#if you hear my intonation problems no you don't

[crustaceousfaggot]

Some stairwell singing

[erinwantstowrite]

any writing tips for how to write efficiently/quickly while not making the stuff you write shitty as a result?

this is a pretty open ended question, because there are a lot of factors to writing and it's not a simple answer (when is anything ever simple on my page lmfao?)

what you're feeling:

it mostly matters what headspace you're in. i say it a lot, but mindset is the most important part of the writing process. for multiple reasons!

if you're going into a writing session while feeling tired or angry about something, you will often make mistakes. it's important to write while you're feeling pretty good (this is nuanced as some people prefer to write when upset/angry, or have no choice if they're trying to get their final papers done in an academic setting). you'll find yourself editing a lot more if you wrote it while tired, so if you can, start off feeling good. this will also increase your writing speed because you're starting off with a fresh mind.

so that means to take breaks. which sounds counterproductive, but hear me out!

just like when you're studying, you have to take some brain breaks. you'll get way too caught up in stuff/will get tired/will get upset with what you're writing/etc etc etc. there's a lot of reasons. so every 30 minutes or so, take a break. go watch a youtube video, or walk around your house, whatever clears your mind of your writing. when you come back to it, you'll have a fresher mind. not as fresh as the start of your time, but still better than if you kept burning yourself out while trying to push through it

though if you're like me and you get distracted if you leave a room or change a tab: just pull up a different writing tab and work on a different project for a few minutes. set a timer. or don't leave the room, and just do some stretches or jumping jacks

2. fundamentals

i wish i could give a cheat code, but there isn't one. it takes a lot of practice to be able to write quickly/efficiently. the best way i can describe it is like another trade: an artist or musician that has already mastered their fundamentals will be able to sight read a piece or sketch a figure drawing in under a minute, and have the quality of the art turn out well.

if you haven't mastered your fundamentals and you try to speed run it, your writing quality will go down. you'll miss simple spelling or grammar mistakes (one or two is fine, but it can become a problem), you might get very short or clipped sentences that read out as play directions rather than an internal dialogue or interesting narration (example: "She picked up the glass and took a sip." VS "Her long, red nails clink on the glass when she picks up the champagne offered to her. She takes a long sip of her drink, her clinical gaze sweeping over the partygoers. She doesn't leave a lipstick stain on the glass, but her companion does.")

(though, sometimes they really did just take a sip of their drink. it depends on the impact you want that action to have.)

your writing speed will naturally progress as you pick up these fundamentals. so practice makes perfect!

3. Awareness

being aware of what you're writing while you're writing is a big one. i'm guilty of the play directions too. and while i have a beta reader (hey bestie), i don't want to slow myself down. so i often remind myself of my fundamentals as i'm going, not afterwards. to help myself there, i pause while writing to read what i have written out loud. i try to make sure that what i have written is easy to say out loud, which in turn makes it far easier to read. and i try to make sure the inner voice makes sense as well. if i'm writing damian, i try to speak the words in his intonation. same with peter, who has a very different internal monologue. it will point out mistakes to me. like "oh he would never say that/he wouldn't say it that way")

editing while you go is also important. sometimes i write a few paragraphs, then go back to the start of the segment i just wrote, and then read it out loud. the editing will come out as i do so, because i will notice mistakes that i wouldn't have otherwise. in turn, the editing often makes paragraphs longer. (or shorter, in some cases! often times, writing is like "i really wanted that to be said, but it's kind of redundant and adds nothing" and so things get scrapped.)

if it's an academic paper you're writing for, put yourself in the shoes of a presenter. imagine that you've already written this paper and studied it a million times before, and now is the time that you are reading your paper for classmates or a professor or someone who wants to read your research. it'll put you in a more critical mindset of "oh that doesn't make sense when i say it to someone else" or "that's not true" or even "whoa, that sounded really smart."

same goes if you're writing for entertainment purposes. if you're writing horror, then you're telling the story as someone who experienced the horror itself or at a campfire trying to scare your friends. if you're writing fantasy, then you really got to put yourself in the shoes of your narrator. this might bring to your attention "wait, how tf are their feet not hurting for walking as long as they have."

(which goes back to mindset!!)

4. planning

have as much planned out before you write as you can... and also do not go strictly with what you're planning

that sounds like i'm being contradictory again but it's like this: i have an overarching outline for my story, so i know what goals need to be met. then, you plan chapter by chapter. some goals NEED to be met in certain places... and they will have a domino effect to your outline. you'll get to a previously established goal and realize that it doesn't fit at all anymore. and this can even happen for your chapter outlines!

(this post here has some tips about if you're struggling while writing a chapter)

essentially, you gotta be adaptable. you need a map to guide you before you start going off on different paths. it'll cut down a lot of your writing time if you're going into a writing session aware of what your goals are.

and so, we get to the end of this post that wasn't meant to be this long. story of my life. i hope this helps/makes sense? this is what helped me write faster/more in depth. i learned tips and tricks by practicing and keeping a critical eye on my work. and sometimes the tricks and tips are more geared towards my own brain and how to get around things

(like learning that art block just means you're improving, and so you should do some studies of your favorite artists and anatomy, and go back to those fundamentals, so you can play around with them)

[vaguesxrrow]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE EDWIN X RECENTLY DEAD MALE READER!!!! I NEED MORE MLM READER STUFF AND ALSO I'M A SUCKER FOR THE LONG DEAD AND USED TO IT/THE RECENTLY DEAD CONFUSED AND SCARED THING!!!!

hii yes ofc ! lovedd writing this so i hope u enjoy reading :>>

edwin payne / recently dead!reader

a/n: reader's cause of death is unspecified aside from he died on the street, and also he has an apartment.

anddd uh i forgot that death usually comes for newly dead people... so excuse that inaccuracy please or explain it away with how reader ran away from his body

wc: 1886

tags: male reader, ghost reader

cw's: mention of death, panic attacks (all not detailed)

you ran, leaving your body behind you where it lay on the sidewalk, limp and as still as rigor mortis (you never thought that saying could be applied literally, but now it was, and wasn't that crazy?).

you were panicking, you vaguely registered, as the passerby's and the cars seemed to blur in your vision. people kept passing right through you, and you hunched in on yourself. even if you couldn't feel them (which was also a new, unwelcome epiphany), it still made your skin crawl.

until - a firm hand rested on your shoulder. your breath hitched, like you couldn't quite figure out if the touch was welcome or not.

"are you quite alright?" the hand's voice asked. you looked up, half expecting to see a horror movie-style ghost. instead, however, you were met with angled features that were sharp, yet softened by visible concern at the same time. the boy's brown eyes were narrowed, and his hair looked a little wind swept.

okay. definitely a welcome touch.

"can you hear me? are you alright?" he repeated.

you snapped out of your stupor. "oh," you said dumbly. "i- i don't... know."

he cocked his head to the side, sympathy in the way he pursed his lips and his gaze became gentler. "what do you last remember?"

"...i was walking. and then... i wasn't? it's kind of black after that. i was laying down when i came to..." your eyes widened. you meant to ask, 'am i dead?', but instead what came out was a strangled, "oh my god."

"it is important to remain calm," edwin advised. "i can help you."

you nodded vigorously. "okay, yeah, i could use your help." especially because your voice was getting an octave higher with every word you spoke. so much for remaining calm.

before you knew it, the boy had guided you to a bench and sat you on it, plopping down right next to you as he waited for you to regain your composure. his arm was around yours, securing you snugly to his side - it was comforting.

"i'm dead, aren't i?" you intoned numbly.

he sighed. "yes. but that does not mean everything is over."

"earlier... everyone just passed through me. like i wasn't there at all."

"it is lonely, at first. but then it is not," he said. "take my case for example - my best mate is charles - he's dead as well - and we have two alive friends named crystal and niko, who are part of the small proportion of people who can see us. when you find the right people, it becomes very difficult to feel lonely."

"charles, crystal, and niko..." you repeated. "and what's your name?"

"edwin payne."

"nice to meet you, edwin. and thanks for helping. i'm [name]."

"not a problem," edwin said. "my friends and i are often in the habit of assisting ghosts, although you are the first recently dead i have personally come across in a very long time."

"how long?" you inquired. "i mean, when did you... kick the bucket?"

"1916," he told you gently.

your eyes widened. "riiight."

you fell silent again. as you were contemplating your current circumstances, several voices yelled edwin's name.

approaching you were three people. two girls - one with white hair, the other with curly brown - and a boy with near-black ringlets.

"edwin, mate, we couldn't find you anywhere!" the boy exclaimed.

"yes, well-" edwin began.

"who's this?" the white haired girl cut in, looking at you curiously.

edwin rolled his eyes fondly. "this is [name]. he recently... became a ghost."

"does he know any cool ghost tricks yet?" she asked.

you thought you felt a headache coming on.

"[name], these are my friends. niko, crystal, and charles." he gestured to them in order of mention. they all waved at you, even if the last two looked a bit wary.

"hi," you said meekly.

"we were just discussing the events of [name]'s death."

charles coughed pointedly. "maybe give the guy time to process he even is dead?"

"oh! my apologies, [name]. are you still feeling unwell?"

your eyes darted between crystal and niko as they exchanged glances at edwin's apology, like they were surprised. it confused you as to why - he seemed perfectly nice so far... and very charming.

"i'm good," you told edwin, flashing a smile. "i just... don't know where to go. i can't go back to my apartment, can i? i'm dead. it's not like i could continue living there."

"i read somewhere that it's good to revisit places from the past," niko informed you earnestly. "it can be very healing."

"hey, edwin, you should walk him back to his apartment!" crystal piped up.

"hm?" niko cocked her head at her friend. "oh! oh, yes, edwin, you totally should. you're a dead boy detective, after all. go help people!"

you thought you'd get whiplash trying to keep up with the conversation. "you're a what now-?"

edwid stood abruptly, brushing invisible dust off his coat. "perhaps i will walk [name] back to his apartment. if you feel inclined to." the last part was directed at you.

"oh- i wouldn't want to inconvenience you guys..." you said.

"nonsense." he held out a hand to you. "we are the dead boy detective agency, after all."

you still didn't know what that was, but you trusted edwin in spite of only having known him for less than an hour. so, you took his hand. you couldn't feel it, but the imagined weight and warmth of his palm against yours gave you comfort, dissipating the fear and apprehension inside you just a little bit.

⌦ --

the apartment building loomed above you. suddenly, it felt so big and intimidating - you felt no trace of excitement at the quaintness of it like you always had before. the reason you chose to live here was the brick walls and the carefully tended vines snaking along the front. not to mention, it was tall - 10 stories - and sort of reminded you of rapunzel's tower.

"ready?" edwin prompted.

you nodded, and let him pull you through the door - which you passed through with ease. you knew you were incorporeal at best in your current state, but you still cringed, bracing yourself for an impact that never came.

"it gets easier, eventually," edwin told you, having noticed your unease.

"yeah, okay," you said. and you were convinced. "i guess it'll help having an experienced ghost guide with me." you beamed at him.

his lips parted slightly in surprise. "i promise to do whatever i can to make this adjustment easier for you."

you chuckled. "edwin, you are honestly so charming..." you muttered to yourself as you headed towards the elevator. another reason you loved this complex so much was because you didn't have to conquer the 10 floors with just the stairs.

how did ghosts usually travel up places? you had no clue, but you were grateful that edwin kept silent at your decision to take the lift.

a 'ding' sounded and the doors parted open, instantaneously revealing the door that led to your room. your landlady had been kind enough to let you paint it a lovely burnt orange colour.

"that's me," you sighed. "c'mon."

your apartment was just as you remembered you left it this morning. not that you'd logically expected any change... but the fear-addled part of you had maybe been picturing a ransacked room, band posters ripped off the wall and all your ceramic cups shattered across the floor.

"this is weird," you voiced as you drifted from the door to the couch, then to the small kitchenette.

you shivered, not from the cold - you would never feel cold again, you thought, a bit hysterically - but from the all-encompassing grief you felt for yourself.

"i'm kind of sad i died. i know i'm still here... i'm not gone gone, or anything, but i'm still sad. is that weird?" you turned towards edwin, who was watching you with an unidentifiable look in his eyes.

"not at all." he put a hand on your shoulder. "there is much more to be done, even after your living time has expired." he paused, seeming to consider something. "i could... i could show you, if you would like."

"show me what?"

"the dead boy detectives' office," he said. "perhaps it will serve as a distraction."

warmth spread inside you, touched at his thoughtfulness. "that'd be great."

"excellent." edwin smiled, looking pleased. "do you have a mirror?"

your iron-tight grip on edwin's hand never ceased its hold, even after the two of you emerged from the other side of the mirror. panting, you gave your insides a moment to settle from the very jarring travel.

"that was so cool," you gasped. "even if it was unexpected. is this what niko meant by cool ghost tricks?"

"quite," edwin said. "now, welcome to the dead boy detectives' office. allow me to show you around."

his hand was still in yours, you noticed as he led you to a bookshelf and gave an overview of the different volumes it held. you made no move to pull away - partially because you didn't want to break his flow (you saw why he was so proud of it, and it was cute hearing him ramble), partially because you enjoyed the contact.

then, he showed you to a shelf that, if you didn't know any better, would have looked like a knick knack shelf, albeit one belonging to an eccentric grandma. on it were objects ranging from bones (human or not, you couldn't tell) to the rubber balls you found in vending machines.

"these," edwin proclaimed. "are the more interesting payments we have received. some enchanted, some not. i keep a document of which are and aren't."

he picked up a metal ring, with a dark sapphire gem in the middle. "like this, for example. it isn't enchanted, but it dates back to the edwardian era. when i was alive." he sighed wistfully, and lifted your hand, where your fingers were still intertwined. "may i?"

you nodded, watching his face. his eyes met yours, and he smiled shyly as he slipped the ring onto your finger.

"i acknowledge that we have only just become acquainted," edwin began. "but i have never become so fond of a boy this quick before."

"...so, in 21st century speak, you like me?" you questioned, half-teasing.

the two of you chucked in unison.

edwin cleared his throat. "yes, i think i do."

"then you won't mind if i..." you let the way you leaned down slightly finish your sentence.

"please," he said.

the kiss was chaste and fleeting, but it was enough for you to decide you definitely wanted to do it again.

"was that okay?" you checked in with edwin.

he nodded quickly. "yes, yes. very much so."

"good." you bit back a grin.

"would you like to stick around?" he blurted. "around the office, i mean, and with my friends and i. it isn't every day i meet a boy like you, and i... think i would rather like your company."

"i think i'd like your company, too," you admitted.

he held out a hand, making you laugh at the formality of it. "well then, welcome to the dead boy detectives' agency." he said. "i, for one, am very happy to have you here.”

[ivymarquis]

i know i'm late and i want to hear about all your wips tbh but i have to admit that "Boot Worship + Hate sex (COD/Konig x Reader)" got me going real 👀👀👀 (--direwombat)

Fun fact! This is the fic that totally derailed my kinktober! Both between the fact I was rapidly realizing that the word counts I was hitting with my entries was not sustainable with my schedule (3.2k before clothes even came off) and I hit a wall and was hating it (although looking back months later, it’s substantially better than I initially thought it was so maybe I’ll try to finish it. Surely no one will mind if I do kinktober in January/February baha)

Konig being an asshole, unhealthy work dynamics, boot worship, hint of puppy play under the cut

"My problem?" he intones. A man of his stature doesn't need to yell but God does she wish he would. Her skin fucking crawls at the smooth, level cadance of his voice. There's a fire in his eyes that she can see now that she's close enough to him (even if she has to crane her neck up).

