#i was busy finishing golden fool

[fitzloves]

me when im a kitchen wench in buckkeep during king dutiful's reign and the stable boy refers to himself as a servant of lord golden

[snaileer]

Wrong Number? Wrong Answer.

It was the usual deal that the Justice League Dark dealt with… way too often honestly.

Initially, it had been just Wonder Woman, investigating a cult that had attempted to abduct her earlier in the month.

Diana had defeated them. Easily. Of course. But upon questioning them, their reasoning had concerned her.

They had attacked her for a ritual to open the ‘Sarcophagus of Eternal Sleep’, a ritual which required ‘a blade blackened by the ichor of time.’

Once again, she was being targeted for her parentage. Did it ever end?

Of course, she questioned them further, what other ingredients did they need, what artifacts they would be hurting others to create.

A ring carved from the bone of an unfreed slave.

A crown made of lava untouched by human hands.

And sand directly from the pouch of Dream of the Endless themself.

It was an eclectic collection of items.

And yet, they had told her that only the blade remained to be created.

Again, it was concerning.

So Diana left the fools to be taken care of by men’s authorities, and focused on tracking down just what they were doing and if necessary, how to stop it.

After depleting her academic resources, and her connections within with nothing to show, Diana finally called in her friend through the league, Zatanna.

Zatanna had been frazzled by it, showing up in her living room before they’d even finished the call.

Together they tracked down the cult to Gotham… which was also a problem.

It was the reason why Diana was running through the caves beneath the crime ridden city with one of her closest friends in men’s world and a magician by her side.

All too quickly, they were surrounded by fanatics, each carrying sharp blades solely focused on her.

Working in sync with Batman and Zatanna throwing spells above them, Diana believed it would be a well-won battle.

Until a golden light flashed across the cave, blinding her for a precious second as she felt a sharp sting cut across her arm.

When her vision cleared, her arm was dripping blood and John Constantine stood in front of her.

“Sorry about that, love,” Constantine smirks, “No harm done?”

Diana’s teeth grind together as she turns away from him, fighting her way through more followers. The one who had injured her is nowhere to be seen, and the blade with them.

Even once the rest of the swarm is beaten, their numbers no longer being replenished, Diana does not feel content. The sense of danger lingers.

“Constantine.” Batman growls, “What are you doing in Gotham?”

The Brit rolls his eyes as he lights a new cigarette, “You know I don’t actually have to tell you every time I enter the city right? But besides, that’s news to me, portals are a tricky business, I’m tracking my own problem.”

Batman glares at him.

“Someone stole from me mate. And whatever they stole it for can’t be good, so I’m here ta get it back. Thought you’d be proud of something like that, Batsy, insteada leavin’ it for someone else?”

Batman’s eyes darken, “We’re tracking a group trying to open the Sarcophagus of Eternal Sleep, is your artifact related to that?”

“Fucking shit it is yeah! Bollocks I didn’t think they’d be using the dream sand for something like that, what sort of mannies are these?!” Constantine exclaims, hastily grinding his cigarette beneath his shoe.

“Hn.”

Suddenly, there’s a rattling boom, the ground and walls shaking around them as dust rains down and they are all forced into stabilizing stances.

They barely share a glance before all three are running down the hall to the source, Constantine left scrambling to keep up.

The scene they come to is equal parts confusing as it is problematic.

The cultists are each in states of disrepair, crusting on the edges or yelling at their leader. The leader is the first to notice their arrival.

“You! You say you are a child of Zeus and yet your blood does not work! You lie of your ancestry!”

Diana steps forward, “I do not! I am the daughter of Queen Hippolyta and Zeus, grandchild of Kronos! The fault of your magic does not lie with me!”

The leaders face twists, mouth open to shout, but a flash of gold slams into him.

“Z, the book!” Constantine yells, arms outstretched as he flings more spells at the surrounding people, glowing ropes binding each.

“On it! Etativel em dna eht koob!” Zatanna shouts, lifting into the air as a book the leader had been holding flies into her hands.

Immediately she begins turning pages with desperation, “Wohs em eht stsitluc lleps!”

The book flips to a distinct page, and Zatanna’s face drains of color.

“Batman, we need to be careful, this spell looks legitimate, we might still have a risk on our hands.”

Batman hummed, looking at the chalk lines of the summoning circle drawn out before them, drawing Diana to do the same. Looking closely at the artifacts placed at each cardinal direction, including a short dagger with her blood nearly completely dry on the flat of the blade.

Batman moves towards the gathered and bound cultists as both magicians whisper over the spell.

Diana continues to look out on the evidence of the ritual, confusion warring in her.

She lays a hand on the lasso at her side. She knew she had not been lying about her heritage, so then why….

‘A blade blackened by the ichor of time.’

She looks at the bloodied dagger once more. It didn’t make sense, even if they had managed to harm a godly descendent, pure ichor would be gold; and even her blood was simply a humanly deep crimson red, not black; not until it-

Diana lunges towards the knife, fingertips brushing its hilt just as her blood dries a flaky black.

Her body slams into the cave walls in the next second, percussive force rippling through the air.

She crumples to the ground, struggling to lift her head.

White boots pass in front of her eyes.

She watches as they move towards her colleague, her friend, only to be surprised as they stop in front of the cultists instead.

As the air returns to her body, Diana lifts herself up, shaking arms supporting her as the weight of the atmosphere presses down.

She looks at the being, the sight almost making her collapse once more.

Mist curls around its form like a mountain peak, iridescent light glowing near its head, pitch black night covering its body, the pinprick of stars so small you can’t see them straight on, claws like a falcon’s beak: unhidden and meant to tear apart. And more importantly, wrapped around the leaders neck.

““̵̨̮̣̀͊̓Y̷͖̊̒o̸̤͈͍͌̈́͘u̶̗̭̲̍ ̵̬̤̞̀̑ā̴̟r̸̹̝̉e̴̞̦̮͑̍ ̴̣̩̖͑̓͛a̷̮̞͍͊͆͝ ̶͍̀̈́́f̷̖̄ò̸͈̓͝ǫ̷̅̀̔l̶̹̥̹̋͌͠.̴̤̲̈́͋̀”̶̛̫̺̈́”

The voice rattles her heart within her chest. She watches as Batman continues to try and stand.

The cultist struggles against the hand, mumbling screams behind Constantine’s bind. The creature tears it off with one claw.

“We summ-moned-… the king! Pa-pariah-!“

The creatures hand barely twitches, but the cultist breaks off in a scream. She is surprised to note the other cultists react exactly alike. As if linked.

“̵̻͝Ý̷͚o̶͈͝u̷̦̐ ̶̆͜d̶͈̄ǐ̸̢d��̲̓ ̴͖̽n̴̘̅ȯ̸͍t̵̛̯ ̴̫̐ŝ̵̗u̴̹̇m̶̨͠m̴̡̽o̴̱̐n̵̘͝ ̴̪̈h̴̨̀i̶͝ͅm̸̰͗.̴͍͆”̸͔̔ The creature growls, “À̴̳n̸̛̜d̶͒ͅ ̴̤̃y̸̬͝ǫ̸̒u̵̫͗ ̶̘͛a̴̫̐r̷̠̈e̶͂ͅ ̶͔̋ḽ̶̔ủ̷͜c̷̥̍k̴̲͊ÿ̸̯́ ̶͓́f̷͇͝o̷͎͒ŕ̴͇ ̶͔͝t̶̞̀h̸̲̉ȧ̸̮t̷̩͝.̷͔̍ ̵͙͐I̸͎͌f̶͖͛ ̶̜̇y̵̜͗o̴̩̍ṵ̶͆ ̵̫̈́h̴͛ͅā̴̼d̸̤͆…̵͍̈́i̵͍̐t̸̡̉ ̴̭͂w̷̥̔o̷̟̅u̴̪͂l̸̞̏d̵͚̀ ̵͓̃b̴̢̽e̵̗͠ ̸͕̉m̸̠͆u̶̖͘c̷̯͘h̴̤̎ ̸̥́w̷͚͝o̸͐ͅr̶̦͐s̵̨̿e̸͕͆ ̸̙̑f̴̧̂o̶̱̓ȓ̷̟ ̴̠͗ÿ̸̥́ö̵͜ŭ̶̟.̵͎̉”̶͍̀

The man whimpers under the claws.

"I̴n̷s̵t̴e̷a̵d̸,̶ ̵y̸o̷u̵ ̴g̵o̷t̶ ̷m̸e̸,̴I̴ ̶g̵u̸a̷r̶d̴ ̶h̶i̷s̵ ̶p̸r̸i̵s̵o̵n̶ ̶b̶e̷c̴a̷u̴s̶e̸ ̵I w̴a̸s̴ ̵t̴h̸e̷ ̸o̴n̸e̴ ̷t̸o̶ ̶p̵u̴t̵ ̴h̸i̴m̶ ̵t̴h̷e̸r̶e̴ ̵o̶n̵c̸e̵ ̶m̶o̸r̸e̸.̵”̴ The creature leans into the cultist, arching ever higher, angles sharpening, body distorting, "“̸̝͋a̵̱͋n̶͓͛d̵̘́ ̵̡̍f̷̱͊o̵͚̓r̷̪̎ ̴̭̑a̷̬̓s̷͙̅ ̷͍͌ĺ̵̫o̸̻͆ņ̵̀g̶̚ͅ ̷̬͌a̶̮̿s̵̩͊ ̸̫̌t̸̲̕h̸̢̉e̷̖͗ ̴̰̋c̸̹̀ȍ̸͎s̷̡̃m̵̥̍o̷̜͋s̷̗͐ ̴̜͆e̷̛̙x̸͓̑i̶͉̿s̸̹̀t̵̛̺,̴̡͠Í̷̢ ̷̣̽w̵̠͋i̶̺͒l̴̠͐l̸̮̃ ̴͍͌k̴̰̑e̸̠͐e̷̟͋p̵̲̏ ̸̙̂h̷̘͋ị̸́m̸͕̚ ̶̳̋t̶̡̒h̷̩͆e̷̪͝r̷̒͜e̵̡̔.̵̭͗”̵̮̔

There’s a dull flash as light flashes beneath the cultists skin, beneath all of the cultist’s skin, before they drop to the ground unconscious.

All too quickly, air returns to the room, pressure lifting like a deep breath into the room.

The creature turns, eyes meeting Diana’s for just a second as he turns towards the chalked lines of the circle. Diana lifts herself to her feet, drawing closer to Batman as they both watch him, hesitant.

On the other side of the room, Constantine and Zatanna also struggle to their feet, eyes filled with fear and caution as they take in the scene.

As the creature moves, mist still rolling off him in waves, his features fall away with it, gradually smoothing to a more human visage. It looks… young. Boyish.

Those same white boots crush down on the formed crown, the cooled lava rock crumbling under one step. Next is the ring, held carefully in two hands the creature whispers over it, breathy wind carrying it away as it turns to dust. He holds the blade with one hand, flakes disintegrating off as he lifts it.

Diana’s arm tingles.

Then the creature is standing in front of the last point, holding the small brown pouch of sand with consideration.

Silence reigns in the room.

Constantine, of course, is the one to break it.

“I believe that’s mine, mate,” he cuts in, stance still laden with suspicion.

“Oh?” The creature smiles, almost mockingly as he turns to Constantine, “Is it? If I wasn’t mistaken, this ritual calls for Dream’s sand. Are you Dream of the Endless, little magician?”

Constantine visibly swallows, “I’m not.”

The creature huffs a laugh, fangs glinting in his smirk. He moves swiftly, pivoting on one foot to toss the pouch at Constantine, “Catch.”

Constantine lurches forward to try and catch it, only to find it vanish in the air before it reaches his fingers.

The creature cackles, floating backwards, “What did you do to get your hands on such an amount of Dream’s sand, magician? I’m curious.”

“It was a family present,” Constantine grinds out as he turns back to the gently levitating humanoid form, “You can drop the kid facade by the way, you’re not tricking anyone here looking like that.”

The creature shrugs, “And if I’m comfortable like this?”

Diana steps in to stop Constantine from snapping back, “Who are you, spirit, to be summoned by such a ritual?”

The creature watches her for a beat, “I am Phantom of the Dead City, Protector of infinite realms. They did not bring me here, but I knew who they wished to summon and came because of it.”

Batman steps forward, voice interrogating, “The Sarcophagus of Eternal Sleep-“

“Remains sealed. The Tyrant King remains trapped and at rest, do not worry.”

Somehow Diana does not think that soothes Batman, even as a great a warrior as he is.

“Hn.”

“Now, about that spell book,” Phantom turns to Zatanna, waving a hand and the book flies to him. He hovers a hand over it, and Diana watches in fascination as the chalk on the floor begins to burn away, the drawing in the book following.

Phantom looks at her once more, eyes too wise and strong for the age of his face, and then from one moment to the next, he is gone.

The book drops to the floor with a slam, cover open to aged blank pages as the last of the sigil burns away.

Hesitantly, Constantine goes to it, the rest of them following. When Constantine lifts the book with careful hands, they watch another image fade into view on the paper.

A cool colored image of Phantom rising over a city skyline outlined in green against a deep violet sky. Even on paper, his visage shifts constantly between the boyish figure and the ethereal danger of the form he’d appeared in.

Beneath the city lays a large coffin covered in chains.

The lock glows a pulsing toxic green before fading to a steely gunmetal grey and going still.

“Well that was the best encounter I’ve had with a dangerous dimensional figure and I still lost the dream sand.”

Zatanna’s slap echoes in the cave.

[harmonicakai]

Mr. Know It All

Pairing: Taehyun x Reader

Summary: When you finally find yourself sleeping over at Taehyun’s dorm, you start to wonder if you and him could ever be something more serious.

Tropes: friends with benefits, mutual pining, angst, fluff, college AU, tutor!taehyun

Word Count: 1.2k

Warnings: mentions of sex (mdni), LOTS of overthinking

A/N: This is unedited and I wrote it all in one go lol <3

"And the songbirds are singing Like they know the score And I love you, I love you, I love you Like never before" —Songbird, Fleetwood Mac

Taehyun doesn’t know how to tell you that things aren't and never have been casual between the two of you.

It started one rainy afternoon after a study session in the library. The two of you had run through the deluge into the safety of his dorm room, and when he peeled off his wet clothes to change, you didn’t look away.

So, one semester later, right after you’ve finished moaning his name, he struggles to find the words to ask you to stay the night.

He hates watching you gather up your things and leave, refusing to be held by him for even a moment after both of you have finished what you came here for.

“Y/N,” he manages to get out, his voice barely above a whisper. You turn away from the door, your hair still messy, eyeliner smudged. “It’s raining.”

It’s code for “I love you. Please don��t leave.”

“Right,” you say, glancing out the window. Lightning flashes throughout the small dorm, with the crash of thunder following shortly after. Only a fool would leave in this weather. “I don’t have an umbrella.”

“You can stay,” Taehyun says, patting the bed beside him. You nod, crossing over and settling under the warm blanket. Despite how often you’re here in this position, it’s never under these circumstances.

“It seems like the rain is always bringing us together,” you laugh. You’re careful not to say anything loud enough for his roommate to hear through the walls, although in retrospect, you’ve never considered your volume when in bed with Taehyun before.

It’s awkward. Before any of this started, he was just the guy who helped you out with your math problem sets. Add in the perfect distraction from actually sitting down and having a conversation with each other, and you barely knew anything about him.

“I can sleep on the floor,” he offers, already sliding off of the twin sized mattress with a pillow in his arms. “I don’t want to bother you.”

You note how between sleeping next to you and on the floor, he’s decided that the latter is more bearable. 

Usually, the two of you are in perfect sync. He knows how to please you better than any other guy you’ve been with, making sure to do things the exact way that you like. Sometimes, you worry that he doesn’t think the same of you.

Are there other girls? You don’t see him as often as you’d like to, but maybe he’s just busy with other things. Kang Taehyun, the chronic overachiever and golden boy of SNU. What would he even want with a girl like you?

Surely, he spends all of his free time studying and going to band practice, you tell yourself.

At this point, your racing thoughts are never going to let you fall asleep.

“Taehyun,” you say, hoping you aren’t waking him up. You haven’t taken your eyes off the ceiling since he moved to the floor, half out of guilt that he’s even down there, and half worried you’ll catch yourself staring at him while he sleeps.

“Yeah?” he answers, his voice low. You wonder what it sounds like when he sings with his band. Maybe, if he asks you to, you’ll go to one of his concerts soon.

You hesitate, wondering whether or not he’ll say yes. “Can you come back up here?”

When you hear him gather his things and stand up, you finally let out the breath that you've been holding. Within seconds, he’s climbing in next to you, his body warm and strong.

“Are you cold?” he asks, pulling the covers up over your collarbone. “Sorry. I think the heater is broken and I haven’t had time to call maintenance.”

