voice dripping with concern. At first, she was stunned by the rapid quick questions thrown at her, but then she remembered which Giant she was with. It was hard to really feel it in the moment, but she was just being carried by Abigail Faust. No human wanted to go near her, and Sada wasn’t even that comfortable with giant students without reputations like hers. Still, she was alright, and she was starting to realize that maybe all these rumors about this giant girl’s family were… exaggerated.

“Hey hey hey, back up Penn, I’m not hurt anywhere, Abb just offered to take me to class since I was running late.”

“‘Abb’? You were in her hand do you know how dangerous that could have been?!” Sada sucked in a deep breath, Penny seemed genuinely worried. Suddenly she started rethinking her decision to hang out with Abigail after class today. Penny had always been the one to tell her that she was overreacting when it came to giants, but apparently, Abby had her shaken. “Sada I’m serious, Charlie has warned me about her and her family, it is not good news.”

Great, Charlie was Penny’s giant boyfriend, but apparently, the bad rumors spread about Abigail weren't kept to the human students alone. “...like what…” Sada asked as Penny came up close to her to whisper as if Abigail could be listening in as they spoke.

“Her dad was like, in the rings, ya know, human trafficking, Charlie's dad was a juror for the case, some of the cases go back years, some families even prosecuted him from events when he was only in high school. I’m being serious Sada, please, if you're going to hang out with her, at least let me and Charlie come with you.”

*****

Meanwhile, on the giant side of the classroom, Abigail was having a completely different conversation.

“So what, did you just kidnap Sada or something? What's up with you carrying a human?” Another giant, Adam, jeered at her. Her face flushed red, it's never-ending with these sacks of-

“Lea stopped giving her the math answers, she needs someone else to give her a free pass.” Great, of course, that’s already spread around huh.

“Oh shut up Eva, I just met her and took her to class, that’s all. We don’t even have the same math teacher,” Abigail responded crassly, clearly fed up with having conversations like these countless, countless times.

“So the kidnapping one was more accurate, bummer,” Eva said nonchalantly, it was stuff like this that Abigail had heard every. Single. Day. Always having to take these people's comments about her but never able to fight back. One more period, just ignore her.

“Shut up, Eva.” Abigail retorted. The blonde across from Abigail smirked, as if she just thought of the most amazing idea in the entire world.

“I guess it runs in the family.” Thats it.

“SHUT UP EVA!” Abigail screamed, rising up from her chair and slamming her hands on her desk. She immediately knew she had messed up when the whole room went quiet, but it just wasn’t fair. 

“Abigail Faust, do you need to take a trip to the principal's office.” Came the nasally voice of her English teacher. Taking a deep breath, she cast one more glare at Eva before sitting back down in her chair.

“I’m fine, sorry for disturbing class,” Ava responded as calmly as she could, stealing a glance over at the human desks, while she couldn’t specifically single Sada out from the crowd, it seemed like the entire human population was staring at her in that moment. 

It’s not fair.

*****

Abigail had decided, she had decided that wouldn’t let them get to her. She wouldn’t let Lea, she wouldn’t let Adam, and she definitely wouldn’t let Eva. No, Sada had been the first person since her dad got convicted who talked to her like a person and not some ticking time bomb or social destroyer. Hell, she had picked up Sada, That's probably more than a good chunk of the giants at her school, but it was her who…

It's hopeless, I already said I don’t care what they think, Sada will be out here soon and I’ll get her opinion.

*****

It was safe to say Sada felt a little terrified.

She had already decided that after what she had heard, she would be declining Abigail's invitation to a sleepover, but it was a lot easier said than done to actually say it to Abb’s face, especially after she blew up on Eva last period. Conventional knowledge told her that of course Abigail wouldn’t do anything to her, but…

“I’ll go on ahead and get Charlie, If we see you are in trouble with her, we’ll come right away, no questions asked okay?” Came the reassuring voice of Penny. The two had made a plan in the case anything went wrong, This is so stupid, Abigail isn’t some kind of human-napper… she paused, thinking about the horror stories friends had told her, Penny had told her, her parents had told her, and even though she knew it was stupid to believe in ever rumor you hear… Its better safe than sorry, sorry Abb.