He doesn't stop advancing with those slow, deliberate, heavy steps until her nerves finally get the best of her and a single foot lifts and steps back away from him.

"My problem is you are young and cocky and entitled. That for all your talent you don't know what to do with any of it and I'm not sure if you're more of a disappointment because you lack the discipline to hone that skill, or because your newfound independent streak one day will lead to one of your brothers being killed in the line of duty trying to cover your ass, when you are the one who has caused this entire problem to begin with."

For all your talent rings in her ears- it's the first compliment she can recall him ever giving, even if it's placed so nicely in front of the fact that he views her as a disappointment and a liability.

"You are fucking impossible to please, you know that? I have no idea why the hell you've been gunning for me since the day I stepped foot in here. I have tried so hard to prove myself to you that I know how to do my damn job correctly and all you can do is micromanage me to the point I have no choice but to fail because I'm not a damned mind reader and you keep moving the goal post. You're so damn difficult to work with and I just-" Her words cut off abruptly as he steps closer into her space. It's actually incredibly frustrating for her that even in the midst of what she is sure will turn into a knockdown, drag out, ground zero, "clear the air" fight- at the end of the day she knows why König's blatant disapproval bothers her so much.

She wants this man so badly that it makes her look stupid. She barely keeps the cognitive brain function to remember how to dot her I's and cross her Ts correctly when he's watching her. Tells herself it’s just frustration and the constant lowgrade anxiety he’s got her tizzied up in from the incessant disapproval as her fingers find their way below the hemline of her underwear at night.

"You want my approval?" The way he’s crowding her space shouldn’t be making her stomach flip like this. “Let’s start simple and see if you can follow simple fucking orders, hm? Kneel.”

This is out of line yet she complies immediately. It’s a hell of a dissonance, being so utterly pissed off beyond all belief at someone who she fantasizes about constantly.

She goes to the obvious line of thought- that he wants her to suck his dick.

She should be telling him to go to hell and booking it straight for Majka and Ridgeback.

Overachiever that she is, once she’s on the ground looking up at him- he has to crane his neck down just to look at her-, her hands moving up towards the buckle of his belt.

“What. Are. You. Doing?” Each word has more bite to it than the last and she flinches like he’s slapped her despite him not having made a move.

“I-” she stammers, “I thought-”

He cuts her off “That’s your fucking problem. You keep thinking. You are not paid to think, you are paid to follow fucking orders. I only told you to kneel. You. Don’t. Listen.”

God he is such a fucking asshole.

“You want to act like a puppy with no manners? That is fine. I know how to train a bitch to heel.”

Even for all the vitriol she has dealt with in her career, she's never quite been spoken to so callously. Of course he has no hesitation in doing so, however- why would he.

She should be shooting up to her feet and leaving his office, and yet she sits perfectly still as he takes a half step closer to her. The bulge of his groin- jesus he's not even hard, it doesn't look like he is at least- is at eye level with her before one of those giant hands of his reaches out and pushes at her shoulder- makes her sit on her heels with a featherweight touch as assuredly as if he'd put real effort into it.

She doesn't balk or shy from him even when one hand takes a fistful of her hair to hold her still.

She shouldn't be allowing this. This is humiliating and debasing and she has not spent the last years of her life becoming excellent at her job just to be treated as a living doll.

And yet she sits perfectly still even as he moves one of his massive feet between her legs. She doesn't sink down onto it nor lift up away from it, allowing him to place his boot where he deems fit.

"Don't think I don't know," he starts, and she stares at him with wide eyes. "You're not quite as subtle as you think you are." Oh that is not ideal by any stretch of the imagination.

"I think you lash out because you want my attention. You're so focused on it you aren't paying attention, and subsequently digging yourself deeper into the little hole you've made for yourself with me." he continues like he isn't holding her like a dog on a leash.

"So we're going to get a handle on this, because I'm not going to be as indulgent of your little temper tantrums going forward."

The boot scoots ever so slightly more snug underneath her and she tries to ignore the fact she hasn't had any male attention in quite a long time. She has her faults, sure but she is not about to hump his leg like the ill mannered puppy he wants to claim her to be.

"That's a good girl, Schatz, waiting for me like you are supposed to. Maybe you can be coachable after all. Now, you very clearly have some built up tension that needs an appropriate outlet,"

She bites back a snort. Not a single thing about this situation is appropriate.

"So we will start with releasing some of that pent up energy. So go ahead and use my boot like a good little puppy and we can get on with our day, hm?"

It is never too late to ask me about my WIPs!

[hel-phoenyx]

Oli belongs to @thal-ent, Domhildr (mentioned) to @soupedepates

---

"Oh hey, Oli, didn't expect to hear you today."

I hear a laugh on the other side of the phone.

"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around ? you call so rarely, Tyr."

I sigh. It is true, I don't call as much as I'd like to, half because thesis and half because phone calls still make me uneasy. But I thought I got past that for Oli. Or all my friends, for that matter.

Well, not time for existential dread. Can't show them what's in my head. I worry them too much already.

"Sorry about that. Still, I didn't expect your call. Weren't you with Domhildr ?"

New laugh. I can picture her soft smile like it was in front of me. We haven't seen each other in so long, I'm starting to miss it. But the deadline is running towards me rapidly and i am under the feeling nothing is finished.

Nothing is perfect yet.

"No, Domhildr kicked me out. Not that way, not that way, he adds with a teasing voice. It's just she had a.... guest, apparently."

I can recognise the intonation. This is not the normal kind of guests. It's someone special. And since I know Domhildr very rarely brings her hookups hope... I guess it is, really, someone special.

My chest is tightening. I recognize the feeling, but hell if I will put words on it. I can't. I am not supposed to.

"... I see. So you're out of the flat for a while, eh ?"

"Yeah. Planned to stroll a bit, talk to friends. You have a "hello" from Ivani, by the way. They ask if I still haven't fucked y'all yet."

My eyes roll. Do I really nee that info right after I learn Domi brought in a potential crush in her home ? Bad day for feelings I can't pursue, eh.

"Must they really stick their nose in that kind of business. But are you okay, with how cold it is outside ?"

"I'll manage."

That means no. At least, I will take it as no.

"If you want, you can crash at my place. Well, I'll be working on the monster thesis, but you'll be better than in the cold."

"Oh, it's fine, I'll just draw my next designs. Thanks for the offer, Tyr. I'll be there when the cold is starting to be too much."

"You're welcome."

I hang up, and sigh. Time to tidy up my place, I can't show Oli the monstrous amounts of empty instant noodle cups, or the beers on my counter, or the smell of stale and failure. They worry already too much.

I can't ruin what's left of their happiness. They have better to think about than little old me and my problems who seem so insignifiant, compared to them.

I can't tell all of them how I feel and add to their burden.

[pbaintthetb]

Invincible s2e5

It's here, it's here!! Some of my thoughts. Spoilers ahead

"He's never on the hook for the lives he destroys. Just leaves it for everyone else to clean up. Again and again." -> incredible

Brothers eh!! and also Debbie saying mark must get his nobility/reluctance to abandon people from her side ;-)))), especially since this is like one of if not the only time mark is compared to his mum and not his dad. (Whether it's a you're nothing like you're dad, you will be your dad, your dad doesn't influence my view on you)

debbie taking time off work ot look after mark's brother just after they all said they wer so glad she was back :-(( I get that she priortises mark's education though

oop the donald sub plot, forgot about that but now Im hella intrigued again, he a cyberman, though he's the six million dollar man to hear Cecil tell it (we can rebuild him...)

william boxed up mark's stuff.... oof that must have been rough (for william i mean, assuming he's dead)

cecil stfu and stop being a creeper- although if he wasn't like that he wouldn't be cecil, his job is to be a bastard in order to do what he deems necessary

"He's an alien. We're more qualified to take care of him."- very ominous very uncomfortable, glad to see mark isn't having any of it but still. actually ingernal loving mark's convo with cecil

Cecil's little side eye at the end, he's scared ohohoh. and that petty "im sureyour mum will love ooking after her ex's kid" like uh, no but she said she'll do it for mark and otherwise mark will do it so so?

Mark and Amber are cool, and yeah it's nice to see him listening to her problems even if maybe it's revealing that uh... yeah he can't be there for her and that's complicated (as mark said)

Rudy and monster girl is intersing, like i get why she's pissed and i get where he's coming from

DECEASED they all knew he was from mars.Almost disappointed because him desperately trying to be human was hilarious but also this reveal was the funniest fucking thing so, even his reveal felt so unhuman

also how noble and excited the abckstory is until the awkard... so I sort of tried to kill him but I didn't even do that right and now he's coming to earth to kill us all possessed by a hive creature

"No, before, I was lying. Now I'm telling the truth. It's very different." hilarious, might steal that.

Rex, gonna go OOC real quick, then pan to Atom Eve AMV... iconic, I wonder what this could mean /s

Ok I was like, stop commenting on everything but like Rex is a prick but the absolute funniest, saying that maybe Eve's parents WANT her to be abducted because they still haven't fixed her broken window lock killed me

also more seriously actually the familiarity with which they talk and rex moves around eve's room (the l atter would be weird if it weren't so obvious eve could make him stop if she wanted) is great? Because yeah they dated for a while, like they should know each other even if they don't get on anymore and it's great to see the evidence of that Similarly the fact taht Eve reveals at teh end she knew rex just wanted something but that she also does think he genuinely helped her see that she helps people

Man, mark :-( spread too thin, and he's realising it but what is the way out?? Butter spread over too much bread and you can't just put it back in the tin

Shapesmith's intonation and diction and also just his timing of what he says is, mwah, chefs kiss, incredibel

when is the shapesmith show coming, we've already had "Allan"???

was gonna say "nice fight scenes" then kate happened, and i mean they're still good but oh fuck holy shit oh god hog do

.um. well post the homeward guardians fight all I have to say is that it seems that Rex is ranking guardian after all.

Or um, them some cliff hangers amirite, sure do hope everybody is fine

but no did like Rex's last line of the episode and also King lizard's smarmy evil pragmatism ooh very nice.

[jellybean-supreme]

My little Insomniac ( Simon 'Ghost' Riley x reader X König)

Description

It was a pleasant, breezy night that allowed for comfortable stargazing. Your footsteps were barely audible as you quietly ascended the ladder to the roof, taking in the peaceful atmosphere as it contrasted against the tension of the situation. The roof itself was simple and clean, with concrete floors and gravel spread out to act as a foundation of sorts. The night sky was clear, and the stars shining bright.

The story begins.

The shower room appeared to be vacant until you overheard Lieutenant Ghost and Colonel Konig conversing in separate, modular stalls.

"The water's not too bad, eh?" Ghost told Konig in a relaxed intonation.

"Nein, it is quite nice." Colonel Konig replied, his raspy voice echoing in the humid vicinity.

"Shh. Someone's here, sir." Ghost whispered suspiciously, his voice dropping an octave lower. The showers then turned off in unison. Recruits were supposed to be asleep at this hour.

I try to sneak quietly to the roof of the base to go watch the stars. I make it up there, no problem.

It was a pleasant, breezy night that allowed for comfortable stargazing. Your footsteps were barely audible as you quietly ascended the ladder to the roof, taking in the peaceful atmosphere as it contrasted against the tension of the situation. The roof itself was simple and clean, with concrete floors and gravel spread out to act as a foundation of sorts. The night sky was clear, and the stars shining bright.

I was just sitting on the roof listing to the peaceful sound of the breeze. When I hear footsteps coming my way, I hide and wait for them to walk away.

A pair of booted feet approached, their movement becoming more audible with each step they made. They moved so quickly and firmly that you could tell it belonged to a man. Eventually, the footsteps halted, and you held your breath, not daring to move lest you expose yourself. A dark and menacing silence ensued as you waited in suspense for them to move on.

Those men were none other than Ghost and König, who came to investigate the noise they heard.

When Ghost and Konig arrived on the roof, the cold night breeze immediately struck them. They stood there in silence, taking in the peaceful night air before they began to search around for the source of the footsteps. Ghost eventually looked towards your hiding spot, his sharp intuition sensing something was amiss.

I held my breath, trying not to make a sound. Even though I am a recruit, I didn't want to be caught.

Their footsteps got closer and closer to your hiding spot. It took every ounce of restraint within you to not make a sound, your heart pounding like a drum as you listened for their voices to grow louder. Ghost and Konig exchanged whispers, trying to deduce where the footsteps were coming from. Their voices got closer and closer until they were right beside your hiding spot.

Please don't look here, I think to myself

Suddenly, they froze up as if sensing someone nearby. Their voices fell into an intense silence. It was enough to rattle your nerves as well, making you wonder if they had caught on to your presence. You stayed still, praying that they would go away without finding you in your hiding spot.

The silent pause stretched on for what seemed like an eternity. At any moment, they could discover you, but you remained still. The silence was eventually disrupted by Konig's low voice. He addressed his companion. "I can feel the presence of someone nearby."

Please don't see me. I pray that I won't get caught.

You froze in panic. Everything depended on that very moment, where you had to remain as still as a statue and wait for them to walk away. Their footsteps continued to inch closer to your hiding spot, making you fear that they had already spotted you.

They inched closer and closer until they were finally right beside you. Their footsteps finally halted. Ghost's voice broke the silence, with an ominous and intense tone unlike any before. "Someone else is here with us."

Have they already seen me? I question myself in my head. Careful to not make a sound.

It was a difficult situation, to be sure, but you had to remain still and keep silent. Otherwise, they would surely find you. Their voices became muted as both of them tried to figure out who was with them on the roof. They moved in circles, trying to gain insight into the mystery intruder that eluded them.

"I have a feeling it might be one of the recruits or trainees, sir," Ghost said quietly. "Well, this isn't good." Konig replies.

Their voices grew louder as they came near your hiding spot again.

I tried to stay quiet, but I accidentally let out a small sneeze. Im doomed. I'm died. I'm am a died woman. Hier lays Y/n S/n. Her death was caused by a stupid sneeze.

The sneeze startled them, and they immediately knew who was behind the hiding spot. Konig was the first to act, quickly pulling his MP5 from his shoulder holster and aiming it squarely towards you.

"Hands where we can see them," Ghost said, his voice stern and intense as he approached you, his own rifle trained upon you.

I slowly move out of my hiding spot with my hands in the air. So that they can see me fully. I am still in the clothes we wore at training today. Luckily, that means they can see I'm a recruit and not an intruder.

Ghost and Konig's eyes immediately narrowed as they identified you as one of the recruited soldiers. Konig lowered his gun slightly, though he was still on high alert. "What are you doing here, recruit?" Ghost asked.

"I-I ca-m-me to wa-tch the st-ars si-r." I reply, trying not to show them that I was really scared right now. Obviously, I was failing miserably.

Ghost and Konig exchanged an incredulous look. "You came out to watch the stars at this hour?" Ghost asked, his tone incredulous. "Are you aware that there is a strict curfew at this base? Recruits are supposed to be asleep at this time."