“Yeah, it’s a little chilly,” you confirm, although the temperature is fine. In fact, it might even be a little too hot.

“I can, uh,” Taehyun starts. You’ve never heard him stutter before. “I can hold you, if you want. That might help.”

“That would be nice,” you say, mentally cringing at how formal the exchange is. He positions himself behind you, snaking his arm around your waist and pressing his chest against your back.

“Is this better?” he asks, his voice still shaky. You worry that this level of intimacy is making him uncomfortable, but he nestles his head over your shoulder in a way that makes you finally stop overthinking. Maybe, just maybe, he feels the same way you do.

“Yes,” is all you manage to squeak out. He lets out a quiet laugh in relief before pressing a kiss into your shoulder blade. The small gesture sends a shockwave through your body.

“You’re cute,” he says, snuggling into you further. Is this really what things would be like if you didn’t run away after every hook up? It seems like second nature to him, making you question whether it actually means anything.

Still, he doesn’t bother to touch you now like he’s always dying to after you show up to class in a short skirt or send him a risky text when you know he’s running office hours. 

“I can hear you thinking,” he mutters, startling you. You break away from his grasp to turn and face him, his piercing eyes already fixed on you. “Is something wrong, Y/N?”

“No,” you attempt to lie, although your face says otherwise. Taehyun feels you stiffen in his arms, your gaze locked on his.

“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” he concedes, his voice icy and monotone. “But I know something is wrong.”

How could he know that? What could Taehyun possibly know about you besides what you look like with your clothes off?

When he first got assigned to tutor you, he had scolded you for being late, and again for being unorganized. If you don’t open up to him now, he might actually revert to the same cold demeanor as before. 

Even worse, he might stop meeting up with you. With the school year ending next month, you’ll have no excuse to see each other anymore. The thought of being alone again brings you to tears.

Taehyun’s expression softens at the sight of you breaking down. “I’m sorry,” you cry, burying your face into his chest. His hand reaches up to stroke your hair, the other gently rubbing your back. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me tonight.”

“I do,” he sighs. You pull back just enough to look up at him through teary eyes. “I pushed things between us too far. I should’ve known that you wanted to keep things casual. I’m sorry, Y/N.”

You stare at him, awestruck at how wrong he is. You want nothing more than to know anything and everything about him.

Still, when you search for the right words to explain this, your brain draws a blank. The only thing you can do is cup his face and kiss him, your nerves finally settling when he melts into you.

You’ve kissed him hundreds of times by now, but this one feels like the first time.

It feels like forever before he pulls away from you, a wide grin on his face. “Please, please, please let me take you out to dinner.”

“Okay,” you smile back, unable to contain your giddiness. “I’d like that very much.”

“Tomorrow night?” he proposes. His eagerness makes you giggle. He might be the busiest person on campus, but he’ll clear his entire schedule if it means he gets to spend time with you.

“Sure,” you agree. “It’s a date. If we ever manage to get out of bed, that is.”

Taehyun laughs a little before pulling you into another kiss. By now, the rain has stopped, but you aren’t going anywhere.

—————-

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[jayflrt]

𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝟕𝟖𝟔 35. change my world

"I CAN'T STAY FOR LONG," were the first words out of Jay's mouth as soon as you opened the door for him. "I've gotta finish a project when I get back home. She changed the deadline to—hey, what's wrong?"

You looked crestfallen for a moment, but as soon as Jay pointed it out, you perked right back up again. He took a second to study your expression before stepping into your foyer. Your penthouse was always a little intimidating; growing up, Jay couldn't even imagine stepping foot in a place so lavish.

"Nothing. Just trying to make myself busy for next weekend so I don't have to visit my dad," you replied with an unamused laugh. "You free?"

"I don't think either of us will be; Jennie sent us all a text a few hours ago." He held up his phone to show you the messages. "She wants us to be free the entire weekend."

"Friday and the weekend?" you read off the screen before frowning. "Is that when we get hazed?"

Jay shrugged before he cracked a smile. "Guess you don't have to visit your dad, at least." This was perhaps the perfect opportunity for him to get more information on your family—a golden opportunity considering you brought up your father on your own. Before you could change the topic, he pressed on, "But why don't you wanna see him?"

"It's a long story." You sighed, but it didn't seem like you were unwilling to divulge. Your eyes were gleaming a little, and Jay wanted to believe that you were hoping he'd stay. "How about I tell you over ramen?"

He pulled off his jacket before reaching your dining table. There was only one bowl of ramen set out, so Jay paused before he proceeded to sit down. To his surprise, you sat a chair away, looking up at him expectantly.

"Where's yours?" He didn't mean for there to be an edge of suspicion to his voice, but Jay couldn't understand why you wouldn't make a bowl for yourself.

You propped your elbow on the table to rest your chin in your palm. "I just wanted you to try it. How does it taste?"

"You should eat, too."

"Later—just try it!"

Since you seemed so eager, Jay picked up the noodles with his chopsticks and ate a mouthful, humming with delight when the flavor hit his tongue. He looked over to see you beaming at him with anticipation, and he nearly felt his chest stutter from how flustered he felt as you stared at him.

"Good"—he coughed after swallowing down his food too quickly—"it's really good."

You swelled with pride, and before you could open your mouth to respond, Jay cut you off by holding up another mouthful of noodles to your mouth. His other hand was cupped below where the noodles were dangling from the chopsticks.

Like that, you and Jay started talking about school and the Order while you shared the bowl of ramen. Not about whatever was going on with you and your father. There wasn't much to catch up considering he had seen you several times over the past week, but conversation somehow felt so easy with you.

Jay had never been a people person; his social battery was low and he had no interest in expanding his circle. Ever since he moved to Connecticut, his world seemed to grow a little bigger.

And it seemed as though he had a space carved out for you in his heart, but Jay was sure he would be a fool if he tried to fill that void.

The conversation eventually moved to the couch after you and Jay had finished eating and nearly tackled each other to wash the bowl and chopsticks in the sink. Jay was feeling overly-conscious of your knee touching his and the faint scent of your perfume lingering in the space between you two.

It was when you were showing Jay a picture of your dog, Butters, when you brought up your father again.

(Jay had been secretly hopeful that you wouldn't mention him. The more you told him about your life, the more it tore him up inside as he realized he either had to betray you or his client.)

"Butters always gets so happy whenever I'm home," you said with a pout, staring at the picture of your Pomeranian facing the wind. "He must really miss my mom, too." You looked up at Jay again, grinning sheepishly when you saw the confused look on his face. "It was this whole thing from when I was a kid. My parents are separated, but they're not divorced... it's weird. Their relationship was rocky for a long time, but back in freshman year, my mom decided to just leave as soon as I left for Yale. I guess me moving out for college was what she was waiting for."

Jay's heart clenched painfully and he murmured, "I'm sorry. Is that why you didn't wanna see your dad?"

"Pretty much." With a heavy sigh, you leaned your head against Jay's shoulder. He stiffened up for a moment before relaxing—even scooting a little bit closer. "I just keep waiting for them to get together and make up again so that we can go back to being a family. It's, like"—you sniffled—"so annoying."

Another sniffle. You wiped at your eyes furiously, as if you were mad that they even dared to water. Jay kept his gaze down, unsure if you were comfortable with him watching you cry. He wished he wasn't so useless in these situations. You froze up for a moment when Jay brought his hand close to your face, but you closed your eyes and let him wipe a stray tear away.

"You can't tell anyone, okay? No one else knows about this, like, no one," you continued. "Especially not Sunoo."

"Of course I won't," Jay replied, eyebrows knitting together in confusion, "but Sunoo?"

"My mom and his dad used to date, apparently," you said, picking at your nails now. "That's why my dad thinks she wants to leave him."

"Sunoo's dad? But—"

"I really shouldn't get into it any further," you interjected quickly, "because that's Sunoo's business, too."

Sunoo never shared much about his family, so this was all news to Jay. Yet, he was sure he would have found out earlier if your mother was currently with Sunoo's father. Sunoo would've mentioned it, wouldn't he? What was your mother's motive then? Why would she walk out if her intent wasn't to leave her husband for an old flame?

Furthermore, Jay hardly realized that he kept gravitating closer and closer to you, but by the time your head was against his chest and his arm was around your shoulders, he realized he couldn't back away without offending you. He just hoped you weren't able to hear his heartbeat thundering in his chest.

"Is that why you two fell out?" he asked gently.

"Kind of." You angled your neck so that you could look up at Jay. "What about your family? You're always so mysterious."

"Mysterious? You've been to my apartment before."

"Not that—I just wanna know if you have secrets, too."

Jay swallowed thickly. "Everyone has secrets."

"But I wanna know more about you—your story, where you came from," you pressed, shifting your position so that you were facing him. Jay found it hard to breathe when you were so close. "I feel like you hide so much under the surface."

You have no idea, he thought, rueful.

Jay couldn't think of anything in particular that he could tell you, though. The only secrets he had were ones that he had to keep from you no matter what, especially when it came down to his work as a private investigator.

There was one thing, he supposed, that changed him forever. It wouldn't have done him any good to tell you about it—not when the very thought made his throat close up and his eyes water. He didn't even want to see the look on your face when you found out what he had done, what his client had on him.

"You're, like, insanely smart, too," you breathed out. "How is it you know everything? You even impressed everyone in the Order."

"I wouldn't say everything."

You shot him a pointed look. "Dr. Corvera literally offered you a research internship after lecture."

"Whoa." A faint smirk crept to his lips. "Are you stalking me or what?"

"I just happened to eavesdrop." Jay was far too delighted with the way you shied away from him. "But, seriously, why don't you give yourself enough credit? You're like... Master Oogway."

"The turtle? From Kung Fu Panda?" Jay deadpanned.

"Well, he's a tortoise."

"See? I didn't know that."

You scoffed lightly, voice dropping low as you rattled on, "And you're really good at Calculus, too... and you have a perfect GPA. Are you sure you're not—"

"I'm two years older, remember?" Jay cut you off before he could hear any of your theories, hoping that none of them implied that he was any more of an outsider than he felt. "I know how to code and I know around twenty programming languages, so the math sort of comes with that."

His answer only seemed to inspire more amazement in your eyes, and Jay suddenly felt hot even without his jacket.

"My only useful strength is talking to people," you said with a crooked grin, "which is why I'm pretty good at interviews and making people like me."

"I can tell. You're always the center of everything."

"Rude."

"That's not a bad thing," Jay said, shooting you a sideways glance. "People naturally gravitate toward you. You're just..." The whole package was what Jay wanted to say, but he was afraid that would get deeply misinterpreted, so he settled for saying, "You're just perfect."

Perhaps that wording was at greater risk for being deeply misinterpreted.

Your lips were parted for a moment—whether it was from shock or repulsion, Jay didn't want to know—and your eyes had a new gleam to them that he hadn't seen before. He wondered if his comment made you blush because you kept your head ducked down.

(And he wanted to kiss you. He really wanted to kiss you. This wasn't something Jay wanted to make obvious, but he found his gaze lingering on your lips for far too long before he managed to look away.)

He suddenly felt his mouth go dry while his heart did stupid backflips that you were sure to hear. How was he supposed to get himself out of this one? No, no, that wasn't what he meant—oh, but that was exactly what he meant.

"I'm not perfect at all," you said with a laugh. "Is that how you see me?" You shook your head. "I wish I was good at things like you are. I'm not as ambitious as you are either, which is a total waste. I always feel like someone else should've been born in my place."

That certainly would've made this mission much easier for him, but he felt as though your perception of him was misplaced. Ambition? Jay only wanted to help people, and he deduced over the years that he was terrible at that.

"I'm not that great as you're making me out to be," he said. "I'm really happy you think of me like that, but it's not like I've... changed the world or anything."

Jay remembered when he graduated college with Jake. Back then, Jay still had stars in his eyes and hopes for the future. Despite everyone who told him that his skills were better suited for a high-profile job complete with exploitation and corruption, Jay knew that he wanted to do something meaningful.

But that never happened. He was never going to save anyone.

You hesitated before you said, "You changed mine."

Jay sadly smiled at you, mostly because if you ever found out who he truly was, then you would quickly realize that he had probably changed your life for the worst.

Instead, he admitted in a soft voice, "You changed mine, too."

prev | masterlist | next

SUMMARY ▸ private investigator jay park just wants to complete his mission quietly and move on with his life. you, his new assignment who keeps consuming his thoughts, don't make that very easy for him.

AUTHOR'S NOTE ▸ longish chapter to make up for the tiny break i took 🫶

TAG LIST ▸ @zdgx1 @smouches @heesdazed @teawithbucky @leep0ems @peachpie4you @niniissus @kgneptun @jaeyunluvr @zerasari @sophiko22 @iselltulips @hoondiors @baekhyunstruly @jays-property @woninluv @heerinnie @fakeuwus @yizhoutv @theothernads @y4wnjunz @dammit-jjk @en-happiness @mari-oclock @soonyoungblr @jakeslvt @taetaenic @jebetwo @fairysungx @hsgwrld @shmooooo @ineedsomezzz @mrowwww @enha-stars @seongclb @lockburn-castle @alyssajavenss @enczen @calumsfringe @w3bqrl @luvyev @uhsakusa @luvnicho @wildflowermooon @navsnct @hooniesuniverse @enhalov @enhypens-baby @isawritesss

[meadowscarlet]

being in a secret relationship with jj maybank.

pairings: jj maybank x fem!cameron!reader.

warnings: nsfw under the cut and inappropriate language used.

author’s note: last post for now i’m going to be busy this week and the next week so i’ll take a break from writing atm and hopefully i’ll get inspo to finish my james fic soon. do not copy, post on another site, translate or claim any of my works as your own or you will be reported! nav.

the forbidden relationship

• he always considered himself lucky to have you as his girlfriend—you were literally the embodiment of perfection, something that he clearly wasn’t and you were someone who is way out of his league

• but he wanted to fucking show everyone that you were his and he was yours

• unfortunately he can’t. you and he both know the risks associated with being together, which is why you persisted in keeping this relationship a secret although jj doesn't want to, he goddam knew you were worth every risk but because of the way you pleaded with him, telling him that your family wouldn't want this, he relented

• only sarah knew in your family about your relationship with jj but thankfully your sister swore not to tell anyone, especially to rafe and though jj doesn’t give a single fuck about that snobby asshole, he knew rafe was still your brother (though sometimes he had a difficult time comprehending that—you were an angel and rafe was... rafe)

in the relationship

• a literal golden retriever boyfriend

• super!!!! duper!!!! obsessed with you

• the pogues, whenever they are at john b’s shack (especially pope, bless his poor soul) has to put up with jj constantly rambling about how much he loves you

• like he never shuts up about you and the pogues were convinced that the lovesick fool was so fucking whipped that they weren't sure whether to be concerned or amused

• “like i just can’t even explain it, man, i love my girl so fucking much.” he would say with a goofy grin, head already filled with everything about you

• pope, looking exasperated, would grumble. “you literally just gave millions of reasons why you love her, we get it, jj.”

• will always give you compliments and shower you with praises

• “you’re so beautiful,” “have i ever told you today how hot you look?” “jesus christ, you’re unreal, love.”

• calls you “my girl” “babe” and “love”

• always. demands. your. attention.

• he’s literally soooooo clingy!!!!!

• and easily jealous

• “he was literally eye fucking you.”

• whenever a guy approaches you and openly flirts with you, he would scowl. sometimes, even though jj wants to approach you, punch the asshole, and drag you along with him, he can't because it would be obvious to people that there’s something going on between you two when he promised you he would keep it lowkey but it was just so hard

• you always reassure him by pecking his lips and saying that he’s the only guy you love

nsfw

• a total fucking tease

• when no one was looking, he would slyly palm your ass or place his hands inside your skirt, delicately caressing the fabric of your underwear where his finger brushes your covered pussy

• “my god, babe, you’re soaking already and i haven’t even touched you yet.”

• you can practically hear the smirk in his words

• so horny. you would literally just breathe and he would get turned on

• he would sometimes sneak into your room (which was beside rafe’s) and would fuck you there

• jj maybank is a fucking sex god. he knew exactly where to put his mouth on every part of your body, including your cunt, your lips, and your sweet spot in your neck and he also grasped how much of an impact his thrust would have once he was fully inside of you, given how you struggled to contain your whimpers and clung to him as he rocked into you

• “i wonder what your brother is going to think when he sees his precious sister drunk on my cock.”

• “as much as i love hearing your sweet moans, love, you don’t want to get caught, do you?”

• gives the best orgasms and he knows it

• aftercare!!!!!

• would pull your naked body to him, lay your head on his chest as he hug you close to him, whispering how good you were and reassuring you while pulling your hair in one shoulder as he kisses the other bare shoulder softly

• “soon we can do all this without hiding from everyone. i’ll make sure of it.”

