#kin's cheat sheet

[atevanfool]

Several Sentence Sunday

I got tagged by the beautiful @seen-the-stars so thanks love. <3

I'm gonna cheat a little because I just finished this yesterday, so I'm using that.

The funeral was held a week later. The numbness persisted through the ceremony; through the lowering of the casket and the handing off of the folded flag. Buck was the only next of kin for one Tommy Buckley-Kinard. Not one blood relative showed up to send him off. The former 118 held him, whispering condolences and encouragement. They set up the viewing and the celebration of life at their home after the service. But it didn’t matter. Because the one person he wanted was never coming back. Months passed. He took leave from the firehouse. Almost considered quitting. He couldn’t go back to the job that took his heart. But he couldn’t. Being a firefighter was what he was made for. Saving lives, even though he couldn’t save the one that mattered more than anyone else's in the world, was his calling. Even as he moved through life like a ghost of himself he kept on. Now he’s here, laying in a bed too big for one, with ruffled sheets and no smells except for the cold, clinical cleanliness of a kept home. A sob works its way up his throat; rolling onto his side, he stares down at the glinting silver ring on his left hand ring finger. And cries. Cries tears he didn’t think he had left. Maybe he hadn’t believed in heaven, but he sure as shit believed in hell because he’s been living in it every single day since he buried his heart six feet under the cold, hard, ground.

Imma no pressure tag @loulou-land , @trombonechurchill , and @jamieroyjamieroy <3

[fandomworldofdreams]

Hospital For Souls

"You must've made some kind of mistake, I asked for death, but instead I'm awake. The Devil told me, "no room for cheats" I thought I'd sold my soul, but he kept the receipt"

-Bring Me The Horizon

Previous: Prologue, CHP1, CHP2, CHP3, CHP4, CHP5, CHP6, CHP7

Warnings: Drugging, choking

Chapter VIII: Doomed

The infirmary had four beds, two on each side.

The room itself was cold and lifeless, lacking of any color or feeling of hope. It vibrated in pain making Valeria's teeth clench. The stench of death was not unfamiliar, but in no way comforting.

Valeria sat with a ice pack gently pressed to her eye. One wrist was cuffed to the bed rail much to her discomfort.

Jane laid across from her asleep, body turned to the side which meant Valeria couldn't see any wounds. Hell, she couldn't even tell if she was breathing.

The nurse walked in front of Valeria, pulling the ice pack away. She studied the spot, shining a light in her eye. Valeria's eye flicked sending pain throughout the socket.

"It's gonna leave a nasty bruise. Doesn't look like any ocular damage. I'm gonna keep you overnight to be sure and keep it iced. Should probably do the same for your lip." Valeria ran her tongue over the busted skin, tasting dried blood.

She gave Valeria back the ice pack. Valeria immediately returned it to her eye. She leaned back in the bed, wincing at the pain in her stomach. The kick would no doubt also leave a bruise.

A few hours passed, the constant rhythmic typing of the nurses fingers on the keyboards threatened to drive Valeria insane. It wasn't until the nurse left that Valeria finally sat up.

"Jane," she whispered, afraid of someone hearing. Jane did not move. Valeria groaned, rattling her handcuff, hearing be damned. "Jane!"

Her friend stirred, slowly rolling onto her back. When Jane finally met her gaze Valeria couldn't help the gasp that escaped her mouth.

Scratches covered her whole face down to her collar bone, deep enough that she was worried it would leave permanent scarring. Jane was pale, dark half circles under her eyes and brusing on her jaw.

"Valeria? The hell are you doing here? You look like shit," Jane's voice was a whisper.

"I could say the same for you. What happened?"

Jane shifted up to a sitting position, her face scrunched in pain. "Honestly, I don't know who did it.."

Valeria's mouth thinned, her heart started racing. "Who did what?"

Jane offered a weak smile. "I woke up in the middle of the night to someone in a mask standing over me. I know it was a man. The mask was . . . It was burlap. It looked like a scarecrow. Before I could scream some kind of gas filled the cell. I remember . . . everything." Her voice cracked. "There were bugs, so many maggots, spiders, roaches. They all crawled on me and burrowed into my skin. I-I tried to get them off." She reached for her face. "When I screamed some crawled into my mouth. I had needle marks on my arms, just like my parents have. I saw Sebastian and my grandparents dead bodies." She was crying, gripping onto the sheets while her body shook.

Valeria wanted nothing more than to hug her, seeing someone so vibrant be stripped of color.

"So he gave you some kind of hallucinogen?"

Jane nodded. "It felt real, every bit of it. I think it went on for four hours, felt like more. He didn't intervene when I was clawing off my skin, he didn't even move. He just stood and watched me, like some kind of experiment. I thought I was going to die. The only time he spoke was to ask me what I'd seen. There was no emotion, no regret. I think he almost enjoyed it. His voice was so deep, so demonic."

Valeria didn't know how to respond, didn't know how any words could offer Jane comfort.

Luckily, she didn't have to, Jane sniffed, eyeing the ice pack and her lip. "How'd you wind up here?"

Valeria lowered the ice pack to show Jane. "Gerald and I didn't agree on his chess skills." Jane laughed, quickly covering her mouth and apologizing.

Valeria chuckled back. "Don't worry, it was kind of funny."

"Punching Crane, taking on Gerald, maybe you need some anger management."

Valeria rolled her eyes playfully. "I'm half covered in bandages, maybe I need to learn when my opponent is too much."

"Kind of funny we ended up here at the same time. Glad to have the company."

"Me too. Sebastian will at least know you're not bleeding out or missing a limb. What do you want me to tell him?"

Jane's face fell, looking off to the side.

"He deserves to know the truth," Valeria offered.

"You're right . . . If you don't mind, I'd like to tell him . . . Do you think I'm crazy?" Valeria held up her hands.

"No, I don't. I think there are enough fucked up people here that one of them could do that. You do what you feel is right. My lips are sealed. You should get some more sleep, you look completely weak."

Jane nodded in agreement, turning on her side and snuggling back into the bed. Valeria listened until her friends breathing became deep and slow before releasing a sigh.

She didn't want to cry, not with the way simply looking over made her eye scream in pain. She leaned back on the pillow, eyes locked on Jane. She refused to sleep, no matter how long it would take. She would watch over her friend, in case this masked man came back to finish what he started.

A while later the nurse came back in with something in her hands walkimg over to Valeria.

"Take these." The nurse held out two pills and a cup of water.

"What are they?" Valeria asked, removing the ice pack and setting it beside her.

"Does it matter?" She sighed in exasperation.

"Yes."

"One is for the pain another is a pill your doctor prescribed." She hadn't remembered Dr. Lecter mentioning he'd put her on medicine. She took the pills, washing the bitter taste in her mouth down with water.

They sat in silence for a while before the nurse walked over to Jane and injected something into her IV.

"What are you giving her?" The nurse glared up at her. "A sedative so she sleeps through the night." The nurse returned to the computer, leaving Valeria to her thoughts.

It took twenty minutes before Valeria knew something wasn't right. Her heart was racing, she also felt anxious and paranoid.

"When did Dr. Lecter prescribe me that pill?"

"He didn't, Dr. Crane did."

Valeria froze, dread overtook her whole body. Icy coldness in her veins, fear in her chest. She felt so stupid for not asking.

"D-Dr. Crane prescribed it?" Her mouth was so dry. The nurse nodded, not bothering to look at her.

"I need Dr. Lecter, can you please get him?"

"Dr. Lecter is busy at the moment, he doesn't have time to come down here."

"I wonder how he would feel knowing you didn't inform him of one of his patients being physically hurt. Or giving them medicine without checking with their primary doctor." She saw the nurses hands pause, glancing up at her.

"I'll inform him of your condition, but not your request." She turned on her heels and left once again. Valeria was sweating now. If she puked up the pills she'd only be given more, not to mention too much time had passed. It was already in her system.

Her mind was spinning, body shaking. If she woke Jane then they'd both be panicking, but she didn't know if this drug would knock her out.

"J-Jane?" Her voice was distant, beyond her own body. "Fuck, Jane!"

Her mind was in a state of pure panic now. She pulled against the handcuff, frantically looking around the room.

There was a pen on the desk, right next to her bed, if she could only reach it she could pick the cuff lock.

She stretched out her hand, fingers barely brushing the side of it. She hissed as her limbs screamed in pain.

The pen was shaking in her vision.

Then a hand reached out to pluck it up, holding it out to her. She froze, looking up at Dr. Crane who had a smirk on his lips.

"Trying to grab this?" She grabbed for it but he quickly pulled his hand back, placing it further back on the desk.

"What did you give me?" She hissed.

"Nothing you need concern yourself with." He pulled up a chair from the corner and sat beside the bed. "It is merely something to help you relax."

"I'm the fucking opposite of that!"

"Instigating a beating to see Ms. Lockwood, quite the cunning plan." Dr. Crane is ignored her statement. Valeria was starting to think her panic was fueling whatever drug was coursing through her blood. The more she worried about it, the more her body started shaking.

"You did this to her." The words felt triumphant on her lips, like she had solved some great mystery.

He tilted his head at her. "No, my dear. I am just as confused as you about the situation."

The colors of his aura swirled and filled the room. She was in a sea of deception. Groaning, she turned on her back, sitting up.

"Why did you come here?" Her voice was shaky. A wave of nausea swept over her. Shadows danced out of the corner of her eyes making her flinch and scan the room.

"To check on you, you took quite the beating." His eyes flickered from her to Jane.

"She doesn't know, if she does she didn't tell me." She hoped these words would stop whatever he was thinking of doing.

"There's nothing to know about psychotic tendencies. Hallucinating is normal for psychosis."

"She isn't psychotic!"

"Who's going to believe that? Especially when it's my word against hers. Her parents have an extended history of drug use. She has one of suicide attempts. We have cameras in this asylum. No one saw a masked figure entering or leaving her cell."

"I believe her," she spat.

He grinned, showing teeth which sharpened into fangs. She saw the snake coiling back to strike.

He sat forward reaching a hand out to grip her cheeks between his thumb and forefinger. The pull of her cheekbone make her yelp in pain.

"Who do you think would actually believe you? You are still a patient at Arkham asylum, home for the criminally insane. Whatever bonds you think you've formed are an illusion. I am a respected psychiatrist, not to mention you have no proof. As much as I know you wish to paint me as your villain, I am not responsible for this."

"She's not crazy!"

"Ah, because you know her so well, yes?"

Desperation clawed at her bones. "Please," she whispered.

His eyebrow rose, a twisted smile formed on his face. "Please, what?"

