#if i tag all the characters all the time it will get SO LONG AND MESSY

[adieutristana]

Hiiii! Can you do arcane women having “I’m not better than a man” moment?

of course! thank you for the request <3

sunder by hibou on repeat rn

summary; arcane women having an ‘i’m no better than a man’ moment (aka being distracted by your assets).

characters included; jinx, vi, mel, sevika, caitlyn, maddie.

tags/warnings; SUGGESTIVE, no explicit nsfw, fluff, mentions of drinking, crack kinda, arcane women being whipped for u

men and minors dni.

jinx;

✧.* jinx is a tit girl, no doubt about it. she doesn’t care the size, the shape, how they sit, she’s just utterly obsessed with your boobs. she tries to keep her hands to herself, she really does, but sometimes she just can’t help herself.

✧.* though she does have to show some self-restraint sometimes, as torturous as that is. as much as she'd love to, jinx knows it's probably best that she doesn't smother you and keeps her hands to herself until you're behind closed doors... which makes days like this so difficult.

✧.* today, it's hot out, and zaun gets humid. for that reason it's optimal to dress wisely, you'd picked a simple tank top and pair of loose-fitting shorts in hopes of not sweating yourself half to death. you and jinx had a day planned together, a day of visiting street vendors and exploring the undercity. not much necessarily, but you've found that anything can be fun as long as jinx is around.

✧.* you've run a bit late, and you're internally hoping that your girlfriend won't be mad. she's never exactly punctual herself, but you always feel awful running behind on plans with her. what if she thinks you stood her up, or even left her? though your worries melt off of you as you step into her view, and you see her lips curling into a smile.

✧.* "hey, babe, i'm so sorry for the wait, i was running l-" you're cut off by jinx's index finger on your lips, while her own tug into that grin you've come to love. "don't worry about it, you're here now."

✧.* within seconds, you're grabbing her hand and leading her right into the street market, eager to make up for lost time. jinx thanks janna above that you're preoccupied with looking for a stall to visit, because her gaze is... elsewhere.

✧.* naturally, with it being warmer out today, you'd opted to wear lighter clothing. this included a spaghetti-strap tank top with a very low neckline, where she could see your cleavage just right. her mind immediately went to all the places she knows it shouldn't. you're in public, in broad daylight. but they're right there, and she can't help it.

✧.* what would it look like if you bent over- would they start spilling out? or if you started bouncing on your heels? she thought about how she could see your bra straps, how she might be able to see the clasp from the back. what she'd do to unclasp it right now.

✧.* you pull her to a stall with old records, seemingly donated or imported from piltover. they're not exactly cheap- but still, they're nice to look at. you and your girlfriend have spent many an hour browsing stands like this, with jinx swiping a few vinyls for her stereo more often than not.

✧.* the boxes of records instantly draw you in, all organized by genre and decade. you take a record from one of the first boxes you see, holding it up for jinx- this is one you've been looking for for months, and they have it. finally.

✧.* "baby, look!" you smile, holding the record up. her eyebrows raise, jinx has clearly heard you, but her gaze is... downcast. "uh, babe? what's wrong?" until it clicks. she's looking at your tits.

✧.* "oh- jinx!" you gasp, as one of your hands flies to cover your cleavage. it's a playful gesture, yet still earns a scoff from the girl. she rolls her eyes in response, her voice slightly exasperated. "what? they're right there, and you expect me not to look?"

✧.* this only earns a light shove on the shoulder from you before you return to browsing through records. it's almost comical how hard it is for jinx to resist looking at you like this, but you can't exactly complain.

vi;

✧.* you and vi visit a sports bar in piltover around once a month now. you've made it a routine after she stumbled upon the place by chance, and you both ended up actually enjoying the experience. the bartenders were friendly, the drinks were fairly priced (for piltover), and the patrons were respectful enough.

✧.* it was the same routine: you'd tell vi when you were on your way, she'd swing by your place to pick you up, you'd walk hand-in-hand or with linked elbows to the bar, and you'd have a few hours of fun.

✧.* it's no different this time, with you slipping on a simple yet fun outfit for your night out. vi wasn't ever much of one for dressing up, but she tried for you, and it was always adorable seeing her efforts.

✧.* so when vi shows up at your door and hears a shouted "coming!" from inside, she's rocking back and forth on her heels, anxiously waiting your arrival. she just saw you a few days ago, yet she already misses you- can you blame her?

✧.* you swing the door open with a soft smile on your face, slinging your bag over your shoulder. you make your way down the steps to take vi into your arms, pressing a light kiss to her cheek. "hi, baby," you hum, smiling into the skin. "hi, cupcake. i missed you. you ready?"

✧.* with a nod, the two of you head off. vi had noticed your outfit when you opened the door- a simple lacy tank top with black bell-bottom jeans. it was simple, a bit dressy, but appropriate for the location. yet it wasn't until you turned around to lock the door before taking her hand that she noticed your ass.

✧.* she takes hold of your hand, taking the short walk to the bar with you. though her hand is clammy, more than usual, and she's trying so damn hard to focus on what you're saying to her while she can only think of how incredible you look in those pants. how much better you'd look if she took them off.

✧.* "so then my manager said i needed to ease up on the customers, but i was just being fair! he told them the same thing i did!" "i- yeah, that's not good. not good at all."

✧.* you both arrive at the spot, take your usual place at the bar. the bartender greets you, seemingly a new one- but she seems friendly enough. you both order your usual drinks, but you're still hung up on the work situation you'd been ranting about. you need to get it off your chest, and vi has always been such a good listener.

✧.* with your elbows braced on the bar counter, you turn back to her, "i mean, i just don't understand why the need to be so adamant! i told them that we were out of it, what did they expect?"

✧.* though your girlfriend seems to be distracted still, with her blue eyes fixated.. somewhere else. you can't figure out exactly where, though. snapping your fingers a few inches from her face seems to do the trick, though, as she quickly shakes her head. "huh?"

✧.* "are you listening?" you huff, crossing your arms over your chest. "i- yeah, i'm listening! your manager, a customer insisting on something that you don't have, uh..."

✧.* you nod slowly, raising a brow. she's listening enough to catch the gist of it, though the girl's tone is starting to worry on you. still waiting on those drinks, you lean a bit closer. "hey, what's up? is something wrong? you seem kinda distracted."

✧.* it's in that moment that vi feels her heart drop. she's been caught. she has no other option than to simply confess, or that's what she thinks.

✧.* "i'm sorry, it's just... your ass looks really good in those jeans."

✧.* your eyes widen for only a moment, and vi is preparing for the worst to happen. she's never shied from intimacy or letting you know the depths of her attraction, but while you're trying to talk to her? the last thing she wants is to be disrespectful. though what follows isn't you getting up, isn't a scoff or you telling her off. it's a bark of laughter, followed by a gentle shove of the shoulder.

✧.* "come on, you could've just told me that! i knew they were doing something for me, but damn!"

mel;

✧.* mel frequently brings you to gatherings. aside from being an influential councilwoman, she's also something of a socialite. being a woman of high status like herself and having the influence she does, she has to get out, to network, make meaningful connections that will not only help her career, but serve as good friendships.

✧.* and mel has never been shy about you, either. while she believes the personal details of your relationship should be kept private (for the most part), she also adores you, and wants the entire city to see that. it's often that you'll be her date to galas, to conferences, to progress day celebrations of all kinds.

✧.* when your girlfriend invites you along to a cocktail party, it's nothing out of the ordinary. she tells you that the dress code is formal, the venue is small yet still lavish- as always. she'll arrange transportation for you, and meet you in the lobby so you can go together.

✧.* choosing a dress certainly took time, though it was an effort you enjoyed. you'd never been one for events or clothes like this before meeting mel, but getting to be part of her world was fun. seeing the life of a powerful politician and socialite like herself was exciting, something entirely new to you.

✧.* you didn't see the point in buying outfits you'd only wear once, though, so you took to rentals for these events. deciding on a cocktail dress proved a bit more tricky than others, but you managed after several hours of trying on garments, switching sizes, checking price tags, and asking for second opinions from shop attendants. a long satin dress in a dark color with a slit up the right side. not too pretentious for an event like this, but far from casual.

✧.* after arriving at the venue, you'd taken a moment to simply take in your surroundings. white marble floors, gold accents on the doorways, marble pillars and framed portraits in the lobby. the attention to detail in this place was nothing short of incredible.

✧.* "there you are," you hear from behind you, prompting you to turn over your shoulder. a smile tugs at the corner of your lips the moment you recognize who it is. "i couldn't find you. i was getting worried."

✧.* mel places a light kiss on both cheeks, before pulling back to take your hand. though as she pulls back, she can't help noticing the slit up your dress, and just how high it runs. it stops just below your hip, and shows off the smooth skin below when you step to the side. it's tantilizing.

✧.* though she's a professional. she swallows, she rolls her shoulders back, and leads you into the main room. she has to keep herself under control- not just for your sake, but for the public's. what would the other guests do if they saw her looking at your legs like that?

✧.* and still, with a cocktail in one hand and her own hand in the other, even as you're making small talk with other guests, mel can't help her wandering eyes. lingering on that oh so high opening along your dress. her mind drifts to what's under that, how much she'd love to tear that dress off of you right now- but she can't. so she takes a quick sip of her drink, and tries to distract herself.

✧.* yet as soon as you notice exactly where her eyes are, you can't help the low chuckle that escapes you as you teasingly stick your leg out just a little more, revealing that much more of your upper thigh. "distracted, miss medarda?"

✧.* "i'm not distracted," she protests, but you can hear the hitch in her breath when you step out just that bit more. "gods, that isn't fair."

✧.* you only roll your eyes in response, giving her hand a firm squeeze. "save it for later," you whisper. a promise- something to look forward to. "we've gotta behave for now."

✧.* mel isn't able to focus on much else for the rest of the night, to say the very least.

sevika;

✧.* you and sevika live together, for the most part. although you've still got your own place that you pay rent on, you're at sevika's more often than not. it's small, rather run-down and cramped, but it's home. she keeps it clean, keeps your belongings around so that it feels more familiar, even started burning candles once you started coming around for a more welcoming atmosphere. she cares, she truly does.

✧.* though there are some times you want to take some time to yourself. sevika gets it. she's been by herself for much of her life, and the only person occupying her living space would be her. if you need a day or two every few weeks to yourself, then so be it.

✧.* you parted with a kiss to her cheek, and a whispered, "i'll be back, baby." she has your number, so it's not like you won't be talking- and your address, in case of an emergency.

✧.* the two days you took to yourself were uneventful, spent relaxing. you'd read a book, cleaned the place, caught up on laundry, rearranged furniture (several times, out of indecisiveness) and called your girlfriend at odd hours of the night to hear her rough voice. though you decided it was time to go back once you noticed there was nothing left to do, nothing you wanted to do. you enjoyed your own company, but you were ready to be in sevika's.

✧.* you'd worn a simple bralette and pair of sweatpants to her doorstep, your overnight bag slung over your shoulder. you clicked your key into the lock, slowly pushing the door open and stepping into the living room. you never had to announce yourself, sevika was usually there.

✧.* though as she looks up from the book she's reading, you swear you can see her eyes widen. if only for a moment. it's unclear what exactly they're focused on, but you assume it has something to do with your choice of outfit.

✧.* "sorry, didn't feel like a shirt today," you chuckle, situating yourself next to sevika on the couch. placing your overnight bag on one of her side tables, you look up at her, and now you see. now you can see very clearly that your girlfriend's light eyes are lingering on your breasts, and the fact that the lace of the bralette is rather... sheer.

✧.* "yeah, uh- don't worry about it," she mutters, her eyes flitting to the side. for the love of janna, you've just gotten back. she can't be all over you right now. "you... you can start unpacking, if you want."

✧.* you cast her a sidelong glance, though slowly get up from the couch. you take the bag and unzip it, beginning to take out some clean clothes you've brought and turning on your heel to put them away in her room. yet still, you feel sevika's gaze lingering on you. on your tits.

✧.* "that distracting, huh?" you tease, casting a look over your shoulder. sevika lets out a heavy sigh, but nods- there's no point in denying it. she's never been particularly shy about her fondness for your boobs, either. "yeah. something like that."

caitlyn;

✧.* you and caitlyn have a dinner date planned tonight. it's the day before your anniversary- you would've loved to celebrate on the actual day, but something that your girlfriend couldn't get out of came up at work. though it wasn't ideal, you understood. you still have today to celebrate, don't you?

✧.* so naturally, you pulled one of your best dresses from your closet to wear. a light color that compliments your complexion, something simple enough that it's not too much for a restaurant- but still formal enough for the occasion.

✧.* caitlyn had also taken care to wear one of her best dresses, style her hair, do her makeup in a way she knew would draw you in (despite you thinking she's beautiful no matter what she does).

✧.* you'd agreed to meet each other at the place, but caitlyn had taken care to make sure it was within walking distance from both of you. the attention your girlfriend paid to detail never ceased to amaze you, neither did her consideration.

✧.* upon arriving at the restaurant, you take a few moments waiting. you sit down on one of the benches offered, patient, until a hostess spots you and asks if you need help. you inform her that you're waiting for somebody, only to be told that caitlyn is already sat at your table. you're at the table within seconds.

✧.* "i'm so sorry, i didn't keep you waiting, did i?" you breathe out, slinging your bag over the back of the chair. "not at all," she assures, giving a gentle smile. her piercing blue eyes soften every time they fix on you, something you've come to know and love. "i got here early, anyways. i'm just glad you're here."

✧.* but before you sit down, cait's eyes travel down, down, to your hips. the way the dress you chose perfectly hugs them and accentuates the curve. she's always had such a weak spot for those hips, and this dress isn't helping.

✧.* "...you look beautiful, by the way," she says, clearing her throat shortly thereafter. you're in public, caitlyn, behave yourself. she orders her food, she makes small talk with you over your drinks, she makes a point to try and distract herself with the fact it's your anniversary. this is a refined celebration, anything else can wait for later.

✧.* and it's working, until you tell your girlfriend that you have to go to the bathroom quickly, you'll be back. you step out to the side to get up, and her eyes are immediately drawn back to your hips and just how incredible they look in that dress. then you turn to walk in the direction of the bathroom, she sees them sway, and caitlyn is gone. her mind wanders to how they'd look if she pulled your skirt up just that bit, or how they'd look bent over her desk.

✧.* caitlyn tries to finish her meal in peace, she really does. but she finds it increasingly difficult with just how distracted she is. once you return, she's flushed, she's playing with her food, she's stumbling over her words. "cait, baby, is everything alright?"

✧.* "mhm. yes, yes, everything is wonderful. don't worry about me," she rushes out, taking a quick bite of her food. though something tells you she's not telling the full truth- but by the flush dusting her cheeks and the tips of her ears, you have a feeling you'll find out later.

maddie;

✧.* you and maddie have frequent sleepovers, alternating between your own apartment and hers. it's a routine of sorts: maddie will come to your place after work with a bag full of her things for the night, greet you with a kiss on the cheek and a firm embrace. she often brings gifts for you as well: little things. snacks, a bracelet she saw while window shopping, the likes.

✧.* today is no different. maddie had to take a double at work, so she's taking a bit longer than usual, but this isn't out of the ordinary. being a junior officer is nothing if not time-consuming. until then, you've decided to occupy yourself by making dinner for your girlfriend. she's done all this work, she deserves it- besides, you know she'd do the same for you.

✧.* it's rather late, you having already showered and changed into your pajamas. you've eaten your dinner, now it's just a waiting game for your girlfriend.

✧.* as soon as maddie walks in the door, she's hit by the aroma of dinner cooking. her favorite, too. it's a familiar smell, and makes her all the more eager to finally see you. though when she walks into the kitchen, she sees you in a loose tee, and... sleep shorts. tight ones, that hug the shape of your ass just right. maddie's always had something of a dirty mind, and it immediately goes to all the things she could be doing with that ass. but she hasn't even said hello yet.

✧.* so she forces herself to reign it in, snaking her arms around your waist from behind. the girl rests her chin on your shoulder, gently brushing her lips against your temple. "hi, gorgeous," she hums, nestling a bit closer to you. "sorry i took so long."

✧.* you shake your head, giving her a reassuring smile before kissing her cheek in return. "don't worry about it. i know how work is. dinner's almost ready, okay?"

✧.* she nods in response, but doesn't loosen her grip on you. she's glad you're doing this for her. you've always been so thoughtful, so sweet when it comes to her, but still, her mind keeps going back to how incredible you look in those shorts. how badly she wants to take them off.

✧.* once you announce that dinner is ready and set down a steaming plate on the table, maddie reluctantly pulls herself from you to sit down. she starts eating, of course. she's grateful for what you've done for her. "i'm gonna clean up a bit, okay?" you hum, before turning back to the counter, and maddie nearly chokes.

✧.* she's watching you move swiftly throughout the kitchen- wiping down the counter, organizing spices, washing dishes, cleaning cabinet handles. yet she's not watching any of the actual tasks, only the way you look in those little sleep shorts. good gods.

✧.* but you can feel her gaze on you from behind, searing into you. burning, almost. without turning around, you pause at one of the cabinets. "...you're staring," you state. not a question, but an observation. "is it that interesting?"

✧.* maddie takes a moment to swallow, slowly shaking her head as if you could see her. "not exactly, just... you look amazing in those shorts, yeah?"

[starcurtain]

Some Notes on Mydei's Characterization (Part 1)

I'm already tired of seeing Mydei slander (if I have to read "He's a brawn over brains berserker who just cares about fighting" one more time, I might actually die), so I thought I'd put together some quick notes on what canon has to say about Mydei's character. Please note this post contains only my own interpretations of canon material; not everyone will interpret scenes in the same manner.

Starting with some of the most off-base stuff I've seen first:

1. Being Capable of Violence is Not the Same as Being Violent

Mydei's trailer and his role in the story both confirm that he is capable of extreme acts of violence. When it comes to battle, multiple people--Eurypon and Phainon, for example--refer to Mydei specifically as a "beast," rather than a person. In his character stories, we're told that he was such a ferocious predator in the Sea of Souls that even monsters stopped coming near him, and in another of his character stories, he's described as tearing the throat out of an opposing enemy who had an army a thousand men strong. It is a basic and unavoidable fact of Mydei's character that he is capable not only of killing but of killing in egregiously brutal ways, literally tearing his enemies apart with his bare hands.

Mydei will fight, he will cause harm, and he will kill--whenever it is necessary to do so.

But there is an extreme world of difference between being capable of violence and actually being a violent person, and Mydei has shown, in both word and deed, that he is an inherently gentle character who, if given the option, would prefer to choose the path of least harm.

Over and over, the devs hit us players with the idea that Mydei's actual nature is one that abhors needless violence. We see this from his first character story, where Mydei--despite being thrown into the Sea of Souls as an infant, despite fighting every single day of his childhood just to survive--is described as saving drowning fishermen with no reward. Even the author of the legend points out the incongruity of this choice, saying "Why would a Kremnoan ever bother to save others?"

Remember that this is a Mydei who has had literally no human contact. He has no frame of reference for even the concept of generosity. If we take his story seriously, then despite being effectively feral at this point in time, his innate reaction to seeing others in danger was simply to provide aid. Even when his own survival was the only thing he had experience with, he still chose to selflessly save others, with no motivation other than the fact that benevolence appears to be his core nature.

Reinforcing this idea that Mydei is an inherently gentle person, there's the memory in Castrum Kremnos where an unknown someone asks Mydei what his dream is, with the only acceptable options being different combat roles. But Mydei's answers are charmingly abstract instead--young Mydei doesn't want to be a soldier and bring harm to others, he wants to be a wanderer or even a "beam of light."

(Saw some interesting talk linking this "beam of light" with Kephale recently too. I'm very interested to see whether the upcoming patches will tie these connections together or if we're all just reading too much into things lolol.)

3.0's plot hammered this home as well, with Mydei continually disputing Aglaea's mission requests; Aglaea says that sending too many Chrysos Heirs to fight Nikador would be a waste (in case they end up dying), to which Mydei responds that there's no point in needlessly risking people's lives.

Even the 3.0 side quests repeat this message, with one Kremnoan NPC, Aelius, noting that an assassin tried to murder him on his first day in Okhema. Instead of responding with force, as might be justified by the severity of the crime, Mydei--brand-new to Okhema and their ways himself!--still chose diplomacy, and went to the Council of Okhema to legally ensure the Kremnoan people's safety, instead of directly seeking vengeance.

Even a small scene in Kremnos's ruins gives the devs an opportunity to show that Mydei prefers to exhibit aggression only when threatened first: As the Trailblazer and Co. wander through the Soul-Forging Zone, the group meets a half-crazed titankin. Obviously it poses a danger and could become a more serious threat in an instant, but Mydei doesn't offer it any resistance. It isn't violent with him, so he has no reason or motivation to be violent with it... as opposed to Phainon, whose first reaction is immediately to attack.

(If you choose to kill it, by the way, Mydei scolds Phainon and the Trailblazer, effectively calling them bloodthirsty executioners...)