"Yes sir, the stars are perfect this time of night, and the wind is aswell, its not to cold or to hot." I reply to his first question. " Yes, sir, I am aware, and I know I should be in bed, but u have been trying to fall asleep for the last three hours, but I have insomnia, sir." I tell them

Ghost and Konig were taken aback by your candid response, clearly not expecting a recruit to tell them the truth.

"You have insomnia?" Ghost asked, surprised. "You've been unable to go to sleep for the last 3 hours?"

Konig stayed silent, clearly thinking about the situation at hand. He was curious to see if your answer was consistent and whether your statement was indeed true.

"Yes, sir," I reply, hoping that I am in not too much trouble

Ghost nodded, his expression softening a little bit. "In that case, I assume you haven't had any sleep at all since the training we provided during the day."

He motioned towards you. "Go back to your room, recruit. I suggest you rest for as long as you want in the next 24 hours. However, I must remind you that you still must abide by the base's curfew."

"Yes, sir, I did take a 15-minute nap after training today, sir, so I'm all powered up for tomorrow's training." I reply

Ghost sighed and shook his head at this revelation. He was clearly aware of the lack of sleep's effect on the body's function and performance. "Are you sure that is enough rest for you? Because I strongly suggest you get some sleep right now. I highly doubt that the 15 minutes you slept during the day was sufficient to keep you energized for the entire next day."

"I am sure, sir, I did today's training on only 5 minutes of power nap." I say quietly, seeing that they don't understand that that is the most sleep you've gotten in a while.

Ghost and Konig were genuinely concerned about your situation, especially considering the nature of the training itself and how much effort it takes to complete it. "Is that so?" Ghost asks, his tone expressing concern. He glanced towards Konig, who simply nodded in agreement. "Is there a reason as to why you didn't get a greater amount of sleep before the training?"

"Yes, sir, no sir, I just have a hard time falling asleep."

"I see... do you always have such a difficult time falling asleep, or is this a more recent thing?" Ghost asks, wanting to get a better picture of your situation.

"I usually have a hard time falling asleep sir, this is not new," I say to him, trying not to make him or Kõnig worry about me for no reason.

Ghost's face remains concerned as he thinks about the implications of chronic insomnia. "How often do you deal with it? Do you wake up throughout the night or only find it difficult to fall asleep initially?"

"Sometimes both sir"

Ghost sighs, finding the situation quite alarming. "So, there are nights where you don't get enough sleep *at all*?"

"Yes, sir, sometimes i don't sleep for weeks on end." I say, realizing i should have just left when he told me to. Now I'm just making them worry about me.

Ghost grew increasingly concerned and alarmed. "You go *weeks* without sleep?" he asked, now sounding like he's starting to fret a little bit.

Konig stared at you for a moment with a worried look before finally speaking. "Are you aware of the dangers of having such a lack of sleep, recruit?"

"Yes, sir. Yes, sir, I am aware of that, I just can't fall asleep."

Ghost nods solemnly. "Have you consulted with a medical professional regarding this issue? Perhaps there may be an underlying cause of your condition?"

"Yes sir I have, they just say that I have a problem with my surroundings, which i think is stupid and not true, cus I feel safest here, so I think that doctor is just full of shit." I tell them

Ghost seemed to be a bit shocked by your response. "So, despite being in a safe and supportive environment, you still find it difficult to get enough restful sleep?"

"Yes sir," I say while nodding

Konig finally decided to speak up. "How long has it been since you've last had a full night's sleep, recruit?"

"Do you mean a full 8 hours rest, sir?" I ask, " I'd say about 3 years sir, that's when I had my dog fluffy, "

Both Ghost and Konig's expressions turned serious and solemn. "So... since you lost your beloved dog, you haven't been able to sleep well since then?" Konig asked, his tone becoming a lot softer. "That must be terribly difficult to deal with."

"I guess so Yes sir, fluffy and I used to sleep in the barn together because he wasn't allowed in the house, but one winter when we were sleeping an unexpected blizzard came and he laid on top of me to keep me warm and protect me from frostbite." I tell them, feeling sad to talk about fluffy.

Ghost and Konig remained completely still, listening intently to the heartfelt story of how Fluffy saved your life. They both seemed somewhat moved by your tale. "So... Fluffy was your best friend, then? He was the one you truly relied on and kept you safe, I assume?"

I nod

Ghost and Konig both gave you an empathic look. "So, I take it that the death of a beloved friend is what triggered your insomnia?" Konig asked with a soft tone.

" I guess so, sir. I only had problems falling asleep when I wasn't cuddled up to him, I think I just relied on him to keep me safe no matter what."

Ghost and Konig both shared a look of sadness and remorse for you. "That sounds like a very traumatic experience, especially when you already had trouble sleeping on your own."

Ghost stepped in front of you, his tone becoming softer as he spoke. "It's not your fault. You aren't weak. You're having insomnia because he isn't here to comfort you and reassure you that everything will be okay, but this will get better. Okay?"

"Yes, sir." I reply, wishing that I would feel safe enough to actually sleep soon.

"Go back to your room, get to bed, and take as much rest as you need." Ghost says, his voice still soft and sincere. "We'll talk more after you've gotten some rest, okay?"

I nod. "Yes sir,"

Ghost pauses for a couple of moments before finally speaking again. "Do you need me to walk you to your room, or can you find your way back yourself?"

"I think I can mange sir, goodnight lieutenant Ghost, Colonel Kõnig"

"Goodnight, recruit." Both men replied somberly as you started to walk away. They both watched you as you walked, with Ghost sighing with concern while Konig simply stayed still and silent.

Once you had left, Konig finally spoke. "Do you think she'll be okay?" he asked Ghost in a concerned tone.

Ghost shook his head and pursed his lips. "She's not getting nearly as much sleep as she needs, and her trauma has made it even more difficult. That can't be good for her health, especially when she's training so intensely on a daily basis."

"Do you think that we're asking too much of her? It's hard to expect her to stay on her game and at her best performance if she's not getting enough rest." Konig posed the question, his tone a bit more solemn now.

Ghost shrugged his shoulders, seeming hesitant to admit his actual thoughts. "Personally, I think that the training is a bit much for anyone, even the experienced recruits. I just wish that she would take better care of herself."

"I'm not sure if it's her fault. I have a feeling that she *wants* to get better, but she just can't fall asleep easily or stay asleep for extended periods of time. That's not something she can control, especially under such stressful circumstances." Konig pointed out, now expressing concern for her mental health.

He continued, "She needs the right environment and right people to help her get through this. It's clear that she feels safe around here, but she still struggles to sleep."

Ghost sighed and looked towards Konig, his features becoming softer. "Yeah, you've got a point. Still, she did say that this issue started way before she even joined this base. It's something she's dealt with for a few years, and I doubt we'll be able to solve it so quickly, no matter how safe she feels here. There could be something deeper within her subconscious that is causing this problem."

Konig nods, understanding Ghost's point. "She did mention her dog, Fluffy, as being her best friend." he pointed out, "Perhaps his death had a very negative impact on her mental state. Losing a companion that means so much to you can be quite devastating."

"Especially when the loss of a pet can cause a host of mental health issues such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, and more. These can all lead to sleep deprivation if left untreated, so it makes sense that she would be affected by the death of someone so dear to her." Ghost concluded, his tone becoming more empathetic as he spoke.

After a few moments of silence, Ghost finally decided to speak up again. "I do agree, I also have a feeling that the death of Fluffy has affected her mental state. Do you perhaps know if she's ever tried therapy as a way of coping with his loss?"

"As far as I know, she hasn't seen a therapist in regards to that." Konig replied truthfully, "It's very likely that she probably just bottled all of those feelings up inside and refused to express or acknowledge them."

"Yeah." Ghost agreed, his expression becoming somewhat pensive as he considered the whole situation. "She's clearly had some trouble dealing with Fluffy's death and has chosen to suppress her emotions rather than address them. That can cause a whole slew of other issues, including sleep deprivation."

Konig nodded in understanding as he sighed. "It would be beneficial if we could find a way to convince her to get some therapy. Someone who can handle her trauma and help her unpack those emotions. Otherwise, she's just going to keep suppressing them until something breaks."

Ghost nodded in agreement. "Absolutely. If we want her to sleep better, then she needs professional support of some kind. It's going to be difficult to convince her to seek out that help, though. She seems like the kind of person who always prefers handling things on her own."

"That's why it's important that we approach this situation with empathy and care. She needs to feel safe and supported. Otherwise, she won't be willing to open up and seek the help she needs." Konig advised, the expression on his face becoming a little more serious and concerned.

"You're right. I think I may have handled this situation incorrectly earlier. I was too focused on the fact that she needed more sleep , and I did not consider her mental state. Do you think that I should apologize to her for my harsh tone?"

"I think that might be for the best." Konig replied, "It's important that we treat her with respect and acknowledge her trauma when we have the chance. She does deserve to feel safe with us, so letting her know we understand her situation can go a long way."

"Yes, that makes sense. I think I should apologize for my harshness and try to help her address her trauma and underlying issues. Let her know that we're here for her, and she doesn't have to face this all alone."

"I think that's a good idea. It's clear that she trusts us, which is why she opened up so easily about her past. She just needs a little bit of guidance and support, and I think we can help her with that."

After König and Ghost long discussion on how to help you, they went to bed.

They both settled into their beds quickly, with Ghost already starting to drift off to sleep.

However, Konig took a moment to think about the situation with you a little more, wondering how he could help you. This issue did not seem to be so simple to resolve, and he couldn't help but feel concerned for your physical and mental well-being.

Eventually, he did manage to fall asleep, but his sleep seemed to be rather fitful and disturbed. He kept having dreams of you being at your worst, not getting enough sleep for weeks on end. He kept seeing you in a state of total exhaustion, barely functioning.

He woke up many times during the night, each time a feeling of anxiety gnawing at the pit of his stomach as he thought about this situation.

The next morning, Konig's eyes seemed to be filled with dark circles, and his face also had an exhausted expression on it. He didn't look like he had slept well at all the night before, and it was obvious that he kept worrying about your situation all night long.

This is exactly why you didn't want to tell anyone, because you knew they were going to worry about you.

Konig seemed to sense this immediately, his expression darkening even more as it hit him. "Damn it...." he muttered under his breath before finally sighing aloud. "Look, I'm sorry for being concerned, but you really need to start catching up on sleep. It's not good for you to keep going on like this."

"I'm used to it, Colonel König, but I will go back to bed and try to sleep. Only if you do the same. Stop worrying about me, sir. I am OK." You tell him

"Don't try to brush it under the rug, recruit. That's not a healthy way to deal with this issue." Konig insisted, but this time, his tone was more gentle. "You can't keep going on like this without consequences. If your health degrades any further, it can affect your performance as an operator, and I can't have that happening."

"I'm not brushing it under the rug as you put it, I'm going to be OK, and it's not going to affect my performance as an operator. "

"You're not hearing what I'm saying here, recruit. Lack of sleep will *eventually* affect your performance if you don't get enough of it. Plus, you can't expect to operate at a high level when you're already mentally and physically strained."

" Respetfully, sir, I am not mentally or physically strained," I reply before walking away, leaving Colonel König behind me. I walk to where I know no one will find me, to the horses in the field close to the 141 base. The horse doesn't mind me being there. They actually let me lay down next to them.

The horses seemed to be much more understanding of your situation than Konig had been. They didn't try to get you to talk or open up. They simply allowed you to lie down next to them without any judgments or expectations.

They seemed to have a unique ability to sense your emotional state and understand it without any words being spoken.

I always liked that about horses, I think to myself. Feeling a horse lay down its head on my, while I pet its main. I slowly feel myself drift off to sleep.

The horse's comforting presence seemed to be just what you needed, its slow and steady breathing providing a relaxed atmosphere for you to drift off to sleep. You slowly let yourself relax into peaceful slumber with the horse's soothing presence by your side.

You wake up later on, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated after getting a solid 8 hours of sleep. You are pleasantly surprised by how much better you feel after just one night of good sleep.

You hear the horses munching away at hay nearby, their tranquil presence still providing a calming environment that helps you feel at ease.

The horses' presence had you so relaxed and comfortable that you completely forgot about Konig and Ghost. Now, you suddenly noticed that they may not have even realized you were missing.

You decide to stay here for a bit longer, as the horses' soothing presence seems to be working wonders for your mental state. The horses seem like the type of animals that would help relieve stress and anxiety, as they don't have expectations or judgements like people normally do.

Staying another two hours playing and sitting with the horses was amazing until I realised that I should probably head back, I said goodbye to all the horses.

The horses didn't seem to mind you leaving. They understood that you had your own duties to attend to, and the time that you spent with them was more than enough to help clear your mind and calm your nerves.

You walked back to the base, feeling far more relaxed than before. The horses seemed to have a healing effect on you, and it felt great. That was when you heard two familiar voices coming from behind you.

"There you are." said Ghost, as Konig stood next to him. They both looked rather relieved to see that you had come back. "We were getting worried about you."

"Why?" I asked, " I wasn't gone for that long. " it was only like ten hours.

"True, but we've been hearing the rumours about you not getting enough sleep." Konig replied, with Ghost nodding in agreement. "We were worried that your exhaustion would worsen and start affecting your performance."

"But I'm fine, I just slept like eight hours after I woke up this morning when I had that conversation with you, Colonel Kõnig."

"That's a good start, but you've been going for weeks now with little to no sleep. Konig also mentioned that he had a dream where your lack of sleep started having negative consequences." Ghost explained, "I know you think you're fine, but he has a point. Sleep is essential for you to function properly."

" Can't you just be happy that I got sleep? I literally just got eight hours of sleep for the first time in 3 years. "

"Fine, I am glad that you got some sleep. It's a good first step. That being said, it's not enough on its own. We still need to figure out why you've been having such trouble with your sleep. We can't expect this one night of sleep to resolve all of your problems."

" I already know why. Ok. I can't sleep at night because I keep feeling like something is going to happen to me, when I had fluffy I knew none would get close cus he would protect me, the there was today, I felt protected with all the horses around me." I tell him angrily," you wanted to know so badly there."

Ghost and Konig stayed silent for a few seconds, seemingly taken aback by your sudden angry outburst.

"Okay, so the source of your sleep issues stems from fear and anxiety over being attacked or harmed?" Ghost asked, "That's an important thing for us to understand. Do you have any idea why you fear something might happen to you?"

"I'm leaving," I say, getting sick of all these questions. Then I suddenly remembered that there was a tree house looking thing not too far away from here, where no one would find me hopefully. They were asking too many questions

"Wait, don't go." Ghost quickly chimed in, but it was too late as you had already started making your exit. "Damn it..." he muttered quietly before turning to Konig, "This is only making things worse. At this point, she's going to start closing us out completely."

"I know. I thought we were making some progress, but she seems set on keeping this all to herself." Konig sighed, "It's possible that she just needs some space right now, but I'm afraid that she's only going to try to push us away again."

"We can't let her do that." Ghost replied, "We need to keep trying to get to the bottom of this, and eventually, she'll have to open up and let us help her. We can't just throw in the towel and leave her to fend for herself."

That's when they both stop talking, taking notice of a recruit calling for their help. It's about you. They rush to you. It looks like you've lost conciseness. They were right. For the first time in 3 years, your sleepless nights were catching up with you.