Valeria's eyes cast to Jane. "Don't hurt her again."

"I've already told you it was not I." He released her face, leaning back in the chair, crossing one leg over the other.

"Then post a guard at her cell! Do something to keep her safe! She's not crazy, you fucking know that."

"I have countless other patients, I would gain nothing from that besides entertaining a delusion."

"What do you want?! Want me to beg?" Her question was meant in exaggeration, but he quirked his lips, waiting.

She saw something in that moment. He would never be swayed by her pleas. They would only fuel him more. So she could only think of what she did best. "You can kiss my ass. You're a damn coward and a piss poor excuse for a doctor."

Fight.

Something dark cast over his face, when he reached his hand out again it was quick to attack.

His fingers curled around her throat, applying enough pressure to scare her but not limit her oxygen intake.

Shivers ran down her spine. She froze in fear. Her breathing grew ragged and she reached up her uncuffed hand to grab his wrist.

"Let me make something perfectly clear, Ms. Gray," his tone was serious, threatening. "You have no power in this asylum. You are nothing but another individual society has thrown in here to get rid and not be responsible for. You are under my care. That means this building is under my rules and so are you. Do you know what that means?" The question was asked the way one would ask a child it, slow and condescending.

"That I really got myself into some shit?" She gagged when he tightened his grip on her throat, leaning forward.

"It means I own you."

The words sent adrenaline throughout her body, as if it finally realized the danger that lay before it.

"Please," she whispered, losing herself in the fear. "Please don't hurt her. I'll do anything."

That seemed to intrigue him. "Anything?"

She wasn't sure if it was the drugs, her desperation to protect any person she had a connection to, or maybe a concussion from her earlier beat down, but she tried to nod. "Yes."

"Here I thought you were incapable of forming relationships," he teased. "Perhaps it's just guilt."

"Perhaps."

"You lack a sense of self preservation, but seem very aware of others survival. It's unique."

"Do we have a deal?" Her ears were ringing so loudly she thought her skull would burst.

He released her, she finally felt she could breathe. Her eyes tracked him as he stood from the chair, placing it back in the corner. "We'll discuss your willingness in the afternoon tomorrow, during our session together. Until then I will have a guard posted here . . . To ensure this individual cannot get to Ms. Lockwood."

She dug her nails into the palm of her hand, relief, it only a small amount, filled her chest.

"What exactly have I agreed to?" Her words were calm, a mask of curiosity. Inside she was terrified.

His smile was reserved, one meant for his own thoughts.

"Get some rest, dear. You're going to need it."

He walked out, leaving Valeria to face the rest of the drugs side affects in silence.

She didn't know what Dr. Crane was capable of, all she knew was she felt like she had sold her soul.

All to protect Jane. Who Sebastian would suffer without. They needed each other the way Lucian and her had.

When the guard showed up at the door as Dr. Crane had promised she kept her eyes half open, knowing that trusting him was a fools mistake.

Still, sleep eventually overcame her.

[brooklynislandgirl]

borrowed with grace from new friend Vee over @reyestr

FIRST MEETINGS MEME

A meme for first meetings and introduction threads, aka a ‘What you will notice about my muse first’ cheat sheet.

Repost, don’t reblog. Bold what applies. Fill in details.

(Please do not remove the credit + blank meme link)

blank meme: x

GENERAL APPEARANCE

Sex: Masculine. Feminine. Non-Binary. Notes: Beth was born a cis-gender female and most of the time she's comfortable in that shape/body.

Race: Polynesian/Caucasian {Hawai'ian and Irish, respectively, or as she'd say it, hapa-haole}

Complexion: Beth's natural skin tone is a tawny/dusky shade that might be compared to sand or toast. Most public photos taken of her tend to lighten her skin as much as possible per the Admiral's request. When she spends her time out-doors she tans easily and resembles more her Island kin than the Irish side of the family. Beth tends to wear minimal make up, and when she's doing a dramatic look she usually sticks to eye make up and bold lipsticks, highlighting what she considers her best features. Upon closer inspection one might notice a small constellation of tiny freckles that hover around the right side of her mouth and chin, and another sweep of fainter freckles across the bridge of her nose. Her skin tone leans towards the autumn spectrum, and it is incredibly fine, soft.

Height: Beth is just barely five feet tall.

Body Type: Endomorph. Mesomorph. Ectomorph. Other / More Details: Beth is actually somewhat underweight for her size, ranging between 90-96 lbs. Most of her curves tend to remain in her hips and backside, and her chest is narrow, sporting a very modest b-cup.

Body Build: Small. Medium. Athletic. Muscular. Soft. Curvy. Voluptuous. Other / More Details: Beth has been called small, delicate, bird-boned. From behind or at a minor distance, she has been mistaken for a young teen or larger child. It is hard for her to put on or maintain muscle tone.

Body Hair: None. Shaves/Waxes. Trims/Grooms. Untamed. Color: The colour on her arms and legs matches that of her hair, a dark to medium dark brown. Notes: Beth's body hair tends to be incredibly fine, almost non-existent, and thus she doesn't feel the need to wax or shave very often.

Head Hair: None. Buzzed. Short. Medium. Long. Very Long. Asymmetrical Cut. Color: Naturally Beth has dark brown almost black hair with natural red highlights. Occasionally she might do a subtle colour, either deep auburn or honey-brown. Style: Beth tends to style her hair to within an inch of its life, keeping it sleek and straight so that the Admiral has nothing to complain about. Naturally it tends to be incredibly wavy/curly {3b hair}, with a tendency to become a touch frizzy in moist/damp air. Most of the time Beth keeps her hair long and loose. For work it's in a ponytail or bun, and when her mental health is at its absolutely lowest, she hacks it pretty much down to a bob.

Eye color: Beth has green/brown central heterochromia,which is what most people call hazel. Her noticible colour is green, with an almost honey brow mixed in. It is a far softer colour than her brother's.They tend to shift colour via lighting or dilation of the pupil. Details: Wide, upturned eyes tend to give her a Disney-Princess look. Her lashes are naturally long and thick.

Scars: Beth's left leg has a large shark-bite scar from the bottom of her knee to the top of her ankle. Within the borders of the scar the muscle is visibly atrophied and has the texture of something close to a burn scar. The tendons are shortened, making her left leg a fraction shorter than her right.

FASHION

Fashion Style: Vintage. Traditional. Casual. Artsy. Vibrant. Geeky/Nerdy. Tomboy. Sporty. Trendy. Preppy. Girly. Bohemian. Elegant. Formal. Grunge. Punk. Rocker. Gothic. Other:

Color Palette: Beth tends to wear seasonal colours {lighter pastels in the spring and summer, darker secondary colours in the fall and winter}.

Typical Clothing: Beth tends to wear as little clothing as she can manage without making a scene. During warm weather she tends toward camisole tops or bikinis. She tends to wear ankle/floor length skirts. For work, she wears scrubs. Beth does. not. wear. pants. unless she's out jogging, doing yoga, or wearing a wet-suit. And while she has a walk-in closet full of designer and custom gowns and other clothing, the kinds of which would make Paris Fashion Week drool in their dreams, she tends to prefer vintage clothing.

Piercings: Beth's ears are pierced in multiple places which differ from ear to ear. She has a sub-dermal piercing at her hip.

Tattoos: Beth has a tattoo of a honu {sea turtle} on the back of her left hip, whose shell contains the Hawai'ian archipelago and a hibiscus flower. Other tattoos vary verse to verse.

Other Information: Beth tends to hate shoes and will wear 'slippahs' whenever she can get away with it. At home she tends to be barefoot, or during cold snaps, she might tolerate socks. She likes to wear rings, bracelets, earrings when not at work. She keeps her nails manicured.

EXPRESSION

General Facial Expression: Beth's features tend to be open, friendly, and at worst, neutral.

Default Body Language: As stated above, she tends to have open, inviting body language that changes only when/if she has disengaged with someone, or it's the Admiral. Around the Admiral her body language is closed, defensive, on the verge of flight/fight.

General Movements: Beth's incredibly graceful from a lifetime of surfing, swimming, dance. She tends to flow through the room, slow and cautious. The longer she has been awake, or the longer she's been on her feet, it becomes apparent that she does have a faint limp, due to shortened tendons and ligaments, atrophied muscle in her shark-scarred leg.

NOTABLE FOR RP

Presence: Beth's entire presence rests on the fact that she is warm and gracious, curious until she's given reason not to. Everyone is treated like a friend. As such, she tends to be a soothing comfort, and someone a person can open up to easily.

Appearance: Beth is always perfectly dressed for every situation, impeccably garbed in public, perfect but often subtle make up. This does not carry through to being at home where she feels comfortable.

Scent: She makes her own essential oils/lotions and people tend to describe her as tropical; lightly floral, a touch of sea salt, coconut, macadamia, something very faintly herbal. Too soon after work, she tends to carry the smell of hospital antiseptics {and/or blood}.

Voice Description: Her voice tends to surprise people. Being so short and slight, most people expect her to have a high/thin/child-like voice. She speaks so softly that she rarely speaks above an audible whisper, and her tones tend to be a little husky/smokey, warm, layered. When she does have to raise her voice, it is the kind that doesn't brook arguments and carries the tone of command of a queen or a soldier, though she is neither.

Accent: yes / no More information: Beth has always had problems with certain digraphs {th in particular} and is most comfortable speaking her native pidgin with a slight speech impediment. She can, however, speak perfectly serviceable "Haole" {American English}. She also understands a host of other languages, and takes a small measure of pride in being able to pick local idioms/slang easily, despite her audio processing disorder.

Speech Mannerisms: Beth tends to be a touchy person; conveying meaning or clarity with minor touching of other people's hands, knees, shoulders when speaking closely. She also tends to gesticulating while she's talking. When she speaks "Haole" it is far slower, measured, careful than when speaking pidgin, with slight pauses occasionally as she struggles with a phrase or sounding out words in her head. When conversing with someone, she tends to watch the person's mouth and eye area to pick up contextual clues and mouth-shapes to help bolster her understanding.

Anything else to add? Beth tends to sometimes come across as the most real person in the room, is magnetic despite her best efforts. However, if she doesn't want to engage with someone, she tends to slowly slip away from their thoughts/memories, until she is absolutely forgotten. Perhaps the eeriest noticible trait is that she never fully blinks. Her eyes tend to only half close, three quarters at best. {It almost feels like she's missing a nictitating membrane}. The second most noticible trait is that she has small, sharp teeth, almost preternaturally so, and slightly crooked. {{Certain kinds of hunters and others like her recognise these as 'primal markings' and might speak to her slightly less than human dna}} {{Beth's main face claim is Kristin Kreuk, and her secondary face claim is Smiley Arianne}}

[xroggensaux]

Me: No, I love to share my neck with you <3

Instead of finishing my 3rd run with my favourite main character, I'm doing a 4th run with only me and Astarion lol (except for the companion quests of the others, and maybe some boss battles if they turn out to be too hard).

