#infirmary commentary

[gremlin-box]

So... since we're finally getting staff cards on the EN server....

Should I do a fake 4th year Vern card for his internship at the infirmary? Name it something like Apothecary Coat or Apprentice Coat?

[hxntresses]

She's not angry. Just disappointed.

Okay, maybe a little angry. Or a lot angry. Also a little disturbed.

[solxamber]

Coughing up Love - Idia Shroud x reader

You don't think much of it when Idia starts acting weird because let's be real, that seems to be his default around you. Wait are those flowers he's coughing up?

There’s something odd about Idia lately. He’s acting weird—well, weirder than usual, and that’s saying a lot for someone who’s mastered the art of avoiding people for weeks at a time. It’s subtle at first. His normally snarky, rapid-fire commentary seems more hesitant, his usual screen-lit complexion a bit paler, and he’s excusing himself mid-game way more often than usual.

And, most bizarre of all, every time you hang out, he always seems to keep something in his mouth. Gum, candy, or, more suspiciously, a fist pressed against his lips like he’s hiding something. You know Idia— he's socially awkward, sure, but when it’s just the two of you gaming or chatting, he’s rarely this strange.

Today, the two of you are halfway through an intense raid when he suddenly stands up, his chair creaking violently as he jerks upward.

“Pause! Time out, emergency bathroom break,” he blurts out, yanking his headset off with lightning speed and scrambling for the door.

You frown, watching his character get obliterated on screen. “Dude, you could’ve at least—”

“BRB!” he shouts, voice trailing off as he disappears into the hall. He’s gone in a flash, leaving you blinking at the door, wondering what just happened.

But that’s not the first time, nor will it be the last. Over the next few days, Idia pulls more disappearing acts than a badly programmed NPC. Mid-conversation? Poof, gone. Halfway through a snack? Vanished.

It takes a while, but eventually, the pieces staet to click together. You catch him out of the corner of your eye, face flushed pink, a hand pressed firmly to his mouth as he stifles a coughing fit during one of your game nights. At first, you’re concerned—it’s not like him to get sick, not seriously anyway. You suggest getting him medicine or a trip to the infirmary, but Idia adamantly waves it off.

“I-it’s nothing!” he stammers, trying to hold it together while choking down the coughs. “Just, uh, allergies! Y’know, dust and stuff. Old consoles… gotta, uh, clean them more…”

Suspicious. Old consoles? In Ignihyde? Yeah, right. You narrow your eyes, but drop the subject—at least for now. It’s not until later, when you see something float from his mouth—something blue and oddly petal-like—that you realize what’s happening.

You’ve heard of Hanahaki before. It’s practically a meme among some circles—an outdated trope, really. People coughing up flowers because of unrequited love? What is this, a 2000s anime fanfic? But now, watching a crumpled blue petal fall to the floor in slow motion, you realize that your very own shut-in gamer might be the rare exception to the rule.

The worst part? He’s really, really bad at hiding it.

A few days later, you invite him to hang out at Ramshackle, hoping the quiet environment will calm whatever’s been causing his weird behavior. Things seem fine at first—until you notice him coughing into his sleeve again.

This time, he has a backup plan.

“Are you okay?” you ask, brow raised as he muffles yet another cough.

“Yeah, totally! Just, um…” He rifles through his bag and pulls out a—oh dear sevens, is that a mask?

You can’t help it—you burst out laughing. “You’re… you’re seriously wearing a mask now?”

“It’s for—” He coughs violently again, eyes darting around as if looking for an escape. “For, uh, germs! You know, flu season! Gotta… gotta be prepared…”

You squint at him. “We’re indoors. And it’s summer.”

“Exactly!” he says, as if that makes sense. “The germs are, like, in the air! Sneaky buggers!”

The mask stays on for the rest of the evening, and every time you glance at him, you see his eyes flick away like he’s hiding something worse than a little cough.

His next attempt is, frankly, genius in its stupidity. You’re in his dorm, playing a co-op game, when the inevitable happens: he starts hacking up petals. At first, he plays it off with a hurried gulp of water, but soon the coughing becomes too much. With a gasp, he fumbles for something on his desk—a box of tissues? No, it’s a full-on dust mask this time.

“Idia, what the fu—”

“Pro-gamer tip,” he interrupts, voice muffled behind the mask. “Always be prepared for, uh… dust allergies! It’s, uh, a top-tier strat. Totally not s-suspicious.”

Dust? When he has Ortho making sure that he doesn’t perish? You stare, absolutely dumbfounded. “I’m starting to think you’re more allergic to honesty than dust.”

He laughs—well, tries to. It comes out as a garbled mix of coughing and awkward chuckles. “W-what are you talking about? I’m fine! Really!”

“Fine?” You raise an eyebrow, watching as more petals spill out of his sleeve. “You’re literally falling apart, dude.”

At this, his face burns bright pink, and his hair flares up, turning from it's usual blue to a mortified rosy hue. “N-no I’m not!” he protests weakly. “J-just a little springtime cold, that’s all.”

“Yeah, sure,” you say, crossing your arms. “Because spring colds definitely involve coughing up whole bouquets.”

There’s a brief pause as you both stare at the mess of petals on the floor. Idia winces, clearly defeated, and slumps back into his chair.

“...Crap.”

The look of his face tells you to let it go and you do, believing that it'll probably resolve itself. You weren't from this world, maybe it was common here and you were the one that's overreacting?

After another week of weird excuses, mask-related antics, and watching him suffer through increasingly ridiculous attempts to hide his Hanahaki, you’ve had enough. You’re going to get to the bottom of this once and for all.

You catch him mid-cough during one of his solo raids, bursting into his room without warning. Idia practically jumps out of his seat, slamming the pause button and whirling around with wide eyes.

“W-what are you doing here!?” he yelps, trying (and failing) to hide the petals littering his desk. “I—uh—this isn’t what it looks like!”

“Really? Because it looks like you’ve been coughing up whole flowers,” you say, deadpan, as you point to the pile of blue petals strewn across his keyboard. “Seriously, Idia. What’s going on?”

He freezes. For a moment, the room is deadly silent—except for the faint sound of digital gunfire in the background. His face, already pale, turns ghostly white, and his flames flicker pink in embarrassment.

“I…” He stammers, looking everywhere but at you. “I didn’t… It’s not…”

You cross your arms, raising an eyebrow. “Spit it out. Or should I say, ‘cough it out?’”

It’s the worst joke you’ve ever made, and yet, somehow, it breaks the tension. Idia lets out a wheezing, awkward laugh, though it quickly dissolves into another coughing fit. This time, he doesn’t even try to hide it—just pulls his knees up to his chest and buries his face in his arms, defeated.

“I’m such a loser,” he mumbles, voice muffled. “I thought maybe… maybe if I ignored it, it’d just go away. Y’know, like a glitch or something.”

Your heart clenches at the sight of him, all curled up and vulnerable. It’s so unlike the cocky, trash-talking gamer you’ve come to know. You crouch down beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

“Idia,” you say softly, “you’re not a loser.”

He peeks out from behind his arms, eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Y-yeah, right. I’m just the guy who gets Hanahaki because I can’t even confess like a normal person.”

You blink. “Wait—Hanahaki? Like actually?”

You did not expect that. You expected it to be some weird disease that was native to twisted wonderland and not actually Hanahaki of all things.

Idia winces, his hair turning a bright shade of pink as he realizes what he’s just admitted. He looks away, fiddling nervously with the edge of his sleeve. “...Yeah. It’s stupid, I know.”

For a moment, you’re speechless. All those strange behaviors, the coughing, the flowers—it all makes sense now. He’s got Hanahaki, and he’s been trying to hide it because…

“Idia…” you whisper, heart pounding. “You love me?”

He squeezes his eyes shut, his whole body trembling. “I-I mean, i-it’s not like I expect you to feel the same! I know I’m not, like, Vil-level handsome or anything. I just… didn’t want to ruin things.”

You feel a warmth spreading through your chest, and before you can stop yourself, you lean in, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek.