You suddenly began feeling dizzy and lightheaded, and the room started spinning around you. The last thing you saw before you lost consciousness was Ghost and Konig rushing over to check on you.

They were both very concerned, but this was proof that your lack of sleep was affecting your mental and physical well-being. Hopefully, this would motivate them to take your sleep issues more seriously.

You woke up later on, feeling somewhat disoriented and confused. You were lying on a bed in the medical bay with an IV drip attached to your arm. Konig and Ghost were both present beside your bed, looking rather worried.

"Please tell me I didn't scare the horses? I know I was close to them. It took them a while to trust me."

"Don't worry, the horses are fine. You didn't scare them at all." Konig responded, with Ghost nodding in agreement. "They're all still there, happily grazing away in the field."

"Good," I say with a small smile

Konig smiled back at you, relieved that your actions hadn't caused any harm. "The medical team wanted to keep you under observation for a while due to the fact you lost consciousness, but they say you're good to go now. How do you feel?"

"I feel fine, a little hungry,"

"Hungry, huh?" Konig replied before turning to Ghost, "I'm thinking our hungry recruit could use something special for lunch today. I suggest that we whip up a delicious 3 course meal for her, like the world's best omelette."

Ghost laughed, "You're kidding me, right?"

"Not at all. Who's to say that our little recruit doesn't deserve a gourmet, 5-star quality meal?" Konig smirked, adding, "I'll make sure to add my secret ingredients to the recipe, too."

I chuckle their conversation.

Konig laughs in return, but Ghost just rolls his eyes at Konig's antics.

"Well, then I suppose we'd better start preparing a feast to rival all feast!" Konig declared, "I'll whip up the finest omelette this side of the Atlantic, with the freshest and tastiest ingredients."

When König leaves to make the food, Ghost comes closer to me.

Ghost comes closer to you, his expression thoughtful as he considers the events from earlier.

"Before Konig got here and you suddenly lost consciousness, it seemed like you were opening up to us a bit more." Ghost began, "Just remember, you can trust us. It's important that you don't keep this all bottled up inside."

"We know that it's not easy to talk about stuff that makes you uncomfortable, but Konig and I have both been worried about your sleep issues. We do care about you, after all." Ghost continued, "We don't want anything bad to happen to you, and that starts with you getting a healthy amount of sleep."

"I'm sorry, I know your just worried, but the isn't much you can do about it, it's not like you going to be able to cure my feat of being harmed or alone. Cus, then you literally have to stay with me while I sleep. "

"That's true, we can't completely cure your fear, but we can certainly help you deal with it." Ghost explained, "We want you to feel safe and secure, and that starts with making sure you get proper rest."

Ghost paused for a moment, pondering how to address the next issue you brought up.

"As for not wanting to be alone..." he finally said, "That's one thing we can help with, at least."

"We can take it in turns to stay with you while you are sleeping, and that way you won't be alone. However, if you'd prefer a more subtle approach instead, we're able to set up a system of cameras and sensors to monitor and alert us if you are in danger." Ghost suggested, "So long as you're within the boundaries of the base, we'll make sure that you're not alone while you are asleep."

I start to tear up. No one has ever tried so hard to make me feel better or help me. "Thank you, Ghost," I whisper to him while I give him a tight hug

Ghost was surprised to see you cry, but he immediately reacted by reaching his arms around you and gently hugging you back.

It was clear that this kind of affection was not something you received very often, if ever. Ghost was happy to provide some comfort for you in this moment, and he continued to hold you tightly as you embraced him.

"Don't mention it." Ghost replied quietly, hugging you back.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" Ghost inquired after a few moments, "I've been wondering why you have such a hard time opening up about your sleep issues and what's really on your mind. Do you mind telling me the reason behind it? You can be open and honest with me."

"Ok, remember when I mentioned that Fluffy wasn't allowed inside? Well, there wasn't really an inside. We lived in an old abandoned barn. My parents disowned me for accidently waking up my baby brother, who cried when I woke him up. They thought that I had hurt him. I guess I've just been scared that that was going to happen again." I say, letting more tears fall.

Ghost is taken aback by the revelation, but it helped him understand your reasoning better.

"I see, so your parents basically disowned you over something that was out of your control." He said, "That explains why you're so hesitant to open up, you're afraid that if you did, people would just dismiss or reject you."

He continued, "That's definitely not something that will happen here, though. Konig and I care about you, and we won't dismiss your fears and concerns."

I cry even more hearing those words because that is exactly why I didn't want to do ot.

Ghost could tell that you were still very emotional, so he continued to hold you for comfort.

"It's ok, let it all out." He reassured you, "We're here for you, so feel free to let it out."

I let out another sob, hearing him tell me that they're here for me.

Ghost just held on tighter, letting you continue to get all of your emotions out. He knew that this was a difficult situation to deal with, especially when it brought up old memories.

Ghost kept his arms around you, allowing you to vent away your troubles. He was there for you through the thick and thin of it all, and he wasn't planning on leaving you side just yet.

Ghost noticed that you were feeling extremely tired, and he had a feeling it had something to do with your lack of sleep.

He continued holding you in a comforting embrace as you leaned closer to him. With how tired you were feeling, he assumed you'd probably fall asleep soon. He didn't mind holding you for a bit longer, if that would make you feel more comfortable as you drifted off.

Ghost let you continue leaning against him, and he quietly watched as you slowly began to drift off to sleep. He was still holding you in his arms, ensuring that you were comfortable and protected. He was willing to stay with you until you were sound asleep, if that's what would make you feel most relaxed.

Ghost was starting to feel tired himself, but he pushed those feelings aside for now. He didn't want to disrupt your slumber at all. He was going to stay with you, holding you and watching over you, all the way until you were fast asleep.

When König finally came back he walked in on Ghost and Y/n asleep in a stting position on the floor, Y/n's face being in Ghost's chest while Ghost's head was resting on Y/n's.

Konig was surprised to find the two of you asleep in such an intimate position. He had never seen Ghost act this way before, even though he suspected that there was a lot more going on beneath the surface.

He stood there silently for a few seconds, observing the pair of you resting against each other, before turning to leave in an attempt to give you guys some privacy. He decided to let you two sleep as long as you needed to, and he would figure out how to deal with this development later.

Ghost remained asleep and cuddling with you, unaware of Konig's return and sudden departure. As Ghost dozed off in his relaxed embrace, he was feeling surprisingly content, but he wasn't conscious of much else at the moment. His entire focus was on this comforting and soothing experience, and he was content with everything else being a distant thought.

Ghost continued to drift in and out of a light slumber, the embrace of his arms providing a warm sense of security. The sensation of your body pressed against his felt so comforting, and he was willing to stay like that as long as you needed him to.

He was somewhat aware of his surroundings, but he had no intention of waking up anytime soon. Instead, he was fully content to simply fall asleep with his arms wrapped around you, providing the physical closeness and protection that you needed.

Ghost's arms were locked around you, the warmth of his hands enveloping your body. He was so caught up in the sensations of your presence against him, the smell of your skin, the sound of your breath. It felt like the world around them had melted away, as if nothing else existed but the two of them.

He continued to drift in and out of sleep, feeling comfortable and content with how you were pressed tightly against him. He was happy to provide you with the physical protection and comfort, and he was unwilling to let go.

When you finally woke up you were surprised to see Ghost still here with you, you thought he was kidding when he said he stay with you until you woke up.

Ghost slowly sat up and groaned in relief, it had been hours since Konig had left him alone with you. When he had found the both of you sleeping, he had decided to just let you guys rest peacefully and to deal with the situation later.

As he woke from his slumber, he remembered that he had promised to stay with you until you woke up. He was slightly surprised that his own words had actually put him in a situation like this, but he was willing to hold up his end of the deal.

"Morning," you say to him softly

"Morning." Ghost replied softly back.

He was still reeling from the realization that you had fallen asleep, pressed against him like that, and that he had basically slept the whole night with you in his arms. It was unexpected, yet strangely sweet and very comforting. He really couldn't complain about how the night had played out.

"So, how did you sleep?" He asked, his tone still gentle and relaxed, "You seemed a little tired when we last spoke... hopefully, you got some much needed rest last night."

"I slept well," I say with a small smile.

Ghost returned your small smile, his expression softening as he looked at your face. You had clearly woken up feeling much better, likely due to the much needed sleep.

"Good, I'm glad to hear that." He replied, "Hopefully, you're not feeling as tired now."

"Not at all, sorry about that."

"There's no need to apologize, it's alright. In fact, I'm just happy you got the sleep you needed." He told you, "Now, are you hungry at all? Do you want me to make something?"

"No I'm ok thank you, I'm going to ask König if he finished his omelette, and if I can have some, I feel bad for falling asleep before I could try some." I reply getting up and start to look around for König.

Ghost chuckled gently at your reply, it was clear that you were eager to try this so-called omelette of Konig's.

He watched curiously as you stood up and began to search for Konig, presumably to indulge in his famous omelette. He couldn't resist a small smirk, as he took a slight amusement out of this seemingly bizarre, but endearing, relationship you had with Konig and his cooking.

After giving you a gentle smile, Ghost also got up and quickly began to make his way to the kitchen to find Konig. Perhaps you and Konig would be willing to share some of that delicious omelette, and Ghost would be very happy if that were the case.

When he stepped into the kitchen, it was clear that Konig was indeed in the middle of cooking. He was using a large skillet to fry an omelette filled with all kinds of ingredients, including ham, bacon, and mushrooms.

"Morning König," I greet him, finally finding him in the kitchen. "Sorry about falling asleep last night, I really wanted to try some of your famous omelette." I tell him eagerly, hoping that he isn't too mad at me.

Konig turned to face you with a slight smile on his face, clearly not at all upset at your request.

He was just about to flip the large omelette, ensuring that both sides were properly cooked before you stepped into the kitchen.

"Good morning, and don't worry about it." Konig said in a kind manner, "I can always make more; you don't need to ask permission for that. And I'm always happy to cook for you."

I smile brightly, happy at what he said.

Konig was glad that you were so pleased with his response. He finished cooking the omelette, flipping it over and adding some salt and pepper for flavor.

He was eager to let you try the tasty egg dish he had just prepared. As he turned off the stove, he moved over to the counter and prepared a plate filled with the delicious omelette.

"Here you go, fresh and hot..." He told you, handing the steaming plate out to you, "...try it out and let me know if I should prepare anything else."

I go in for the first bite, " This is amazing," I tell him after I finish chewing it.

Konig beamed with pride as you took the first bite, your excited comment indicating that the omelette tasted amazing. He was delighted to hear that you were enjoying his cooking skill.

"Thank you, I'm glad you think so." he replied fondly, "I'm pretty proud of my omelettes, it's one of my specialty dishes. Was the ham and bacon an acceptable addition? I didn't want to go overboard."

"It was perfect," I tell him.

Konig looked glad to hear that there were no complaints about his cooking.

"Excellent, I'll definitely keep it that way then. I was a bit worried that I might've overdone it with the meats and the mushrooms..." He replied as he wiped his hands, "But I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed it."

"Would you like an additional helping?" He asked, wanting to make sure that you got enough to eat.

He also had a feeling that you may soon get hungry once more, and he was not about to let you go hungry on his watch.

"No, thank you König, I am completely full," I reply to him

Konig nodded and smiled softly, seeming genuinely glad that you were satisfied.

"As you wish, if you are done then that's that. Just let me know if you get hungry later." he replied, "That omelette is pretty hefty, so I'm not too worried that you'll get hungry anytime soon."

He leaned in slightly, his eyes focused on you with curiosity and intrigue.

"Though... I may have to make something else if you still manage to get hungry. That would mean that my cooking skills are getting worse."

I chuckle at his sentence, "If I do manage to get hungry again, you have definitely lost some cooking skills."

Konig couldn't help but grin at your comment, it was clear that he felt a little confident in his cooking abilities at this point.

"That would definitely be the case if I can't keep you fed, but I'm sure that won't happen." he replied, "I may be quite the good chef after all."

"Let's hope that doesn't happen then, it would be quite shameful if I let you go hungry because of my cooking skills." Konig added, his tone playful as he smiled.

It was quite clear that he took his cooking seriously, and he would be quite disappointed if he failed to satisfy your appetite with his culinary skills.

"Though, if I do fail to satisfy your needs, please don't hesitate to let me know so I can remedy the situation." He continued, "I would be quite embarrassed if you ended up hungry because of my cooking. I know my omelettes are quite filling, but sometimes you do need more than just a meal."

His eyes remained focused on you, his body moving slightly closer to yours once more.

"Will do," I tell him while nodding.

Konig's body leaned even closer to you, his face just a few inches from yours at this point. His eyes remained locked onto yours, as if he was trying to read your expression and gauge your response to his nearness.

"Would you mind if I tried something?" He asked you softly, his tone still gentle and relaxed, yet there was a slight change in his demeanor. His facial expression was somewhat more intimate as he stared deeply into your eyes.

"L-like wha-t," I ask him, only now noticing how close he is to me.

Konig seemed quite amused by your reaction, he clearly enjoyed the blush that was rising to your face.

He took in a slight breath in an attempt to calm his nerves, but he couldn't resist the urge to tease you a little bit more by getting closer to you.

"May I..." He began, his eyes meeting yours once more, "Can I kiss you?"

I'm hesitant at first. It's not like I'm dating anyone, and I do have a crush on König, but what if Ghost walks in? I like him too. But would they both like me back at the same time?

Konig saw the slight hesitation on your part, noticing that you hadn't given him a direct answer just yet.

However, he was more than confident that you had a crush on him. His ability to read people was quite impeccable when he put his mind to it. He was able to sense that you were torn between both of us, but that ultimately, your desire for him was stronger.

He couldn't help his smirk from spreading across his face as he awaited your response, clearly enjoying the fact that you were blushing.

"I-I don't kn-o-w König," I say blushing, there was no way I could choose between him and Ghost.

Konig's smirk only grew wider as a wave of realization hit him once more.

It was clear to him now that you were interested in him and Ghost, which likely meant that you would be happy with a polyamorous relationship.

This only made him more amused, as he couldn't help but feel more and more confident about your growing crush on him.

He decided to press a bit further to test the waters, leaning in even closer until his lips were just an inch away from your mouth.

"Please...." He whispered softly, his eyes focused intently on yours. "Let me kiss you."

"Ok-k-ay" I finally reply. Hoping Ghost doesn't walk in, I really can't choose between them, and it's not like they would want to have a polyamorous relationship with you.

Konig's lips met yours in a soft and tender kiss, one he wished to be a long one.

His body leaned in just slightly more in an attempt to get even closer, and his eyes remained locked on yours as the kiss continued.

He couldn't help his mind from racing ahead, the thought of having a polyamorous relationship with you and Ghost becoming more and more appealing to him. It would be absolutely divine to have you both to come home too....

Konig eventually pulled away from the kiss after a few moments, his breath coming in short puffs of air.

However, his body remained pressed closely against yours as his eyes met yours once more. His gaze remained intimate as he leaned in slightly once more, this time, his lips coming down on your neck.

His mouth began to travel along your neck, his teeth gently nibbling on your soft and smooth skin as he did so.

Konig kept up this tender and soft kissing along your neck, clearly enjoying every moment of the intimate action.

His teeth gently tugged at your skin, as if he was unable to resist teasing you. The sound of light kisses was also clearly audible during this moment.