Sada watched as Penny rounded a corner out of sight as she gathered up her backpack. She waited a couple more minutes before heading to the front entrance herself. The blinding natural light of the outside world made it hard to see for a moment. Looking around for a minute or two, she still couldn’t find Abigail. You’d think it be pretty easy to find someone whos 70 feet ta-

“Hey, Sada! Behind you,” Came the voice of none other than Abigail. Jumping a good foot in the air from the sneak attack, Sada unconsciously gripped the straps of her backpack tight before turning around to face the giant. “Sorry about class, Eva has always had it out for me… but I know what I did was wrong too, I was just… jeez not making this any better. Uhh, Sada do you still want to hang out at my place for the night?”

Abagail wanted to tear into herself in that moment, Great thing to say right after throwing a temper tantrum in front of her, just go tell the human you have anger problems why don’t you? Agh stupid stupid stupid. 

“Err, sorry Abigail, but not tonight okay, I’m getting a ride from Penny today, but, thanks for the offer.” Sada answered, looking up at the giant girl for confirmation.

Nothing… well I’ll just-

“Sorry, Sada, did you say something, It's pretty windy up here, Could I pick you up to hear you better?”

Red flags, If there was ever a warning to turn back and call it quits for Sada, this would have definitively been it. If she got in her hands that would practically be sealing her fate. There would be another time, she didn’t have to make friends with her now-

*WOOOHMPH* Suddenly out of nowhere Sada felt two giant appendages squeeze between her arms and hoist her into the air. To stunned to even speak, the vertigo of traveling dozens of feet into the air in seconds made her head dizzy, and when she finally snapped out of it, she was sitting 70 feet above the ground staring directly at the face of her giant captor who seemed way way to close right now.

“Sorry, I couldn’t hear you down there-” Abigail began sheepishly but was near immediately cut off by Sada finally catching her breath.

“Abigail Abigail Abigail what the hell, Please put me down, put me down, Why did you pick me up, Oh god.” This can’t be happening, no please, Penny, Charlie help.

Abigail was also panicking, realizing immediately that she had severely messed up, Everybody knew you didn’t grab a human without explicit permission, especially when you had a reputation like Abigail’s. She needed to fix this, but if she put Sada down, she knew she would never be able to get her own word in –a terribly selfish excuse, she knew– but she was just so tired of losing people.

“Wait Sada I’m sorry I didn’t mean to grab you, Please believe me I was-”

“Sada, Abigail!” Came a loud, commanding male voice from her left, Charlie. Instinctually she tightened her grip on Sada and brought her closer to her chest. “Let her go, Abigail, I won’t say it again.” No! It’s not fair!

“W-who are you, w-what do you want from me and Sada.” Abigail weakly refused. This only made the taller giant angrier, as he stormed closer.

“Hand her over Abigail, now!” Was all the giant said in response.

“N-no, leave us alone,” Abigail cried, squeezing her hand even tighter and closer than before, inadvertently eliciting a little squeak from the passenger within, unknown to her over the chaos.

“Now, Abigail, hand over our friend now.” He demanded, now within an arms reach, the size difference between the two giants became immediately clear to the younger and shorter giant. Tears now threatened to spill out of her eyes. It's not fair it's not fair! I don’t even get to explain my side of the story, It always happens to me I can’t ever win It’s just not fai-

“Sada, Sada! Abigail, please let her go you’re hurting her!” Snapping her out of daze wasn't the gruff, loud voice of a giant but a human girl who she hadn’t even realized was riding on his shoulder the entire time. Wait, She mentioned Sada, where is-

Heartbeat. Heartbeat came from the center of her hands. Oh god, her hands, Sada was in her hands. Opening her palms, the sight she saw disgusted her. In the center, trembling, was Sada, a stark contrast to how she looked up at her when traversing the hallways only an hour earlier, this Sada looked terrified of her. No… Please, let me fix this, I can fix this just give me a chance, please!

