#important to note that one of the strongest memories of visiting her is

[obsidian-goblet]

I had a dream last night and now I guess I have a trio of characters.

I have no idea what Im doing with them yet but like, theres a dynamic there, I think.

My only reservation is one was Australian and I am morally obligated to never have an Australian character, lest I shame my entire country.

[rakubalka]

Victor Von Doom as Skull de Mort

(Another one of those Skull is actually someone else and badass)

Doom for some reason got transported into the khr world be it with his own body or reincarnated , aged down or whatever . Maybe he got reincarnated and got his memory after he awakened his flames

Either case Doom either starts planning how to take over Latveria (or this world equivalent of it) or start finding a way to his world to his Latveria while using being a stuntman as a cover to get more information and seeing how the technology in this world is faring against his own and how strong and knowledgeable magic users are here (he is disappointed by how old and weak both the tech and the magic users(if they even exist here) are)

Then he gets an invitation from Chekerface to the grattering of the world strongest and decided to go because 1 - he is amused that someone FINALLY noticed his presence 2 - he can't figure how someone got in to deliver the letter

He knows that someone got in , he knew when there was someone in his domain(his room) , he just doesn't know how that someone got in . He has put a heavy amount of protections on and in his suit , bike and domain because you never know when an old "acquaintance" may visit

He does however go

In his stage persona

Because he isn't an idiot Richard's

So he goes in and despite his expectations being low he still got underwhelmed by how ... childish they were

The so called "world best hitman" was a idiot with ego bigger that Richard squared on itself with none of Richard's accomplishments who will dismiss anyone he doesn't see as "strong" enough , fully forgetting that in his profession it's not the brawn but the brain and actor skill that is most important , and despite his boosting of being a genius in math he is barely at the level of first year math college student in Latveria

The "Wold Best Martial Artist" while having some skills is still only a big fish in a small pound in comparison to what an actual master of the martial arts is , at least he is of the quieter in comparison to the rest (but if he can't find his tea again they are going to have a long , long and thoughfull conversation of why you don't steal something of Doom's)

"world best sniper" his ass , the woman cannot stay quiet for a quarter of an hour unless she is asleep let alone hours if not days on end for a mission , not to mention how trigger happy she is and how ready she is to start a fight for no reason

Her stalker is only slightly better and that is almost fully because he keeps his distance but even then he is still too loud , seriously how he hasn't died yet because of how atrociously bad he is at hiding Doom doesn't know nor understand , even their untrained civilian camp from before Doom took over Latveria was better at hiding while having to source water , food and shelter for multiple people while simultaneously having to regularly outrun the army . He can hear him over the whole damn forest from how loud he was

The "second coming of Da Vinci" seems to be another fool calling himself a genius when only being slightly smarter than the rest of the populace , his robots are just clunky , slow and unintelegent pieces of metal with only the most basic of AI in them noting like his DoomBots . He also had the galls to make Doom change his seat from the (while ugly neon still better that the rest) green chair to ridiculous neon purple (he might have worn the purple for his stuntman cover , his hair might have changed its color to purple , but everyone from the smallest of ants to the strongest , oldest and biggest of gods knows that green is Doom's color . And Doom will have his revenge no matter what ! Mark Doom's words !)

The cloaked one is Doom's favourite . They don't make unnecessarily loud sounds , don't start fights for no reason , actually use their brain to stay on edge for unpredictable elements , are willing to sell information for the right price and understand the greatness that is cloaks .

Then there is that thing . He hates it the most out of not just this world , he HATES IT the most out of everything he has hated in all of his life . Every time it's even close it feels like it's trying to chain Doom down like some dog on its beck and call and NO ONE AND DOOM REPEATS NO ONE CHAINS DOOM DOWN LIKE A DOG !! He will personally make sure it dies in the most painful way possible after it has told everything Doom wants to know .

[kxzush1]

Sobbing quietly

pairing: Charles Leclerc x Y/N (childhood friends)

summary: Y/N and Charles are childhood friends and they share their trauma of losing people they love.

warning: angst.

note: changed Charles's and Charlote's dating timeline a bit.

Y/N and Charles are childhood friends. Y/N moved to Monaco with their parents when they were a kid. They started karting and met Charles, Esteban, Pierre and Anthoine. They became friends off the track quickly, and rivals on the track quickly.

As Y/N's parents weren't always the best, they often would spend time with Charles. Hanging around his house, spending time with Charles, even with his parents, as they would take care of them like Y/N's their kid. They also met Jules. Jules Bianchi. One of their favourite people beside Charles. He made Y/N laugh a lot, and they made many memories. But then he crashed. And they said he was in a coma. They went to visit him in October with Charles. And they cried a lot. But they said he could get better. So Y/N was a bit happier. A few months later, it was not so good, and then- and then..

Jules died. It was night. Y/N was over at Charles's. They woke up in the middle of the night, hearing some noise from downstairs. They saw Lorenzo. He didn't look good. And then they told Y/N.

"Y/N please tell him.. I don't think I can bring myself to." Lorenzo whispered. They sobbed quietly, leaning there against the couch, sitting on the floor. Their hands covering her face.

"I- I don't know if I can either, please.." Y/N whispered back, but then they heard those steps. Y/N recognised them. Those light steps, they were his. Y/N looked up, saw him walking down those steps, rubbing his eyes.

"Y/N.." he mumbled, almost like he was searching for them. Then he looked at the people before him. He looked at Y/N. Their eyes met. It was like Y/N told him wordlessly.

"Charles.. Jules just died." Y/N whispered, wiping their tears away. And Charles just stared, and he couldn't bring himself to cry. But Y/N understood. Standing up, Y/N walked up the stairs, took his hand and led him back to his room. They laid down and Y/N pulled him closer. And then he cried. Only in their arms. On the bed, and then at the funeral.

Y/N was a talented driver, a very talented one. Stepping into Formula 2 a year earlier than Charles, in 2016, they didn't win the championship in the first year, nor the second one, but that one, they didn't mind it. Because that year, it was different.

The year ended in tears,not in those of joy, but in those of sadness. Hervé died. Charles was almost broken, almost. But he stayed strong, became the strongest he could and won the championship. That was the one thing Y/N couldn't bring herself to do. They were battling for the championship too. But when Y/N saw their 'almost dad' passing, they couldn't bring themself to make it. Or maybe, Y/N let Charles win.

'I went to congratulate Charles. I think. I don't know for sure. The only thing I remember was the fact that I had so many tears in my eyes, I almost couldn't see. It was almost as if I was under water. I couldn't hear who was talking to me. But, then my vision finally cleared, and I saw Charles. It made me cry even more. I got one look from him and it was like we knew what we wanted to say to each other in that moment. Yes, maybe he beated me in that championship, but that was the last thing important from that day.'

-An excerpt from Y/N's book: 'A way down'

They both got into F1 then. Charles in Alfa Romeo, and Y/N in McLaren. They both were happy, nervous, excited, still sad. But they were still kids in that time. The first year was fine, the next year, he got a girlfriend, Charlotte. Y/N was friends with her. Charles looked happier, and Kate was there for it. They both focused on their carreers. Y/N was succesful. The McLaren car suited them. They had a good rookie year. And Y/N was a bit happier again. The next year, not so good. Having issues with their car, but trying their best.

August 2019. Formula 2.  The crash of Anthoine. That shook Y/N. It took them one lap at the track to know that they couldn't. But Charles won. And they was proud.

"How was the funeral there, If I may ask?" 

"It was.. I mean it was bad. I wasn't doing good. And not just because of the death, but because I knew that my career was getting bad. And then, seeing that we all were there for it, I mean it kinda reunited us. I mean, Pierre and Esteban, mostly. Of course Charles was there too, but I always talked to him a lot. But it felt like I've lost those other two friends when we joined Formula 1.

Anyway, it was also the moment of.. realisation I think? Like I remembered all the losses at that moment standing there and it dawned on me. And from that moment, it got bad."

-Y/N being interviewed on the 'High performance' podcast.

It was kind of expected. Y/N was failing the last of the season, either crashing or just retiring from races. They couldn't handle all of it anymore. Then lockdown came, and Y/N announced retiring from Formula 1. Y/N took care of themself and post-breakup Charles. He was sad a lot, but he was streaming a lot too. They moved in with him. It was his idea. He saw Y/N sad and wanted to help them. So as they held him in their arms throoughout life, he returned the favour, at least slightly.

They talked a lot, hugged a lot, laughed a lot and cried a lot. It was needed after all those years. Spent holidays together at home, enjoying each other. And then they realised how in love with each other they've always been.

BREAKING: Y/N APPEARS WITH CHARLES ON THE SUZUKA CIRCUIT TO WALK THROUGH THE CIRCUIT AND PUT FLOWERS ON THE DUNLOP CURVE, TURN SEVEN, REMEMBERING JULES BIANCHIS, CHARLES'S GODFATHERS CRASH.

BREAKING: CHARLES AND Y/N REVEAL THEIR ONGOING LOVE RELATIONSHIP THAT STARTED IN 2020.

[heatwa-ves]

pls yap abt ur fave jojo part 🎤

yippeeeee ^_^ okay so from fav to least fav it's 5/6/4/2/3/1 to me 4 and 2 are interchangeable. I haven't finished part 6 yet I have only a few episodes left but I don't want it to be over so I keep putting off finishing it...

part 5 is my fav because I just love the main cast sososososososoooo much it's definitely the strongest main cast of any of the parts imo I find them all so interesting and compelling and it's hard to choose a fav (it's fugo tho. sobs dies etc) the relationships between the characters are so good as well...

also trish I LOVE trish. she's everything she's such an interesting character I do wish she had more moments like her first scenes where she's an annoying teen and I would've loveedddddd a scene where she lashes out at the rest of the cast and kind of hates them because of everything she's been through she's suddenly taken from her life and thrown into a world of violence and it's not fair and she should've been allowed to be mad about it!! she does have a lot of really good moments tho ofc the part where she awakens her stand and everything leading up to it (on that note spice girl should've been used more I can only think of maybe two instances where she was used??) and also another fav is in the cioccolata fight where she talks to narancia about bruno it's really nice characterisation for all of them + you see more of narancias blind faith in bruno that ultimately leads to his death. semi related naratrish is really cute guys . ... straight people rights.

another trish moment I am deeply obsessed with is the purple haze feedback bonus chapter which is her visiting brunos grave and speaking with his mother. makes me stupid emotional. her becoming a singer post canon is soooooooo important music is a pretty big theme in the relationships between the main cast most importantly in this case is when fugo says (roughly paraphrased) "how can you throw your life away for this girl you barely know, you don't even know what music she likes" (fun fact in phf fugo goes on to talk about how he's not too fond of women he hates his mother and he doesn't like trish 😭)

ANYWAYYY wait I'm gonna talk about music more because. I'm sick. so there's stuff like abbacchio having headphones on in the first scene we see him and narancia having a stereo on the boat and then ofc the torture dance... it's fun and silly but also it's like. they're just kids. sobs. music is their thing all the characters have a listed favourite artist all the stands are named after music!!! and then my fav part this scene in phf .

so yeah trish becoming a singer is both a connection with her mother because they used to sing together and connection with the people who died so she would have a chance to live and a chance to move from her father's influence and have a bright future. I do wonder if she stays in contact with the survivors post canon I like to think she does with mista at least. maybe not giorno at first because that's all too raw and also I think he would discourage contact between them for her safety but maybe eventually. also another trish scene I like (well. She's not actually present for it) is right before the finale where bruno is dying and he can't tell people apart and he talks to doppio thinking it's trish and he promises her she can stay in his house if she has nowhere to go because he knows he won't make it home and he never does and she wasn't even there to hear him say that to her. sobs. I saw a hc that post canon she gets a tattoo around her wrist of a zipper in memory and I really like that idea

also it's insane to me that she is the ONLY female character in part 5. What? Huh? jojo had never been good with women leading up to this but I thought we were finally getting somewhere with diu and reimi yukako tomoko shinobu aya yuyas three weed smoking gfs etc but no. we're back to one again. she's a really good character but still. One. sheila doesn't count she's not in the main part. how are none of la squadra women. I hate la squadra but I would've taken it. I would've hated diavolo slightly less if he was a woman. but no. just one. well the intelligent among us (me) will know and understand that mista is butch but well. araki doesn't know that. Ah well at least we get jolyne next part. Also I just found out apparently giorno was meant to be a girl but arakis editor made him change it.. sigh.

speaking of la squadra can I just express how much I hate them. they're so annoying the only one I can tolerate is illuso and that's because man in the mirror & purple haze is my absolute fav part of golden wind and also he's somewhat interesting in his relationship with sheila and then her relationship with fugo in that he killed the man she had her heart set on taking revenge on because he killed her sister and forced her down the path to the mafia. I can't stand risotto he looks like a tokyo ghoul reject and yet everyone on tumblr dot com wants his dick. why. where is the appeal. he pisses me offfff and also it doesn't help that his stand at least the way it appears in the anime makes me like physically uncomfortable which is a little bit embarrassing it's a really cool stand I just can't watch the episode without feeling sick . and his name is RISOTTO how can you want a man named risotto. that would kill the mood in bed so fucking fast you can't call him that 😭😭😭😭 anyway I hate him moving on. I also hate diavolo and doppio sorry guys they're annoying and diavolo pisses me off bc his hair looks like a dragon fruit . the torture time loop was cruel tho giorno . just put him out of his misery. his lace shirt thing is cute tho at the very least. so yeah my main issue with part 5 is aside from the main cast I really don't like any of the other characters wait no. scratch that. I like squalo and tiziano they're cute. I hate all the others tho. melone is the worst by far to me and it bothers me how many people like him. he shows up sexually assaults a woman and then dies there is nothing to like. wait I take that back there is one thing to like and it's the tadashi harada x jojo thing LOOK. melone is the last one but can we talk about bruno?????? Hello???????????????????? im obsessed

Anywayyyyy I talked about trish for a bit so now im gonna talk about the other characters hopefully this won't be too long but. well. I like to talk. can u believe I was gonna talk about some of my opinions on other parts on this post it would be so long 💀 my endless hatred for part 3 can be a topic for another time

first of all bruno 💖 sorry to anyone who was following me in november of last year I swear I'm not normally Like That he's just the exception. combination of that fuckass bob and titty window and . everything . anyway I calmed down now only because I got my fix by actually watching the show not hoping mutuals would take pity on me and rb art of him onto the dash. i was so excited to see him and his narrative exceeded my expectations by far. died and came back wrong??? walking corpse that is slowly decaying??? saviour complex????? forced to grow up too fast???? I love thinking about his life in the mafia pre fugo as well as the early days of his own team... his relationships with all the other characters are sooooo interesting to me especially giorno I've talked about them before here

I love sticky fingers it's soooo cool he should use it more for making severed.hands come out of random kids mouths like he did in episode one. let him be a fucking freak again. not a fan of the stand design tho sadly but I guess they can't all be winners 😓 I think it's the blue it kinda throws me off like that's notttt the vibes. but what do I know. also shoutout to the actual album sticky fingers it fucks hard and no I definitely did not start listening to it because I was sick over bruno that is not why I listened to it at all. (it totally is)

I also love abbacchio sm like acab but.. at least he's not a cop anymore. shoutout to suicidal characters always my favs . I don't really know how to talk about him without just going ouughghhj he makes me sick in the head. he joined passione to have something to die for.. and he ended up dying not for passione but for his own cause (well. bruno's cause but he's so devoted to bruno that he'd do anything. let's talk about "I only feel at ease when im with you". Hello? phf also implies he's straight which????? this is Mr "I only feel anything if I'm following the orders of men superior to me" we're talking about. bdsm could save him)

he's haunted by the ghost of his past and well without getting too into my interpretation of stands I think it would be so cool if pre passione moody blues isn't fully there yet but he can see her in the corner of his eye sometimes in the form of his dead partner. speaking of moody blues she's soooooo cool most fuckable stand by far. I mean what who said that. she has such an awesome ability I wish it was used more she's so interesting to me bc her ability is the literal manifestation of his inability to move on from the past I like to think about their relationship.. to me stands have varying levels of sentience randing from like. power outlet. to echoes act 3. and moody blues idk I think she has some level of sentience. i think she stands there looking creepy and wet to get her point across and it works. anyway my endless thoughts on stands is a topic for another time back to abbacchio.

it's canon that he's the most physically strong of the team I would love if he had some fights. before starting the show I had only seen his design a couple times and I was sooooo convinced he had a long black morticia addams ass dress and nothing compared to my disappointment when I realised it was a coat thing. the purple lipstick is everything. I think a lot about his life post police pre passione as well as early passione days. finally obligatory mention that I like bruabba but I think it's most fun if it's onesided. abbacchio is 1000000% in love with bruno like that's not even debatable but I don't think it's reciprocated 💖 actually this reminds me there's one araki interview where he's asked if abbacchio loves bruno and he says something along the lines of "NO???? THEYRE NOT LIKE THAT. dio is tho. did you know dio is bisexual did you know dio likes men. sexually. did you know dio has awesome gay sex. abbacchio is straight tho" I wish I could find it again because it's so funny to me