Our Act I shenanigans under the cut ^^

This well, that will have irresistibly delicious seeming water if the illusion of the Sunlit Wetlands is still in place ^^;

Since Astarion is putting his life on the line helping me help my Tiefling kin, I thought maybe it would be fair if I help him kill Gandrel, the monster hunter who is after him. I've never killed him on previous runs, and I feel quite bad about it, because it will turn out that it's not at all Cazador who's ordered Gandrel to hunt him, like Astarion thinks. The events in Act III will show that it's the Gur themselves who wanted to capture Astarion - in order to find out where their children are, since in the past, Astarion kidnapped them and brought them to Cazador. But of course we can't know that now in Act I. And it seems Gandrel severely underestimated Astarion's compassion and willingness to listen. I guess by attacking him, we didn't exactly prove the opposite point, either! The Gur were probably going to try and torture the information out of Astarion and then kill him. (Iirc in Act III Ulma confirms this.) But then again, I know we are capable enough to stop them if they would ever actually try that. ^^ There aren't any dialogue options at this point (afaik!) where you could speak to Gandrel and convince him that Astarion isn't the monster he thinks he is. So the best option is to just leave, and be okay with it that it will piss Astarion off lol ... And then Gandrel will be a friendly ally in Act III. (You get a big +10 approval with Astarion if you kill Gandrel, and -5 if you don't, but tbh it's not worth it, Gandrel doesn't deserve it, and you can easily make up for it with so many other things ^^)

Anyways, the fight turned out a bit tragicomic, because Astarion could not land a single hit on Gandrel T^T But Gandrel of course focused all his attacks on Astarion, and got critical hits on him and successfully ensnared him many times. I did 100% of the damage on Gandrel lmao ... I'd forgotten to turn non-lethal damage off, so at least Astarion got to do the honours and finish Gandrel off when he was already knocked out ... (Probably this was because Gandrel has that magic crossbow that makes creatures like vampire spawn have disadvantage in their attacks against him!)

Ooh, you can jump into the Emerald Grove from those pillars near the beach with the harpies! If you're a Tiefling and can jump very far already, and then also have Elixir of Hill Giant strength and Potion of Glorious Vaulting in you ^^

Imagine if you could jump this far in real life xD

I'm going through the cheat sheets of what actions the companions approve of, to find fun stuff that I've never done before. One random thing Astarion approves of is if you recruit the ogres in the old school house, and then when you dismiss them again, let Lump the Enlightened at least have a lick, since he'd love to eat us but sadly is not allowed. </3 (Tbh it's a bit rude that my character acts like she hates it ... :/)

(We successfully duoed Minthara and Dror Ragzlin on level 4 together with invincible Scratch, and then called in the ogres to help us with Priestess Gut's hall. Halsin stayed in the worg pit where he belongs lol. We leveled up to 5 during the Gut battle, and duo+Scratched the courtyard successfully. Scratch being invincible of course helps a lot, because he will draw attacks but not take any damage, and at this level, with mostly ~10-20 hp enemies, his 0-7 damage is quite respectable ^^)

Wulbren's diary ;___; (inside a hut in the Decrepit Village in the Underdark) Maybe Barcus feels responsible and guilty for how Wulbren turned out, because he 'abandoned' Wulbren ...

It's genuinely so much fun to do a run with just me, Astarion and (sometimes) Scratch <3 On Balanced difficulty, it's not really that hard either to just be two people. It's making me suspicious that the game adjusts itself to the amount of party members?! Or maybe I'm just that good at this point and well used to these characters' strengths and weaknesses 😎

The Arcane Tower is such a pretty and interesting location <3

The parts where no matter what I will always reload the save as many times as it takes, until I get the result I want:

Scratch's evil mistress

Sparky, the doggie in Bloomridge Park (not risking the doggie getting murdered by Bhaalists!!!)

BOOOAL (I don't want to fight the Kuo-Toa!!)

These spiders are so cute (I don't think I've ever rolled the dice badly here, but I'd probably reload the save here, too, if I did)

Having only Astarion in my party means only ever getting his sarcastic comments on everything that happens, and I'm loving it xD

Babe are you okay?! T^T He got stuck in a weird position like this after the Grym fight xD

So it turns out that waiting to free Mayrina until you're like level 6 (because you want to keep buying strength potions from Auntie Ethel lol) means that fighting Ethel is a bit of a joke ... It was nice to go down her lair and talk to everyone there when they were already free from her enthrallment.

Just for the sake of "seeing the content", because I'm curious, I'm going to side with the Emperor instead of Orpheus in the finale, this one playthrough. And for that to make sense, I need to roleplay that I don't trust Lae'zel and don't recruit her ... But the game really wants us to recruit her </3 If you part ways with her near the Grove, you'll meet her again at the Mountain Pass when Voss is there. And if you don't recruit her there, either, she will be there again/still even weeks later ...

And then she'll be on the Rosymorn Monastery Trail, too ;___; (And if you still don't recruit her then, you will see her one final time in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, which is really completely heartbreaking. It especially breaks my heart that since I didn't recruit her, she remains at just level 1 with only 10 hp ... When I know what a badass fighter she would be if she'd levelled up alongside us ;___;)

Hmmm, we could pay ~1000 gold for the Knife of the Undermountain King, or we could get it for free ^^ (I made Astarion a Thief Rogue instead of Arcane Trickster Rogue, so of course he would do this ^^)

And I guess in order to get to the part of the Crèche where I somehow just know that the Blood of Lathander is, we simply need to borrow that gem from Therezzyn ^^

Wow this is ridiculously easy?

Oop, she did notice!

But lucky for us, the Inquisitor is an idiot?? And Therezzyn has to obey him due to hierarchy ...

No no, this will go great, I know it ^^

The Inquisitor tries to tell us something, I guess, but we just waltz right past him, to this one specific alcove in his hall ...

Damn, one of the statues won't move! So we run back, past the Inquisitor and everyone else in the hall again, through Therezzyn's room, out into the hallway - so we can go to camp and get Karlach, who will surely be able to budge the statue ^^ And so, the three of us run right back here past everyone again! It's a bit silly that they are all just standing there and not doing anything, when we are clearly doing something very strange and suspicious xD The Inquisitor merely complains that we are testing his patience or something ...

I'd really expected it to be so much harder to even get inside the Crèche without Lae'zel. But I was able to persuade the guards that we had a legit reason to be there. So we could very easily just steal the stuff we wanted and then be on our way ^^

Yay, we got the Blood of Lathander ^^ (It'll be quite handy in the Shadow-Cursed Lands)

Nooooo Astarion why didn't you get on the thing?!?! xD (This happens all the time istg)

Picking up one of the two Death Shepherds so his bro couldn't resurrect him :< (I'm not sure if it actually works, though, because we did manage to kill his bro, too, on the same round, after all!) (And I sincerely apologise to anyone who gets stressed out by the unorganised inventory here lmao ... so many things I should just send back to camp, too, but I'm too lazy)

[ghostlypawn]

someones kin list is a cheat sheet into knowing how insufferable they are fr

[zakiark7911]

I want to apologize in advance to Christians for coming off very angry! I have attended so many Christian churches &, since I am not cishet (among other reasons), I have been burned in so many ways by each one. The anger is coming from a place of hurt.

When I think of American “Christians” or “The Church” (as in the people) regardless of denomination, there are 3 pictures that immediately come to mind.

The first is a white person foaming at the mouth, eyes popping out of their skulls, veins bulging, face red, holding signs up with the gay F word & how everyone is going to hell.

The second is basically every insane government representative that is obscenely racist & wants everyone with a uterus to have white babies or die.

The third is a charismatic pastor who lives in a mansion, hops on his private jet to get lunch with government representatives, buys every car or fancy suit he can, is sexually abusing every other child in the church, & abuses his wife on the regular when he isn’t cheating on her.

Whenever I see a post on any social media expressing why people ultimately left their church or stopped being Christian, there are SO many posts below by Christians like “I’m so sorry that happened to you! That isn’t how it is at my church!” “I mean, maybe don’t let people shape how you view Jesus?” “Find a new church! Don’t give up!” “We are all sinners! Church is exactly where those sinners are supposed to be! Jesus heals!” “Those aren’t real Christians! Find some real ones like me!” “This can’t be real, no pastor would ever do that!” “What denomination was that? I’ve heard bad things about…”

If #NotAllChristians, then I am really gonna need all the “real” or “good” or “Christ like” Christians to step the fuck up! I need them to match the absolute FREAK of the insane ones holding transphobic/homophobic signs! I need them foaming at the mouth in rainbow! Rainbow crosses! “Jesus was Ace/Aro” & “Jesus loves The Gays” signs! I need them to be counter protesting the crazies with bullhorns! I need the church go-getter, Debbie, to post a sign up sheet in the fellowship hall for counter protests, driving & protecting abortion patients, making meals for houseless people, ETC!! When a pastor is caught being a pedo, the church needs to come together & give their tithe to the affected families &/or services that help victims of sexual abuse! If the pastor doesn’t go to jail, then they need to tell him to get out & everyone at the church should be emailing him, texting, mail, flyers on his door, etc to get him to go to a place where they help pedos from hurting people! The congregation should never let that ex-pastor sleep or go outside until he checks himself into some sort of hospital or intervention program! Since Christians believe they are “stewards of the Earth”, they should be leading the charge on reversing climate change before we destroy “God’s gift to us” the earth!

If these evil freaks are not truly practicing “real Christianity” then PROVE IT. Let me SEE an example of “WWJD”! If The Church is a reflection of the Christian God then I don’t find that god worthy of praise, worship, love, or respect at all. If “real” Christians really “love” Jesus, then why are they letting evil bastards use his name in vain to champion their bigotry & hate?! If someone lies about your loved one spreading terrible ideas about them to everyone, don’t you want to shout from the rooftops about how that isn’t true?! Are you not upset that people are trying to push as many people away from what you believe is the only way to be spiritually saved by spreading lies?! Christians aren’t in a battle against “non-believers”, they are in a battle against their own kind who is actively trying to feel special by gatekeeping “salvation”! But they either don’t understand this, aren’t willing to fight for their god or his children, or are just quietly agreeing with the evil cruelty that their freak Christian kin are doing but don’t wanna be too loud about it!