When Krateros attempts to manipulate Mydei using Mydei's mother's wishes, urging him to continue the cycle of domination in Kremnos, Mydei stops him cold by pointing out that (like Mydei who inherited her beliefs) he knows Gorgo was opposed to violence for violence's sake:

Then, of course, there's the entire deal about refusing the crown of Kremnos, breaking his people's endless cycle of violent lives and even more violent deaths and repeatedly refusing Nikador's power because Mydei had no desire to become Strife. Despite revering his people's god for what Nikador was supposed to be--the guardian who sacrificed everything to protect Amphoreus--the game repeatedly tells us that Mydei sees Kremnos's cultural tradition of conquest as a meaningless waste of life, glorifying cruelty for no reason and bringing nothing but harm to the Kremnoans and Amphoreus as a whole.

Mydei fought hard to not become the demigod of Strife. At every turn, he was pressured and manipulated by others against his expressly stated wishes, and ultimately was left with no choice but to accept the destiny forced upon him despite clearly longing for a different, gentler life. Although I'll talk more about this later, the fact that Mydei even went so far as to change his name among the Chrysos Heirs shows us just how intensely he was trying to separate himself from his own past and from Kremnos's bloody history. Mydei wanted to be a person, yet in the end, he was forced back into being a beast, into becoming the symbol of violence, the very thing that took everything good from his life.

(This isn't a shipping post, but Phainon's efforts to take on Nikador's coreflame can be read to at least some extent as a rescue attempt--despite himself believing that Mydei was the better fit for Strife, Phainon saw how sincerely Mydei did not want to take the coreflame trial, and at least in small part, Phainon did take on the trial to spare Mydei from that inevitability. Personally, I think this failure will eventually be one of the linchpins that brings Amphoreus crumbling down, because Phainon was supposed to be everyone's hero, but just like Cyrene, he failed to save Mydei.)

I've seen some people debating this idea that Mydei is not a violent person by pointing out that Phainon calls him "reckless when he gets the urge to kill." In 3.0, Phainon implies that Mydei could even hurt other people with his recklessness in battle. But... we have never seen Mydei ever bring any harm in battle to someone he didn't intend to hurt. No one innocent ever gets injured in-game by Mydei (at least so far...), and we have no indications at any point that Mydei would intentionally endanger others out of recklessness. In fact, even in their first scene, it's Mydei who scolds Phainon for being careless during battle.

For example, Mydei's first reaction to confronting Nikador was to immediately remove Phainon and the Trailblazer from the fight so that they wouldn't come to harm. Even inside the coreflame trial, while the power of Strife was driving Phainon mad, Mydei was still level-headed enough to rally the Trailblazer and Dan Heng and get Phainon out safe. Mydei was still rational enough to even recognize the Okhemans inside the illusion and say "This isn't who these people really are; they're being twisted by Nikador."

Is this really the behavior of a reckless person who loses his sense of reason in battle?

To be honest, players should take most of what Phainon actually says about Mydei with a grain of salt. Phainon, especially during 3.0, doesn't actually know Mydei's whole story (for one, he has a foot in mouth moment in 3.0 where he tells Mydei to make more friends, only to then find out in 3.1 that Mydei had more friends; they just all died), and we know that Phainon often exaggerates Mydei in many ways when talking to others. Mydei may be reckless in battle--but his recklessness almost certainly centers on himself, being willing to risk his own life, rather than others'. This is echoed again in his "Keeping Up With Star Rail" video, where Phainon comments on Mydei's complete lack of self-defense once he enters battle. While Phainon might think Mydei's lack of attention to his own pain is worth calling out, it isn't a sign that Mydei is genuinely a mindless berserker.

I've also seen people debating this point by saying that Mydei appears to go "crazy" in battle and starts grinning when he gets a battle high. But as for Mydei's smiling in battle, we really only see it three times: 1) When Phainon first returns to Okhema, 2) When Mydei finally engages in solo combat with Nikador, and 3) When engaged in solo combat after all his allies in the coreflame trial already "died."

Again, this isn't a shipping post, so write the first smile for Phainon off as you choose--maybe Mydei's just excited to have the opportunity to flex in front of his "rival." The other two smiles are admittedly a bit unhinged, but I'd argue that neither of these moments represents actual enjoyment of battle. Instead, both of these smiles occur only inside the overwhelming pall of Nikador's power, which we're told canonically infects the mind with a desire for bloodshed. More importantly, both of these instances also take place when Mydei is only fighting titankin, not human opponents, and only after Mydei has been left entirely alone, when he is certain that the only person at risk in the fight is himself. When Mydei can confirm that there's no one left to defend (or left for him to lose!), then and only then does he give in to Nikador's violence for violence's sake and engage in battle whole-heartedly.

tl;dr: Mydei was the crowned leader of a culture that glorified cruelty, death, and mindless brutality. He was forced into a life of violence where he had to fight tooth and nail for survival from virtually the moment of his birth. Everyone he ever loved died worshiping a god that used their souls as nothing but fodder for further meaningless destruction. Yet Mydei was doing everything he could to rise above that life, and to help others also rise above that life. Of course he fights when he must, but reveling in it? I don't really see the evidence.

My man did not tear down a dynasty, breaking a thousand years' cycle of pointless strife, to get hit with the "He's a battle junkie" allegations. I swear to god I will bite the next person who says it--

2. His Reputation as Quick-Tempered is a Front

While it's typically not Mydei's fans going around saying Mydei's just another "battle-obsessed manly man," there is a different stereotype I actually do see being perpetrated by self-proclaimed Mydei fans: It seems to be a common trend in fanfics and fanarts to write Mydei with a strong temper, showing him becoming very aggressive when annoyed and suggesting that his first resort in difficult situations is brute force.

To be fair, I think this is influenced by a number of factors, not the least of which is the game itself playing with this idea as a joke. In Mydei's "Keeping Up With Star Rail" video, Phainon playfully reduces Mydei to the quick-tempered brute stereotype, saying things like:

Phainon also brings this up at other points, such as suggesting that Mydei would only need one try to solve the puzzle in Janusopolis because his method of solving it would be... to just punch his way through.

But again, please take the things Phainon says about Mydei with a grain of salt. Roasting your friends for fun is simply a given, and I think that Phainon's comments about Mydei are meant to be understood as playful banter about his "rival," not serious analysis of Mydei's temperament (which really doesn't align with the stereotype of a hot-head at all).

Complicating this whole situation is the English voiceover, where it is clear the voice director encouraged Mydei's English VA to portray Mydei as particularly gruff and worked up in many of his lines. I have nothing against the English VA at all, but the voice direction of the English version clearly missed the mark on Mydei's character and went for a more aggressive vibe than any of the game's other languages. (The whole thing reminds of me Ray Chase not being given proper direction on Neuvillette's character at first and dramatically changing his voice acting over the course of Fontaine's patches.) I don't mean that English Mydei is never gentle, but that many of the lines are delivered with a level of vitriol that is not suited to the scene at all nor present in other languages. (Compare this line delivery in English with the same line in Chinese, for just one example.) The English interpretation of the character is strongly colored by this strange directing decision ("Mydei should be actively angry in many of his scenes"), unfortunately.

Complicating the whole situation even further is fandom's habit of reducing characters to flat caricatures because making funny meme art and exaggerating character traits for comedic effect is so common. (And enjoyable, don't get me wrong lol.) There is a well-loved relationship dynamic of "the grumpy one with the sunshine one," and I think unfortunately Mydei and Phainon are getting this treatment in fandom quite a bit: Phainon is depicted as the exuberant, happy puppy, while Mydei is the angry, bristling cat. It just makes sense when we consider cliches, right? The muscle-bound warrior dude will obviously be a cranky, easily angered hot-head, no? To a certain extent, I understand why fans jump to that conclusion and take that route in their fanworks; it's definitely easier to depict the characters with these kinds of shorthand tropes than to encompass their complicated personalities in every art or fic.

But the problem is... in-game Mydei is really not much like fanon Mydei, at least where tempers are concerned.

Repeatedly, the game tells us that Mydei keeps a level head even in situations of extreme pressure, and that he prefers to use communication, rather than force, to try to resolve the conflicts he encounters. Going back to some examples I've already mentioned: In the ruins of Kremnos, he's the first to suggest communicating with the titankin and the first to suggest that there's no reason to use violence against them. In 3.0, a scene lots of people say shows Mydei's "bloodlust," where he confronts Nikador and claims he has an intent to kill, actually starts with the line: "All that anger and regret I feel right now, I've learned to control them".

In Okhema, when the Kremnoans were facing assassination attempts, Mydei handled the situation legally, within the confines of Okhema's clearly ridiculous bureaucracy, to ensure that the Kremnoan people would be able to live within the city. In 3.1, when Krateros wants to lose the Okheman guards that are trailing them, Mydei defers to Krateros's lead, asking him if they should use force on the guards and only complying when he says yes.

In fanarts, it's common to draw Phainon doing something silly, with a 💢grumpy Mydei💢 barely tolerating it. But... in game, Mydei actually tends to weather Phainon's teasing without that much issue, often playing along readily and teasing back or simply not rising to the bait at all, sometimes giving him a flat response that actually irritates Phainon instead.

Even when Phainon lobbies some of his snappiest jests (the line about Mydei not being able to write comes to mind), Mydei's strongest reaction is usually "Why are you stupid?" and then he moves on. He's not out here roaring like an angry lion or flipping a table every time someone is a bit obnoxious in his general vicinity. Mydei's mostly chill with the silliness, guys. He's sometimes silly back.

And even in the moments where he should be his angriest, such as the day he avenged his mother by killing his father, Mydei tends to respond to pressure and even cruel provocation with level-headed answers, coldly telling Eurypon just how pointless the entire crown of Kremnos was. Krateros insults Mydei specifically for choosing communication as his conflict resolution strategy. Like, how did people decide Mydei would be an easily provoked hot-head when his own mentor insults him for trying to solve Kremnos's problems using words instead of action?

Perhaps one of the only occasions in the game where we actually see Mydei genuinely lash out in anger is the moment with Tribbie, where she tells him not to worry for Phainon. Mydei responds harshly--but then immediately walks his words back, explicitly notes that his single sharp answer was rude, and apologizes.

But what I haven't seen anyone discuss is that fact that Mydei had every right to be angry at Tribbie here. In the prior scene, Aglaea literally belittled and pressured him into taking on the Strife coreflame following Phainon's failure, and Mydei knew in this scene that Tribbie was fully aware of Aglaea's plan to manipulate Mydei using Phainon.

Again, not a shipping post, but Tribbie daring to go "Aw, don't be worried" rightttt after that concern for his friend was weaponized against Mydei to deny him his agency? A direct slap in the face. Aglaea--with Tribbie as her willing accomplice--knowingly put Phainon's very life at risk to entrap Mydei and force him to take on a role he was rejecting with every fiber of his being. After deliberately using Phainon--and Mydei's concern for Phainon!--as a tool, for Tribbie to have the audacity to say "You shouldn't worry about him" was actually pretty vile.

And yet it's Mydei who apologizes. It's Mydei who reins in any hint of frustration and tries to approach the situation politely, as if the person he is talking to hadn't literally just doomed him to an entire future of misery by using the safety of one of his only remaining friends as leverage. The achievement you get just before this moment, "Sing, O Goddess, of His Rage," suggests that Mydei truly is rightfully furious about this situation--but in the end, Mydei still forgives both Tribbie and Aglaea without hesitation, because he knows the importance of the Flame-Chase Journey and of following the prophecy at all cost.

Does this really strike us as someone who flies off the handle at minor annoyances, someone who is brash or easily riled up, someone who resorts to punching his way through all his problems?

Despite appearances, I think it would be more accurate to say that Mydei's temper runs pretty even and that he is actually difficult to provoke to genuine anger. There are times where we see him truly furious (when he confronts Nikador about the honorless scheme to attack Okhema, when he confronts his father, etc.), but in every situation where Mydei is angry, it's because the anger is absolutely justified, because something truly unforgivable is happening to him or those he's sworn to protect.

Mydei's suffered just about every manner of injustice it is possible for a person to suffer, and yet he soldiers on without making his suffering other people's concern. He apologizes for even minor outbursts, despite his feelings of outrage clearly being righteous. In some cases, we might even read him as a little passive aggressive instead--the fact that Phainon's food is nasty whenever he really annoys Mydei and yet he has no idea why the food is bad is a hilarious hint that Mydei's definitely more of a "revenge is a dish best served cold" kind of person than a hot-head.

So what about that moment early on, where Mydei uses the threat of violence to silence Verax Leo?

Well, no Verax Leos were harmed, so? Ha, being serious, I actually think this moment should be better understood as the player's first real insight into Mydei's character, separate from Phainon's colorful commentary.

This moment tells us one thing really clearly about Mydei: He's self-aware. Mydei knows the Verax Leos are literally cowardly lions, and he knows they think he's scary. He's aware of his own reputation as a "beast," and he isn't above utilizing that reputation to achieve a goal if doing so will produce a greater good for others. Without even needing to resort to any actual attack, Mydei is able to silence the Verax Leo's rumor-mongering using just the threat of his capacity for violence.

This suggests to the player that Mydei is actually discerning, straight to the point but intelligent enough to tailor his actions to the level of response that is appropriate for a given situation. He's not a "go in fists blazing right from the start" kind of guy when that's not what's needed. He could easily just punch the lion off the wall--but he doesn't. He lets his words doing the threatening, instead of his fists. (The fact that this particular Verax Leo was apparently helping to slander Kremnoans the week before and still lived to spread rumors about March tells us how disinclined Mydei is to solve his daily problems with actual violence.)

The takeaway is that Mydei's angry reputation among Okhemans, but hell, also among players(!), is largely fueled by stereotypes more than by any real actions on Mydei's part. People expect him to a quick-tempered brute, so that's what they see, even when Mydei's real actions don't lend themselves to that cliche much.

Yet Mydei is also self-aware enough to know that same crude reputation is a powerful tool. It benefits him for certain groups to be very afraid of him, and this leads to an interesting conflict in the character: On the one hand, Mydei wants to distance himself from Kremnos's violence. He renames himself, swears allegiance to Aglaea's cause of hope, and spends his free time in Okhema doing gentle things like taking part in cooking competitions, playing house with kids, and judging drama festivals. More on this in a bit, but I think it's very interesting that not a single one of his marketing or promotional materials--nor any of his scenes in the game itself--show him willingly spending his free time on martial pursuits. (The animation they gave us was Mydei playing with children, not sparring with Phainon or even training with his dedicated warrior brothers-in-arms.) Mydei clearly wants to be seen and relate to others as a person separate from his bloodstained past.

On the other hand, his reputation as a terrifying warrior is one of the only things allowing him to live his current life. It's only as the to-be "blood-crowned" king of Kremnos that the Kremnoans willingly follow him and respect what he has to say. His ability to decide their futures hinges on them continuing to perceive him as Mydeimos, their undying lion of conquest. His only use to Aglaea and the Flame-Chase Journey is as the future manifestation of Strife or as an expendable resource that can be thrown single-handedly at enemies because he's the only one that can take their punishment and keep kicking. His place in Okhema is only secure so long as the Okhemans continue to fear his might, their discrimination kept at bay only by the knowledge that none of them can come close to defeating the Kremnoans if it came to blows. His reputation in Okhema is secure only so long as he can continue to cow the Verax Leos into silence with threats of retaliation.

Mydei doesn't have any attachment to his image as a monster--and yet his situation will not allow him to let it go. As much as he would like to live a different life, the view that others have of him--that he is an angry, savage person who is barely restraining an innate violent nature--is a shield locked in his hand, protecting him and making it possible to keep going--even when all he really wants to do is stop.

So, long story longer: I don't think Mydei has an especially hot temper at all; he's lived an incredibly hard life and had every one of his hopes and dreams systemically stripped away from him. He's under constant and immense pressure and feels entirely alone in bearing his burdens. His frustration occasionally bubbling to the surface--for which he apologizes--is not only justified but honestly still shockingly under-stated. If I was in his situation, a whole lot more heads would have rolled.

And now, a few less important notes to round this post out because I can already tell I'm going to hit tumblr's image limit before I run out of things to say about Mydei, so:

3. He's Not a Dumb Jock or Actually that Fitness Obsessed

This one is kind of annoying because Mydei's marketing materials like to play with the "dumb jock" trope as a joke. As mentioned before, we have Phainon's humorous "If you want wisdom, he's got might" line, Mydei being terrible at math (to the point even the Trailblazer assumes they'd be better at math than Mydei), the implication that Mydei is so straightforward he would miss deceptions from those speaking in ill faith (like during the Verax Leo's riddles), and of course, the overwhelmingly common stereotype of gym bros caring more about their muscles than their brains...

But the game also goes out of its way, repeatedly, to emphasize that just as Mydei doesn't fit the stereotype of the savage warrior, he also doesn't fit the stereotype of brawn over brains, of focusing more on physical prowess than thought.

Mydei being bad at math is played for laughs, sure, but in the same breath we're also told that he's a better student of history than Phainon is (which loops back into ironic when you remember that Phainon loves history and clearly wants to be good at it).

Mydei is one of the game's only confirmed bilingual characters outside of the Genius Society, despite the fact that, if his backstory is to be believed, he would have spent the most formative years of his childhood entirely language-less, and even after leaving the Sea of Souls, would likely not have attended any form of formal schooling until he went to the Grove as an adult. He's capable not only of speaking and reading in multiple languages, but also of translating even archaic variations of his native tongue, enough so that (according to his marketing), being an archaic Kremnoan language mentor is one of his official titles.

He's also one of the characters most strongly associated with reading in the entire game, via the library, his canonically stated ability to interpret poetry, his character stories all being texts... All the other characters associated as strongly with reading as Mydei in the game are regarded as "nerds": Ratio, Dan Heng, Pela... Somehow critical portions of Mydei's character can be oriented around literature and he still gets hit with the dumb jock label???

He's also an accomplished military strategist capable of commanding the respect of seasoned veterans as well as waging effective war campaigns against enemy nations with a marginal, aging army and virtually no resources... He's capable of playing Aglaea's and Okhema's political games, despite having obvious disdain for such things... In fact, in Mydei's goodbye to Aglaea, he speaks to her as one nation's leader to another, remarking on how he's learned valuable lessons in managing his people from her, and specifically highlighting that her trait he most admires--what is missing from his own people's history--is her ability to instill genuine hope in others.

But yeah, Mydei is dumb muscle because it's funny, I guess.

What makes the whole "jock" thing loop around into doubly ironic (and also sad) is that although Mydei's character does involve a strong emphasis on health and fitness, the way it's framed in his marketing versus his actual in-game character is extremely different. Mydei's marketing is all about combat, how he's a "fitness ambassador," and "performance enhancers aren't in the Kremnoan language."

But in game Mydei...?

He doesn't have anything particularly unique to teach Phainon. There isn't any special "extreme Mydei training regimen" above what the other Kremnoan soldiers do, a fact we can confirm with the bath NPC Peleus, who tells us that Mydei has taught him his training regimen, and it's just the "Kremnoan traditional exercises" (the high-altitude shuttle run, firewalking, etc.). This idea that Mydei isn't devoting himself to constantly improving his ~super special combat capability~ is also reiterated in Mydei's marketing when someone tries to scam Okhemans by selling a secret "Mydei combat move" and Mydei is just like "There's no such thing..."

Yes, this is me telling you that the fanon thing where Mydei is all about hitting the arena to beat the crap out of challengers every single day is probably not that lore accurate. Yes, of course Mydei spars and keeps up with his strict exercise routine, but combat training doesn't actually seem to be his favorite hobby. In the game, Phainon is definitely worked up about wanting to spar and practice together, but Mydei's attitude to the idea of training with Phainon seems closer to "Please... be more chill..."

Just as an example, at possibly the most plot relevant time ever to suggest a spirit-raising spar with his "bro," the ideas that instead come to Mydei's mind for working out Phainon's disappointment are...

All gentle socializing.

In fact, although Mydei's marketing hyper-emphasized the "fitness" shtick, we never actually see Mydei sparring or training with anyone in any of his mainstream marketing materials or in game. (I'd say we don't even see him fitness training at all, but hey, they did add one chat sticker where he has a weight lol.)

Although we're informed repeatedly that Mydei's a fitness junkie, what his marketing and in-game free time scenes actually show us are, uhhhh *checks notes* sleeping in, taking long baths, eating pancakes, singing around the campfire with his band of bros, people watching, and babysitting? It's the life he truly deserves.

Again, this isn't to say Mydei doesn't train (obviously you don't look like that without putting in massive effort!), but both promotional materials and the scenes chosen for characters in game are deliberately designed to highlight the most integral aspects of characters' personalities. Mydei surely is exercising hard to keep up his health off-screen--but by de-emphasizing that in what the game actually visually shows us players, the only obvious conclusion is that other things (food, playing with children, spending time with comrades) are much more important to Mydei than just getting swole. Out of the "warrior" type characters we have in Star Rail, Mydei is one of the least pumped up about sparring that we've seen. From what we're actually given in game, Yanqing is infinitely more gung-ho about combat training than Mydei is.