Idia goes completely still. His hair flares up, a brilliant pink, as he slowly opens his eyes in disbelief.

“Y-you…” he stammers, voice barely a whisper.

You smile softly. “I love you too, you dork.”

For a second, he just stares at you, as if he can’t quite process what you’ve said. Then, with a choked sob, he flings himself into your arms, burying his face in your shoulder as the last of the petals fall away.

“I’m such an idiot,” he mutters, but there’s a hint of relief in his voice. His arms tighten around you, and you can feel the rapid thumping of his heart against your chest.

"You’re not an idiot," you murmur, gently running your fingers through his hair. The flames have cooled down to a soft, warm pink, flickering faintly in the dim light of the room. "And you don’t need to be Vil-level handsome. You’re just you, and that’s more than enough."

Idia snorts, though it’s more out of disbelief than amusement. "Yeah, right. I’m just the weirdo who plays video games all day and coughs up flowers. Super attractive."

You pull back slightly, just enough to look him in the eyes. "Hey, I don’t care about that. Do you think I’d be hanging out with you all the time if I didn’t like you? I’m here because I care about you, Idia."

For a moment, Idia just stares at you, his mouth slightly open like he’s trying to come up with some kind of retort, but nothing comes out. He looks… overwhelmed, his usual sarcastic defense mechanisms short-circuiting under the weight of your words. His eyes dart away, then back to you, and finally, with a shaky breath, he mutters, "I don’t get it… Why me?"

You smile, brushing a stray petal from his hair. "Because you’re kind, even if you don’t realize it. You’re funny, you make me laugh all the time—even when you’re not trying. And you’re smart, way smarter than you give yourself credit for. I like being with you, Idia. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t."

His face flushes a deeper pink, his flames flickering erratically as he shifts nervously in your arms. "I-I… I don’t know what to say…" he stammers, his voice cracking slightly. "I thought for sure you’d think I was a weirdo or something."

You chuckle softly, resting your forehead against his. "Well, you’re my weirdo, then."

That earns a shaky laugh from him, though it quickly turns into another coughing fit. You gently rub his back as he coughs, but this time, instead of petals, there’s just the sound of his breath gradually evening out. He looks at you, wide-eyed, as if expecting to see more flowers—more proof of his self-doubt.

But the petals are gone. The weight that’s been crushing his chest, suffocating him with every breath, has finally lifted.

Idia stares at you for a long moment, his expression softening as the reality of the situation settles in. His arms loosen around you, but he doesn’t pull away—he stays close, resting his head on your shoulder with a sigh that’s both relieved and exhausted.

"Does this mean…" He hesitates, his voice barely above a whisper. "Does this mean we’re… together now?"

You grin, tilting his chin up so he has no choice but to meet your gaze. "If you want us to be."

Idia’s face erupts into a brilliant shade of pink, and for a moment, you think his face might actually catch fire. He quickly looks away, fiddling nervously with the hem of his shirt, but there’s a small, shy smile playing on his lips.

"I-I guess that’d be… kinda nice," he mumbles, almost inaudible.

You laugh softly, leaning in to press a kiss to his forehead. "It’s more than nice, Idia. It’s perfect."

For the first time since you’ve known him, Idia doesn’t argue. He doesn’t self-deprecate or brush off your words with sarcasm. Instead, he lets out a soft, content sigh, resting his head against you again, his flames warm and steady.

"Yeah," he whispers, his voice filled with quiet relief. "I think it is."

And for once, Idia Shroud—the boy who always felt like he didn’t deserve happiness—finally lets himself believe it.

You stay like that for a while, curled up together in the quiet of his room, the low hum of his gaming console filling the background. It’s peaceful in a way you never expected with Idia, who’s usually so frantic and anxious. But now, with the weight of unspoken feelings finally lifted, he’s calm. Happy, even.

After a long moment, he pulls back slightly, glancing at the screen. "Uh… w-we left the raid halfway through," he mumbles, as if the thought had just occurred to him. "My bad. We probably wiped the whole party by now."

You laugh, ruffling his hair. "I think they’ll survive without us for a bit. But we can jump back in if you’re up for it."

Idia hesitates for a second, then shakes his head. "Nah… I’d rather just… stay here. With you."

The admission is so soft, so vulnerable, that it makes your heart ache in the best possible way. You smile, pulling him close again, and this time, he doesn’t flinch or make any excuses. He just rests his head on your shoulder, his pink flames flickering contentedly.

Maybe it’s not the typical "fairy tale" kind of love. It’s awkward and a little messy, filled with gaming mishaps and coughing up flowers. But it’s real. And for Idia, that’s more than enough.

he's reminds me of a pathetic wet cat left in the rain but god do I love him

Masterlist

[berryz-writes]

Matheo Riddle Head canons

Takes AGESS to sleep, like literally stares at the ceiling for two hours to actually fall asleep unless your with him.( He'll fall asleep in 1 hour if your there 😏)

Is a light sleeper and wakes up even if you barely move

Has a resting bitch face. Is literally scaring people off left, right and centre

Likes to have his arm around your waist or shoulders when your walking together

ALWAYS complimenting you. Literally all the time. "You look gorgeous today" "You smell like fucking heaven"

Any time he hears a complaint or that your pissed off he will go out of his way to ask the person "Do we have a problem?"

Will always put something you like in your plate before serving himself

Loves calling you "princess"

Is smirking half the time your with him

He will literally get into two fights a week minimum (you have to stop him before he gets kicked out of the infirmary permanently)

Is really smart at potions and is always asking your opinion on who's better, him or Draco

You say Draco to annoy him (he won't kiss you until you say he's the best at potions) (literally lasts a day until he gives in)

Loves leaving hickeys/marks to show your TAKEN

Stands up for you even if your wrong. Will take the time to explain to you in private why you were wrong

Is literally carrying you from lessons to the quidditch pitch because he heard you say you were tired

When he can't sleep he'll trace your features really lightly, trying to memories you.

Says "I'd rather fucking die than not have you with me" on loudspeaker so everyone can hear. (Ofc everyone is jealous of your cute relationship.)

spends HOURS just listening to you rant and puts in his helpful advice/commentary

Your main source of gossip is Matheo because for some reason he knows everything

[it-happened-one-fic]

An Honor - Jamil

Author Notes: So this fic just kind of happened to be honest. I was bored one day and felt like writing, so I started writing. I suppose the idea behind this fic was that I've always felt like Jamil would be the sort of show off. As per usual, reader is gender-neutral. I hope you enjoy!

Type: Gender-neutral reader/ sfw/ fluff/ fliration/

Word Count: 1899

I blinked up at the young man who looked down at me from where he’d walked over to be my seatmate for the class. And slowly, a smirk appeared on his face that had the surprise slipping off of my face, only to be replaced with mild annoyance as he spoke, his voice filled with smugness, “What’s the matter, Prefect? You look like you just stumbled across an oasis in the desert.”

And people thought Jamil didn’t think highly of himself.

It was a fight not to roll my eyes as I glanced away from him. Pursing my lips slightly and looking toward the front of the class where Trein was watching his selected partners team up.

It was one of those classes where, in the interest of challenging the students, Trein had decided to mix up who we were working with. So instead of having Ace or Deuce with me, I was going to be sitting and working with none other than Jamil. 

Which really shouldn’t have been that bad. He was a perfectly competent student. In fact, competent was putting it lightly. If I were being wholly honest, then Jamil was quite intelligent.

Or at least he was most of the time. Even the highly competent Jamil had his dumb moments, and I'd certainly been privy to some of them.

Nonetheless, in reality, I really should’ve been thrilled to have such a skilled seatmate for a class involving magic use where I couldn’t contribute much of anything in the way of assistance. 

But that reality couldn’t be further from the truth, because when it came right down to it, me and Jamil were like oil and water. Never to be mixed, since it seemed like a conversation between the two of us could never occur with the exchanging of insults and barbed commentary.

I could acknowledge his skills, but at this point they seemed to become more of a consolation prize when it came to having to deal with his mouth.