“Sada, I…” She couldn’t, she couldn’t even finish, couldn’t even say she was sorry before she was interrupted.

“Oh my god, Sada, Sada are you okay, please Abigail put her down.” The human again, I don’t even get to make my case? I- I… its not… its just not fair… Looking past her hands where the human was held, her gaze met the ground, a single tear dropping from her eye. Lips wobbling, she slowly lowered the human to the ground. Why did you even expect something else Abb?

“Go, Sada, g-, just go.” Abigail couldn’t look, but she felt the warm, comforting feeling of the human in her hand slowly scamper off. Not waiting a second longer, she ran. There would be consequences, she knew there would be consequences. But she didn’t care, she just needed to get away and get alone for some time.

This is probably the fastest I've ever written a story, I just HAD to get this on paper I needed the good angst and my mind would not let me sleep unless I wrote it down.

Speaking of which, even though this story was a pretty long one, (and was supposed to be a one-shot) I honestly am already thinking of a possible sequel lmao. But I don't want to accidentally ruin this story's ending... soooo, let me know if I should continue it or leave it as is. Feedback appreciated!

[child0feden]

BRACES AND ALL

bård “ faust ” eithun x reader

♡ general dating headcanons for bård with a partner who has braces!

୨୧ funnily enough, i should be getting braces sometime in the future and i am absolutely terrified of tooth pain which is why i keep putting it off lolol! so i do not know all that much about actually having braces but i tried my best with this <3

♡ requested by anon | view my metal masterlists here and here

reading music recommendations: pulsewidth by aphex twin - black magick funeral by mare

୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧

୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧♡୨୧

♡ bård is so very protective of both you and your braces!

୨୧ whenever you get just a little insecure about being a bit of an older person with braces, he is seriously so quick to comfort you and assure you that there is nothing wrong with it, always telling you he actually thinks you look beautiful with them…

“ baby, seriously! you look fine with them, i think you look beautiful! who cares what anyone else thinks? ” ( his eyebrows furrow with concentration as he says it, really trying to make you believe the truth, make you know that you look beautiful and that braces will only make you even more beautiful )

♡ if anyone ever makes blatantly disrespectful or mocking jokes towards you, bård is quick to glare at them with a killer look in his eyes, standing up and towering over them which is usually enough for them to get nervous and walk away, leaving bård to sit back down and pull you over to him, making sure you are not upset whilst littering soft kisses all over your cheek, no matter who is watching

୨୧ bård might be a little shy but he will never shy away from comforting his partner and making sure you feel loved in a moment where he feels you need it most

♡ bård thinks braces look metal as hell and i mean, you literally have metal on your teeth so… who are you to fight him?

୨୧ and he would probably really like the feeling of the cool metal pressing up against his lips as he kisses you! it kind of does something for him…

♡ have your braces ever accidentally cut his lips whilst kissing? maybe once or twice… but he always laughs it off and just pulls you back against him, pressing his slightly bloodied lips back against yours as he mumbles into your mouth about how he is fine! he actually kind of likes the copper taste of blood mixing in a little bit and it only makes him want to kiss you more

୨୧ but seriously, he thinks they just look sweet! he always tells you they make you look like some movie character, a really unique and mysterious movie character, they add so much to your already beautiful face in his opinion

♡ and speaking of sweet things, i can see bård having a major sweet tooth but when he finds out that due to your braces, you cannot really eat or drink many sweet and sugary things?

୨୧ he definitely tries his absolute best to hold off on his love for sugar, at least around you! he just doesn’t think it would be nice to watch someone drink or eat something you so badly want to eat too but can’t! so for you, he stops himself from indulging a whole lot to which you always tell him he really does not need to but he insists…

♡ if bård ever discovered some super sugar free candy in a store, he is all over that for the both of you!