What IS a Christian? What is “Christ like”? Don’t tell me to read the Bible! I’ve read it & I don’t care. I need Christians to SHOW ME!

[makers-muse]

Coding for Youngsters: Make It Fun and Locking in!

1. Gamify the Growing experience:

Kids blossom with intuitiveness. Instructive coding games like Scratch or CodeCombat present center coding ideas through a gamified approach. By building games and settling difficulties, kids learn without acknowledging it!

2. Make it Individual:

Allow your kid’s advantages to be the aide. Do they cherish activity? Investigate coding stages like Tynker that permit them to make their own kid’s shows. Is it safe to say that they are captivated by robots? Coding robots like Sphero or Lego Mindstorms allows them to rejuvenate mechanical technology through code.

3. Embrace Narrating:

Coding can be a strong narrating instrument. Present block-based coding applications like Blockly Games where children can code intelligent stories. This touches off their imagination as well as supports sensible reasoning and critical thinking abilities.

4. Observe Little Wins:

The coding venture is loaded up with little triumphs. Praise each achievement, regardless of how large or little. This uplifting feedback keeps your kid spurred and encourages an affection for learning.

5. Turn off and Code:

Coding isn’t just about screens! Turned off coding exercises like utilizing directional orders to explore a labyrinth or making calculations with cheat sheets can be a pleasant method for presenting central coding ideas.

6. Track down a Coding Pal:

Advancing close by a companion or kin can make coding considerably more charming. Energize cooperation and coordinated effort on coding projects. This cultivates correspondence and critical thinking abilities.

7. Make it Social:

Search for internet coding networks or coding clubs where children can interface with other yearning coders. Sharing their manifestations and gaining from one another can help their certainty and keep them propelled.

8. Show others how its done:

Show your youngster that coding is significant and fun! In the event that you’re agreeable, have a go at coding close by your youngster. Allow them to see the reasonable utilizations of coding in daily existence.

9. Energize Investigation:

Go ahead and let your youngster try and commit errors. Coding is a ceaseless educational experience. Embrace the moves and use them as any open doors to learn and develop.

10. Center around the Good times:

By consolidating these tips, you can change coding from a task into a thrilling experience for your kid. As they leave on this excursion, they’ll foster significant coding abilities as well as gain critical abilities to think, imagination, and decisive reasoning — all fundamental devices for progress in the advanced age.

[button-kin-games]

Button Kin Times - December 2023

Airecon NW and Jude's World cover art reveal

Greetings festive friends! Are we merry and bright yet? No? Okay, I feel that. I was tempted to start this newsletter off by griping about what a bastard of a month December is, but I don’t think anyone needs that right now. So I won’t. I have a handful of good news nuggets that I’m determined to focus on instead. They’re not much, but they’re what we have until the return of the sun.The author herself smiling behind the Button Kin stall at Airecon NW.

Airecon NW was lovely! If only a moderate success financially speaking. The organisers themselves admitted that attendance wasn’t what they’d hoped for (1k heads instead of 2k). There are a lot of potential reasons: train strikes, terrible weather, a clash with a Dungeons and Flagons weekender. The December of it all. But “the vibes” were good and I had many lovely, educational, and inspiring conversations. Welcome new subscribers! I hope your dinosaurs are doing well.

Thanks for reading Button Kin Games! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

My main take away is this: for a small-time solo creator it’s worth doing a local convention or two for the experience, for the contacts, and for the morale boost of talking about your art face to face with people. All of which are much more better for the soul than shouting into the dank, stagnant social media well, praying you don’t wake the trolls sleeping within.

Drama Llamas accessories are now free! I realised while selling physical copies of Drama Llamas at the con that I had my digital cheat sheets and character sheets trapped behind a paywall. I can only apologise. If you’d like copies of those they’re now available to download for free on the Button Kin website.

Jude’s World has a cover! My in-development solo TTRPG in which a plucky preteen protagonist struggles to reunite their feuding parents now has cover art by the supremely talented Mega Asellia. Layout by myself. Really going for that 90s teen novella aesthetic. Speaking of which…

Development Diary: Jude’s World

This month I wanted to crack a couple of core mechanics that were notably missing from my first play test: the resolution for Jude’s parent traps an

d the tracking of their parents’ relationship over the course of the game, leading ultimately to an ending where they either get back together or… something else. I wanted two things from these mechanics, which I’ll talk through a bit.

Thing One: It should be difficult to get Jude’s parents back together

While it is possible to succeed, in most play throughs of this game players will have to accept that no amount of trapping and manipulating will reunite these two. People are complicated, relationships are hard, and mostly people break up for good and valid reasons. I have a related concern that it should be clear that this game aims to critique and deconstruct “parent trap” media rather than replicating it wholesale. The genesis of this project was, after all, my uncomfortable reaction to a piece in this genre. I want to make something messier, kinder, and a bit more true to life. A story that’s as much about the kid doing the trapping as it is about the parents being trapped.

Thing Two: If Jude’s parents don’t get back together that shouldn’t necessarily feel like a failure

Maybe they’re not back together but they are on better terms than when they started out? Maybe they’re still on bad terms but Jude has a better perspective on why that is? Maybe it’s not all “fixed”, just easier to process and navigate? It’s trite, but I’ll say it anyway: part of growing up is coming to see your parents as fallible, uniquely flawed human beings and then deciding what to do with that information. This is a coming of age story strongly themed on that common experience.

So, what mechanics did I go with? For the resolution of traps I wanted something simple with multiple, clearly bounded levels of success, failure, or a mixture of the two. So why not use 2d6 and a PbtA move-style resolution? Here’s a first draft:

6 or lower is a failure. Mark a Scar. 7-9 is a partial success. Choose an outcome: 10+ is a full success. Mark 1 Heart 12+ is an outstanding success. Mark 1 Heart and choose an additional outcome:

And what are Hearts and Scars? Those are the measures I came up with for tracking the status of Jude’s parents’ relationship. Which I may rename at some point as I’m not 100% happy with them yet. They feel a bit obvious? Maybe that’s not such a bad thing? I continue to mull.

Hearts, unsurprisingly, represent the exes’ affection for each other, which can be platonic in nature, or romantic, or both. Scars represent the pain they’ve caused each other or the problems in their relationship; their anti-compatibility. I felt strongly that these needed to be two separate metrics. It feels important to acknowledge that you can care deeply for someone and still find that you can’t get along, or know that they’ve caused you too much pain for your romantic relationship to continue. Too many Scars gained will result in a big blow up, which then reduces both Hearts and Scars back to zero.

At the end of the game to get Jude’s parents back together you need to have maxed out their Hearts. Otherwise players are advised to look at the balance of Hearts and Scars to decide how things stand between them, coming up with their own nuanced take from Jude’s perspective. Because the end of the story you’re telling should ideally be about Jude, a young protagonist with their whole life ahead of them. What did they learn? How have they grown?

I’m keen to get around to play test 2 before I write to you all again. I have a week off over Christmas and no plans to go gallivanting (gone are the days…) so that should hopefully come to pass. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions you’d like answered in the next edition of the development diary?

Thanks for reading Button Kin Games! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

[k-indie]

I Ain’t Sorry

First | Current 

This has gone on for so long, Ran is bound to find out. What will you do when he does?

NSFW, detailed this time | Profanity | Reminiscence | Angst | Angry!Ran | Betrayal...

“He didn’t deserve you...”

The lolling of his hips to one side elicited a small whimper from you, throat slightly hoarse from the panting and screams that echoed on the walls. He pressed into the sweet spot you knew Ran knew nothing about and left you wondering how Rin knew of such an angle.

Your back arched downwards, fingers digging into the sheets beneath you as you stuttered, “I kn-know...”

Thick tip kissing into your new sweet spot, Rin rolled his hips upwards in a scooping motion, slowly, teasingly as he held your hips, one arm crossed over the other. How could he learn so much about your body after only three sessions thus far? Who was he beyond what he had shown you in all the years you’d known him?

“I don’t think you do. You still haven’t left him like I told you to.”

He pulled his hips back, leaving only the tip in your slick and he gathered your hair in one hand, eyes trained on the dimples forming just above your ass, he thumbed one dimple, pressing into it and rubbing against it, a small massage to keep you grounded for his next move.

“I want you to leave him and I won’t say it again.”

Before you could respond, his dick pressed against the new spot from his slightly sideways position behind you, angled just at the back of your left ass cheek, drilling you into the bed roughly.

Your pretty cunt fluttered around his cock, sucking him and pushing him out as you began to twitch under him, incoherent babbling fleeing your lips as you moaned for him to go easier on you. But who were you to make any demands when you couldn’t even obey his?

You both knew it was for the best. Ran couldn’t treat you right anymore and Rindo was all too happy to take care of the crumbs left by his brother. How could he not when you were all he wanted during these years? How could he not when the woman of his dreams, the love of his life was being done so dirty by his own kin? You needed to know what it was like to be loved, not treated like you were expendable.

How could he resist you when your tight pussy clenched him this hard when he made you squirt all over his fat dick? How could he resist the gentle caresses you placed so freely over his head, heart, and soul? 

How could he resist the woman who ran her fingers over the index of his soul and finished all of his sentences? Why couldn’t you just let go of Ran already? Did he really break you that bad? Did he ruin you so unmistakably horrid that you couldn’t breathe without him? Couldn’t exist without Ran Haitani?

But you could be independent enough to fuck his brother.

Rindo wanted more. How dare you allow him only your body and not your heart. 

Soon, you will see that I was the one who would never have taken you for granted, that I was the one that could provide for you--everything you need, everything you want-- and you will see that I am the one who can love you like this, the one that can hit the angles Ran wouldn’t dare to reach for. Did he know about this spot? Perhaps this one? Or that spot?

Soon...very soon, pretty girl.

There was nothing else to explain the way you felt betwixt the Haitanis. One was ruthless while the other had shown you an entirely different world, yet both so loving in their own ways and you couldn’t decide which you liked best. 

Was it Ran who was supposed to be your husband but couldn’t even set the date even after all these months of ignoring his infidelity and still treating him like a God while fucking his brother behind his back as he’d done to you for two months straight? Was he still cheating on you?

Probably.

Or was it Rin, the gentle lover who liked to take it slow with you every time you were with him? The one who would listen to you and actually respond in a way Ran never could, never would instead of just brushing it off as something you shouldn’t feed into? Rin took life seriously and was so very grounded that it felt like he could suffocate you in his world of meticulous planning and constant preparation and opportunity. It was something you liked about him. Ran was a major planner, but he was too careless at times. 