In fact, rather than exercise itself, I'd say more of Mydei's "fitness" focus in game comes from his connection to food, and--perhaps this is me reading into things a bit too much (but that's my job, you know)--I'd argue that Mydei's repeated emphasis on eating healthy is actually a thinly-veiled trauma response to his childhood experiences with starvation.

We're told that, in the Sea of Souls, he fed on the raw flesh and bone of the abyssal monsters he fought--literally eat or be eaten--and could really only hold off the feeling of starving on the rare times that the tides were low and he could catch live shrimp instead. He also closely associates the Kremnoan Detachment, his only refuge, with the notion of comfort food.

And every time food is discussed, he's quick to tell others, even the Trailblazer, exactly what to add in order to make sure they're not only full but also eating a balanced meal that will keep them hale and whole. More than a gym bro, I think Mydei missed his calling as a nutritionist.

Long story longer, Mydei has never had a time where he could go without fighting. For virtually all of his life, at least until he reached Okhema, fighting was all he ever knew. Would he even really need much extra fitness training when his entire existence is a constant stream of battles, of pushing his body to its limits over and over again? He's been "working out" since he was literally an infant, with no down time, and even in relatively peaceful Okhema, a Chrysos Heir's duty to battle never ends.

This is just my personal take on it, but I'm inclined to think that when he finds rare moments of peace, Mydei would probably prefer to do things other than fight, especially if it's something that allows him to provide for himself and others, helping his friends stay well, such as through cooking.

I think the in-game material does a great job of emphasizing that Mydei's definition of "fitness" doesn't necessarily focus foremost on being a gym bro/jock who hits the training field every five minutes--his definition of "health" and "wellness" have a lot to do with nourishing the spirit at the same time.

4. Mydei is Significantly Less Impulsive than Phainon

Okay, I can hear you--if Mydei's not a brute, and he's not a fiery temper, and he's not much of an actual gym bro, what is he?

Well, unfortunately I'm just here to tell you another thing he's not: He's not actually that proactive of a rival either.

Aglaea is quick to call Mydei and Phainon "impulsive youths," putting them on the same level in terms of childishness, but actuallyyy...

Despite the fact that Phainon likes to claim Mydei "taunts him every time they meet", every single actual competition we've ever seen between Mydei and Phainon was initiated 100% by Phainon, with Mydei just sort of getting swept up in Phainon's antics.

In their joint lightcone, it's Phainon who calls for the contest of speed. In Kremnos, it's Phainon who proposes the titankin killing competition. After the coreflame trial, it's Phainon who demands the hot bath challenge (and then lies and blames Mydei lol), and it's even Phainon who turns taking home the other affected bath patrons into a competition too, one in which Mydei flat out claims he wasn't even competing:

We're given several hints, particularly throughout 3.0, that Mydei and Phainon's prior missions were largely characterized by Phainon coming up with ridiculous plans, and Mydei mostly going "Welp, that sounds like it's going to get us killed, but okay I guess."

While Phainon is ready to go "Fuck it, we ball" and fight a titan to the death all by himself, Mydei spends the entire first part of 3.0 going "Hey, so, like, fighting Nikador without an army is a really dumbass decision, and we should probably not be attempting this."

(This moment is kind of less funny in retrospect when you rewatch it with the knowledge that Mydei knew they couldn't handle the fight, but Phainon was like "No, we totally got this, trust me bro!" Spoiler Alert: They did not have it. Literally all of Mydei's deaths in 3.0 happened because of his crippling inability to say no to Phainon. But this is not a shipping post. I promise.)

Anyway, in one of the only examples we have of Mydei possibly being impulsive on his own, the note from the bath manager that reports someone charging into the baths to ask who the strongest warrior in Okhema is, the actual implication is that Mydei had no idea how poorly the Okhemans would take that (nor their obsession with debate which would be sparked), and his faux pas comes less from being immature and more from the cultural discrepancy between Okhema and Kremnos, as the Kremnoan in the note finds Mydei's behavior perfectly normal.

In fact, instead of being an unruly youth, Mydei is criticized by other characters several times in the story specifically for choosing to hold back and think things through before committing himself to a decision. If anything, he's closer to indecisive (or at least slow to decide) than he is to impulsive.

Now, don't get me wrong. The game tells us repeatedly that Mydei does get competitive as hell once Phainon actually manages to convince him to join in on the shenanigans. Of course Mydei likes to win. But the notion that Mydei is Phainon's equally impulsive rival, actively issuing his own challenges, goading his frenemy into new contests, and particularly motivated to keep one-upping Phainon? It's really more of an informed trait and a fandom cliche (red and blue rivals, the people cannot resist) than anything actually shown in the game.

At the risk of perhaps inserting too much of my own interpretation here, I'm inclined to say that Mydei's willingness to engage in Phainon's dumb competitions is less brash rivalry and much closer to "Guy who never had the chance to be an impulsive youth cautiously allowing himself the privilege of feeling carefree for ten minutes or so."

It's not that Mydei is actually that driven to assert his dominance or is particularly impetuous when left to his own devices--it's that he never before had a long enough period of peace where he was safe enough to act childish. If he ever had competitions in his past, they almost certainly would have been like "Who can murder the most enemy soldiers with their bare hands today?" In Okhema, Mydei can participate in sauna-offs.

Mydei isn't as (deliberately performatively) silly as Phainon. He's nowhere near as impulsive as Phainon is. He's not really that fixated on being a rival. But he is a pretty great partner in crime. He does allow himself to be drawn into Phainon's schemes over and over, because well... they're obviously fun for him. He gets into the competitions once they're motion, even if he complains about them at the start. Mydei's life has been criminally devoid of light-hearted joys and normalcy, and being led into trouble that doesn't result in people literally dying on him--harmless trouble--is probably an extreme novelty for Mydei. Basically what I'm saying is, he isn't going to propose the Jackass competition, but he is going to fold like paper the moment said competition is suggested.

Case in point: In 3.0, there's a second where you can actually hear him regretting his life choices, trying so hard to convince himself that he is above Phainon's weird antics, but... in the end, he can't help himself. When Phainon starts LARPing with the Trailblazer during the titankin competition, Mydei's first reaction is essentially "Oh my god, this is so cringe," but just two lines later... look who joins the LARPing.

This nerddddd.

When left alone, Mydei withdraws from the world. Trailblazer typically finds him locked in silent contemplation, rejecting visitors, up on his own private corner of the rooftops. On his own, Mydei is significantly less likely to seek out trouble, cause public disturbances, or become a (usually accidental) nuisance compared to half the other Chrysos Heirs.

But when the company around him makes him feel comfortable, he is willing to engage with life in the childish ways he was never free to before. His "rivalry" with Phainon is better understood not as a macho dude-bro need to assert superiority, but as just one of the most obvious manifestations of Mydei's desire to experience the life he never got to live, to let himself be the kind of person who can just do silly things and cause dumb messes.

Mydei isn't a particularly impulsive person--but sometimes he lets himself try it out. As a treat.

Okay, last note for now:

5. Mind Your Manners

While it might be tempting to see Phainon and Mydei's competitions as the peak of Mydei's comedic contribution in the story, I think the actual funniest aspect of Mydei's character is the game's running gag about his manners.

Yes, Castrum Kremnos is a savage nation that revels in death and is rumored to drink the blood of their enemies--but they still keep it classy, damn it! Sure Mydei might have grown up as a half-feral sea beast and then a homeless, wandering exile subsisting off the land, but sometimes he literally can't help it--the aristocracy just jumps right out of him.

No, I'm not joking. Mydei really does have the prim and proper manners of a blue-blooded royal.

We see this from his first appearance in the game. A character's first scene is generally their establishing moment, the devs' chance to give players a strong starting impression--which makes it so telling that one of the first things out of Mydei's mouth is a insult to Phainon's manners.

This is a direct and pointed critique, suggesting Phainon has neglected his duties as a host by relying on his "guests" as back up in the battle. In the context of Amphoreus's historical inspirations, this is actually a very serious scolding: hospitality was a big, big deal in ancient Greece, and the idea of forcing foreign guests into serving you before affording them proper welcome and rest, let alone actively endangering them, would literally be considered an affront to the gods.

With this one short line, the devs are impressing the extreme difference in social status between Mydei and Phainon: Phainon is effectively a "country bumpkin," a member of a lower class who doesn't know how to (or perhaps just doesn't care to?) properly practice the civil gestures of the upper rungs of Amphorean society. Mydei, on the other hand, not only knows the proper rituals of etiquette but expects those rituals to be upheld by others. He's basically calling Phainon a mannerless peasant in one of his first lines of dialogue, which is why Phainon gets so grumpy for the rest of the conversation lol.

We see Mydei's inclination towards proper decorum in several other places as well. As a prince, he's entitled to respect and deference, and while we might be inclined to say "Mydei isn't the type to enforce his royal status over others," the game itself shows us that... Mydei kind of does expect people to treat him differently.

Just as one small starting example, I know it's somewhat popular to have Mydei deny his royal status in fanfics, such as telling people not to call him by his titles or acting as if he has no connection to the upper class, but this doesn't actually happen in the game. Mydei introduces himself to the Trailblazer from the start as Castrum Kremnos's crown prince, consistently thinks of himself (such as in mission journal text) as a prince, and is largely referred to as "the crown prince" or "your highness" by everyone outside the Chrysos Heirs, including all of the Okhemans:

In fact, I'd go so far as to argue that Mydei takes his role as a prince very seriously and does not remotely deny the responsibility he bears toward his people. It's important to him to fulfill his duty to the Kremnoans, so rather than downplaying his role as their prince, he seems to acknowledge it freely, working to serve as a principled leader as best he can.

In short, Mydei is aware of his status--and he expects everyone else will be aware of it too.

I don't mean this in a bad way at all; he's not rude or pompous about it--rather, I think this is a subconscious aspect of his character. Mydei has spent many of his formative years with his people putting him on a ridiculously tall pedestal. He's spent at least a decade as the leader of a group that basically worships the ground he walks on; the Kremnoans obviously aggressively follow the social protocols of their very traditional culture, which seems to include somewhat blind adoration of their kings. Even if Mydei wanted the Kremnoans to treat him as "just another one of the people," there's almost zero chance they would do so. It would likely go against their nature to even ask that of them. Ergo, Mydei's almost certainly spent his entire adult life as the recipient of his people's extreme respect--and their strict adherence to proper social protocols around their prince.

Because of this, Mydei does have specific (if likely subconscious) expectations for "how people will behave around me," and we players get to see several humorous moments where other characters in the story violate Mydei's understanding of how princes should be treated:

In a particularly infamous memory crystal, we see one of Phainon and Mydei's early interactions, with Phainon inserting himself in Mydei's presence and starting up a conversation Mydei obviously did not expect. This is such a faux pas that only someone like Phainon could have had the audacity to thoughtlessly do it; he basically hop-skip-jumped about twelve rungs on the social ladder to waylay a royal without seeking an audience--and Mydei is clearly taken aback to be approached so casually and without preamble. Although Mydei doesn't actually say it (because doing so would be rude, of course), Phainon himself awkwardly ends up acknowledging that Mydei is trying hard to end their conversation:

It's not because Mydei dislikes Phainon already, but because the act of walking up on a stranger--especially a stranger who is a prince!--and assuming such a degree of familiarity as to comment on his body of all things would be so beyond the pale of appropriate social behavior that even Mydei hardly seems to know how to respond at first.

We see this same completely (or perhaps willfully) oblivious to social protocol behavior from Phainon numerous times throughout the 3.0 and 3.1 quests, and Mydei's affronted reactions are always pretty priceless. You can almost hear him thinking "The audacity!"

The exact same face my conservative grandma makes when I accidentally drop an F bomb in front of her.

Blatantly asking a prince to praise you? Scandalous.

But Phainon isn't the only person who can provoke these offended responses from Mydei while pushing the prince's boundaries with bad manners. Trailblazer hilariously earns themself a few critiques about their lack of courtesy too:

And even Aglaea triggers a haughty response???

(Sure, we could give Mydei the benefit of the doubt here and say he's talking about himself and Phainon, but honestly? I think this English translation lends itself to a different take as well: Bro got so embarrassed over being caught acting a fool that THE ROYAL "WE" just burst straight out of him lmaoooo.)

In another humorous example, in the animation where Mydei plays with children, the "princess" in the play criticizes Mydei for not being very good at princely behaviors like Okheman waltzing, which immediately results in... Mydei seeking dance lessons from Tribbie so he can improve himself. Princes can't be caught slacking!

(But hilariously enough, as a sidenote, Mydei's dance ability seems to be another case of culture gap: One of the other children in Okhema, the one who was taught about Kremnoan traditions by Mydei, is actually quick to inform us that Mydei may not be familiar with Okheman dances--but he does know all about Anastenaria dancing!)

(Mydei might not fit the standards for an Okheman prince, but he's killing it as a Kremnoan one!)

Anyway, being serious again: Although it's quite funny the dev team insists so much that Mydei, despite being prince of a nation of savage warriors, is nonetheless a prince, with all the trappings of prim and proper etiquette, I think it also says a lot about Mydei's character that he does try to follow social protocols so closely. He apologizes for rudeness. He minds how he speaks to others. He is precise and forthright and always honors his word. Hell, he even politely makes prior arrangements if he knows he's going to be late to an event.

Mydei is self-aware enough to know his status. He knows the weight of that status, and he knows what his status means to his people. He takes the responsibility seriously and bears the role to the best of his ability, striving to meet the Kremnoans' expectations of a "crown prince" even as he can't bring himself to truly align with their core beliefs. He is trying his best to carry himself as a leader should, complete with his commitment to honor the traditional expectations and social class systems of both Kremnos and Okhema.

Despite his rough start in life, Mydei has accepted his people's intense respect and adapted himself to become someone worthy of commanding that respect. Social graces may not have come naturally to him after a childhood completely outside of humanity's reach, but Mydei nevertheless has worked hard to become a cultured person who embodies the demeanor and decorum of a sole surviving prince.

Although it's played for laughs, it's also played quite straight throughout Amphoreus's story: Manners matter to Mydei--both in himself and in others.

Anyway, since I still have more notes I jotted down about Mydei's characterization, here is some other stuff:

Part 2, over here ->

[weaselandfriends]

Ender's Game (novel)

Is Ender Wiggin (pictured above as the little brother from Malcolm in the Middle) guilty of xenocide?

Actually, let's first answer a different, but related, question:

What game does the title "Ender's Game" refer to?

It's not as simple a question as it seems. There are three games that have a prominent role in the plot, all very different from one another.

The obvious answer is the Battle School zero-gravity game, where teams of competitors play glorified laser tag in a big empty cube. In terms of page count, most of the book is dedicated to this game. It's also the game depicted on the cover of the edition above.

Yet this game vanishes during the story's climax, when Ender is given a new game to play, a game he is told is a simulator of spaceship warfare. This "game" turns out to not be a game at all, though; after annihilating the alien homeworld in the final stage, Ender learns that he was actually commanding real ships against real enemies the whole time, and that he just singlehandedly ended the Human-Bugger war forever via total xenocide of the aliens. This is both the final game and the most consequential to the plot, despite the short amount of time it appears.

There's also a third game, a single-player video game Ender plays throughout the story. The game is procedurally generated by an AI to respond to the player's emotional state, and is used as a psychiatric diagnostic for the players. Of the three games, this is the one that probes deepest into Ender's psyche, that most defines him as a person; it's also the final image of the story, as the aliens build a facsimile of its world in reality after psychically reading Ender's mind while he xenocides them.

Because all three games are important, the easiest answer might be that the question doesn't matter, that the story is called Ender's Game not to propose this question at all but simply because the technically more accurate "Ender's Games" would improperly suggest a story about a serial prankster.

Fine. But why does the title use the possessive "Ender's" at all?

He does not own any of these games. He did not create them. He does not facilitate them. All of these games, even the simulator game, predate his use of them as a player, were not designed with him in mind, were intended to train and assess potential commanders for, ostensibly, the hundred years since the last Human-Bugger war.

It's in this question that we get to the crux of what defines Gamer literature.

These games are Ender's games because he dominates them into being about him. He enters a rigidly-defined, rules-based system, and excels so completely that the games warp around his presence. In the Battle School game, the administrators stack the odds against Ender, thereby rendering every other player's presence in the game irrelevant except in their function as challenges for Ender to overcome. The administrators acknowledge this in an argument among themselves:

"The game will be compromised. The comparative standings will become meaningless." [...] "You're getting too close to the game, Anderson. You're forgetting that it is merely a training exercise." "It's also status, identity, purpose, name; all that makes these children who they are comes out of this game. When it becomes known that the game can be manipulated, weighted, cheated, it will undo this whole school. I'm not exaggerating." "I know." "So I hope Ender Wiggin truly is the one, because you'll have degraded the effectiveness of our training method for a long time to come."

In this argument, Anderson views the game the way games have been viewed since antiquity: exercises in acquiring honor and status. This honor is based on the innate fairness inherent to games as rule-based systems, which is why in ancient depictions of sport the chief character is often not a competitor but the host, who acts as referee. In Virgil's Aeneid, for instance, the hero Aeneas hosts a series of funeral games (the games themselves intended as an honor for his dead father). Despite being the principal character of the epic, Aeneas does not compete in these games. Instead, he doles out prizes to each competitor based on the worthiness they display; his fairness marks him symbolically as a wise ruler. The Arthurian tournament is another example, where Arthur as host is the principal character, and the knights (Lancelot, Tristan, etc.) who compete do so primarily to receive honors from him or his queen.

In Ender's Game, it is the antagonistic figure Bonzo Madrid who embodies this classical concept of honor; the word defines him, is repeated constantly ("his Spanish honor"), drives his blistering hatred of Ender, who receives both unfair boons and unfair banes from the game's administrators, who skirts the rules of what is allowed to secure victory. Bonzo is depicted as a stupid, bull-like figure; his honor is ultimately worthless, trivially manipulated by Ender in their final fight.

Meanwhile, it's Ender's disregard for honor, his focus solely on his namesake -- ending, finishing the game, the ends before the means -- that makes him so valuable within the scope of the story. He is "the one," as Anderson puts it, the solipsistically important Gamer, the Only I Play the Game-r, because the game now matters in and of itself, rather than as a social activity. In the Aeneid and in Arthur, the competitors are soldiers, for whom there is a world outside the game. Their games are not a substitute for war but a reprieve from it, and as such they are an activity meant to hold together the unifying fabric of society. The values Anderson espouses (status, identity, purpose, name) are fundamentally more important in this social framework than winning (ending) is.

Ender's game, as the Goosebumps-style blurb on my 20-year-old book fair edition's cover proclaims, is not just a game anymore. Its competitors are also soldiers, but the game is meant to prepare them for war; the spaceship video game is actual war. And as this is a war for the survival of the human race, as Ender is told, there is no need for honor. The othered enemy must be annihilated, without remorse or mercy.

This ethos of the game as fundamentally important for its own sake pervades Gamer literature beyond Ender's Game. In Sword Art Online (which I wrote an essay on here), dying in the game is dying in real life, and as such, only Kirito's ability to beat the game matters. Like Ender, Kirito is immediately disdained by his fellow players as a "cheater" (oh sorry, I mean a "beater") because he possesses inherent advantages due to being a beta player. In an actual game, a game that is only a game, Kirito's cheat powers would render the game pointless. What purpose does Kirito winning serve if he does it with Dual Wielding, an overpowered skill that only he is allowed to have? But when a game has real stakes, when only ability to win matters, it is possible to disregard fairness and see the cheater as heroic.

This notion of the "cheat power," a unique and overpowered ability only the protagonist has, is pervasive in post-SAO Gamer literature. To those for whom games are simply games, such powers can only be infuriating and obnoxious betrayals of the purpose of games; to those for whom games mean more than just games, for whom games have a primacy of importance, these powers are all that matter.

That's the core conceit of Gamer literature: the idea that the Game is life, that winning is, in fact, everything.

What sets Ender's Game apart from Sword Art Online is that it creates the inverted world where the Game matters above all, but then draws back the curtain to reveal the inversion. The Buggers are, in fact, no longer hostile. They are not planning to invade Earth again, as Ender has been told his entire life. The war, for them, is entirely defensive, and Ender is the aggressor. And due to Ender's singleminded focus on Ending, on winning, on disregarding honor and fairness, he ultimately commits the xenocide, erases an entire sentient species from existence. He wins a game he should never have been playing.

The obvious counterargument, the one I imagine everyone who has read this book thought up the moment I posed the question at the beginning of this essay, is that Ender did not know he was committing xenocide. The fact that the combat simulator game was not a game was withheld from him until afterward. Plus, he was a child.

Salient arguments all. Ones the book itself makes, via Ender's commander, Graff, to absolve him of sin at the end. They're probably even correct, in a legal sense (I'm not a legal scholar, don't quote me), and in a moral sense. In real life, it would be difficult to blame a 10-year-old in those circumstances for what he did. But in the thematic framework of Ender's Game the book, these arguments are completely inadequate.

Ender has been playing a fourth game the entire story. And this is the only game he doesn't win.

A game is defined by its system of control and limitation over the behavior of the players. A game has rules. His whole life, Ender has been playing within the rules of the system of control his military commanders place upon him.