୨୧ the sight of both of you sharing a little bag of sugar free candies, cuddled up in his resting area at helvete becomes very common to customers and friends, bård will never stop saying that he thinks the sugar free candies are actually better than normal candies now that he has tried them because of you

♡ and smoothies! holy mother of smoothies!

୨୧ bård is always taking you to get smoothies, wether it be after you joined him at an emperor band practice or after a quick shift at helvete, he absolutely adores going to grab a smoothie with you… it is always his treat, even with his not so great pay check! he will never admit it but he loves when you just put two straws in your milkshake and offer him one, it makes him feel like he is in one of those corny romance films and as much as he hates those… it feels really nice to be in love, especially with you, braces and all…

♡ do not expect the same from øystein who is constantly teasing you whenever you are in helvete with bård, walking past you and waving a glass of coke around in front of you, laughing loudly as you flip him off and bård shakes his head at your friendly banter

୨୧ if you have a little bit of a lisp due to your braces, bård just thinks it is the cutest thing ever! he cannot get enough of it, when you first met he just thought it was a you thing, not a braces thing and when he finds out you will likely lose the lisp when you get your braces removed? he is honestly a little sad about it!

♡ he gets you to talk to him about anything and everything because of your lisp, for some reason it calms him! it just sounds so soft and sweet, you could be saying the most violent and vile stuff imaginable but it would sound like sugary sweetness to his ears due to the slight lisp

୨୧ bård is an incredibly thoughtful and genuinely caring boyfriend in general but when you have braces, something that kind of always needs a bit of extra care and thought? he is even better!

♡ what is that? you just had a snack in public and need some floss due to some pieces of food being stuck in your braces? no problem! bård has a small roll of floss on him at all times, just for you of course! you have no clue where he even keeps it, he just pulls it out of nowhere and hands it to you with a small and almost shy smile on his face

୨୧ and whenever you have to go back to the dentist to get your braces readjusted or tightened? he comes with you every single time! no matter how much you tell him you will be okay and he should really just go to his band practice instead, he wants to come with you, especially if he knows you get a little nervous when in the waiting room and during the process! he would rather be with you, holding your hand and drawing patterns on it as you squeeze it tightly

♡ bård hates when you get pain from the braces, like when they create sores or cuts on the inside of your gums! he knows there is not really much he can do so he just always tries his best to help you through the pain, supplying you with some warm salt water and stroking your hair as you cuddle into him, trying to do anything that will soothe your pain! days where your brace pain is really bad is days where he will outright refuse to leave you for anything, calling into helvete and telling øystein he will not be coming in, hanging up before he can even try to respond and getting right back into bed with you, pulling your body over to his chest as you cuddle into him and leaning his head down to plant a kiss on your messy bed hair

୨୧ not to mention, he would absolutely not mind massaging your gums for you! he might widen his eyes slightly when you first bring it up to him but he is really quick to correct himself and make sure you know he is completely fine with it! he has done a lot worse than massage the inside of his partners mouth… even if it does get drool all over his fingers, if it helps you through the pain? it is more than worth it… and as a plus he thinks you look kind of cute with drool all over your mouth and if you fall asleep whilst he does this? it makes him smile so hard before resting his head atop yours and continuing to softly massage your gums with his fingers

♡ if you get pain in public? well, just give him a minute and he will run over to the nearest store to grab you some cold water, some painkillers and a popsicle or some warmer things if they soothe you more! he will even remember to get your favourite flavour popsicle, not just any popsicle

୨୧ hell, sometimes he will not even go himself! he will just throw some money at one of his friends and ask them to go grab the things for him, not particularly wanting to leave your side as you suffer through the sharp pain, he would much prefer to stay and rub your back as you lean into him, mumbling down to you about how the pain will pass soon

“ doing so good, baby… ‘m sorry i can’t help more, i really am… love you so much, you’re so strong ” ( he really worries that he is not the best at comforting you, he thinks there is so much more he could be doing! please just cuddle into him and tell him that he is doing the best anyone ever has )

♡ when you finally get your braces removed, he is just so excited for you!