[yuikomorii]

Happy Birthday, Ayato! ❤️

// Today is the golden boy’s birthday!! Sweet and spicy visual god, you are the reason of my unattainablly high standards… and also of my questionable financial decisions, lol.

This looks more like an Ayayui shrine than an individual Ayato one, but I couldn’t fit all the items in one pic, therefore I chose the ones that were the easiest to find in my room. :”)

Nevertheless… I did try to prepare a SCENARIO too! I used my nsfw edit as the cg, although I didn’t show everything. The romantic part is really cheesy and cringe, but if you’re into fluff, you will like that. 💕💕

~Operation: Ayato-kun’s birthday~

Yui: ( Haa… it feels as if there’s no ending to these anymore… )

( I woke up earlier today, hoping to finish all these exercises, yet I really can’t bring myself to understand how to solve them at all…! )

( My mind is completely in a whole different place right now. Today is Ayato-kun’s birthday after all. )

( Unfortunately, all the assignments kept me so busy this week that I wasn’t even able to bake a cake for him… )

( However, it’s still not too late for that, right? )

( Once I’m done with this page, I will definitely try my best to prepare it as soon as po—)

Reiji: Komori Yui, are you slacking again?

Yui: …!

R-Reiji-san!

( Oh no, he picked up my notebook! )

Reiji: Good grief, there are mistakes everywhere! Do I need to remind you that you are not permitted to bring disgrace upon the Sakamaki family as long as you reside under this mansion's roof?

Yui: Uuh… I-I’m really sorry, Reiji-san. I promise I’ll—

Reiji: Silence. I recently received your report card as well, and I must admit that I’m not pleased with your performance in the slightest. I was expecting such indifference from my brothers, but it’s rather disheartening for a human girl not to care about her education.

Yui: Y-You got it wrong! It’s not like I don’t care about school, but… simply put, the teachers have been giving us much too many tasks lately, and I find them quite difficult to solve, which stresses me out a little, to be honest.

Reiji: Hmph, excuses. I find it incomprehensible how such simple exercises cause you mental difficulties.

Nevertheless, I shall teach you then. Even if it requires the whole day to achieve that.

Yui: You will? Woah, thank you so much, Re— W-Wait, no! We can’t do that today!

Reiji: Pardon? Are you rejecting my offer to tutor you?

Yui: No, no! Not at all! It’s just that today is Ayato-kun’s birthday, and well… I would obviously want to celebrate it with him.

Reiji: Denied.

Yui: Eh—?

Reiji: You truly are a fool. Vampires show no interest in the day of their birth. Now, take a sit.

Yui: …

( I know Reiji-san is not in the wrong, but… I really do want to celebrate Ayato-kun’s birthday. That day may not be special to him but it’s so special to me. )

( Am I being selfish, I wonder…? )

*Timeskip*

Reiji: It appears that you’re finally able to understand how to solve this exercise. The next ones are similar to it, therefore there shouldn’t be any obstacles.

Yui: Yes, I see…

( I appreciate Reiji-san’s help, yet too many hours have passed by and baking a cake from scratch is not possible anymore… )

Place: Living room

Yui: ( Hmm… apparently I still have enough pocket money to buy a cake. I know a self-made one would have been more meaningful, but I really couldn’t… )

Kanato: Yui-san, are you spacing out?

Yui: Eh—? Ah, Kanato-kun, I didn’t see you there. I’m fine, but I’m a bit in a hurry, so… see y— Kya!

( He grabbed my wrist! )

Kanato: You’re going to buy a cake for my brother, aren’t you?

Yui: Uhh… well yes, I mean, it’s his birthday after all.

Kanato: My birthday was yesterday and I didn’t see you get any cake for me, nor for Laito. Teddy thinks you forgot about us. Tell me, Yui-san, is that true?

Yui: T-that’s not it!

Kanato: So you’re going to buy a cake for me as well after all? I might forgive you if you do that.

Yui: ( What did I get myself into…! I’m sure Kanato-kun will throw a tantrum if I say “no”. )

But… I don’t think I got enough money for two cakes.

Kanato: Please don’t worry about that, Yui-san, I know my ways. Or what, are you doubting me now?

Yui: …!

— shakes head —

Kanato: Good, now let’s go.

Place: Demon World Cake shop

Yui: Woah, I’ve never seen such big cakes before!

Kanato: Please don’t shout. Your looks already make you resemble a servant, you don’t have to act like one as well.

Yui: ( Hey, that’s mean! )

Cake shop owner: Welcome, how can I help you?

Yui: We’re searching for a birthday cake, but uhm… one a bit smaller than the ones displayed here, if possible.

Cake shop owner: Any flavor you got in mind?

Yui: ( Speaking of flavor, I don’t think Ayato-kun has ever told me anything about his favorite. He would probably say Takoyaki but a Takoyaki cake… that doesn’t feel right. )

I think he likes straw—

Kanato: Raspberry!

Cake shop owner: Wonderful! We just finished a raspberry cake a few minutes ago!

— brings cake —

Yui: ( It truly looks delicious…! Besides, it’s red as well, which is Ayato-kun’s favorite color, so I believe he would truly like this one! )

Kanato: Alright, we’ll take it!

Place: Mansion

Yui: Phew, I’m glad the cake didn’t get crushed on the way.

Kanato: It’s time to eat!

Yui: Wha—! No, Kanato-kun, you can’t!

Kanato: Excuse me, but who do you think you are? This is my cake, therefore I’m allowed to eat it whenever I want!

Yui: W-Well, don’t you want to wait for Ayato-kun too? This way, you two will be able to eat it together like bro—!!

(He pushed me in the cake!?)

Kanato-kun, why did you do this!?

Kanato: You ruined the cake!

Yui: Me!? But Kanato-kun was the one who pushed me there!

Kanato: Teddy says you’re annoying, and I agree. Now how will you fix your mistakes?

Yui: ( I can barely see anything…! )

Kanato: Fufu, look at her Teddy! She’s full of cake from head to toe! Now, let’s give it a taste che—

Yui: You can’t!

— moves cake away from him —

Kanato: I can!

— moves cake back —

Yui: No!

— moves cake away —

Kanato: Hmph, just give up already, will you!?

— pushes her away —

Yui: Wait, no—!!!

???: Oi, what the—!

— cake falls on them —

Kanato: Noooo, the cake!!!! Ngh, this is no fun anymore!

Yui: Uuh… Why is the floor so soft…?

Ayato: ‘Cause it’s not the floor, you idiot.

Yui: Ah! A-Ayato-kun!

Uhh… Happy birthday…~?

Ayato: Geez, c’mere, you’re an even bigger mess.

— picks her up —

Place: Bathroom

Yui: ( This is so embarrassing…! )

Ayato: Haa… You’re finally not covered in cake anymore.

Yui: I… I’m sorry…

Ayato: Huh? What are you apologizing for? I’m not mad that you dropped that cake on me.

Yui: That’s not the only thing I’m sorry about…

If it weren’t for my carelessness, you would have gotten a nice birthday, but now… you don’t even have a cake anymore.

( Ah, I’m feeling as if I’m about to cry right now… )

Ayato: Hey, c’mon that’s not worth the tears. I’m a vampire, remember? I don’t care about my birthday, so there’s no need to worry about such stuff.

Yui: Maybe you don’t care about it but… I do. I know that I’m about to sound selfish, but your birthday is very special to me. It represents the day you were born and I… I simply can’t imagine not celebrating it.

Ayato-kun is important to me, therefore that automatically makes his birthday important to me too.

Ayato: You klutz…

— hugs her —

Yui: W-Wha—! Ayato-kun…!

Ayato: Seriously, are all humans really that sentimental? Or does this only apply to cute girls like you?

Yui: …!

(He… he called me cute! )

— blushes —

Ayato: The day’s still not over, y’know? There’s still time to celebrate it if you’re really that obsessed with it.

Yui: …! So, are you really okay with that?

Ayato: Yeah? If I weren’t, I would have told you, idiot. On top of that, it’s not like I got anything better to do anyway.

Now tell me, Chichinashi, what exactly do you have in store for today?

Yui: Hm… uhm… nothing comes to my mind at the moment, but for now… I can’t say I mind spending time like this with Ayato-kun.

Ayato: Heh~? You suddenly don’t mind being in my arms while naked?

Yui: P-Phrasing it like that…!

Ayato: Well, if that’s the case, then… you wouldn’t mind if I sucked your blood either, right?

Yui: Go ahead.

Ayato: Hah? No talking back? Are you really that easy to convince today? Or, could it be that you finally admit enjoying the pleasure these fangs give you?

Yui: It’s not only about your fangs, Ayato-kun. I really like you as a whole.

I wasn’t even able to find a gift for you, therefore giving you my blood is the least I can do.

Ayato: Heh, I see… I don’t need your blood as a gift though.

Yui: You don’t…?

Ayato: Nope, ‘cause I already got the best gift ever.

Yui: Is that so?

( Did someone already give him something for his birthday? If that’s the case, then who could it be? )

( Ah… I guess I’m just overthinking, but now I’m really curious. )

Ayato: You really wanna know, don’t you? It’s already written on your face.

Are you getting jealous~?

Yui: T-That’s…—!

Ayato: Pfft, you really did get jealous, huh?

Yui: ( Ugh… he’s making fun of me now! )

Ayato: Anyway, there’s no need to. After all, the best gift I’ve ever gotten…

It’s you, Yui.

— Smooch —

The end

[rhadamanthes]

Private lesson. Hiromi x reader

word count : 1,6k

warnings: established relationship, piano sex, soft sex, fingering, humping, fluff, pregnancy kink, lot of pet names, breeding kink, doggy style, slight oral sex, this is soooo soft omg i can't believe it, fluff fluff fluff.

"Mimi, look there's even a piano!" you squeal, dragging him toward it by his hand.

"Yes, it's nice baby" he chuckles following behind.

Hiromi, your boyfriend rented a hotel room for the night. For the past few weeks he's been working on a big case for his law firm and he finally finished it yesterday. You threw him a little surprise party with a few of his friends when he came home. He was happy but also told you that he wanted you to relax as you supported him through it: hence the hotel room. The sun is setting, giving the luxurious room a nice orange hue. 

"Before we order food and champagne let's give the room an inspection" you chirp excitedly, intertwining his arms with yours. Going through every room you praise the decoration claiming you want the same back home. In the bathroom you are ecstatic over the golden claw foot tub and all the products laying there. 

"Oh my god mimi can I take these back home? they're so cute" You say grabbing the miniature soaps and shampoo. 

"Let me check their policy first, yeah?" he laughs, rubbing your back softly.

"Avoiding me jail time? you're the perfect boyfriend!" you purr pressing a kiss over his cheek, he leans into the kiss pressing his nose on top of your head inhaling your scent. 

Going back to the living area you still can't believe there is a  grand piano in the room. Taking a seat on the large bench you pat the spot next to you inviting him to join. 

"Play me something" you ask with a dopey smile. Hiromi sits close to you nudging your thigh with his own.

"As you wish" he grins, focusing on the tiles. He extends his fingers and lets them move graciously on the white ivory. The sound coming from them is nothing offbeat like you thought, it's actually harmonious and  you recognize  "Sea of love" . You open your mouth in awe, not aware of this hidden talent. 

"Whaaaaat, Hiromi ! I didn't know you played piano, why didn't you tell me!" you gasp, hitting his shoulder lightly. 

"Well it never came up in the conversation and it would have felt like bragging" he answers with honesty.

"Who cares, this is so cool ! Teach me a few tricks" you say excitedly clapping your hands. 

"Ok" he laughs. His hands cross your shoulder to hover each of your hands, then place a warm kiss on your shoulder "You're ready?" he asks in a deep voice. 

The proximity makes you shiver as he's almost talking in your ear. Pursing your lips you nod your head.His fingers guide Yours over the tiles. You really try your best but you're not used to stretching your fingers like that, Hiromi guides you as best as he can with his own fingers being above yours but it ends up sounding messy. You both laugh at the broken melody. 

Taking a moment to really look at him you get lost in his dark eyes, his hair is combed backward but some stray strands graze his forehead, his nose, god, his nose. You like to trace it with your fingertips when he's asleep, when he's busy but still allow you in his lap, it's one of his most beautiful features, really. Beyond his good looks, he's a selfless person, he makes you feel safe, heard and more loved than you ever felt. Feeling your eyes on him, Hiromi feels the heat cripping up his cheek in a pinkish tone. You kiss him before he can say anything. A passionate kiss to show how much you care for him and how proud of him you are. 

His fingers that were hovering yours are now intertwined with each other he squeezes them as he moans into the kiss.Biting on his lips you let your tongue enter his mouth twirling it against his. Out of breath he breaks the kiss.

"I love you" you whispers looking in his eyes

"I love you too darling" he wastes no time answering.You feel butterflies in your stomach, smiling like a fool.

"Where were we ?" you giggle refocusing back on the piano.Lifting you from your spot, Hiromi helps you up on his lap. 

"It will be easier like that, don't you think, doll?" he asks, kissing the back of your shoulder. You nod your head and place your finger once more on the tiles. 

With a few tries you manage to make it sound less catastrophic but there's definitely room for improvement. Hiromi takes off his right hand from yours.

"You got this one right, let's focus on the other hm?" he asks, resting his free hand on your belly, tracing circles on it. His hands progressively go lower until it's tucked against your pussy. You're only wearing a skirt with stockings, you can feel the heat his skin radiates. You adjust yourself on his lap in an attempt to get some friction against your clit.

"Teacher, what are you doing ?" you tease.

"Giving you an encouragement, get the left hand right and you'll have a reward." 

You hum, grinding a few times against his crotch feeling a slight bulge. The pressure he applies on your cunt makes it hard for you to focus, you start to moan incoherently, vision blurring with the need to feel him all over you growing by the second. 

"What's wrong my dear ? you don't want to play anymore" he whispers in your ear biting at your skin. You just groan, grinding on him harder. "Hands on the frame." 

You oblige, grabbing your ankle he positions your knees on the bench. Understanding where he's idea is going, you arch your back to stick your ass out. glancing back at him with a sultry look. Never taking his eyes off you, Hiromi lifts your skirt, and slides down your panties. He chuckles a bit at how the piece of cloth sticks to your wet pussy. You groan as the cold air hits your private part. Hiromi smiles, petting your rump before spreading your folds with two of his slender fingers. 

"My pretty little pussy"he coos, kissing your entrance softly. you moan resting your head on the cold varnished wood. He licks at your clit a few times dipping his major and ring finger inside of you. 

"Mimi please fuck me" you beg feeling your palms sweating on the frame of the piano.

"Sure thing" he says curling his fingers one last time, making you shiver.

He spreads your legs wider on the bench and you feel his tip teasing your entrance. You back your ass on him to feel him inside, both of you moaning in the process. Gripping on your��sides, Hiromi thrusts into your gummy walls, squeezing him in. His cock makes you feel full and he reaches deeper and deeper as he keeps fucking into you but it's not enough. Grabbing his tie you yank it toward you, needing him as close as possible. Surprised by your sudden move, Hiromi let one of his hands fly to the keys so he doesn't crush you under his weight. The disoriented sound steals a laugh from you, locking his lips with his in a heated kiss. His nail digs in your side, you know that I'll leave the mark you like. 

Hiromi gets lost in the feeling of you as always. It's your scent, the way your skin feels under his, the way you desire him and don't hide, your voice. Fuck it's you. From the day he first saw you he knew it was always going to be you. Pulling his tie incredibly closer, you thrust your ass back on his dick needing always more. A familiar knot forms in your belly, you want to cum in sync with him so badly. 

"Hiromi I love you" you say out of breath, tears menacing to rise at any moment. His brows furrowed his cheeks a light shade of pink, a few beads of sweat forming on his forehead.His pace accelerates and you can feel your legs give up under his powerful thrusts.

"Shit, I love you too baby" he says, calling your name between hushered breaths. "My angel, i'm going to put a ring on your finger" he groans "a-and make you a mom" His dick twitches at his own word. You're not better than him, clamping hard on his cock.

"Hiromi please yes!" you beg "Fuck, can't wait to see you with a swollen belly and tits full of milk" he pant keeping up his pace. 

A few more thrust and you cum undone reaching your climax. Hiromi follows you soon after, shooting all of his cum inside of you. Your body slumps on the piano producing hitting various keys and you can't help but laugh again. Hiromi's back shakes behind you laughing silently. Catching his breath Hiromi sits both your bodies on the bench and makes you face him. He caresses your hair, kissing your temple in a comfortable silence. 

"Were you serious about what you said ?" you ask in a weak voice, scared that he said these things in the heat of the moment.  Encasing your face with his hands, he makes you look at him.

"A hundred percent serious, the rest of my life is with you" he says pressing the back of your hands to his lips. The tears well up in your eyes. 