Sure, Ran fucked you good, he gave you pretty things and occasionally would say that thing you loved to hear that made you fall in love all over again, but Rin made you rise in love, he made you want to be better than you already are and you still felt stuck. 

The right answer was too obvious. It was clear as day: leave Ran and marry Rin. It’s what Rin wanted anyway and how could you deny his undying love for you any longer?

But what was it that held you back? Were you afraid of Ran’s wrath? Were you afraid of what he might do if he found out you were doing to him what he did to you? Were you not ready to leave him, hoping he could change and become someone better after you treated him so well?

You were only rewarding him in a twisted manner for his adulterous indulgences. Surely, you had to see that. He definitely saw it that way even if he didn’t know you knew of his actions, but he had a hunch that he purposely ignored because he loved that you brushed up against his ego in such a way that made him feel even more like a God, invincible no Mikey. 

He got lost in the feeling of your love shining even brighter after his mistake, the teasing you started instead of getting him off, leaving him wanting more from you instead of what’s-her-name. He got lost in the feel of your walls against him, hugging him tighter than anything he’s ever felt. He got lost trying to find his way back to you when you stopped giving it to him, the sweet, seducing sighs of his name when he woke you up to him lapping at your slit so happily, so hungry. The slow mornings with the right amount of sun peeking over your face when he drove his cock harder into you in a slow, love-making manner that drove both you wild with every flutter of your lips around his cock, it was beautiful.

He was beautiful.

And looking at him now, seated across from you at the dining table with a stressed demeanor and lazy smile peeking at you as you rubbed one foot against his calf-- it was too much for you, such a small moment shared between two broken lovers, it wasn’t enough at the same time.

“I want to go away for a while, Ran.”

His grin slowly disappeared, eyes trailing over your face, foot retracting to its original spot crossed over the other one. “Where? Why?”

He honestly missed you, hadn’t seen enough of you lately and he needed confirmation that you were going to come back to him, he could feel the distance you placed between you and him emotionally. He didn’t want you to check out of the love hotel even if he was cheating on you, even if he did know you knew.

“I’m tired of not going out as much anymore and I need a change of scenery. My boss is promoting me and I want to go somewhere to celebrate. Alone.”

He didn’t like that. Alone, he repeated to himself in his mind, wondering if that was where you’d leave him. He needed to take you out himself, treat you how you were treating him but with pure intentions this time.

“Where?”

You didn’t want to tell him where so he wouldn’t be able to follow you or send someone after you. You just needed to be completely alone to sort out your thoughts and collect the last bits of dignity you had left dealing with an intrusion of this nature.

Freedom, self-sufficiency, and independence was what you needed most at this point. “To a place where I can relax and be alone.”

“That doesn’t tell me where, (Name).”

He was becoming irritated with the lack of information he was receiving and he was growing impatient with your beating around the bush to tell him what he knew you wanted to say.

“Just say it.”

“Say what?”

“You want to leave me, don’t you? You think I haven’t noticed how you’ve been emotionally unavailable lately? You think I haven’t noticed the sudden change in the way you act around me now? You think I failed to see how you’ve been ignoring my advances to get you in bed with me after that night? You’ve been acting different ever since that day your car broke down and you think I haven’t noticed the emotions you’ve been feeling in regards to me.”

You were on the edge of blurting out all the information you learned about him and that woman, what you saw, what you’ve done. But you had to remain grounded, keep him from finding out about your plan, your actions towards him, and what his brother told you to do.

“What’s been going on, (Name)? Have you been with someone else? Have you been filling in my place in your life with another?”

He couldn’t bear the thought of you laying down with another man, another male that wasn’t Ran. There was nothing on your face that could give anything away, no emotion whatsoever and he hated that even more, he wanted to know what was going through that pretty head of yours behind those eyes that were once full of life.

“How can you ask me that, Ran? I would never do that to you.”

The same words he tossed your way about a month ago when you confronted him about a small smudge of red on his collar that wasn’t blood. He claimed it was though and because you already knew the truth at this point, you let it go. He would never admit his mistakes to you and he wouldn’t let you live without him anyway, so why bother? He was still fucking that other woman and giving her new gifts, a fact you found from watching her Instagram fill with new pictures of her gifts--the same gifts he’d showered you with when you first got together with him.

He couldn’t even respond, that was sure confirmation that you knew he was being a fuckboy on the side. When you didn’t speak, just passed him a soft glare and rose from your seat slowly, he spoke, “How long have you known?”

“Not very long.”

“How’d you find out?”

“I walked in on you that night my car broke down. I walked over five miles in the dark, in uncomfortable shoes, to my shared penthouse to find my fiancé-- who can’t even commit after it was his idea to even go this far-- balls deep in some girl who has the same gifts he gave to me when we first got together and he’d been balls deep in her for over two months now--behind my back and lying to me about it. And I needed him that night,” a half-hearted smile formed with a small chuckle, “and he was too busy fucking her to answer his calls, his texts, and to realize that I was standing there watching him for a good minute before I left. And I called your name like three times when I first got in and... nothing. But what disappoints me the most... is that she wasn’t even that pretty. Ran, you could do so much better. You played yourself. How does it feel?”

There were no words he could offer you, just a soft, shocked expression crossing his features, brows risen to his hairline and eyes falling to the floor with lips slightly parted. “When I get back from my vacation, I expect to be showered in gifts that you will never give to any other woman but me. I expect you to rub my feet every night, bathe my body for me, and a date set for our wedding. If you cannot do something as simple as treating me like the woman you want to marry--a fucking Queen-- then this is where I leave you.”

His tragedy stricken pride wasn’t the only thing that had his mind spinning, it was your daunting glare that kept him on his knees in front of you, his pained expression finding its way to your line of sight. It was the never-ending camouflaging of your own pain, sadness, disappointment that made him realize just how in trouble he was with you.

He could lose you forever and settle for less, or, he could treat you better, get his shit together, and marry you immediately because who better to unite with in holy matrimony than you? What other woman was willing to take your place? Deal with the blood on his face and clothes almost every night? The toxins of his life that he so carelessly injected into yours? Who would be able to console him in his times of need the way you do? 

No one. Because you knew him better than he knew himself and what woman in their right, non-lusting mind could do for him what you do best? Love him. Accept him. Allow his world to tear yours apart if that’s what it came to. For him.

And perhaps he’d already lost you, he thinks to himself as he watches you board that private jet to the still-unknown destination he wished that he could attend with you. 

Would she come back to me? Or will she really leave me?

@saltymariaisactuallyacat @ayhashi @no-signal @jelly1ce69 @puff-nut @c4ndle3 @whoyoucallinpinhead24 @fl4mepillar @mor-pheus @jhohannamae @q-the-rockaholic @evylina @dumbbicc

[justalonelybitch]

hey, may i request an enemies-to-lovers one-shot or scenario about seokkyung? in which the reader has the same personality as hers, since she's one of my top kins? reader can be gender neutral, and i'd like if it started as a little suggestive and angst and ends as fluff.

thanks :]

I hope you enjoy it! Sorry I have't updated in the past few days, I've just gotten a bit busy lately. I'm not sure if this makes sense, my mind was kinda elsewhere while writing this.

Not Now

Seokkyung x F!Reader

Genre: Angst, Enemies to Lovers AU

Warnings: Domestic Abuse, Swearing, Violence, 

Word Count: 2.18k

Buy me a coffee :)

Your fingers flowed effortlessly along the black and white keys, neck muscles tightening as you tried desperately to reach the notes. “Fuck!” You yelled angrily as your voice cracked, slamming your fists down on the piano. Reaching for the sheet of music, you aggressively crumpled it in your fist, throwing it behind you with much force.

A slow clap echo’s around the room, your head snapping around to meet Joo Seokkyung’s teasing gaze. “Wow, that was really something” she breathed out, giggling following shortly after. “At this rate you might not even make it into Cheong Ah Arts,” Seokkyung said, head tilted as she smirked smugly. Glaring at her, you stood from your seat, walking closer to her menacingly.

“Watch your mouth Joo, wouldn’t want anything to interfere with your chances now would we?” You asked innocently, mischievous glint in your eyes. “If only they knew about your little cheating scheme,” you said, feigning faux sympathy. “If you even think about it,” she inched closer to you, faces only mere inches apart. “I’ll make sure that there will be consequences,” she said pointedly.

Leaning impossibly closer without touching, you smirked. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me,” you whispered, breath fanning her lips. Scooting back victoriously, you blew her a kiss before exiting the room. Seokkyung’s eyes lingered on your figure as you walked away, jaw clenched in anger. However, her stomach was doing somersaults inside her, but she refused to acknowledge it for now.

~~

“Y/n! Eunbyul! Get ready, the guests will be arriving soon,” your mothers voice resounded throughout the house. “Need help?” You asked, entering your sister's room. When she shook her head, you made yourself comfortable on her bed, shoulders slouching in exhaustion. “I can’t believe we have to go to these dinners, let alone host them,” you complained.

Eunbyul looked at you with an amused smile, used to your antics. “You should get ready before Eomma sees you,” she said, adding some final touches to her outfit. “What do you mean? I am ready!” You exclaimed, looking at your sister in disbelief. “You’re hopeless,” she mumbled, fixing your hair, then chucking a blazer at you.

“That’s much better,” she mumbled, handing you one of her many fancy watches as an accessory. “I don’t understand what was wrong before,” you mumbled, wandering out to the kitchen. Eunbyul followed closely behind you, chuckling lightly at your comment.

“Good you’re ready,” your mother said, eyeing both of you. You tried to sneak a snack from the bench, but your hand was quickly smacked away by your mother’s. “Just go greet the guests,” she sighed in annoyance, pushing you towards the entrance. While your sister stayed back to help, not that Seojin let her do much.

Minhyeok's family was first to come, his father babbling on about some nonsense that went in one ear and out the other. You rolled your eyes at his nonsense, his mother pulling him off to the dining room, smiling at you on her way. Minhyeok gave you a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, before leaving you alone in the doorway once more.

Next to arrive was Jenny and her mother, who both greeted you with fake smiles. Exchanging pleasantries before hurrying off, Mari dragged her daughter along with her. You sighed, relieved to have them gone. This was by far the worst thing you could’ve been assigned with, you felt like one of the workers rather than a member of the family.

Finally, the awaited family arrived, all dressed in formal attire, gracefully stepping out of the elevator one by one. “Welcome,” you bowed respectfully, then doing the same in return. “How are you, Y/n?” Suryeon asked, always displaying the warmth you longed for. “I’m doing well Miss Shim, how are you?” You asked back, however your eyes wandered past the woman before you.