I love narancia. have I mentioned that I love narancia. I love narancia. what can I even say other than I love narancia. best character araki has ever made 10/10 no notes I sobbed when he died. going into the last few episodes I knew two people were gonna die and I knew one of them would be bruno and I was just hoping narancia wouldn't die. and then he did and I was inconsolable uaaagghhhhhh giorno growing flowers over him.... he just wanted to go home.... he wanted to see fugo again.... the scene with fugo where he thinks he sees aerosmith I'll kill myself AFGHHHH. the scene in venice where he can't decide whether to go or stay.... him realising the similarities between him and trish... his backstory... his character design... he's literally perfect. did u know I love him. what else can I even say.

now mista. well you see. um. read this . I just think he's neat. I love his relationship with fugo especially post canon like. they were friends!!! I think they were both closer to narancia than to eachother but regardless they were friends and then fugos "betrayal" not that it was a betrayal but to mista it felt like that. especially because he then lost his best friend and can't help but think if fugo was here maybe that wouldn't have happened. and I think fugo has the same feelings if he was there maybe they wouldn't have lost so many people. and this drives a huge rift into their relationship you can see how they are at the start of phf that's another scene I really like and I think it would take a really long time for them especially mista to be in a place where they can consider eachother friends again and even when they do it will never be the same as it once was. also the sex pistols are great I love them.

now giorno. yesterday on instagram I discovered that there's a sizable minority of people who think he's boring 😭 and I feel the need to defend him. he's literally my little brother I love him . he's such a funny character he's fifteen and a mafia boss and his dad is an evil semi immortal bisexual vampire and that's not even the weirdest member of his family. he wears hot pink heart cutout suits. he's fine with robbery and gang violence and murder but draws the line at drug use. he's so serious that it's silly. he's fifteen. boy why are you running italys criminal underworld go hand in your homework

but then he's also an incredibly tragic character he has never ever been close to anyone all he's known is loneliness. and you expect me not to burst into tears????? he wasn't even particularly close with any of passione they were friendly aside from abbacchio because abbacchio is a bitch ass hater who has nothing better to do than pick fights with teenagers (he should meet rohan.. worlds most insufferable yaoi. gay sex would fix everything wrong with both of them so idk maybe they could help eachother out but they would absolutely hate eachother. Anyway.) the closest he is with any of the others is bruno like I talked about earlier but again they only knew eachother for a week or so and their relationship is founded on and primarily revolves around a shared goal. I do picture him getting very close with fugo post canon I would've loved them to have more interactions in canon but the final scene of phf fed me well so I can't complain too much. their personalities work well together I think whether romantically or not they can be the companionship they both desperately need.

not the point but his mother is also a deeply fascinating character to me I wanna see inside her brain. there's her understandable frustration at the loss of her youth due to a child she never planned for and lack of a support system but that frustration leads to complete apathy towards her baby. I don't think she's deliberately malicious she just doesn't care. I don't think she ignores him all the time she probably has moments where she plays with him or shows him to her friends like aww look how cute my baby is but more often than not she leaves him completely alone and that apathy is just cruel. her lack of care then develops into her turning a blind eye to her husband abusing him which okay maybe she didn't notice at first but it gets to a point where you can't not notice. so she just ignores it and tells herself it's strong parenting or whatever and continues gallivanting around living her best life like she doesn't even have a kid. she's awful but I can understand what led her to this point. maam let me into your head I wanna examine it

back to giorno let's talk about gold experience. one of the most interesting abilities in the entire series to me and it's used in such versatile ways similar to crazy diamond which I really like. the ability to Literally Create Life is sooooo everything don't even get me started on religious motifs. in the first fight against bruno gold experience is used to imbue more life into him and iirc that ability is never used again which is a shame. araki loves doing interesting things in the first fight and never addressing them again. I'm looking at you kakyoin. anyway cool stand moving on

now fugo!! so before going into part 5 I had some level of knowledge of the characters from tumblr + friends but I didn't really know anything about him and as I watched he was just kinda there I had no real opinion other than thinking the strawberry theme was cute but then we got to man in the mirror and I was like oh shit. I see the vision. the scene in venice where he chooses to stay behind is soooo good but I was expecting for the whole second half that he would come back and I was really surprised that he didn't but in retrospect that was definitely a good choice even tho im sad we didn't see more of him. his final scene where it cuts to him alone in naples for a minute is sooooo agjghhjhn and then of course there's phf. we'll get to that

I read that araki initially intended for fugo to be a spy for diavolo and giorno would've had to kill him and while that's interesting I'm glad it's not what he went with I think what we actually got is so much more tragic because no one is really in the wrong? but they hurt eachother and fugo has to live with the fact that he lost his friends because he wasn't there and nothing will ever be the same. It will definitely be hard for him post canon especially without bruno because bruno was the first person aside from his grandmother who he was close to and he lost them both!!!! bruno is the one who saved him and bruno is the one who told him they can't survive outside of passione and bruno is the one who told him his loyalty is to passione first and foremost so the events in venice feel even worse to fugo it feels like bruno betrayed him rather than him betraying the rest of them. it's not that fugo doesn't care for the others because he's put himself at risk for them before (man in the mirror etc) but he's very intelligent and rational and when he's not angry he will evaluate the risks of a situation before acting. and here he just can't fathom why bruno and the others would throw everything they have away for a suicide mission to protect one random girl. and then when it's just him and narancia and he feels like shit but at least narancia is there except then he goes on his whole trish is me and I am trish thing and leaves too and fugo just has to watch the boat leave!!!! there's a part in phf which I have to quote because I reached image limit

.

"Thinking too much...that's why I couldn 't get on the boat! The thought surprised him. He couldn 't get on the boat. Not 'didn't', but 'couldn't.' Was it true? Had he actually wanted to get on the boat? Had he wanted to go with the others? Deep down? But if that's true... That didn't sound like him at all. Buccellati had scouted him, counted on him to stay calm, pick the logical option, minimize losses. No, wait...wait...

The wheels were spinning now. Why hadn't he been able to get on the boat? Because nobody had expected him to. Who hadn't expected him to? Buccellati. But Buccellati had told them to get on the boat... No. No, he didn't say that.

"I won't order you to come with me. I won't even wish for it." Those were his words. That's why Narancia had begged him to order him on board.

So I...took him at his word? Since it wasn't an order, I... Without direct orders, he was expected to chose the course with less peril. Take no unnecessary action until the next opportunity was made clear. Was that why he'd been frozen to the spot? He’d felt like he’d made up his own mind, but had he really been robotically conforming to the common sense drilled into his head since he was born?"

.

agh. explodes. another thing I find really interesting is how he used to take on orders privately that he knew would hurt bruno and then eventually got abbacchio to help and he's been doing this since he was what. fourteen? thirteen? bruno had been in the mafia almost six years at that point he's reached a point where he's mostly desensitized to murder so what sort of shit would he not be able to take mentally? it's that which fugo took upon himself to do at such a young age what the FUCK.

fugo is so compelling to me he's a kid who's been hurt so much by everyone in his life and he doesn't know how to cope with that and he's so angry at the world and he can't control how he reacts so he lashes out at everyone. he reminds me a bit of my oc rayaan they're both so traumatised and react with anger because what else can they do. except rayaan then has to come to terms with being gay and in love with his roommate slash best friend who is Not Interested and meanwhile all fugos friends die. anyway. his stand is the physical manifestation of his own anger and self loathing and no wonder he hates it!!! can't imagine the pain of your soul being laid bare in front of you and all it can do is hurt. I think he internalises that to a degree his hatred of purple haze reflects his hatred of himself and the world but to a greater level because this is all the worst parts of him. BUT!!!!! at the end of phf when he bites the virus capsule murolo says "Stands reflect the owner's personality, when there's a shift in the psyche, the stand changes too." and then there's this passage which is everything to me

.

"Purple Haze. His own alter ego. A reflection of his own mind. Another Pannacotta Fugo. It was staring at him.

And for the first time, Fugo stared back. Had its eyes always looked like this? He felt the eyes had been more lonely, before.

Or was that an emotion he’d forgotten somewhere along the way?

Like the bacteria that fill our world, existing without our help, rebuffing all attempts to get rid of them. Something you didn't want, but were, for some reason, certain you could never be free of. A shadow of conflicted emotion.

It looked down at him, and he looked up at it. When he could no longer believe anything, and had nowhere else to go, it would always be at his side. Neither of them said anything."

.

he's grown so much!!!!! Im stupid emotional rn I need to reread phf in full it's what got me so obsessed with fugo as a character it's sooooo good. the ending... fugo calling giorno giogio... this illustration... the chapter title being "the soldier in love" which of course is referencing trish's song but also you can't tell me that's not talking about fugo especially combined with the final lines???? "I am yours, our giogio" and "Half a step," he said. "If you can't take a step forward, then I'll step halfway to you. Everything hinges on your decision, but if grief anchors your feet, then let me share it."

and THIS LINE??? "Only one person could do something about that. You. Pannacotta Fugo - you were the only person who could do something about this threat. The only person who can change your stand is you." literally what the fuck. sobs dies etc. not to sound insane but I love fugo so much his growth as a person makes me sooooooo emotional. In his last fight in phf he goes "Sheila is me, her anger is my anger" and I think that's a really nice line to summarise his character growth he's now understanding what made narancia chase after the boat sheila is also someone he doesn't know well just like trish was but he decides to risk everything to protect and fight for her he's grown so much in such a short period of time. And I love him.

.

And with that I'm done!! I still have more to say of course but this is enough for now 💖 very quickly summary of my opinion on other parts

1. I'm gonna be honest all I remember about part 1 is it sent me and my friend down a rabbit hole of those thomas jefferson miku binder esque politician drawings.

2. I like joseph sorry everyone. caejose my world. araki doing gods work by putting them both in cute little crop tops half the time

3. part 3 pisses me off I have so much to say about it but that's a rant for another time. shoutout to holly kujo I luv her

4. I wasn't vibing with part 4 at first it's very slice of life which isn't my preferred genre but after kira shows up it gets REALLY good. I love josuke he's my baby brother fr. I love shinobu

6. jolyne save me FF save me jolyne save me FF save me etc. excited but also scared to finish it 💖

[cowboycakes]

Loyalty

Chapter One: Memories

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x fem!Reader

Synopsis: You are a Marleyan warrior who holds the Jaw Titan, tasked with infiltrating Paradis and destroying it. But what happens when love causes you to betray your mission?

Themes: NSFW, 18+, action, betrayal, multi-chapter series.

Warnings: Female bodied reader, explicit sex (penetration/riding, gentle and fluffy, Levi is a virgin), violence/severe injury and blood/battle scenes, threats, mentions of death. Profanity. Spoilers seasons 1-4.

Word count: 2.7k (recently edited to make it flow a little better!)

Note: This story contains spoilers for all seasons of aot (not the manga). It is canon divergent (reader has the jaw titan rather than Porco and reader is on the mission with Reiner and Bertholdt.) Some scenes differ/are more rushed than the scenes they line up with in the actual show. This first chapter is set in season 3.

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The most important lesson you'd learned on this journey was that you couldn’t help who you fell in love with. Love would strike you like a viper by surprise, sinking its fangs deep inside of you and injecting you with lethal poison. Your poor soul was so torn.

The viper in question manifested itself as someone quite inconvenient. A raven haired man - the strongest, most cunning, most selfless man you’d ever observed. And all the while, he was still an island devil.

You were supposed to strike back at the viper, sinking your much larger set of jaws into his heart. Your mission - and specifically your mission - was to end him and his kind. The remaining Ackermans were dangerous. They were a threat to your and your comrades’ titan powers. The goal was to get close to him, to find his weaknesses and strengths. To know his ins and outs like the back of your hand. And then you’d have the advantage. Then you would kill him.

That plan had obviously backfired.

You stood on top of the wall now, alongside Reiner and Bertholdt after they’d just exposed the entire mission to Eren and the others. You could feel the static in the air from a few yards away. They were about to transform.

That wasn’t the problem, though. The problem was that the duo was looking right at you, waiting for you to slash your hand and join in. To rush to their side and eat Eren while you had the chance. Then you could all go home and be celebrated as heroes.

Instead, you were staring back at them - a big, sweaty, teary-eyed, nervous mess.

It was time to betray your homeland.

“I’m sorry Reiner, Bertholdt…” you sob, pulling your hand to your mouth, “but my loyalties lie elsewhere, now.” You rip your teeth through your hand.

Three bolts of lightning shake the wall simultaneously. You emerge in your strongest form - the jaw titan. Your titan had a hardened face like a skeleton with an elongated jaw that stuck out like a wolf. Sharp ridges lined your mouth like fangs, and bright red orbs glowed through your eye sockets. A mane with a color that mimicked your hair grew down from your neck.

You were terrifying. Which is why you needed to get the hell away from these scouts before they decided you needed to die.

You had no interest in defeating Reiner and Bertholdt, that was Eren’s problem now. You were more concerned about the captain on the other side of the wall. He could certainly handle himself, but Zeke had quite the throwing arm. Things could go south very quickly.

You launch yourself down the wall, using your giant talons to slow your fall. You scan the field as you descend, trying to find any sign of Levi.

A voice booms your name to the left of you as you reach the ground.

It’s Pieck in her titan form.

Pieck was like a sister to you. It’s been so long since you’d seen her. You feel a tinge of regret now. Pieck was never going to see you the same again.

You narrow your red eyes at her and charge with full force. Your jaws snap at her heels as she whips around and runs full speed across the field. You finally see who she was running to - Levi and Zeke. Zeke was cut out of his titan form and being held by the hair in Levi's hand.

You pick up your pace, grazing Pieck's legs with your sharp teeth. She stumbles when the two of you go over an indent in the ground, only a few yards from your destination. Her mishap allows you to sink your teeth into her legs. She turns around to bite your neck in response, crushing your weakest spot. You jolt your head, flinging her away from you.

She gets up fast after hitting the ground, continuing at full speed toward Zeke and Levi. You are quick to go after her again, but slow down once you see Levi drop Zeke and bolt out of Pieck's way.

Did he really just give up Zeke that easily?

Suddenly, you feel someone cutting through your titan's nape.

Your vision goes dark.

Out of the darkness, you’re thrown into an old memory. Ah yes, you remember now. All of it is so vivid, right in front of you again.

You’d sneak away to the Captain's office at night frequently. You’d tell yourself these visits were for the mission, to aid you in knowing your victim a little better. His weaknesses could certainly reveal themselves in the comfort of his study. But they certainly weren't for your mission anymore. You’d started to simply crave his company.

You’re walking down the dim halls when you hear two sets of footsteps approaching, quite rapidly. You’re met with two giant bodies slamming into you from behind, grabbing your arms to keep you from running.

“You know, Y/N, I’m getting worried about these visits of yours,” Reiner says, tightening his grip on you. You yelp. “There’s only so much you could be talking about in there with him. There’s only so much shit you could be making up about yourself. He’s going to catch on.”

“He isn’t!” you struggle, “And I’m more clever than these sluggish devil bastards! I’m getting all the information I need!”

“Guys, keep it down!” Bertholdt whispers, frantically looking around to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

Reiner let’s go of you as you topple to the ground in front of him, your hands and knees landing on the cold brick floors below.

“Kill him faster,” Reiner whispers. The two of them make their ways back to their rooms in silence.

You finally stand up when you can’t hear their footsteps anymore, dusting your knees off and collecting your nerves.

You were the oldest titan shifter on the mission from Marley, quite a bit older than Reiner and Bertholdt. You were supposed to be bossing these little shits, not the other way around. But it seemed they were always calling the shots. You deserved to carry out your particular mission however you pleased.

Levi's door is cracked open a bit further down the hall, allowing some faint light to spill into the hall. And inside, there he was as usual, sitting at his desk with a tea and reading some boring literature that you could never understand.

“Long day?” he questions without looking up from his book.

“Yeah,” you sigh, plopping your body down onto a leather sofa near his desk. You lean back into it, reaching your arms up to stretch out. “Thanks for always letting me join you in here. It helps me de-stress.”

You had made a routine of coming in here after a fateful night in the dining hall, after you and Levi realized you could click really well in conversation. You two had shared your entire life stories with each other by now - yours obviously contorted to fit a reality that didn't consist of you being raised in Liberio. You'd grown very close to him, way closer than you had with anyone else in the Scouts. Even though he'd never met the real you, you could relate to him - his struggles and his past especially. His cynical personality had a strange and almost addicting way of brightening your day, and you'd always make sure to tease him for it. Not to mention how handsome he was. He'd catch you stealing glances at him sometimes, but you had a feeling he secretly liked the attention.

If you didn't know better, you'd think you were falling for him.

Your favorite stories of Levi's were of the Underground. It was such a peculiar concept to you, even though it faintly reminded you of life in Liberio. You realized that the people living in the Underground were lucky, in a way. They were oblivious to the world above, secluded from wars and titans. If only every other circumstance of theirs wasn't so unfortunate.

You smile at him as he finally looks up from his book.

“Your tea’s over there,” he says as his eyes dart to the coffee table.

You quickly grab the tea and move it to your mouth.

It was way too hot.

You feel titan steam shoot up from your lips. It had really burned you that badly. You slap a hand over your mouth before the steam could escape, the sound echoing off Levi’s office walls.

“What’s the matter? Tea’s gone cold?” Levi questions, his voice dark. His eyes had been on you the whole time.

“Hmmph?” you say through your hand.

Levi gets up and advances across the room, stopping just in front of you. You’re still frozen on the couch.

“I said, what’s the matter?” His hand meets the one still clamped over your steaming lips.

“Is there something you need to hide under there?” Levi’s finger slips under one of yours, forcing it away from your face. Then another.

Oh shit.

This was a setup. He was actually on to you.