Either oblivious to my thoughts or uncaring, he sat down next to me smoothly, and I sighed. Resigning myself to my fate as I glanced over his way, “So what spell are you going to be doing and what components are you going to need?”

We both knew I couldn’t contribute much to this activity when I couldn’t use magic. At best, Grim could try and help, and he would have too, since Trein wouldn’t allow otherwise, but I wasn’t about to let him pick the spell. Not when Grim’s last choice had landed both me and Deuce in the infirmary with some nasty burns.

Jamil’s eyebrows arched as Grim protested my words before being silenced by a single glance from me, “It’s my choice then?”

I looked back towards the tanned young man before I nodded. Lifting my shoulder in a half-shrug as I felt a slight smile slip onto my face, “Well, it seems only fair since you’ll have to do most of the work.”

A smug grin spread across his face, and I felt myself tense as I realized exactly what that expression meant before he spoke, “Well, well… This is an honor. I’ll endeavor to live up to it.”

And there it was. His sarcastic side that always seemed to slip out whenever I was alone with him.

I suppose he had no reason to hide it anymore after the events of Winter break, and perhaps I should’ve been flattered that he didn’t feel the need to wear his party mask around me, but I couldn’t help but be annoyed.

It was almost like it was his sole goal in life to harass me at this point, and he unfortunately got lots of openings since our teachers seemed to be perpetually pairing us up.

Either that, or Jamil had an uncanny ability to ensure we got paired together, and if so, these were even more pointed attacks than I’d realized.

Though I would have to admit I was impressed by his ability to get what he wanted if that were the case.

Either way, it was commonplace for Jamil to show off and sass me with thinly veiled, biting comments while I would do my best to bite my tongue and not give him what he wanted by snapping back only to inevitably fail.

I snorted though as Grim looked warily between the two of us and my voice came out filled with dry sarcasm, “I guess that means I can look forward to a really high grade for this class then?”

He outright smirked at me, and I felt myself snort as I shook my head slightly, “So what components are you and Grim going to need?”

Jamil let out a hum as he sat down next to me, leaning over so that his shoulder was pressed against mine as he scanned the sheet of accepted spells for this class.

I shifted, watching as he silently read before nodding, the motion causing his hair to slide freely over his shoulder. The golden beads that he used for decoration clinking together as his gaze slid toward mine in an oddly pleased manner, “Some fire.”

I felt my eyebrows lift as I held his gaze, already suspicious of whatever he was plotting as I echoed his words with blatant disbelief, “Some fire?”

His eyes glimmered at my words before whatever he was thinking was hurriedly concealed. An action that only made me more suspicious as he tilted his head, “You don't trust me?”

His tone was oddly flat and definitely controlled, wholly at odds with what I’d gotten used to from him over the past few months.

I faltered slightly at his sudden change in behavior as I stared back at him before I cleared my throat slightly and gestured to Grim, “Will magic fire work?”

Jamil blinked as if he were briefly surprised before his gaze shifted to where Grim stood, now puffed up with pride at the mere thought of getting to use his trump card in terms of magic. And I watched as Jamil nodded, a smile working its way onto his face as he looked back my way, “I should be able to use that…. Yes.”

I nodded, crossing my arms slightly, “Is there anything else you need?” It was phrased as a question, but I hardly expected for fire to be the only thing that Jamil needed. From what I understood, spells requiring components were fairly common. 

But at odds with my expectations, Jamil only shook his head. Standing as he gestured for me to stay put, “No, you can just sit and watch.”

He paused, that accursed smirk appearing on his face once more as he leaned towards me, “Think you can manage that without causing any messes, Prefect?”

And there it was, a jab at the fact that something always seemed to go down when I was around. And I glowered back at Jamil before smiling with forced sweetness up at him, “Just as well as you can manage pulling off this spell without any issues, I’m sure.”

He snorted, oddly pleased with the fact that I'd bitten back in the way he always was before he straightened again and turned to look at Grim, “Then watch closely, Prefect.”

“I hope you can handle my magic, Jamil,” Grim was utterly smug as he braced himself, and I almost snorted at his commentary.

But at odds with the way Jamil always matched my sarcasm, his response was wholly unimpressed as he pulled out his wand. Eyeing Grim closely the entire time, “Not a problem.”

Grim scowled up at him but blew out a large puff of fire, causing me to swing my legs out of the way with a startled squeak, only for Jamil to catch every bit of it with a single wave of his wand. A smirk already spread across his face as I glanced his way.

And I wasn’t the only one looking. In fact, it seemed like the entire class was looking at us now. A fact that had me frowning.

Because Jamil didn’t like to be the center of attention. He wanted to be recognized for his talents, yes, but not gawked at.

Which I could respect. I couldn’t say I cared for being stared at like some sort of attraction either.

But this time he seemed wholly unbothered by the stares his magic garnered as he deftly wielded Grim’s magic. Seemingly condensing it into a brilliantly glowing ball of blue flame that almost seemed to glitter.

And, despite myself, I could feel my interest growing as I watched closely. Curious as to what Jamil was about to do. Because I had no doubts he would succeed. Like it or not, Jamil was skilled at what he did, and though he might be cocky, he was also good at picking things he could manage so long as he wasn’t competing with someone.

The longer I stared though, the longer the ball of flame remained just that. A condensed ball of blue fire that glimmered mockingly. Like it was playing at being something more than it truly was.

I felt myself frown before I glanced at Jamil's way in slight confusion, only to find him watching me with a smirk on his face, no doubt amused by my obvious fascination with his magic.

As if I wasn’t fascinated by everyone's magic.

I opened my mouth to ask him if everything was alright, only for him to shake his head slightly, “If you look away, you’ll miss the show.”

My eyes widened slightly at his warning before I hurriedly looked back in time to see the magic explode with a mere flourish of the wrist from him.

Blue flames sailed up towards the ceiling before imploding in flower-like patterns that reminded me of kaleidoscopes.

My breath caught slightly in my throat as I stared overhead at the magical fireworks, entirely missing Jamil pocketing his wand and sitting down next to me until the flames had all faded from existence. Leaving only a shower of sparkles that rained down around us as I looked his way in quiet surprise as he grinned at me with open smugness.

I could hear Trein from the front of the class, his voice filled with pleasure, “Very good job, Mr. Viper! Seldom have I seen such a brilliant pyrotechnics spell!”

Jamil nodded, quietly voicing his thanks for the professor’s praise before his gaze met mine once more and his smug smile returned as he leaned over, his voice lowering so only I could hear him, “And there is your ‘high grade,’ as promised.”

I blinked before frowning at him slightly, shaking my head as he only grew more smug, “Fine. I’ll admit it, it was impressive. But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

He outright grinned at me, leaning back smugly, “I did say I would endeavor to live up to the honor of getting to use the spell of my choice.”

I paused, tilting my head at him before I finally smiled, half amused even despite our typically acerbic relationship. After all, he’d won fair and square.

“Well, I’d say you lived up to it then,” His smile spread at my words, more genuine this time as he held my gaze. Both of us grinning at the other one and somehow, miraculously, not snarking at the other one.

[sebadztian]

It's that time of the week again. I will post my live commentary that nobody asked for, but I will give anyway...

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the little devil cheating his way to the top!

Alexis could've been a great father figure for Ciel, tbh. He's one of the most sincere, purest character in Kuro, which is saying something...

They just have to include Harcourt scene in the recap, eh? It just has to be there.

Let's fuck after the cricket game...

Moving on...

It's hard to believe thay this is the same guy who'd lead the Phantomfive band just a few months later...

Ciel, you're in the middle of a game, you know... It's probably not the time to think about your boyfriend butler professor Complete with 💖

Anime logic:

Said in Japanese...

Maurice saw right through Ciel... Takes one to know one, eh? But they're actually more similar than Maurice thinks... For one, neither one of them is affected by ladies legs. Why? Because they're both GAY

UT is holding his hair up in a bun under that top hat!

I just had a random thought. UT chose to show himself for 2 reasons.