Anything Suryeon said went deaf in your ears, for the only thing you could focus on was the girl behind her. She looked stunning, dressed in a simple outfit, yet on her it looked like the best thing in the room. You wondered how someone could possibly be so beautiful, her striking visuals her god-like. You snapped back to reality when your mothers voice came from behind you, saving you from further embarrassment.

“You’re just in time,” she said smiling in faux excitement, gesturing for them to head to the lavishly decorated dining room. She gave you a stern glance, turning on her heel and leaving you to stumble helplessly after her. Everyone now seated, ready to dig in, talking about all sorts of nonsense gossip you paid no mind to.

~~

While the adults conversed over things you were uninterested in, the kids made themselves comfortable in the lounge. You leaned against the arm of the couch, sipping on your drink while Jenny and Minhyeok bickered. Huffing, you stood from your seat, wanting to escape from the chaos for a shirt while.

In a rush to exit the room, you failed to see the Seokkyung who was walking in your direction, a smirk etched on her face. Crashing into her, you watched in what seemed like slow motion as the drink spilled down her chest. Eyes widening in shock, as the rest of your drink splashed onto the white fur rug.

“Do you know how expensive this is?!” Seokkyung screeched, gaining the attention of anyone in the room. “It’s not my fault you can’t watch where you’re going,” you yelled back at her. “What’s going on here?” Mr Joo’s voice boomed through the room, making everyone go silent. “Appa, she purposely spilled her drink on me. Now my clothes are ruined!” Seokkyung whined, though you could see the faint smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.

Dantae’s gaze flickered to you, eyes squinting as he turned to your father. “You should learn to control your child,” he spoke in an arrogant tone. “I’m sure it was an accident,” Suryeon attempted to defuse the situation, but no one paid her much mind. “We’re leaving,” her husband announced, Seokkyung eyeing you up and down, a smug smile on her face as she followed her father.

“You’re coming with me,” you hear a harsh voice whisper in your ear, nails digging into your forearm. Lowering your head, you had no choice but to follow your mother’s orders, not daring to look at any of the people in the room. “Fucking embarrassment!” Seojin screamed once in the confines of her office, pushing you into her desk with all her strength.

You cried out in pain as your back hit the corner, it was sure to leave a bruise. “How dare you make a scene with people around,” she raised her hand. The sound that came from the slap rang in your ears, head whipped to the side. “Such a disappointment,” she clicked her tongue, gripping your hair in her hand.

“It wasn’t my fault,” you whispered, feeling her nails dig into your scalp. She chuckled menacingly at your words, merciless with her actions. “You even stained my rug,” she tutted, gripping your jaw with such force that you were made to look her in the eye. “I don’t even want to see your face,” she mumbled, pushing you down to the ground.

Smiling cynically when she noticed a burning candle on her desk, she held it up to you. “Such a disgrace to our name,” she taunted, pulling your arm to hover over the wick. Your eyes brimmed with tears as you felt the flame come into contact with your skin, searing hot pain making your whimper.

“Don’t embarrass me again,” she warned, leaving you to lay on the floor pathetically. “Sorry, Y/n’s not feeling very well so they won’t be joining us for the rest of the evening,” you heard her announce to the group. Everyone seemed to continue as usual after that, while you were left to drown in your thoughts, pain lingering on your body.

~~ You found yourself curled up in the familiar studio the next day, letting the rhythm guide you. Bones aching as you played the piano, trying once more to sing the unreachable note. You cursed as you failed once more, eyes fluttering shut in an attempt to calm yourself. However, it proved unsuccessful, when the irritating voice filled your ears once more.

“You know, I think you’re getting better,” Seokkyung said, an obviously fake smile on her lips. “Not today,” you mumbled tiredly, for once not in the mood to fight back. “I never thought I’d see the day when you gave up so easily,” she taunted further. Though you could only manage a weak huff in response, gathering your stuff and readying yourself to leave.

Just to your luck, the bell rang before Seokkyung could say anymore. Much to your disliking, you and her would be sharing the next class. Strolling out of the door, you walked at a slow pace, trying to disguise your back pain. The girl behind you, eyeing you with curiosity, wondering what on earth had made you so quiet.

“You’re no fun Y/n,” Seokkyung complained, giving you a look of annoyance. You kept your head down, choosing to ignore her. Thankfully, she finally left you alone when you entered the class. Instead she opted to go and talk to her brother, giving you some momentary peace and quiet.

The teacher soon entered the room, babbling about something you didn’t care to listen to. You focused your gaze on your desk, head resting in your hands. Not even trying to hide the fact that you weren’t listening, you let your eyes flutter shut. The noise around you faded, exhaustion setting in as you fell into unconsciousness.

~~

“Y/n~” A voice sang, pulling you from your slumber. Groaning, you looked up to the perpetrator, rolling your eyes when you saw the familiar face. “Wouldn’t want you to get a sore neck, would we?” Seokkyung asked rhetorically, something unfamiliar in her tone. Grumbling you stood, pushing your chair in, taking note of the fact everyone else had left.

“What time is it?” You yawned, stretching your limbs out. When you didn’t get a response, you looked to Seokkyung, noticing the way her eyes lingered on you. Following her stare, you saw that your sleeve had ridden up, revealing the faint burn marks. Rushing to cover yourself, you cleared your throat awkwardly.

“Y/n,” Seokkyung tried to talk, but before she could say anything more, you rushed for the exit. “Wait!” She called after you, to which you abruptly stopped. However, it was not because of the girl behind you, but the one in front of you. There stood your mother, fierce gaze burning into your skull.

“I heard that you were sleeping during classes,” Seojin said, scowling on her face. “Office now,” she demanded. Your head dropped, feet moving helplessly to follow your mother. “Excuse me, Mrs Cheon.” Seokkyung spoke from behind you. Your mothers head snapping in her direction, raising her brow in question.

“If you don’t mind, I have to borrow Y/n for a while. We have a project to work on,” Seokkyung said quickly, not giving Seojin much time to react before she was pulling you out the door. Looking at you, she smiled slightly, giving your arm a comforting squeeze, dragging you to her car.

You had barely registered what had even happened, but before you knew it, you were seated in Seokkyung’s room. “Here,” she said, handing you a snack. “You should eat,” she grabbed your hand, forcefully placing the snack in your grasp. “Thank you,” you mumbled, unsure of her actions. “Don’t worry Y/n, it’s not poisoned,” she chuckled.

Feeling at ease, you took a hesitant bite of the snack, humming at the taste that filled your mouth. The mood was still slightly tense, uncertainty about your current predicament lingering on her mind. As if sensing your emotions, Seokkyung placed a comforting hand on your shoulder.

“You know, you might not be so bad after all Y/n,” she said. It was her way of comforting you, which you couldn’t help but laugh at. Seeing you more relaxed made her smile, happy to have made you feel better. After that talking became easier, conversation flowing endlessly between the two of you.

“Thank you,” you muttered shyly, making Seokkyung look at you in confusion. “What for?” She asked, baffled by your sudden words. “For bringing me here, making me laugh, helping me to forget, I guess everything really.” You spoke sincerely, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from your chest thanks to the girl before you.

“I guess you’re not too bad either Joo Seokkyung,” you smiled at her. Your final statement brings a bright grin to her face, eyes shining with mirth. And from that day on, there was an unspoken understanding between the two of you. A feeling of comfort washed over you when in the other's presence. You both had something in common, and it was nice to be able to rely on someone for once.

But that was only the beginning of your story.

Part Two coming soon!!

[seth-shitposts]

Alex: You should have seen Sebastián's reaction when I told him that Kallus was my new kin. He was actually about to rip shit off of hinges. I've never seen him go from chill/neutral about a character to "I will defend this character with my dying breath because one of my best friends relates to him a lot".

Seth: IM STILL NOT OVER IT. I SCREAM ABOUT IT EVERY TIME I OPEN THE PILOTS' KIN TIER LISTING-

Anyway, all 7 of us use They/Them, with variation. So they/them is always a safe go to. Here's the cheat sheet:

💖Toga (Alice)💖 She/They/He/Any Pronouns

💙Alexsandr💙 They/He

💚Sebastián💚 He/They

🧡Devon🧡 They/He

💛Haimo💛 They/Them

❤️🖤Harley🖤❤️ They/She

🤍🖤Lilith🖤🤍 They/Them

*pokes you with a stick* hi! How's your day been?

Heheh

Pretty good so far. Work was fine for the most part. Past hour have been working on a prompt fic that is aimed to be finished within the next few hours

AND ALEX IS SO BIG BRAINED HE-

My stars I WANT TO BLABBER ABOUT IT SO BAD.

Alex is piecing together major plot points for The Aphelion Waltz and I'm SBXBHDHDHDHDHHDHEJ3JF bro bro bro, Bdjdujrjdjd (I actually had to come over here to cool my jets because of how much I am losing my shit over these developments for this fic. Because holyshitfuck)

We can't work more on TAW until I have this fic finished and if I'm correct, this one prob won't be more than 1k? It's probably going to be our shortest fic to date honestly. But I'm Hella hyped for it :)

-Sebastián 💚

---

Im doing marvelously. Causing mayhem that will hit the streets in about a month or two. I am a patient man with a lot of plans. We're finishing up one of the prompts you sent us, actually. And then the rest of the evening will probably be devoted to fleshing out more plot for TAW.

Once we finish this prompt fic and post it, we're for sure going to go eat something though.

How has your day been, friend?

-Alex 💙

[archived-kin]

a lawyer and a historian walk into a café...

note from kin: it’s modern au time!! in this one you’re a lawyer with yanfei as your prodigy protege (essentially she’s the phoenix wright to your mia fey; you’re like her mentor as she trains to get her law degree), and zhongli’s her history professor dad (+ xiao as her big brother who’s doing some fancy uni degree (and yes, this piece was absolutely an excuse to write about a family dynamic between them))

basically one time she brought her dad and big bro over to your attorney office and zhongli looked at you and fell in love immediately and now yanfei’s playing matchmaker for her dad

(xiao probably feels ooc but that’s mostly because there’s not nearly as much trauma for the poor guy in this au. zhongli took xiao and yanfei in when they were 11 and 7 respectively and he was about 24 so let’s say by this point he’s in his mid thirties, and xiao and yanfei are now 23 and 19. also their family name is zhao!!)

quick edit: i've made a cheat sheet for this au in case you want to know more about it!!

fandom: genshin impact

character(s): gn!reader, zhongli, xiao, yanfei, diluc

pairing(s): zhongli/reader

warning(s): none

genre: fluff!