"We're getting married?" you ask cheerfully. 

"Yes my love" he smiles, kissing your hand once more. 

Overjoyed you lock your arms behind his neck and squeeze him in a deep kiss. This is the beginning of a long night after all. 

[strawberrystepmom]

captain obi x f!reader. canon au, meet cute, reader has visible cleavage. wc 1.5k

divider thanks to @/cafekitsune as always ☄️

The golden bell at the top of the door jingles and you do your best to look over your shoulder, craning your neck, to welcome in whoever has stepped foot into your quaint cafe.

“Welcome!”

You shout over the chime and the rustle of the plastic bag in one of your hands, pastry cream being pushed through the bag to smooth out any bubbles by the other. The door only officially opened about 30 minutes ago but your time management left something to be desired this morning so you are now rushing to finish the last of your crème buns before the few pre-lunch patrons you cherish enter the doors.

Footsteps ring across the tiled floor but you don’t see who they belong to, turning back to piping cream between sliced strawberries tucked into a bread roll that is still warm from being baked. Squinting to measure accurate distance between each dollop, when you should just be wearing your glasses that rest atop your head, piping as carefully as possible. You hum, in doubt of your own abilities, and back away with the tip of your tongue poking out of the corner of your mouth and lean forward to finish the job when you’re interrupted by the sound of footsteps in front of you.

“Excuse me,” a man’s voice states and you jump a bit where you stand, surprised by the baritone and the way it fills your small cafe. The acoustics in here are better than you thought and you turn your head with a smile still holding your crème bun and piping bag.

“Hey, thanks for coming in. How can I help you?”

Your eyes rove over the man for a moment and you realize that you recognize him, if only for the brief second you saw him earlier this week when an Infernal caught a structure down the block on fire. It was a rough fight and you rushed to the window to watch, anxiously filling various rolls to make sandwiches to bring to the Fire Force company tirelessly working to keep the neighborhood safe.

“You’re Captain…” you hiss, embarrassed you can’t seem to recall his name off the top of your head given that you only heard it in passing during the commotion the attack caused but he half smiles, finishing for you with a nod of his head.

For a moment, Akitaru wonders if he took things too far by coming in here to see you face to face without his gear. You caught his attention by effortlessly comforting not only the victims of the attack but his company and the onlookers and you kept it when he got a good look at you, retreating sunlight giving you a glow he’d almost call ethereal if he didn’t know better.

As lovely as you are kind, he’d be a fool not to at least stop by to say thank you for bringing both of these things to a world that can be dark and heavy. So here he stands, hands shoved in his pockets just after 7:30 am before he returns to the station. He can’t go back now so he makes the best of it, opening his mouth to speak.

“Obi. Captain Obi.” His face shifts for a moment, brows pinching and lip curling. “You don’t have to call me that if you don’t want to, though. I’m not here on business.”

You laugh at his natural ease and shake your head, reaching blindly behind you to place the piping bag down on the prep counter.

“Here for pleasure then?”

His eyes widen at your flirtation and you look away from him, embarrassed and believing that you may have been too forward. It’s in your nature to flutter your eyelashes a little too sweetly when faced with a big and strong and handsome man so the bun in your other hand is extended to him with a smile, a peace offering of sorts for being too much you can cloak as a thanks for saving your neighborhood and therefore your cafe.

“As a little thanks for saving the day. It’s fresh, I just filled it.”

Akitaru smiles and you feel uncharacteristically stricken by it, dipping your chin to hide your own smile when he reaches out to take the bun and your fingertips touch. His hands are cooler than you’d expect them to be, at least in the brief period any part of them touched you, and you withdraw your hand as quickly as you can without arousing suspicion that it’s because of the gravity of such a simple touch.

You’ve embarrassed yourself enough for one morning already and you clasp your hands in front of you, standing as primly as possible in front of the commanding man. Obi’s presence is as broad as his shoulders, not that you’ve been looking at them, and it makes you want to behave yourself or at least impress him the slightest bit.

“Hey, no thanks needed.” He puts a hand up, a means to show he expects nothing from you except your ear long enough to properly speak. “I wanted to come and thank you actually for the great food and for helping keep everyone calm afterward.”

Relief washes over you when he speaks and you play off his kind words with a humble shrug. The gesture is attractive enough to Obi that he actually feels a little nervous, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He is far from a coward but this kind of thing isn’t usually his forte, preferring to keep his eye on his goals and his squad and things a little more important than romance.

At least until you showed up in a powdered sugar fury, remnants dusting your nose and clothes, ready to help completely unprotected and unarmed.

“It’s easy to help where you know how,” you remark and he hums. It’s not the answer he expected you to give but he likes it even more, refreshed by your honesty despite your gentle looking exterior yet he shifts uncomfortably again. Maybe he overstepped his own boundaries and not yours by coming here, this discomfort something he isn’t used to.

You notice his shift in posture and smile to try and soothe any anxiety he may be feeling, nodding toward the dessert for breakfast in his hand.

“Feel free to eat it, I’ll be offended if you don’t.”

He chuckles and you giggle along, hands still clasped in front of you. You look every bit the same angel today you did a few days back and he doesn’t hide the fact he’s taking a good look at you while biting into your hard work, tart strawberries and fluffy cream dancing across his palate.

A hum of approval makes you dance in place, shaking your shoulders and grinning. Obi fights the urge to burst into laughter, chewing and swallowing as quickly as he can despite how much he’s enjoying the experience. He’d rather talk to you than eat anyway.

“Delicious.”

You beam at his compliment and he holds up the bun, examining it as if the secret to why it tastes so good can be found between the indentations of his teeth in the soft bread. He squints and makes a show of inspecting, more so that he can enjoy how it feels to have you looking so closely at his every move.

“I have to ask though,” he starts and you look up, eyes meeting his and refusing to move. “If I take another bite will you do that again?”

You laugh and shake your shoulders.

“What? That?”

He laughs and nods.

“Yeah. That.”

A little embarrassed by your own excitement, you opt to stand in place to watch him take the second bite. He hums again and you wish the sound wouldn’t make you feel like you’re floating, riding a high or something you aren’t sure you can even name. An infatuation? A crush? Who knows, it’s weird.

“Thank you, seriously. It has been a few days since I’ve had something that tastes this good.”

You beam again, cheeks aching from the force of your smile, and decide to walk closer toward your side of the counter to close the space between the two of you. Clearly he stopped by for a reason but you decide not to pry, enjoying the thrill of something new and different too much to let him slip out of coming back to visit. The station is only a few blocks away from here anyway, you may as well give yourself an excuse to see him again.

“I’m so grateful you saved this block and my shop, Captain Obi, you can come by every morning and I’ll have one of those ready for you.”

He looks at the bun and then looks at you, clicking his tongue.

“I couldn’t.”

You raise your brows and lean forward onto your elbows, looking up at him. He considers himself a gentleman but he looks down, catches a glimpse of your cleavage, and looks away.

“I insist. It’s the least I can do for a hero.”

How could he possibly say no to such a sweet offer?

[forbidden-sunlight]

I’m not seducing the female lead’s obsessive father!

[yandere!regis floyen x agent!reader headcanons]

PART FOUR: POINT OF NO RETURN

PART THREE

warning: spoilers from the manhwa, obsessive behavior, implied violence. Please take caution.

Hey guys, hope you’ve been doing well and ready to dive into this next chapter! Special thanks to @impeakcharacterdesign and @rouecentric, you guys are awesome! I seriously could not have finished this on time without your honest feedback and assistance with writing some of the more difficult parts. 

So without further ado, let’s go ahead and get started~! :)

Interacting with the characters of the various worlds was an unavoidable part of your job. How were you supposed to complete your task without the necessary information? The simple answer was that you couldn’t and only a fool would attempt to go in blind. 

The Chapter was willing to overlook a few instances of intimacy if it was for the sake of the mission. But only a few.  An agent going beyond attaining information and forming an attachment to a denizen of that world violated the organization’s rules.

You had no intention of going back to being a high school girl who bullied the female lead out of jealousy due to an illogical, unrequited love for a scumbag male lead. You deserved more than being cannon fodder. 

Were you greedy? Yes. Petty? Absolutely. Why exactly Jubelian Floyen sent an invitation for tea at her family estate in a week, to a ‘loyal’ member of the Empire? You were not certain, though you hoped you could find out swiftly before the organization noticed your movements in the forbidden world. 

They always had a way of keeping an eye on their agents without any of them knowing, yourself included. 

Fortunately, you were able to keep yourself busy until the day for the tea party had arrived. Not wanting to keep your esteemed host waiting too long as the Griddlebone estate was near the capital, you made the necessary arrangements to leave early enough but not too early so as to not surprise the female lead with arriving unexpectedly. 

When the carriage stopped at the main gates, the driver spoke to the armored guards briefly before they granted passage inside towards the main palace. Stopping at the entrance, the footman quickly pulled down the iron steps and then opened the door. Upon stepping out, he graciously offered a gloved hand to help you climb down from the carriage. 

A chorus of voices unanimously welcomed you and your escort when the two of you approached the bottom of a bone white staircase. On either side, servants were lined up. Duke Regis Floyen and his daughter Jubelian stood at the very top, wearing matching elegant outfits fitting for a tea party. You bowed your head towards them, curtseying alongside the footman. 

Once pleasantries were exchanged, you were led inside the estate. 

You had no idea what would happen today, but you prayed that this tea party would be the last time that you would have contact with either character in the novel world. 

When you walked through the doors, a shiver crawled down your spine. There was something going on in the Floyen duchy….something very, very, wrong. 

Regis was shocked and nervous all at once when his aide informed him that Marquess Griddlebone had accepted his daughter’s invitation for tea. 

How in the world was Jubel able to accomplish such a feat when he himself could not persuade that woman to come to the duchy without hearing her rejection almost immediately?

Nonetheless, he is pleased at this unexpected turn of events. He was not too worried with the arrangements as Jubel had done an excellent job when she held a tea party for the very first time. He asked if he may attend as well, if not for a little while as it is customary for the hosts to greet their guests. He did not want to appear so rude as to be absent when someone is visiting his daughter.  Jubel agreed. 

When he saw Marquess Griddlebone walk up to them in a verdant gown with golden leaves, he felt his heart hammer against his chest at the sight of her beauty. He greeted the marquess with a bow and kissed her gloved hand. He wanted his lips to linger there further, but i t would be considered rude by the rules of nobility. 

Nor did he want Marquess Griddlebone to be uncomfortable in his presence. 

Pulling on the reins of his self control, Regis moved away from the young woman and allowed Jubel to lead their guest to the lobby. He followed close behind as a silent observer. Earlier he had explained to Jubelian that his schedule for the afternoon was cleared, as such he wanted to see what kind of woman that Griddlebone truly is.

His daughter agreed with him wholeheartedly, though she believed that their guest was marginally better than Lady LaRue’s company. 

Jubel, bless her sweet soul, stumbled with her words in Griddlebone’s presence yet the latter did not say anything. Instead she flipped her fan open and asked his daughter about her interest in books, music, amongst other things. 

The shift in conversation eased Jubel’s anxiety, allowing the younger aristocrat to lead a discussion about poetry and the latest opera performed in the capital. 

Yet if Griddlebone was comfortable in their presence, why did the hand that held a teacup tremble? And her fist…she clenched it around the folded fan so tightly. Was her ladyship all right? Was she ill?

Regis wanted to say something…but what could he say without drawing too much attention to his daughter’s guest?

Just when he was about to speak up, however, a servant and Griddlebone’s footman interrupted their tea time. They apologized to him as well as his daughter for the intrusion, but there is an urgent message from their guest’s estate.

Marquis Griddlebone, a man in peak health, had suddenly collapsed in his office. Everyone in the family was required to come home immediately, including his only daughter. The news obviously caught the calm and collected woman off guard, as she stood up and bowed her head to them. She is terribly sorry that their time together has been cut short but she must return home post-haste. 

Jubelian was sympathetic and offered to escort their guest to the main entrance as well as reschedule their little get-together. He was also in agreement, inclining his head and hoped that the marquis was all right. 

Griddlebone nodded, turning to the footman and ordered him to bring the carriage around before Jubelian led her out of the drawing room. 

Regis felt disheartened watching as Lady Griddlebone was escorted out by his daughter. Heavens knew He had many wants in his troubled life, yet perhaps his want for her to stay was amongst his most desperate. 

His eyes roved over the place she sat, imagining that she was still in that chair, smiling at him lovingly. He was distracted from his daydream when something caught his eye. 

“Ah — it seems Lady Griddlebone left behind her fan.” He said to no one in particular. 

She must have left it in her haste, he realized. An unexpected glee rose in him at the thought of her leaving a piece of herself behind — even if unintentionally. It felt like a gift, just for him. 

“I’ll have it sent to her estate at once.” His aide reached for it and before he could pick it up, Regis swiftly grabbed it. He didn’t know why, but the thought of someone else touching the only thing he had of her had him panicking. He felt as though they would erase any trace of her. 

He felt slightly embarrassed by the confused look his aide shot at him and quickly tried to save face. “The lady is an important guest and even something as simple as returning a fan must be treated carefully. I’ll see that she gets it back myself.”

His aide jolted, surprised at the sudden declaration but quickly schooled his features to a mask of indifference before he nodded. “As you wish, Your Grace.” He bowed his head and left the room, closing the doors behind him.

Now alone in his office, he allowed himself to indulge in his fantasies. He caressed every fold of the fan, thinking about how she had held it in her hand so tightly, it would be wonderful if she held his own the same way. He would never let her hand slip from his grasp. 

The craftsmanship was remarkable, truly fitting a woman as elegant and wonderful as her. If given the chance, he would shower her in riches just as, if not more so, luxurious as this fan. 

He hesitantly pressed his lips along the fan’s edge, reminiscing on how her skin felt against his lips as he greeted her. If they were alone and if she were willing, he would have gladly gotten down on one knee and kissed each of her fingertips. He was sure that if he was allowed to indulge himself in her presence just a bit, he would be able to hold on just a bit longer with her.

Just then, a bright light illuminated the room. Alert, Regis grabbed the sword concealed under his desk and raised the blade over his head but halted when his eyes saw golden words floating in the air, a dark green tint highlighting a text that made his heart hammer against his chest.

“Would you like to make a deal?”

[unpredictable-probabilities]

Azul Ashengrotto of Royal Sword Academy || Chapter 1: That Dastardly RSA Student

(art by @patchyegg87)

Summary:

Jamil Viper was almost the one to have brought victory for NRC against RSA in a hundred years, if not for Azul Ashengrotto.

It was supposed to be Jamil's chance to finally be at the top, and having victory stolen from his grasp by that RSA merfolk still irked him more than he would have expected. Hopefully, he'd never have to see him again.

Word Count: 4,688

Author's Note:

As of writing this, canon hasn't told us anything about Prince Rielle except for his first name and that he was classmates with Azul in middle school. Everything else about him here is just headcanons~

This is an AU that I wrote with @patchyegg87 where Azul and Kalim had gone to school in RSA instead of NRC. It's the first book of at least a two-part series that we have planned~

We have drafted about ten chapters already, we just need to finish editing them. We plan on posting a chapter every week ^_^

We hope you like this first one!

Jamil has worked hard to be here. Staying up for nights to review all topics that could possibly be covered, borrowing the maximum amount of textbooks from the library, skipping basketball practice.

And here he is indeed. Toe-to-toe with RSA at the Magical Inter-school Competition.

Only one thing stands in his way: Azul Ashengrotto. Right there at the podium across from him, waiting intently for the final question much like he is.

"And now, for the question that would decide everything!" says the host, pausing dramatically.

A drumroll sounds from invisible speakers, and the host makes a show of reading the question.

"What is… a six-letter word for an antidote? In ancient times, it was believed that a glass of it would be able to neutralize any type of poison."

Wait, that's it? That's too easy—

Azul Ashengrotto precisely blasts magic at the big gemstone floating in front of both of them—their version of a buzzer.

"Bezoar," he says calmly. "It originates from the Far West, a word that literally means 'antidote'."

There is a full second of silence, and then the RSA side of the audience bursts into applause. Glittering confetti explodes out of invisible cannons and rains down on Jamil's frozen figure, arm still raised to blast magic at the gem.

Royal Sword Academy takes first place.

Again.

Jamil can barely hear the cheering over the mind-numbing realization that he lost, only by a matter of a few seconds.

As NRC's crowd stays deathly silent, Jamil feels the shame crawling up his spine. As if losing to these Mary Sues wasn't bad enough, he now made a fool of himself in front of his own school.

He slams his fist down on his podium in silent frustration, but other than that, he just stands there and coldly glares at his opponent.

And to make matters worse…

"It's okay, Jamil! You did great!" Kalim yells, sitting amongst RSA's "little angels".

Jamil's jaw tightens.