୨୧ seriously, he comes with you to the dentist and everything, holding your hand and being so overly smiley as the removal process happens, listening intently when the dentist explains what you will need to do now and what to avoid, kissing you softly on your slightly sensitive lips as soon as the two of you exist the dentist office

♡ your retainer? literally never worry about it, he always remembers it and passes it to you, making sure you remember to wear it as to not revert the process <3

[agirlattea]

Mahoyaku Proposal Day 2023 Voice Lines:

Central Wizards:

Oz: Wizards don't make promises. If we break a promise, we will lose our magic. Even if you meet someone you want to spend the rest of your life with... don't make careless choices.

Arthur: The words "I swear that I love you" can surely strengthen someone’s heart. …However, I still can't imagine the day when I will be able to say it.

Cain: Maybe someday I’ll meet someone I love from the bottom of my heart, make a promise to marry them, and spend the rest of my life by their side. I’m sure that’s a form that happiness can take. But I'm still very happy right now. Because you and my other dear friends are by my side.

Riquet: A promise of marriage is also proof of sincere belief that one’s current feelings will never waver... I wonder if the day will come when I can meet someone who I feel for in that way. For now, I am still unsure…

Northern Wizards:

Snow: Many wizards are lonely. Some love solitude and end their lives that way. However, there are people like us who know the value of companionship. I can't imagine letting go of the hand of someone I love. Each person is free to decide who to spend their life with. Now, whose hand will you take?

White: Many wizards are lonely. Some love solitude and end their lives that way. But there are some, like us, who know the joy of coexistence. The happiness of having someone you love by your side is irreplaceable. Each person is free to choose what they love. Now, what do you love?

Mithra: Could you keep this for a moment? I’m going to use it in a magic circle to kill Oz, so I’m putting it on your finger so you don't lose it… The ring finger on your left hand? The finger it’s on doesn’t matter.

Owen: iIf you swear not to move or utter a word without my permission, if you swear you'll listen to me for the rest of your life, I might consider keeping you around for a little while. Perhaps I’ll even let you meow.

Bradley: Northern wizards tend to obsess over their prey. Even if their logic tells them they shouldn't, their instincts say otherwise. Once they’ve fallen in love... they won’t ever let go until they die.

Eastern Wizards:

Faust: Wizards can live alone. For us to find someone who wants to be with us… is surely something close to a miracle.

Nero: Getting married. Peacefully, calmly, without change. I could just be with someone I care about… What am I talking about? After all, something like that seems difficult for me to do.

Heathcliff: If I were to find someone so important to me that I’d want to marry them, I’d like to convey my thoughts to them on my own. “Years and decades from now, I vow to continue to love you and stay by your side…” I still don't have the confidence to look into someone’s eyes and say something like that.

Shino: I have no intention of making more troublesome promises for now. Even without any promises, I'll still risk my life to protect the person I want to cherish for the rest of my life. Is that not enough?

Western Wizards:

Shylock: I wonder if there will come a day when you will pledge your undying love to someone… or something. What kind of voice you have, what kind of face you’ll make, and what kind of vow you’ll swear… I must admit, I’m a little interested.

Murr: Is it true that when you make a confession in your world, you say, "The moon is beautiful tonight, isn’t it”? That’s the same thing I say to the moon! I might be able to get along with whoever came up with that phrase!

Rustica: A proposal is a precious, once in a lifetime promise. That's why I feel I want to cherish it. Unfortunately, I have forgotten the words I proposed with to my bride, but it is fun to think about what the old me would have said.

Chloe: “Please marry me...!” *Sigh* I was so nervous that my voice trembled… I wonder if it's still too early for me to practice proposing... But someday, when I meet someone important to me, I want to be able to properly tell them how I feel.

Southern Wizards:

Figaro: I wonder what kind of words you’ll use when you pledge your eternal love to someone. You can practice with me so that you don't panic when the time comes.