“Okay, so the grocery store plan didn’t work, and neither did the library plan, or the museum plan…” Yanfei writes something in her notebook in her usual impossibly-perfect cursive and taps her pen restlessly against the table. “What else...?”

“The cat shelter plan didn’t work either,” Xiao puts in absent-mindedly, still mostly occupied by the essay he’s writing. Wasn’t he meant to submit that yesterday? “Or the park plan.”

“Oh, right.” Yanfei adds another two lines to her notes. “Is that all?”

Her brother considers for a moment, pausing in his work to take a bite of his cereal bar. “I think so.”

They fall into silence. Zhongli rounds the kitchen counter and sets two steaming mugs of coffee beside his two children, then takes a seat opposite them on the table with his own cup of tea. “...A-Fei, what’s this about?”

“Your love life,” She responds as if it’s obvious, bending over her notes and scribbling something with extra vigour.

“My love life?” He repeats.

Yanfei nods. “You need to get out of the house more. All you do is read books and drink tea.”

He frowns softly. “I do have a job, you know.”

“She means that you don’t have any friends,” Xiao says flatly, eyes still focused on his screen. “Or hobbies, really. When you’re not working, you’re sitting about reading books and drinking tea - like Fei said.”

“Besides, you really like [Name], don't you?” Yanfei points out. “It’s the perfect opportunity to get out a bit!”

Zhongli’s cheeks go a little pink, and he clears his throat, turning away and bringing his cup to his lips. “A-Fei…”

“What?” Yanfei cocks her head to the side. “[Name] thinks you’re cute, you know. I bet they’d say yes if you asked them on a date.”

He chokes on his tea and sets his cup down. After a moment, tapping his fingers agitatedly on the tabletop, he asks, “...where did you get that impression from?”

“I asked them,” Yanfei says plainly, and Zhongli just about dies of embarrassment on the spot. “Just yesterday. I went ‘So what do you think of my dad?’, and they were all like ‘Yanfei, you didn’t tell me your dad was so pretty!’ I think they’ve been dying to talk about you ever since you visited.”

Zhongli opens his mouth to say something, struggling for words, then abruptly snaps it shut again. Xiao watches him clap his hands to his face over the top of his monitor, then turns to Yanfei with a raised eyebrow. “...was that really a good idea?”

“Why wouldn’t it have been?” She replies innocently, tilting her head to the side. “If [Name] likes Dad and Dad likes [Name], there isn’t a problem, is there?”

Her brother shakes his head and reaches over to tug playfully on a lock of her hair. “Well, first of all, do you really want Dad to be dating your teacher?”

“...hmm.” Yanfei pauses to think about it. “...I’m not sure, actually.”

“And I think you’ve just given him an stroke,” He points out, gesturing over the table at their father, who still has yet to remove his hands from his face. “I don’t think he wanted [Name] to know he likes them.”

“I didn’t tell them he likes them, though,” Yanfei says with a small pout. “I just asked them what they thought about him. How would they know?”

“...A-Fei, shouldn’t you be leaving soon?” Zhongli asks finally, removing his hand from his eyes and looking at his daughter with his usual gentle eyes. Yanfei doesn’t miss the way his ears remain a little pink, though. “I believe you’re due to meet [Name] in thirty minutes.”

“Huh?” She raises her wrist to check her watch, then hops off her chair. “Oh, yeah! Can you drop me off?”

“Of course,” He replies with a soft smile, watching as she drains her coffee to dregs and hurries off to change out of her loungewear. The kitchen descends into silence for a moment or two.

“...Fei means well,” Xiao says suddenly. Zhongli turns to see his son giving him a meaningful look over the rim of his own coffee mug. “She just wants you to be happy.”

Zhongli looks at him for a moment, then inclines his head with another, fonder smile. “I know that.”

Xiao nods, and goes back to his essay.

Yanfei comes down in some suitable outdoor clothes about ten minutes later and, with Xiao waving them off with his usual brand of fond dismissiveness, Zhongli and Yanfei head out to the car to set off for the location that Yanfei inputs into the GPS. Zhongli doesn’t miss the way that his daughter keeps sending him almost conspirational looks as he drives.

“...your hair’s kinda messed up.” She says after five minutes or so.

Zhongli keeps his eyes focused on the road as they come to a roundabout. “Does it matter?”

“[Name]’s gonna see you,” She says matter-of-factly. “Don’t you want to look your best?”

“...I hardly think that’s necessary.” He replies after a moment. Yanfei shrugs and goes quiet, but she notes with glee that her father pauses to have a good look at himself in the rear view mirror when they come to a stoplight.

Zhongli surveys himself with a great deal of thoughtfulness, lifting his hand from the wheel to sweep his fringe to the side a little, then changing his mind and pushing it back to where it was. Was Yanfei just teasing him? His hair looks just as it always does - neatly brushed, but a little tousled, and fastened carefully at the back.

He tries to pat down the stubborn little sprigs at the top of his head, but, as usual, they refuse to lay flat. He sighs and, just as he’s deciding to leave it, he spots something odd in the corner of the mirror.

That motorbike - the greenish-blue patterns on its bumper, the red helmet attached to the back, and the demonic-looking mask-like helmet that the rider is wearing… is that Xiao? Is he following them? And why’s he brought Yanfei’s helmet with him?

Zhongli had already begun to have his suspicions when Yanfei asked him to drive her to the meeting place - normally, when she needs to go somewhere, she either skateboards there herself or asks her brother to take her on his bike if it’s too far away - and this only solidifies them. His daughter is most certainly up to something.

Then the lights turn green, and he has to turn back to the wheel. By the time they’re back on a straight enough road with little enough traffic for him to check again, Xiao’s motorbike has disappeared.

“Was that your brother back there?” He asks Yanfei absent-mindedly. She starts and - rather suspiciously - slaps her phone face-down in her lap so that he can’t see the screen.

“Don’t know,” She says. “I wasn’t looking.”

He raises an eyebrow. “...are you texting someone?”

“Um…” She taps her fingers against her leg restlessly. “Yeah.”

A pause. “Is it someone I know?”

She laughs under her breath, poorly disguising it with a cough. “You could say that.”

Her phone goes off, and she hurriedly picks it up to answer the message she’s just received. Zhongli sends her a rather wary side-glance as she starts typing furiously - that text alert is the one that Yanfei has specifically assigned to Xiao. Why would she feel the need to hide the fact that she’s texting her brother?

Yanfei keeps her mouth firmly shut about whatever plan that Zhongli is now certain she has for the rest of the car ride, no matter how much he tries to gently coax the answer out of her. He’s still none the wiser to her intentions as he pulls up to the café marked on the GPS, and he’s beginning to get rather worried - he has a feeling he knows what this is about.

The first thing he notices is that Xiao’s motorbike appears to be parked a little ways down the street, though his son himself is nowhere to be seen. The second thing he notices is you standing outside the café.

You’re dressed far more casually than you’ve been on any of the other occasions that Zhongli’s had the pleasure of seeing you - he’s only ever seen you in your full formal lawyer get-up, perfectly primped and polished for the courtroom, and while that’s a beauteous sight in and of itself, he has to say that he definitely prefers this more comfortable look. It gives you cosy, domestic sort of air; quite the opposite of the strict and business-like way you present yourself while on the job.

Yanfei hops out of the car excitedly and runs to say hello. You greet her with a warm hug, and Zhongli can’t help but feel all fuzzy on the inside at the sight. In the event that he’d ever want a partner, he’s always silently promised himself that whoever he chooses must love his children as much as him - and you’ve always taken good care of his daughter. It’s just another point added to his metaphorical ‘like’ tally.

The two of you exchange words briefly, and Zhongli’s about to start pulling away when Yanfei suddenly turns to point at him. He freezes in his seat as your eyes turn to him, and Yanfei starts gesturing aggressively for him to come over.

Under both of your expectant gazes, he doesn’t really have any choice but to comply. Locking the car doors behind him, he takes a moment to make sure that his shirt is tucked in neatly and that his tie is knotted just-so, then approaches carefully.

Zhongli is usually very much the elegant gentleman, but here’s the thing: whenever one tries to do something a specific way, they’ll almost certainly end up inevitably doing it the complete opposite way. Such is the case for Zhongli; so focused is he on appearing as unbothered and ‘cool’ (as Yanfei would put it) as possible, he forgets to watch his feet, and trips on the edge of the curb.

Yanfei lets out a great laugh as her poor father stumbles and nearly crashes face-first into the pavement, while you hurriedly leap forward to catch him by the arm as he totters. “Goodness! Careful, Mr Zhao.”

“Thank you…” He steadies himself, clearing his throat in embarrassment. A split second later, he realises that you’re touching him. “Ah…!”

He jerks back involuntarily, feeling his face grow even warmer. You look surprised for a moment, then quickly school your expression back into a hospitable smile. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have grabbed you like that.”

“No, it’s fine,” Zhongli quickly shakes his head, busying his restless hands by readjusting his tie. “You simply… startled me, is all.”

“Startled his heart, more like,” Yanfei teases, grinning widely. “Some entrance that was, Dad!”

He shoots his daughter a reproachful look, to which she replies with a conspirational wink. “...is there something you two need?”

“Oh, not really, it’s just…” Yanfei sticks her hand in one of her pockets and rummages about. “...you need two people to get the couple’s discount, don’t you?”

Zhongli freezes on the spot, while you simply raise an intrigued eyebrow and take the voucher Yanfei holds out. “...Yanfei, don’t tell me you planned this?”

“Well, Xiao helped,” She says brightly, and, as if on cue, her brother’s motorbike roars up to the curb.

“A-Xiao,” Zhongli says in greeting, though he can’t help but sound a little betrayed. His son lifts the visor of his helmet and offers a small wave.

“Nice to see you again,” You say with a smile, and Xiao nods curtly at you in reply. “So, was this your idea?”

He shrugs and smirks a little, tossing Yanfei her helmet, which she catches deftly. “She wouldn’t stop pestering me until I helped her. Anyway, Fei, you ready to go?”

“Yup!” She pulls her helmet on and fastens her jacket more securely, hopping up onto the bike behind him. “Have fun with your date, Dad! You can thank us later!”

She waves goodbye as Xiao revs up the bike, and the two have disappeared down the street before Zhongli can raise any complaint. He stares after them, trying desperately not to meet your eyes.

“...well,” You begin after a long moment, “We wouldn’t want to waste this voucher. What do you say, Mr Zhao?”

He swallows and slowly turns to look at you. “...just Zhongli is fine.”