Shit! Regenerate! Faster!

Another finger is forced away from your face. You close your eyes tight, focusing all of your energy to your lips.

This may be it. Right here. Reiner and Bertholdt were going to kill you.

The final two fingers are pried away at once. You open your eyes to look up at him innocently, no steam in sight.

“Uh…” you stutter.

He sighs.

“Sorry. Just trying to keep tabs on who my enemies might be.”

“So you… burned my mouth? Dickhead,” you laugh. You needed to come off as clueless as you could.

Levi’s eyes delicately scan your dewey face. Your lips were still throbbing and swollen. You always wondered if that’s what had compelled him.

He leans down, kissing you softly. Your eyes were wide and your face was motionless for a moment. Then you returned it, cupping a hand sweetly around his jaw.

In a flash, you’re transported to another memory.

You're sitting down on a wooden bench on the outskirts of the combat training arena. You remember being so tired on this day.

You lean your head back and close your eyes, letting the sun soak into your sweat-covered skin. Eventually, a shadow blocks the light shining on you.

You open your eyes to see Levi.

“Want to spar?” he taunted.

“Hell no,” you pant, still limp on the bench.

“You sure? Might be fun to have your ass kicked three times in one day.”

You chuckle at him.

Levi sits down next to you, leaning forward to support his elbows on his knees. The two of you sit there quietly, your ears filled with the sound of summer insects and a cool breeze through the trees.

Your eyes eventually wander to Levi again. He looks upset all of the sudden.

“I’m sorry for kissing you,” he states.

You’re shocked he’s actually bringing it up. After the kiss broke, he just went to sit down at his desk. He acted like none of it had ever happened.

“No, don’t be. I kind of liked it,” you confess, leaning forward to be at his level.

“This can’t continue.”

You feel a tight sensation in your chest. You’re hurt.

“Tell me about it,” you sigh, putting your head in your hands and thinking back to your real duties for once. You were only making things more complicated for yourself.

Of course, it did continue. The two of you avoided each other for a couple of lonely weeks until you nearly ended up in a titan’s mouth on a mission. It had you gripped tightly in its hand, completely helpless to it in your human form. You were about to transform when Levi swooped in and sliced its nape.

He helped you to your feet once the titan hit the ground and scolded you for your carelessness. You just stared back at him once he was quiet again. And he stared back at you. For a bit too long.

That night, you ended up in his office again and performed a teary-eyed confession about your feelings for him. It was in those moments that you discovered you didn’t care about the mission anymore.

You’re thrown into another memory.

This one was so intimate. So special. You never wanted to forget it.

“I’ve never,” Levi pants underneath you, “done something like this before.”

You’re straddling his thighs, tracing circles into his abs with your fingers.

“That’s ok, I’ll guide you,” you whisper.

Candlelight glows off of both of your naked bodies in Levi’s dimly lit bedroom. A surprise make out session led to Levi being curious, and the both of you taking all your clothes off in a rush and throwing each other onto the bed in desperation.

You move your hand from his stomach to his erection. Levi lets in a nervous breath once you make contact.

“Hey, you’re gonna do great,” you say sweetly, “you still wanna do this, right?”

“Yes, I do. Just nervous I’m not gonna… do it right.”

It was ironic to see humanity’s strongest so nervous about what was between your legs.

You shush him quietly as you move your lips down to his tip, slowly taking his length into your mouth. You drag your lips up and down as he lets out tiny grunts and bucks his hips up slightly to meet you.

Once he’s warmed up to your touch, you scoot up over his legs until you’re almost straddling his length.

You look up at him to see his eyes wandering over your bare body, lingering in your more intimate spots.

“You’re really beautiful. I’m not sure if I’ve ever told you that,” Levi murmurs as he moves a hand up to glide over the side of your waist.

“You too,” you smile at him. “Are you ready?”

He nods.

You lift yourself up gently before easing him into you. The perfect sensation of him pressuring your walls made your breath hitch. You feel him let out a huff of air once he's fully inside.

You start to rock your hips up and down rhythmically as you lean forward to place your hands on his collarbones. He gently thrusts back to meet your hips. His mouth was parted, his face was flushed and sweaty. He grips the sheets in his hands as you continue riding him.

Everything felt so warm and wet. So gentle and passionate.

Both of you let out little whines as you speed up.

"How can I," he moans, "make you... finish."

You grab his hand from the sheets and move his finger to your clit, pleasuring yourself with it for a moment.

"Just like that," you whisper. "You're doing so good."

The two of you continue rutting against each other on the bed - two wet, tingly, whiney, pleasure-filled messes.

All of it felt so right. It was honest.

The memory gradually crumbles in front of you, plunging you back into the darkness.

It wasn’t the intimacy, the long talks, or the sex. It was none of that.

It was the fact that he was a brave and honest thing in your world full of lies. It made you fall for him.

Levi made you rethink your entire role in this war. What right did you have to come and destroy people’s lives? These people were innocent for all you knew. They were the victims. But they had spirit, guts, and passion that no one on Marley did. You related to them. You loved them.

So whose side did you really belong on?

And why were you being shown these memories?

And what was this bloodcurdling noise suddenly ringing in your ears?

It sounded like… your screams.

You finally enter reality again with a gasp, coughing up leftover fluid in your lungs from your titan form. You look down frantically at your body to see all of your limbs severed. Someone had cut you out of your titan form.

The culprit was crouched right in front of you.

Levi.

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Hi guys! I've been sitting on this fic for awhile, unsure if I wanted to post it or not - I sort of wasn't confident abt it. But I hope some of you like it! I will be coming out with another chapter soon. Also, if you left a request, I promise it will be up soon! Lots of love - Shep

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[storiesforallfandoms]

nothing left ~ 10k;z nation

word count: 2229

request?: no

description: he accompanies her back to her childhood home to find nothing left besides the memories of times before the zombies, and they decide to leave some new memories there

pairing: 10k x female!reader

warnings: swearing, smut

masterlist

(Y/N) kept a straight face as they drove past the sig with her hometown’s name displayed in bold, black letters against the stark white background. It was the first time she had been there since she and her parents had escaped during the initial Z outbreak. Since then, she had lost everything, but managed to find a new family within the small group that took her in.

They came to a stop at an empty parking lot of an abandoned supermarket. Everyone got out, weapons in tow.

“This place is a ghost town,” Doc commented.

“Almost everyone vacated when the infection started,” (Y/N) explained. “I don’t even think there would be any Zs here. It’s probably only been ransacked lately.”

“It’s the only town for miles, it’s our best bet for resources,” Warren said. “We search the place where we can and see what we can find.” She turned to (Y/N) to add, “Do you want to go home? Just to see the place if nothing else?”

(Y/N) was dying to get home, but she didn’t want anyone on the team to see her as weak or fragile. Although she knew they wouldn’t think any different of her if she did show some weakness, in this day and age, your biggest threat was to be perceived as weak to anyone.

Before she could respond, 10k spoke up. “I think you should. It’ll give you a break from everything, and you can be closer to your parents for even just a moment.”

(Y/N) had a hard time saying no to 10k, especially when parents were involved. She knew he wanted nothing more than to be close to his own father again, but, like (Y/N), 10k hadn’t been home in nearly a year. He didn’t even know if his own home was still standing. If she turned down this opportunity that she knew 10k wanted so bad in front of him, she’d never forgive herself.

“It would be nice,” she admitted.

“You go then honey,” Warren said, her voice soft and kind. “10k, you go with her for protection. Meet us back here before sundown. We’ll wait a little while, but not too long.”

The two youngest members left in the opposite direction of the group. (Y/N) led 10k down the still familiar roads. They weren’t too far from the house and, before she knew it, (Y/N) was stood in front of her childhood home. Her eyes widened at the sight of it.

All the windows were smashed and the door was practically ripped off of the hinges. They entered with weapons raised in case of a Z attack. (Y/N)’s heart broke to see the place ransacked and destroyed. Every picture her parents had hung were smashed to pieces. Only one remained partially in tact, one of (Y/N) and her parents when she was barley a year old. They were on their first vacation as a family to visit someone in another state. The picture was of the three of them on the beach together. Baby (Y/N) was in her mother’s arms, taken by the sand in her tiny hands while her parents were smiling brightly at the camera.

10k looked over her shoulder as her eyes began to water. “You look a lot like your mom.”

“I got that a lot,” she said. “We were basically twins. Dad said I got lucky with mom’s genes.”

She held the picture close to her chest as she moved up the stairs to where the bedrooms and main bathroom was. Whoever had broken in must’ve found what they wanted on the first floor because the bedrooms were relatively untouched. Every poster and picture (Y/N) had on her walls were still there. Her old laptop was even still there, although she doubted that it worked anymore.

“It’s weird,” she said. “It feels like I’ve been gone for years, but this room looks exactly the way I left it, like not a day has past.”

“Anything here you want to take with you?” 10k asked.

(Y/N) shook her head. “I took most of the important stuff when we left first. There’s nothing but memories here now.”

She was so lost in her own thoughts - memories of when things were good - that she didn’t hear 10k leave the room to walk into the bathroom until he spoke again. “The water still runs.”

She walked into the bathroom to find clean water running from the tap. She put a hand under the water, feeling it go from freezing cold to comfortably warm in seconds.

“The power and stuff must still be running,” she said. “Good news for us. I haven’t showered in ages.”

“You think it’s safe?” 10k asked, but (Y/N) was already placing her weapons on the bathroom counter and shedding herself of her top layers.

“I’m willing to take one for the team if it means I’ll be clean when I die,” she joked. “You can watch the door and make sure no Zs or no more looters come in. I’ll leave my gun close enough that I can use it if need be.”

10k nodded. Before he could get the chance to turn back on, (Y/N) grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. For a split second, 10k saw the black bra she was wearing. It was old and worn, probably one of the only ones she had left. Due to this, it was basically falling apart, so when he got a brief glance of the bra, he also got a glance of one of her breasts.

10k’s eyes widened as he quickly turned his back so that (Y/N) didn’t know. He stood in the doorway, listening over the sound of the shower running for any indication of someone, or something, breaking into the house.

The warm water running over (Y/N) caused her to let out a moan of relief. It had been so long since she had properly bathed. The warm water of the familiar shower felt like heaven to her.

Outside the shower, 10k was shuffling awkwardly. He and (Y/N) had been close since they had first met, but they had only ever viewed each other as friends and Z fighting colleagues. He didn’t understand why he was starting to have this feeling about her. Maybe it was just boy hormones and the fact that she was a naked girl just a few feet away from him. But it felt like more than that. Maybe it had always been more than that but he was just afraid to admit it.

Before he could stop himself, 10k silently placed his gun next to hers on the toilet cover. He began to shed himself of his own clothes, working quickly and quietly as to not disturb her. (Y/N) had her head back with the water running over her hair and body when 10k pulled the curtain back and stepped in. She opened her eyes to look at him, shocked by his sudden appearance. She looked him up and down for a moment, her face giving away nothing.

“Gotta save water,” 10k said, trying to lighten the mood.

A smile broke out across (Y/N)’s face as a small giggle came from her lips. “Come here, 10k.”

She put a hand on the back of his neck at the same time that his hands found her waist. Their lips collided and it felt like the most right thing in the terrible, fucked up world around them. 10k’s lips moved against (Y/N)’s perfectly, as if they were supposed to be there, to be kissing her so deeply. His hands wandered over her dripping body, touching every inch of her soft skin with his calloused hands.

(Y/N) let out a sudden squeal as 10k lifted her effortlessly, wrapping her legs around his waist. She was shocked at his strength. Sure, he wasn’t as scrawny and wimpy as he may have looked, but he certainly wasn’t the strongest person in the world. He’s just full of surprises, (Y/N) noted as his lips connected with hers again.

His hard boner was against her aching core, teasing her ever so slightly with every gently brush against her. She whimpered against his lips when she felt him brush against her opening, trying to ground her hips against his to feel her inside of him. Knowing that she wanted this as much as he did made him even more turned on. He was almost afraid that he wouldn’t be able to make this moment last long enough.

He helped to guide her down onto his hard length, causing (Y/N) to gasp as he filled her entirely.

“Am I hurting you?” he asked her, suddenly realizing that he had no idea what (Y/N)’s sexual past was like.

“No,” she responded, her voice breathless and airy. “I just haven’t had sex in a very long time. I forgot how good it felt.”

10k smiled at her and pressed his lips against hers again. He pressed her back against the nearest wall and slowly began to thrust himself into her. (Y/N)’s back arched against the wall, trying to get as close to 10k as she possibly could.

He was slow and gentle, which drove (Y/N) even more wild. She held on around his neck as if her life depended on it, moaning and gasping against his lips with every thrust he pushed into her. She could barley even think straight, her mind focusing only on the pleasure that 10k was providing her.

“Is this alright?” he asked, his voice soft.

(Y/N) couldn’t help but smile. Sweet 10k, always thinking of the comfort of others, even when he was in the middle of the most intense shower sex (Y/N) had ever had.

“It’s more than alright,” she responded. “God, it feels so fucking good.”

10k had heard (Y/N) swearing many times, but hearing the expletive word slip from her breathless voice in that moment drove him wild. He rested his head against her shoulder, groaning as he pushed his hips against hers again, filling her completely.

“You feel so good,” he told her. “You’re so soft and warm, fuck.”

“Who would’ve thought that sweet 10k had a dirty side?” (Y/N) giggled.

“You must not know me well enough, then.”

“Maybe I don’t.”

Her thought was cut short as 10k pulled almost completely out of her then filled her again. Her mind was clouded with lust as she tried to rock her hips against his, begging for the release she wanted.

Noticing her desperation, 10k wrapped one arm around her lower back and slipped his free hand between them. (Y/N) gasped as his fingers connected with her swollen nerves and began to rub circles in them. She could feel a familiar pressure building inside of her. She clung to 10k’s shoulders, curses falling from her mouth in between moans of pleasure. Her legs began to shake as she felt herself hitting her climax. She threw her head back and called 10k’s name - his real name - in pleasure.

Feeling her walls contracting around him caused 10k to feel his own climax approaching. He held on to her hips as his thrusts became a little faster. Before he knew it, his eyes were nearly rolling back into his head as he felt himself filling her with his warm cum. The feeling of the warmth inside of her was enough to almost turn (Y/N) on again.

They stayed tangled together for a moment, completely forgetting about the running water cascading down onto them. It wasn’t until the warm water started to turn cold that they realized it was probably time for the two of them to get out.

Luckily for them, whoever looted the house also didn’t think to take any of the towels in the upstairs linen closet, so they had a way to dry themselves off. Before she started pulling her clothes on, 10k wrapped his arms around (Y/N) again and kissed her exposed shoulders and neck before placing one last sweet kiss against her lips.

“We should tell the others about the running water,” he said as he pulled his clothes back on. “If this place is relatively Z-less, we could probably get away with staying here for a while.”

“We’ve stayed in worst looking places,” (Y/N) agreed. “I’m sure everyone else is dying to clean themselves, too. There’s enough room for everyone to sleep with all the bedrooms and the couch downstairs.”

The reminder of the wreckage when they first entered caused a melancholy mood to wash over (Y/N) again. Noticing this, 10k brought her into his arms and held her tightly.

“I’m sorry about your house,” he said. “I’m sorry someone did this to you, that they took all the memories of this place.”

(Y/N) shook her head. “They didn’t take the memories. No one could ever take that from this place. Besides, I’d like to make some new memories here...with you.”

10k smiled and kissed the top of her head. “I think we’ve already started with that.”

(Y/N) giggled and pulled away from him. “Let’s go find everyone to tell them before they leave us abandoned.”

[nemycchi]

Among the Stars

A Childe X Lumine Fanfiction

General Rating

Angst, Love, Family, Betrayal, New Beginnings

Maybe, in another life, this was not how things would have ended.

Lumine likes to think that that is the case. That somewhere out there—across the stars she once traversed, across the worlds she once explored, a version of herself is living contentedly. Maybe in a quaint house filled with various trinkets from her adventures, maybe even in a big mansion overflowing with memories of her conquers—the details do not matter, as long as it is a home.

As long as it is with him. As long as it is with them.

She pulls at her crimson scarf—worn-out from years of use, both from her and its previous owner, as the winds of Snezhnaya blows harder, sharper and colder against her skin. She should be well-acquainted by now to this harsh weather seemingly ever-present in this region of Teyvat from constant visits but she shrugs it off as the lack of warmth reminds her of the years that went by.

Ah, there it is again. That fleeting feeling—like a thief in the night, sneakily closing in when your guards are lowest. Kind of like how he easily slid into her life unabashedly, taking her world by storm—

And apparently leaving with a destruction of the same magnitude.

But she guesses that she should be thankful—for he left something to remember him by. Far more important than anything she has right now, far more important than she is and will ever be.

Lumine sighs deeply. It seems like her old friend—a ghost of tantalizing blue eyes and soft touches, is back again to prompt her to spiral back down into the abyss—into the void she so desperately avoids recalling lest she forgets the present, which is far more important now that she is not on her own anymore.

So, despite the turn her thoughts took, she smiles. Though she thinks he would be disappointed at its bitterness as she trudges on the snow-covered cobblestone walkway, steps slowly but surely taking her back to him.

For a second, she has the half-thought to turn around and start walking away, but no, she has been steeling her resolve for the last four years already, and she knows that it is time to face him once more. Maybe for the last time. Not to fight again, but to let him go. For her sake, for their sake.