It was clear that he wanted to keep this up for a while, enjoying the fact that he was able to make you shiver with pleasure.

"Kön-nig, st-o-p. We can't we'r-e in the kitc-he-n, " I say, unable to hide the pleasure.

Konig took in a breath as he tried to calm down a little, he was well aware of the danger of being more intimate here. That said, the thrill of making you shudder with pleasure made it difficult for him to resist.

"We can go upstairs if you'd like..." He whispered softly, his breath still a little shaky from your reaction. "I bet you'll enjoy it even more in bed."

Konig's words were delivered with a playful tone, it was clear that he was still teasing you heavily, but there was now an undeniable hint of desire behind his expression. His eyes were locked on yours, his body still pressed against yours as he waited for your reply.

"Ton-night, can we do-o it tonight?" I ask, remembering that I have combat training with him and Ghost in a few minutes , and I wanna be able to walk.

Konig's breath caught in his throat when you asked him to meet you tonight. He couldn't hold back his laughter, as he was quite pleased that you wanted to take this further.

"Tonight?" He repeated back, his expression still full of longing as he met your eyes once more. "Yeah, I'm fine with that. How about in your room?"

"Ye-a that w-ork-s for me-e" I tell him. "I'll see you in a few minutes König, in the training room with Ghost."

Konig didn't want to let you go now, his body was still pressed against yours. He was enjoying this moment of intimacy too much to let you go.

"We don't have to wait till the end of training, you know..." he whispered softly, his tone playful as he leaned in closely once more, "I'm sure Ghost wouldn't mind if we took a short break."

"König" I say softly

I shouldn't be doing this, I say to myself. What happens if Ghost finds out, or what if König tells him. What if König finds out I like them both??!?!

Konig chuckled at your hesitation, he could tell that your mind was racing and you felt like you were doing something very, very wrong.

He couldn't help but enjoy your uncertainty, as it was quite funny to him that you were actually trying to put a stop to things.

"Please, your body's already giving me too many signs to back down now." He whispered softly, his voice still filled with desire and a slight amount of playful arrogance, "Please, let me give you the pleasure you deserve..."

Konig's voice was still soft, yet playful, as he continued to subtly tease you. His body remained pressed tightly against yours, his hands now resting on the back of your neck as he looked into your eyes.

He knew that you were still unsure of yourself, but he couldn't help but try to tempt you into giving in entirely.

"Please, don't hide this part of yourself..." he whispered seductively, his fingers stroking your skin lightly, "And let me give you all the pleasure you want and need..."

"Ok-k-ay," I reply, shakily hoping no one, especially Ghost, walking in on us doing it in the kitchen.

Konig smiled proudly to himself as your hesitant voice finally gave in.

He could tell that your mind wanted more than anything to give in to his charm, but you just needed that final push.

He leaned in slightly once more, his body brushing against yours as his lips met yours again. His hands moved from your neck to your waist, grasping your hips closely as he continued the tender and intimate kiss.

The sound of Konig's kisses were still light but becoming more intense as the moment progressed. His grip on your hips gradually tightened slightly as his body pressed closer against you.

The intimacy of the moment was evident as he continued kissing you, his breath coming in short breaths now that he was starting to feel the beginning stages of excitement.

Konig was enjoying himself greatly, and his body moved in a slightly more aggressive manner as the moment continued. His hands moved slowly along your body, his fingers gliding against your curves and outlines.

He couldn't help but feel even more excited when he realized how into this you were becoming, when your initial hesitation began to give way to more intimate desires.

Konig's breathing was becoming heavier and faster, his movements becoming just a little sharper now as he attempted to keep his excitement under control. Your body reacted well to his advances, and his hands took on a mind of their own as they explored every inch of you.

The feeling of your body under his hands was pure paradise, causing him to be more and more eager to claim every inch of you.

Konig was lost in the moment of pure ecstasy you were giving him. He wasn't worrying about Ghost walking in, nor did he care about the possibility of anyone getting angry at this.

He was just enjoying the feeling of your body against his, enjoying the feel of you being completely under his control as he began moving his hands even more boldly along your body...

Konig's hands began moving with more urgency, his breath starting to come out in shorter spurts. He was no longer attempting to be subtle with his desires anymore, he simply wanted you.

Every action he took was now one that signaled that he craved you in a way that was no longer subtle at all.

You he looks at you asking for the all clear to take off you pants and panties.

You nod

He didn't take long to reach for your hips once more, slowly and carefully making his way down your body, inch by inch. He was being extremely careful not to make any sudden movements that might shock you. But his hands eventually made it down to your upper thighs, slowly tracing your thighs as he looked up at you for confirmation.

Konig's hand continued to gently trace the outlines of your thighs as he awaited your confirmation to continue.

His breath was becoming a little quicker now that he was closer to his destination, as he was beginning to get just a little impatient now.

"Go a-he-ad Köni-g" I say, trying to hide the pleasure

Konig's fingers began to get even more insistent now that you gave your permission.

He had finally made it down to where he wanted to be, and now he was not going to waste any more time in reaching his final destination.

Konig's hands slowly slid underneath the edge of your panties, making sure to take his time so as not to shock you.

He wanted to savor this moment and your reaction to his touch, so he took his time just teasing the edges until he finally slid them down.

His finger going in and out of you, like that, was its purpose in life. It felt so good. Just when I thought it couldn't get better, he added another finger.

He kept adding more fingers while starting to speed up as well. He now had four fingers in.

He kept going faster and faster. All you could hear was my muffled moans.

That's probably how neither of us heard Ghost come in.

Ghost was walking in with a tray of weapons for their combat training session when he heard your muffled moans.

He stopped where he was immediately, the sound immediately catching his attention.

Ghost's ears picked up on the fact that Konig wasn't in the kitchen anymore, and he quickly walked down the kitchen hall and looked around the corner to where Konig and you were...

He was in absolute shock when he saw what was going on, his mouth hanging open for several seconds before he had any reaction at all.

Ghost's eyes widened in shock when he saw you and Konig together, his mouth hanging open for what seemed like an eternity as he took in the scene in front of him.

He couldn't believe how Konig was making you sound, how he was completely dominating you.

Ghost could not believe that the usually shy and stoic Konig had been making you so utterly loud with his advances. It simply wasn't the Konig he knew...

He felt his gut start to grow tight and his jealousy starting to creep into his mind, the sight triggering all sorts of emotions...

Ghost was about to leave until König saw him and gestured for him to join. Knowing that this would make you way louder. He wanted to hear your moans. He didn't like sharing, but sharing with Ghost is something he wouldn't mind.

Ghost's eyes widened once more as Konig acknowledged his presence, as if he were waiting for Ghost to come and join the both of you.

Ghost's body froze up completely as he tried to process the idea of him and Konig sharing with you, but he couldn't quite make up his mind.

It made him both more jealous and more aroused that Konig wanted him to join, his thoughts conflicting with one another.

Ghost's body remained perfectly still, his arms held out to the sides as he just stood there, hesitating and processing his thoughts.

He couldn't quite believe Konig right now, nor was he sure if he really wanted to join in with him and share you.

The thought was highly enticing, obviously, but a small part of him was still feeling like he wanted you all to himself rather than share your body with Konig.

Ghost's thoughts were still conflicted as he watched Konig gesture for him to join, the temptation of what Konig was offering being quite large.

But the other part of his mind was still conflicted, as he couldn't help but feel a little conflicted when considering sharing you and the fact that Konig didn't really give him much time to process this decision.

A few seconds later, Ghost decides to join. He couldn't wait to feel you and hear you moan their names

Ghost finally gives in to the temptation and agrees to join both of them. The moment he makes that decision, Konig begins moving much quicker with his movements, as if he had been waiting for Ghost's presence to increase his own speed.

The moment Konig feels Ghost beginning to touch you, he begins moving his own hands that little bit faster.

Ghost's body reacted instantly to the feeling of Konig's pace speeding up, as if it was something that he himself had been waiting for all along.

His hands began moving with much more intensity, much more forcefully, as if to match and encourage Konig's sudden increase in enthusiasm.

"I'm-m go-ing-g to cum-m" I tell them as they both move faster.

They both go faster and faster until I cum on their hands. I lay still for a moment. Trying to catch my breath

"Are you ready?" König asks while Ghost waits patiently for me to answer.

I nod. "I'm ready"

"Good," Konig says softly, a playful smirk on his face as he looks at you and Ghost.

Ghost's presence has added an entirely new dimension to this situation but Konig is already embracing it and enjoying it more than before.

Konig's hands began moving even quicker now that Ghost was there with him, as the two worked in tandem to please you in the exact same way.

While I love seeing them please me together. I tell them to stop. They both look confused. Instead of saying anything, I move so that my pussy is positioned in front of Ghost big, thick, and juice dick. In doggy style. While I put Konig's thick juicy dick in my mouth.

They both realize what I'm doing and start to slowly thrust into me.

"Go-o fas-ste-er-r," I mumble out while trying to suppress my moans.

They both look at each other and start to thrust harder and faster. "Ahh-hh-hhh," I moan out as Ghost starts to hit my good spot.

I realize that I'm not paying that much attention to König's dick so I start to suck him off faster.

I can feel them both get close, and I can feel them twitchy

I'm about to cum aswell.

"Uh- ahhh- ughh," just hear Ghost moan, while all that Kõnig does is let out a groan.

They fill me up, König fills my mouth while Ghost fills my entire pussy, I can feel it dripping down my thighs.

"Let's get you cleaned up," Ghost says while König picks me up bridal style, taking me to the bathroom. Ghost starts the bath adding bubble bath.

After the bath is filled up. König put me in the bath, climbing in behind me. While König starts to wash my back, Ghost climbs in front of me, cleaning my front.

Konig's strong arms wrapped around your body as he cleaned your back in the bath, his hand brushing softly against your skin as he made sure you were very clean.

Ghost on the other hand, was in front of you, cleaning at your front side now that Konig had gotten behind you and was taking care of your rear.

Ghost took full advantage of this position and started to clean between your legs first, slowly making sure that he was making sure to clean all the fluids properly.

Konig continued to caress your body and clean you from the rear, his touch making sure you were clean in all the right areas.

At this rate, it was going to be hard for your body to not be in a state of complete relaxation, as the two were doing it all for you.

As Ghost finishes cleaning my front, I start to clean him up while Kõnig starts to wash Ghost's hair.

Konig began to wash Ghost's hair, taking his time to make sure Ghost's hair was perfectly clean from the mess you three had created today.

Ghost was also busy, though. As soon as Konig was done washing Ghost's hair, you started to wash Ghost's body as well, making sure to focus on all the most necessary areas.

Konig continued to clean Ghost, rubbing and caressing his body in all the right places, as Ghost himself was doing to you.

It seemed like each of you were taking care of each other at the moment, all of you cleaning each other in different but equally meaningful ways.

When all of us finally finished cleaning up, Ghost carried me to the bed since I had a hard time walking, while Konig changed the sheets before Ghost set me down on the bed. We all lay down under the blanket.

Ghost and Konig laid down next to you, all three of you exhausted but fulfilled in what you had just partook in.

All of you lay there underneath the blanket, content with everything that had happened and how you all looked out after and pleased each other's needs.

The three of you all lay there in a comfortable silence, simply enjoying the feeling of being snuggled up together in a comfortable bed.

Ghost had his arms wrapped around you, as he lay next to you. Konig was also close to you, his arm wrapped around your waist as he lay behind you. You were sandwiched between the two, feeling utterly comfortable and content in this current state.

You were indeed feeling very relaxed and exhausted from what you had just underwent, both physically and emotionally.

It was only understandable at this point that you felt as if you were about to fall asleep, and both Ghost and Konig felt the same.

The three of you had been through a lot together now, and it was understandable for all of you to just want some rest after such an incredibly intense experience.

The three of you all continue to lie there in the bed, all of you feeling incredibly relaxed and content.

Ghost's hands remained wrapped around you, and Konig's arm wrapped around your waist held you close to him as the three of you lied there, your bodies finally settling down after the intensity of all that you had just went through.

All the three of you, Ghost, Konig, and You, lay quietly under the blanket, utterly exhausted from what you had all just went through but incredibly content with one another.

The three of you lay there together, each holding each other tight as you began to fall asleep.

"I love you guys. We should do this again." I whisper to them. Before I fall into a deep slumber.

Ghost smiles softly as you whisper your words to the two of them. He looks over at Konig, who nods in complete agreement.

The two of them smile gently back at you. You all hold each other tighter and close your eyes, all of you together now as you fall into a deep sleep.

The End

Word count: 10838

[justanie]

It's been a while since I made a post like this...and it's probably the worst case scenario to talk about now. No, I love GUMI and I am proud of how it is giving more attention to enter into multifacets for different voice banks...I clarify this, it is NOT made to defame GUMI SV or Internet Co of this decision. My problem is due to SynthV and its scandalous Fandom that...I am not pleased with the level of stability that most users have for this type of news.

Well, I won't deny that Vocaloid is currently in decline and barely had the luck to update V6 a year ago, but it's not to say that they have always been terrible at their job and that they spread evil just because they use a more complex level to make new voice banks. Let's remember that if it weren't for Vocaloid, other Synthesizers like UTAU and SynthV itself would not exist, yes, their main star Miku and company are no longer updating themselves with all this success that the most recent synthesizers have but I remind you that, in 2019 Crypton had decided this after the decline of V5 and how Yamaha has become a conflictive company that lost all ties of labor cooperation to continue updating their Loids. So if there is someone they want to blame, it is both companies for having a closed mind, do not defame and make the Vocaloid characters look bad for this very reason.

Now the SynthV Fandom...look, I'm not one of those people who prejudge and make a group of people look bad just because I don't agree with their opinion, in certain cases, I admit that SynthV has surprised me and certain banks I like the voices of it depending on the cover I hear. But the direction I'm seeing from the majority of fans gives me a bad taste in my mouth...instead of taking things calmly, they exaggerate by saying that Teto or Gumi SV is the best thing that ever happened in SynthV and that it's going to trample to Vocaloid only because they consider their banks better due to the inclusion of AIs and the realistic intonation they choose (In case someone forgets, remember that before this happened many considered Gumi's voice to be more realistic even if it was already from Vocaloid). No vocal synthesizer is going to be superior to another, what's more, if you are a fan of Stardust or Sora, you will know that they managed to please a number of fans in a healthy way, so why is there this hype with Teto and Gumi? Easy, SynthV fans are demanding iconic character voices to take on Vocaloid, because "Vocaloid is so horrible and bad that it didn't leave its Synthesizers free to update" I remind you, Vocaloid is not a single company, there are several those who work using this program so it is ridiculous to judge an entire program when they are executives and people who work on the decision of their Vocaloids, as I said before, do not look down on the voices and the program itself.

And my last point which would be the controversial one...the AI and the supposed realism that people ask for in Vocaloid. Fans of yesteryear will know that the essence of Vocaloid was always that of "a robotic voice that is programmed to sing." At what point did they ignore what it characterized Vocaloid? The thing is that with the advancement of AIs, people have forgotten that same meaning that Vocaloid represented, I see that SynthV is taking advantage of the use of these and that is why people ask for more, not only original voices of it, but they demand the extinction of Vocaloid so that its popular voices belong to them. This is not like in animation companies where one is buying and acquiring the products of another, like a certain company that is also being hated, the voice bank programs are free, even if Yamaha Corporation has the authorization of Vocaloid or in more cases variables, AH Software has authorization from Voiceroid, it is enough to do business with them so that Vocaloid can be distributed to other companies and so that they also have the decision to use SynthV or Cevio for their voice banks.