1. So that R!Ciel could watch his brother cheat at play cricket.

2. In BoC, UT taunted Ciel, saying that he can't do anything without his butler, so UT showed himself, knowing full well that Ciel would send Seb after 'The Head Master'. And then he took Seb on a chase game so that Ciel can prove to himself(?) that he can win the match without his butler? 🤔

Back to the game... Ciel is very smart and if he were given the chance to go to actual school normally, I'm sure he'll excel academically.

I love rhat Cheslock is calling Ciel a 'shrimp' 🦐

I was right. Seb knew about UT, or rather, UT let the demon find out.

That evil smirk... Ciel has the 'evil blood' from his dad, and that evil gene is enhanced further by having his own demon... This boy is truly a force to be reckoned with.

He found a loophole and used it to his advantage, without breaking any rule. I've a feeling that he's learned this lesson from a certain demon...

I love that Elizabeth is so torn between cheering for her brother or her fiance...

Mey-Rin is like a living, breathing, walking binocular 😂

"There's no ball that I can't hit!"

Big talk for a guy who missed the ball because of some ladies ankles, Greenhill!

What the fuck is that?? A missile?!

Silence... Everyone is so shocked at Ciel's 'heroic act'...

Wait... Wait... That's it?? Where's the scene where Seb carried Ciel to the infirmary?? i was waiting the whole episode for that!! If they cut that in next week's episode, I'm going to riot!!

[duchessonfire]

Savior Carl!AU re-read Part 2 Chapter 4

Follow-up of my re-read of Part 2 Chapter 3. If you're not interested and don't want to have your dashboard spammed, you can block the tags Duchess reads and Savior Carl AU reread.

Commentary for Part 2, Ch 4 below the cut (spoilers for part 2 ahead):

Okay first of all, early 2024 Duchess, why are you writing "the man" everywhere?? I have had to edit over 15+ "the man"s in this chapter. WHY???? JUST SAY 'NEGAN' OR 'HE'!! I feel like as writers we tend to fear repetitions, but one thing I've learned over time is that the brain doesn't register stuff like the main characters' names or very common pronouns such as "he" or "she". If there's a repetition that appears glaring it's more "the man" or "the boy" because that's definitely not that common. Another thing I tend to fear is confusion, especially in mlm ships where both characters are refered to as "he", but honestly just looking at the context helps clear that up most of the time.

Alright, now that this is out of the way, let's talk about one of my fave chapters ever.

These scenes in the infirmary/parking lot were definitely supposed to be THE sexy moments of part 2 because, back when I was writing it, I didn't mean for part 2 to have any real smut, which I planned to hold off on until part 3. However, when I was writing the last chapter, it soon became clear that the smut was going to happen earlier than expected.

Now, let's start at the beginning, which is Carl becoming officially a member of the Saviors:

When Carl makes them stop for a fifth time, Big Richie growls, “He ain’t gonna be happy.” “Yeah? What’s he gonna do? Throw me back in the cell?” The Savior frowns at his acerbic tone. “Man, what crawled up your ass and died? You got a beating. Welcome to the fucking club. We’ve all been there. The Doc will patch you up and then it’s business as usual. Just be grateful you ain’t on the fence after the shit you pulled.” Carl huffs petulantly but he knows Richie is right. He’s caught a lucky break until now. Negan never disciplined him the way he did the rest of the guys, no matter how many times Carl stood up to him. If he had been any other soldier, he would have gotten an attitude-check the second he told Negan to go fuck himself that day in the mess hall, when he had humiliated Carl into making a sandwich. Instead, Negan had given him a pass, and then afterward, when he’d saved his life, he had let even more things slide, never doing more than playing fucked up mind games that sent Carl chasing after his own tail like a mad dog. He can’t complain, not after riding the gravy train for so long. He’s a Savior now, and that means following the same rules as everyone else. His shoulders deflate and he adjusts his grip on the wall to start climbing down again. Seeing his resignation, Big Richie tells him almost consolingly: “Hey. It ain’t so bad. At least you’ll get pain pills out of it. I’ll trade you some good shit for them. Just come to me first, ok?”

I've mentioned before that I really enjoy writing the background characters of Sanctuary and this is a good example of that. To me, the Saviors are this sort of frat house, this boys' club of adults that are basically reverting back to a teenage state because of the very high-school/college campus atmosphere that Negan is fostering. The Saviors know they're the jocks/cool kids, but they are also very much the first recipients of Negan's mercurial temper. Negan doesn't bother disciplining the workers himself, cultivating instead a sort of detached paternal/benevolent god attitude. With the Saviors, however, it's very much a rough coach-football players type of relationship. By getting punishment from Negan, Carl won a badge of honor that he didn't even know he was missing before. He's only realizing now that the preferential treatment that Negan had given him until now had further isolated him from the other Saviors, who kept their distance from this strange teacher's pet who spent so much time alone or with Negan himself. Carl becomes aware of this when Big Richie gives him a metaphorical clap on the back and tells him that becoming Negan's punching ball is part of the job. Now that Carl has received a beating, he's officially one of them.

Now, for the infirmary scene:

“Finally,” Negan exclaims when Big Richie leads Carl into a small medical room. He’s standing with his hip cocked against a brown exam table, rocking Lucille through the air back and forth. Next to him, Carson is busy doing his inventory, though Carl is pretty sure it’s just a front considering how the Doc keeps sending nervous glances at the baseball bat. “I was starting to think my favorite little serial killer had kicked the bucket during the night. Sure would have been a shame, after all the great progress we made yesterday.” He straightens up and takes a long look at Carl. “Jeez, you look worse than the shitbags of the fence. I gave you a whole damn day to yourself and you couldn’t even take a shower?” He rolls his eyes. “Big Richie, get him some clothes that don’t reek of piss. And close the door behind you. Let’s give the kid some privacy for fuck’s sake,” he calls out as Richie exits the room, his tone mockingly indignant. The door clicks shut and Carl becomes hyper aware of the fact that he’s trapped in a small room with Negan. Judging from the way Carson gulps nervously, he’s not the only one. “Well, come on, Doc. Do your thing. Can’t you see the state he’s in?” Negan tuts, but his rakish smile contradicts his feigned disapproval. He saunters to the other end of the cramped room and settles near a metal cabinet. There is a glass jar full of lollipops next to his elbow and he shoves his fingers inside, grabbing a handful of candies. He puts them in his pocket, save for one which he starts unwrapping.

All of this was inspired directly by canon. In The Cell episode, Negan has Daryl beaten up and when Dwight brings him to the room that Negan hopes will be Daryl's, he tuts disapprovingly when he realizes that Daryl's bruised lips prevent him from drinking a glass of water, and he then berates Dwight for not thinking of giving Daryl a straw in the first place - which is the summum of hypocrisy when Negan is the one responsible for Daryl's bruised face. This is one of those little cruelties that make Negan's character so delightful, turning sadism into a schoolyard game. The lollipops, of course, are from the Hostile and Calamities episode when Carson is fixing Dwight after a beating - ordered by Negan, again - and Dwight grabs a handful of lollipops from the jar in the exam room. Do I obsessively rewatch seasons 7 and 8 until they overtake my brain completely? Yes. Yes, I do.

“No painkiller,” Negan says suddenly, and they both turn toward him. He’s been silent until now, watching without a word while Carson probed Carl’s wounds and disinfected the occasional cut. He pops the candy out of his mouth, his eyes now deadly serious. Dr. Carson looks between Carl and Negan, conflicted. “The ribs will hurt a lot. I really think it’d be better if—” “He can take it. Right?” The question is aimed at him, a clear challenge, and Carl realizes then that just because he killed the worker like Negan wanted him to doesn’t mean the punishment is over. He knows it’s another test, but at least he knows the answer to this one. Shane made sure of it. “I can take it,” Carl says, his answer meant for Carson but the defiant tone aimed at Negan. Judging from the way his eyes twinkle, he gets the message. He puts the lollipop back into his mouth and Carl gets a glimpse at his pink tongue wrapping around it before his lips close on the white plastic stem.