At last, with finality in her eyes, she stops before him. Her hand reaches out to touch the polished marble and its coldness seeps into her core, even through the fabric of her glove.

“Hey. I’m here.” she whispers into the thin air reverently, silently praying to Barbatos that he carries her words to him.

And as tears start tracking down her eyes, she promises herself that this would be the last time she weeps for him.

For her sake. For their sake.

 

---☆☆☆---

 

Four years ago, she found herself and Childe tucked away in an open cave, not too far from the Harbinger’s headquarters in Snezhnaya. There, under the dark of the night and the guidance of the stars—he succumbed to his feelings.

“I love you, Lumine.”

And she cried. She never knew that she was capable of such fickle thing that mortals of Teyvat do in distress or in utter elation. In her case, she would attribute it to relief—to the consolation that through her seemingly never-ending journey in this world that persisted for years, her love would be returned.

No, scratch that. Despite the lack of utterance, she believed that it was not her who fell first. Rather, it was him. Though from the hesitance in his eyes and the hint of reticence in his voice, she figured it was a fact that was hard to swallow. Especially for him—a footman of the opposing side.

And so even in that moment, regardless of the warmth coursing through her veins, she found herself asking why now.

“But, Childe—”

Before she could continue, he stopped her by pressing a finger on her lips.

“Sshhh. Come now, ojou-chan. Let’s not think of trivial matters such as allegiance and all that, okay? I can practically see the gears in your pretty little head turning at an alarming rate!” the playfulness in the way he spoke was not lost on her.

Fresh tears still streaming down her eyes, she thought about what this could mean. At the end of the day, it was useless. He was still a Harbinger and she an outlander bound to oppose them. They were destined to face one another, especially then when war is literally on their doorstep—with the Tsaritsa pledging allegiance to the Abyss Order and the knights of the rest of Teyvat on their way to Snezhnaya.

A war is brewing, and their love would be nothing but a thorn on each other’s side.

Yet, even with that knowledge, she chose not to say a word anymore for she knew that he knew as well.

A flash in his usually cold stare and she was brought back to that surreal moment. His finger slid from her lips to her jaw, slightly tracing its curve before cupping it in his hand.

“Just for tonight, let’s forget that. Just for tonight, can I be… Ajax and you—Lumine?” he whispered, pain evident in the shift of his tone.

Gold met the pleading ocean and she realized the weight of her answer. It’s now or never.

And so, allowing herself that moment of weakness, she surrendered. Just like how he did. They will be honest. To each other. Just this time. Just for tonight.

As she raised herself up on her toes, hands reaching out to him, she promised that she will never forget this. The warmth of his arms around her, the sound of his voice as he called out her name in reverence, and the latter satisfaction as their love burned hotter than the brightest star in the sky. She wished upon its luminance that she could keep him like this, with her.

Forever.

 

---☆☆☆---

 

The time of judgment was not kind for it decided to show itself the day after that fateful night. The cold of Snezhnaya never seeped into her bones deeper than it did that moment, with her still standing and four of the Harbingers down the ground.

It was a battle she could not afford to lose. She cannot allow herself to waiver, even with blood coating her arms and one leg clearly limping. She cannot lose—she must buy time until her allies arrive. The outlander trudged on and dread churned in her gut at the inevitable fate that lies ahead of her.

And there it really was. A scene she never wanted to see.

The rest of the Harbingers stood on her way, including him.

She watched the brief flash of pain across his eyes before he looked away.

No, Ajax. You knew the consequences. You cannot hesitate now.

Lumine smiled bitterly at the reminder. She knew this yet at that moment, she genuinely wished she never came down in Teyvat, or that she was just a normal mortal in this world instead. Maybe she would not have to swallow down her tears as she gripped her sword harder in one hand, anemo energy already collecting on her other.

She knows that she is a breath away from losing, with their sheer number against her sole prowess, yet she fought on. She jumped at elemental strikes of varying colors to her best ability, she dashed to evade a multitude of physical attacks on her person with agility she did not know she still possess.

It went on and on, like a game of cat and mouse—with her being hunted down and one slip-up could mean her end. However, no matter how much she tried to ignore it, she cannot help but notice the lack of enthusiasm in the chase of hydro spears coming after her as she twisted between pillars. He was clearly trying not to hit her and she hated it somehow.

Though it seemed that that moment of distraction as she observed was the perfect opportunity for her other opponents to send her flying across the platform. She gasped loudly as she landed on her broken arm and leg.

It hurts.

Her eyes glazed over, unfocused, as she spotted icicles rushing towards her from all direction. Maybe this was the end. Maybe it would be better this way for her. Maybe she bought enough time already. Maybe she was enough.

She closed her eyes, awaiting her demise as she laid broken on the ground. But it never came. Instead, she found herself covered in a bubble of hydro magic frozen in patches. Through the gaps between the ice, she spied the man she came to love standing in front of her.

No, it can’t be!

But it was apparently the reality as she watched his former allies charge at him for this act of treason. Before another burst of ice covered the bubble, she remembered hearing a faint whisper.

“I’m sorry, ojou-chan.”

 

---☆☆☆---

 

Jean and Barbara arrived, along with other knights which prompted the remaining Harbingers to flee. Three additional to the first four they came across with of the Tsaritsa’s strongest footmen lied unconscious and another one was barely breathing a few steps from the bubble they found her in. As the familiar pulse of healing thrummed in Lumine’s veins, she did not waste time and she scrambled to reach him.

His mask lay useless and cracked beside him, his bow beyond repair. His clothes were in tatters except his scarf, which somehow remained intact. All these were duly noted but at the sight of his eyes, she crumbles—presence of the Knights of Favonius be damned.

She cried her heart out, as his breath slowly stuttered even more—as the almost non-existent glow in the blue depths darkened even more.

The acting grandmaster of the knights was somehow moved and she sat next to her, placing her hand on the fallen’s chest to attempt to heal him. But from the way she took her hand back abruptly, and the manner with which she looked away, Lumine realized the cold and harsh truth.

Right then, the unforgiving wind of Snezhnaya breezed through them. It was not strong at all, yet she felt faint—as if it took her life away. And as the coldness settled deep in the recesses of her heart, she swore she heard the faintest of a wish as a whisper in the gust.

“Keep living, ojou-chan.”

 

---☆☆☆---

 

Back in the present, Lumine kneels on the ground in front of the marble stone depicting his name. It has been four years since that day yet she remembers each and every detail of their parting clearly. She recalls with bitterness the moment when they won for it certainly did not go without its costs.

Aether is safe and is now back in their realm. As for her, she is left down here in Teyvat—for she has found herself something to tie her existence on. She does not just live for herself now. She lives in honor of his name—in honor of what they created, of what he left behind. And she swears that she will continue to do so until the end of her days.

But sometimes, as loath as she is to admit, she finds herself unable to forget his eyes, his touch, his everything without pain. It hurts. And it still hurts to this day.

So, she resolves that maybe, it is not something she has to carry anymore. That maybe, she must let go to be able to feel again. Not in that manner—for she knows that she will never love again the same way, but for her to be free once more.

Lumine tightens her hold on the scarf as she pries it away from herself. Tears continue to fall down her golden eyes as she folds it neatly and places it atop the stone.

“You’re free now, Ajax.” she sobs, acknowledging the conclusiveness of her words.

Just like that day, the winds blow gently and she looks up to the night sky filled with a multitude of bright stars.

It is over.

Done.

It is time to move on.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she stands up and turns her back from him. One last time, she reminds herself not to look back anymore—for her sake, for his sake. She walks away, with finality—allowing the comforting familiarity of the darkness of the night to embrace her in place of the warmth that will never be there anymore.

 

---☆☆☆---

 

“Careful now—”

Upon opening the door of her past lover’s family house, Lumine feels the landing of a soft body on hers before she heard the last of the warning.

“—Big Sis. I was going to warn you, but she got to you first!” Teucer sheepishly chuckles from the distance.

She laughs a little at his antics before setting the small girl currently taking up residence on top of her on her lap instead as she sits down on the wooden floor.

Deep blue eyes seemingly filled with tears stared back at her with such an intensity reminiscent of the person she got it from.

Ajax.

���Mhm, did my little angel miss me that much?” she pulls the girl into her arms and she nuzzles her hair affectionately.

She felt more than heard her affirmation when Alyona—her daughter, their treasure—buried her head deeper into her chest. She cards her fingers through her sunshine’s golden locks and slowly rocks her back and forth.

Lumine sighs as her earlier thoughts come back again.

Maybe, in another life, this is not how things would have ended. Maybe, things would have been different.

But there is no reason to dwell on trivial matters such as what-ifs and what-nots anymore. She will be happy, she will be contented. She will be home—as long as she is with her—Alyona, her new beginning.

“Say, little angel. Would you like to hear about a new story? Of the brave knight named Ajax?”

[chaseatinydream]

pirate king (13) || atz

“Master!” You burst into the sickbay, eyes brimming over with tears as you desperately search for that head of green hair that has grown so familiar to you. You ignore the stunned faces of some of the pirates who are getting their wounds treating, the concerned glances that some give you, only to see Seonghwa standing there with a basket of dirty cloths in his arms and a startled look on his face at the commotion.

Then he sees the tears tracks winding down your face and his expression melts into one of horrified concern, he puts the basket down and moves to reach for you.

You simply throw yourself into his arms without waiting for him and sob into his chest, openly weeping in full view of all the pirates in the sickbay. The cook staggers back a couple of steps from the force of your embrace, but manages to upright himself before the two of you go bowling over onto the floor.

Seonghwa is warm. He always has been. Gentle, kind, compassionate and tender-hearted. And you’ve never been so grateful for a man like him. He lets you cry, hands softly winding in your hair, a little confused as to why it’s suddenly several inches shorter and out of its usual braid. You hear Jongho’s heavy footsteps behind you on the wooden floor, and his face must say something because Seonghwa’s body stiffens, his embrace around you tightening just a little as he folds you into his arms.

“What did you do, Jongho?”

Seonghwa’s voice is deliberately neutral. He trusts Jongho, of course. But the last person you were with was indeed the young battlemaster and he knows Jongho is terribly awkward with new people. He wouldn’t be surprised if Jongho had said something silly on accident and ended up causing you to get upset.

But Jongho merely exhales uncomfortably, looking down at his boots. “We should talk about this in private.” His voice holds no room for argument.

Seonghwa frowns a little at this apparent need for privacy, long fingers gently stroking through your hair as your warm tears soak into his shirt sleeves. “Jihyun, help me call San and tell him to come to his room immediately.”

A tall pirate nods, rising to his feet. “Of course, Seonghwa-sunbae.” He moves off quickly, disappearing from sight. Seonghwa then puts an arm around your shoulders, sweetly ushering you into the backroom where you’ve been sleeping for the past couple of weeks and sits you down on San’s bed, wiping the tears from your eyes with a tender hand. Jongho follows behind, shutting the door firmly behind you.

You feel weak, boneless, as the words run through your mind again and again on repeat.

“You will never find what you so desperately seek as long as you live.”

You reach out a hand. Seonghwa looks puzzled for a moment, but you think the experience must have at least made you and Jongho closer somehow, because he understands immediately and clasps your hands gently, almost timidly in his, as if afraid that you might break if he uses too much force.

Jongho probably could crush a man’s skull with his bare hands, but he cradles your hand like it’s a newborn baby chick.

“Just before you get the wrong idea, hyung, I didn’t do anything.” The young battlemaster says firmly, but there is guilt lingering in his voice. You know it’s not because he did anything to you, but because he regrets making you visit the fortune teller in the first place.

Seonghwa frowns in confusion as he moves to light the lamp in the room. “Then why is s-” He coughs lightly as the smoke from the lamp gets into his eyes and nose. “Why is he so upset, Jongho?”

You curl up on San’s bed, wrapping your arms around yourself as if that can stop you from falling apart.

The maknae opens his mouth to explain, but then San enters the room.

His face is smoothed over, carefully blank, but you can feel the pulse of his energy spiking erratically, feeling more like a burning stove rather than a warm radiance. Jongho and Seonghwa must both feel it as well, because they both stiffen minutely.

“Hyung, we need to talk-” Jongho begins to say, but San ignores him and makes a beeline straight for you, sitting next to you on the bed and patting his lap.

“Here.”

You don’t decline the invitation, laying your head in his lap and curling up beneath the sheets like you do every time you get nightmares. You press your nose against his side, and immediately the smell of him fills your lungs. Green tea, honey, and floral notes of ylang ylang and lavender mixed with the odd herb he’s been experimenting with combine to create a scent that is uniquely his, one that never fails to calm you down even in the fiercest of storms.

His hand comes to rest in your hair, carding through the strands gently.

Only when he’s sure that you’re no longer in hysterics and on the verge of a panic attack does he turn to Jongho with sharp piercing eyes.

“So, would you mind explaining to me why my apprentice is in this state?”

You feel bad for Jongho, having to endure all this questioning by himself when he technically was only trying to help you and encourage you, but San shushes you the second you open your mouth.

“I want to hear this from him.” His eyes don’t leave the young battlemaster.

“Well, do you guys remember the first time I came to Tortuga, I visited a fortune teller?” Jongho asks slowly. His hyungs exchange looks, and then Seonghwa nods hesitantly.

“Why?”

“I brought him to visit the fortune teller.” Jongho mutters quietly, his voice small. You realise that even though Jongho may be the strongest, best fighter on board, he still submits himself to the authority of his older brothers. “And the fortune teller said some things…”

San’s eyes narrow as his fingers continue to brush through your hair. Seonghwa seats himself at San’s work table to listen to what Jongho has to say.

“She something about a jar of clay… and some secret that would ruin our trust in her...” Jongho mutters, shaking his head.

San’s fingers freeze in your hair.

“I mean… The secret that stowaway’s actually a woman isn’t quite secret, am I right?”

A terrified squeak leaves your mouth, momentarily pulling you out of your daze. You jerk up, staring at Jongho with wide eyes and your mouth hanging open in horror. Seonghwa shrugs in response to the maknae’s words.

“I did find out rather recently, so I suppose it’s no longer secret within us three then.”

You gulp. San stiffens slightly, but then you can feel his muscles relaxing next to you. “How did you find out, hyung?”

“When she hugged me earlier.” Seonghwa replies easily, much to your shock. Then he pauses, glancing at you hesitantly. “I could feel her… ah, chest through her clothes. I apologise deeply for any inappropriate actions I might have done under the impression you were a man.”

Your cheeks catch aflame as you stare at the cook in a mixture of both horror and embarrassment, your mouth opening and closing like a dying fish. Jongho’s nose scrunches up at his words.

“That’s gross, hyung.”

Seonghwa sputters incoherently at his dongsaeng’s words, looking like a rapidly reddening tomato. “Well, excuse me for not knowing she was a woman! How about you say how you figured it out?”

Jongho halts in all action immediately, jaw working furiously. His own cheeks have started turning apple red, and he looks away to the side, mumbling under his breath.

“When the fortune teller grabbed her shirt, I saw-”

You bury your face in a pillow to hide your embarrassment and scream. At this point, you don’t know what you are. Confused, shocked, mortified, everything. All you know you want to do is to crawl into a hole in the ground and slowly rot away, but then you then you remember you’re at sea in a ship and there is no hole in the ground for you to die in.

To your surprise, however, Jongho and Seonghwa don’t seem to be very affected by the fact that you are a woman. Jongho continues rambling on in spite of your mounting embarrassment.

“-her chest, okay? Well, not really her chest, but the bindings around her chest and I kind of guessed-”

“Okay, okay, we get it!” San covers your ears frantically before you can hear any more. “Let’s get back to the fortune teller bit. Jongho, do you remember everything she said?”

“Pretty much.” The young battlemaster turns to Seonghwa. “Hyung, do you think you could help me write it down before I forget?’

The cook picks up one of the stray quills on San’s worktable, pulling over a piece of blank paper. “Alright.”

Taking a deep breath, Jongho begins to recite the words from memory.

“Oh nameless one, child of the sea, you’re missing something very important to you.”

“Stowaway doesn’t have a name, so it does seem accurate.” Seonghwa mutters grimly, San nodding in agreement. The two of them are completely focused, intent on figuring out what the cryptic words of the fortune teller mean.

The sight warms you immensely despite the daze you’re in.

“And she is a pirate now, so the part of her being a child of the sea fits.” San adds, leaning his head on your shoulder. You shrug.

“She’s an amnesiac, so she’s missing her memories. We’ve solved the first bit. That’s good.” Jongho glances at the page as Seonghwa scribbles down their interpretation of the fortune teller’s words.

A frown tugs at his lips as he continues. “The secret you keep will ruin the trust you built. That’s the bit about her being a woman, isn’t it?”

Seas, it was weird hearing Jongho referring to you as her instead of he.

“I don’t see anything else that could be it.” San mutters thoughtfully, but Seonghwa cuts in.

“She could hear the voice of the sea monster that was chasing us the other time.”

Jongho’s jaw hits the ground. “You could do what?”

It almost amuses you how the young battlemaster is more shocked at the fact you could hear the sea monster’s voice as compared to the fact that you are a woman.

“Yeah.” You mumble under your breath, but Jongho’s eyes are huge with awe.

“That’s so cool!” For a moment, Jongho looks like the eighteen year old boy he is, still young, excitable, not quite a man yet, but he quickly catches himself and clears his throat. “Well, moving on. To pass the trial, one must cross into death and awaken into life. The biggest obstacle to overcome is yourself.”