Their control extends even before he was born; as a third child in a draconian two-child-only world, his existence is at the behest of the government. Graff confirms this to Ender's parents when he recruits him to Battle School: "Of course we already have your consent, granted in writing at the time conception was confirmed, or he could not have been born. He has been ours since then, if he qualified." Graff frames this control utterly, in terms of possession: "he has been ours." He does not exaggerate. Since Ender was young, he has had a "monitor" implanted in his body so the army could observe him at all times, assess whether he "qualifies"; even the brief moment the monitor is removed is a test. "The final step in your testing was to see what would happen when the monitor came off," Graff explains after Ender passes the test by murdering a 6-year-old. Conditions are set up for Ender, similar to the unfair challenges established in the Battle School game; he is isolated from his peers, denied practice sessions, held in solitary confinement on a remote planetoid. It's all in service of assessing Ender as "the one."

Ender wins this game in the sense that he does, ultimately, become "the one" -- the one Graff and the other military men want, the xenocider of the Buggers. He fails this game in the sense that he does not break it.

The other three games Ender plays, he breaks. Usually by cheating. In the single-player psychiatry game, when presented with a deliberately impossible challenge where a giant gives him two glasses to pick between, Ender cheats and kills the giant. "Cheater, cheater!" the dying giant shouts. In the Battle School game, Ender is ultimately confronted by insurmountable odds: 2 armies against his 1. He cannot outgun his opponent, so he cheats by using most of his troops as a distraction so five soldiers can sneak through the enemy's gate, ending the game. At the school, going through the gate is traditionally seen as a mere formality, something done ceremonially once the enemy team is wiped out (there's that honor again, that ceremony), but it technically causes a win. Even Anderson, the game's administrator, sees this as a breach of the rules when Ender confronts him afterward.

Ender was smiling. "I beat you again, sir," he said. "Nonsense, Ender," Anderson said softly. "Your battle was with Griffin and Tiger." "How stupid do you think I am?" Ender said. Loudly, Anderson said, "After that little maneuver, the rules are being revised to require that all of the enemy's soldiers must be frozen or disabled before the gate can be reversed."

(I include the first part of that quote to indicate that Ender all along knows who he is really playing this game against -- the administrators, the military men who control every facet of his life.)

Ender beats the war simulator game in a similar fashion. Outnumbered this time 1000-to-1, he uses his soldiers as sacrifices to sneak a single bomb onto the alien's homeworld, destroying it and committing his xenocide. Ender himself sees this maneuver as breaking the rules, and in fact falsely believes that if he breaks the rules he will be disqualified, set free from the fourth game: "If I break this rule, they'll never let me be a commander. It would be too dangerous. I'll never have to play a game again. And that is victory." The flaw in his logic comes not from whether he's breaking the rules of the game, but which game he is breaking the rules of. It's not the fourth game, Ender's game, but the war simulator game, simply a sub-game within the confines of the fourth game, a sub-game the fourth game's administrators want him to break, a sub-game that gives Ender the illusion of control by breaking. When Ender tells his administrators about his plan, the response he receives almost taunts him to do it:

"Does the Little Doctor work against a planet?" Mazer's face went rigid. "Ender, the buggers never deliberately attacked a civilian population in either invasion. You decide whether it would be wise to adopt a strategy that would invite reprisals."

(And if it wasn't clear how much the administrators wanted him to do this all along, the moment he does it, they flood the room with cheers.)

Ender wins his games by cheating -- by fighting the rules of the game itself -- and yet he never cheats at the fourth game, the game of his life.

In this fourth game, he always plays by the rules.

In the inverted world of Gamer lit, where games define everything, including life and death, it's a common, even natural progression for the Gamer to finally confront the game's administrator. Sword Art Online ends when Kirito defeats Akihiko Kayaba, the developer. In doing so, Kirito exceeds the confines of the game, not simply by ignoring its rules and coming back to life after he's killed, but by demonstrating mastery against the game's God. Afterward, Sword Art Online truly becomes Kirito's Game, with nobody else able to lay claim to the possessive. Kirito demonstrates this control at the end of the anime by recreating Sword Art Online's world using its source code, completing the transition into a player-administrator.

(Though I wonder, how much of a class reading could one give to this new brand of Gamer lit? If classical games were told from the perspective of the one who controlled them, then is there not something innately anti-establishment in Kirito overcoming the controller? This is the gist of many other death game stories, like The Hunger Games, though none of them may be the most sophisticated takes on the subject, more empty fantasy than anything else.)

Ender never fights or defeats his administrators. He never even tries, other than rare periods of depressive inactivity. He doesn't try even though the option is proposed to him by Dink Meeker, an older student whom Ender respects:

"I'm not going to let the bastards run me, Ender. They've got you pegged, too, and they don't plan to treat you kindly. Look what they've done to you so far." "They haven't done anything except promote me." "And she make you life so easy, neh?" Ender laughed and shook his head. "So maybe you're right." "They think they got you on ice. Don't let them." "But that's what I came for," Ender said. "For them to make me into a tool."

Instead, Ender finds comfort in the control exerted on his life. When sent to Earth on leave, he seeks out a lake that reminds him of living in Battle School.

"I spend a lot of time on the water. When I'm swimming, it's like being weightless. I miss being weightless. Also, when I'm here on the lake, the land slopes up in every direction." "Like living in a bowl." "I've lived in a bowl for four years."

Because of this, Ender never cheats against Graff. He could; Graff states several times that Ender is smarter than him, and the fact that they have Ender fighting the war instead of Graff is proof he believes it. But Ender never considers it. He never considers gaming the system of his life.

If Gamer literature emphasizes the inversion of the world order, where games supersede reality in importance (and, as in Sword Art Online, only through this inverted order is one able to claim real power by being a Gamer), then Ender's Game acknowledges both sides of the inversion. For Ender, the games he plays are not simply games anymore. The psychology game, the Battle School game, the war simulator game; all of these he must win at all costs, even if it requires disrespecting the foundational purpose of these games. But his real life? Ender wants that to be a game, craves it to be a game, can't live unless the walls slope up around him like a bowl, can't stand it unless there is a system of control around him. He does what Graff tells him, even though he recognizes immediately that Graff is not his friend, that Graff is the one isolating him from others, rigging things against him. He does what Graff tells him all the way up to and including xenocide, because Ender cannot tell game from real life. That's the core deception at the end: Ender is playing a game that's actually real and he doesn't know it -- or refuses to acknowledge it, since nobody has ever tricked the genius Ender before this point.

Actually, that's not true. They tricked him twice before. Ender twice attacks his peers physically, with brutal violence. The administrators conceal from him that he murdered both his foes; he simply thinks he hurt them. The only way to trick Ender is to do so in a way that insulates him from the consequences of his actions. The only way he will allow himself to be tricked.

So, is Ender guilty of xenocide?

Under it all, Ender believes he is.

The dying Buggers, after reading Ender's mind, recreate the psychology game in the real world. The story ends when Ender finds this recreation, yet another blurring of the lines between game and reality.

The psychology game is different from the other games Ender plays, because nobody expects him to win it. Its purpose is not to be won, simply to assess his mental health. Yet Ender approaches it like the other games, cheats at it and systematically kills all his enemies until he reaches a place called The End of the World. (Another End for Ender.) His drive to win, to dominate, does not come solely from the pressures of the system around him, but from deep within himself, which is what Ender fears the most. But it is here, at The End of the World, where Ender finds atonement, both in the game and in the game-made-real. In the game, he kisses his opponent instead of killing them, and reaches a resolution he is happy with. He stops playing the game after doing this, though the game seems to continue (when an administrator asks him why he stopped playing it, he says "I beat it"; the administrator tells him the game cannot be beaten). It is through this act of love that Ender can escape the game-like system of control that puppeteers him no matter how smart and clever he is or thinks he is.

In the game-made-real, Ender finds his atonement in the same place, The End of the World. The Buggers left for him here, in this place that they (reading his mind) understood as the location of his mercy and compassion, an egg that can repopulate their species. Through this egg, Ender is given the chance to undo his xenocide. But that chance is also contingent on what The End of the World means to Ender, an end to the game, not simply the games he plays but the fourth game, the game of his life. Ender's Game.

[wangxianficfinder]

Fic Finder

~*~

1. I’m going crazy looking for this fic! WWX, an OC, and a-Yuan time travel back to the CR era. Older WWX and the OC are romantically involved, but there’s implied Wangxian for the younger set. I think older WWX was trying to hide his identity. Anyone know it? 😭 @elegantgardencandy

FOUND? Through The Eyes of a Snake and a Crow by of_rivers_and_moons (T, 84k, WangXian, OC/WWX, JYL/JZX, WIP, Based off of a AngstyMDZSThoughts prompt, With A Twist, Time Travel, Arranged Marriage, Snakes, Canon Divergence, Jealousy)

~*~

2. There is a fic, (LWJ time travels I think, not sure) He subtlely manipulates WWX against the Jiangs. I forgot if he was older or same age as Wei Ying. There was a kiss scene in the cloud recesses Library, Jiang Yanli scolding him for spilling soup on Jin Zixuan and then apologising. It's not like stones on an unseen board. Jiang Yanli is not in Cloud Recesses in this fic. @sunshinesnow

FOUND? If only you knew (what goes on in my mind) by makexianxianhappytoday (G, 7k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Yunmeng Jiang Sect Bashing, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Angst with a Happy Ending, Jiang Family Bashing, dark LWJ (but in a good way) <3, Protective LWJ, Oblivious WWX, Time Travel Fix-It, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, smug LWJ) For number 2 of the latest fic finder it sounds so familiar but it could also be a combination of the fic they said it wasn’t and this short fic. The soup spills on Wei Ying and Jiang Yanli ends up getting mad at him. But they’re all at Cloud Recess here. In their recollection was it at Lotus Pier or during war or where did Wei Ying spill the soup?

~*~

3. Hi team ! I have a request for the next fic finder. What I remember is that LW finds a little girl alone in a forest. He offers to take her home, and they find themselves in front of a barrier, which only those wearing a necklace can pass. The girl has one and she passes easily. LW can also pass because he shares the blood of the village chief, who is actually his maternal grandfather, of whom he knows nothing. LW thinks that the village is the ideal hiding place for the Wen and WY. Thank you ! @sweet-maemi

FOUND! Arbitrary by devinokaze (T, 137k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Post-Sunshot Campaign, Burial Mounds Ensemble as Family, but live somewhere else, hidden society, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, POV Multiple)

~*~

4. Hello, I’m searching for a watching the movie type fic. What was special about this one was that this happened during the time Wei ying was dead. And then they did like all certain trials after they found out he was innocent to get him alive and they found out during this whole thing that Wei Ying was watching over then lan zhan and ayuan. @chloecov4506

FOUND? Misunderstood by Silver_Flame_2724 (M, 250k, WIP, WangXian, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Heavy Angst, Suicidal Thoughts, Canon-Typical Violence, Self-Worth Issues)

~*~

5. Hello! Thank you for your hard work!!!!

I'm looking for a fic where WY died and is thrusted back in time when he was a child. He decides to avoid the Jiang's and in the beginnings acts as a rogue cultivator I remember that he has a ghost lady companion and there was a Cultivation Conference where the rumors of a child (ghost/deity) is roaming about in the world and we could see a bit of Lan Queen perspective on the matter. I also remember that WY went to Carp Tower (but not the reason why) and JYL meet him there and felt that there was something missing in her family (I believe that she used the word glued, and that there was someone missing that glued them together).

I know that this is long, but I can't find it in AO3 and I'm searching all the pertinent tags and bookmarks.

FOUND? 🔒 Ad Oblivione by Baph, HikariNoHimeWriter (M, 70k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, POV Multiple, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Identity Reveal, Golden Core Reveal, Cultivation World Critical, Not JC Friendly, Abusive YZY, Angst with a Happy Ending)

~*~

6. Hello can you help me find the fic where lan wangji made his heartbeat match wei wuxian’s own through meditation please…that’s all I can remember from it

FOUND? 💖🔒Silver & Gold by beeswaxing (E, 162k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Canon Divergence, Fluff and Angst, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Age Regression/De-Aging, Fix-It of Sorts, Post-Canon Fix-It, Family Bonding, Established Relationship, Cuddling & Snuggling, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Literal Sleeping Together, Romance, BAMF WWX, Mutual Pining, Horny Teenagers, Underage Kissing, Protective WWX)

~*~

7. Hi! I am looking for a fic that I think was modern with magic. It was a soulmate au where, unbeknownst to WWX, Madame Yu had cursed him so that his soulmarks never appeared because she wanted WWX to feel unloved. I think it was a color soulmate au where people left colorful marks on their loved ones, but it also could have been something to do with constellations? I would love to read this again, thank you!

FOUND! leading tone by silencemostofall (G, 32k, WangXian, Modern AU, Soulmates, with a lil twist, Eventual Happy Ending, Music, Orchestra, [Podfic] Leading Tone by silencemostofall by Beria1021)

NOT FOUND! pastel by antebunny (G, 6k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, Soulmates, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Self-Esteem Issues, Misunderstandings, Angst with a Happy Ending, Unrequited Love, but not actually, no courtesy names)

~*~

8. Hi! I'm looking for this a/b/o fic, honestly it might even have just been porn with no story. It was about wwx and lwj going to this clinic or something that matches up compatible alphas and omegas and they take a contraceptive before they have sex. But wangxian take one look at each other and both agree not to take anything. I just remember at the end they're telling an employee there and she's so confused why they didn't take it and tells wangxian that it's not the clinic's responsibility if wwx ends up pregnant

Thank you!

FOUND? Lucid by lazulink (E, 9k, WangXian, Modern AU, A/B/O Dynamics, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Assigned Heat Partners, Strangers to Lovers Speedrun, Scenting, Nesting, Knotting, Mating Bites, Cunnilingus, Rimming, Humiliation, Blow Jobs, Breeding Kink, Spanking, Consensual Non-Consent, Consensual Somnophilia, Breathplay, Loss of Virginity, Light Dom/sub, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, PWP, Top LWJ/Bottom WWX, Intersex Omegas, Under-negotiated Kink, Implied Future Mpreg)

~*~

9. hi i know this is kinda insane but ive been searching for this fic since 2021 so all i remember is that wangxian are in university and they're roommates. so one morning wei ying woke up late to a class that require him some stationary or like he forgot it (cant remember the details) he doesnt have any so he decided to borrow from lan zhan who already gone to his own class, he was opening lan zhan's drawer on his desk to look for said stationary but found his journal/diary/notebook instead, he got curious i guess and decided to take a peek and realized soon enough that lan zhan was actually writing about him, and he read the page where basically lan zhan wrote how basically he wanted wei ying (cant remember if he wrote it in a diary kind of way or straight up writing smur fanfiction about them)

(also its not "sign me up for that full time, im yours" by elhana)

~*~

10. Hi! Can I please have some help looking for a fic I read ages ago, I'm 70% was wangxian. 😅

Canon Divergence before the Nightless city massacre; Wen Qing, Wen Ning, and Wei Ying go to the Unclean realm to ask Nie Mingjue to let them use the Nie medical room to heal Wen Ning and Wei Ying by getting rid of the resentful energy. Wei Ying plays to slowly remove the resentful energy while Wen Qing heals Wen Ning and he lives/comes back. Then Wei Ying has to stay awake and play to allow Wen Qing to heal his injuries from his fall into the Burial Grounds because the resentful energy was the only thing holding him together/keeping him alive. I remember Nie Mingjue and other Nie soldiers standing and watching horrified for both procedures, and that healing Wei Ying started from his legs up he had to pull the energy away from each limb while Wen Qing heals him.

I'm pretty sure it ended with the Wens moving into the Unclean realm and Lan Zhan finding out Wei Ying was there and insisted on staying to help him heal. @thequintessentialmuggle

FOUND? ❤️ three surgeries and a mercy kill by MarbleGlove (T, 11k, medical procedures, fix-it, Demonic Cultivation, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Self-Indulgent, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies)

~*~

11. Hi I’m looking for a fic and can’t seem to find it anywhere, it was on ao3. It was set in the untamed universe, and started when Jin Ling stabbed wwx after him and lwj fled carp tower, and wwx got really sick bc it was raining and had an infection(?) the juniors were there as well and, and also a wangxian confession.

If you could find it then thankyou very much!!! @lan-xinyu-lan

~*~

12. Helloo, I can't seem to find this fic I've read a while back, it was wangixan, completed, set in university.

The plot was basically that wwx moved to a new uni and lwj is known for sleeping around there, but wwx doesnt know that and on his first night in the dorms they run into each other, wwx has alcohol which is forbidden so lwj tries to report him or something but they end up having a one night stand.

Lwj basically kicks wwx out in the morning, but they run into each other again at this martial arts? Class run by nmj and wwx tried very hard to befriend lwj again.

I don't remember any secondary ships aside from yanli and zixuan being married.

Yanli and lan huan are teachers at the uni in this fic and they end up having beef because their brothers keep hurting each others feelings

This is all i can remember, the rating was probably mature? But i am not certain.

Thank you sm @dcfangirl

FOUND! the earthquake in the room by phnelt (E, 39k, WangXian, College/University, Modern: No Powers, Canada, Getting Together, Mentions of lwj/others, background NieLan, background QingMian, inter-faculty romance, strangers to lovers to frenemies to lovers, mostly book characterisation, Background XuanLi)

~*~

13. Hello I'm looking for this one wangxian forbidden love fic I read a long time ago but the only thing I remember about it is that lwj is a pastor son and wwx is the local bad boy/troublemaker. It should be around 2020-2021-ish when I read it but I'm open if there is any different yet similar fic of the same nature/vibes. Thank you in advance!!!

FOUND? Mad about the Boy by TriviasFolly (M, 62k, WangXian, 1950s America, Greaser WWX, Historical Smoking, Historical Viewpoints, Angst, Internal Struggle, Pre-Relationship, Historical Homophobia, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, sexual awakenings, Sexual exploration, in which LWJ waxes poetically about dicks, small town gays, Self discovery journey, Self love journey, the excuse to have WWX smoke and wear a leather jacket, gay acadamia, teenage dramatics, smoll angst) I don't think this is the one they were looking for because it was published in 2023, but Mad about the Boy is set in 1950s America. Wei Ying is a greaser and Lan Qiren has Lan Zhan's life planned out for him to become a surgeon who will come home to a demure wife at the end of the day. The story is exceptionally written and depicts small town life, complete with small-minded, homophobic people and the difficult choices Wei Ying and Lan Zhan are forced to make. I highly recommend it.

~*~

14. I was wondering if you Help me find this fic about I think Wei ying agreed to come to lan zhan home but he could with the wen poeple if you agreed to get cleanse of all resentment, energy. he knew he was gonna die, but he still did it in like lan zhan it’s kind of mad about it.

FOUND? 🧡 decay by antebunny (G, 15k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst, Misunderstandings, Miscommunication, Fix-It, Angst with a Happy Ending, the fluffiest ending, Hurt/Comfort)

~*~

15. For the next fic finder, I've been looking for a fic that was a crossover with Firefly. LXC saved LWJ and WWX from a science facility, and tries to get a ride on a ship either owned by NMJ or JC, and LXC gets caught "smuggling" LWJ and WWX. Well it turns out that JC had started space traveling because he was looking for WWX. I thought that mondengel had written it, but I couldn't find it when I had gone through their works. If you can help locate it then that would be amazing! Thanks for the help!

Hi! I’m #15 on the recent Fic Finder. It’s not among the stars. WWX and LWJ weren’t courtesans. I’m pretty sure they were both science experiments, or something along those lines, and I think they were essentially abducted, so LXC went to rescue LWJ and had to take WWX as well since LWJ wouldn’t leave without him. It was also a one-shot. If it also helps, all the MDZS characters basically replaced all of the Firefly characters

NOT FOUND? among the stars by plonk (E, 61k, WangXian, Space, Science Fiction, Firefly Setting, Courtesan WWX, Courtesan LWJ)

FOUND? Sabre by mondengel (Not Rated, 1k, WangXian, Firefly AU)

For 15, check specifically chapter 4 of among the stars. The chapters are not connected to one another and are each a contained story. Chapter 4 has WY as the mechanic, LZ as the psychic girl in the box, yanli as the captain, jc as whatever jayne's job is... You should double check specifically that chapter!

~*~

16. Hello! I am looking for a specific fic, please. It was set in Cloud Recesses and I think WWX and LWJ were married. WWX was given a role within the clan as something like personnel manager, and he was tasked with speaking with every single disciple to see how they liked their work and then rearranging their schedules and getting them better pay and the like. For some reason the elders wanted to overthrow LXC but all of the disciples that WWX had helped rose up to fight back in gratitude for WWX’s help. Would love to read again, if anyone remembers what this fic might be! Thank you!