One of my fave things about these two is how they get in their own little bubble and have this understanding between them that leaves the other people around completely puzzled. Carson doesn't understand why Negan would deny a Savior painkillers out of the blue. If a Savior is punished, he doesn't get medical care, period. But Carl knows what it's about. It's another test, another way Negan wants Carl to prove his worth. Because of course Negan's favorite boy isn't afraid of pain. I love writing Carl as a badass who takes pain without flinching so this scene was an absolute joy to write. These two are soulmates so someone as sadistic as Negan would inevitably fall for the one person in Sanctuary who isn't scared of pain.

A gloved hand appears in his field of vision and drops clean clothes on the table in front of him. Richie must have brought them at some point, Carl probably too busy biting back agonizing screams to notice. He slowly turns his head to look up at Negan who’s peering at him from under his lashes, his cheek bulging out from the lollipop still in his mouth. “Attaboy,” he murmurs. A dark and shameful thrill runs through Carl at the praise. Negan leans forward, the plastic stem of his candy grazing Carl’s sweaty temple. “Just between us, I got a lil’ bit hard watching you take it so well.” Carl’s face heats up, from degradation, or disgust, or something else he can’t hope to name. Negan chuckles and turns on his heels, walking out of the room. Carl knows he’s waiting for him outside the door when he hears him whistle another cheerful song. Negan isn’t done with him yet.

In case you were wondering, yes, Carson heard the whole exchange and, yes, he was deeply disturbed by it. Only a handful of people notice the growing sexual relationship between Carl and Negan, and Carson is one of them.

He just wants to leave, to go back to his room and sleep some more. Maybe have something to eat, considering he can’t even remember the last meal he’s had, but then Negan straightens from where he’s slouched against the wall and stands toe to toe with him. The side of his cheek goes round as he rolls the candy with his tongue. Never letting his eyes off Carl, he grabs the plastic stem between his fingers and takes the candy out with a wet and sucking sound, his lips wrapping around it one last time, leaving them pink and shiny. He offers the gleaming lollipop, the head of it an inch away from Carl’s mouth. “Open up,” Negan says. Carl’s breath catches in his throat and he freezes, a deer in headlights. His eyes dart from the lollipop to Negan’s unreadable expression. After a long second, he stomps a foot on the ground and roars with laughter. “Lighten up, kid, I’m just messing with you,” Negan cackles before popping the candy back into his own mouth. He wraps a lazy arm around Carl’s shoulders and leads him away from the infirmary, his mood shifting so swiftly that Carl gets whiplash. “C’me on. Let’s find you something to do.”

Negan is good at playing it cool, but the truth is: if Carl had indeed opened his mouth and taken the lollipop, there's nothing on God's green earth which could have stopped Negan from putting Carl down on his knees and shoving his dick in his mouth. Period.

“Now, you fucked up yesterday and everyone knows that, so I can’t just send you back to Dwight. The garden is prime real estate, and only boys who behave get to work there. We’ll just have to find you something else to do for a few days, until it looks like you’ve learned your lesson.” Carl’s heart skips a beat when Negan suddenly pulls him even closer, flush against his side. His breath rustles the long hair around Carl’s ear as he whispers conspirationally, “But you and I both know you’ve got a lot more fuck-ups coming. I’m getting your cell cleaned as we speak, so it’s all nice and ready for your next little rebellion. I’m even thinking of putting your name on the door. Really make it official.”

Little foreshadowing for part 3 right there ;)

Negan whistles, a long melodic note, and Carl drags his eyes back to him only to meet his devious smile. As much as he craves Negan’s attention, he can never decide if he’s more thrilled or terrified to have those gray eyes zeroing in on him, like a sniper’s bright red scope aimed directly at his head, a hair-trigger away from shooting him down. Negan twists Lucille’s handle, the way he always does when he’s thinking about some terrible trick to play on him, and Carl knows he’s coming, can feel it the way that mammals have learned to feel a predator’s eyes on them, a deep-seated instinct a million years in the making. Negan’s lips stretch into a feral grin, and he’s ready to pounce when Joey shifts and makes a small noise next to him, nervously expectant. Negan blinks, turning on his heels and breaking whatever tunnel vision tied him to Carl only a moment ago.

These two are so obsessed with each other, they keep forgetting they aren't the only ones left on Earth.

Carl scrambles back, narrowly avoiding getting stepped on. He looks up, glaring, but Negan’s eyes are full of laughter, obviously reveling in playing a game when he’s the only one who knows the rules. He keeps whistling, faster now, stepping forward again, making Carl step back in tandem, a twisted version of a dance. With a clang, his back hits the side of the white truck they use for the drops to other communities, and Carl realizes only too late he has been herded straight where Negan wanted him, in the shadow of the largest truck on the lot, far away from prying eyes. The cold surface of the truck is like ice between Carl’s shoulder blades, piercing through the layers of his shirt and t-shirt and chilling him to the bone. In front of him, Negan puts a gloved hand next to Carl’s head and leans forward. Out of nowhere, Carl is reminded of that time in sixth grade when he used his hall pass to sneak into the school gym, not wanting to listen to Miss Harnett drone on about geometry any longer. There, he had caught a glimpse of a couple of nine-graders under the bleachers, in the very same position he and Negan are now. Hazily, Carl wonders if the girl’s heartbeat was as loud as his, blood rushing in her ears and turning her cheeks flaming red like his surely are now. “So,” Negan says slowly, his pink tongue darting to wet his lips. “What did you think about Athena’s little show back there? That’s how you get a guy wrapped around your finger, by the way. Ain’t nothing better than a tease who leaves you wanting for more. She really knows how to get me all worked up,” Negan chuckles warmly. They’re so close, the husky sound of it sends shivers from the root of Carl’s hair down to the tip of his toes.

Negan just casually telling his 18 yo Savior that he should act toward him like a wife. Also one thing you need to know about me is that if I can make Negan herd Carl like a shepherd dog herding cattle, I will. It's one of my favorite dom/sub trope.

I'm not going to quote the entire parking lot scene but I absolutely love it, especially because Carl barely says a word. Negan is the one doing all the talking but, because he's so watchful of Carl, so obsessed with every little sign he displays (Carl has 0 poker face skills, which makes it easy for Negan), he can read Carl like a book. It's actually something I'm constantly surprised about in the Savior AU: how little Carl actually says. Because the story is told from Carl's pov and we have access to his every thought, it feels like Carl is constantly talking, when in fact he very rarely says anything out loud, preferring to watch from a distance instead. Carl is an extremely introverted character in the Savior AU, but that's no problem for Negan, who talks more than enough for two. However, it's always interesting to see the scenes when Carl does talk, because those are the scenes when Negan can get a good glimpse at what's happening inside Carl's head. And when you look at those scenes (the rooftop in part 1, the cell in part 2, etc.), you'll notice that, for all that Negan thinks he can read Carl like an open book, when Carl does talk to him, it's usually to say something Negan didn't expect. Every time that boy opens his mouth, Negan is in for a big surprise.

“You should touch yourself tonight,” Negan says, almost companionably, and Carl is so used to obeying his command that his hand twitches forward before stopping mid-motion. He tries to hide it by tightening his fingers into a fist but the way Negan’s lips stretch into a devilish smirk tells him he failed.

Carl is such a sub it's a miracle he doesn't just put himself on a leash and hands the end of it to Negan.

Also, while in the infirmary it's Carson who was the uncomfortable witness of Carl & Negan's increasingly disturbing relationship, in the parking lot it's Dwight. Those boys are not as discreet as they think they are, and the most observant members of Sanctuary are starting to pick up on it.