He glances around at all of you. “That sounds cryptic and completely unhelpful. And I have absolutely no idea what it means.”

“What trial do you think the fortune teller could be talking about?” San scratches at his hair, frowning as he racks his mind. Seonghwa shrugs, just as confused.

“Well then. I suppose we could just leave this here for now.” Jongho mutters, shaking his head in disappointment. “A jewel resting in a jar of clay. That was when she went bat shit crazy and started shaking our stowaway here, demanding to know who’d made her.”

“Who made her?” Seonghwa questions, looking utterly bewildered as he jots them down. You feel your skin crawl at the words again. There seems to be some sort of significance to it that you can feel, something your mind screams at you to remember, but you can’t.

“She referred to stowaway as a ‘vessel that has only existed for a moon’, whatever the hell that meant.” Jongho supplies helpfully, and you feel San stiffen beside you.

Seonghwa looks equally uncomfortable as he glances at you. “A moon?” He repeats, hesitantly. You don’t know what the fortune teller was indicating when she said you had supposedly existed for a moon, but you don’t think she was referring to the silvery orb in the sky.

Your master frowns. “What I guess the fortune teller was referring to was a moon cycle. A vessel that has existed for a moon cycle.”

“Yes,” Seonghwa begins to argue, gesturing at you. “But how can she only have existed for one moon cycle?”

The two stare at each other for a while, both having some sort of internal battle as to what it could be. You tap Jongho’s arm frantically.

“How long is a moon cycle?”

At your question, Jongho swallows uncomfortably and looks away from you. “A little over twenty eight days.”

You feel like someone has just slapped you across the face.

Twenty eight days?

Your face must be a real sight, because San and Seonghwa immediately rush to comfort you.

“It could just mean that you’ve been without your memory for that long.”

“Yes! I mean, you can’t be that young. Don’t worry about it. It must be interpretation.”

You nod your head absentmindedly, still in some sort of daze. “Right.” Seonghwa gives Jongho a chastening look for revealing something that affected you so much. The young battlemaster mumbles an apology under his breath.

Then San sighs, rubbing his temples. “Honestly, we should ask Yeosang for help with this. No one on this ship is as good with cryptic nonsense, long, complicated words and obscure references as he.”

Jongho nods agreement. “Sometimes I don’t even understand what hyung is saying.”

You nod slowly. To be honest with yourself, you don’t really know what you’d do without these people by your side. Even Jongho, who you’ve just begun to talk to today, has been nothing but infinitely kind and helpful to you. You almost want to slap your past self for being such a fool, for even thinking he could have a bad bone in him.

“Thank you.” Your words come out a little choked with emotion, but the three of them accept it all the same. San doesn’t say anything, but just pats your head as usual.

Seonghwa beams at you gently. “It’s no problem, stowaway. You’re part of the family now. We’d do anything in our power to help you.”

Jongho looks at you seriously. “Wait… but we forgot one last thing. The sea witch.”

Sea witch.

Seonghwa flinches while San shudders, shoulders curling inwards. You frown at the two of them, a little unnerved by their reactions towards the word. The sea witch can’t be very terrifying, can she? Magic tended to be nothing more than the arcane, and from what Jongho has told you, only rare people like San are able to use this inner energy to their benefit.

“What is it?”

“The sea witch.” San echoes, drumming his fingers on his thigh absentmindedly. “We should probably ask Yeosangie more about this before you start to get any ideas, but if the myths are true… the sea witch is a being of immense power that lives on an island that only people in great desperation can find, surrounded by the sirens who serve her.”

“I read the legend of her when I was a child.” Seonghwa turns to you with a mixed look of both pity and worry. “The sea witch bargains with many beings, both supernatural and mortal, to make a deal. In the story I read, she gave a mermaid legs to be with the man she loved but took her voice.”

A deal.

Jongho meets your gaze, both your eyes drawn to the same object, the tiny crystal hanging at the end of your necklace.

The symbol of your bargain with the sea witch.

A headache starts throbbing at your temples, and you furiously rub at them, trying to ease the pain. Seonghwa notices almost at once and rises to his feet.

“We should let him-” He corrects himself. “-her rest.” San and Jongho nod agreement as they both rise to their feet.

“We’ll talk about this another day, apprentice.” San murmurs softly to you as you lie back on his bed, pulling the covers up to your nose. “We’ll talk to Yeosangie about this first, alright? He has a lot of books in Hongjoongie-hyung’s cabin, I’m sure we’ll find something.”

“Ok.” Your voice is small, and San gives you a warm smile before leaving the room, Jongho behind him.

But only Seonghwa lingers in the room for a moment, looking conflicted once more.

“What’s wrong, hyung?”

The cook looks at you for a long, silent moment before he speaks.

“You should tell the crew you’re a woman soon.”

Your chest seizes up. Yes, you know that Seonghwa and Jongho didn’t especially mind that you were one, and neither did they begrudge you for keeping this secret, but you knew not everyone would be this understanding.

“Especially captain.”

You swallow nervously.

“I will.”

Seonghwa manages a last, weak smile at you before turning to leave. As you lie under the covers, you wonder what might happen if Hongjoong did take the fact that you were a woman badly.

What if he left you in some town like he’d promised to do the last time?

No. No. You couldn’t have that. Not when you’d just started finding constructive clues to your past, not when you’d just started gaining family.

You needed to wait. Not now. You couldn’t tell them now.

The secret you keep will ruin the trust you built.

It was a decision you would later come to regret.

[shenglingyuan]

title: seize the day and after hours(ao3) pairing: gojo satoru/geto suguru A jujutsu sorcerer’s life is always busy, especially those of the strongest ones, so when a window of opportunity opens itself up just to relax and be with someone you care most about, one can only give in to it. Notes for this AU: In-demand jujutsu sorcerer Gojo x Teacher Geto! In this setting, Toji failed in his mission and still got k-worded, Riko successfully merged with Tengen, so Geto didn't spiral down the "I hate monkeys" hole and Gojo didn't think of becoming a teacher. \o/

“It’s of vital importance that you do not forget to put up a Curtain before you start a mission, even if you cannot see the curse at first glance,” Suguru then carefully dismantles the Curtain before five pairs of inquisitive eyes, “Can anyone tell me why?”

A hesitant hand rises up in the air.

“Yes, Nanako?”

“Uhm, because non-sorcerers might get to see if ever the exorcism becomes a big event and it’s important that we keep the matters of the jujutsu world hidden from them to keep the status quo?”

“Yes, exactly,” Suguru smiles at her. Then, upon noticing the nearby presence, he makes his voice a little bit louder, “So don’t ever forget to set up a Curtain unless you want to be like a certain someone whose magnificent accomplishment of exploding a house got featured in the news.”

“Hey Suguru, stop slandering my renowned name in front of the kids.” The ‘renowned’ Gojo Satoru saunters over to their group, distributing the several bags on his hands. “Got you all souvenirs!”

“Did I lie?”

“Nope. Totally happened.” Satoru grins cheekily, standing next to Suguru and hooking an arm around his shoulder. “Missed me?”

“We’re still having a lesson here.” Suguru flicks at Satoru’s forehead, but he doesn’t pry away from his hold. It’s been over a week since they last saw each other after all. He did miss the man. “Any contribution to make up for your disturbance?”

“Hmm, let me think…ah! If you want to exorcise curses, you’ve got to be crazier than them.”

“That’s not particularly helpful.”

“It’s because you’re unimaginative.”

In front of five unwilling audiences, Satoru clings to his side like a leech. Suguru tries with all his might to deliver the last few important points of the day’s lesson, with one of his hands keeping Satoru’s face at bay from smothering his own.

“And that’s all for today’s session. Tomorrow, we’ll discuss some preparations before your next field assignment.”

“Yay! Suguru’s mine now!” Satoru almost didn’t let him finish his final remarks, squeezing by his side even tighter.

“Gah,” Nobara is the first one to openly show her complaint about the public display of attention in front of them, “Can you please have some consideration for us single students, Gojo-san?”

“Aren’t you too young to be thinking of romance?” Satoru answers back as if he’s talking to someone of his own age. “No dating until you’ve graduated!”

“Weren’t the two of you already dating during your second year in high school?” Megumi points out without missing a beat.

“What?!” Yuji’s jaw dropped, “They’re that long already?”

“Because it’s true love, dear students,” Satoru answers confidently, providing Suguru much embarrassment.

“Anyway,” Suguru finally cuts them off, “This has been a very fruitful conversation. You can go spar now, maybe the second years are looking for sparring partners as well.”

Teacher and students finally part ways, with the teacher dragging a long clingy blindfolded man with him. Satoru recounts to him every detail of his trip the past two weeks, even those that are not related to the mission at all, and Suguru is all ears. Ever since they reached Special Grade level as sorcerers, they’ve been given fewer missions together. Sorcerers are very few, after all, and they need to maximize their numbers efficiently. Sometimes, Suguru would find himself wishing there’s some especially dangerous situation that would require both of their presence, but he’d take back the thought as soon as it’s out, still preferring this kind of stability. So for now, he can only live through Satoru’s lively retelling.

Right as they arrived at their shared room, Satoru finally ends his narration.

“Seems like it’s another breeze of a mission, huh,” Suguru pulls off the blindfold over Satoru’s eyes and smooths down his hair.

“Mhm,” Satoru wraps his arms tightly around Suguru’s waist, burying his face on the crook of his neck. “Would have been faster if you were there.”

“Do you even need me?”

“Of course! What are you talking about?” Satoru lifts his head and stares directly at Suguru’s eyes, “Individually, we are strong enough to take down the most powerful curses. But together, I bet we could take all over the world.”

“And your point being?”

“Since we’re not onto world domination yet, we can’t help but not be together all the time.”

“Idiot.” Suguru presses a finger on Satoru’s forehead, earning him a pout. “No world domination. Keeping the peace is enough.”

“Mmmm…yeah but I still want to do something about those idiotic higher-ups.”

“You’re too chaotic for your own good. How about settling here and teaching with me instead?”

“Suguru.” Satoru’s tone is suddenly serious. His hands grabbed at Suguru’s waist, pulling him close. “Is that a marriage proposal? You know I’m gonna say yes.”

“Still thinking about it.”

“What a tease.” Satoru’s fingers find their way through Suguru’s hair, undoing his bun to let his hair loose. He then leans forward, uttering lazily against his mouth, “If you don’t propose first, I might just do it ahead of you.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Maybe.” With a smile, Satoru closes the distance with a kiss.

Suguru sighs into it, letting Satoru lazily nibble on his lips. Some days, it’s more than enough to just lay down and let time pass, no rush, no urgency, just the two of them entangled in each other’s arms. A jujutsu sorcerer’s life is always busy, especially those of the strongest ones, so when a window of opportunity opens itself up just to relax and be with someone you care most about, one can only give into it.

_ _

A familiar ringtone wakes Suguru from his sleep, his eyes opening to the darkness. The analog clock by the wall shows 07:21 PM…he has been out for a few hours. A weight is draped over him, rendering him unable to move for a moment.

“Satoru.”

“Hm?”

“Phone.”

Satoru doesn’t budge. “That’s yours.”

“Well, how can I move with you wrapped around me?”

After a slight pause, Satoru reaches for the phone himself and answers the call. “Hello? Oh, Auntie, you called! Yeah, he’s right here. Nah, you didn’t bother us at all. I’ll give the phone to him now.”

Suguru takes the call, stifling a yawn as he answers, “Hello Mom, it’s been a while.”

He watches as Satoru lazily walks to the cabinet and pulls out a set of comfortable clothes, simultaneously gracing him with an unhindered view of his naked back.

“Yeah, it’s good here, just a bit busy with the students’ upcoming field assignment…Hm? Wait let me ask,” he covers the mouthpiece and sits up, “Satoru, Mom’s asking when we can visit.”

“As soon as you’re free,” his head comes out of the shirt, hair all messy, giving him a youthful and unrestrained look, “I have all the privilege to request a leave anytime I want. I’ll go get us dinner, okay?”

“Sure, go ahead.” Suguru waves him away, returning to the phone call with his mother, “I think we can visit during the break if there’s nothing urgent. Is there something up?”

The door outside shuts close. Satoru turns to his side, his gaze landing on the frames displayed on the bedside table. The largest among them is a group picture from last winter vacation — him, his parents, Satoru, and the four kids. For some reason, it felt like a family picture, so he had it especially framed, taking center spot among the others.

“Well, the girls are always on their phones in their free time, of course, they’d be easier to contact than me. It’s a bit busy handling a class of five, they said it’s already a big batch. Yes, yes, I’ll tell them that.”

Ten years ago, after Suguru has successfully rescued Mimiko and Nanako from that one village, he immediately went to his parent's house to ask for their help. After all, what does a seventeen-year-old know about taking care of kids? His parents were initially shocked, but upon hearing the situation, they immediately took pity on the girls and gladly took them in. You’re always in Tokyo anyway, the house feels a bit empty without a kid, they said. But the girls wanted otherwise. After a bit of coaxing, Suguru managed to convince them to stay in his family’s house until at least he graduates from Jujutsu Tech, then he will take them back to Tokyo to live with him.

Little did he know, Satoru would also pick up two kids to take care of, and this was after he declared he would not babysit anymore after they completed their task with Riko two years prior. They’re not simple kids either; though they go by the surname Fushiguro, the boy — Megumi — has an inherited technique of the Zen’ins, and yet Satoru fought tooth and nail to be their guardian. Since he didn’t want them to be involved with the jujutsu world yet, he decided to let the kids stay in Sendai until Megumi has to attend Jujutsu Tech.

The twins and the Fushiguros occasionally met when Suguru would come to Sendai with Satoru, but last year’s winter, they decided to spend it in Suguru’s home much to his parents’ delight, and they were one complete family.

Suguru smiles at the memory, just as his mother finishes her long list of reminders for the kids on the other side of the phone.

“Okay, okay, you take care, too. I won’t forget. Love you. Tell Dad I love him, too. Bye.”

After stretching a bit, Suguru finally gets up from the bed and picks up his scattered clothes on the floor, dressing himself up. Just as he is about to wear his shirt, he catches sight of the marks on his body, most especially the bruising spot on the nook of his neck.

“Goddamnit, Satoru,” he mutters, coming closer to the mirror to check how badly Satoru left evidence. “Gonna make you pay next time.”

“Dinner’s here!” Just then, Satoru’s head pops from the doorway, his blue eyes peeking right above the rim of his sunglasses. He sees Suguru standing in front of the mirror, then chuckles audibly.

“Shut it.”

“What?” A sly smile grows on Satoru’s lips as he strides closer to Suguru. He caresses the bruising mark on the nook of Suguru’s neck, then bends down to lightly kiss it, murmuring, “Any complaints about my service earlier?”

“Magnificent as always,” Suguru sighs defeatedly, “The marks you leave though…”

“I made sure your uniform will hide this,” Satoru winks at him in the mirror. “Come on, I got food.”

He drags them to the dinner table where two bowls of meatballs and steaming rice are waiting for them, “Here, eat up.”

“You bought this?”

“No, the kids made that. Yuji was teaching them earlier when I dropped by. Mimiko and Nanako especially made these meatballs for you.”

“And how about the meatballs in the bowl you’re eating?”

“Megumi made this for me.”

“…”

“He made this for his friends, but I took it.”

Suguru flashes him a smile, “I love it when you’re being honest.”

“Shut up.”

“Did you really make that much of a bad first impression on that kid? I can’t believe it’s been nine years, but he still hasn’t warmed up to you.”

“I dunno,” Satoru pouts, trying to recall the memory of their first meeting together. “I wish he could rely on me more, you know, like how the girls rely on you.”

“I do think they rely too much on me, I’m still wondering if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Well, I guess it’s because they see me as a parental figure, too. Does Megumi see you like one?”

“…”

“Figured as much. He doesn’t know about the real deal from your negotiations with the Zen’in clan, doesn’t he?”

“No need to tell him that. I don’t want him to feel indebted either way.”

“Mm-mh,” Suguru smiles. Satoru can be such an insensitive prick sometimes, but when about the most important matters, his compassion pulls through. “Megumi’s such a spoiled child with you.”

“As if you’re not spoiling the twins yourself? Why is Mimiko’s phone new again?”

“Ah…her previous one got destroyed while on a mission with Nanako last week. Of course, I had to buy a new one immediately.” Suguru reaches into Satoru’s plate and grabs one of the meatballs, quickly eating it before Satoru can complain. “Unlike you, buying stuff for Megumi and Tsumiki even though they don’t need it yet. A good thing those two kids have a sound head above their shoulders. You’re such a bad influence — huh, these meatballs sure have so much ginger.”

In revenge, Satoru steals one of Suguru’s meatballs as well, munching on it with much gusto, “Gonna have to use my money somewhere, you know, since you still don’t want to marry and all.”

“Can we get married here in Japan?”

“Mmm, I don’t think so. Not yet. Flying to another country to make it happen is no big problem though, just say the word.”

“Since when have you been a fan of formalities?” Suguru raises an eyebrow at him, “Don’t use me as an excuse to squander your fortune.”

“Come on! Think of it: when we get married, you’ll be officially under the Gojo clan. We’ll have two Special Grades in one family, the higher-ups would be so pissed!”

“You!” Suguru gives him a light kick underneath the table, “And here I thought you’re being serious. Turns out you just want to get under those old men’s nerves.”