FOUND? Practical Considerations by teawater, the_anthropologist (E, 97k, WangXian, Arranged Marriage, Canon Divergence, Found Family, Spouses to Lovers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Politics, Scheming, Lán Elders are assholes, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, eventually BAMF LXC, learning to make decisions, Learning Self-worth, Self-Esteem Issues, Sweet Wangxian, Domestic Fluff, Fix-It, JC is a big asshole, he improves somewhat but it’s open-ended, POV wwx, POV LWJ, POV JC, Golden Core Reveal, Teacher wwx, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, Alcohol as a Coping Mechanism, Past Suicidal Thoughts, Post-Sunshot Campaign, WWX Protection Squad, Feelings Realization, WWX protector of the twin jades, Protective LWJ, Protective WWX, Protective LQR, Demonic Cultivator WWX, Married WangXian, Genius WWX, Everybody Lives) Wei Wuxian was in an arranged marriage with Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen asked Wei Wuxian to take over the accounting for the sect. After Lan Wangji gets a beating from the Elders, Wei Wuxian researches how the Elders have more power than the Sect Leader and learns that they were meant to be advisors, leading to a reorganization within the sect. Lan Xichen asks Wei Wuxian to interview all the disciples to work out better positions for everyone and those disciples help prevented a later coup led by the Elders.

~*~

17. Hi! I’m looking for a fic where WWX, JC, Mianmian, and JZX are superheroes. LWJ was the bad guy. I think it was called Minx? I can’t seem to find it. I remember WWX felt like an outsider. JC resented him quite a bit. WWX ends up on LWJ’s side.

FOUND? 🔒 Minx by retired (misbehavingvigilante) (E, 66k, WangXian, Teen Titans (Animated Series) Setting, Age Difference, Corruption Arc, Daddy Kink, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Extremely Dubious Consent, Manipulation, Seduction to the Dark Side, Sexual Harassment, Trans WWX, WWX Has a Rape/Non-Con Kink, YLLZ WWX, Dark LWJ, Dragon LWJ)

~*~

18. I remember this fic where wei wuxian is some sort of general maybe and he runs away from lan zhan and their kid/kids with the help of wen qing and wen ning. In the process of running away wei wuxian breaks down and wen qing finds out that he is pregnant and I think you ziyuan shows up?

I only remember reading till there and i can't find it please help @mysteriouslywangxian

~*~

19. Hello, can you please help mee.

I'm looking for a fic I read a while back, around 2021? Wangxian has s*x in the xuanwu cave but wy end up passing out due to fever and lwj is convinced that he has taken advantage of a sick wy. They meet again years later. It's also not jiang friendly and wy will live with the wens after being rescued from the cave @romyb28

FOUND? 🔒💙 Wish I could forget the taste of your skin and the feel of your hands pinning me down by KizuKatana (E, 63k, WangXian, WQ & WWX & WN, weapons-grade thirst, Getting Back Together, Trying REALLY hard to not still like your Ex, but failing, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, Canon Divergence, Modern Cultivation, Case Fic, LWJ's canonically big dick, sort of a 'thirsting for your co-worker ex' vibe, it eventually gets worked out, Mutual Pining, Guest-starring LWJ’s canonically poor communication choices after romantic cave encounters, novel canon relationship dynamics, basically this fic is about escalating sexual tension)

~*~

20. I need help looking for a wangxian fic

The fic is in a modern setting mostly on the pov of the junior quartet.

They think that LWJ is cheating on WWX since they saw him leave a club/bar/restaurant with a beautiful "female". Turns out it is just WWX in a dress.

Involves misunderstandings, devastated LSZ, and the juniors ruining LWJ's surprise gift for WWX. @lanwuxian0725

FOUND! Junior.exe has stopped working by Luminos07 (T, 4k, WangXian, Crack Treated Seriously, Attempt at Humor, Junior Quartet Dynamics, Junior Trio Shenanigans, This fic is basically the juniors being dumb, Crack, Humor, Comedy, What’s the tag for the juniors going through LWJ's phone?, Protective JC, Modern, no actual infidelity, Established Relationship, LWJ's sugar daddy tendencies, WWX Protection Squad)

~*~

[nebuliix]

​im very late to this but i’ve been reading the notes on this for a while and ive not really seen anyone talk about my favourite ship, temenos and hikari, so far so im gonna yap about them for a bit. (this is basically my first time formatting a tumblr post (it ended up being way too much to keep in the tags) and im scared so i hope the cut works)

i really like the parallels between temenos and hikari about how they both lost absolutely everyone and never had time to confront or process that. in their pasts, with hikari losing his mother and temenos losing his brother, roi; their first chapters, with hikari losing his father/king and temenos losing the pontiff (also a father figure and leader) but neither of them getting a chance to grieve because they’re both put on their journeys so quickly afterwards; then, later in their stories, hikari losing ritsu and a whole lot of other cherished people throughout the war, alongside temenos losing crick in stormhail because of a conspiracy he got him involved in. i personally subscribe to the headcanon that temenos is a descendant of the kal people, so to me his crackridge chapter contributes to that personal sense of loss too. then, later, when both of their stories are complete and things seem to be settling down for both of them, the endgame comes along and rips kazan (oboro) from hikari and sister mindt (arcanette) from temenos, both with no warning and a strong sense of betrayal that they never get closure for.

both of these characters simultaneously get their worlds torn from them in extremely similar ways again and again and again as the game goes on and, what with hikari fighting a war and taking on the leadership of his entire kingdom afterwards as well as temenos uncovering the church and the sacred guard’s corruption and working to stop a death cult from literally ending the world, neither of them ever truly sit down and take care of themselves or process their grief as it happens.

i love pairing them together for this because they both care enough about each other as fellow travelers that they’d help each other get through it all and hold each other accountable. temenos is ignoring his grief and pushing it down, but hikari won’t stop being so gentle with him and before you know it they’re having a heart to heart about it. hikari doesn’t think he deserves to treat himself to his favourite foods amidst his responsibilities, so temenos asks him to treat him instead and now they’re sharing. temenos is pulling ANOTHER all-nighter trying to piece together this cult situation, but hikari’s having night terrors so they cuddle and oh would you look at that now they’re both sleeping great. amazing gorgeous stunning you’re doing incredible i love you both.

this is already so long so i won’t go into details (and i don’t have the poetic language to do it justice anyway) but i haven’t even started on the ‘guy raised in divinity but kind of shuns it a little bit because its done nothing for him’ vs ‘guy with a bloodlust shadow curse that keeps making him kill people but still maintains his connection to the light’ themes like COME ONNN im obsessed with them. i like to imagine shadow hikari comes out with a vengeance only for temenos to say something so absolutely insane-yet-profound-yet-baffling that it just stops him in his tracks. then he gets put in shadow-timeout like a naughty cat. go think about your actions young man. also special mention to the endgame scene where they were the last ones back to the camp. its very funny to imagine they were late because they were making out but as an aroace i also like to imagine it was a petting session (since i played with hunter hikari please give this lad some ear scritches PLEASEE he deserves them)

ok. im done now. if anyone took the time to read it thank you. my other favourite ships, in no particular order, are primrose/h’aanit/ophilia, alfyn/therion, therion&h’aanit platonically (beast tamer vs feral cat vibes letsgo), therion/cyrus/olberic, therion/primrose (she is absolutely on top. throw h’aanit in there with her animal-trainer energy as well for maximum effectiveness. im begging for literally anyone to see my vision), throné/agnea, and the very specific dynamic of every ot1 traveler in a polycule except for tressa who makes fun of them for it

[holding up catboy hikari] you all will look at him and pet him

I miss octopath yapping with people so uh yknow what! We’re gonna play a game!!

Explain in the notes what y’all’s favorite ships are and why you like them!!!

Only rules are

1) do not explain why everyone should think your ship is canon, as that is not the point of this post 2) do not put any other ships down bc that is also not the point of this post 3) ALL games are included (yes including cotc) 4) ANY SHIPS ARE ALLOWED!!! GO NUTS!!!!

[rinniewvrld]

𝗬𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗘!𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗘 .ᐟ

summary, your roommate, ryunosuke, is your typical joe. albeit lazy, but at least he pays his share of the rent. just don't ask too much question about what he does after dark, alright?

featuring, yandere!roommate x gn!reader

tags, unhealthy character dynamics, obsessive behavior, mentions of murder, implied stalking, drugging

notice, posting yandere on tumblr for the first time 💔💔 i mostly post this kind of stuff on my Wattpad, but lmk if you vibe or not 👉👈

♡ Being a part-time worker and a college student was a tiring combination. Even more so when you rented out a fairly cheap apartment and even then struggle to pay the rent.

♡ So that's why you pulled up to your facebook group looking for a roommate to share the rent with. When someone replied to your post, you immediately accepted them without a thought.

♡ However, when they arrived... You realized maybe you should've done a background check beforehand.

♡ Ryunosuke Kurokawa, that was the name he gave you. And to be frank, he's the most laziest guy you've ever met. You would've regretted letting him live with you if it he hadn't been paying his share.

♡ He is a med student and studied at the same school as you, but he took online classes because 'he couldn't be bothered to walk there' (It was literally a 15-minute walk away). You barely saw him do his chores though you never entered his room before, so you weren't sure if it was even clean or not. The most effort he gave was cooking for you and taking out his laundry basket from his room for you to clean.

♡ Whenever you come home from college or after working a tiring shift at your job, you either found him lounging in the living room with a some random sitcom playing in the background or cooking up in the kitchen wearing a cringey 'kiss the cook' apron that he bought off amazon.

♡ However, he's a fairly exceptional cook— something you never expected from a guy like him —and his meals were so fancy that you weren't sure if a college student like him could even afford the ingredients! Come to think of it, he never told you what his job was....

♡ Of course, Ryunosuke couldn't just tell you that he killed people for a living! That would instantly end up with him kicked out, worse in jail, but he told you he worked at a random convenience store so his late night missions would be excused.

♡ He has killed many, ranging from politicians to shitty husbands. Sometimes murderers like him if it were requested by his cilents. He couldn't care less if he had to kill an  innocent person or not, it's what pays the bills and he gets to feed you tons of tasty food.

♡ It took him so long to track you down, always waitig for the right time to slip into your life like the parasite he is. But when you posted needing a roommate, well... not only he could integrate into your personal space, but help you with your situation too! It was a win-win in his book.

♡ However, whenever you asked questions about his life, it was getting harder and harder to lie and hide his secret nightly activities. Like, 'What are you doing out so late?', 'Why is there a weird, red stain on your shirt?', things like that.

♡ Sometimes, he'd offer you some tea and slip a sleeping pill into your drink so you'll go to a deep and heavy sleep, ensuring you won't wake up when he comes barging in through the window, his sniper rifle warm after putting a bullet through another small-time politician's head.

♡ And when he's all cleaned up and done, he'd sneak into your room and starr down at your sleeping form. So sweet and innocent, oblivious to the blood on his hands and only ever viewed him as an average guy (and maybe something even more than just a roommate).

♡ He pressed a tender kiss on your forehead, bidding you sweet dreams before heading off to his room.

♡ Just being with you was enough to make all his trouble worth it. Even if it was at the cost of his life, he'll do anything just to keep you close to him.

[stellactrums]

My Dear, Big Snowman ❄️ | AO3

Pairing: Zayne x MC Summary: Zayne's mastery over his ice Evol has many uses, from stopping bullets and holding enemies in place to cooling a room on a hot summer day. He can conjure a single snowflake or towering walls of ice if the situation requires it. One day, after pulling a splinter out of your thumb, he even soothed the pain with an icy kiss. So it comes as no surprise to you when he employs a similar technique in bed. Rating: Explicit 🔞 Words: 1,286 Tags: POV Second Person, Reader Insert, Unnamed Main Character, No Use of Y/N, AFAB Reader, Temperature Play, Oral Sex, Cunnilingus, Inappropriate Use of Evol, lots and lots of kissing bc I still think about Silent Poem daily okay, long live titty lover Zayne Li and his beautiful cold lips, PWP, Explicit Sexual Content, Explicit Language, Established Relationship, no beta we die like grandma Notes: Originally posted to AO3 on Jan. 28, 2025. This fic was brought to you by Zayne's third chapter of Twilight Chronicles. I couldn't get the temperature play potential out of my mind. Originally, this was going to be a thread on bsky, but... I got a little carried away lol tale as old as time. Enjoy!

Zayne’s mastery over his ice Evol has many uses, from stopping bullets and holding enemies in place to cooling a room on a hot summer day. He can conjure a single snowflake or towering walls of ice if the situation requires it. One day, after he pulled a splinter out of your thumb, he even soothed the pain with an icy kiss. 

So it comes as no surprise to you when he employs a similar technique in bed. 

His lips across your collarbone are fleeting and sweet, trailing soft kisses lower and lower until he reaches your chest. Zayne pauses there for a moment, and his warm palms cup your breasts as he continues to make his way down. 

A soft moan escapes you when Zayne draws your nipple into his mouth. You slip your fingers into his hair and hold him there, desire beginning to stir to life within you, and you can’t help but watch him. He’s beautiful like this, you think. His long lashes flutter when he closes his eyes, and a slight crease forms along his brow the more he concentrates. He always enjoys this part almost as much as you do, and you love to see that enjoyment reflected on his face. 

The first kiss of ice against your skin when Zayne summons his Evol to his lips tears a gasp out of you, and your back arches off the bed at the contrasting sensations—warm breath and cold lips, a soothing caress followed by a firm grasp. It makes goosebumps graze the back of your arms and a shiver run down your spine and a bolt of pleasure shoot straight to your core.

Another moan catches in your throat when he suddenly draws back. Your hands fall away as Zayne lifts his head and meets your eyes. 

Concern fills his gentle gaze. He gives you a brief once-over and brushes his thumb over your nipple, soothing your cold skin with his warm touch.

“Too much?” he asks softly. 

A faint smile pulls at your mouth. You shake your head. 

“Not at all,” you reply. You try—and fail—not to sound too eager. “Keep going.”

Zayne huffs out a laugh, and even in the low light of his bedroom, you can see the tips of his ears turn red. With a quiet hum, he lowers his mouth to your sternum and begins to kiss a new path downward.

“Someone’s enjoying herself,” he murmurs against you, and he punctuates the sentence with another kiss.

The muscles in your abdomen flutter beneath his lips. Each kiss is colder than the last, making your skin tingle, and as Zayne continues down your stomach, you simply can’t find it in you to come up with a retort. 

Instead, you return your fingers to his hair and guide him down to where you want him most. 

Zayne scoops his arms beneath you and drags you even closer, drawing another sharp breath out of you. You nearly jump when he presses a tentative kiss between your thighs, but he holds you down against the bed as you squirm, not letting you wriggle away that easily. He takes his time and lets you adjust to the coolness of his lips as he alternates between cold and colder—not cold enough to make you numb, but just on the delicate edge of being too much. 

The pleasure tightens like a knot in your gut, and quickly, already threatening to snap from the anticipation alone. You writhe under him, rolling your hips upward, desperate for more— 

“Relax,” Zayne says, firm but quiet. “I’m not going anywhere.”

You’re ready to whine in protest, ready to beg, but he doesn’t even give you the chance, because those cold lips wrap around your clit before you can make even the smallest noise, and your mind screeches to a halt as Zayne goes in for the kill.

“Zayne!” You can hardly form thoughts, let alone words, but his name slides effortlessly off your tongue. “Zayne, please—”

He groans at the sound of it, and the gentle vibrations of his voice against your cunt are almost enough to bring you over the edge on principle. He breathes deeply through his nose, warm inhales and exhales that make you quiver.

With a sigh, you finally surrender, your eyes closing and your head falling back against the pillows. Your brows pinch together and your thighs go tense as Zayne ventures lower. He moves so that he’s kneeling at the foot of the bed, laying your legs over his shoulders so he can devour you in earnest.

The first swipe of his tongue over your clit sends you reeling, and fuck, even that’s cold—cold and wet like he’d just eaten a popsicle. A needy, pathetic little whimper spills past your lips when he does it again and again and again. It’s too much. It’s not enough. It’s nothing like what you expected to be, because it’s better, so much better than you could have ever imagined. 

You tighten your grasp on his hair and pull, and he rewards you with another low grunt that makes your cunt clench around nothing. You lock your ankles behind his back to keep him exactly where you need him, and your rhythm falters as your hips gradually rise off the bed. And Zayne—God bless him—doesn’t let up, not for a single second, concentrating his Evol right on the tip of his tongue and licking into you at a practiced, steady pace like he has all the time in the world.  

You’re shivering when you finally come, shuddering breaths and wavering moans filling the room. The chill of Zayne’s Evol spreads through your limbs, intertwined with the liquid, molten heat of desire simmering deep within you. Your release consumes you from the inside and out until your body just can’t take any more. Your thighs tremble with the effort of holding yourself up until you finally collapse back down against the mattress.

You bite your bottom lip around a euphoric grin as the aftershocks settle in, legs twitching, skin prickling. You feel giddy with pleasure—almost drunk on it. Your cheeks burn hot as the rest of you slowly warms up too. 

When you look down, Zayne eases back and lifts his head. His lips glisten obscenely with your arousal, and the air condensates with each ragged exhale as he catches his breath. You can’t help but laugh at the sight of it.

Zayne smiles as he rejoins you on the bed. He settles over you, hips nestled in the cradle of your thighs. His body is a warm, comforting weight, as are his lips against yours once his Evol fully dissipates.  

“Something funny?” he whispers. 

“Mm,” you murmur, your answer muffled by another kiss. “Just thinking.”

He draws back, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Uh-oh.” 

You playfully swat at Zayne’s arm, laughing again when it makes him laugh too. Wrapping your arms around his shoulders, you pull him back down toward you. 

“I’m thinking,” you say, “you’ve been holding out on me all this time.”

“Have I?” Zayne closes the scant distance between you to kiss you yet again. “You liked it that much?” 

There’s a genuine note of wonder in his voice. You nod, your smile reassuring. 

“I did,” you reply, because a little verbal confirmation never hurts. “And now, I’m also thinking about whether or not that trick works… elsewhere.”

Zayne blinks a few times, but it’s not long before he catches on to your meaning. A soft smirk spreads across his lips, and then he’s lowering his mouth to your neck, dropping brief kisses along your throat that are warm—

But there’s an unmistakable coldness nudging between your thighs. 

“Should we find out?”

[dollwhite]

𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇

𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠

P.s all works made by me, will be under the tag ‘dollings work’

ALSO my new theme for my blog is Blood rose <3 my blog will be changed on the first. If u were wondering?

Ik this doesn’t scream blood rose buttt close enough!!

I imagine posison ivy is like 30-35

Something you didn’t expect was your close friend poison ivy to call you. You two were very close even with her being 34 and you being 24.

A ten year age difference didn’t seem like a lot, and in reality it wasn’t.

As you answered the call, it felt like something was wrong. It HAD to be ivy, I mean you don’t really have many “close” friends. And you and your family were close but you guys didn’t just call each other on a regular. Unless it’s an emergency like a death in the family.

Plus you come from a small town on like the other side of the world. Your home town basically doesn’t have internet.

“Hello?..” you say the words flowing softly out of your lips.

“[ reader ] heyyy.. you know how about a month age, I did that big favor for you? And u said ‘ Oh Ivy I owe you big time!’” Your friend Ivy said her words coming out a little bit slowed which was a bit weird as she’s a normally fast speaker.

“Hiah..” a little chuckle came from over the phone, you could tell the person was a woman and that she was maybe over a feet away from Ivy. That was also strange Ivy only had a hand full of friends that she could count on one hand.

Now Red Robin was back in the batcave, and he was getting scolded.. All because he decided to check up in that stranger, he gets it he really does but.

Being grounded from patrol, In a huge villain attack?? What is Bruce thinking? It’s obvious he needs all the help he can get. He already has Superman on standby, maybe he also has the justice league?

Who knows.. who knows.

Now time for Tim to get looking for some info on this new stranger. It’s clear she just moved to Gotham, maybe a few weeks back? But that doesn’t matter because he’s going to find out.

Everything.

“Just like the seedd, I don’t know where to go.” A beautiful woman’s voice echoed across the room.

Startling Harley, “now what in the heck was that!”

“That my dear Harley, was my friend.” Poison ivy said. “Now come on, we have to hurry” she added.

Grabbing Harley by her hand, leading her to the cafeteria exit.

“I——what about the guards?” Now don’t get Harley confused, she loved going by the flow.

But Ivy was more of a ‘think now, do later’ type of person. And also she has other friends??

Why didn’t Harley know about her, or-them. Hey! Harley doesn’t judge, if you wanna be called a guy.

But if you look like a girl, she’s going to call you a guy!

“Through dirt and shadow, I grow. Just like the seed”

As they both were passing through the exit, Harley took notice of this weird acting guard.

Matter of fact, all the guards in the cafeteria were acting weird, and the other inmates as well.

Like they’re under some sort of trance? But whatever it was, she didn’t care as long as she gets to lease to your voice she’s good!

……………………………………………………………………

Yeah yeah ik, i have been gone for like what? A month at least. And I can’t promise you guys that I’m going to be posting more often, because we’ll school has fucking kicked the shit out of me, and I had a very difficult situation with two of my close friends. So in all life has been shity to me, this is an old drift I never got around to post, and I’m pretty sure you guys can tell. Cuz it’s low-key trash, because when I made this I was like what half a month of getting into writing. Also I have been spending my time in the hotd fandom! (My favorite characters are the Hightower siblings!) and I might try and writ for hotd, because it’s just interesting to me yk?