Azul Ashengrotto just smiles politely at the crowd. He glances at Jamil and sees his cold glare, and Jamil takes satisfaction in how Ashengrotto's smile falters for a fraction of a second. Then they're both ushered down from the stage.

Jamil had never been to Golden Bridge Academy before, and he has no idea where the canteen is. He had skipped lunch for this competition and so far had only managed to find a vending machine to get a fruit soda from. Normally he'd familiarize himself with a place before going there, but he didn't think he'd need to, especially if he'd be too busy being congratulated by his schoolmates to go anywhere else by himself.

Now he's trying to get away from those schoolmates. He barely escaped without having resentful glares cast his way.

"Hey!" a growl calls his attention..

Jamil turns to look at him, and as soon as he does, the tiger beastman swats the bottle of soda from his hand. It falls to the floor with a thud.

"Shouldn't you be hiding in shame somewhere?" the beastman bares his teeth. "You're in the basketball varsity, ain't ya? How's it that that nerd with the glasses moved faster than you?"

Jamil keeps a proud, condescending look on his face, trying his best to hide the evident irritation in his voice.

"I don't know what you mean. The other man simply won, and that's all there is to it. Besides, as if you could do any better. Do you think I wasn't there when I saw you and your team lose to RSA yesterday? Now unless you can tell me where the canteen is, beat it. I'm already in a bad enough mood as it is."

The beastman growls and lunges faster than Jamil had expected for such a buff guy.

Jamil pulls out his Magic Pen, fully knowing he won't be quick enough to stop the sharp claws reaching for his face—

"Agh!" the beastman suddenly stumbles back as a magic blast hit him, a hand clasping over his shoulder.

"That is no way to treat a schoolmate, is it?" a familiar cool voice says behind Jamil.

Azul Ashengrotto lowers his Magic Pen, but still keeps it at the ready. "Jamil Viper had put up an excellent fight, and I have no doubt he knew the answer to that final question. I merely won by chance."

The beastman makes a low growl. "We'll get your asses next time, just you wait."

"I look forward to it," Azul tips his head politely.

The beastman storms off.

Azul pockets his Magic Pen, then picks up Jamil's fruit soda bottle and offers it to him.

"Just go straight ahead and to the right, you'll find the canteen near the statue of the fairy," Azul says.

Jamil stares at the soda bottle in Azul's hand for a long moment before he takes it.

He squints at Azul. "Have you been listening in on our conversation?"

It was too soon for him to see this guy, he mutters in his head. Of all the people to run into...

"It was difficult not to, your friend has quite the loud voice," Azul Ashengrotto has a small smile of amusement. "But I did not mean to eavesdrop, I assure you. I was just passing by from the shop. I ran into some of your other schoolmates, I think they were heading to the canteen as well." He absently adjusts his glasses, and Jamil notices for the first time that one of the lenses has a crack that wasn't there earlier during the quiz bee. "They seemed about as friendly as your tiger companion earlier, so might I suggest that you sit at the north side if you want a peaceful lunch? The tables there are not in plain view."

Jamil looks at Azul strangely, wondering why he's telling him this, because it's true that he'd rather avoid further ire from his schoolmates.

"…What do you want?" He asks, voice laced with suspicion.

It doesn't escape Azul's notice, and his eyebrows raise in mild surprise, then he shakes his head. "I merely had the impression that you wanted to avoid further disturbances. I had information, I passed it on. That is all. Regardless, I shall leave you be."

Azul tips his head politely and turns to leave, but before he could walk away, another voice rings out.

"Octy! Sea Snake!"

Floyd appears faster than Jamil could react, and the eel is suddenly between him and Azul Ashengrotto, an arm around each of them.

"Heyyyy, can we join yer hangout?"

"Azul Ashengrotto," Jade walks towards them with an amused smile. "It's been a long time. Are you both headed to the canteen?"

Jamil struggles under Floyd's grip, widening his eyes at the twins' approach.

"What the— Hang on, you guys know each other?" He incredulously asks.

"We were classmates in middle school," Azul Ashengrotto says from the grip of Floyd's other arm. Then he turns to Jade. "Hello, Jade Leech, Floyd Leech. I see you two have retained the same… enthusiasm in greeting people."

Floyd laughs. "I missed ya, Octy! And you, Sea Snake, why're you keeping him to yourself? That's rude, you know!"

"Feel free to take him," Jamil grumbles, unable to escape Floyd's grip. Curses, he normally would've heard him coming from a mile away. Azul's tip about the tables had distracted him. "Just leave me out of it."

"Nooo!" Floyd complains. "I gotta talk to you about the new Basketball Club uniforms! You've been skippin' practice so you dunno that Coach told us to pick up the fabrics for 'em in town next week!"

"And we want to catch up with our old friend Azul," Jade smiles, the kind that looks like there's definitely something else behind it.

"Let's gooo!" Floyd practically drags Jamil and Azul along.

Jamil sees that Azul was right about the other NRC students at the canteen, but all of them give their group a wide berth. That's one good thing about the Leech twins, at least. If they're bothering you, no one else will.

"Can I take everyone's orders?" Jade asks as they all settle into a table. "My treat."

Jamil sighs, seeing that he's got no chance of escaping this now without attracting Floyd's ire. Glancing at the front of the canteen where a menu can be seen, he then mumbles, "I'll take a plate of carbonara, I guess . . ."

He feels his stomach growling in satisfaction. Huh. Guess he has been neglecting a bit of his needs for this quiz, now that he thinks about it.

"Beef stew, please," Azul Ashengrotto says, seated in front of Jamil.

"Large fries!" Floyd pipes up, sitting beside Jamil. "And a taco!"

Jade nods in acknowledgement and leaves to order.

"You don't look delicious in your human form, Octy," Floyd rests his chin on his hands, his elbows propped up on the table. "You don't even have any chewy bits."

"If it means that you won't be biting my limbs again anytime soon, then I don't mind the absence of chewiness," Azul says good-naturedly as he takes out a small container from his pocket and places it on the table.

Jamil can't believe he's sitting with the guy who bested him in a battle of academic wits. A part of him wants to stay irritated, but now that the sting of defeat has mostly left him, he just feels resigned.

He glances at his former opponent and at Floyd, frowning. "Were you guys close friends back in middle school or something?"

He's never seen the twins be this excited over one individual before.

Azul considers for a moment. "We were friends, yes, but we didn't exactly spend enough time together to be considered close—"

"Because Flame Tetra stole you from us!" Floyd slams his fist on the table, a gesture that would have been intimidating if not for the childish pout on his face. "Jade and I were about to scoop ya up, but he swam in and made you part of his gang. Blech," Floyd makes a disgusted face.

"…Who's Flame Tetra?" Jamil asks, not even sure what a Tetra is. "…And you call this guy 'Octy' because…?"

"'Flame Tetra' is how Floyd refers to Rielle Triton, another one of our classmates back in middle school," Azul responds. "And Floyd's nickname for me is because I'm a cecaelia. In my true form, my lower half is an octopus."

"With chewy tenta-klees!" Floyd reminds them, wiggling his fingers towards them as an imitation of said tentacles.

"We still could have been close, you know," Azul says to Floyd. "It isn't like Rielle forbids his friends to be close to other people."

"Nahhh, we don't like hangin' out with royals," Floyd waves a hand dismissively. "And he's always hangin' around you! It was real annoying. I wanted to squeeze him for it but Jade didn't let me."

Friends with royalty? Connection to the Leech twins that isn't a death sentence? Consider Jamil intrigued.

"What about this guy is so interesting to you, Floyd? Is it 'cause he's half-octopus?" He levels his gaze down the silver-haired boy's way as he takes a sip of his soda.

"Well, many of our classmates were racist bastards," Floyd says bluntly. "Octy was the only cecaelia in our class, and they kept givin' him shit for it. I was like whatever, y'know. There's assholes everywhere, why not in school? BUT THEN, Jade noticed that those bastards slowly became less bastardly. They also began gettin' skills n' stuff outta nowhere, but also losin' things? Like, this merman, his tailfin changed color to a glittery green thingy, it was rad. But he became stupid in math.

So Jade and I snooped on Azul and found out he was makin' these contracts to make deals with our classmates. He had figured out his Signature Spell at that age! BESTIE MATERIAL, RIGHT??"

Azul has a hand to his forehead, like he's covering his face from embarrassment.

"Oh?" Jamil utters, raising an eyebrow. "Your Signature Spell developed so you could get one over people who used to make fun of you?"

That's a tad more dastardly than he gave the guy credit for.

"Impressive…" Jamil mutters, recalling the time where he first manifested his Signature Spell…

Control, control…

That's all he ever asks for.

Please… If he can have at least one thing in his stupid life…

He blinks himself back to reality. "Did you want to befriend Azul 'cause you wanted some kind of boon from him?"

"Eh?" Floyd looks confused. "I wanted to play with him! It's Jade who wanted a boon."

"Hm? Did I hear my name?" Jade appears with a tray of their food. It looks like he got spaghetti for himself.

"Sea Snake was wonderin' why we wanted to hang out with Octy back then," Floyd jabs a thumb towards Jamil's direction.

"Can we please talk about something else?" Azul says, looking uncomfortable with the attention.

"But we missed you!" Floyd pouts. "Let's hear what Jade has to say."

Jade chuckles as he sits down in front of Floyd and next to Azul.

"Having Floyd as a sibling certainly raises one's standards for what is interesting. And Azul, who used to dissolve into tears from the bullying of our classmates and then ended up lording over them, certainly reached that standard," Jade says. "And I must admit, I wanted to see if he and I could work together."

"But you didn't because… Rielle?" Jamil asks. He's heard of the name, since the Asims' personal retainers are expected to know the different royal families in case they ever have to meet or welcome them. He wonders why the Leeches don't like associating with the prince.

Jade shrugs. "Prince Rielle has always been too well-guarded. I would rather not have eyes on any endeavors I do."

"And they definitely won't let me chew on Flame Tetra's tail," Floyd adds.

Azul has stopped paying attention to them and is currently getting two pieces of glass from the container he had placed on the table.

Jamil's eyes follow this movement and glance at the container. What's that?

Azul removes his glasses and places them down.

"Ah yes," Jade says, noticing what Azul is doing as well. "I've been meaning to ask. What happened to your glasses?"

Azul takes out his Magic Pen and begins to magically replace his glasses’ lenses. "A group of your charming schoolmates approached me earlier. One of them aimed a punch at my face. I managed to cast a shield, but not fast enough. The punch didn't make contact with my face, but the shield wasn't able to stop the force entirely. Hence," he holds up the cracked piece of glass, now detached from the frame. "Fortunately the shop here sells lenses that fit my eye grade. This would have to do until I can get new prescription glasses." He looks down to carefully attach the new lenses, muttering incantations with waves of his Magic Pen.

"You got jumped?" Floyd says in interest. "What'd you do?"

"I made them leave," Azul said simply, still fixing his glasses.

Jade chuckles fondly.

"Aw hell yeah! That's our Octy!" Floyd grins.

Jamil frowns as he tries to imagine Azul prevailing in a brawl. It's hard to picture, but it's certainly not a bad picture.

"Those idiots," Jamil shakes his head. "Acting like sore losers that way is only going to give the rest of us more trouble than it's worth…" He glances at Floyd's way. "How was your swimming competition?"

"He was disqualified about a few seconds in for going severely out of bounds." Jade happily replies.

"That's what they get for makin' me join," Floyd groans, leaning back on his seat. "Why would I wanna be in a swimmin' contest? I swim all the time."

"You're a fast swimmer," Azul points out, wearing his newly repaired glasses. He blinks a few times as if testing his vision. "Surely it would have been quite easy for you to win such a competition."

"Exactly!" Floyd says. "Where's the fun in that? Ooh, YOU shoulda joined, Octy! You ain't a fast swimmer at all, it'll be a real challenge."

Azul seems to get pink in the face from embarrassment. Then he clears his throat and puts away the container that now holds the old lenses.

"In any case, I am glad that you are a tad bit friendlier than your peers, Jamil Viper," he says to Jamil, then smiles a little. "Or at least, not as aggressive."

Jamil can't help but give Azul a smirk, both pleasant and smug all at once. "What can I say? It's much easier to take people down when they least expect it."

"How adorable," Jade coos, immediately undercutting the cool and intimidating image Jamil was going for.

"Ooh, you better watch out, lil' Octy," Floyd teases. "Sea Snake can hold a reeeeeal grudge."

"It takes someone clever and cutthroat to stay in his position as Scarabia's Prefect, after all." Jade then compliments. "His dormmates are pleasant enough, but they're crafty and waiting for the day they can pull off their long con against him."

"Hmph. Let them try." Jamil huffs, already familiar with who his turncoats might be.

"Hey, hey, are you still doing those contracts, Octy? How many people do you got under your thumb nowadays? Do the RSA guppies make for fun peons?" Floyd asks, leaning forward to lie his head on the table.

Azul looks around, his face an impressive mask of nonchalance, but Jamil still sees the nervousness underneath it.

No one seems to be paying attention to their little group, though.

"Yes, I still do the contracts," Azul says slowly. "But I've become a bit more… amiable, in my methods. My contracts are more straightforward now, without any of the cleverly hidden fine prints or loopholes that you might be familiar with from middle school. So, no peons."

"Awwww," Floyd laments. "Flame Tetra made ya boring. Though you still did beat up those guys who jumped you so I'll let it slide."

Azul chuckles in amusement.

"Is it because of 'Flame Tetra', though?" Jamil inquired. "What made you stop with all the fine prints and loopholes?"

Sounds like a very useful tool that he'd hate to be on the other side of had Azul been a fellow NRC student.

"Well…" Azul fiddles with his spoon in his stew. "As Jade and Floyd have pointed out, being friends with Rielle means that one would be relatively watched. And I couldn't risk marring a crown prince's reputation. Either way, RSA is not fond of, ah, sketchy things. The amount of trouble I can get into for such loopholes…" he shakes his head. "Fortunately, I found that being close friends with a crown prince has its own perks. Some might say a more subtle way of gaining… peons," he looks at Jamil and gives a smirk that the Scarabia Prefect wouldn't have expected of an RSA student.

Jamil is mildly surprised that Azul directed such a smile his way. After all, he may have asked the question, but the twins were the ones who wanted to be impressed. Still, he doesn't dislike it. It's like how he and Ruggie share twin smirks when they both know they aren't up to any good during classes. There's a certain kinship to it.

Very well, he can admit it. Azul doesn't seem like a complete angel. For him, one of the factors of an individual's tolerability is their innocence. He can't deal with someone so perpetually nice and good, it reminds him of the guy who grew up with him since childhood—it grates on his nerves.

"Is that why you decided to become friends with Rielle, then, to the point where you came all the way to a place like Royal Sword?" He continues the inquiry. "For the benefits his royal privilege can bring?"

"Oh, not at all," Azul says. "Rielle was the first to approach me during a time when most of the people around us had disliked me. Especially considering how he was the most popular kid in class, it was a big risk to his reputation befriending someone like me at the time."

"HEY!" Floyd cut in, frowning. "WE would have been the first ones to approach you! We were just a lil' bit late!"

Azul smiles at him. "Once again, we can still be friends now, Floyd."

"I'm just sayin'," Floyd grumbles, crossing his arms.

Azul turns to Jamil again. "Yes, I'm genuinely good friends with Rielle. He's surprisingly humble for a crown prince, very loyal to his friends, and is sincere in all his actions. And I didn't even know he was going to RSA until I got my acceptance letter and told him about it. Apparently he had gotten his letter on the same day."

"Ah," Jamil nodded, though a part of him felt displeased with the information. He chalked it up to disappointment that there was no duplicity to be found in their bond. After all, he can see what Floyd meant now, about how Azul's penchant for manipulation have mellowed out due to his environment.

Not that it's a bad thing for people to grow up with decent company and a non-hostile environment for once, but it's another point that differentiates him and Azul in the end. Azul got the chance to make his life turn around for the better.

Meanwhile, Jamil's still a snake, coiled in an arid land as it dreams of growing wings and flying away.

"My, it's good to hear that your boon companion has been doing well, Azul." Jade replied, before his mouth forms a small O-shape in polite surprise. "Oh, pardon me, is that an appropriate term for him? Or would you prefer that I call him your boyfriend or partner?"

Azul rolls his eyes. "Rielle and I are not romantically involved. No matter what gossip you may have heard."

"As you say," Jade politely concludes, though it's clear from a mischievous twinkle in his eye that he doesn't think Azul's being entirely truthful.

At least, that's how Jamil interprets it.

Anyway, this is completely unrelated to him now, so Jamil doesn't know why he should care—

"YET." Floyd emphasizes, finishing his fries. "Bet there'd be merpeeps out there who'd kill to be in your spot right now. Dating the crown prince of the seven seas–you got a real rags to riches story in the making, from being the runt of the class to king of the oceans. C'mon, don't tell me the thought never crossed yer mind. Even I could see what a steal that is and I don't even care about that stuff."