“Of course, I’m serious! Just noting out the fact that there’s that bonus,” Satoru grins, wiggling his eyebrows, “What do you think?”

So many years have passed, it can be said that they’ve also developed in different aspects. But in simple moments like this, Suguru is reminded that though the two of them have grown together, many things never really change through the passing of time. Just like when Satoru once suggested the idea of going against Master Tengen and he readily agreed to it, this newer plan doesn’t seem less achievable. What’re a few higher-ups with the two strongest jujutsu sorcerers in Japan?

Finally, Suguru grins back, “Sounds like a great deal to me.”

[aotopmha]

Your thought's about mikasa's ending? I have seen people upset that she got the worst ending out of everyone even though she made the biggest sacrifice.

This made me think: which character do I think got the worst ending?

And I think it's 100% Historia. At least some hint of Ymir would've been nice. It's good in the sense that having a baby didn't somehow drop her position as queen, but that's about it.

Falco and Gabi get no thoughts whatsoever, but I think they at least got to reflect sufficiently beforehand and sort of end the main portions of their arcs then.

Second in row are Pieck and Annie who get to be the cynical balances to Armin. I'm particularly happy with this because they didn't leave off on a having babies note. None of the potential relationships are rushed to and pushed in your face 3 years later.

You can make some connections, but that is not the focus and that's really rare for shounen.

For example, I see Armin and Annie being championed around, but their interaction is a pretty neutral one. It doesn't confirm anything. The problem with the endings of these two (and this will become a trend) is that they are character-specific in very general ways. It's a very general ending.

A portion of the side cast is like this, namely Gabi, Falco, Annie, Pieck, Jean and Reiner. They have elements of their arcs, but the only one among them getting a sort of full-blown scene for only themselves is Reiner.

I think this is fine for Connie. Him getting his mom back is the best closure he can get after what he has gone through and it sort implies he can now get the emotional closure for becoming a soldier.

Pieck never had much of an arc to begin with, so her final moment being another "exactly right" moment is good, but it is very basic.

Annie's character arc is shown by her simply being there and taking action. The aim of it was for her to learn take action in the face of a cruel world. I see people complaining she's on the ship and not somewhere peaceful, but I think that would actually be much worse.

Equally, Jean's arc is shown by him simply being there. But there is the hint of him trying to look good for someone.

I think the biggest problem people seem to have with is Reiner and because of the Historia joke, that's all that gets attention.

But I think out of these four his is the strongest because his goal all the way back was to become a hero because his mom pushed him into it. For his mom to throw this expectation away is a very good way to end it for him.

The problem with all of these is that they aren't necessarily specific moments just focusing on their inidividual growth. But you also can't do that in 40-50 pages when there is other stuff to also cover.

The endings I strictly do think are solid are Levi's, Eren's, Armin's and Mikasa's.

I saw a post talking about how 95% of Eren's character was thrown out for the finale and I just don't think this is true.

I understand the complaining about the exaggerated outburst about Mikasa, but just go back to the Trost arc and the first chapters:

- Eren is no longer looking for revenge.

- He clearly cared about Armin and Mikasa since the start. So few people mention Grisha's words about him controlling this power to save them in the context to this final chapter. He did it. He gave them a new chance at life by the end.

- The story started with Eren swearing to eradicate the Titans and it ends with him essentially doing so. It's partially because of OG Ymir, but he is a big part of it.

- The most important part to me is that the genocide is condemned. Directly and subtextually.

- The entire point of this is that the consequences are single-minded and selfish. The story never set up Eren to be this selfless hero OR some blind monster who just wants destruction. He's motivated by what he personally cares for the most.

His ending is completely fine to me.

I think Armin's and Levi's endings are the best, with Armin's edging out Levi because Armin actually has a substantial character arc.

Armin's ending is a callback to the situation in chapter 11.

People hate Armin just because he supposedly killed Bert and "replaced" Erwin (because of the young coming after the old trope), but Levi straight-up says that he can't replace Erwin. Erwin's death is not painted as a positive thing. It's, again, a selfish decision.

But I love his arc. All he can do is the best with the circumstances he has been given and the talents he has. Him convincing the Marleyans through diplomacy is the best ending to his arc I think you can get.

He doesn't have to be coaxed into action. He acts with confidence all the way through. I think it's really good. There is so much talk about Armin worship, but I really think his journey and his principles aren't bad ones to emphasize.

Levi gets the closure for his friends at the Survey Corps. His is one of the more simpler character endings and his character is one of simpler ones. There is no need to look back at any context here. He killed Zeke and that's it.

Finally, there is the character you asked about, Mikasa. I like her ending. She is mourning Eren, but she still has the good memories of him and her friends are coming to visit her soon. I think the final sentiment is that while she lost Eren, she is not alone and will live on for them and in Eren's memory. I think as a big finale maybe everyone arriving at the tree to visit her would've been more emotionally potent and "definite", but I like it.

My biggest issue with the ending is actually how some of the characters were handled. I think all of the characters could've gotten at least a small scene all to themselves to show their growth and emotional state like Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Levi and to a smaller extent, Reiner did. Eren obviously got the most focus because he kind of caused a global genocide.

I very much think a lot of the issues people prescribe to this ending come from a lack of reading comprehension and selective reading. I really do feel like it. Obviously interpreting something is very subjective and maybe for some it's just a matter of conveyance or *how* things are written. I can understand where this comes from, too. But I just don't agree with a lot of the claims made I see.

Armin doesn't thank Eren for the genocide. He thanks him for willing to do it for them and says what he did was a mistake.

Eren isn't just doing all of this for Mikasa. He's also motivated by ending the Titan curse (for them to be free of it) and saving everyone else. This is meant to be selfish and single-minded.

OG Ymir "loved" King Fritz because she got approval from him for everything she did and eventually she wanted to be free from this awful relationship.

And I really do not think this is some 300 IQ reading strats, personally (I've seen people say you have to look at the tiniest details to make sense of it, but I feel like you really don't, just read everything they say and put it in context [together] with the previous 138 chapters. I can even explain how I do this if anyone is interested).

If anyone is interested, I can also explain why people might find the prose confusing and stilted.

I think the characters literally tell you what they are thinking. This is the case with stuff like Evangelion's ending, too.

I think it's the prose of those final two episodes and the series in general that also causes Eva to be labelled as confusing.

What I do think can happen is that the anime can expand on some of the stuff. Maybe add a few lines in for everyone to make their arcs clearer.

But at the same time some of those closures were in the earlier story, like the convo between Jean and Connie in 138 or Jean's daydream of a good life after everything is over or Reiner's confrontation and conversations with all of the characters during this entire arc. Everyone already has had some form of closure at least.

But some of it could be reiterated to get a smoother end to everything, I guess. I think it takes some people out of the story that some of the endings didn't feel as smooth as they could've been or didn't have as much of a neat bow attached to them as they could've had.

Thank you for the ask!

[mikahorror]

another old story, sorry. this one was published in a short story anthology called Screech: A Collection of paranormal Stories (i had to go wayyy back to to this post bc i’m not searching through a ton of boxes for that book lol) but the publisher no longer exists so i think it’s okay to post this here. 

This was my first horror story and I only edited a few words here & there, so keep that in mind 😬

Aniyah Burke’s slippered footsteps were muffled as she walked the carpeted hallways of her new home. A two story mansion left by a grandmother she’d spoken to only by letter and in hazy memories from childhood of conversations in a kitchen that smelled of herbs. Of cookies, and incense. That same kitchen felt cold now. It held a heaviness that could only be left behind by sudden emptiness. Now silence reigned, darkness drew back from the sun’s rays but gathered its strength in corners daylight couldn’t reach. All that remained then was the waiting. Aniyah stopped her wandering to find she stood before a door she’d kept locked for weeks. Weeks of time marked by the only working clock; a loud jolting noise that rattled her bones wherever she was. She heard it when she visited the town. She heard it when she was miles away lost in the noise of the city. Until she confined herself within the walls of this family gift. Waiting for the thundering ring. For the voice. For….

“Aniyah. I am here.”

A voice that sung of wilderness unchecked. Paid no heed to self-important boundaries of the mundane. A voice that has called to all who stood within these walls. That now calls to her, reaching inside to tease the locks of her mind.

Her hand turned the knob though her mind tried to reject her actions. Her eyes were blind, blinking as if that could dispel the darkness as she crossed the room to stand before it’s only window. She drew back the dark red, silk drapes to see him. A wolf made of shadow and smoke that moved between trees on the same winter breeze that blew away what remained of their leaves. His eyes had filled her dreams. Eyes holding the richest browns; flowing from light to dark with just a turn of his head. Her eyes.

“And you will wait. Out there. Until I’m too feeble to turn you away.”

His laugh was brittle, sadness laced with wariness. It sent a rush of cold over Aniyah. She tried to fight the shiver that ran down her spine, making her stomach cramp and toes curl. Through the tears that sprang to her eyes, Aniyah saw him move closer. He left no footprints in the steadily building snow. Not a single blade of grass noted his passing but his presence filled the space between them. 

“Then I will wait.” Images of his curved fangs flashed through Aniyah’s mind. “I have waited before. Waited for them to bring you here.”

“My grandmother didn’t bring me here for you.”

None of her letters had mentioned a spirit of the woods. Even in the last letters when she revealed the depth of her craft. His nearness made her senses tingle. A disorienting nearness that made Aniyah press her hand against the window pane to remind herself she was still within the house.

His response was a thoughtful, drawn out, “No.”

She looked up and met his gaze across the backyard that stretched on for another mile.

“But you are here, with me. Our magic together again.”

Aniyah closed the drapes and ran from the room. She couldn’t hear through the pounding in her ears. Her chest ached and her throat burned as her lungs tried to take in enough air. Aniyah found herself in her grandmother’s bedroom where the protective warmth of her magic remained the strongest. The light of her spirit, her work, gave Aniyah hope. Someone had removed her grandmother’s altar, sanitized her room of any ritual work, long before Aniyah’s arrival but it was here she felt the most protected. Where she’d come since he first showed himself to her. Falling onto the bed, she waited with her face buried in the comforter. Waited for the clock to chime again, when the door between them would be closed. But this time he didn’t leave. Didn’t accept her dismissal.

“I have waited through generations.”

Aniyah prayed fervently for the clock to chime. Her hands clenched.

“I will wait until the seasons bring a form you will accept.”

Aniyah let out a shuddering gasp and, finally, the clock chimed.

.

.

.

Cashapp: $mikamoonsong 

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/MikaWrites

if you enjoy my writing

[the1stn0elle]

Attack on Titan Analysis Prt.1

This analysis will contain MAJOR spoilers for the AoT series, so if you wish to not have anything spoiled be warned now. This is also not a FULL analysis of the series since it is so ridiculously plot heavy. It would take probably over 100 pages for me to get to everything I'd want to, so this is all for now :)

Summary:

Attack on Titan (AoT) follows the story of a civilization of people forced into living trapped behind walls due to the fear of the giant human-like creatures called titans who thirst for nothing but human flesh and blood. Titans have terrorized the remainder of humanity for many years and the population has been kept safe behind the 3 walls Maria, Rose, and Shina for an entire century. The main 3 characters of the story Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlert witness the end of a century of peace as the colossal peeks above the 60-meter tall walls that have successfully protected humanity for 100 years and kick a giant hole in it, exposing all of the civilians to the horrors of the bloodthirsty titans. The 3 friends strive to become members of the survey corps, a group dedicated to protecting the people from titans and uncovering the many mysteries of the existence of titans; in order to reach their goals, they must complete grueling training to prepare them for venturing outside the walls to slaughter titans and bring the creatures to their extinction, but the duty of a corps member evolves being prepared for one’s likely and untimely death while fighting against the titans. AoT is a thought-provoking story that is based around perspectives and discovering the mysteries surrounding the near extinction of humanity. Questions are posed throughout as the plot is filled with twists and surprises, and morals are questioned as the viewers grapple with themes such as “do the means justify the ends?” and “who is the real enemy?”.

Analysis:

Part I: Erwin Smith

(MAJOR SPOILERS)

The Monstrous Commander

AoT is very morally complex in the sense that when an entire group of individuals risks their lives by going outside the walls to save humanity, an individual must lead the herd. Said individual goes by the name Erwin Smith, the commander of the survey corps. Erwin is an individual who must send thousands of his soldiers to their death during each expedition outside of the walls; Erwin’s a pretty morally gray character since his job is to ultimately save humanity but the question is at what price? Immeasurable sacrifices are made in the form of human lives as a successful expedition may result in the loss of more than 40% of the soldiers due to being devoured by titans. At an outward appearance, Erwin is a strong leader who is willing to become a monster in order to provide the eventual win of humanity over the titans, but when diving deeper into his character he is a man who is caught up in his childhood desire to learn all the answers to the mysteries about titans and the world that he lives in.

In these few panels, Armin Arlert picks apart how commander Erwin is an amazing leader despite what many people may believe since he has the ability to make sacrifices even though the outcome may be devastating as many lives will most likely be lost in the process. Armin’s opinion of a great leader is brought around again at different points in the story to emphasize its importance.

Part II: Eren Jaeger

The Boy who Wished for Freedom

Eren Jager is the main character of AoT and might be one of the most dynamic characters in his amazing character development throughout the story. Eren starts as a hotheaded teenager whose only desire is to eradicate all the titans after witnessing his mother and hundreds of people die after the collapse of wall Maria by the colossal and armored titans. His bloodthirst for killing the titans is unnerving in its intensity but he’s become dedicated to the cause because he no longer wishes to live like cattle enclosed in walls for the rest of his life. Eren’s core value throughout the entire series is freedom. Each and everything Eren does is to attain freedom in the hellish world he was born into. His value of freedom is most notably portrayed when Eren is out with his father Grisha Jaeger to visit the Ackerman family; Eren finds Mikasa in her home with the dead bodies of her parents accompanied by dangerous individuals attempting to kidnap her. Eren’s solution to the situation is to aid Mikasa in killing the individuals who have murdered her parents. The turn of events is quite frightening as both Mikasa and Eren were only 10 years old at the time, but it highlights Eren’s desire for freedom. He saw that Mikasa’s freedom was being threatened and he felt so passionately about this that he was not fazed at the prospect of killing the kidnappers who were trying to steal someone’s freedom.

Eren and Armin are able to bond over an illegal book that has drawings and descriptions of the world outside the walls and both boys instantly develop the desire to travel outside the walls to go see the vastness and beauty of the ocean. It serves as a goal to mark their eventual freedom from the terrors of the titans.

After the breaching of wall rose by the colossal titan the cadets experience their first real mission and witness many of their comrades die in the jaws of titans. Eren has headstrong and confident as ever lands himself into the stomach of a titan after protecting Armin from being eaten. Eventually, it is revealed that Eren can turn into the creatures he despises with his whole being. A titan. Following the discovery, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin are tasked with the challenge of trying to convince the leaders of the military factions that Eren is on humanity’s side and will not resort to killing more people. The major event is followed by many trials and questions in whether or not Eren is a threat to humanity until he is finally taken into the care of the survey corps where commander Erwin and “Humanity’s Strongest” Levi Ackerman are finally able to convince the military police to give them custody of Eren. It is concluded that Eren is to be kept alive as a comrade of humanity as he claims that his childhood home in wall Maria has a basement that holds secrets about the titans.

A Life that Carries Weight

As the story progresses, Eren goes from a headstrong hothead to a boy that carries an immense amount of weight on his shoulders. Eren realizes that his very life holds a great weight; many soldiers and civilians die for the small thread of hope that the Jaeger home’s basement holds important information about the titans that will lead to the victory of humanity. The world of AotT is nothing short of being bleak and void of hope so it is understandable that Erwin and other members of the corps are willing to take the risk because what do they have to lose? Up to this point, Eren has faced numerous great losses ranging from the death of his mother, learning how he caused the death of his father, his most trusted comrades being uncovered as traitors, etc. Eren’s mental state is in tethers as he tries to come to terms with the meaning and value of his life and begins to wonder if he was ever “special” to begin with but has been burdened by a special path of life by his father. All of these events take place in the royal government arc of the story. Historia Reiss (formerly known as Krista), a character who was previously only in the background assumes an important role as it is revealed that she is some of the last bit of true royal blood left in the world.

Following Historia’s growing importance to the story, we learn more about the titans and where they come from. I won’t get into all of the technicalities of the 9 titan powers and whatnot but the most important fact to note is that all titans existed as humans at some point in time. Due to the complexity of the topic, I will only graze the surface and state that humans become titans with an injection of spinal fluid from an individual of Eldian descent, this includes almost all of the humans that reside within the walls (I will come back to this sometime later). Rod Riess, Historia’s father has received help from the interior military police to capture his daughter and Eren to have Historia inherit the power of the attack titan which is currently held by Eren (was given to him by his father Grisha). Eren snd Historia learns that the 9 major titan powers are passed down when one consumes the individual possessing the power; this means Rod wishes to have Historia eat Eren so she gains the attack titan power, meaning the power will be in the hands of a pure royal and only those of royal descent can fully harness the power of the 9 titans.

Eren’s capture by Rod is marked by the total collapse of Eren’s mental fortitude as it all but crumbles when he discovers the crimes his father has committed and the consequences of his actions that have led Eren to shoulder such an enormous burden that the once confident boy has lost all hope in himself and his existence.