Now, for the masturbation scene. Honestly I hadn't planned to actually write it. It was inevitable for Carl to jerk off while thinking of Negan but I thought I'd leave that up for the readers to guess. As horny of a writer as I am, I tend to avoid smut unless it serves a purpose to the story, because smut is so difficult to write that I can't really afford to make it gratuitous. However, I ended up writing this one because I realized that Carl's sexual awakening (both in terms of the fact that he's attracted to a man and that he was so sexually repressed before) did serve an important role in the story. Re-reading this scene, I'm very happy with it, because it encapsulates what the whole fic is about: Carl's trauma, Negan's intoxicating personality (as in: both toxic and attractive), the fact that for all of his cruelty and perversity, Negan is the one person that makes Carl feel alive after years of being emotionally abused by Shane. I often think of Carl through a Pinocchio metaphor: he was a wooden puppet for Shane, but Negan is the one who breathed life into him and turned him into a real boy. And real boys are horny, sorry, Carl, I don't make the rules.

Conclusion; tldr: Negan spends the whole chapter sexually harassing Carl who is so into it he might as well be flopping down on the ground like a cat demanding to be pet. Negan is trying hard to be cool about this and not ravish Carl against various surfaces (the exam table in the infirmary, the truck in the parking lot...).

PS: did you spot Michonne and Tara in the Terminus flashback? ;D Rick and Carl almost met a few times in the Savior AU, being in the same location without realizing it.

You can find the commentary for Part 2, Ch 5 here.

[demani-dusk]

I don't know anything about Translation State yet and yes I am reblogging every Imperial Radch post I can as preparation for reading it, but I'm very excited because I love Translator Zeiat a lot and a thing I might sort have picked up is that we'll be getting more to do with her whole deal.

I love Translator Zeiat less as I love as character and more as a narrative device, sorry Zeiat, although I do find her hysterical. I love how she underlines themes around identity and categorization by breaking down the way we talk about these things into absurdities.

The most obvious part of the book where she's doing this is when she's explaining about cakes and how if she separates the cakes with fruits from the cake without fruit they're different, but if she mixes them together then they're all the same again. She can add a counter and call it cake and then it's cake too! At this point, it's fairly apparent she's talking about people and how there are different kinds of humans. And in this case, that's what she means to talk about. Or rather, she is talking about how words work in general and it's very apparent this insight is most helpful when talking about categorizing people.

But like, what else has she got going on? She accepts Breq deciding that she's Zeiat and not Dlique. By the end of Ancillary Mercy we don't really know how translators work or how correct Breq may have been, but it works out because Zeiat is so very happy she's Zeiat and not Dlique. This is very Gender to me, the way arbitrarily being called something different causes Zeiat to behave differently and she's so Happy about it. She talks about how if she were to go home everyone would call her Dlique and she wouldn't like it. It's also a fun scifi way to raise the question to the reader, what does it mean to be one thing and not another? By forcing the reader to try to figure out what is going on with the translators' identities, we have to just, think about how identity works. And it's a theme for the series. Sick!

Fish sauce is a condiment, not a drink. That fish is for looking at, not for eating. Have you noticed that these fish cakes are entirely the same on the inside but the other fish have very complicated insides? All I'm saying is, what's the difference between a citizen and a noncitizen? One of them is Civilized and the other isn't.

And my favorite is Zeiat finding Breq in the infirmary and re-introducing herself and saying she'll miss the old fleet captain. This must be a new fleet captain, because the old fleet captain had two legs! All of these scenes are so so funny to me, but this is very interesting to say to Breq imo, the last ancillary of a dead troop carrier. How different is it for Zeiat to call her a new person than for people who know her history to think of her as "Breq," and not "Justice of Toren?" I guess I also love this because I similarly love the way Breq's story in Ancillary Justice plays with mathematical identity in a fun scifi way while the whole series plays with gender identity in a different kind of fun scifi way, and both of these are part of a commentary on identity and empire in the real world. It's good scifi! !!!

[hello-from-nrc-infirmary]

ss sss shehu stsss shshhs sttsss shhus sstss

(it was a struggle to get the funding out of the headmage for a specialty room but... we got it)

If I had a nickel for every Overblot that has occurred and not been reported to me or any of the staff members in general, I'd have an absolutely abnormal amount of nickels?

It would be bad enough if it was just the few that occurred at the start of the year, but AT THIS POINT? I'm beginning to consider transferring to another school.

Can't believe I'm wondering if RSA is hiring...

[aealzx]

The quiet of the infirmary was welcomed, but Leo also didn’t miss it when it was broken by Mikey bursting into the doorway with his hands holding an item above his head. “Leo! Mama and April brought strawberries AND watermelon!” Mikey announced, the huge melon balanced in his rocking hands.

“Two watermelons!”

“TWO watermelons!”

Mikey could barely contain his excitement, repeating April’s comment that filtered in from the other room and causing Leo to laugh. “She’s gonna see if Raph can fit a whole one in his mouth! You gotta come watch!”

“What? No way! There’s no way!” Leo sputtered even as Carol winced before rolling her eyes with a sigh. Leo was about to scramble off the bed, but stopped and turned back when he remembered he was supposed to watch after Donnie. Crouching close to his brother, Leo rested a hand on his shoulder and lowered his voice to almost a whisper. “Hey Dee, you wanna come get some strawberries?”

With all the noise being made it was safe to say Donnie was already awake, but he appreciated Leo being quieter to talk to him. Normally he loved strawberries, but right then it just felt like too much. So with a scratchy cough he just twitched his head to decline and buried down in the blanket.

Leo seemed a little concerned at the reaction, and moved his hand to rest gently against Donnie’s forehead again. “Okay. We’ll just save some for you for later,” Leo promised, nudging his own head against Donnie for a moment before squirming off the bed. “Can you keep an eye on him, Mom?”

“Of course, honey. Go have fun and enjoy the snacks,” Carol assured, not wanting to keep Leo from being the teenager he was. She wasn’t really in the mood to watch Raph shove an entire watermelon in his mouth anyway. Leo just flashed a bright smile before he gingerly hobbled out the door.

—--------

“Coming to you live from Subway Hamato, this is April O’Neil about to witness the beginning of a new record. ONE entire watermelon, carefully cut from its disgusting rhine prison, is about to be devoured in no more than two bites by none other than Raphael Hamato.”

April’s phone was swooshed dramatically between the lair’s kitchen scene, to herself, then to the red orb of one of the watermelon’s she and Carol brought, before swooshing back up to Raph, who just gave a big smile and wave.

“Blue! Where are your crutches?” Splinter’s voice came from off camera as Leo hobbled gingerly over to them from the infirmary.

A brief flash of fear from a teenager getting caught crossed Leo’s face before he brushed it off lightly. “It’s fiiine pops. It’s just bruised,” he waved, flopping onto the stool next to Raph.

“Don’t you downplay it Blue. It’s something worse, isn’t it?” Splinter scolded, pointing the blunt ended melon knife he had at his son without fully realizing it was in his hand.

That caused Leo to roll his eyes, avoiding the concerned look from Raph. “What? Psshhh, nooo. I was just sitting on it wro-.”

“Considering the way you were walking, it’s probably one of your ligameeeennnttts- um… am I cutting these right? I think this is the first time I’ve seen a strawberry,” Casey’s interrupting commentary about Leo’s injury was steered to a different topic when Leo gave the lad a pointed stare.

“You’ve never seen strawberries??” Mikey blurted, mouth dropping. “Oh mi gosh, you have to try one, now!”

With the conversation being torn away, Raph just made sure Leo saw his concern before he turned back to April’s camera and brought his smile back. Splinter just continued to narrow his eyes at Leo though, so Leo finally broke down and hunched across the counter to whisper rapidly. “Okay, it’s a slight ATFL tear. But I’ve already taken anti inflammatories, I’m still wearing the brace, and I’ll portal back instead of walking and get ice on it after. Alright?”

Splinter kept his eyes narrowed for a moment longer than necessary so Leo would squirm slightly, but then just passed a slice of the second watermelon over to him before patting his head gently.

Giving Leo a quick wink, April shifted her phone back into view to return to her mock reporting. “Spectating with us are Raphael's younger brothers, Leonardo and Michaelangelo, his esteemed father Splinter, and the newest addition to the family, Casey Jr.”