Azul hesitates only for a brief second, but it doesn't escape Jamil's notice.

"I had thought you to be above gossiping, Floyd," Azul says lightly.

"Yer avoiding the question," Floyd points an accusatory finger at Azul. Then he elbows Jamil. "Hey, Sea Snake, what do ya think? A Scarabia Prefect like you understands, right? Flame Tetra's a real steal for Octy here. And Octy himself ain't bad. Heck, if Flame Tetra wanted to hang out with him when he was a crybaby octopus in a pot, then why not now when he's dressed in the princely clothes of RSA?"

"Indeed," Jade nods. "What do you think, Jamil? Isn't Azul handsome and strong enough to be king of the oceans?" he smiles at Jamil in feigned innocence.

Jamil shoots a side-eyed glare at Jade, knowing that the other is up to something somehow. "I don't know why you want my opinion, but . . ." he casts Azul a long glance. "I see the potential. It would be foolish for Rielle not to consider you." He looks back at the twins. "However, if the guy wants this to be dropped then we should drop it. Whatever's going on with them isn't any of our business."

Azul looks quizzically at Jamil, like he didn’t expect Jamil to stare at him for so long, then he turns to the twins. “Exactly, especially since there is nothing going on at all.”

“Oh, Azul, there you are,” a voice says.

Jamil looks up to see a redhead RSA student approach their table.

“Jade and Floyd Leech,” he says in pleasant surprise. “And… Jamil Viper, I believe? Good day to you all.”

“Flame Tetra!” Floyd says cheerfully. “We were just talking about your wedding with Octy.”

Azul rolls his eyes. “The Leech twins subscribe to gossip, apparently.”

“Ah,” Rielle nods. “No wedding, I’m afraid. I’ve already proposed to Azul three times and he has always said no,” he puts a hand to his chest in a mock expression of sadness.

“Your jests are not helping,” Azul says in amusement.

“Why don’t you join us, Prince Rielle?” Jade says pleasantly, gesturing to the vacant chair at the head of the table, to Jamil’s left and to Azul’s right.

“Oh, thank you,” Rielle takes a seat. “And you know there is no need to call me by my title, Jade. Especially since you have seen me cry and fumble my way through our exams far too many times for any formalities.”

Jade chuckles. “It’s lovely to see you again.”

“Heck yeah!” Floyd agrees. “It’s been like forever!”

Rielle smiles good-naturedly at them, then turns to Jamil. “Hello, Mr. Viper. I am pleasantly surprised to see that you are friends with these three as well.”

Jamil shakes his head, his polite attitude showing its face out of pure habit. "I wouldn't really call them friends. After all, I just met one of them today, and the other two, well, since you seem familiar with them, then you're probably aware of their… difficult natures. Still, hello to you as well, Mr. Rielle."

Speaking of, Jamil's beginning to feel a bit out of place here. These people seem to know each other well and he's like a fish out of water (pun intended).

He turns to Floyd. "Anyway, what was that about our basketball uniforms? That was the whole reason why you dragged me here to begin with."

“Oh right!” Floyd suddenly remembers. “We’re supposed to get the fabrics for the uniforms in some shop in town this Saturday. Ooh, why don’t we make it a fun lil’ hangout? All of us can go! It ain’t too far from RSA!”

“I have Vice Prefect duties this Saturday, remember?” Jade says. "We have been away for a while and there is some work I have to catch up on.”

“Boo,” Floyd scrunches up his face. “How about you? Flame Tetra? Octy?”

“I think I am free, yes,” Rielle nods. “There are some errands I need to run in town anyway for the upcoming ball at RSA.”

“Let me see…” Azul frowns in thought.

“You’re coming too! Great!” Floyd says before Azul could continue.

“But I haven’t—” Azul tries to say.

“It’s a hangout!” Floyd raises his arms triumphantly.

Azul sighs. “I suppose.”

“I hope we aren’t imposing…” Rielle looks at Jamil hesitantly.

"Not at all," Jamil calmly responds. "It is Floyd who should be apologizing for forcing you two to come with us."

He holds no particularly strong feelings on whether or not Azul and Rielle would be included. He is used to keeping up a pleasant facade for people with higher status and Rielle seems more or less respectful of boundaries. What he's a bit annoyed with is Floyd strong-arming them together on a whim. He's willing to bet that on the day of the town visit, he would have lost the mood and make Jamil go all on his own. He'll have to ask the basketball captain for details first then make some adjustments to his schedule…

"Ahem. Anyway, if you'll excuse me." Jamil states, standing up and taking his finished plate. "It's been pleasant chatting with all of you, but I'll have to take my leave."

To do what? He's not really sure since the event's coordinators won't allow anyone to go home until a certain threshold of time.

Perhaps he'll watch the other competitions and keep seeing NRC lose to RSA so he can feel much better about himself.

Chapter 2 ->

(Masterlist)

[earthtooz]

in which the (sexual) tension between you and hawks is not good for either of you. (SFW POST AND BLOG!!!!)

do not read if under 16 😁 or do but like don't let me know / alcohol mentions, very harmless jokes about stalking and being a creep / gender neutral reader

it's with a heavy sigh that you regard the people at the bar, scanning the crowd whilst fixing the shirt you were wearing. it was hard to act nonchalant, not whilst hawks' inescapable gaze has not diverted from you this entire evening.

you know it's not because you still somehow manage to meet his eyes every time despite being on the other side of the bar.

this was not the way you wanted your night off to go, forgoing your duties as the ninth ranked hero in favour of overpriced drinks and bad company.

the bad company being hawks, because what business did the number two hero have in a downtown bar such as this one? and his presence was the last thing you needed tonight. what you needed was to forget about the disasters and pressures of the world and none of them were being alleviated.

as you finish up your conversation with the pro-hero you were currently talking to (you didn't care to remember his name. something about a... weapons quirk? he was ranked 60-something right now, not too shabby of a number), you excuse yourself, paying your bill to the bartender.

as you shift up from your chair, you don't forget to shoot hawks a gracious view of your middle finger before manoeuvring around the tables to take your leave. groups of people seemed to silence themselves as you stalked past.

diverting from your usual path home, you finally address the looming shadow flying behind you, "don't you have patrol? taking a night off to let the night-owl wild?"

upon your declaration, a familiar winged hero lands in front of you with a handsome smirk on his face.

"who said i was taking the night off?"

you huff and now that he was standing under a street lamp with actual light rather than the hidden corner of a bar, you notice that he was indeed, still in his hero getup.

"me. who patrols in a pro-hero bar and stares at one person the whole time?" you raise an eyebrow at him, "if i didn't know better, i'd think being a creep is a hobby of yours."

you brush past him whilst saying the last part.

his footsteps can be heard behind yours, "i stare when i like what i see-"

"-like a hawk?" you snort.

he lets out something between a groan and a sigh. "yes. like a hawk. only cause i can't let someone as pretty as you leave my sight now, can i?"

you almost lost your composure for a second, flustered by his bold compliment.

hawks and you were the only heroes in the top rankings list that were somewhat similar in age, both fresh in your early twenties, it'd be ignorant to say there wasn't some sort of magnetic energy between you two. was it attraction? competitiveness? you weren't too sure.

you huff, crossing your arms to retaliate, "now that sounds like stalker behaviour."

"you really know how to ruin the mood."

"maybe you should try harder to set it then."

he rounds around to walk in front of you, "considering you were just talking to a nobody hero, i didn't think you'd be this ungrateful to have a big shot like me."

"pfft, growing a big head now are we? who are you trying to talk yourself up to, winged fool," you begin before crossing your arms over your chest, "besides. i had a good time talking to that hero tonight except your staring kept making me uncomfortable."

at the mention of the stranger, hawks stops in his tracks, visibly tense as he tries to hide the contempt in his expression only to miserably fail.

you don't miss the way his golden hues darken slightly.

maybe this was the distraction you needed in order to help with the stress.

you take a step closer to him, "can't believe i had to walk out on a perfectly good guy because another pesky one couldn't keep his eyes to himself."

he stares you down with an intensity like no other.

"i'm not so sure it was worth it, so why don't you show me otherwise?"

patrol ended early for the local winged hero that night.

[countrymusiclover]

36 - Love Ain’t Complicated Anymore

Part 37

Country Rancher

Tags @whateverthecostner @rosie-posie08 @kaycejdutton @kayceduttonn @kcloveswrestling @the-morning-star-falls @kaymudd @hcwthewestwaswcn

Shutting the truck door my boots hit the muddy dirt. I had gone into town to get some stuff Bree had asked for since the baby was making her life miserable today. Carrying my hat in my freehand I saw Lioyd was climbing down from his horse. “Morning Lloyd, how is everything going with the cattle? I am sorry that Kayce and I have been so busy with our daughter and all.”

“You ain’t gotta apologize for that, Y/n. The family of this place is what matters. The cattle don’t have to bother with our life.” He responded back, coming to lean against the metal fence.

Sitting the bag of groceries down on the ground I smiled putting my hands on my hip. “I wanted to thank you. For helping ne when Kayce and I were fighting. It wasn't right for Bree to see that so I'm glad she had you there."

“Your little darling is so sweet. If she’s anything like you dear she will turn out to be a very good mamma…Hey, I was heading up to the rodeo tonight would ya’ll want to come with me?” He asked tipping his hat to me, smiling.

Grabbing the bag of stuff I heard the front door open with Maxon barking his head off as he ran down the porch steps. Bree stopped holding her hands up when he placed his front paws on her growing stomach. “Easy boy. I won’t get her going down steps.” She explains seeing that he wasn't letting her move another step.

"Maxon! Here boy." I called hitting my hands on my knees where he dropped on all fours rushing over to me. “Hey little B go find your siblings and tell them to get ready for the rodeo tonight. LIoyd is taking us there for the evening.”

She nodded, turning on her heels and up the wooden stairs. “Alright mamma.”

Entering the main house with the golden retriever following me at the heel of my boots. Going upstairs to our bedroom I shut the door knowing that Kayce was finishing up something in the barn since it wouldn’t take him as long to get ready. Pushing some shirts away I gasped catching a box that I had put up on a shelf not really remembering what was inside of it. Laying the lid down I gasped feeling some tears seeing a picture of Lee and I hugging one another in a sidebar at a rodeo when Bree was still a baby. "Oh Lee, I hope you were right about us…"

"I feel uneasy about not carrying around my little girl right now." I admitted to him while we were sitting on some barstools waiting for the events to start.

The eldest Dutton sent me a look smiling back at me. "Look, I don't think it would be hard to be away from her. But I think you deserve a night out where you can have adult fun."

"I appreciate it, Lee. I haven’t really been out of the house since forever…" I paused hearing a familiar song playing where I sat my beer bottle down squealing. "Oh my gosh. I love this song!"

Lee sat his drink down, tipping his hat and offering me his freehand smirking down at me. "Do you wanna dance with Y/n?"

"Sure thing, cowboy." Placing my hands in his we headed away from the bar so we had room to dance. He placed his right hand in mine. I put my hand on his shoulder and his other on my hip.

Lee started singing slowly, twirling me underneath his arm when he spun me out and back into his chest. "I wonder what he's doing. (Love ain't) feelin' like a fool and. (You can't). Keep lettin' him do it to you, uh. 'Cause love ain't you on a sidewalk in your new dress all alone."

"Love ain't you callin' me 'cause he ain't pickin' up his phone. The way you're talkin' sounds like he's somebody you should hate. I may not know what love is girl, but I know what love ain't." I sang meeting his gaze spinning him under my arm as best as I could, making him lose his hat and it fall on the ground.

He chuckled, picking it up off the ground dusting it off. He sits in on my head before we finish the ending of the song. "I may not know what love is girl, but I know what love ain't. Come over, let me show you what he can't. 'Cause he can only show you what love ain't. Love ain't (love ain't) yeah yeah. (Love ain't) love ain't."

"Y/n, the thing between you and my brother is complicated. And I understand if you don't want to give him another chance since he left you when he got another girl pregnant. But I do think ya'll can find your way back to one another." Kayce's oldest brother declared squeezing my hands intertwined with his.

Grinning up at him I hope that he was right and one day I did find my way back to him like the romantic couple would in the movies. "Maybe one day you are right, Lee. We will have a fairytale life of some sort."

"Come on kiddos. This way I'll get us some good seats." LIoyd pushed the twins along with Bree and Tate following after him.

I paused in my step leaning against the fence sniffing a little since we had passed the bar that Lee and I had gone to when we were split up. Kayce walked up to me resting a hand on my shoulder seeing that I was a little upset. "Hey, you alright honey?"

"I uh - I came here with your brother Lee. And he…he told me that he hoped that we would find our way back to each other." I sniffled feeling some tears falling down until he cupped my face in his larger hands making me look into his brown eyes.

He pressed his forehead down onto mine and sniffed through some tears of his own. "Hey now. Don't focus on the past. We can't change what happened…but he was right. We are meant to be together, you and I. We are a team. I love you, my sweet darling."

"I love you too, Kayc…I'm sorry about this. I shouldn't be getting emotional when this is a night with the kids." He puts a finger to my lips, cutting me off before he wiped away the stray tears.

"Don’t shut your emotions out. Alright you know what we are going to do. We are going on a date night tomorrow just the two of us. Because we need some time away from our kids even though I know we love them like crazy.”

Burying my face against his chest gripping his jacket in my fingers he put his chin on top of my head. Footsteps ran over to us where we saw that it was Elsa who was wearing Lioyd’ hat on her head where it was way too big. “Mommy. Daddy, I want to rodeo when I grow up.”

“Well sweet girl. You have to wait until you're big enough to ride a horse on your own. But I bet Uncle Lloyd will be thrilled to teach you.” Picking her up from the ground Kayce ruffled her hair handing him back his hat when we went to find our seats.

Kayce wrapped his arm around my waist mumbling into my ear when I leaned into his embrace seeing the kids all entertained by the events. “You don’t have to hide anything from me, love. I will always be here.” I felt a pit in my gut at his words since I hadn’t yet told him about Jaime’s phone call the other night. But that would be a problem for down the road hopefully.

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[mythrae]

Ain't No Sunshine (When She's Gone)

Chapter 1: Prelude

Summary: When the Fairest Bard in Baldur’s Gate is forced into giving her hand in marriage to a member of the Baldurian Elite, Anastasia Goldenrod told herself she would do just about anything to get herself out of it.

Word Count: 3.9k

Warnings: 18+ (minors do not interact), minor character death

Author’s Notes:

this fic is half the reason why I’ve been absent from writing this past month so if u wanna blame someone blame Stassie

big shoutout to @swanfey and @have-a-treato for beta reading :)

fic is set immediately before Act 1 of

click here to read on aO3 :)

“Mama? Papa? I’m home!”

Anastasia Goldenrod opened the door of her parent’s home in Rivington, her violin case in one hand and a bag full of coins in the other. She had just finished performing in front of Sorcerous Sundries on the western side of the Lower City of Baldur’s Gate, a spot she would frequent often as the days were slowly getting warmer.

Ever since Anastasia was a young girl, she had always dreamed of becoming a bard. She was born with a gift for music, so learning how to sing and play her violin came as naturally to her as a babe learning to crawl. Once she began playing her instrument in the streets outside of her home, always drawing in an adoring crowd of fans wanting to get a glimpse of her golden hair and freckled cheeks in the sunlight as she played and sang her heart out.

As she got older, she began to perform almost daily, her talents requested by people of higher ranking. She was even asked to perform at Grand Duke Ravengard’s coronation, an offer she would be a fool to refuse. With her high-profile appearances, she began to build quite the reputation throughout the city.

The Fairest Bard in Baldur’s Gate , they called her. 

Or, as she was known by those who watched her perform nightly at the Elfsong Tavern, the Silver Tongued Bard, for her quick jabs at the men who pined after her.

She didn’t really care for titles, no, that wasn’t what was important to her. She was more than happy making a living doing what she loved.

And she always wanted to make her parents proud. That’s why, even after she had finished her schooling, she stayed at home to help support her family. Nearly every single piece of gold she made went back to them. She helped her mother in the kitchen, aided her father with tailoring the garments sent to the family’s shop, even repairing some of the pieces herself. They had given their life to her for so long, she wanted to pay them back in any way she could.

Her parents were very happy to have their only child still helping them around the home and with the family business. They were proud to see how far their daughter had come in such a short amount of time.

And even so, they still had different plans for her.

“Ah, perfect timing! Hurry, come in, dear!” She heard her father shouting for her from the parlor.

She made haste, her feet moving quickly at her father’s call. But as she entered the room, setting down her violin case, she found herself taking a step back.

Three people stood up from their place on the sofas, all looking to her expectantly.