But I’m here to say that…. Idk when I’m going to be able to get my ass to write something for you guys! And I hope that you all don’t mind that, I’m also going to try and finish my drifts. Also ao3 has got my heart at the moment(no because there’s so much love for Alicent Hightower there🤭)

See you guys maybe never again! But um y’all known what y’all were going to be getting into when you fucking followed me! And I haven’t been that interested in the batfam, so I might not continue any of my stories on them…..

[zarvasace]

I have been tagged by @batrogers!!

1. How many works on AO3? 241

2. Total AO3 word count? 1.25mil. Almost to my 3rd AO3 anniversary :D (that's around 1,170 words every day for three years, not counting nonpublished words! Proud of that rate, even if it's slowing.)

3. Top 5 fics by kudos:

Status? about Four. I think this one hits the sweet spot for a lot of people: not too long, a bit angsty, but sweet.

so i admit that the mud didn't do much for me, about Hyrule. Actually the first fic I ever posted on this account, it's silly and I'm surprised to see it so high

incandescently happy, a post-LU happy ending. Posted little chapters every day for like a month which kept it in people's feeds so I think that's why it's so high

what is a stump supposed to do, a random Hyrule & Four one, honestly baffled why it's up here

Rise and Shine and Fall, my successful (by that I mean actually wrote and posted every day on schedule) Whumptober 2022 extravaganza compilation. I posted it all in one work, so it's higher than most other whump fics of mine, but there's a lot in it!

4. What fandoms do you write for? Zelda. In the past I wrote a tiny bit of Danny Phantom and a fair amount of FE3H!

5. Do you respond to comments? Always!! I admit to being SO VERY BEHIND right now, a couple months' worth. I'm trying to keep up on new ones, but I've had some beautiful wonderful readers going through my catalog and I can't always keep up!! XD

6. Fic with the angstiest ending: I don't write a lot of negative endings, so I think this badge goes to Counterbalance, my LU Darks AU. I'm actually fully in love with this fic, it's probably the best mix of silly and angsty I've ever written. It's full of what are essentially OCs but they're all my babies and I love them.

7. Fic with the happiest ending: incandescently happy, post-LU. The whole fic is essentially a fix-it ending, though LU doesn't have an ending yet. XD

8. Do you get hate? A couple silly comments trying to tell me I'm doing things wrong, but not really no! Oh, also can't forget the ask I got that was "Remember that Jesus is your first reader." I think that was meant to be passive aggressive but there's a chance it was meant like, genuinely? Not sure.

9. Do you write smut? Nah. And I don't plan to. Not my thing! Closest I get are vampire bites XD

10. Do you write crossovers? I swear I've done more but the only ones on my AO3 are a Vidow fic done in an original world (Nothing New Under the Sun (crystals, dumplings, jewelry)), and Blood-Sucker's Guide to High School, a Vidow retelling of a very fun vampire novel.

11. Ever had a fic stolen? Nope, but I did have one of my Vidow fake fic book covers stolen for someone's fake fiverr listing. Got it taken down with a DMCA but I was like, why

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Not to my knowledge.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic? Oh plenty. @enrolio and I spent most of 2020-21 lockdowns and beyond cowriting, mostly original stories (1.7mil) but a lot of fic, too (nothing published, but almost 400k worth.) We're currently in the process of working on a big epic original fantasy series, though that's a long-term project. @batrogers and I have done a few alt-POV-type projects too, which have been super duper fun!! Hope to do more.

In that vein too, I feel like the Bad End Links kind of qualify here—so much of the characters and their stories were brainstormed collaboratively and so many friends have contributed details and fics and art, it feels like a fun group project! I've really enjoyed working on it. :D (the encouragement and hype for it also helps a lot!! I'm really hoping to finish this big project out!)

14. All-time favorite ship? Ahhhh a harder question than you'd think, tbh, even if you're limiting it to fic. I've written the most for Vidow, and they're definitely up there (same with Fourdow though I've done less with them.) I do have to admit that Linhardt/Byleth might take the cake, though. They were the first ship I was ever actually obsessed with, and the first romantic pairing I wrote in fic.

I just really adore Linny in general, and I love how the pairing continues and closes off some of the themes in the Crimson Flower route of FE3H. That's the only route where Byleth doesn't become archbishop-slash-dictator, and I think choosing to live life in a small cottage, not particularly contributing too much to the government, builds nicely upon the themes of becoming human and choosing your own destiny, themes that are really missing from the other routes.

15. WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will? My old AO3 account (a couple FE3H fics and not much else) has a series where I wrote the beginning of a fic and then had several different endings planned, each a different ship with Linhardt, but I only ever wrote one. I'd love to read the rest but I have too many other fics calling my name!

16. Writing strengths? Um... Volume and speed? Also AUs. I think I can call myself good at fitting characters into new settings. Also fight scenes are fun and I think I do them well.

17. Writing weaknesses? I feel somewhat weak in the plotting and style realms.

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue? You can't count on a reader to know not-tagged languages, so that has to be accounted for in the text.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Danny Phantom, in high school or maybe just after. That's late for a lot of fic writers but... there are reasons for that, and a different discussion!!

20. Favorite fic you've ever written? This is an extremely rude question, because I love so many for different reasons. I write things I want to read!! Counterbalance (for the tone) and Blood-Sucker's Guide (for the finished novel plot) are up there but I linked them above, so I'll take the chance to call out a different few—Marvelous Misadventures is way up there, a Wind-focused modern with magic AU. I promise I'm still working on that last chapter (and the epilogue), I just gotta throw everything else aside one month and buckle down. Maybe June, I don't have any fic events planned and 06/23 was the last update. I think some earlier chapters need a refresh as well, once I have the ending written.

I'll also toss White Walls (medwhump, "non consensual body modification: the fic") into this category for how long it is and how proud I am to have finished even a collection this long, and a long walk, a Linked Nexus fic where I did so much math and had so much fun with it. :D

Tagging: @silvrash-797 @toyouhellohowareyou @nopenototdaysatan @skyward-floored :)

[heavymedicshackerwife]

Under the cut for length but... Some musings on how the fandom treats Heavy. TW for fatphobia and discussion of life under the Soviet Union.

(BTW this is the stuff I posted on Discord a while ago. Somewhat ranty but... I just love that dude. I do complain about an artist in this fandom, but PLEASE do not harass them. I do not name them, this is my silly personal opinion.)

I hate how the fandom treats Heavy... He's got such deep lore but all the fans are like "SO FUNNI! STUPID FAT POOTIS COMMIE HUEHUE!"He's none of those things but they've turned him into the butt of the joke. He's a hardcore badass who gets so little appreciation at all. He has a PHD but he's constantly depicted as a dumbarse.

Heavy isn't a communist at all, and his father was killed by the regime. Sorry if I piss off any whiny tankies who get mad at me for dissing a nuclear military superpower that killed millions of people, but the Soviet Union was a brutal dictatorship and generally not a good place to live (shocking! I know!) . Heavy was sent to a GULAG. A work camp. He risked his life to break his family out and free the prisoners, but does anybody care? Nope! Let's make soviet themed cosmetic #283027192 because original funni joke!

The entire fandom on Tumblr seems to ignore Heavy too. He only really shows up in Tumblr tags as "Medic's boyfriend" and they're happy to give him depth... As long as he's just Medic's golden retriever BF. I see so much fanart where he's this big aggressive alpha-daddy but that's not him around Medic either. Heavy is fierce and will gladly tear someone's arms off, but he's not just a brute. He's an intellectual. He really does care for the people he loves. And for the rest of the fandom, he's the butt of a joke. Big, fat, stoopid pootis man.

Valve gave us this incredibly intelligent, deep, creative character and despite all the fat jokes in-game (then again all the Mercs talk shit about each other) he has so much character development that just gets overlooked unless he's either kissing someone else or getting memed. I'm used to SFMs and memes having him as "dumbass fatty" because half of them were made by teenage boys before the comics were made (and they probably didn't know about the Russian translation where Heavy talks like an academic at times), but having Nice Tolerant Tumblr treat him as just "someone's boyfriend" is just as insulting.

There's this one AU by this artist I blocked where he's literally a Mafia boss Alpha Daddy with a cigar, and Medic as his twink femboy boyfriend. That's not him. You're sticking two middle aged men onto the 🥺🗿generic yaoi template. He's not a soft ball of butter but he's not the cruel, brutal classic Heavy either. He really is like a bear like his description says, as people either see him as a funny toy or a big aggressive beast. He loves his family and does this job FOR them, but he's also strong and fierce.

I could go deeper. I could talk about fandom fatphobia and how the only way he's consistently sexualised is as a huge angry muscular dominant, rather than general sex appeal like the other mercs. Lots of NSFW fanart ignores his belly, and just makes him beefy. There are few fics he has (Him and Demo have so few good fics on AO3). He's left out of "Mercenary boyfriend" scenarios on Wattpad. Sure, a 57 year old, 300lb balding Siberian mercenary who's in love with his gun isn't to everyone's taste, but none of the Mercs are conventionally "handsome". I couldn't see any of them modelling underwear for Calvin Klein. I love Medic, I love the ship between him and Medic, but I hate how the fandom treats Heavy as just an extension of him.

He wrestled a bear bare-handed. Sure, he's big. He's overweight. But I'd bet he's in better health and fitness than any of us here. Some people in this fandom literally cannot turn their brains on and actually think of why Heavy night look how he does (appearance and fatness is not a moral failure btw), they just think he's uggo and thus just a joke.

Thing is... He's not even "just" fat! He's overweight and plus-sized, but look at what he does all day. He runs around with a 150kg minigun and several rounds of ammo, alongside a bulletproof vest and TINY legs. He has a strongman's body type which is mostly thick muscle with a layer of fat. He's big, and he certainly has body fat, but he's arguably in great shape for someone over 50 who's most likely lived through several famines. Heavy being fat does not mean he is unhealthy in these circumstances.

He is arguably the best husband out of all the Mercs. Not a pyromaniac or a drunk, not immature, doesn't like his job TOO much, doesn't have lead poisoning or a god complex, doesn't love building killing machines and won't cheat on you with Scout's mama.

Oh mann... I love him. He needs so much more love. And I wish the fandom would love him too

[romanarose]

Beyond a blank slate reader

Hello everyone! There's been some wonderful discussions about inclusivity in the PPCU recently and I highly encourage them to keep on! A lot of it how certain phrases can code a reader as white, like "you blushed" etc. It's important to try and make your reader as inclusive as possible!

But I wanted to share some stories that aren't just a blank slate reader, but are my attempt to make people not only not feel excluded, but specifically included.

A lot of this is stuff i wrote because I wanted to see myself, like jewish or transmasc readers, in fics. Others I wrote because I want others to have that same feeling. That not only can you put yourself in the story, but you can actually see it clearly there.

I'll be honest, this came after getting an anon calling me not one but two slurs (three? They repeated one with a shortened version lol) and I wanted to be EVEN MORE LOUD about writing trans characters. i figured why not highlight all sorts of things that readers might like to read that are hard to find!

I've also included anything I think is under represented, like Boston!Joel with no age gap reader, or plus sized readers.

Below will be fics with readers and OC's with different gender identities, race, ethnicity, religion, and disabilties.

Most are Pedro Pascal and Oscar Isaac, but there's some with the other triple frontier boys <3

And to be clear, there is NOTHING wrong with a blank slate. MOST of what I write is blank slate. But you can absolutly be descriptive as long as you are tagging properly! And you can write for more than just no descripters. I am white, but I have no desire to only ever write white characters. We can all branch out and learn.

I've asked this before, what representation specifically do YOU want to see? Drop in my inbox, and I'll consider it, as going forward I think I'm more interested in x oc rather than x reader.

Last year I tried to compile a list of explicitly non-white fics by other writers and only got two people replying so it didnt go anywhere, but I'm going to try again this weekend! That way I can highlight not just myself.

Moon Knight

Seattle (Series): Marc Spector x Jewish!fem!OC. Marc trying to help Rebecca leave an abusive relationship.

Both of Us: Marc Spector x muslism!fem!Reader. Reader and Marc expecting a baby <3

The Times, they are a-chang'n: Marc Spector x Jewish!fem!Reader

Steven With A Non-Verbal reader: Steven Grant with selectively mute reader.

Marc with a Plus Sized reader: Marc Spector x plus sized! reader. Reader

Her Hair Reminds Me of a Warm Safe Place: Marc Spector x Layla El-Faouly. I didn't add every Marc x Layla here but I wrote this one specifically for my friend Clem who is arab and curly haired like Layla and has so much joy seeing Layla and her curls on screen, so I emphasized Marc finding safety in her.

Moon Boys with an agoraphobic reader: Headcanons of a reader with agoraphobia

I wrote one with Steven with a reader with ocd but i cant fucking find it so if you see it lmk lol

Triple Frontier

If You Wanna be Wild: Javier Pena x Latina!fem!Reader/oc x Santiago Garcia. Javier gets a new partner, a young Santi, and they go after Lorea together. He does not account for both of them sleeping with the same prositute. Partway through, "reader" became more of an oc, but the description is clear. She's latina and Colombian, curly hair. When I start moving everything to my new blog I'll just edit everything as an OC.

Big Boys Don't Cry: Trans! Santiago Garcia x transmasc!reader

Santi With a Curly Haired Reader: Just what it says. Not explicitly POC but can easily imagine if you have curly hair no matter the race.

See more at the bottom about the leather and lace universe

The Last of Us

Darkness on the Edge of Town: Joel Miller x older!fem!reader. By older, I mean she's the same age as Joel in boston, post-menopause. Joel saves a woman from FEDRA guards and they are stuck together in his apartment during a lockdown.

Lights: Joel Miller x jewish!fem!reader. Jackson!Joel asks out Jewish!reader

About a Girl: Joel Miller x trans!fem!reader. Joel, a single dad of a kindergarten aged Sarah, meets Blue, and is instantly attracted, but he doesn't know she's trans yet. Heavy on themes of found family, domestic abuse to Joel, addiction, transphobia.

Joel Takes a Strap: Joel x trans!masc!reader. Is exactly what it says LOL

The River: Joel Miller x black!fem!reader. Sarah's mom reader, Joel and you lose your virginities together, Sarah is conceived.

Happy Birthday, Joel: Trans!Joel x male!reader. You and Joel pic out a new name for him.

Santa Joel-y: Joel Miller x plus sized!Fem!Reader. Joel is feeling down about his weight gain, reader cheers him up.

Narcos

If You Wanna be Wild: Javier Pena x Latina!fem!Reader/oc x Santiago Garcia. Partway through, "reader" became more of an oc, but the description is clear. She's latina and Colombian, curly hair. When I start moving everything to my new blog I'll just edit everything as an OC. Javier gets a new partner, a young Santi, and they go after Lorea together. He does not account for both of them sleeping with the same prositute.

Leather and Lace universe (Triple Frontier)

Putting this at the bottom because it's my baby and i know I promo it a lot so I wanted to give people a chance to see the other stuff.

Leather and Lace universe started with Just writing the series leather and Lace. I wasn't ready to let go of the characters i created, so I branched off with Frankie and Jana's story. now it's an anthology.

Each series can be read seperately, but are best all together because there are side arches. Each series is a different TF boy and their OC, each OC is wildly varied.

The full LaL masterlist with chronological pieces here if you want to read it all to date, OR you can look below for one that fits your tastes.

Please be mindful of warnings of each. heavy themes of domestic violence, rape, addiction, and child abuse are present.

Leather and Lace: Santiago Garcia x oc, Laci. The Tf boys find laci in Colombia, a victim of sex trafficking and they rescue her. She's deeply traumatized, but Santi is there to help her every step. Santi is coded to be autistic and is non-verbal often (more in the begining, she talks more as her anxiety eases.) and she has severe PTSD.

Take Your Time: Francisco Morales x oc, Jana. frankie is struggling to stay sober. Despite his attempts to push people away, Jana won't allow him to lose himself in addiction and depression, for his own and for their daughter's sake. Jana is a bisexual icon, and Afro-latina.

For the Longest Time: William Miller x OC, Lorelei. Lorelei and Will keep accidentally meeting. Suspicious and often judgmental, Lorelei is hesitant to let Will and his friends in. She learns she can trust them, and they learn she has a heart of gold and is the most loyal friend you could have. Lorelei is Vietnamese.

Coming soon... No Surrender: Ben Miller x oc, Cam. Join the tag list! Stuck in an abusive relationship and drinking heavily, Ben is just trying to get through this harvest and sell the family farm. Will calls in the only person he thinks can help his brother. Cam is Scottish and part Vietnamese (1/4), and has a hearing aid.

If any incorrect, outdated, or offensive langauge was used in any of these descripters, please let me know! I do my best to research and ask people in any groups I am not a part of, but I know things can slip through and I will never be above being corrected

Thank you for taking the time to read my works! If you are so inclinced, check out my event, disability visibility, to highlight disability awareness!

Follow @cosmic-kid-in-motion which will be my new blog! Im going to start moving things over there. Don't worry, ill keep things up at this blog for a long while, but if by chance you are seeing this list and links dont work, go over to that blog and i'll hopefully have this list with SO MUCH MORE I have planned, like marcus acacius x muslism!reader, and wheelchair user Santi!

[asxtify]

Timeless Devotion - Rafayel

Synopsis: Being reincarnated into a different world sounds like a dream come true, but there’s a person who you truly wish to be with loves someone else. Someone that isn’t you, someone who you look exactly like but not quite. Can you be able to make him fall in love with you, despite looking like someone else?

Genre: Rafayel x Angle Reader, Fluff, Agnst, Smut.

Word count: 2.5k

Now Playing: Chinese New Year - Sales

Tags: Slow Burn, possessive! Rafayel, dom! Rafayel, sub! Reader, S2l, Mc has a name, reader lost their memory, one sided love at first, jealousy, eventual smut, so much agnst, violence, reader looks exactly like Mc, reader has powers, cats seem to follow reader everywhere, doesn’t follow the script in the game, character deaths, author isn’t good a writing, slow updates, side caleb & sylus x reader x zayne & xaiver. Reader is an actual angel.

A/n’s note: first chapter may suck, but i hope you guys enjoy

Chapter 01: An angle sent from heaven?

Congratulations, you have finally died a peaceful life. No regrets, you sadly—but not really, had died young, not later than your twenties. With something called cancer, but you didn’t care. At least you got to witness the happy things that took place in your family, watched your older sister get married. Younger brother become a successful CEO. And your mother continue to support the family with courage and advice—even her love.

But even though your now dead, why are you looking up at a ceiling? A different one at that, not to mention—it’s something your awfully familiar with. The sound of constant beeping makes your ears extremely sensitive, and you don’t know why you’re body is so numb.

Perhaps the doctors can explain, because the sound of a door opening alerts you as you slightly jump out of your skin.

There stood a male who looked extremely familiar to you, and it doesn’t take long to realize what’s going on. ‘Oh god, i have been reincarnated into a game I played in my previous life before dying.’ The look in the males eyes as he scans over the paper reminds you of his usual blank expression when reading over something when it has something to do with his work.

Zayne, the famous doctor who any woman dreams to be with stands before you in his work clothes looking ever so professionally and ready to work. It appears he doesn’t take in your appearance yet as he still stares at the clipboard with furrowed eyebrows, as if he was concerned or confused.

And when he looks at you his eyes almost widened, he blinks once—twice, before clearing his throat as if he was just imagining himself seeing you lying helplessly in a hospital bed. Zayne was no person to mistake anything, and he could of sworn he had talked with Ukiyo a few minutes ago before visiting the room you’re currently in.

So why do you look exactly like Ukiyo?

Zayne immediately became suspicious of you, he leans against the door all while making sure he keeps his distance from you. Which makes your fragile heart shatters into pieces, the person who you adored behind the screen of your phone is now treating you like some sort of unknown creature. But who were you to be all heartbroken over someone who hasn’t even known you.

Not with a face so similar as someone else’s at that, and Zayne was strongly on guard.

“Let’s start with some simple questions, miss.” His voice is deep and assertive, getting straight to the point—and your health since that is his job after all. Despite you looking like someone’s doppelgänger.

“Y/n.” You say ever so quietly, that Zayne barely hears you. He doesn’t misses the way you fiddle with your fingers, your galaxy-like eyes that slightly resembles the trifid nebula darts from object to object in the room. Trying your very best to not make eye contact with Zayne, who boars a hole into your fragile little soul. “Just Y/n.” You say once more, but this time—you’re more nervous than before.

“So, do you have any memory referring to the night that you were attacked?!” Zayne asked, sneaking a glance at you all while you stared up at the ceiling in a daze. You’re not quite sure as to how you even ended up in the hospital but you’re sure enough that you’ve been reincarnated into a body that looks exactly like your Mc—to which you named Ukiyo, back in the real world you once lived in.

It’s best to just tell him a lie if you don’t wanna end up in a mental institution, “I just wanted a can of soda. But my attacker had other plans for me, maybe that’s why I ended up with five stab wounds to the stomach.” You lied straight through you precious teeth, Zayne nodded a bit. As he continues to write down on his clipboard in a swift motion.