Now before I get into the next few parts of Eren’s development I have to address the powers of the attack titan, the power that Eren currently possesses. The individual who carries the power of the attack titan can see the memories of their future inheritors which equates to the user being able to see the future. Up to this point, it has been confirmed that only those of royal blood can fully utilize the 9 titan powers. can

Following the events between Rod Reiss, Eren, and Historia, Historia is tasked with taking the throne as the current king is a fraud. At Historia’s crowning ceremony and the ceremony to commemorate the few survivors of the battle at shiganshina where the corps was finally able to uncover the truth about the titans with the information in Eren’s basement, a simple touch of Historia’s hand grants Eren to fully use the power of the attack titan and the future is revealed to him.

The scene marks the complete loss of the Eren Jaeger the viewers are familiar with and marks a new chapter in the story because at this point forward quite literally everything changes.

[oliveiraveiro]

Control

Open Heart, Rafael Aveiro x F!MC

Additional Rafael scene after the events of Book 2, Chapter 12 in which Casey seeks comfort from Rafael after the funeral.

rating: teen & up / words: 2117

note: a great day to raf stans only <3 this is my offering so we can all pretend ohsy doesn’t exist

Casey could swear she can hear her own heartbeat as she waited for someone to answer the door. Throughout the memorial, as well as in the past few days, she has done really well in putting up a brave face.

But after today… after Jackie, the strongest person she knew, broke down crying in front of her and fell asleep listening to her breathing… the gravity of losing two good people who were her friends finally hit her. And when she thinks about how she almost died too, how he almost died… she cannot help but to want to scream and cry and punch something all at the same time.

It is late at night, and she knows at the back of her mind that knocking at Juliana’s door at this time is too impolite. But she must see him. She just needs a reminder too that he is alive and breathing, that although she lost him before, he is not gone like Danny and Bobby.

Before she can focus on feeling like something is gripping her heart again as she thinks about them, Juliana finally opens the door. Her doubts about coming tonight completely turn into regret as she sees her looking sleepy in her nightgown, but before she can apologize and attempt to just leave, the older woman gives her a kind, sad smile and immediately motions her to come inside.

“Don’t worry, you didn’t wake me. Raf couldn’t sleep either.” Juliana thankfully says before she can fumble with her words. She is relieved that she is awake, but to hear that Rafael also was… Casey swallows the lump in her throat, willing herself not to tear up. “The room on the right upstairs.”

Casey simply gives her a grateful smile before she goes without hugging her or speaking a word because she knows she only needs one comforting touch for the dam holding back her tears to give out and break. She quietly runs up the stairs, then softly knocks at the familiar door of Rafael’s childhood room. A second passes then she hears an invitation to come in.

With a deep breath she opens the door, steps inside the room, then closes it behind her. She gives Rafael time to take in that she was here. She watches her own hand at the doorknob for another second before she turns and finally meets his gaze.

Rafael is sat up on his bed in a white T-shirt and gray sweats. Apart from looking like he recently woke up from a coma, it was very obvious that he had been crying. Casey watches him set something down on the side table as she walks towards him, and as soon as she realized it was the photobooth picture of them along with Sienna and Danny from the carnival, there was no stopping the dam from breaking.

She reaches for the photo but fails to take it as she falls to her knees after a violent sob. Casey cries, a hand holding onto Rafael’s knee for support as she lets out all that she has been keeping deep inside.

He quickly joins her on the floor, pulling her close to him so she can cry on his chest. He stopped crying almost half an hour ago, already thinking that there were probably no tears left in him, but the agony in Casey’s sobs has tears streaming down his face yet again.

To think that she was feeling the same torment as him. The same guilt, the same mourning, the same feeling of absolute helplessness. He holds her tight, wishing he can shield her from all the pain. But sadly, and extremely ironically, the way for them to process their grief is to first drown in it.

And so that is what they do. Like being near death’s doorstep hand by hand, they do it together.

For the first time, Casey lets herself feel. She lets herself feel beyond terrified thinking about what happened to them. She wallows in her grief for Danny and Bobby. She accepts the anger she has for Travis, for Senator Farrugia, for this unfair, cruel world. She lets her love for Sienna overwhelm her. The same with her love for Rafael. She takes in the guilt that she is relieved that he did not die too. That she did not. She lets all of it overcome her because Rafael is here to pull her back up to the surface.

Rafael also lets himself sink to the deepest end of his sorrow. He lets himself realize that all he can do right now is accept things as they are. That while he might be heroic, he is not a superhero who can and will save everyone all the time. And as terrifying this fact is, sometimes all he can do is save himself.

It did not seem like either of them could stop crying, but after maybe an hour Rafael was relieved to realize that sobs no longer wracked Casey’s body. He moves one of his arms, starting to gently rub her back.

Casey moves after another minute, wiping her face and sniffing, sitting next to Rafael so he could also change his position.

He looked even more of a mess now, and judging his ruined shirt, she knows she only looked worse. “Raf…” Casey starts, but was unable to continue without her lips trembling once again.

Rafael gives her hand a squeeze, pressing a gentle kiss on her lips, then another that lingers a second longer. “I know, Casey.” He answers softly before getting the both of them up and making her sit on the bed. He gets her some tissues and a glass of water from his desk and later they both lay on their backs on his bed, both comfortable and comforted by silence and each other’s presence.

Rafael was now just thinking about how warm his fresh shirt was, but Casey’s thoughts are still far away from the room.

“They’re gone, Raf. They’re really gone.” Casey finally speaks a sentence. “When we go back to Edenbrook, Bobby and Danny won’t be there.”

She spoke with such finality that Rafael feels like his face has been splashed with ice cold water. He struggles to take in a full breath of air, but he finds her hands and again he gives it a squeeze, their fingers interlocking. “They’re gone,” he agrees.

Casey looks over at Rafael, and he meets her gaze almost immediately. “But we’re still here.”

“We are.” This time Rafael answers without missing a beat. “And we’re gonna make it count. If not for ourselves, for the people who love us.”

“And Danny and Bobby?”

“Especially them.” Rafael agrees again, turning on his side to face Casey, and she follows suit.

She looks up into his eyes, then steals a glance at his lips. He smiles a little and slowly leans in to meet her lips with his, and they share a gentle, comforting kiss.

They pull away after a while, Rafael pressing another kiss on top of Casey’s head, and he pulls her close to him again.

“Did Sora ever come to visit?” Casey asks almost immediately, and despite being emotionally spent, Rafael finds it in him to laugh softly.

“Really? Right after our great kiss?” He gives her a small grin, to which she only smiles sheepishly. “She visited right after I was discharged.”

“What did she say?” Casey wraps an arm around his torso, cuddling closer. Despite now feeling numb with all that has happened, her heart flutters at how much she missed being this close to him and how safe it feels in his arms.

“She apologized for breaking up with me when she did.” Rafael lightly massages Casey’s shoulder with one hand.

“Did she want to take you back?” Casey was worried to ask despite being laid next to him in his bed right now.

“No. I think we both finally realized we both rushed into something we didn’t really want.” He sighs. “If I could just go back…” He starts, but then trails off. If the past few days and their recent crying session taught him something, it is that this kind of thinking is not going to help him or anyone.

“Listen, Casey, I know I can’t go back and change anything that already happened. But I just want you to know that I’m gonna do all that I can to make it up to you.”

Casey blinks slowly, biting on her lip. She was already in so much pain; she did not need to revisit how it felt like when Rafael left her. Granted, it already felt like forever ago, with all that has happened. But still… she has to know why he left.

“Why did you do it, Raf?” She asks, voice small. “I… I know we weren’t officially together, but we were dating. It was special-- at least I thought it was. Why did you leave me?”

Rafael takes a deep breath. “You’re gonna hate me.” He does not even need to look to know that Casey already had a frown, but he continues. “I didn’t really have a real reason. It’s like… something made me get back together with Sora. As soon as she got back to Boston she came here to visit Juliana when I was also over. When I opened the door and saw her, my childhood sweetheart, visiting my vovo at the same time I did, it felt like… fate, if you will. I just-- I had this voice in my mind telling me I should pursue her again.”

Casey still furrowed her eyebrows. Rafael, like always, is too honest, but after months of second-guessing herself, she finally knew the truth. She is conflicted if it was comforting or infuriating that it was not even about her.

“You didn’t… it wasn’t- about me? Or about us?” Her shaky voice told the both of them what she really felt.

“I’m sorry, Casey.” Rafael clenched his jaw. “If I could take it back, if I could somehow go back and make myself realize how much I loved you before I ended things between us…” he sighed deeply. “Up to this day I still regret that I only realized how very important you were to me when I already lost you. God, after I left you.”

She swallows, letting herself take a moment to process that. There was too much to unpack: suddenly she knows Rafael loved her and thought she was very important to him.

“What is this now, Raf? What are we doing here?” After a long moment, Casey asks.

“If you just need someone to lean on, Casey, I’m the perfect person. Not only because I’ve been through what you’ve been through… it’s the least I can do and want to do for you.” He starts. “If you just want that… that’s okay, and I’m here for you no matter what. But if you’ll still have me, Case, despite what I did and my reason for it… I want to give us another chance. We both lost so much, and I think it’s only fitting we start building our lives again together.”

Casey plays with her bottom lip, again taking a minute to let that sink in. Exhaustion is finally taking over her, and judging Raf’s sleepy voice despite his declaration of feelings, he is obviously tired as well. Casey pulled away a little so she can look up at Rafael, only able to ask, “You don’t have another childhood sweetheart I have to worry about? Because I swear I won’t be so nice the next time you leave me for no reason.”

He chuckles. “I won’t be living that down any time soon, am I?”

“You won’t be living it down, ever.” Casey grins.

“Well… as long as you take me back, I really won’t be in the position to complain.” Rafael holds Casey’s face with one hand, rubbing her cheek gently and smiling, eyes fluttering sleepily.

How absolutely adorable and lovable he looked made her kiss him again. It was way too gentle than their usual kisses, but right now it was perfect. Innocent, honest, genuine. “Get some sleep, my boyfriend who absolutely cannot break up with me for an ex-girlfriend from high school.” She presses another soft kiss on his lips once more.

“You won’t leave before I wake up?” Raf asks, pulling Casey’s body close to him again.

“I won’t if you promise not to break up with me for an ex partner from college or from work either.”

Again he laughs softly, eyes fluttering close. “I promise, Casey. I’ll love you and make you feel loved each day. I promise.” He whispers goodnight.

[kuronanox]

Looking from afar - Kyoraku Shunsui

Rejection

Kyoraku looked into the distance, his best friend and the love of his life together and happy. He couldn't help but feel the pain of loss. Of course he covered up the act of sadness by chasing other girls and by having the player boy persona. The academy days were the worse. They were young and dumb, he had to endure seeing (Your Name) and Jushiro in love.

"Hey pretty lady what's wrong?!" He happily calls out to her as she smiles and run towards him. "I got done training! You and Jushiro are so talented I'll never be able to keep up." She pouts under him as he chuckles and places his hand on her head. "You are perfect the way you are." He teased as she lightly blushes and looks away.

"Tch, whatever play boy." She says as they both laugh as she sees Jushiro walks from behind and her face lights up. "Jushiro!" She calls out and give him a big hug. The white haired man blushes and lightly hugs her back. Kyoraku only stared at their direction and hid his discomfort.

"I'll get going love birds." He says and waves them a goodbye. "Hmm I was going to ask him to eat with us." Ukitake says tilting his head in confusion.

The two best friend successfully made it to the Gotei Court and achieved Captain status. They were a talented bunch trained by the strongest man in Seiteitei himself Genryusai.

"I'm jealous, I wanna be popular and strong like you guys." (Your Name) pouts as she sees them wear the haori. "Don't I look beautiful (Your Name)!" Kyoraku cheers throwing an arm around her shoulder as she looks up to him and smile. "Not to bad if I say so myself."

"Don't be a tease." Ukitake says to her and slightly pouts.

"Boo! You are just jealous I didn't hug you yet." (Your Name) sticks her tongue out. Kyoraku just smiles and lets her go to Ukitake.

"It's always like this, letting her go. Well I got new captain duties to attend!" Kyoraku excuses himself as they bid him a farewell. After a good distance away from them he takes a look back. His two best friends hand in hand happily walking back to their barracks.

Jealously

"You are invited to the marriage of Ukitake Jushiro and (Your Name)." Kyoraku reads the letter out loud and lightly places it on his desk. He knew this day was coming, he didn't want admit he was hurting but deep down it tore him apart. The love of his life in the arms of another man and yet this man was his best friend and companion. He could never betray both of them even if it killed him.

As the days of marriage came closer (Your Name) would visit Kyoraku often and tell him about her ideas and theme for the weddings. "With a Captain salary I'm sure we can pay for the wedding we are envisioning." She says showing him the notes she wrote down as inspiration. He talks, but most of the time he would only give small input and smile. That's all he could do without breaking down.

"This is my wedding dress." She then process and shows the drawing the designer had made for her. Kyoraku was breathless, the dress was absolutely stunning. He could only imagine how beautiful she were going to look in it.

"It's so beautiful (Your Name)." He says as her face lights up. "Right! Can't wait till I get to try it on!"

Short months past by and he was standing as the best man. This was the ultimate mood killer, the very moment he saw (Your Name) walked out to the aisle in the dress he was mesmerized. Her smile was glowing but the glowing smile was not to his direction. It was to Ukitake and Kyoraku could feel jealousy swell up as he looked away.

Ukitake was getting sick, he was already weak during the academy days but as years past it seemed like it was getting worse. (Your Name) had to leave work often to take care of him.

One fall night she came running to Kyoraku barracks in tears. "What's wrong?!" He holds her shoulders as the words stutter out. "J-Jushi-Jushiro hasn't waken up and it's been 3 days."

"He's fine, he will pull through like he always does."

"I'm scared. Lately he's been in bed and unable to function. His coughs keeps him up. I feel like he can't be at peace ."

Kyoraku signs as they walk to (Your Name) and Ukitake shared room. He was in bed asleep, his face looked discomfort. "Jushiro." She calls out and holds his hand tightly.

Kyoraku knew it was wrong to be upset at the moment even though his friend was unconscious but he was upset (Your Name) could never look at him that way. "Why am I acting like a jerk right now? She's asking for your comfort and I'm just standing here."

He takes a seat next to the bed and quietly gives her company. This was the best he could do for now. "(Your Name) believe in him as he believe in you. He will pull through this."

She wipes her tears and nods. "Thank you."

Pain

"Just in case something ever happens to me, I want you to watch over (Your Name) for me." Ukitake says to Kyoraku one night as they shared a cup of sake. "What are you taking about? We are a invincible duo!" He cheers lighting up the mood.

"I'm serious, my body feels like it's giving out soon. And I know your feelings for her. I feel like a bad friend for knowing all these years and acting like I didn't know." He admits looking down ashamed as Kyoraku lost his smiles and looks up to the moon.

"Don't apologize, it was just meant to be this way. Just because I have feelings for her doesn't mean I don't want you two to be happy."

Ukitake sadly smiles and recalls all the good memories they've had at the academy days. "I know you could give her a better life. When my time comes."

It was a heavy topic but was cut short as Kyoraku promised and told all the stories when he tried to peep into the ladies shower room.

The Quincy attack had came and left Soul Society in chaos. (Your Name) was with Ukitake at his side as he was prepared to give his life up to become the Soul King right hand. (Your Name) had to be pulled away as Ukitake gave her one last smile. She wasn't thinking about the enemy at the moment she just knew she couldn't lose him.

The look on Ukitake face was like him telling her not to cry and be angry. The soft and gentle smile she would never see again.

Kyoraku couldn't help but allow Ukitake to do as he wished, he knew this day was coming. "Goodbye my friend." No tears feel as Kyoraku watch him yell in pain.

The unexpected happen as Ywached pulled Mimihagi from Ukitake as he collapsed and died instantly.

(Your Name) fell onto the floor, the site of her husband murdered and she couldn't be next to him at his final moments. "You have to be kidding me." It was like she was frozen in time. Before she could hold his body she was retrieved by a fellow comrade they retreated from the shrine. "NO! I'm not leaving without him." She begged as the tears fell.

"(Your Name)! You have to pull yourself together! Now isn't the time to be throwing a fit! We have a duty to uphold!" Kyoraku grabs her and yells. She could see the pain in his face. Of course he was hurting as much as she was. Giving one last painful look at Ukitake body laying limp she turned away. "Saving Soul Society comes first."  

Without saying a word to Kyoraku she dashed out of site to help the others.

Sadness

The war was over and (Your Name) had been out of sight for a couple of days after the funeral and burial of Ukitake. She sat on top of the grassy hill looking up to the sky. No more unexpected gifts or watching him trim the bonsai or giving him his favorite food ohagi. The feeling of emptiness engulfed her, the warmth in her eyes were gone.

"There you are." Kyoraku calls out and takes a seat next to her.

"It hurts." she says holding her heart.

"I know." His voice in pain.

(Your Name) hugged her knees and hid her tears from falling again, she didn't want to show her best friend she was crying again. After all they knew each basically their whole lives. "I'm glad I didn't lose both of you."

"He did it for a good reason, it was very unfortunate Ywach took him away from us."

There was silence for a long time and she didn't move from her position. Kyoraku stood from behind and embraced her. "It's okay to cry now. No one is here."

"Time will heal everything." she finally says sinking into the embrace and lifted her head to face him. Her teary eyes the color of waterfall fell as she sadly smile. (Your Name) added "Looks like it's the two of us now".