Her parents, of course, were no shock to her whatsoever. But the tall, dark haired man towering over them was an unexpected guest.

“Anastasia,” her mother said, grinning from ear to ear, “there’s someone we would like you to meet.”

The man gave her a smile, extending his hand to her as a greeting. 

“Ah, if it isn’t the Fairest Bard in all of Baldur’s Gate! I have been looking forward to making your acquaintance, dear.”

She caught a glimpse of the golden steel gauntlet adorning his fingers, a purple stone that almost seemed to glow set right in the middle of the ornate item. The metal matched the accents of his belt and cloak, resembling the face of some sort of devil-like figure. Her eyes flickered to his face, and while he was quite the sight for sore eyes, there was something a bit… off , about him. As if there was another side of him he didn’t want anyone else to see.

When she reached out her hand to shake his, he grabbed hold of her tightly, almost unforgivingly, the metal of the gauntlet cold against her delicate skin. Unable to break from his clutch, she watched as he pulled the back of her hand to his lips for a soft, uncomfortably tender kiss. She felt her face flush, feeling his surprisingly soft lips pressed against her. But as his darkened eyes stared into hers, she felt the warmth leave her body entirely.

She took her hand back, shaking off his unwelcome gesture. “A bit forward for a stranger to greet me like this in my home, hmm?”

“ Ana !” Her mother raised her voice, “That’s no way to treat your future husband!”

“Future… what ?” 

Anastasia spun her head to look at her mother, then back at the man standing in front of her.

She was going to marry him?

“Ah, my apologies, darling.” The man finally spoke. “I have yet to introduce myself.” 

He placed his hand over his chest and bowed to her deeply, refusing to break his gaze. Her whole body felt like it was under a spell, as if she was frozen and couldn’t move.

“I am Lord Enver Gortash. A pleasure to meet you, my dear.”

Hells, not a politician…

Usually, she’d be able to come up with a witty one-liner that would lower his ego. Make a comment on how he looks as if he hasn’t bathed in a tenday, or how he could use a haircut to look more like a member of the elite and not a lowly pauper. After all, she couldn’t become as well known amongst the city as she was without a little bit of vicious mockery.

But despite her strong distaste for him, and how her parents had introduced him as her future husband, she found herself stunned into silence.

“I see that this must be a lot to take in, hm?” He stood upright, his shadow looming over her once more.

All she could do was nod.

“You see, Anastasia, I have heard of your renown throughout the city,” Lord Gortash continued, “There are only so many ladies who can be given your title, after all. So I’ve taken it upon myself to visit the Elfsong every now and again. And you, my dear, are a true work of art.”

Something clicked in the back of her mind.

Yes , she thought, I’ve seen him there before…

The vision comes back briefly, her playing one of the tunes she wrote for Duke Ulder Ravengard on the tavern stage. He was sitting in the back of the room, drinking whatever ale they had that evening, glaring at her from across the way.

She remembered how frightening he looked. It made her feel unsafe that night. 

And here he was, giving her that same devious glare, making her feel vulnerable all over again. Almost like he was staring right through her clothes, taking in her naked form.

She wanted to run. She wanted to get away. She wanted to scream and claw at the smug look at his face and hit him over the head with her violin case.

But, she stayed frozen, unable to move.

“And what a coincidence, he continued, “your father just so happens to be my tailor! When I had knocked on his door earlier today, he thought I had personally come by to drop off my cloaks!

“What can I say?” Her father chuckled, “It’s not every day that the Military Advisor for the Baldurian Elite comes to our humble shop!”

“Well, you will most certainly need to get used to it, Mister Goldenrod.”

Lord Gortash reached into his cloak pocket, pulling out a small box while he knelt down on one knee. He opened the box, revealing a golden ring, an impressively large diamond set perfectly in the middle.

“Anastasia Goldenrod, I would be remiss to not make you my bride. Will you accept?”

Oh, so they’re being serious.

She didn’t want to do this, not yet. Her life had barely begun, and she didn’t want to get tied down just yet. She wanted to perform, travel alongside the Sword Coast, meet all sorts of friends and foes. She wanted a chance to live her life, fall in love on her own terms, before settling down and starting a family.

This would take it all away from her.

She was going to say no, until she turned her focus away from Gortast to look at her parents.

She knew they had gone through hardship, long before she was even born. Her father was once a renown tailor in the Lower City of Baldur’s Gate, servicing any and all who stopped at his doorstep. But an accident unknown to her had ruined his reputation, forcing his family to move to the outskirts of the city he loved. Since then, they have struggled, barely making enough money for the three of them. It wasn’t until she started getting paid for playing that they were finally able to live comfortably. And even then, it wasn’t always enough.

She knew that if she were to get married to a Baldurian Elite like Lord Gortash, her father’s business would be up and running again. She could see the hope and excitement in their eyes as they envisioned their future. 

She couldn’t find it in herself to crush their dreams.

With her eyes squeezed shut and her face turned away, she begrudgingly gave him her answer:

“Yes.”

She heard her parents gasp, elated that their daughter had accepted his proposal. When she opened her eyes, she saw Lord Gortash beaming, a twinkle in his eye as he plucked the ring from its box and slid it onto Anastasia’s ring finger.

“Excellent.”

“Oh, isn’t this so exciting, Ana?” Her father said, nearly shaking in excitement, “he wants to marry you! YOU!”

No, it was not exciting whatsoever , she thought.

Lord Gortash stood up, giving Anastasia’s hand one final squeeze before he left. “It was a delight to make your acquaintance, dearest Anastasia.” 

She gave him a curt nod in his direction, discreetly wiping her hand on her trousers.

He gave a shallow bow to her parents. “I must go make the arrangements for our upcoming nuptials. We will be married in a tenday! Get your guest list to me as soon as you can!”

As he opened the door to their home, he turned his head to say one last remark:

“It will surely be an unforgettable night!

Anastasia felt her stomach drop.

She did not like the way he said that.

-----

Unable to face her parents with her concerns for her upcoming nuptials, Anastasia spent the next hour quietly sobbing into the pile of pillows resting on her bed. 

Usually, when she thought her parents were making a poor decision, she would be able to dissuade them into making a choice that was more reasonable. Things like if they wanted to irresponsibly use their money, or if they wanted to use a different thread supplier because the one they have become loyal to was getting pricier.

But this? If she said anything at all, it could ruin everything. There was no way she could express how she was feeling to them right now. 

In fact, how was she feeling?

Blindsided, confused, hurt, betrayed. As if she was being sold off like a pig in a market, destined for a grim death it would never see coming.

All of these and more came to mind.

But instead of seeking out the comfort she once had from her parents, she let the pillowcases absorb her tears, her eye makeup staining them black.

She was so distraught by what they had allowed to happen to her, she didn’t even notice the graying-haired stranger relaxing in the chair in the corner of her bedroom.

As she lifted her head from her pillow to take a shaky breath, the overwhelming smell of sulfur filled her nostrils. And was that a hint of… 

Cherry ?

Turning her head over her shoulder, she locked eyes with a man dressed rather regally watching her intently, one leg crossed over the other as he held a chalice delicately in his fingers.

“My, my, my.” The man tutted, shaking his head. “I was worried I’d be here until sunrise, little mouse.”

Anastasia sat up in her bed, silently conjuring one of her cantrips in between her fingers. The heat started to build up in the palm of her hand as she narrowed her eyes, zeroing in the most unwelcome guest.

“How the hells did you get in here?”

The strange man chuckled, twirling his chalice, “Seems your door has a faulty lock, hm?”

Her eyes flickered over to the door, which was left slightly ajar.

“Fair point.” She replied, palms glowing a bright orange as she hopped from her bed as she held out her hands in his direction, “ Why are you here?”

“Oh, where are my manners?” He smiled to himself, standing to his feet while placing the chalice on the desk next to him.

Anastasia fought the urge to roll her eyes to the back of her head. She’d already met one odd man in her home, and now here she was, dealing with another one.

“I am Raphael, at your humble service.”

Another shallow bow, much like the one Gortash gave her parents mere hours ago, down to resting his hand on top of his chest.

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Anastasia spat, the magic practically burning at her skin, “Tell me why you’re here, or I’ll incincerate you where you stand.”

“Well, aren’t you feisty?” He nearly purred, “I assure you, I am here to help you. With your… upcoming arrangement.”

Anastasia felt her eyes go wide. How does he know?

She dismissed her cantrip away, allowing her hands to slowly fall to her sides.

“Explain yourself.”

“You see,” Raphael began, “I know of this man who wants to have your hand in marriage. This ‘Lord Gortash,’ he calls himself. We have… a bit of history, to say the least. And I would stop at nothing to ruin his pathetic self over and over again.”

She watched him tightly squeeze his fist together, as if he was squishing the life out of Lord Gortash in his bare hands.

“I would very much like to help you get out of this arrangement…”

“Oh, you would?!” Anastasia blurted,

“... for a price, that is.”

This didn’t bother her in the slightest.

“At this point, I’d do anything.” She pleaded.

Well, almost anything.

“Calm down, little mouse.” Raphael waved his hand in the air, “Let’s discuss this matter in a less… intimate setting. Besides, the town of Rivington always felt too ‘middle-of-nowhere’ for my tastes.”

Before she could even process what he said, Raphael snapped his fingers, and Anastasia felt the room spinning away from her.

Even when she closed her eyes, the vertigo still took hold, feeling as if her body had been caught up in a twister she could not escape. All she could do was squeeze her eyes shut and pray that it would be over.

But as the thought crossed her mind, she felt the air around her still.

When she opened her eyes, she was no longer in her bedroom. Quite the opposite, in fact.

The stranger had teleported her into a grand dining hall, lavished with the highest quality food and the strongest smelling alcohol her senses had ever experienced. Plush chairs surrounded the large table, a rather creepy skeleton placed in each seat, paired with its own plate and goblet at their table setting. The walls were decorated rather luxuriously, paintings hung carefully alongside many emblems of a golden devilish face, each one with its tongue sticking out.

Wait a minute, she thought, those are the same devil’s on Gortash’s cloak…

“There,” Raphael said, interrupting Anastasia’s thoughts, “‘middle-of-somewhere.’ Welcome to my House of Hope, dear.”

He stood in front of the fireplace, the warm glow of the flickering flames making him look as if he was a sort of hero, or a savior of sorts.

But the way he stood in front of her was nearly identical to the portrait of the devil that hung behind him.

“Who… who are you, really?” Anastasia questioned him, taking a small step back.

He tutted, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Oh, dear. It took you this long to figure it out? Not very insightful, are you?”

Raphael was surrounded by a blazing inferno, seeming as if they were rising up from the Hells themselves. As the flames dimmed, his true form was revealed: deep red skin, glowing eyes, strong horns, and bat-like wings.

A devil .

“What’s better than a devil you don’t know?”

“A devil you… do?” She replied, nearly trembling in fear.

“Precisely.”

She watched as the devil snapped his fingers once more.

Anastasia felt herself being pushed back into a chair, her wrists being restrained by a metal claw on the arms as soon as she had taken a seat. 

“Can’t let you run off during negotiations, dearest.” He explained, “I do hope you understand.”

It took everything in herself not to thrash about, to scream at him to let her go, that she wanted no part in this any longer.

Instead, she took a breath, in through her nose, out through her mouth.

Stay calm, she told herself, he wants to help you. He’s going to help you, whether he truly wants to or not.

“Pray tell, Anastasia,” he said, “have you ever heard of a warlock?”

She had heard their praises sung by other bards a few times before. Fierce, strong spellcasters, bound by contract to an all-powerful patron who gives the warlock power in exchange for their loyalty and completing various duties assigned to them. Though she didn’t know any warlocks personally, she could definitely see the appeal in becoming one.

“I have,” She nodded. 

“So this next part won’t come as a surprise, then.”

The devil snapped his fingers. Fearing the worst, Anastasia braced for impact.

Instead of her body being moved against her will once more, a scroll unfurled in front of her, magically floating in midair. The infernal inscription of the scroll glowed crimson. This was definitely unlike any sort of contract she had seen before.

Well, of course it isn’t, she thought to herself, this is a deal with a devil .

“The moment I have your signature,” he gestured as a quill appeared next to the scroll, “you will become my loyal warlock. Serving me for all your mortal days, and perhaps into the afterlife… if you’re lucky.” 

“If I’m lucky?” Anastasia arched her brow.

“If I like you enough, that is,” he replied with a sickening grin. “Then, not only will I help you escape this marriage…”

He leaned in close, their noses nearly touching as she saw his eyes burning with the hellish infernal flame.

“Your power will be greater than you could ever imagine.”

Was she flushing from the proposal or from his proximity?

Regardless, Anastasia knew what she had to do.

“It’s a deal,” She answered.

The restraint from her wrists were lifted, allowing her to quickly pick up the quill. With her grip holding it tightly, she signed her name at the bottom of the parchment, her name glowing red once she lifted the quill from the scroll.

“Good girl.” He smiles as the contract rolled itself up, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

As soon as the scroll vanished, Anastasia felt a new magic coursing through her veins. This was nothing like the cantrips she had learned to harness, most definitely not. This magic was more powerful, darker in nature, as it traveled to the crown of her head to the ends of her fingers and toes. 

For the first time in her life, she felt strong. She felt powerful.

She felt like she could do anything.

“Well? How does it feel?”

“It feels… amazing.” She replied, looking down at the deep green aura surrounding her hands. “It’s unlike anything I’ve felt before.”

“Excellent,” Raphael smiled. "But you're not done, yet."

She looked up from her hands to find him towering over her, moving his hands to rest them on her shoulders, his claws nearly breaking the fabric of her clothing.

“Now, listen to me carefully, dear.” He said, “If you mess this plan up, it could ruin everything.”

-----

“Oh, gods! My baby!”

As the sun crept over the town of Rivington, she could hear her mother’s agonizing screams ripping through the morning air.

Anastasia saw a replica of her body, beaten and bruised, limply laying in front of the steps of her home. She looked on as her mother’s arms wrapped around the body, weeping uncontrollably as she mourned the loss of her daughter. 

“My baby… they took my baby…” she repeated again and again, her body rocking back and forth as she cradled her child.

To her pleasant surprise, Raphael had kept his end of the deal. Before she had left the House of Hope, he had instructed her to tell her parents the night before that she was going to play at the Elfsong Tavern, like she normally did. This time, she was not to come home.

Her father, who usually stayed up late for her on these nights, stood over the two of them. Even as the sun shone on his face, his features were dark.

She swore he never cried once in his life. But as she watched from the trees behind their house, she almost swore she saw him shed a tear.

Anastasia never wanted to hurt her parents, not like this. It hurt her even more, seeing how heartbroken they were to have lost their only child, their sunshine in the darkness of their lives.

But deep down, she knew this was the best decision she could make for herself.

She took a deep breath before taking a step back, holding her hands in prayer.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered to herself. She hoped that through some strange miracle, her parents could hear her.

She quickly turned on her heel to make her way to the forest, replaying Raphael’s message in her head:

“When you know that they found your body, head to the middle of the forest. There will be a clearing with a boulder in the middle. That is where you will find me, and I will give you your first mission as my warlock.”

How he was able to replicate her body perfectly and have it look as if it was beaten to death, she would never fully know. But she did know one thing:

She could never go back home.

Anastasia Goldenrod was no more. The Fairest Bard in Baldur’s Gate had been brutally murdered. And to this life, she could never return. 

She was going to start anew. She had to find a new purpose. Change her name.

Oh hells, what would she call herself…

Various names rotated through her head as she trudged forward, her violin case strapped to her back, next to her newly gifted sword.

There will be people who will recognize me if I am called Ana , she thought to herself, but I don’t want to make up something completely different and brand new. I always thought my name suited me, after all.

Finally, after walking for what felt like forever, there was a name that popped in her head that was so perfect, it stopped her right in her tracks.

Stassie.

The nickname her grandmother used to call her.

She said it aloud, under her breath, one that she hadn’t heard in many years. Then again, a bit louder this time.

It was perfect.

Though she didn’t have much time to think about anything else as she felt a foreign shadow looming over her. 

As she looked over her shoulder, she spotted a mysterious alien ship with flailing tentacles flying through the sky. 

[psychocharlie]

Charlie has uncle issues

For a month now, Dennis has been staying at the bar late into the night, locking it up himself. He took everyone's keys, leaving only Charlie's copy to open Paddy's in the morning. The Gang resented this and protested, but Dennis was adamant and took away everyone else's keys on the grounds that they were all a bunch of irresponsible shitheads who forgot to lock up the bar. The fact that someone had robbed the cash register one night was also a strong argument for Dennis' rightness (and no one suspected that Dennis was this "someone" who had robbed Paddy's to carry out his plan). So for a month, Dennis staying the longest and closing the bar. Charlie also often lingers, because the bar needed to be cleaned up before closing, which, as everyone knows, is Charlie work.