He was utterly surprised, the fact that you were able to pinpoint how many stab wounds you received and where without even looking sent signals to his brain that—that wasn’t normal even in the slightest.

The thing is, your story was a lie—but your stab wounds weren’t.

But thank the gods that Zayne has simply nodded his head in approval, he didn’t bother to question you further—especially on your similar appearance pertaining to a certain someone. Because that gave you a seventy percent chance of escaping the hospital without anyone noticing, bor becoming suspicious of your sudden disappearance.

It’s been forever since you’ve been out of an hospital, not since your sisters wedding—in your previous life.

And just when things couldn’t get any stranger, they did. Your vision began to brightly—almost blinding you in the process, it startled you. And you suddenly found yourself standing up, in a pure white void—nothing was there and you couldn’t understand what was even happening—especially to you.

“You must be confused, little one.”

A soft feminine voice, laced with dominance had boomed throughout the void had caught your attention. A figure stands before you with white enormous wings, eyes close even though she’s smiling down at you with nothing but pure kindness.

It melts your heart, to receive such kindness like the woman before you. Besides your family’s kindness, she’s the first person to ever actually approach you with a friendly gesture, at first, you find it hard to reply to her—but that quickly dies down when she speaks again.

“You have been reincarnated into a different world as an angel, my little one.” The word caught you off guard, but you choose not to dwell on it. Though it did catch your attention as she continues to explain you the extreme details, little by little.

“An angel?” You point to yourself, head tilted to the side as your doe trifid nebula eyes stare up at the woman before you. “That sounds nice, i guess.”

The woman laughs, she wasn’t expecting for someone like you to react like that. But she understood since everything was so sudden, to much to process all together anyways. “Yes, that’s correct.” Her voice calm as ever, “though, before i send you back—there’s something you should know.” You await for her to speak once more.

Something in your gut tells you it won’t be good, because the way the woman’s smile slightly turns into a frown says it all.

“You’ll lose all of your memories of your previous life, are you still willing to continue on, little one?” Not only will you lose your memories, but you’ll lose the family you once had—your friends, sister, brother, mother, even your father that barely spoke to you when you were alive.

You’ll lose everything, but are you willing to give it all up?

Only one way to find out.

“Okay.” You slowly say, eyes closed as you take a huge—and deep breath. “I’m willing to lose my memories of everything that i hold precious to me, it may sound selfish of me but this time in this new life of mine—i want to try things that ive never got the chance to do. And I trust you with my memories of my previous life!” You say, determination in your eyes. It makes the woman chuckle, she seems amused by your words apparently.

The woman opens her eyes for the first time, her beautiful aqua-like eyes. It catches you off guard for only a second, before you find yourself smiling as if you were taking your last breath—for a second time. “Very well then.”

A sudden pinkish and blue-ish aura—with a little bit of purple had surrounded you so suddenly, lifting you completely off your feet as you slightly gasp at the sudden action. Your body feel so much lighter, and it feel like something’s growing from your back—and to be hold, it’s your very own pair of wings, and it’s enormous—just like the woman who stands before you with a kind smile.

“Whoa.” You are lost for words as you witness your own self be transformed into something the human couldn’t possibly imagine, “It’s like im in a fairytale.”

The woman only laughs at your words, as she claps her hands together. “Alright, now that your transformation is complete. I shall now send you down to the human world, I granted you with powers beyond anyone comprehension—so use it wisely, little one.”

And for the first time, you smile ever so brightly. “Thank you miss.”

“Please, call me Yuna.”

Before you could utter another word, everything that was once the color white had slowly faded into darkness. And eventually, taking over your mind and vision.

Yuna watches you disappear into thin air before sighing, “Oh my, I forgot to the little one that once she loses her past life memories she also lose her memories on how to operate in the human world. Oh well, she’ll figure it out.” Won’t she?

Well, there’s only one way to find out.

⋆ ˚｡⋆ 𝑻𝑰𝑴𝑬𝑳𝑬𝑺𝑺 𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑶𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 ⋆ ˚｡⋆

You slowy open your eyes as you find yourself lying on the soft pure green grass, you don’t remember on how you got here but you strongly want to believe that you just simply decided to take a short nap out in the forest. You sit up ever so slowly, why? Well because the pain pounding in your head had made your movements ever so slow and careful. The pain doesn’t last too long, because your now standing on your own two small feet.

You try to remember what happened on how you got here, or anything at the matter. But sadly, you remember nothing—know nothing but your own name. Y/N L/N. It’s almost as if god had only wanted you to remember your name.

The sound of soft fluttering fills your ears, it makes you perk up at the sound. Turning around you find nothing but the soft trees and bushes fluttering together, but you hear it again, and again, and again. It takes you a moment to realize the sound was coming from you.

You stare down at the pure green grass as the sun shines brightly down on it, creating a shadow beneath you. A enormously large pare of wings raise high behind you, and for some reason, your not surprised, it’s like you knew what you were the moment your eyes landed upon you own pure beautifully white pair of wings. Your skin glows so beautifully and your eyes sparkles all while you take in your surroundings, cover by beautiful pure nature.

Your hypnotized by the beautiful squirrels that climbs onto the long and tall trees, all while the birds fly abover your head and around you. It appears that they to were also amazed by your half human like appearance as well.

Standing in the middle of the forest in nothing but a dress that’s rusty and ripped up and now dirty had not made you question yourself, but the sound of other voices did alert you and your newfound animal friends. As they eagerly tugged onto your torn up dress, that you still don’t understand in how you managed to put on nor got a hold of.

They were warning you, or, trying to get you from being seen and captured by the greedy humans. Known for discovering something unworldly to only capture, abuse, and use it to their advantage. From what you’ve gather from the animal’s thoughts—in which you managed to peer into from using your newfound powers that were gratefully given to you.

While you let yourself be led behind a nearby tree, the voices of humans had grew louder, more aggressive as their footsteps quickened.

“Where is it?!” A soft yet gentle voice had echoed through the forest, it sounded so much to a feminine voice as the footsteps followed behind. Making you dip down into a crouch position, the small sound of bones cracking as you began to retracting your enormous wings. And to your surprise, no one has yet to notice you despite your large wings not being able to hide behind the tall tree. But it doesn’t matter, your safe from the humans eyes, at least.

“Ukiyo, i think wanderer’s escaped. It’s no use in trying to look for them. We should head back.” Another voice chimed in, all you could do was listen as the conversation they were having had interested you.

Wanderers, what’s a wanderer? Nevermind that, I need to get closer! You continued to move in your crouched position as you slowly crept up to the two people who were talking amongst each other. And when your able to get closer, you caught a good look at the girls face—she looked ever so beautiful.

Her eyes were similar to yours but obviously you didn’t know that, you haven’t even looked in a mirror at your own self to even know how you looked.

But you admiring her beauty had soon came to an end when you accidentally step on a branch, making a loud snapping sound, and immediately grabbing the two human’s attention. The girl now know as Ukiyo had spotted only a glimpse of your glowing skin and your torn up dress, before you bolted.

“Who’s there?!” Tara had pointed her gun in your direction, ready to shoot but Ukiyo immediately places her hand in front of her. Eyes filled with pure curiosity and concern for the girl—which was you.

“Don’t shoot, it’s a person, a girl in fact. She looks around our age and—” her skin was glowing oh so beautifully.

“And what?” Tara puts her gun down, staring at Ukiyo in confusion.

“Never mind,” Ukiyo sighs. Her mind already full since she let a wanderer get away, “Let’s just get back before our captain gets worried!” And with that, the two of them went back to Linkon— a place where most people call it their home.

⋆ ˚｡⋆ 𝑻𝑰𝑴𝑬𝑳𝑬𝑺𝑺 𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑶𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 ⋆ ˚｡⋆



Never would you thought that you’d be standing in front of a cafe during the afternoon, you ignored all the concern stares you received. Since you did look out of place, homeless is what people would call you. But of course you didn’t know that—or remembered. You somehow had finally managed to get your skin glowing under control since you noticed how it attracted too much attention.

This was your first time being in a city, filled with humans as they walked by so carefree chatting among friends or family. A word that seems so familiar to yet—so far away, like you once knew what the word meant.

But despite your animal friends back in the forest that desperate told you not to enter the humans territory to failed to heed their warnings, walking ever so carefree towards their territory and here you are. Standing in front of a cat cafe with all cats following you and meowing all at once, as if they were speaking to you. To which, they were.

Hey you’re not human are you?

You skin was glowing ever so beautifully.

Your eyes look just like a galaxy, meow.

Perhaps are you an angle sent from the heavens?

Despite all the questions and compliments that were thrown at you, from a bunch of kittens—you ignored them. Not on purpose, but you were curious on what stood before you. Though you don’t hesitate to enter inside, with a bunch of kittens following behind you, as if you were their leader. Some would call you the god of kittens, due to the sight you were giving everyone that was inside the cafe.

The cafe was filled with a lively atmosphere as people chatted away with laughter and some played with the kitties that lingered around the cafe, the food there had smelled oh so good you couldn’t stop yourself from staring at people’s plates. Filled with delicious foods.

You don’t know how their able to get the foods they desire, but from what you can tell, it appears that they have to give money in order to get the delicious stuff.

But you don’t have any money, well, it’s worth a try—even if you fail to buy anything.

“Hey!” A voice calls out to you, making you turn around. And when you do, your faced with a familiar girl with the soft voice you heard in the forest. She points over at you with wide eyes, as if she’s trying to comprehend on what’s she’s seeing.

And that’s when you make a run for it.

Dashing down the endless streets while the girl chases up behind you with so much speed and determination, it makes it somewhat annoyed. Why is she chasing you? What does she even want with you? Not to mention the boy who runs behind her with his blonde hair slightly blowing in his face, as he gives you a stotic expression.

You make a right turn into an alleyway, and it appears to be a dead end. You could just fly away, given that you are an angel. But once again, you can’t be seen out in the public.

As the two finally catches up to you, the sight of the male pulling out his sword alarms you instantly. Oh how you hated when humans only resort to violence in order to gain control, especially of a situation out of their control.

“Wait, we mean no harm!” Ukiyo says, her hand in the air as she takes slow steps towards you.

You immediately back away, eyes trained on the male beside Ukiyo. His grip on his sword had never left, and you for some reason can feel some sort of confusion coming from him. Though, you don’t know the reason. Which makes this whole situation even more difficult than it has to be, it’s not like your wings were out in the open like you didn’t care.

“You…” Ukiyo approaches you, slowly and carefully—all while showing you no harm. “You look exactly like me, but different somehow.”

The sudden sound if bones cracking had make the male who was also present there look around, trying to find the source. Ukiyo notices how your skin glows ever so brightly and beautifully—along with your enormously large wings. It’s practically hard to miss. Ukiyo is left speechless, she knows you’re not a wanderer, but the word that always make its presence known in books had threatened to leave her mouth—something she once believed in when she was a child.

“Are you, an angel?” Ukiyo asks, the slight hesitation in her voice doesn’t go unnoticed by you, nevertheless you nodded—still keeping your guard up. Mentally preparing for the absolute worst.

“What’s it to you, human!” You seethed slightly at the last word that utters from your mouth, though, Ukiyo seems unfazed by your attempt at intimidation. In fact, it makes her chuckle at your attempts—not that you ever even tried. But the girl slowly approaches you, and your wings half shield its in front of you. Startling Ukiyo and the male who stood a little further away from the two if you.

And just when you think things couldn’t get any worse they did, because what Ukiyo had asked you, it was painfully obvious that you were definitely caught off guard.

“Would you like to stay with me for a while?” What the actual fuck.

To be continued…next?

[steddie-island]

BU I HE

Rating: G | WC: 587 | Tags: Implied/ referenced character death, crack treated seriously ao3 Full ficlet below the cut!

Dustin took a deep breath before kneeling in front of Eddie’s tombstone. There was a now stained pink cloth in one hand, and a bucket of sudsy water by his knees. The words BURN IN HELL were half scrubbed off, so it just said BU I HE. Soap stung his hands as he dipped the cloth again. He let suds run over the front of the tombstone, then picked back up on his scrubbing.

He let his tears start back up then, too.

Dustin didn't hold anything back. The harder he worked his arms, the louder his sobs became. He didn't care if he disturbed anyone in the other trailers— hell, he hoped he was. He hoped they were watching as he wiped his nose on his sleeve, as he let himself fall onto the tombstone for support when the emotions just became too overwhelming. Let them see that his grief was the fault of their hatred and prejudice and sleep a little worse for it at night.

Steve watched from the new Munson trailer. They had been playing this game for nearly six months now. Every day he looked out the trailer window, saw the tombstone that had been placed where the old Munson trailer had once stood. Some mornings it didn’t have graffiti on it, but it always did by the end of the day. If it wasn’t him cleaning it off, it was Dustin, or Wayne, or even Mike a couple of times.  No one could stand to leave it there. Eddie was a hero, in so many more ways than the people of Hawkins could understand. They could spray paint all they wanted, it never stayed for long. 

No matter how hard he tried, how angry he got, how many times Steve threatened them with his bat, they always left more. 

Dustin's cries grew even louder, and Steve looked over just in time to see him pounding his fists against the dirt, getting himself muddy in the process. Steve didn't go to him, the way he had at first. It was no use, they just had to let Dustin get it out of his system.

“I don’t know why you guys still waste your time cleaning it off.” 

Steve didn't have to turn away from Dustin to know Eddie was leaning in the doorway, using both his cane and the wall itself to help hold himself up. He didn't need to look to know that Eddie's hair was a wild tangle from his nap. “The rest of the world thinks you’re dead. We can’t just… leave it.”

“Wayne shouldn’t have put it up in the first place.” He limped closer to stand by Steve's side. “Just let ‘em think I’m dead and that they're getting away with something. It's not worth the effort.”

“They just painted Wayne’s trailer before the stone was there.” Steve did look at him then. The scars on his face, down his jaw, disappearing into the collar of his shirt, they were still red but they were at least less angry now. Eddie looked less like Frankenstein's monster than he had that first week when he'd been stitched and bruised, floating in and out of consciousness. The memory had Steve reaching out and sliding his arm around Eddie's waist to help hold him up.

"Besides," he added as he looked back outside, to where Dustin was practically rending his garments in his display of his grief. "Dustin thinks his acting has gotten good enough to win an Oscar someday."

[mscherub]

Hello again, I’m the one that requested belly pooch and your writing is SCRUMPTIOUS so it’s worth the wait.

And don’t worry about taking too long life happens :3

I’ve also realized I forgor to give you my nickname 💀 but could I be 🌒?

With that out of the way could I request Third years with a reader who doesn’t like people behind/too close to them? Platonic or Romantic is fine ❤︎

For example whenever they’re in line with them for anything (cafeteria) reader kinda steps to the side or faces them so their back is towards a wall/open space and whenever they’re in crowds reader prefers to hurry to where they’re trying to go because it feels like the people are breathing down their neck?

As always thank you in advance and don’t stress yourself :D

A/N: HEYY AGAIN <3

Ofc! Ur nickname is now 🌒! LOVELY!!! And also ur so sweet, crying rn 🥲

Gonna send u flowers and hugs 😔

And I just wanna say sorry for being so busy AGAIN. Like…I got sick and took a detox from internet, then I had to make up a lot of work, then I had a whole thing with friends, then a trip to Washington DC which I’m still on while writing this—

(Eating out at the Hard Rock Cafe currently…took forever for food smh)

SHORT SHORT FICS TODAY GUYS! I love u all tho for dealing with me. Hugs and BIG BIG BOUQUETS OF FLOWERS!

Reader is gender neutral, referred to as Prefect or Y/N

Characters: Third Years (aka, all the guys I need to write for more, uhhh, hah…)

Tags: platonic or romantic, sneaking up on reader, silent understandings, probs not my best writing 😔

Warnings:

potentially a sensitive topic

Swearing

Not proofread all the way…

<3 <3 <3 <3

Trey:

I feel like Trey would be a big shoulder toucher, like…you know those people who always put a hand on your shoulder or pat your back and say you did a good job? Yea, Trey does that all the time to everyone

He notices that you don’t like it though, it’s not hard to see, and he watches how you tend to keep people within your line of sight

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Ace…you have to. You know what…you’re a lost cause.” You mumble. Tutoring the group is not easy, especially with Ace who seems to love to complain about everything and anything that doesn’t make sense or is “too hard.” Also, studying at Heartslabyul was a feat of its own…

“Well you’re just not teaching us right so…” he huffs. He puts a hand up and waves it indifferently, rolling his eyes and pulling out his phone.

A hand finds its way onto your shoulder and you whip around, of course accompanied by the jump of surprise. Trey stands frozen for a moment, slightly surprised at the small outburst and he retracts his hand. “Sorry…you ok?”

You give a curt nod, adjusting in your seat to face him properly while also trying to keep the first years within range and clear your throat. “I’m good…you just scared me…”

“I can tell…” He sighs. “You sure?”

“Mhmm…sorry. I just don’t like being surprised like that…you know.” You mumble, staying frozen in place.

“Oh. Ok. No, it’s ok. I got it.” Trey nods and smiles. It’s a warm one, like usual, but it’s laced with a sense of understanding.

He moves from behind your chair and instead goes behind Ace, plucking his phone right up and smirking down at him. “Study.”

Cater:

I imagine Cater to be a touchy type of person, not in a weird way though

Just sitting close to someone, leaning his head on their shoulder, basics, and it makes for a good photo opportunity too

He’s kinda sad when he sees you scooting away from his attempts. Thinks you don’t like him, poor cay-cay 😔

But he eventually catches on and understands. Ok, no probs, then.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Prefect!” Cater beams, coming up to you in the hallway as you were trying to make a mad dash for the classroom so you could sit and get recouped. “Ahh! You look great! I mean you always do, but let’s take a pic! For magicam! Cmooonnnnn, help lil ol’ cay-kun here!”

He slings his arm around your shoulder and leans his cheek against yours, humming happily to himself as he rubs up against you with a giddy smile before he goes to click the button. Photos are fine, but geez was he touchy. You take the initiative and move out of his half embrace and smooth out your clothes in a nervous gesture.

“Huh? Heyyy, what’d I do?” Cater quirks a brow and lowers his phone. His smirk falters and it falls quickly, replaced by a solemn look.

“Less touchy would be nice…and don’t scare me like that…” you mumble

He thinks for a moment before nodding quickly to your words. “Got it…but can we still get a pic for my magicam? Cmonnnnnn Y/N?” He pouts.

“In a less crowded place…please.”

“Of course!” He almost grabs your arm, but he stops and instead motions with his hand to further down the hall where it’s less crowded.

“Now pose and say cheese!!”

Leona:

He isn’t super big on touch…but sneaking up

He doesn’t mean it

Another shoulder toucher, but worse. Grips your shoulder tight and kinda moves you so you look at him.

Also finds the attention on him all the time something nice

Though, he does have respect and he gets why you do it. He’ll respect that and he’ll refrain from doing it

Remembers that fact about you better than most, actually

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Jack…is this…no this is right.” You nod, scribbling down a few more notes before shutting your notebook and nodding. “Thank you. Ace and Deuce were busy…Epel was, too, same with Sebek. You’re a big help.”

“Mhm. If you ever need any other notes just ask…” His tail sways behind him gently and you give him a small soft smile. You just needed some notes since you didn’t get all of them during Trein’s class period. Grim was complaining in a hushed tone the whole time and kept pulling your attention back to him when you tried to focus it on the lecture. Clearly it was a failed attempt.

“Alright. That’s it then. I’m gonna go.” The chair squeaks against the floor as you push out and grab your items as you stand. You adjust them in your arms and walk towards the exit, but before you can a hand grips your shoulder and turns you to half face him.

“Herbivore, when did you get here? Thought I’d say hi.” He mumbles out while yawning.

You scramble out from under his heavy touch and roll your shoulders in turn. “Uh…hi…” you turn your whole body to face him.

He quirks an eyebrow at your action, his tail flicking behind him in interest. “You good?”

“Uh. Yea. Just…don’t surprise me like that again…I don’t like it. Sorry.”

“No. I got it. It’s fine.” He shows no sign of anything else. “You leaving?”

“Mhmmm…”

“Do you wanna be walked out?” He offers.

It sounded nice. You didn’t really want to have that alien feeling while being watched. “If you’re not busy?”

“I’m not. Cmon…”

Vil:

If Vil sneaks up on you somehow I don’t even know how. His heels should be enough to tell you how far behind he is from you

He’s not super touchy himself, but if he’s comfortable he’ll do a few fixes with your uniform, hair, or makeup if you wear any if it’s bothering him (it’s for your best of interest that he helps you out…)

He knows how to respect boundaries well. He also knows good ways to help you clam down. Why does he know that? Don’t tell him that you don’t think he gets stressed…he just looks fabulous while doing so…

And all your attention on him while he speaks? It’s nothing new for him, but coming from you, it’s nice

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You were caught…again. So what your uniform was a little off? You were in a rush!