I'm not claiming which side is better, I'm just asking that there stop being wars and insinuations over these issues that Gumi has been suffering from being a prisoner of Vocaloid, GUMI was originally from it, what Internet Co does is give it more variety of programs ( which not only SynthV, we will probably see a Cevio GUMI in the future) and believe me this is not the first time this has happened, in this case it was distinguished by being a Vocaloid with variable banks and intonations. Speaking of the latter, I remind you that the program works depending on how it is used, yes, I see people complain that the banks they have are complex, but even with that, there are still people who are planning to use Vocaloid because they have brief experience and knowing the proper use for when a bank will be used, I'm also not saying that only Vocaloid experts are the only ones who can handle it, anyone can be capable, it just takes a real intention to use it as it should and not be bothered by it.

You can ignore my opinion if you don't like me or you're not interested, I know that many won't think the same as me, but keep in mind that if you continue with that disastrous attitude of "Vocaloid deserves to die" it won't amount to anything because that the general fandom of the Vocal Synths can be better than the reputation that SynthV is having and the defamation they give to Vocaloid, which was the one who started this trend of robotic idols that sing as I mentioned before. And seeing people asking for "realism" makes lose why Vocaloid should exist in the first place...

[emotionalsupportweapon]

One day, I'll stop making the mistake of looking up seiyuu, because it only ever causes me cognitive dissonance and grief.

Kaito started sounding awfully familiar, so I did some digging. His seiyuu also voices Soul Evans. Okay, neat, a bit odd, but two solid characters that I like a lot, and a good voice for both of those personalities. I can dig it.

But, as this (complete BANGER of a) duel with Astral intensifies, the nagging thought persisted: Soul isn't the character I was remembering when I hear Kaito's voice. It was someone else. And then I, ever the information junkie, picked up my phone and ventured deeper into the internet.

His seiyuu does fucking Shigaraki Tomura. Zombie emo boy, facepalm king, both literally and figuratively, he who deals with challenges and setbacks with all the dignity and aplomb of me at age 7 when my Lego tower fell down. I hated that guy's character design and personality so much that I briefly quit watching MHA because of him*. I hated his too-short pants (I headcanon that he outgrew them but threw a fucking hissy fit when Kurogiri tried to buy him new ones because "I DON'T WANT NEW ONES, THESE ARE MY FAVORITES"); I hated his red sneakers (I used to wear that exact same outfit, all black with red sneakers, when I was going through the most unbearable part of my goth phase, and it looked just as damn stupid on me as it does on him); I ground my teeth every time he scritch scratched his vile gray skin, and I absolutely hate hate HATED the way he talked, this grating, petulant, affected tone that just screamed "I never matured past age 15 and I'm going to make that everyone else's problem."

This knowledge lives within me now. There is no going back. Now, I wander the earth, watching ZeXal, cursed forever, upon hearing the majestic, dramatic intonations of honestly one of my favorite YGO characters to date, to picture in my mind's eye this morose pain in the ass theater school dropout** piece of shit right here:

You go, edgelord. Just keep lording those edges.

* yes, I know there are much more compelling reasons to drop MHA; but there are also compelling reasons NOT to, such as the existence of Aizawa Shota, who is an accurate representation of myself in the one year I spent teaching middle schoolers.

** I shouldn't judge him for this, since I also dropped out of theater school, but I'll judge him for whatever I want, because fuck this guy.

[maybeelse]

"Pathetic mortals! Hear my demands," Corvina intones, feathers raised is a posture of challenge, "and despair, for the will of the night is unstoppable! Your compatriot has made a mockery of our alliance! You must," her voice shifts, a faint squawk betraying a feather-covered blush, "make her let go of me."

Maria, Halberd of Noon, peers up at Corvina. The villainess, once barely taller than her, has grown beyond all reason in the weeks since the Tremorlord ate the sun and plunged the world into an eternal and moonless night. "Is Anne being a problem?"

"Yes! I mean, uh," she tries to compose herself, "yes. Remove her, lest a worse fate befalls her! I will drop her in the ocean to freeze, see if I don't."

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"S-she just talks about wanting me to eat her! It's creepy! You deal with it!"

"… sure," Maria sighs. "Where is she, anyway?"

Corvina gestures vaguely towards her frankly excessive body. "Somewhere? I don't know. You find her."

Maria stares at Corvina, entirely unimpressed, and the former harpy hides her head under one of her wings. Another dozen wings flutter spasmodically along her body; her proprioception still hasn't caught up to the glut of power engorging her body. Perhaps it could be comical if it wasn't a reminder of how badly screwed they all are.

"Anne! Get out here!"

"don't wanna," the distant reply comes.

"Got you," Maria murmurs.

It's not that easy, of course. Getting to her requires navigating more of their former and future foe's body than Maria every wanted to be aware of, and Corvina keeps on reflexively hitting her with her wings (tolerable) or trying to disembowel her with whichever foot is nearest (irritating). The worst part is Maria's allergies. Harpies generate nearly as much dander as pigeons, and Corvina has not been taking proper care of herself.

Her eyes are watering and her nose is running when she finally finds Anne, Sword of the Morning, curled up under one of Corvina's wings. Several of Corvina's clawed feet hold her aloft, cradling her as delicately as a fresh-plucked flower.

"Hey, sis," Anne murmurs, shifting slightly. "Sup?"

"… wait, I thought Corvina didn't want you here?"

"Yeah. She hates me, you know that."

"But—"

"But," Anne smiles, "her body doesn't. S' a good cuddler."

"… that doesn't make any sense, Anne."

"Does. Wanna join?"

"No, Anne. I want you to stop pissing her off. We really can't afford it."

"Mmm," Anne yawns, "Can't afford to stop either, though …"

"Explain?"

"Why should I? You already know all of it, and I'm tired."

The three Guardians of Day—two, now, since the Shield of Dusk defected to the Tremorlord's forces—have never liked talking about the exact details of their powers. They wax strongest during the hours they are bound to (as does Corvina, their villainous reflection), and wane as time's passage draws them away, but …

The fact that they still have some power during eternal night raises questions with indelicate answers. Questions like, well, "where does it come from?" And "how do we get more?"

Dusk's defection came after she asserted one specific answer, and rejected it entirely.

"… you can find someone else to cuddle, Anne."

"Don't wanna. Besides," she moves to flop onto the ground and Corvina's claws close around her—wrapping tight around her waist, her neck, and her thighs, pinning her in place like the delicious morsel that she is. "Don't think 'vina will let me."

"Yeah, okay," Maria grouses, "fuck this. Just stop asking her to eat you."

"S'not my fault that she's such a prude."

The villain decides to do the classic "team up to defeat a common foe" trope but it's been taking a lot longer than they had expected,the heroes are getting emotionally attached and it's starting to get weird.

[mercyxrain]

Can you hear my intonation?

An ambient vibration

Leave you with sensations of my impatience and the importance of -

Something? All we do is all for nothing and the spiral never ends

Like wonderland it's getting deeper

I feel haunted by the reaper

Just like I was haunted by the promise I wouldn't change and I won't leave you

So confused, the pain has life feeling like a prequel

I didn't want to need you but now I'm lost and seeing spirits creeping through the ether

Saying they won't take me quick when I'm laying up and sleeping in

Might take me slowly in a fog like Ambien

I might have to die to make life begin

I don't believe in a life lived in sin,

Just a life well lived and what you did

And yet who am I to speak on living well or true ascent? I don't even got no paper, no US Mint

I'd solve all the world's problems if I was rich

Or maybe id make everything worse than it is

I'm stuck in my old ways, I mean my past is creeping up on me

So much evil done to me I do evil onto man

Yet people still want positivity like on demand

Like they can't see it in your face that you're struggling to stand

What do I do when words of hope just don't land

And I'm caught in my mind again about

"can they hear my intonation?"

[perpetual-fool]

guitar stuff, tired

I'm learning, which is cool. But I keep getting blindsided by problems I couldn't anticipate, which feels bad and discouraging. There's nothing really to say about the process, it's just how learning from scratch works. So, I'm just sharing. (And uh, just in case, to not be misleading, this is simply my current model. (Which probably ought to be assumed.))

It's kind of like everything that can go wrong, is.

So, theoretically, musical scales are based off of mathematical ratios and the harmonic series. If you use a tone generator to produce a sound of 55hz, and also another sound of 110hz, they are so resonant that they sound like the same pitch but higher/lower. That's the 'octave', with a ratio of 2:1, and you could fill out a scale with increasing ratios of 3:2, 4:3, 5:4 etc. as far as you want to take it. And theoretically when a thing vibrates, say when a string is plucked, it vibrates at a frequency not only proportional to its full length, but also half its length, and a third, etc..

But the reality does not match the theory. Apparently when a thing vibrates, the frequency is not determined by its full length. Things don't naturally bend into perfect parabolas, they bend into catenaries. That is, things bend more in the middle and stay more straight and the edges. So the frequency is determined by the length of the middle part, minus the 'dead zone' at the edges. And when it's vibrating proportional to half the length, that node in the middle has its own dead zone. And the effect becomes more pronounced the higher up you go. If you have a physical string tuned to 55hz, and another physical string tuned to 110hz, that higher string is going to sound a little bit off, because the actual overtones produced by the 55hz string have a slightly higher frequency than 110. So when tuning a piano for instance, you can't just get a tuner and tune the strings to the perfect frequency, that's not going to harmonize. You have to start with a particular note, and then shift everything else up/down a little bit the further away you get from that note. This is called "stretch tuning".

Now, guitar. First, I'm ignoring 'just intonation vs equal temperament', I'm tired of hearing about it. And fret spacing, which should mostly be obvious. Stretch tuning, yeah it applies. If you just go at it with a tuner it sounds off, and if you tune each string according to the adjacent string it sounds off. I'm having improved results by tuning every string according to a the same string. Nut height, if the nut is at all higher than the frets (as with a "zero fret") then it adds extra tension and pulls notes sharp. I find the difference extremely significant, and this is certainly what made my 'proof of concept' guitar sound acceptable to my ear. If you have a high nut, you can test this concept by using a capo. Nut compensation, is apparently a thing people do, but I've yet to find a good explanation of how that's supposed to work. Bridge compensation, also well known. The string is made a little bit longer than its theoretical scale length on the vibrating end, which adjusts for the 'dead zone'. String gauge, this is significant due to the previous issue. Strings of different thickness and construction will have differing amounts of dead zone, and the bridge might not allow enough adjustment for them. Electric guitars usually have a ton of room, but on acoustics the 'saddle' is barely enough to compensate for one set of strings at one specific tuning. So if you want to do something weird like tune to D standard or have a different balance of string tension, then you'd have to be able to plug up the saddle slot and rout out a new one. Scale length, my own speculation. Context, I noticed that multi-scale guitars sound substantially better to my ear. I have some ideas about why that might be, but since I haven't tested them there's not much point in going over it.

B'yeah, it's like I have to pull out every trick in the book just to make this thing minimally acceptable.

I wonder if I'm doing the right thing? Like, the point was to find happiness. I feel like I might be halfway there, but I don't know that this isn't just a dead end. Even if it's not, I would require things that no one makes (and if they did I couldn't afford it). So I'd have to do my own thing eventually anyway. Would I be happier if I'd made a junk harp out of hardware store parts and fishing line?

Things are converging on that anyway, so I guess I'll find out.

[anachronismstellar]

Nib, this is too good, pls PLEASE I HAD TO-

I hope you don't mind this little thing but it's stronger than me husafidhuaisdfhiuasadf

Here, have a ficlet

-------

Shang Qinghua had a problem.

In the past few weeks, for some reason that only the Heavens knew of, Tianlang-jun decided to become Shang Qinghua's very hot but also very bothersome shadow.

He arrived at the Ice Palace claiming to want to help Mobei-jun with an annoying southern tribe that didn't want to settle trade, making himself at home at court, and chasing Shang Qinghua everywhere he went, like a bored lion playing with its food.

Lord Shang this, Lord Shang that! It's the post canon, wasn't he supposed to not be tormented by Heavenly Demons anymore?!

And what did Tianlang-jun have to shove his nose on Northern Desert politics?! He wasn’t the Emperor!!

"Ah! Lord Shang! I've been meaning to have a word with you, if you have the time."

Speaking of the Demon!

System-Dada, why?! Was this a new way to drive poor this Airplane insane?! Hasn't he suffered enough?!!

Of course the System didn't answer him at all, the bastard. And of course Tianlang-jun completely ignored Shang Qinghua pretending to ignore him, following Airplane’s steps as he entered his office.

"Tianlang-jun. This one begs for forgiveness, but now I don't have the time to spare-"

"Oh, no need to beg yet, Lord Shang. And I promise it will only take a second-"

Hah. He highly doubted that.

"This one has a question concerning one of your drafts."

Shang Qinghua didn't stop breathing because that would be telling, and he knew Heavenly Demons could smell fear.

"Again, forgive this one, Tianlang-jun, but this Advisor has no idea what my Lord is talking about."

Shang Qinghua didn't like using the term slow motion to describe his scenes. Cliché as he might have been while writing Proud Immortal Demon Way, now that his target audience changed drastically from modern power-scaling bros to... Whoever reading his gay porn fantasies, it didn't even make sense for him to use such a term when something dramatic happened.

However.

Tianlang-jun moved in slow motion as he reached for his inner robes, taking a very familiar notebook from under it, Airplane's handwriting "secret budget, DO NOT READ" on the cover. If he closed his eyes he could hear the electronic chuckles of the System.

Because that was not a secret budget notebook.

That was his secret draft notebook.

With very, very explicit self insert porn of him and some known people. Well, mostly him and his King, but there was one chapter that he had woken up inspired by a dream and- Look, Airplane had eyes and he was aware how fucking hot Tianlang-jun was. Luo Binghe was very hot too, but ew he had called Binghe his son too many times to think of him like that, plus Cucumber-bro would murder him in cold blood.

His daddy, though...

The dark red eyes, the soft dark curls framing his face, not to mention his charming smile and how smooth he was while flirting. Tianlang-jun was sex on legs, and he had enough life experience to know it and act like it.

It made Airplane a little hot under his robes okay?!

But back to the current problem.

He turned around to run, but the Heavenly Demon was faster, grabbing Shang Qinghua by the shoulders. Tianlang-jun was a looming presence behind Airplane, making all the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"I heard you are an author," Tianlang-jun's honeyed voice dripped down his back like Thousand Petals Heated Flower sap, turning Airplane's knees into jelly as his stomach dropped all the way to his feet. "But this one wasn't aware of how talented you are..."

His little Airplane, however, was doing its best to Shoot up Towards the Sky.

Why he had to be so horny for dangerous people, why-

"First this one must apologize, Lord Shang. But the main library of the Ice Palace is in dire need for better literature, don't you agree?" Tianlang-jun asked with a forced high intonation, as to make himself sound innocent. His hands, however, couldn't be more sinful, one pressing the notebook against Shang Qinghua's chest, while the other traced the sensitive skin above Shang Qinghua's high collared inner robe, unbuttoning it with his claw.