Lennox: A word of a promise, huh... I can't seem to think of any clever or romantic words. It might be better to study a little by reading poems and novels like the ones Rutile likes.

Rutile: I still can't imagine the day when I’ll promise to marry someone... but I want you to stay by my side forever. As our Sage and our dear friend.

Mitile: It's probably very difficult for a wizard and a human to get married. I wish I could ask Mother how she felt when she married Father…

Back to Voice Lines

[venombloom]

Daisy, who are you closest with? (In game or backstory, whichever! )

"Ah, that's a hard question. In the Crows obviously it was Viago and Abrielle, though just a tad more with Tia than Vi when it comes to certain, more personal regards." That's not to give the impression that she's not close with her dearest mentor. But with Viago, it's a different set of topics outside of Crow business she broaches compared to Tia Abrielle. Once in a blue moon she's sought his ear and advice for deeper issues. Yet like with most people, she tries not to break face around him nor burden him with her irrelevant problems. "I've spent a good bit of time with Teia too. Gossiping, shopping, showing off knives. She's what I imagine having an older sister is like."

"Otherwise, I've known Varric and Harding a bit longer than the rest of the Crew. Varric and I exchanged a number of stories. He never finished telling me about the one with Isabella and the Arishok though." There's a soft laugh when she thinks about the various dramatic retellings Varric told her during their travels together. "As far as the others, I like to think I hang out with them all just about as equally as I can. I take every invitation given and even try to include the others in some of the stuff I do.

Walks with Davrin in Arlathan or with Emmrich in the Memorial Gardens. Practicing magic with Harding and working out with Taash. Collecting evidence and fending off Venatori with Neve. A treat at Cafe Pietra with Lucanis after causing grief for the Antaam. Hunting artifacts with Bellara and Faust.

And much more.

"Truly they've all become my closest friends. And the memories I've made with them will always be dear to me, and I'm grateful for them. But I also try not to intrude or insert myself where I may not be..." Wanted. "Invited. I don't want anyone to feel obligated to hangout with me."

[vegaspng]

Raina/The Cast’s Dynamics (OC)

Thought this would be fun so I joined ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ || Raina’s established spouse is Julian ! || Warning, yapfest ahead 😓

Julian: In her words, he is her ‘beloved, beautiful, and very eccentric drama king’. In all seriousness, He’s been a light in her life — one of her first friends since she moved to Vesuvia, always taking her to the most lively places and ranting about common interests together. Their first meeting before the plague arose was at a local tavern during a celebration, and they clicked instantly over their love of medical practice and not-so-fun facts for the surrounding patrons. Ever since they found each other again, they’ve been an inseparable pair. They became regular actors in the local theatre after saving the world, because why not? And Julian now enjoys — although reluctantly at first— learning and dabbling in spells that Raina shows him, finally embracing magic.

Asra: When she initially woke up, the sight of their face provided an odd, fuzzy and euphoric feeling, and they’ve been a safe space ever since. There’s a lingering scent of cardamom and violets on him that is mysteriously comforting, and seeing Asra and Faust can make a bad day worlds better. Recovering and relearning after death would have never been possible without them, and Raina is grateful to them eternally for it. They would never return from a trip without at least one shiny item for her insatiable curiosity. A fond memory they both share is when she began to relearn magic, it came to her naturally. (There were a couple explosions but who cares about that?)

Nadia: A gorgeous, kind, intelligent woman in power who happens to be good friends with her teacher? Sign her up. They often arrange luncheons and casual tea parties on free days to catch up, chatting happily until the late hours of the day into the evenings. During the interrogation session (post-plague and murder), things were slightly awkward. It was clear as day that the “detective” and the “suspect” cared deeply for one another, and in her eyes — it was the comedic relief they all needed at the time. Nadia often jokes about it during masquerades lightheartedly, bringing up how fervently Julian can dodge subjects. In her eyes, she is a loyal, dedicated, and generous countess, but an even better friend.