“I’m not quite fond of how you present yourself, sweet potato. Just forgetting to button up one can make you look sloppy.” His fingers fix your dress shirt swiftly with his usual motions of elegance.

“I…I can fix it myself.” You mumble as you gently push his hands away from you. He’s stunned. You look around and see the halls start to flood again and you quickly brush his presence off and you begin to walk to your next class.

Vil isn’t one to be ignored, so out of worry and curiosity as to why you left abruptly, he followed in suit.

“And being ignorant is another thing…” he huffs, his heels clicking as he matches pace with you rather quickly. How could he— you know what, never mind.

“Sorry, I just don’t want you touching me and I need to…get to class.”

He shuts up for a while, simply observing you and your expressions. He clears his throat. “Sorry. Let me…finish walking you to class. Maybe later you could come have a skin care night with me…if you’d like? You could apply the products yourself if you’d like that. And it would be a good way to relieve stress. Think about it, Prefect.” His hand hesitates to rest on your upper back before he schools himself and pulls it away.

“Is that a plausible thing? You seem like you need one.”

“I can consider it…”

Rook:

…

He pops up outa nowhere

Will scare you. Multiple times

It’s just a Rook thing, but Rook isn’t an uncouth man who doesn’t know how to respect boundaries of others, no (well—)

If you’re feeling rather uncomfortable then he’ll even offer to keep you safe.

Likes how you gaze at him while talking. (He’s weird <3)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Bonjour!” His boisterous voice pipes up from behind you and you swear you felt your soul leave your body. Your head whips around and you see the blonde bob waving around. Rooks arms are open wide and he smiles down at you…and it looks ominous, but it’s Rook…

“You looks magnifique! Ahh, how beautiful your eyes are!” He takes a step forward and gently fixes a strand of your hair, smirking and narrowing his eyes.

“Hey! I’d…prefer not…” you mumble, backing away. You glare at him, your shoulders tense with building stress. You could trust him…to an extent, but he was always quirky no matter what. And you still didn’t want him so— so up and personal!

“Hmm? Why of course…apologies, mon Trickster, I did not realize.” He fixes his posture and still holds his smile, though his eyes soften. “Your beauty was too much to simply ignore.” He nods and then his smile softens.

“If you ever feel as if a moment may be too stressful, I’m simply a call away, you know?”

“Oh…ok.”

“Of course!” He chuckles before walking off…

Idia:

Bro will not be touching you, RESPECTFULLY

He doesn’t prefer touch

Also he won’t really sneak up on you, if he does he doesn’t mean it

He finds it a bit awkward how you always watch him so closely while talking to him, but you know what, at least your there with him

He gets it though, what you do, he can relate big time. Just chill with him and he’s fine. He can trust you…somewhat

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The game you two were playing illuminates the room from off of the screen, button smashing coming from the both of you.

“I don’t,” Idia pauses to take a drink of whatever he decided to have that day, “get how you get along with everyone. I’d feel like I’d be made fun of…” he sighs, pursing his lips as he focuses in on the game.

“I…really don’t. I don’t like being around people for too long…or often. I also don’t like people behind me cause it just puts me off. Makes it feel like people are watching me and breathing down my neck…” you sigh, sticking your tongue out as you lock in.

“Oh.” Idia shrugs. “So, kinda same as me? K…well, still, you’re better at it than me. Fighting it. You don’t show any signs sometimes. Of being stressed I mean.”

Sun flashes across the screen and he glances over at you. “My room is always open for a…breather for you.” He looks away, blush coating his cheeks at the simple admission. “So come here to like…wind down if need be.”

“That’s…nice. Thanks. Two people alike should stick together, huh?”

“Don’t make it sound weird…”

Malleus:

He minds his hands. He’s been taught that like his whole life

And sneaking up…well…he definitely doesn’t mean it. His popping up at night is random and spooky…but u know what, we love mal!!

He loves the attention even if you do it out of nervousness

He’ll also try to make you at ease, though his methods aren’t always the best

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Grim! Wait— that damn…never mind.” He rushed in ahead of you into ramshackle before he could make sense of what you even said. He also leaves the door open haphazardly without a care. How unserious was he?

“Hello—“

“WHAT THE FUCK!” You jump and scramble to turn around, almost dropping your heavy textbooks and notebooks.

Malleus stands there wide eyed as he watches your labored and stressed breathing. “I…apologize.”

“No! It’s…fine. You just…ahhh…ok, you scared me. Bad.” You mumble, shaking your head and keeping a watchful eye on him. “Don’t pop up like that…refrain from doing so…sorry. I’m just…you scared me so bad…”

“I understand.” He nods and puts a hand to his chin, deep diving into your words and marking them down in his mind. “I apologize again.”

“It’s fine.”

“I simply wanted to ask if you’d like to take a walk with me tonight? Away from prying eyes and I’d ensure your safety always, child of man.” He smiles. His voice is deep and sensual, his way of an apology.

“I can…tag along for a bit.”

“Then let us go, child of man.”

Lilia:

Bros main thing is to scare people so…good luck

Jump scares! Sneaking in the shadows and making it feel like you’re being watch because you actually are!

He’s a walking nightmare

Notices your demeanor, though, and he’ll try to be mindful. He is just an old fae that wants to have fun 😔

He likes you, though, and he’ll make sure you’re comfortable above anything else, even while being cheeky

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You’re already paranoid from an incident that happened earlier and you’re not looking for something else to add onto the mental stress of this anxiety. You just want to get back to your dorm and take a well deserved breather, HAH! No.

Slipping from the tree above as you walk up the pathway, Lilia moves to hang upside down and jump scares you.

“Boo!”

You let out a strangled yelp and stumble back.

“Oh? Fu, fu, fu. I scared you quite a bit, no?” Lilia chuckles and lands on his feet before strolling over. He notices you, looking a little more shaken than how other people would be when he scared them, and his caring instincts kick in. “Are you ok?”

“Fine.” You spit out, clearing your throat and looking around. “Sorry…you just. Don’t do that again…please. I know it’s your whole thing but…just please.” You mutter out, holding your items to your chest.

He reaches out to pat your shoulder but you shy away from his touch. All he has to offer is an apology.

“I’m deeply sorry…I did not know, Prefect. Say, how would you like I keep a watchful eye on you when I can. I believe that’s what I can do to pay you back.” He smiles again.

It puts you oddly at ease and you nod, sighing out and letting your shoulders relax.

Let’s ignore how this took me about two weeks to poorly write out. I’m tired y’all. I love u guyssss for being so so so so so so so appreciative of my writing and it makes me so happy ❤️

Kisses and hugs and AHH, I just love yall

Master List

Please don’t steal or copy any of my work! You may, however, reblog if you’d want to!

Pictures belong to Disney Twisted Wonderland but are edited by me :)

[strawberrypumpkins]

Thinking about hybrids! Task 141 

CW : I haven't played any COD yet; I'm inexperienced in the characters. I just briefly know of the 4 characters, and I'm going to base what I know and some headcanons on this fic. 16+. Maybe OOC.

Tags: Hybrid!AU , Omegaverse, Captain John Price, Simon Riley, Gaz, Johnny MacTavish—Soap. This is my AU, and so it's going to have bits and pieces of how I feel and go around these things. My formatting may be weird too, but it's a work in progress for me.

Thinking about 

Bear hybrid! Captain John Price. An apex predator and the father figure of the group of 4 other men despite just being 38, the men look up to him as their captain and rely on him to speak for the group. John Price had been an early presenter even before he came out as an alpha; he already had the demanding attitude in tow and knew how to command people before he knew how to walk. It was no surprise when, at the early age of 13, he was already sure of his secondary gender. John Price, when not sending his men on missions or going with them, is cooped up in his room sleeping as more bears do when they are free, or he's standing in the kitchen of the common room of his men's dormitory, spending his time baking stuff. He's recently found an affinity for making good apple and berry pies.

Scent: Smells thickly of pines and a wet, musky forest. Over time he also picked up the scent of tobacco; it isn't an adaptation to his scent, but as he's often smoking one, it just seemed to stick onto him.

Falcon hybrid! Kyle Garrick. The prettiest bird on the team and possibly in the whole base. Gaz is probably the only hybrid between the 5 other hybrids that pays close attention to how he looks and how his room and nests look—yes, despite being an alpha, he does have a nest; for him, the alphas in the bird kingdom are the ones to have nests; they decorate them beautifully and make sure to scent them on a regular basis; it has to be perfect for their mate, and even though he doesn't have one yet, who knows when he might get one? He needs to be perfect, grooming his long-spanned feathers off the floor during his shedding and tucking them into the soft materials of his nest; he's the first to wake up every morning, using the extra two hours to make himself look and smell presentable. When he's off missions and not grooming himself or recleaning his room and nest, he's perched in the common room in front of Johnny, grooming the hare. He's the only one who lets poor Kyle keep them clean.

Scent: Unlike most alphas, who have thick musky scents, Kyle's own is the more calming one between all 5 and the most "omega-like," as Simon once coined it. It's like a breath of fresh air, like a warm summer day with a hint of a breeze, extremely soothing.

German shepherd! Simon Riley. Although he is dominant, he doesn't really rely on his canine counterparts; in fact, he hates them to a certain degree. He doesn't relate to being an alpha or a canine, and it mildly has to do with his traumatic childhood. Born to a feline mother and canine father, it was obvious to everyone they were a bad match to begin with. Simon was a late bloomer; usually at the age of 14-16, people started developing their second genders. Simon, although a canine, had been a mildly lanky child from the moment he started to know how to walk. He'd gotten his father's features, bright blue eyes and blonde hair, but the problem was he took a crucial part from his mother, her femininity. His father didn't like that; how dare his child be an Omega? That was what started the abuse that would be inflicted on him till he grew up, running away from home when he turned 18. It was only after he'd accepted that maybe he was a beta and he could start afresh that his awakening happened as an Alpha; to say he was beyond pissed was an understatement. Why didn't he present earlier? He could've prevented all the abuse inflicted on him and his family. 

But he doesn't let this stop him from living his life; in fact, it does the opposite. He works better, needs to be better, and climbs his way through this new life. He wouldn't stop until he was strong, strong enough to protect his family and anyone else close to him. He locks up his feelings and continues with life until he finally joins Captain Price's team, who slowly remove his walls and help him with acceptance. It doesn't take long for him to start bickering with Johnny and accepting that he's now in a pack. One that truly accepts him for him. When off missions, he's in the common room, reading novels or sparring with other members on base; on some rare occasions, he plays video games with Soap in the Hares room. 

Scent: Much to his dismay, he smells like rainy days, which he finds extremely ironic, as he hates the rain and thunderstorms, anything that reminds him of his childhood or the trauma he went through, and petrichor. 

Hare Hybrid! Johnny Mactavish. Basically a glorified rabbit, Johnny doesn't act like most hares act, like reclusive and not so friendly; he's the opposite, acting more like rabbits, he'd pass off for another breed of rabbit if it weren't for his overly long ears, big body, and surprisingly fast feet. Johnny is the son of the group, always willing to help anyone else; he won’t ever say no; he always has a smile on his face and is down to do what you want when everyone else says no. Johnny spends his time in many different ways, drinking with König when the man doesn't want to socialize but hang out—Johnny can keep the man company in silence, although he does crack a joke once or twice—being a taste tester for Price, letting Kyle groom him, and occasional sleepovers with Simon—which just means he enters the canine's room, makes himself comfortable in the den, and falls asleep—which the canine really doesn't mind either way. What does the hare like to do on his own? He likes to watch Price cook; he likes to pick up the berries Price deems unworthy and chomp away on them, bonus points if there's apple skin covered in cinnamon. If not that, then he settles for going for hikes in the forest; he's free, and he has fun scavenging, running around, or sleeping under the giant willow tree a few meters off base.

Scent: Smells of soft wild berries, often has a sugary scent to him, could be taken for an omega's scent, but when with him for prolonged areas, the scent is more sickeningly sweet than soft.

Notes: I was too tired to add Konig, but I promise I'll make his own in a day or so.

Also notice how I write a lot about Simon? Sorry 🙏🏽, I just love his character so much.

[rivendellwatch]

FLUFF WEEK IS HERE PEEPS!!

IT IS TIME, MY FRIENDS! The banners are raised, the tea is steeping, the hobbits are bringing second breakfast, and we are about to embark on a journey of pure, unfiltered fluff!💛

From this day (29th of March) until the 4th of April, we are throwing angst into Mount Doom where it belongs and embracing love, softness, and cozy vibes instead!!!

Will there be forehead kisses? Yes.

Will there be sleepy cuddles? Absolutely.

Will characters be wrapped in blankets like little burritos, protected from all harm? YOU KNOW IT. ✨

This post being absolutely LONG and full of infos, click on the "read more" to get full access to it! And don't worry, this will be pinned so you won't have to go full Gollum looking for precious!

❓ Frequently Asked Questions – Fluff Week 2025 ❓

I want to make sure everyone has all the info they need! Here are some frequently asked questions about the event, how to participate, and what is (and isn't) allowed. If you still have any questions, feel free to ask!

💛 What kind of works are allowed?

All types of fan creations are welcome, as long as they center on fluff! That includes:

✨ Fanfiction (one-shots, drabbles, multi-chapter fics etc) ✨ Fanart (drawings, comics, doodles, digital or traditional) ✨ Moodboards, aesthetics, and playlists ✨ Edits, GIFs, and even memes! ✨ Poetry and headcanons ✨ Anything else creative, as long as it fits the fluff theme!

💛 Are “X Reader” fics allowed?

Absolutely! X Reader, self-insert, and OC-focused works are all welcome.

Everyone deserves to be wrapped in the warmth of their favorite characters! Just make sure the fic still fits the fluff theme and we're all good!

💛 Does it have to be romantic fluff, or can it be platonic/family-oriented?

Fluff is fluff! This event is NOT limited to romantic ships. You can absolutely write about:

💛 Found family dynamics 💛 Siblings, cousins, parent & child, friendship fluff 💛 General soft character moments 💛 Even pets getting some love! (Yes, we absolutely endorse fics about baby Eagles being doted on, or Elrond getting tackled by a million affectionate dogs.)

💛 What are the rules for ships?

While all ships are welcome, there are a few things to keep in mind: ✔️ Keep it fluffy! Even if a ship has a lot of angst or darker elements in canon, your fic must align with the theme of the event. If the ship has an inherently toxic or non-consensual element in canon, you must focus on a softer, kinder interpretation. ✔️ No ship-bashing. This event is a drama-free, ship-war-free space. Let people enjoy their fluff! ✔️ Tag properly. If a pairing is controversial or not widely popular, tag accordingly so participants can curate their experience.

💛 What is NOT allowed?

This event is meant to be a safe, positive space, so certain topics will not be accepted in the AO3 collection or event tag. This includes: 🚫 Anything non-consensual (rape, dubcon, etc.) 🚫 Bullying, harassment, or any abusive behavior (even if resolved in the story) 🚫 Heavy angst or tragedy without a happy/fluffy resolution (the story should leave people feeling warm and comforted!) 🚫 Gore, excessive violence, or horror themes (minor injuries are okay, but nothing graphic or distressing) 🚫 Explicit NSFW/smut (This is an event for fluff! Suggestive themes are fine, but the focus should be on softness and warmth, not explicit content.) 🚫 Dark/evil character interpretations that don’t align with the spirit of fluff (ex: no dark!Annatar manipulating Galadriel, no abusive dynamics reframed as romantic, etc.)

If any of these elements are included in a fic, it will not be added to the AO3 collection or promoted by the event blog.

💛 Where do I post my work?

📌 On AO3: We have an official Fluff Week 2025 collection! You can add your work there!!! 📌 On Tumblr/Twitter/etc.: Use the tags AND tag @rivendellwatch in your post so I can reblog and share your work!

💛 Reminder: To be reblogged and included, make sure to tag @rivendellwatch AND use the hashtags! 🌿 #FluffWeek2025 🌿 #RivendellWatchFluffWeek 🌿 #TROPFluffWeek2025

💛 What if I miss a day?

That’s totally fine! You don’t have to post every day—this is a fun, low-pressure event. Feel free to post late, skip days, or pick only the prompts that inspire you.

💛 I don’t want to write/draw, but I still want to participate. Can I?

YES! Cheer on your fellow creators, leave comments, share posts, and spread the fluff! Every little bit of support helps make this a warm and welcoming event!!

If you have more questions, feel free to ask!💛✨

I mentioned a funny "achievement system" for peeps earlier to have fun with, so here they are (you don't have to join it, this is just for FUN):

For Writing One Fic: "First Bite of Fluff" – You’ve taken the first delicious step!

For Writing Three Fics: "Third Time’s the Charm" – And oh, what a charming collection!

For Writing Five Fics: "A Handful of Happiness" – Five fics full of warmth and joy!

For Writing Ten Fics: "Fluff Legend" – Your legacy of softness grows ever stronger!

For Writing One Ship: "Love at First Write" – Because every ship needs a beginning!

For Writing Three Ships: "Fluff Sampler Platter" – A taste of many loves!

For Writing Five Ships: "Cupid’s Favorite" – You’ve spread romance far and wide!

For Writing Ten Ships: "Fluffy Fleet Commander" – So many ships, all sailing strong!

Here is a Bingo Card with prompts for you peeps, if you wish to use it!

Now, same for the achievements earlier! I created some for the peeps using the bingo card but like I said: this is for FUN and you do not have to join if you don't want to!!

There are 16 spots on the Bingo card so it goes as follows:

"A Single Hobbit Step" – Every great journey begins somewhere!

"Tookish Bravery" – You’ve dared to start, and that’s worth celebrating!

"Soft as a Shire Sunrise" – Your words feel like morning light over Hobbiton!

"Elven Whispers of Fluff" – Your writing carries the grace of Rivendell!

"Halfway to Lothlórien" – Five prompts in, and the golden woods await!

"Second Breakfast of Softness" – Because one serving of fluff is never enough!

"Cuddleworthy Like a Warg Pup" – Feral? Maybe. Adorable? Absolutely.

"Warm as Dwarven Forged Gold" – Your fluff is priceless and treasured!

"A Blanket from Lady Galadriel" – Your writing is a gift of comfort and light!

"You Shall Not Angsty" – Only pure, unfiltered softness here!

"A Hug from Samwise" – You’ve written so much, and it feels like home!

"Elrond’s Seal of Approval" – Even the lore-master himself acknowledges your fluff mastery!

"Softer Than Mithril" – Your words protect the heart like the finest silver!

"As Cozy as a Rohan Hearth" – The fire’s crackling, and your fics feel like home!

"King/Queen of the Cuddle Keep" – Your fluff rules over all Middle-earth now!

"Bingo Baggins, Master of Fluff" – You did it, you absolute legend!

Here they are!! Your soft, cozy, absolutely optional daily prompts!💖 You don’t have to use them, but if you’re looking for inspiration, they’re here to give you a nudge in the fluffiest direction! Whether you write, draw, make moodboards, or just daydream about the sweetness, it’s all welcome!🕊️

Use them as literally or loosely as you want—mix, match, or completely ignore them in favor of your own fluffy ideas! The goal is maximum softness and zero stress!!!☁️💕

I'll post 5 new prompts each day for you peeps!

Prompt 1: “Oh, you’re warm.” – Character A and Character B get caught in the cold and instinctively cling to each other for warmth. Bonus points if one is in complete denial about how cozy they are.

Prompt 2: Lazy Mornings – Character A wakes up to find Character B sleepily clinging to them, refusing to let go. Attempts to get up are met with grumbles, half-asleep negotiations, and possibly bribes involving breakfast.

Prompt 3: Braiding Hair / Fixing Clothes – Character A fusses over Character B’s disheveled hair or rumpled outfit, smoothing wrinkles, tucking loose strands, or absentmindedly braiding hair while chatting. Bonus if Character B secretly melts at the attention.

Prompt 4: “Hold still.” – Whether it's adjusting a scarf, patching up a tiny scratch, or brushing crumbs off their face, Character A is very hands-on with Character B. B is trying very hard not to blush.

Prompt 5: Accidental Nap Pile – Character A and Character B swear they were just resting their eyes for a second, but now they’re curled up together, blissfully asleep. Bonus if someone walks in and immediately regrets waking them up.

Here are the banners for those wanting to save them/use them already on their post sharing their works!

If you’d like to have your prompts, bingo cards, or anything else affiliated with TROP Fluff Week 2025, feel free to DM me! I’d be happy to add them to the posts so more people can find and enjoy them!!!

And that’s it for now, my fellow fluff enthusiasts!✨ If you have any questions, need clarification, or just want to scream about how cute your WIP is, feel free to reach out! My DMs and asks are always open!

Now go forth and create the fluffiest of tales! May your words be as soft as a Shire meadow, your headcanons as heartwarming as a Rivendell feast, and your angst levels appropriately low (this is FLUFF Week, after all)!!!💛🌿

[NB: The AO3 collection is moderated, so I’ll be reviewing submissions to make sure everything fits the event’s fluff-only theme!I’ll do my best to approve your works as soon as possible, but please be patient if there’s a small delay. If you have any issues or questions, feel free to reach out!]

Happy Fluff Week Everyone!!!!🧁