Kyoraku caresses her hair and hums. "I promised him I would take care of her, thank you for giving me the chance my friend."

"I promise to be by your side (Your Name), when you need me the most."

She looks up and smiles lighty. "Mm I won't lose anyone else important to me anymore."

[suitofvibraniumarmor]

** Writing Challenge **

I know, I know, my next one isn’t quite wrapped up yet, buttttt this idea came to me when my cousin and I were taking a walk down a ridiculous part of Memory Lane and I got excited. I’m guessing this has been done before at some point -- that’s not stopping me from presenting to you: 

I love fluff. And I wanna see more of it! 

Below the cut you will find some prompts that, in the context of Twilight, are absolutely cringe-worthy. My challenge to you is to take that prompt and make it something we can love. 

Disclaimer: I’m not Twilight-shaming ANYONE. I literally sat and watched all of Eclipse and now want to watch both Breaking Dawns. It’s more about sentiment, and the occasional girly giggle for me, but ... yeah. No judgement here, friends. 

Guidelines, prompts, and tags are below the cut! (Yes, I copied and tweaked from my last writing challenge. I’m being efficient, thank you! :P )

Please read all of the information carefully!

Rules, Guidelines, Important Dates:

Sign-Ups start when this post is live and will go through to December 30, 2020. I will accept two people for each prompt, one prompt per author.

Please send your sign-ups to my ask box so they’re easier to keep track of. I will answer them privately so I’m not flooding anyone’s dash!

In your ask, please include your preferred prompt and a backup option, as well as your pairing (so I don’t take the same pairing for the same prompt). Also, please let me know if you’ll be posting from a URL other than one you’re asking from.

To be included in the challenge masterlist, please post your fic (or the first part, if it’s a series) by Decemeber 31, 2020.

Please include an author’s note tagging me and mentioning the challenge in your fic post; include #BetterThanTwilightWC in the first five tags. If the tag doesn’t work, you may DM the link to me, also. If you decide to write a series, please tag me in the masterlist.

Please give me up to 48 hours to read your fic before checking if I have seen it. If I have not liked it after 48 hours, please DO check. (You know, since we’re all aware of how unreliable tumblr is. And how unreliable my mind can be. Yikes.)

The challenge masterlist will be posted between January 1 and January 4, 2020.

There are no word count limits, but please use the Keep Reading feature if your story goes beyond 500 words. Additionally, if your fic goes beyond 5000 words, please consider splitting it into multiple parts. This is not a requirement, only something to think about.

Yes, this is a FLUFF challenge, so you MUST have fluff as your main genre. You’re more than welcome to include other genres, but you MUST have a happy and/or hopeful ending.

You’re welcome to think outside of the box! Just because I’m talking Twilight and love stories, doesn’t mean there has to be romance! Give me  amazing friendships or strong family bonds or self-love. Or romance! Whatever you’d like. 

You're welcome to change pronouns in the prompt as necessary! Heck, I tweaked a few of ‘em so they’re not Twilight-specific.

For personal reasons, I do not read and will not accept into the challenge (which means I will not reblog or add to the masterlist) stories that include: non-con/dub-con, underage sex, adult-child romantic/sexual relationships, spouse-bashing, child abuse – I could go on, but I think you get the idea. If you’re not sure about something, I’m always happy to answer questions!

Bring on the ships, OC’s, reader pairings – I’m trying to be more open-minded as of late, but I can’t promise that I will read everything. Again, for personal reasons. But I will reblog everything! 

Characters and RPFs from Marvel/MCU are both welcome. 

If you need an extension or need to drop out, please know that I am extremely flexible when it comes to that deadline/due date. In the words of Captain Barbosa, “It’s really more of a guideline.” Just shoot me an ask or a message and we’ll work something out, no worries! 

Prompts: 

1. “I have always loved you, and I will always love you.”  2. “The clouds I can handle. But I can’t fight with an eclipse.”  3. “I know what you are.”  4. “You held out your hand and I took it without stopping to make sense of what I was doing.” 5. “You have a connection with her that I’ll never understand.” 6. “I’m glad she has you.” 7. “It will be like I never existed. I promise.” 8. “I knew who I wanted to be. I wanted to help people. Brings me happiness.” 9. “That will take a while to get used to.” “We have a while.” 10. “What if I’m not the hero? What if I’m the bad guy?” 11. “I’d rather hear your theories.” 12. (sarcastically) “Super. That makes me really happy.” 13. “You’re like my own personal brand of heroin.” 14. “Maybe I shouldn’t be dating such an old man. It’s gross. I should be thoroughly repulsed.” 15. “It’s an extraordinary thing to meet someone who you can bare your soul to and they’ll accept you for what you are.” 16. “I’ve been waiting for what seems like a very long time to get beyond what I am.” 17. “I feel like I can finally begin.” 18. “He’s totally gorgeous, obviously. But apparently nobody here is good enough for him.” 19. “He did say I couldn’t step inside the door. I came in through the window.” 20. “I know things. Like how to hunt somebody to the ends of the earth. And I know how to use a gun.” 21. “Now I’m afraid.” “Good.” 22. “I’m not afraid of you. I’m only afraid of losing you.” 23.  “About three things I was absolutely positive ...” 24. “You’re so stubborn.” 25. “Do you know how worried I’ve been?” 26. “I can’t even think about someone hurting you.” 27. “The only thing that can hurt me is you, and I don’t have anything else to be afraid of.” 28. “Don’t antagonize her. She’s the strongest one in the house.” 29. “All right. That’s enough experimenting for one day.” 30. “It never made sense for you to love me.” 31. “I wish there had been someone to vote no for me.” 32. “It’s just a little baby.” 33. “How strongly are you opposed to grand theft auto?” 34. “I’m not missing another fight!” 35. “No one can hide like me.” 36. “If I asked you to stay in the car, would you?” 37. “I have one condition, if you want me to do it myself.” 38. “I had an adrenaline rush. It’s very common. You can Google it.” 39. “How did you get in here?” “The window.” 40. “I love a happy ending. They are so rare.” 41. “You should put your seatbelt on.” 42. “Can you talk about something else? Distract me so I won’t turn around.” 43. “I can’t live in a world where you don’t exist.” 44. “After all the thousand times I’ve told you I love you, how could you let one word break your faith in me?” 45. “Maybe that’s why they kicked me out.” 46. “All of my best nights have happened since I met you.” 47. “You know everybody’s staring?” “Not that guy ... no, he just looked.” 48. “She wishes she was that awesome.” 49. “Does he visit often?” “Yeah, all the time.” 50. “Lie ... Lie better.” 51. “I’m Switzerland.” 52. “That should have been our first kiss.” 53. “Would you like to hear my story? It doesn’t have a happy ending -- but which of ours does?” 54. “Another party?” “It’ll be fun.” “Yeah. That’s what you said last time.” 55. “You are the only one who has ever touched my heart. I will always be yours.” 56. “The way he watches you. It’s like he’s willing to leap in front of you and take a bullet or something.” 57. “Kill me! Not him!” 58. “Stay.” “Give me one good reason.” 59. “Yeah, it’s and off day when I don’t get somebody telling me how edible I smell.” 60. “Damn it! You’ll be the death of me, I swear you will.” 61. “If I could dream at all, it would be about you. And I’m not afraid of it.” 62. “Do I dazzle you?” 63. “I’m tired of trying to stay away from you.” 64. “Bring on the shackles, I’m your prisoner.” 65. “You are my life now.” 66. “And then we continued blissfully into this small, perfect piece of our forever.” 67. “Nobody’s ever loved someone as much as I love you.” 68. “I don’t know what happened.” “You love him.” 69. “All of sudden it’s not gravity holding you to the planet, it’s her. Nothing else matters. You would do anything, be anything for her.” 70. “You really love her?” 71. “I don’t see the whole point of the rest of the world without her.” 72. “Then I found a promising site ... I waited impatiently for it to load, quickly clicked closed each ad that flashed across the screen. Finally, the screen finished -- simple, white background with black text; academic-looking. Two quotes greeted me on the homepage:” 73. “I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.” 74. “I’ll be fighting for her, too, and I’ll be fighting twice as hard as you will.” 75. “It’s always been him.” 76. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited for you.” 77. “They’re coming for her.” “They’re not gonna touch her.” 78. “Doesn’t he own a shirt?” 79. “You know, if it weren’t for the fact that we’re enemies and that you’re also trying to steal away the reason for my existence, I might actually like you.” 80. “You have disappeared. Like everything else.” 81. “The absence of him is everywhere I look.” 82. “I don’t have the strength to stay away from you anymore.” 83. “Your number was up the first time I met you.” 84. “We all like to drive fast.” 85. “It’s too easy to be myself with you.” 86. “I’ve never given much thought to how I’d die, but dying in the place of someone I love seems like a good way to go.” 87. “Don’t tempt me too far. My patience isn’t that perfect.” 88. “His tone questions my sanity, but it only made me more suspicious. It was like a perfect delivered line by a skilled actor.” 89. “What’s he mad about?” 90. “No measure of time with you will ever be enough.” 91. “I promise to love you forever, every single day of forever.” 92. “We’re gonna be great friends!” 93. “If I had my way, I would spend the majority of my time kissing him.” 94. “Until your heart stops beating.” 95. “I touched the cool miracle of his ski, and I was home.” 96. “Forbidden to remember, terrified to forget; it was a hard line to walk.” 97. “This isn’t the time to make hard and fast decisions. This is the time to make mistakes.” 98. “Leave it to you ... you have to start hanging out with the first weirdos you can find.” 99. “I love him much more than I should, and yet still nowhere near enough.” 100. “I refuse to be affected by territorial disputes.”

Tags for possible interest/signal boosting (if you’re so inclined): 

 @captain-s-rogers​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked​​​​​​​​​ @hurricanerin​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @horsesandbandsforlife​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @im-not-an-armrest-im-short​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @captain-rogers-beard​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @shynara51​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @sea040561​​​​​​​​​​​​​  @pinknerdpanda​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @xtina2191​​​​​​​​​​​​��� @jackryanplz​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @beakami​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @heartsaved​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @fullprunerebelstatesman​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @blackwidowismyhomegirl​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @the-murder-strut-murdered-me​​​​​​​​​​​​​  @shield-agent78​​​​​​​​​​​​​  @jennmurawski13​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @okay-maybe-i-like-marvel-too​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[officialotakudome]

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WandaVision Season 1 Review

The new era of Marvel Television begins with WandaVision. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Wanda Maximoff has continued her grief stricken life in wake of the death of her lover Vision. With her powers ever growing Wanda takes the small town of Westview hostage to cope in a mind-binding super hero take on classic and modern sitcoms.

WandaVision is a 2021 superhero sitcom, it is produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney. It aired exclusively on Disney+. Season one is currently available in its entirety. 

Editor’s Note: Near complete to complete spoilers for WandaVision and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole may be present within this review. 

The next stage in the Marvel Cinematic Universe begins in WandaVision.

WandaVision begins a new era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the first of insanely big budgeted TV series for the Disney+ platform. After the shut down of Marvel Television and incorporating it into Marvel Studios proper many were worried about the future of Marvel properties coming to the small screen. Thankfully while it’s not necessarily on traditional TV the small form Marvel content will continue in even greater heights due to Disney’s push for it’s streaming platform. And WandaVision is already a big part of that move. Acting as an homage to classic sitcoms old and modern WandaVision is a superhero trip that’s for fans of all Marvel content.

WandaVision’s consistent roller-coaster ride story keeps viewers on their toes.

THE GOOD: The series takes place sometime after Endgame. The world is still recovering from the snap reverse & the fact that time has skipped for a majority of the world. Wanda, still grieving over the loss of her lover Vision has lost control of her powers and even some of her sanity. She unknowingly uses her powers to change the small town of Westview into the image of the TV sitcoms she watched with her family as a child. Fearing her power Wanda is investigated by S.W.O.R.D a government agency meant to be the space focused version of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Monica Rambeau has a particular interest in Wanda sympathizing with her after losing her mother to cancer. Believed to be having a waning mental state Wanda changes the world design of Westview based on different eras of TV sitcoms. Wanda is eventually revealed to be mostly sane choosing Westview as her method of coping having lost Vision twice.

As the world design changes so does the storyline Wanda created for the series, including the title, aspect ratio, and cast of characters. Wanda becomes pregnant and soon gives birth to twins. Meanwhile S.W.O.R.D has been sending in agents in an effort to stop Wanda and save the citizens of Westview. But they instantly become apart of Wanda’s Westview upon entering. Even the sympathetic Rambeau becomes a victim of it. The more S.W.O.R.D. intervenes the more erratic Wanda becomes in retaliation. Rambeau eventually regains herself after escaping Westview and returning to real life. 

Vision becomes suspicious of Wanda after strange interactions with his co-workers & neighbors. The twins have also begun aging at an accelerated rate and also gain superpowers. One night Vision finally has enough and questions Wanda only for her “brother” Pedro to appear. This Pedro is in the form of the FOX’s X-Men universe, but Wanda has complete recognition of him. S.W.O.R.D ramps up it’s attack on Westview and Vision finds the exit for the altered Westview. As he attempts to escape the area, Wanda’s powers resists him and he’s nearly erased. When his son feels Vision’s pain Wanda increases the reach of the altered Westview which encases others including Darcy who was helping S.W.O.R.D. 

Vision and Darcy become apart of the rebooted Westview with slight memory loss. Vision recognizes Darcy and they work together to return to Wanda. However, the world is rejecting them causing a multitude of distracts that stop them in their tracks. Eventually regaining their memories Vision flies off to Wanda, leaving Darcy behind. Wanda feels as if she’s losing control of the world and Agatha Harkins who kidnapped the she reveals she was behind all of the chaos. Agatha reveals that she is an actual witch from the Salem trials era and wanted to absorb Wanda’s powers to control the Darkhold an ancient spell book with powerful magic. Agatha also reveals that Wanda holds the title of Scarlet Witch an ancient witch with chaos magic abilities. S.W.O.R.D unveils a man-made version of Vision which was made from the original with intent to be controlled on their command. 

As Agatha threatens the boys in front of Wanda and Vision returns only to be attacked by White Vision. A dual battle ensues between Agatha & Wanda and Vision & White Vision. After a conversation Vision returns White Vision’s memories causing him to abandon S.W.O.R.D. and fly off. Agatha & Wanda’s fight makes it to town where the citizens memories have returned. Begging Wanda to free them she complies only to stop when Vision & the boys begin to disappear. Monica who had returned to the world with her DNA changing her into a superhuman offers to help Wanda. She & the boys along with Vision fight and defeat S.W.O.R.D who were intervening. 

Agatha has released magical runes which has taken over the altered Westview. Just as it appears that Wanda has been defeated she reveals that she tricked Agatha. Taking control of Agatha’s runes Wanda transforms into the Scarlet Witch and defeats Agatha. Instead of killing Agatha she returns her to her fake Westview personality as a hostage planning to use her vast knowledge in the future. 

Head of S.W.O.R.D, Director Hayward is arrested for his actions. Monica and Agent Woo who had been trying to protect Wanda take care of clearing her name as she heads off with her family. As she releases Westview from her control she says goodbye to her family. Monica is visited by a Skrull posing as a human who invites her to the S.H.I.E.L.D station in space. Wanda studies the Darkhold in her Scarlet Witch form and suddenly hears her children crying her name.

WandaVision is a story of overcoming loss and grief.

Initially, WandaVision is rather slow paced, but picks up around episode threeish. As a fan of nearly all of the sitcoms parodied I think the series personally connects with me more than the average viewer. I was able to get all the references and inside jokes, but I can see someone who isn’t particularly a fan of even one of said sitcoms being lost & put off from the direction. Also just wanted to shout that I was shocked a bit seeing the Malcolm in the Middle repping, but happily so as it’s probably my favorite sitcom of all time. This was surprisingly laxed in action compared to previous MCU work. However, given the focus was to establish magic, multiverses, and other key Marvel elements into Phase 4 this is understandable. Though I can see the heavy focus on story & world building being a major turn off for casual MCU fans. In regards to the action, while it was there it’s what you’d expect from a big budgeted Marvel project. However, I must stress that there’s a rather large absence of it.

The twists and turns that start to unfold midway through the series is a fun ride. And WandaVision knows how to have fun with itself. Commercials were used as inside jokes and one even references Hydra. Kathryn Hahn as Agatha also kind of stole the show with her always on energy. She flourishes with the comedic villain character type. The acting as a whole is probably some of the strongest currently in the MCU.

The series features big implications for the future of Marvel Studios.

THE BAD: The series is a slow burn in such a way that you may have to take small breaks. Normally binging would be an advantage here with every episode being available. But even so it can be a turn off until about episode three or four when things really kick into place. There’s also some balancing issues with the storytelling. Like for example there’s a mailman who frequently pops up as if he’s an important character to the show like Agatha, but it goes no where. There’s a handful of times where it felt like the story went there with certain threads. Also viewers should be warned that this is lacking on action compared to previous Marvel efforts. With most of said action being restricted to the final episodes.

WandaVision is a successful first entry into the Disney+ Marvel TV era.

OVERALL THOGHTS: WandaVision isn’t perfect, but it sets up the future of the MCU in a beautiful way. Though there are a few pointless teases and some stories feeling like they were flat out dropped. Despite this, WandaVision (mostly) lives up to it’s hype. Even with some early opening hiccups for the series. Otaku Dome gives WandaVision an 80 out of 100.