Of course, Dennis made this scheme so that he and Charlie would have time to be alone and talk about their business without looking suspicious. Especially since the Gang started noticing their odd behavior. Especially Mac. Oh, Mac has become unbearable. Suspicious, obsessive, and jealous. Reynolds should get something much better than this bar trick to distract him. And he was going to do it later.

But that night Charlie left early, while even Mac, Dee, and Frank were still at the bar. His mom called him and begged him tearfully to come over and help her with something, and he left. So it's only been about 15 minutes since everyone left, and Dennis was really getting ready to close up and go home, because Charlie wasn’t there, and Dennis hadn't been doing his «business» in a while. And neither had his friend. After that terrible nervous breakdown in his bad place he hadn't touched a single person yet. 

The man is briefly distracted by his phone before getting up from the counter and walking away. Grinning, he replies to a message from a pretty girl on a dating site he's been DENNIS'ing for a few days, anticipating the inevitable culmination of their dates – first passionate and then bloody, filling his entire being with power and strength. In those moments, he truly felt like the actual Golden God.  Only then did the gaping hole in his chest, the God Hole, cease to ring with its emptiness, and he felt whole. Then and in some other rare moments that Reynolds preferred not to think about.

Before he can even finish the message, the door swings open, causing Dennis to flinch and lift his head, and Charlie plops down behind the bar.

– I'm gonna kill him. – Charlie's voice is hoarse, and he's literally growling, looking sullenly like a beast ready to pounce on you and tear you to pieces. His eyes burn with anger, but it's not a hot flame of rage, it's something colder, even more sinister. Hatred.

Dennis quickly presses the send button, no longer caring what he texted to that sweet fool, and sets the phone aside. All his attention is on Charlie now.

– Who? – His voice is soft and cautious. He pulls a bottle of whiskey and two glasses from under the bar, deciding it is the best choice for the circumstances. «Is that the last thing his victims see?» – wonders Dennis. Charlie, meanwhile, empties a glass of whiskey under his gaze. In one gulp.

– Uncle Jack. 

Dennis sighs heavily and presses his lips together, sipping from his glass. Uncle Jack. Charlie was always out of sorts after seeing him. Usually he just got weird, twitchy or depressed. Sometimes he'd get irritable and start shouting at everyone. But this time it was the real hatred. Cold and full of contempt.

Dennis remains silent, and his buddy pours and drains another glass again. Gradually his face softens, the hatred fading from the green eyes, making way for deadly fatigue and despair and resentment. 

– I want him to die like a goddamn brute. – Voice's desperate, almost whisper. The formerly tense posture of a predator ready to pounce changes as well, Charlie's body slouches, shoulders droop. Then Dennis finally decides to speak, quietly and calmly. 

– I understand, bud, you have every reason to want him dead. He molested you.

Charlie stands up again and screams. Dennis sees the desperation in his eyes. 

– He didn't molest me!

– He did, – Dennis replies quietly yet firmly, bringing the half-empty bottle to his friend's mouth. He presses his lips together, digging his fingernails into the old wooden surface, exhales heavily and, closing his eyes, allows Dennis to get him drunk.

– He did. - His voice sounds like an echo, barely audible repeating Dennis' words as Charlie lowers his head, resting it on the counter. Reynolds flinches. This is the first time Charlie has ever admitted it. They all knew it, but Charlie had always denied it, indignantly and furiously, without admitting it. So had Dennis with his Ms. Klinsky thing. But now Charlie finally admitted it and allowed himself to be vulnerable around him. Dennis drains the rest of his whiskey and patts the bar next to Charlie's shoulder in a reassuring gesture, hesitant to touch him right away.

– Alright... – there’s a pause in the air as Dennis tries to think of what to say now, – you know... do it. You have every right to. 

– I'd like to. – His voice is muffled. – I wanna do it every time he reaches out to me with his creepy hands. He fucking hugged me today. But I can't. 

– Why not?

And Charlie lifts his head and shakes it. He looks now like an abandoned puppy who's lost all hope of finding a home. He sighs heavily and starts to talk. He talks and talks and talks. Talks about how much his mother loves that bastard Jack, how she's cared for him all her life. The stupid bitch throws a little family party of his birthdays and even bakes the cakes for him, but she can't even remember the exact age of her own son, not to mention wishing him a happy birthday. He tells how upset and hysterical she would be if her brother suddenly disappeared. She’d call the police and they would find Charlie. And after him, probably Dennis as well. And Dennis nods, nods, nods, doesn't understand why he didn't think of it himself. Like, it's so obvious and logical. He hadn't thought of it because his mind was busy thinking that Uncle Jack should die in agony like a filthy animal, which he was.

They drink another bottle of whiskey and gradually change the subject. Now they are discussing the failure of the gang's scheme this afternoon and who is to blame (It was all Dee! That bitch is totally unartistic and can't even play such a simple role in our plan!), when suddenly Charlie speaks up and changes his face again:

– But if I ever see him molest a child in person... I'll kill him. And then I won't care about the consequences. I just won't be able to bear it. I'll take a hammer and smash his ugly face in. I'll crack his head like a walnut. I'll hit and hit and hit his head until I stop recognizing him at all. He'll die in agony like an animal, he'll–

Dennis can see that Charlie is about to boil again: his hands are clenched into fists, his eyebrows are drawn together in a broad line, and his teeth are clenched tightly together, almost gritting. Dennis swears he can hear them grinding. 

– I'm staying out of his perverted business, but if I see this–

– Oi-oi-oi-oi-oi-oi-oi-oi-oi-oh-oi! – he grabs Charlie by the shoulders and shakes him, repeating an old tried-and-true ritual, trying to distract and calm him. 

– Oi-oi-oi-oi, yeah, – he mumbles back and nods, closing his eyes to calm himself. Dennis pours him another whiskey.

***

At home, Reynolds is met by Mac with his stupid questions about what took him so long and where he was. 

– I was with a girl, – Dennis angrily waves him off.

– Oh, with a girl? – Mac's eyebrows rise in a familiar expression as he spreads his arms across his chest, glancing at his neighbor, – I knew you took away everyone's keys just to fuck chicks at Paddy's! Did you fuck her on the bar stand? Or on the pool table? On my favorite pool table? Spit it out, man! 

– Get yourself a goddamn boyfriend, Mac, and fuck him on the pool table or wherever you want, but get the fuck off me! – Dennis yells at him irritably and disappears into his room, slamming the door behind him. Mac is really starting to get on his nerves. Something has to be done about this.

Finally, after a long day, Dennis lies down in bed with his eyes closed. His imagination immediately pictures Uncle Jack's mutilated body on the Paddy's basement. His face is unrecognizable - smashed with a hammer, it's just a bloody mess, pools of blood spreading around. His hands, which Jack had always been so self-conscious about, which he had always tried to hide, conceal, visually enlarge, were now severed. Jack's severed hands will never be pets for Charlie. Charlie will take the smallest jar he has and chop them up in there, slicing off each finger individually like sausages. «Oh, look, Uncle Jack, your hands are so small they can only fit in this silly little jar. How pathetic is that, Uncle Jack. It sucks to have hands small like this, doesn't it?» And then he throws the jar into the scalding heat of the furnace.

Dennis clutches the sheets with his fingers, his lips drawn together in a thin line. The last thing he thinks about before he falls asleep is Uncle Jack's dreadful death, which he deserves.

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Super 027

Let’s talk about Vegeta vs. Golden Frieza, shall we?

This only takes up about a third of the episode, and it’s not a big chunk of the movie version either, but I think Vegeta’s fight against Frieza is the actual highlight of this story. 

I mean, you look at Goku Blue vs. Golden Frieza, and that sounds like it ought to be the main event.  It’s a rematch of their epic fight on Namek, Frieza’s out for revenge, and Goku never finished him off properly the last time.  Plus they have new forms, so it seems like all the ingredients are there for a great battle. 

But in the end, it falls flat.  Their battle is basically a repeat of their first fight on Namek, but with none of the suspense or tension.  They fool around for a while, then they get serious, then Goku seems to be on the backfoot for a while, then Frieza wears himself out and Goku declares victory.  Same deal, both times.  The difference is that Frieza has a guy standing by to shoot Goku when he lets his guard down, and Goku has Vegeta standing by to jump in if things go wrong. 

More importantly, though, the characters didn’t seem very emotionally invested in this battle.  Goku starts out filled with righteous indignation, but by the time he powers up to Super Saiyan Blue, he’s acting all cheery and chipper, like he’s fighting a regular strong opponent, and not his evil nemesis who killed several of his friends and also his bio-parents.  He treats the entire fight like a joke, which is kind of a cool attitude from Goku, really, but it also kills off the drama.  He simply doesn’t sweat Frieza, because he’s already beaten him once and he knows he can do it again . The problem is that when your movie is all about bringing Frieza back because that’s such a terrible and scary thing, the premise is ruined when the main hero refuses to take it seriously. 

On the flip side, Frieza wants revenge on Goku, but for what exactly?  He lost his chance for immortality?  That was Dende, not Goku.  He got killed and sent to hell?  That was Future Trunks.  All those wounds that had to be repaired with cyborg parts?  Well most of those injuries were self-inflicted.  Frieza cut himself in half, and he’s the one who blew up Namek while he was still on it. 

All Goku did to Frieza was beat the shit out of him, which, yeah, I don’t blame Frieza for being more upset about that than the other stuff.  But he went to all this trouble to turn the tables on Goku, but it feels kind of hollow.  Like, he doesn’t seem that fussed about it.  You’d think he’d want to kill Goku quickly, because he’s afraid of him, or maybe he wants to make him suffer a lot, but instead he just slugs it out with him until he runs out of juice.  Maybe it’s Frieza’s arrogance getting in the way of his wrath, but it feels like he didn’t think any of this through, which is dumb when you consider that he spent umpteen years in hell with nothing else to occupy his thoughts. 

Now, by contrast, Vegeta vs. Frieza actually feels a lot more satisfying.  Vegeta has a score to settle with Frieza, and he could never do it because Frieza killed him, and this is the first chance he’s had to avenge his own death.  And he doesn’t waste any time.  Frieza’s worn down by this point, but even if he were fresh, Vegeta’s all-business approach suggests that it wouldn’t matter much.  He was impatiently waiting for Goku to get on with things, implying that Goku could have handled the fight much more efficiently if he had wanted to.  So when Vegeta finally gets his turn, he just starts dropping the hurt bombs. 

And it’s fun to watch, because we know Vegeta has a lot of baggage here, and because Frieza had no idea that Vegeta had changed so much since their last encounter.  So this fight is not a rerun of what happened on Namek.  Instead, it’s a complete role-reversal.  Now Vegeta’s the one dodging all of Frieza’s hits and teeing off on Frieza, punishing him before delivering the final blow. 

And that’s probably not lost on Vegeta, which is why he hesitates to finish the job.  Earlier, Whis warned Goku about letting his guard down, and now we see Vegeta succumb to his weakness, which is his tendency to overthink.  He’s so caught up in his own revenge that he forgot about Frieza’s revenge.  Right here, Vegeta’s probably thinking “Yeah, this is just like when I was lying helpless on the ground, and he was preparing to finish me off!”  When instead, he should be thinking “Wait, in this position, he could totally blow up the Earth and kill me before I can kill him.”

Hey, here’s a shot of Pan crying before the Earth explodes.  Call me nutty, but maybe she’s crying because she can sense what’s about to happen.

Here’s Buu, sleeping through the whole thing. 

And then Whis reverses time, allowing Goku a second chance to finish Frieza off.  And this is where the story really blows it.  This do-over crap is why Resurrection F is the weakest of the four modern Dragon Ball films, and why the Res F Saga is one of the worst arcs in Dragon Ball Super.

1) It’s deus ex machina.  ‘Nuff said there.  I can’t remember the last time anyone ever said “Oh, boy!  Deus ex machina!  My favorite!”

2) The do-over is used to teach Goku a Very Important Lesson about not letting his guard down and murdering his enemies when he has the chance.  Which is fine, except Goku already learned that lesson when he got shot through the chest with a laser gun.  At least, I would hope it got through to him in that moment. Whis warned him about it at the start of the story, then Frieza mocked him for it, then Vegeta reminded him of Whis’s warning, and then Whis brought it up a fourth time right before the temporal do-over.  So it’s redundant. 

3) It undermines the satisfaction of the Vegeta/Frieza fight.  I think fans wanted to see Frieza take a beating, and Vegeta is the one character who could be trusted to dish it out.  And sure, it probably makes more sense for Goku to be the one who gets to kill Frieza, but he had his shot and he blew it, so having Vegeta blow it too, and then having Goku do it on the second try just makes everyone look goofy.  It’s a screwy finish.  What made the fight on Namek so awesome was that Goku and Frieza went apeshit on each other for like twenty episodes, and then Frieza took a hellacious beating, lost the fight, self-destructed, and got caught in the explosion of Namek.  There was no doubt as to who won and who lost.  Res F is the opposite of that. 

So what you end up with is a story that isn’t about Frieza’s revenge, or Goku’s revenge, or Vegeta’s revenge.  It just ends up being about... stuff, and things.  It’s not about life or death because the Dragon Balls and Whis’ time trick make those stakes meaningless.  It’s not about who’s the strongest because Beerus could one-shot all three of the main characters, but he’s more interested in eating a strawberry sundae. 

Anyway, this episode closes out with another post-battle party, and it feels like we’ve had like a dozen of these in this series.  Remember when Goku defeated Vegeta and they didn’t have a party because most of the gang was dead and Goku had to go to the hospital because Vegeta broke every bone in his body?

So Gohan asks Piccolo to train him again, because he blames himself for Frieza killing Piccolo and destroying the Earth.  He keeps talking about how he needs to protect his family, but when was that not the case?  Gohan had loved ones to protect all along.  There’s sort of a plotline here that culminates in Super Hero, but it’s very janky.  Gohan gets really serious in the Tournament of Power, but then in Super Hero he’s back to not giving a shit.  Then he goes Beast Mode and... well, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Meanwhile, Goku and Vegeta talk about Whis’ suggestion that they should learn to work together in combat, and they agree that working together sucks ass, and they should continue to stubbornly fight the way they have been.  Bickering over whose turn it is and getting in each other’s way.   And that’s the real moral of Resurrection F: That every dumb thing that happened in Resurrection F was actually a cool thing according to the twisted backwards logic of Resurrection F.  These two will end up using fusion again... twice!  So I have no idea what to make of any of this. 

The important thing is that we’re finally done with the first 27 episodes of this show, and now we can finally move on to material that wasn’t just cribbed from the movies.  Not that the next arc is great, but at least it’s original material. 

[multishipper-baby]

heyyyss!! sorry if you've already answered this question in any of your posts but i wanted to ask about you fnafhs dr au... do you already have designs for everyone? like- their appearance. that's what i mean.

i saw u posted eak golden and spring's designs but i dont know if you have anyone else's designs drawn or if youve at least thought of a general idea of what they might be? sorry if this is weird hdjsjdjskd

Well, there's the design @chocottang made for Cami (you can see it here) which I consider canon because it's honestly great.

As for other characters... I've been working on it, but I'm terrible at designing outfits and I'm busy with college so I haven't had time to draw, so it's been a slow progress. I have some ideas though- under the cut because it's kind of long.

Here's my idea for Joy, which I think is the most finished. I wanted her to have some relaxed clothing but still look fashionable rather than just give her an idol outfit. So yeah this is pretty much it for her- I just new to draw her.

Chica is also somewhat finished I think? I'm not totally sold the outfit but whenever I try something else I end up back here so, something about it works for me idk. As the little text says, it just needs front pockets.

Meg... I don't dislike but I think it's a bit much. I chose the dress because it looks somewhat like her outfit in "Lo que siento", plus stripped socks because she usually wears stripped socks. It ended up too gothic and Halloween-y though, which I'm not sure if right.

I mean, I don't dislike the idea of goth Meg, but maybe the final design could use some toning down.

Usagi! Now this is one that I've thought a lot about. I want her to have something flexible and sporty to go with her talent, so I have these ideas so far. I like the first one more, because I think it's cuter, but I feel like the design having one or more black belts would make sense since it would inform her talent very clearly. Although maybe I could incorporate the black belts in some other way, so that I can have them in the outfit but also make something cute. Idk.

Also I have been fighting myself because, while it would make more sense to keep her hair as it normally is, I adore putting it in buns like she has in her song.

Plus this is the scene that gave me the idea of making her a martial artist, so it could be a cool design detail. Or maybe I'm just fooling myself lol.

Also I've drawn Freddy from this AU twice, and both times he's wore the sweater from this outfit, so I guess this is his outfit? I like it well enough- it's not particularly special but it's not supposed to be special, so it's fine.