The introductions earned a dashing smile and mask tail flip from Leo, and a toothy grin and double hand wave from Mikey. Splinter just gave his trademark grin and wink, while Casey just looked confused. Something that only increased when April stayed on him for her next question. “What are your thoughts Casey Jr? Will history be made, or will we be cleaning watermelon from the floors?”

“Uhhhhhh…,” Casey’s blank answer was reflected on his face openly, gaze moving from April, to Raph, then the peeled watermelon orb.

“An astute answer, my boy! Who can say? Such a feat has never been attempted before, being deemed too unfair for the annual Lair Games. Raphael, are you confident in your performance?” April adapted to Casey’s non answer easily, swooshing the camera back to Raph.

“Raph is gonna eat this melon in one bite. Like a BOSS! I can fit my fist in my mouth, and this thing isn’t even as big as my fist!” Raph responded, pumping his arm and holding his closed fist next to the melon for comparison.

“There you have it folks! A man of confidence ready to take on his foe. If you’re ready, we’ll begin in three, two, one!” April cheered, figuring she shouldn’t delay them any longer since Leo and Mikey were already shoving their slices of watermelon halfway into their own mouths, and Raph already had the melon orb in his hands.

By the count of one Raph shoved the melon into his mouth and chomped down, the fruit being crushed and squished out from his cheeks even as juice poured down his chin. Leo and Mikey were belting out their laughter within seconds, only getting louder when Raph smiled proudly and cupped his hands under his chin to catch the falling fruit pieces. Mikey’s laughing ended up mixed with pained chirps though as his bruised ribs protested the rough treatment, and he slid off his stool and circled around his chest.

“Yu khey M’kee?” Raph asked around his mouthful, causing Leo to give a loud honk before he fell off his own stool, and April had to put her phone down so her own roaring didn’t shake it while it was still recording.

“HA - AAHHOW! SHUT UP!” Mikey howled, wheezing and slapping the floor while his other hand pressed against his side. And after a quick glance at Splinter to make sure the teens were actually okay, being met with loud laughter from Splinter, Casey gave a soft huff of amusement before he allowed himself to add his own voice to the raucous merriment.

--------

Previous

____________________

some silliness for you guys >U<

(leo's mask being pushed up for eating was directly inspired by this headcanon from thesofgengar )

[gremlin-box]

Fun Fact:

Shirley's favorite food is Habanero Ice Cream

She also really likes salsa

[infiniteeight8]

hi!! as always I love your fics. you’re a truly talented writer and you just get these characters for real. could you maybe write something about how Stephen deals with his trauma immediately after dormammu, and how Tony responds/helps?? thank you so much!!

Thank you so much! <3 I admit that although I have done *some* reading, I’m very far from an expert on PTSD. So this is going to lean towards hurt/comfort and support, rather than the kind of therapeutic help that Stephen probably needs.

Also, I’ve written a few mundane!Stephen/Avenger!Tony ficlets, so let's switch it up and do some Avenger!Stephen/mundane!Tony. 😀 The timeline doesn’t really work, but pfft, who cares, this is AU anyway!

-

Captain America is halfway through his ‘That was reckless, are you trying to get yourself killed, do we need to be Concerned’ lecture when Tony bursts into the infirmary and hurries over to where Stephen is sitting. 

“Thanks, Cap, appreciate your concern, I’d like to be alone with my partner now, thank you,” Tony says. He doesn’t even look at Cap as he speaks, instead sliding in between him and Stephen and taking Stephen’s face gently in his hands. 

“Tony—” Cap begins, so Tony leans forward and gives Stephen a long, deep kiss. There’s one last, exasperated sigh and then the sound of footsteps retreating. 

When he’s gone, Tony breaks the kiss. Stephen leans forward and rests his head on Tony’s shoulder. “I really wasn’t trying to get myself killed,” he says softly.

Tony strokes the nape of his neck. “You forget death was permanent again?” Stephen nods slightly. “I know you need to be out there, helping,” Tony says, “but are you sure it’s not too soon?”

Stephen pulls back, taking Tony’s hands in his. “If I don’t experience new battles, then Dormammu continues to be the template I return to,” he says. He looks tired, lost. “They’re just so similar. I wish—” he cuts himself off.

“Wish what?” Tony prompts.

“You’re the only thing that never makes me think I’m looping,” Stephen admits, gripping his hands tighter. “I wish I could take that with me.”

Relief washes through Tony at the realization that there’s something tangible he can do to help. “I could add a private channel to your comms,” he says. “Just let me know when I need to keep up a running commentary; you know I can talk forever.”

Stephen laughs and pulls Tony into another kiss. “That would be perfect,” he murmurs against Tony’s mouth.

[scionshtola]

FFXIVWrite2024 Prompt 11 - Surrogate

characters: Y’shtola Rhul, Original Character ships: Y’shtola Rhul/Corisande Ymir rating: Mature (sexual content) | word count: 519 words summary: Whilst engaging in her mutually beneficial relationship with Saide, Y’shtola’s thoughts drift to Corisande. notes: Some 5.0 spoilers I suppose. A while ago I decided Y’shtola should have a fwb on the First!

Saide is a pragmatic woman. Reasonable and reasonably confident, and more importantly, Y’shtola thinks, as the woman’s hands move over her body, reasonably competent. 

Until recently, her touch had been more than enough to satisfy Y’shtola. 

‘‘Twas not a matter of skill, then, that kept Y’shtola from reaching her peak. There had been zero problems in that regard for the past few weeks—the entire length of their sexual relationship. In fact, Y’shtola had found herself rather easier to please than she remembered. She supposed that’s what happens when you spend several moons trapped in the Lifestream, followed by several more in the infirmary, not to mention the years yearning for someone in no position to return her feelings, grieving as they were for the love they lost. 

In a drought, even a little rain is a relief.

It had seemed like a good enough idea at the time. She’d seen it coming, seen Saide building up to it the few days before she kissed her over their evening cup of tea shared in the room the Night’s Blessed had provided her. 

Saide was certainly attractive, as far as Y’shtola could tell. A solidly built hume woman, strong from years of working with her hands, a few ilms taller than her. Her hair was dark, or so she’d said, and it fell just past her chin. And she was easy to talk to, as liable to tease Y’shtola as she was to make an insightful commentary on the topic at hand, or a wry joke about the state of Norvrandt. But Y’shtola had still been surprised to find herself leaning into the kiss, heat stirring as she chased Saide’s mouth. 

There was little romance to it when Y’shtola pulled her into her bed. Saide never stayed the night—her own idea, though it was certainly a relief to Y’shtola that they both viewed it only as a mutual meeting of needs. 

But those needs had grown harder to meet these past few days. Fortunately or unfortunately—she couldn’t decide—Y’shtola knows both the source of the disconnect and the solution to the problem.

Perhaps it is rude to think of another when so intimately twined with a woman. But Saide is a pragmatic woman, and they are only here for one reason. 

When Y’shtola curls her hand into Saide’s hair, she imagines pink and red strands slipping through her fingers. When Saide kisses her, she conjures a pair of sweetly curved lips, tilted in a smile. And when Saide’s hands cup and smooth and stroke, Y’shtola thinks of a different pair of hands—soft, slender fingers she knows well from all the times they’ve been laced with hers; a warm, gentle touch she’d felt on her arm, her waist, the small of her back countless times over the years. 

It is easy, after that. The heat and the pressure builds where there was barely a simmer before, and it is not long before Y’shtola reaches her tipping point. She bites her lip, straining as she comes apart to keep the name on the tip of her tongue from passing her lips. Cori. Cori. Cori.

[madraleen]

Genshin Impact - To the Stars Shining in the Depths Act III and Act IV Commentary (full spoilers)

-Finding a quiet place to read a book?! Not me relating to Paimon?!

-I love the Furina-Neuvillette interactions.

-FATHER IS HERE! FATHER ARLECCHINO IS HERE, THIS IS NOT A DRILL!

-Oh, the House of Hearth is in Fontaine? I wasn’t sure.