And all Shang Qinghua could do was to stay still, a pray between its predator's maws.

"This one couldn't help but take a look on Lord Shang's private library for some new reading material..." Shang Qinghua did his utmost to not gasp as soft lips brushed his ear, but by low laughter from Tianlang-jun, he had failed miserably. "So imagine how surprising was to find this amusing notebook with this Lord's name as protagonist of one of the chapters?"

The hand on his neck dropped too fast for Shang Qinghua to think, holding him by the waist.

"I read it."

"No."

"The one with the three of us~"

"NO!"

A surprisingly soft kiss at the back of his neck pulled Airplane from his spiral of embarrassment and despair, sending all his blood in a hush towards his face and his dick. He needed to calm down, it wasn't safe to be dizzy while on the arms of a Heavenly Demon-

"Let's test it." Tianlang-jun mumbled between kisses on his redden skin, draping himself all over Airplane. And Shang Qinghua was only human, ok, and also very very horny, and Tianlang-jun's tongue was doing things-

Oh.

OH.

Something too large to be human, or demonic, pressed against Airplane's behind.

"I'll die," Airplane whimpered as Tianlang-jun scrapped his fangs on the back of his neck, kissing the bruise starting to form from all the Heavenly Demon's attention.

"Don't worry, Lord Shang~ I will make sure your death is a pleasurable one~"

-----

Glad to see that the fandom is jumping on the moshangtian wagon, IS SO GOOD-

Also, sorry Nibs, I wanted to add the "THATS JUST WRITINGS ITS NOT REAL' 'lets see if it is :D'" part but this ending felt so right I couldn't fit the rest (and I've just realized how that sounds oh god)

ANYWAY RIP Airplane, I'll pray for your ass, you going to need it 🫡

Shang Qinghua your secret threesome fantasy scribbles are not as secret as you think-

Because he broke into your office

[dilatorywriting]

Monster Mayhem: Don't Fear the Reaper [Part 2]

Gender Neutral Reader x Rook Hunt Word Count: 3.4k

Summary: 'Hello Darkness, my old friend. I see you've come to stalk my store again.' Or, why fear Death when you can just Pavlov him with cookies into carrying your groceries?

A/N: Based on this wonderful brain rot from a very lovely anon! Continued apologies to anyone who actually knows French, because I do not lol. So Rook's babbling is all Google baby

[PART 1] [PART 2]

“I hear you’ve been dealing with an infestation.”

You arched a brow and pointedly settled the last of the little, strawberry, tarts into its box with a heavy plap. You took your time piping a neat dollop of cream on the top and then fixing the tiny sugar berry adornments into a smiley face.

“You’re free to call the health inspector,” you intoned, handing over the box. “That’ll be ten copper, your highness.”

Riddle’s face went as red as the dessert in his hands.

“Don’t call me that!” he hissed, ducking back further beneath the hood of his cloak. The cloak that was clearly made of the finest, crimson, silks money could buy. The one with real gold embroidered along the crisp edges and an ivory clasp shaped into a literal crown. 

You shrugged. At least he’d moved past demanding outright that ‘of course he wasn’t the prince! How dare you! To think yourself so presumptuous! As if royalty would ever even consider visiting this hovel of yours! Off with your head!’ Those had been a fun few weeks.

You poked around in your stacks upon stacks of baked goods and unearthed a little, cherry, cookie. You slipped it into the box alongside his tart and hoped that counted as a metaphorical pat on the head. There, there, little lord. This humble one will tell no one of your secret, commoner, shames.

Some of that choked-red color started to fade from his cheeks, and Riddle accepted the offering with an expression that on any normal person you might have called a pout.  

“I was trying to be tactful,” he spat, tucking the bribe further into the packaging with a stiff twitch of the fingers. “But I don’t know why I even bother.”

You shrugged again and made brief eye contact with the terribly unsubtle guard stationed at your front door. Cater, or Carter, or something like that. He greeted everyone who walked by with a cheerful little wave and a wink. He was charismatic, and loud, and apparently—as you had discovered when you’d tried to hand him a little slice of cake as a consolation treat for putting up with his charge’s emotionally constipated nonsense—hated sweet things with every fiber of his being. You didn’t trust him for a second.

The pair of you locked gazes over Riddle’s shoulder, and his lips quirked into a smirk that was sharper than it was fond. Ah. So it was one of those days, was it?

“Is there something else you wanted?” you prodded intentionally, as Riddle turned to make his retreat.

The Prince paused for a moment, and you watched his teeth worry a bit at his lower lip—a nervous habit he claimed forwards and backwards he absolutely did not possess. After a moment of silent deliberation, he straightened his spine into something stiff and regal.

“There are rumors going around that your business may be suffering from a… pest problem,” he said, like he was chewing over each word individually. “And while I firmly believe that people should endeavor to work through their own problems, if this is indeed a problem…” he paused, hands tightening a bit around the pastry box tucked neatly between his palms before looking back up to meet your gaze with that harsh sort of determination that always made him seem very much like someone who ought to be ruling over entire kingdoms. “I’m certain the Royal Family would be more than happy to come to the aid any of their subjects, should they ask for it.”

You ducked your head in a nod that you hoped was the appropriate level of polite for such a declaration.

“Your concern is appreciated, your high—”

His face twisted up in a sneer and you beamed.

“—Highly esteemed customer,” you finished with a chirp. “But I’m perfectly capable of crushing a few cockroaches.”

Riddle nodded at you tightly and made a swift exit. Cater flicked his fingers at you in a half-salute and the pair continued on down the cobblestone street and out of sight.

“Do you actually have pests here?” a tiny old lady asked from her place perusing your shelves. She looked like an onion that had been left in the sun for a couple dozen years, and the question seemed kinder than it did probing. Like she would happily help you hunt down the little buggers herself. “Roaches, I mean…?”

“Oh no,” you reassured. “It’s much bigger.”

You watched the poor thing nearly go into conniptions and offered her a cup of fresh chai on the house.

.

.

As much as you had kindly reassured your most affluent patron otherwise, you were indeed suffering under the aforementioned ‘pest problem.’ And while your squishing abilities were normally the stuff of legend, you didn’t think there was a boot big enough in the whole world to rid you of your current guest.

“Quelle très belle matinée! And made all the better by my dearest friend!”

You grunted and let the door slip shut with a tinkle behind him. Rook nearly bounced to your oven and peered inside with all the eagerness of a wide-eyed child. You’d long since learned not to bother yanking him back from the flames. They never even seemed to warm his pale cheeks, let alone melt him into the puddle of charred goo that they rationally ought to.

“Macarons?” he chirped, and turned to you like he was waiting for a Good Noodle Sticker. He leaned closer, and you watched the sputtering heat sway around and away from him like a tangible thing. He sniffed a few times, looking thoughtful. “Flavored delightfully with that lovely rosewater syrup you were steeping last night?

You hummed in affirmation and handed him a little almond cookie for his efforts. It felt a bit like training a dog.

The first time you’d told a dejected looking Rook that he could eat his treat in your shop rather than using it an as excuse to punt him out the door, he’d practically glowed. And had apparently taken the offer as an extension of a permanent invitation. He still waited patiently at the front door each morning, still marveled at the merry jingle of the bell when you allowed him entrance, and always wiped his feet. You’d hoped a bit that perhaps overexposure to your meager, repetitive, livelihood would have him eventually bowing out from boredom. But if anything, he seemed to have become more enamored with your dealings as the weeks passed.

And now that you’d given him express permission to hover, his originally vested interest had become outright sticky. There was no more plastering himself distantly to the window when he could go and literally shove his face into an oven, or perch himself at your shoulder like a wide-eyed owl as you tried to whip egg whites into peaks without repeatedly elbowing him in the gut. He puttered after you like a duck quacking for its mother, spouting off every question under the sun about temperatures, and consistencies, and the merits of baking powder versus soda.

“And these are meant to be… burned? Yes?”

“Dehydrated,” you sighed. “And not these. You’re thinking of the meringue cookies.”

“Ah, I see. Those crunchy delicacies from yesterday that looked to be little clouds,” he hummed, nodding along. The feather on his hat bobbed over a hot coal and sparked with embers. You reached out with a frustrated huff to whack the walking fire hazard back into a gently smoking mess rather than the start of an outright blaze. “Merci, merci!” Rook trilled as you beat him with a damp towel. Black soot floated through the air like dust motes under the sun, and he grinned through your grouchy manhandling as he always did. “Ahh, cher pâtissier! You always do dote on me so!”

You were about to argue back about how keeping him from unintentionally annihilating your entire kitchen was not ‘doting,’ when your eyes trailed over something strangely gunky and off colored stuck on the back of his cloak. You leaned forward to pluck up whatever it was, and Rook’s fingers flew out to snatch up your wrist before you could even blink.

“Please pardon me, mon cœur!” he beamed, the lines of his leather gloves a soft weight against your flour dusted skin. “I have tried to be most diligent in keeping myself clean for our morning rendezvous! But alas, it would seem I’ve missed a spot this time around.”

Part of you was sorely tempted to ask what—who—had apparently dirtied his robes. But you decided ultimately that it was still far too early to be discussing the remnants of the unfortunate victims off his hit list, and honestly you really weren’t sure you would have cared even with another four hours of sleep and a full mug of caffeine in you. So you waved him off and went back to worrying over your spice racks and tallying cups of flour.

Rook pillowed his chin in his hand and watched you putter about with a sigh that sounded far too besotted for anyone’s good. Those eerily green eyes of his seemed to glow in the lowlight, and he only gushed even more ridiculously when you launched a wet rag at the mess on his back and demanded he mop up his own nonsense or get out.  

.

.

You didn’t realize that Rook was slowly staying later and later into the day until Ace came by to collect your weekly booklet of receipts and would not step through the door.

“What are you, contagious?” you harumphed, pointedly leaning over the threshold to shove your collection of bits and bobs into his waiting hands rather than stepping out into the street to join him.

“More like superstitious,” he snipped. He crossed his arms and gave your shop a pointed once over. “I thought Egg Boy was overexaggerating, but you really just…” He waved his hands around his head for a moment before letting out an angry huff that sounded a bit too much like an overboiled kettle. “Don’t you have any sense of self-preservation?!”

“You literally ate raw dough off my floor less than a month ago,” you accused.

“I already told you I didn’t know it wasn’t cooked!—And that’s not the point!” he seethed. “Don’t you realize who that is?” he continued, voice dipping into one of those angry whispers that was never really a whisper.

You rolled your eyes and turned to shout over your shoulder. “Rook Hunt?”

The blonde instantly perked up from his place perched by the counter, where he’d very clearly been watching this entire exchange with a lazily curling grin.

“Oui! However can I be of assistance to you, my lovely, darling, pâtis—”

You turned back to Ace.

“Yes, I know who he is.”

“—And of course I know who you are as well!” Rook barreled onwards, slipping forward to drape himself along your shadow like a cat might settle itself into a sunbeam. He never leaned on you outright, but he always made a point to get close enough that he may as well have. “The wonderful artiste who has shown me nothing but the greatest kindness! Ah, mon humain préféré! With your endless hospitality and words sweeter than even the finest of the confections you craft!”

Ace’s expression twisted up like the very idea of another living being considering you to be even halfway pleasant was a war crime. Which, you know, totally fair. But before your redheaded acquaintance could continue with his appalled gaping, Rook leaned over your shoulder with a smile that looked not quite right on his face. The wide brim of his hat obscured your view of the rest of him—casting the remaining slopes of his sharp features into inky darkness.

“And but of course, I know you as well, Monsieur Trappola!”

Whatever rotten, sour, look Ace had been pulling froze over into something nearly deathlike. He went so pale so quickly your thoughts swung back to wondering if maybe he really was contagious with something.

Your shaky friend? Fellow gossip? associate audibly gulped, but when neither he nor your leech of a guest said anything further, you prompted them both with a vaguely curious, “Oh? You’ve met before?”

“Not recently,” Rook trilled, sounding positively delighted. “But I suppose I am familiar with everyone in this petite ville one way or another.”

You hummed, not particularly satisfied with that non-answer of an explanation. But your brief bought of inquisitiveness was quickly being overshadowed by the very real risk that Ace may actually topple over frothing at the mouth and twitching like a rabid racoon at your doorstep. Which would no doubt be terrible for business.

“You better get going,” you prompted, debating giving him a shove with your foot. “Before you start running behind on your pickups.”

“Right…” Ace muttered, swallowing past a lump in his throat. “I should—I’ll be doing that. Leaving. I’ll be leaving.”

“Adieu, Monsieur Trappola!~” Rook called, as the door slid shut with a pleasant tingle. “I’m certain we’ll be seeing you!”

There was a lingering, creaking, da-dong sound from overhead and you wondered idly if maybe there was something a bit off with your bells.

.

.

That afternoon, after you finally heaved an exhausted sigh of relief and flipped the ‘OPEN’ sign at your storefront to ‘CLOSED,’ Rook was still perched on the little stool you’d set out for him. The late-day sunshine cast him in all sorts of unfamiliar shades of gold, and while the shadows beneath his feet had always seemed to stretch a bit long and sit a bit oddly, they twitched even more strangely in the glow of the summer light. You blinked at him in open surprise, and he blinked back at you.

“What are you still doing here?”

“Mon chéri, I am always here!” he chirped, and you rolled your eyes towards the ceiling in a silent bid for patience.

“No you’re not,” you argued. “I think I would have noticed.”

Rook held a gloved hand to his mouth to smother a laugh and shook his head at you like you were just the funniest little thing.

“As you say, my tenacious pâtissier.”

You sighed and moved to untie the ribbon of your apron. “Whatever. I suppose I could use your help anyways. I need to run to the markets.”

The Bounty Hunter’s eyes lit with that familiar, sparkling, enthusiasm and he clasped his fingers in his lap with a gust of breath that sounded like it rattled every one of his bones as it squeaked its way out of him.You narrowed your eyes at him suspiciously. You hoped he hadn’t caught whatever mystery ailment Ace had been sagging under when he’d arrived at your door that morning.

“Shopping!” he outright beamed, putting the glitter of the afternoon sun to shame. “Une nouvelle aventure avec mon amour! Et en journée! Temps à passer avec—”

“Enoughwith your nonsense,” you groaned, tossing your dirtied apron onto a free hook. “Do you want to come or not?”

“But of course! I would be most honored to—”

You shoved a wicker basket into his hands and hurriedly moved to usher him out the door before he could begin monologuing in earnest.

Rook walked the familiar path to the markets like a tourist on holiday—stopping every now and again to wax poetic about the way that a potted flower looked in the afternoon light, staring in awe at each bizarre crack in the pavement as if it was a natural marvel worth gawking at. He muttered something dazedly under his breath at one point about ‘what messes might embed themselves in these fissures of the earth,’ but you carried on like you’d gone blind and deaf. A skill you’d become incredibly proficient with as of late.

When you finally arrived at the little hub of stalls, there was an audible gasp from somewhere in the thin crowds. You decided once again that you were better off feigning impairment and pushed onwards as if you had no idea that people were parting around you and your new companion like the pair of you were riddled with plague sores. The gossipy man who sold you your favorite strawberries went a bit green when you approached, and you continued merrily with your farce.