Muriel: They’ve always had a quiet understanding since Raina was resurrected: ‘We may not talk much, but It’s okay to consider us friends.’ Oftentimes she’d come over with Asra, bringing simpler gifts as not to overwhelm him, but sometimes— Raina visited on her own to feed the chickens, play with Inanna, or simply drop by to say hello. They silently trust each other and are willing to help the other in times of urgent need. Sometimes Muriel will have a gift in return, like a freshly made snack, or a wood sculpture, but he’s always a little embarrassed to give it to her directly.

Portia: As the little sibling to her spouse, they’re universally obligated to be best friends. They poke fun at Julian but simultaneously care for him the most. They work together to make the best pastries and dishes weekly, and love to experiment in the kitchen. Julian is happily the tester for the ideas his wife and baby sister come up with (this is how they get him to eat normally, it works deviously well!). They go shopping and have picnics frequently with Nadia, enjoying one another’s company. Portia appreciates not just being seen as ‘Julian’s sister’ or ‘Head servant’ and loves being able to be herself. Has always been thankful that Raina decided to help her brother clear his name instead of condemning an innocent man, who was also her only remaining family.

Lucio: If it weren’t for all the atrocities he’s committed, his sassy attitude, the way he mistreated her friends and the citizens of Vesuvia, and bringing a LITERAL PLAGUE among other misfortune into her life, maybe, just maybe they could’ve been friends. After finding out the depth of his character, it took everything in her not to beat the absolute dog crap out of him in the magical realms. Raina is a firm believer in Lucio slander, and sees him as a failure of a Count, and a weak man. Makes fun of his receding hairline too.

[merbear25]

When a heart belongs to another

a/n: I just love Faust and wanted to write a short drabble. 💜

CW: SFW, gn!reader, platonic but reader pines over him

Meeting Faust for the first time sent a chill down your spine. The notable scent of death dissipated through the trees and over the headstones. Odors of decay were overlooked once faced with their source: one with cold eyes and a ghost of a smile. The chilling expression was promptly broken by forced friendliness. In spite of his allure, it was quickly unearthed that he was a dark beauty betrothed to another.

Reflecting on how your first impression of him could barely mirror who you'd come to know—someone you'd now consider a close friend, although your admiration for him was teetering on the line of platonic and romantic feelings. Knowing you could never reveal your qualms, suppressing them was what felt like the only option to keep his friendship. This wore on your physical state and a dull pain pressed against your chest, making you wince.

The hurt in your eyes caught his attention, proposing you rest after you'd attempted to convince him nothing was wrong. Pointing out that you'd been having a few episodes of random surges of pain, he wanted to have a better look at you; your insistance on nothing being out of the ordinary only made his concerns grow.

A flushed expression, shaky legs, quickened breaths: making a mental note of your symptoms, suspicions of what could be causing your supposed illness crept in. Unsure of how to approach his hunch, he took a step back to gain a better perspective on what was happening and why it was unfolding. Dread was starting to seep in; he valued your friendship, but how was he supposed to maneuver around it when you were love sick?

Despite you being flooded with emotions, you were observant enough to notice Faust withdrawing a bit. It'd become painfully obvious that your true feelings for him had been unveiled. The fear of losing the companionship you'd built with him was rearing its head, but this pushed you to approach him.

Taking a deep breath, you marched up to him. However, the confidence you had was fading when caught in his gaze. Shoving your doubts aside, you told him, "I just want to let you know how much our friendship means to me. You've become one of my dearest friends and your happiness is of the upmost importance." Practically having to choke back the sorrow filling up in the back of your throat, you still managed a soft smile at the end.

Thankful for your selflessness and courage it took to make the first step, he was glad that you decided against confessing your feelings. In spite of how much he cared about you, as well as the others, his heart belonged to Eliza. Hearing you say that his happiness is what mattered most to you held much more weight than you probably realized. He was glad to have someone like you as a friend, and you felt the same, despite the lingering fragments of love scattered about.