-”A personal relationship with the administrator” - NEUVILLETTE, WHAT! Hoyo, why you feeding us the good Wrio/Neuvi content like that

-No, I don’t want that cake, the Knave brought that cake, what are you up to, Monsieur Neuvillette?

-I also think spoilers are despicable, thank you Charlotte (*and I’m just realizing post-quests that in the end we never catch up with Charlotte??)

-I see. We are guilty of eating the cake. Neuvi, you little snek.

-Did Childe get teleported in the Abyss or something

-Wriothesleyyyy! Is he cat-oriented? Dog-oriented?

-Why is our baby Lyney in prison! Oh, he should be Arlecchino’s spy, yeah? We’re disrupting Wriothesley’s business so bad

-What Neuvillette and Wriothesley have to discuss is not for your ears, Paimon. Let them be.

-The rizz of Lyney to leave us a card, jeez.

-The two spies from the two sides, we really are star-crossed lovers, aren’t we, Lyney

-Oh, Lyney actually goes out of his way to tell us everything, good boy. Or he might be manipulating us, but you know what, eff it, I choose to trust Lyney and take him at face value.

-Lyney, your crush is showing.

-Sigewinne’s lil shoes tho.

-Childe, I love you, but investigating you is taking too long and I’m not interacting with any main characters and I’m starting to grumble

-Is Alexis’ VA Diluc’s VA…? They sound so similar (JP dub).

-How long has Childe been in prison???

-Lyney really said “We will not take advantage of my crush. Lynette! To the infirmary!”

-We are the Romeo and Juliet of Genshin, Lyney. Deny thy Father, Lyney.

-Traumatic flashbacks Lyney?? “This is not like what happened last time, the situation is different now”??? He is SUFFERING, omg LYNEY

-”A parents’ evening” hahaha

-Us to Siggie: “If you’re close with Neuvillette, why not learn a thing or two about virtue from him?” Wow, we’re going all out on protecting and standing up for the Lyney siblings, huh. Look at us go.

-FREMINET CONSUMED PRIMORDIAL SEAWATER??? HELP!

-Ah yes, patch 4.1, the “Lyney Has a Breakdown” patch.

-Wriothesley and Sigewinne are so unpredictable.

-”Lyney has finally begun to stop tensing the muscles on his face” ??? JUST HOW CLOSE ARE YOU WATCHING HIM, AETHER

-I love the siblings’ interactions, they’re so soft, and I love that we finally see more of them with Freminet. They are adorable.

-Why is Aether smiling when admitting we’ll tell our little Fatui friends everything, lmao.

-Wriothesley about to become his technical consultants’ best man.

-The siblings see us as familyyyy waaaaaahhhh :’))))

-I was like, what is Wriothesley gonna do, PUNCH the water? But yes, ofc, he’s cryo, he’s legit gonna punch the water.

-The Neuvillete-Wriothesley-Clorinde interactions are so interesting, they’re such a power group of people. Also they’re Levi, Erwin and Mikasa, THESE ARE MY PEOPLE! Also, I’m very happy we see more of Clorinde, and for some reason extra happy that she works with Wriothesley because it just makes sense, somehow. They seem to match so well.

-Furina Marie-Antoinette-coded huh

-Arclecchino is pyro? I mean, she’s not wrong with her questions at Furina. But see, this just makes me think even more that Furina DOES have a plan… but not this Furina. That she split parts of herself… for reasons. And they’re somewhere. Including in the Oratrice. And she’ll become Furina-Furina again in the next Archon Quest. Maybe she even used part of her to make Neuvillette into who he is, idk.

-Are we seriously reassuring the Knave that Lyney et al are good little Fatui? We’re so fond of them.

-Oh? Father(-in-law) knows I’m close to her son?

-Dude, it’s so cool speaking so civilly and openly with Arlecchino, especially after dealing with Dottore and Scaramouche.

-I would also be happy to cooperate with you, Arlecchino, I really would! Even Aether’s not reacting negatively, he’s not outright rejecting it.

-It wouldn’t be a Neuvillette patch without some Water Dragon tears.

-We are actually asking if he’s the Dragon!!

-And he just outright said yes?!?! WHAT! Refreshing.

-Ooooh, such interesting lore! Dragons are weaker now because part of their power is the basis of the Archons’ Authorities!

-Freminet hang-out when

-Lyney’s like, “YAAAAY, Father approves of my crush! My crush didn’t immediately clash with Father! YAAAY!”

-I love the way our relationship with the siblings is evolving

-90% of the people we’ve met in Fontaine: “This is normal human behavior, right? I’m doing it right, right?”

-Wriothesley and Neuvillette trying to flirt will be like, “Wanna bring the water… And I’ll bring the tea… And have a tea-making session…”

-AAAHH, I can’t wait for Act V, it’ll be probably be the finale, right?

[sebadztian]

Aaand here we go again! I'm so ready for their wedding scene! If they cut that out, I swear I'm going to...

*AHEM*

Welcome to another live commentary of Black Butler episode and this week, we're going to watch episode 8! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the wedding show!

They did it!! Oh, I'm so happy!! And they even put special filter on!!

The blushing bride (pls ignore the blood and the horrible quality of my screenshot. Well, it's a photo that I take with my phone of my computer screen)

That's not what you call your new wife master, Professor.

And everyone claps as the newlyweds walked up the aisle... and to the infirmary...

Look, if they're going to roll around in the mud and stuff, why did they insist on white attire for cricket? Those stains must be a pain to remove...

And how did Ciel manage to stay clean?? Not a speck of dust on him and his clothes despite having been struck down by a bat.

Another favourite of mine...

I don't blame him. That does look yummy!

Ok, so, didn't anyone question why Professor Michaelis is helping Ciel in the changing tent??

Ah, so they decided not to acknowledge Nina Hopkins altogether, eh?

Phipps has brought along his chicken!! Another point for episode 8!!

Also, I've been wondering, why didn't Agni come to watch the game? Did Yana just... forget about him? I know he was there duirng the whole pie-switching confusion, but why didn't he join the others afterwards?

🥰😊😻 Phipps is one of my favourite characters in Kuro, if you're wondering... They did seem to have changed his hairstyle though... Or is it because he has a chicken sitting on his head?

Ok. That's cooler than what I've expected... Cheslock is a man of many talents and he's the coolest student in the entire Weston!

That was a great episode! I enjoyed it very much! And next week, we'll be moving to the main battle and the reveal of the truth. I cannot wait to see it!

[belovedcorvid]

❣ | @onepiecc :: From Here |

Rocinante's expression pinched sympathetically as the other hissed through the pain that came with applying antiseptic to a wound; he was usually on the other side of this activity, so he knew how badly this could sting - even if it was only a temporary sting. " Sorry, sorry - " he mumbled in response, brushing a thumb in a comforting circle along the other's wrist. Once this part was over, he could check to see if any of the wounds needed sutures. The question made him pause for just a moment in his search through the kit for more supplies, and he tilted his head as he thought about it. They did have some food, but depending on this weather they could stretch it further if they supplemented with foraged food. " It might not be a bad idea - anything in our gear we could use as a fishhook? " The occasional disaster aside, fishing was something we wasn't bad at.

Even though they were now out of the wind, the cold - or at least his awareness of it - was really starting to set in. Best to keep working, talking: both to keep warm and to keep their minds busy. The next question still took him by surprise. " Me ? " he smiled and snickered a little at the idea as he worked, though the expression didn't quite reach the eyes, " Hah, I appreciate it but I don't think I'd do very well - I'm a hazard even when I'm trying to be careful. Can you imagine me running an infirmary ? Or giving injections ? Besides - " Rocinante paused as he chose his words, " I don't really have to think about that . . . choosing, I mean. My courses have been planned since I started. " Sengoku had always approached his training with something of a '10-year plan', especially once the potential of his devil fruit became clear to his superiors. " I think you'd be good at that, paperwork aside. " Leigh's continued commentary made a snort of laughter escape from his chest, his expression openly puzzled but amused, " Blonde specifically ? Not leaving yourself a lot of choices, you know. "