You had only just leaned forward to get a better look at some of the berries you tended to hoard like a dragon to gold, when suddenly the bright reds and blues beneath your fingers went nearly grey—nearly rotten. There was a long, sharp, shadow curling along the fruit. Rook was hovering at your shoulder, as he of course tended to do, and you glanced between him and the twisting, creeping, darkness swallowing the contents of the little stall in front of you. Clearly it was his purple-clad frame blocking the sunlight and casting all these weird shadows, but it was still a bit bizarre. It was like the brightness itself was being sucked from the afternoon, rather than just the cool play of the light that it ought to be.

You reached out curiously to poke a finger into the dancing bits of darkness and were surprised to find that it felt like something solid. A tangible sort of bite against your skin. Something sharp, and cold as the grave—

“Perhaps the melons, mon cœur!” Rook chirped loudly, redirecting your prodding with a cheery nudge. “They smell enticingly ripe.”

You hummed, your musings on the unnatural settling into the back of your mind in favor of reaching out to give the fruits a good shake. They did feel quite nice.

Rook swayed a bit at your shoulder, and you glanced up at him with an arched brow.

“Are you alright?”

“I do not often spend time in the sun,” he admitted, and you blinked once again at those lanky shadows before turning on him with a tight, little, frown.

“You should have said something,” you scolded. “I would have brought you a—” your eyes landed on his wide brimmed hat and its cheerful, black, feather as it bobbed in the breeze. “…never mind. But you still should have told me.”

“Ah, your worry is a balm upon ma pauvre âme!” he crooned, resting his palm against his heart. “What has a wretched creature such as I done to earn such warm regard? And alas—what then could this poor beast do to maintain such a blessing?”

“He could help me find a bag of milled flour for one thing,” you sighed, hoping to derail the burgeoning soliloquy.

“But of course!” he chirped and immediately darted off around a corner to hunt down what you’d asked of him.

You gathered up a heaping portion of fresh berries (back to the their healthy, summer, glow now that your shadow had been sent away), and ruffled around in your bag to retrieve the coppers needed to pay for your haul. The vendor reached out a shaky hand to clasp at your wrist and you raised a brow at him curiously.

“Are you okay?” he hissed, still a very unpleasant shade of sea-sick.

“Are any of us really?” you intoned blandly, and dropped the required coins neatly on the cart.

You’d only just turned back around when Rook came trotting back through the rows of carts—three gigantic sacks of flour tossed over one shoulder. It looked absolutely ridiculous, with the mass of them rising far past his head and setting his hat at an awkward slope.

“That seems a little excessive,” you sighed.

“Non, non!” he argued. “You are nearly out! There will certainly not be enough to prepare both the croissants and that lovely chocolate cake you were planning to make.”

“Oh,” you blinked, and mentally tried to tally up whatever had remained of your provisions. He was probably right—you’d gone a bit overboard experimenting with different types of pretzel dough. “You don’t mind carrying that, do you?” you asked with a furrowed brow. “That all looks like it weighs nearly as much as you do.”

Rook chuckled pleasantly under his breath, and somehow managed to dip forward into a bow that didn’t end with the enormous sacks balanced atop his shoulders spilling forward all over the road.

“It would be my pleasure, mon cœur,” he smiled, very nearly a purr.

You shrugged and went back to meandering contentedly through the stalls, happy to push all of the menial physical labor off onto someone who seemed more than delighted to relish in its ache. Rook trailed merrily at your heels—the sun heavy at his back and highlighting each step with those dripping, inky, shadows. The faint outline of a ragged, hooded, robe brushed nearly unseen through the dirt, broken only by trailing, white, puffs of loose flour.

.

.

.

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[evelxtus]

—Scenarios. How they react when you hold them tight after getting scared during a horror movie.

characters. childe, zhongli, diluc.

warnings. none, just fluff.

note. i just got this idea bcs im about to watch one lol, i don't usually get scared easily but sometimes,, well 😭

Childe.

A great jumpscare makes you bounce from fright on the sofa, suddenly grabbing the arm of Childe who was watching the movie next to you, and thus quickly hiding your head against it.

He wasn't really scared by the movie, but he was tense. A chill ran down his spine as he felt something approach his arm. He gasped, and withdrew his arm out of mere inertia. When he realized it was you, a little blush adorns his cheeks, but the lights are off and you can barely see him well. "Oh my god. Don't ever scare me like that again." He whispered controlling his breathing.

"Sorry! I was scared by the movie and I didn't realize what I was holding on to..." you explained copying his low tone of voice. Now you, too, were quite embarrassed by what happened.

There were a few seconds of silence, however, you noticed Childe's gaze fixed on you. The movie was still going on even though you were both ignorant of it. You were too distracted feeling his eyes on you. He had a smile on his face, and he put his arm back where it was before freaking out. "Stop looking. It's not funny." He stopped looking at you to focus on the movie, or so it seemed.

After a long pause, you felt Childe putting his arm around your shoulders, discreetly sticking you closer to him. You looked at him with confusion and slightly reddish cheeks.

"Don't get me wrong! This way I'll keep an eye on you so you don't scare me again. That's all." Your shoulders relaxed when you heard that excuse. How badly this man sometimes lied. You couldn't see his face, but you knew from the intonation of those words that he was VERY flushed.

And obviously his grip is not to keep an eye on you, because from time to time you feel how his thumb is caressing your shoulder slowly.

Zhongli.

As soon as he feels how you lean towards him and how your arms hug his chest with a slight tremor in them, he hesitates a little before reacting with any gesture.

"Are you feeling well, Y/N?" his deep voice sounded reassuring. One of his hands went to your head, caressing your hair and making you look directly at his face. "Don't tell me you got scared just by that?" He chuckled, a gentle gesture on his face.

Zhongli caresses your cheek next, trying to calm you down. "It's fine. We can stop the movie whenever you feel the need to."

You shake your head. You don't want to stop the movie just because it scares you. After all, you chose to watch that kind of movie. "Are you sure? It's not a problem for me if we--"

"No. Just... Let's go on, let's go." You also didn't want to look like a coward to him. Although possibly you already had, and in a rather ridiculous way. You hear a short laugh from him again.

You separated from him a bit, trying not to make eye contact with this man after what happened. "Take my hand, Y/N. And fear not." You take his hand, but you complain in between. "I'm not a coward. I don't want you to think that."

"I must say, that scene also caught me... a little off guard." Okay, comforting enough.

Diluc.

You felt like that jumpscare had drained all the heat from your body. Now, you were trying to compose yourself, but without realizing it you had hugged Diluc's chest in fright.

The good thing? You were beginning to recover the temperature thanks to the warmth that Diluc produces. The bad thing? Well, as soon as he felt your... hug, the boy had slightly raised his arms to avoid making contact with you. He was tense, and looked like he was even holding his breath.

When you realized it, you returned to your place with a blush on your cheeks and looking straight ahead. "Sorry." you apologized. Diluc slowly lowered his arms again, and seemed to be breathing normal again. You heard him let out a long sigh. "... It's fine."

He wasn't upset, the only thing that happened to him was that he wasn't expecting that reaction from you, and he was quite embarrassed by the way he reacted himself. Some thoughts drilled into his mind.

("Why was I so dry with Y/N? Now they'll probably think I was bothered by their gesture. I didn't want to be so rude. Damn it.")

"Y/N... Come here." He extended one of his arms, giving you free rein to rest your head on his chest. When you rest there, he will silently wrap you in a warm hug. "Thanks." you manage to pronounce, somewhat dumbfounded by the way he acts suddenly. Well why the hell are you surprised? We all know how chivalrous this man truly is.

"If you ever get scared again, just hold me tight." He won't admit it, but he loves being like this with you.

Such a cute gentleman.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Your Daddy Don't Know 8

Masterlist

Not really a full series, more a little drabbling here and there ft. dilf!Frank Castle. Leave a comment or some feedback if you like! <3

Warnings: age gap, slight dubcon so far, fucking, smut, choking.

You wake up nice and early. Well, your father makes sure of that, making as much noise as he can after his chipper intonation. You groan and roll over as he leaves your door open, feeling the vibrations of his steps even as he reaches the first floor. You dress in loose shorts and a looser t-shirt.

You come down to an empty coffee pot and before you can think to brew a new batch, your father steps in from the back patio.

"There you are, just saw Frank, he's mowing his yard," he announces, "better go apologise and get to work on that tub."

"Can't I have a coffee first?" You whine as you touch your forehead.

"You've been rude enough, don't keep him waiting," your dad chides, "made me look bad enough as it is."

"What? Come on," you pout and rub your temples.

You can't believe Frank. You always expected he's a bit of an ass but he's sneaky to boot. The way he distorted the situation to fit his whims. You know your dad won't believe you either, he respects Frank for some dumb macho reason you can't understand.

"Don't be a child," he warns, "now go."

"Fine," you sound like a brat but you don't care. If Frank wants to make you miserable, then miserable you'll be.

You shove your feet into your worn out Vans and head out the door. You feel like shit and probably look worse. Sure enough the roar of a mower makes you wince as you shield your eyes against the blinding sunlight.

You cross the street and near Frank, his tank soaked with sweat as his arms bulge. He stops as you approach and lets the engine die. His lips slant, not quite a smirk, as he faces you.

"Frank," you cross your arms, "my dad sent me over to… apologise."

"You know when you apologise, you're not supposed to act like you're tasting dirt," he mocks.

"How else am I supposed to act?" You sneer, "I was drunk Frank, but I remember."

"You got what was comin'," he shrugs, "sugar, I don't like brats."

"Well then, I guess we better just end whatever this is," you huff, "I've had my fun."

He chuckles as he leans on the mower, "is that so? You think this is over?"

"Not like it was anything more than fucking--"

"I thought I made it clear last night, girl," he snarls as he steps closer, "you're mine. You keep up this shit and I'll tell your dad a lot more."

"Like what? Pretty sure you fucking someone less than half your age is worse than--"

"Stealing from the job site," he growls, "slacking off, oh and I know he won't like to know the scene you put on at the bar last night. That last one's true enough, it'll make the others more believable."

"What the hell is your problem?" You spit.

"You're the one who started this. Comin' over in those tiny shorts," he snips, "you wanted it, you got it."

He stands straight and his jaw ticks. You glare up at him, your confusion addled by the sliver of fear.

"Now, you go back and get to the skimming the tub," he says as he clutches the mower, "I'll come find you when I got some real work for you."

"Why-- why are you doing this?" You ask.

"I'm an old man, sugar, I don't got time to waste," he says as he bends to pull the cord, "I put too much into you to just let ya go now."

☠

Frank brings back the cleaners for you to flush the tub through, a task you never done before but are all too eager to be done with. He doesn’t give you any hints as he leaves you again and you Google a tutorial, following each step with a grimace. Your head pounds with each move and sweat dampens your clothing and skin.

When at last you're filling the tub, you hear the back door swing open and shut. You grumble but don’t look up as you hold the hose over the edge of the tub. You feel his shadow and it darkens the summer day.

“I’m not entirely heartless,” he holds up a mug, “you look like you need it.”

You smell the sweet caffeine and try to resist. You sigh and peek at him from the corner of your eye. You reach for the mug but he moves it away.

“You gotta at least look at me,” he says, “a bit of gratitude.”

You turn to him and let the hose hang. Your derisive gaze lingers on his mocking dark eyes and the way he holds the mug, as if tempting you. You huff and stick out your lip like a child.

“Alright, thank you, Frank,” you begrudge.

“'Thank you, sir,'” he corrects, “and?”

You stare at him then at the mug. The steam makes you want to sigh. You stand on your toes and give him a quick peck.

“Now, sugar, you know I expect more than that but it’s a start,” he surrenders the coffee, “take a break, I’ll finish up.”

You take the cup and he grabs the hose, watching the water level rise. You retreat and sit on the step as you cradle the mug. You take a long, careful sip and resist a hum. He added just the right amount of milk.

The bitter roast lightens your eyelids as you continue to nurse it. Frank cranks off the hose and coils it up around the hook against the wall. He hits a switch on the tub and it begins to swish and bubble as he pulls the cover over.

“Feel better?” he snickers as he nears, lifting his foot to plant it just beside yours on the lower step.

“Sure,” you say as you drain the last dregs, “think I’m gonna go hide under my blankets.”

“You ain’t done,” he lowers his brow as you stand and he takes the mug, “not that easy, sugar.”

“Frank,” you touch your temple, “I get it, okay? This is just a little tiff. I’m sorry about last night, it won’t happen again. Let’s just go back to being… fun--”

“I want you to think about this,” he puts his hand on the siding of the house and looms over you, “you wanna keep fuckin’ like teens or you want more?”

“What? I thought-- Frank, what more do we have in common? I’m barely twenty. What could I possibly offer--”

“Well, what else you got?” he interrupts, “you livin’ in your parents, you flunked out, and you’re only prospect is doing grunt work for me.”

“So,” you utter defensively, “I got time. I’ll figure it out, but you know, I don’t appreciate that. At all. I don’t need you and I don’t like you thinking that I do.”

“Sugar,” he says lowly, slowly, and takes the mug from you, “you don’t know what you need.”

The glass cracks and shatters and he lets the shards fall between your feet. He stretches his thick fingers and you blink in shock. He has you by your throat before you can react. He marches you backwards up the steps and pins you to the door.

“Times aren’t what they were when I was young. You’re not gonna get much more than you got without a degree. Or without experience and far as I recall, I’m your only reference,” he growls, “so I think it’s time you grow up and start thinking of your future.”

“How do you know I won’t get a degree? How do you know I won’t go back and change things?” you sniffle, “you’re not all I got, Frank, you’re not.”

“You don’t sound convinced to me,” he snarls as he leans in,

“Frank, let me go,” you grasp his wrist as he has you on your toes, “please.”

“No, no, really think about it. Listen to me, now, sugar,” he growls, “I’m offering you a way out. I’m tryna help you grow up.”

“I don’t--” you gulp as his grips tightens and your voice gristles, “Frank, you’re hurting me--”

“I got room for you. More than.” His hot breath tickles your cheeks, “I don’t think you realise what your daddy says about you, girl.”

“Stop,” you beg as your soles scuff on the wood helplessly.

“He don’t want you there. When I come over for beers, you don’t know. So disappointed in you and now he’s got your leeching off him when you should be off doin’ something. Anything--”

Tears well in your eyes, from shame, from the pain of his tight grip.

“No, you’re lying,” you babble.

“I ain’t lyin’, I don’t lie, not like you, girl,” he squeezes.

“Frank, I don’t know what you want from me,” you squirm as your tears begin to stream down.

“I want you to start packin’,” he sneers, “I’m gonna go have a talk with daddy. Ease his worries for him.”

“I don’t-- No,” you quiver, “Fra--”

His fingers tighten on your neck and your words fade to a wheeze.

“You start addressin’ me with some respect, sugar,” he snarls, “I hear ‘no’ come from those lips again, and I’ll do a lot worse than tattle on ya. You understand me?”

You nod as your slap at his forearm. He narrows his eyes as he watches you struggle and gasp. He lets you go and you slide down the door as you suck in air.

“Good, we’re all figured out,” he grabs the door handle and tugs the door so it jerks you, “get up and go get cleaned up inside. Then we’ll go have a little sit-down with daddy.”