“Zhongli, then,” You say with a smile that makes him go soft in the knees. Goodness, how much more juvenile can he get? He’s a fully grown man, and has been years - and yet here he is getting all hot around the collar like a schoolboy. “Shall we?”

It takes him a moment to realise what you mean, but you don’t seem to notice the way he stumbles over his words - or, at least, you’re gracious enough not to comment on it. “Of— of course.”

He follows as you lead the way into the café as pauses briefly before to door to take in the atmosphere - it’s cosy, with tasteful dark mahogany-dominated furniture. An enormous mural is painted pride of place behind the counter, where a menu usually would be - a sun rising from a sea of pale orange-tinted clouds. What was it this place was called again - Dawn Coffee? The painting certainly lives up to the café’s name.

You seem to have been here before - you weave through the many tables with the sort of familiarity that only comes with experience, while Zhongli has to keep his eyes trained on his surroundings in order to avoid another incident like the one outside. The café is mostly full already, with all manner of people taking up the various seats - mostly students with about seven empty cups littered about in front of them, some typing furiously and others simply slumped over in exhausted repose.

“Diluc,” You greet as you approach the counter. “Fancy seeing you here.”

The red-haired barista shoots you a deadpan look. “I’m here every day. You should know that by now.”

“And you should know that I’m joking,” You shake your head, then slap the voucher Yanfei had given you down on the countertop. “Anyway - here.”

The barista (Diluc, right?) picks the voucher up and skims briefly over its contents, then looks up and right into Zhongli’s face. Zhongli stares back silently, almost daring him to say something derisive. He may be reduced to putty in your hands, but that’s a power that only you possess. Anyone else remains unable to faze him.

“...right,” Diluc says finally, now looking almost a little uncomfortable under Zhongli’s intense gaze. He wonders if he should tone it down a little. “That’s a twenty five percent discount on any two drink and cake combinations, then. What’s your order?”

“I’ll just have the usual,” You say brightly, “With, ooh, let’s say… a piece of Battenberg. And what’ll you have, Zhongli?”

Zhongli looks around. “Is there a menu…?”

“Over there.” Diluc gestures dispassionately over at two large blackboards on the other wall. Zhongli almost slaps himself - how hadn’t he noticed it?

“Ah...” He skims briefly through it. None of the teas offered are ones that he particularly enjoys, which is a little disappointing, but he supposes beggars can’t be choosers. “A matcha tea, please.”

Diluc taps something into his register. “Just the plain tea, or would you prefer a latte?”

“A latte…?” Zhongli repeats, a little lost. Tea rooms are much more his forté than cafès, and he’s not entirely sure how things work.

“Lattes are milk based,” You explain helpfully, “Usually sweeter, too.”

“Oh.” Zhongli shakes his head. He’s always been lactose intolerant - it’s why he prefers herbal teas over any other hot drink. No milk required. “Just plain tea, thank you.”

“Alright,” Diluc types something. “And what kind of cake do you want with that?”

“...how about a slice of Madeira?” You suggest as Zhongli goes silent, looking bewildered. “Nice and simple.”

He nods, still a little confused, and Diluc puts one last thing into his register, prints out a receipt, and hands it to you. You turn to Zhongli as Diluc moves away to start making your drinks.

“Haven’t been to many cafés before, have you?” Your eyes twinkle teasingly, and Zhongli can’t help but flush a little.

“No,” He says slowly. “I’ve never particularly liked them…”

You chuckle, and Zhongli has to fight back a lovestruck smile of his own. “You’d better not let Diluc hear that. His dad owns this place.”

“Are the two of you… familiar?” He asks. He’s not entirely sure that he wants to hear the answer - especially considering the way you laugh after he’s finished speaking.

“I had to defend him once,” You reply, “Nearly a year to the day, actually. Poor guy got himself accused of murdering a homeless man just around the block.”

“I still don’t know how you managed to get a not guilty verdict so quickly,” Diluc comments, coming up to the counter and setting down a tray with two steaming mugs on it. He moves to the side and opens the cabinet of pastries to retrieve the slices cake you’ve ordered.

“Evidence, my dear Ragnvindr,” You say playfully. “Surprisingly enough, it’s easy to get a not guilty verdict when you have rock-hard evidence that your client isn’t guilty.”

Diluc shakes his head in apparent disapproval, but Zhongli catches the way his lip quirks up as he sets down two colourful (and, honestly, very delicious-looking) slices of cake, each on their own dainty little place, on the tray. “Well, here’s your order. Who’ll be paying?”

Zhongli quickly reaches into his pocket, opening his mouth to offer to foot the bill, then suddenly shuts it again when he feels nothing but crumpled-up paper. He sighs mentally. He’s gone and left his wallet behind again. That’s, what, the third time this week? And it’s only Tuesday...

Luckily, he doesn’t need to confess his forgetfulness, because you immediately pull your own wallet out of your pocket and slap a crisp bill on the counter. “Here. Keep the change.”

“How generous,” Diluc says dryly as you laugh. “I believe your usual spot is free for now, so you should hurry.”

You nod, reaching forward to take the tray. “Right. Thanks!”

Zhongli hovers for a moment as you start masterfully working your way back through the maze of tables to an unoccupied corner. As he turns to follow, however, Diluc calls out to him.

“Wait.”

Zhongli pauses. He contemplates ignoring the barista for a moment, then decides that it’s not worth the pettiness, and turns back around.

“Do you need something?” He asks.

Diluc gives him a searching look. Zhongli gets the feeling that he’s trying very hard to read something from his expression.

“...your daughter wants to let you know that she’s cancelling afternoon tea for two weeks if you don’t make a move,” He says finally.

“...what?” Zhongli’s so surprised that he’s unable to prevent his eyebrows from flying up. So much for his stoic act. “You know A-Fei?”

“Is that her name?” Diluc picks up the piece of paper he’d been reading when you and Zhongli had first entered and holds it out. Zhongli takes it carefully. “She stopped by this morning and gave me this.”

Zhongli reads over the note. It’s Yanfei’s penmanship, alright. How long has she been planning this for? “...right. Thank you.”

“One more thing,” Diluc adds as Zhongli turns to join you at your table. “[Name] seems to like you a lot. Don’t mess this up.”

Zhongli pauses. He glances over at you, and you wave with a grin. For a moment, the café seems to fall away - and there is nothing but the distance between the two of you, and the warmth of your smile.

Heart resolved, he turns back to Diluc, and nods firmly. “I won’t.”

[ruki--mukami]

#Kuruki Scenario(?) 👀

where Ruki caught Kuron 'cheating on him' face to face on their bed?

“…What is this meaning of this, Kuron?”

One swift tear at the sheets revealed his lover with some unknown woman, both completely void of clothing from head to toe, much to the Vampire’s erupting anger. When he snatched her by the arm, crushing of ligament and bone resounded throughout the bedroom with an eager snap, dislocating multiple joints in one round. Nails digging so deep across her flesh it left five trails of crimson in their wake, the woman collapsed onto the floor, drowning in her own crimson flood.

Then he directed his maelstrom blues to who he once deemed as his partner, not only glaring daggers but also Arondights of the sharpest edge deep into the windows of his soul, or whatever was left of it.

“You must not know me as well as I thought you did if you think you can bring some poor whelp into our space to carry out your sick fantasies. And here I really believed you, of all people, would understand me… Oh, how wrong I was.”

Without hesitation, he snatched the Werecat by the jugular and pinned him to the concrete wall, exerting all the vampiric strength he could muster despite his impure blood coursing through. Nevertheless, he still commanded a great deal of power, fueled by the exponentially growing rage. 

“In what corner of that dysfunctional brain of yours did you really think the Mukami last name can save you from my wrath? First, my mother… now you… all of you are a sorry lot of lust-crazed mongrels and you shall live to regret it.”

A panorama of flashbacks from the day his mother left behind a mere letter filled with insincere words and false promises plagued the Vampire’s mind like an all-consuming inferno for all he could see was red, a blinding carmine that clouded his usually calm and composed judgment and reminded him of the vengeance he wished to exact on the cruel world that wrong him. Not just Kuron, but also those who would dare to oppose and reject his will. Remnants of sanguine liquid from the girl still remained under his fingertips, further skyrocketing the demonic tendency to tear through him fiber by fiber of adipose with those pointed, bloodthirsty fangs.

“Kiss your days as an idol and your career as a teacher goodbye, Kuron, for I will make sure every person who draws breath will know of the atrocities you committed. Not in the way that I’d like, but the scandals will follow you with each dirty step you soil the ground with. The Mukami Kuron name shall be no more for you. Can you imagine how that feels? Having everyone look at you the way I am in this moment? I am beyond mortified, and the world will suffer that same sentiment alongside me.”

Ruki lunged forward and scythed the sharpened appendages deep into the flesh of the man’s shoulder, then scraped himself across the chest until ragged paths and zigzags of blood cascaded forth from the wounds, fangs seesawing across porcelain to repaint it all the same color as his spiraling conscience.

“Mmnh… Haah… Say farewell to your kin, too. And no, I’m not talking about Kou and the others. I’m talking about everyone else you hold dear in your life. Oh, to heartheir screams as I extract their very souls the same way I did to that poor woman rotting in our sheets… What athrill that will be. We’ll see who has the last laugh when your reputation is in shambles, your loved ones no longer draw breath, and you’re finally begging me to grant you the sweet release of death. You will wish you were ten feet below the ground, crawling and decaying like the most insignificant of bacteria would.”

[arhvste]

MIYA ATSUMU - LITTLE MIYA

- summary - atsumu has to make sure that he’s the favourite parent to your unborn child and takes every chance he can get to convince them to pick him - fluff - x f reader

- an - this was for tsumu’s birthday but i was a little late posting due to unforeseen circumstances, but i’m glad i finally got it up, happy birthday tsum tsum i love u lots and thank u for being a character that i not only kin but have easily fallen in love with in a way too

-

Sighing, Atsumu dropped his bag down and quietly took his shoes off and left them neatly by the door. The quiet hums of cars passing by outside your house reached the setters ears as he peered down the hall and noticed your bedroom light was still on.

The light was dim but he knew you’d likely have been reading or busying yourself some other way and you’d probably drifted off into a light sleep by now.

He shook his head and smiled thinking about how you’d always try and stay up for when he’d come home but you’d almost always end up falling back asleep.

Creaking the door open wider from where you’d left it slightly ajar where the dim light had been teasing the darkness of the halls of your home, Atsumu quietly stepped into the bedroom and began to shed the clothes he’d worn after taking a shower at the training grounds and into his boxers and white t-shirt. He would often take showers at the MSBY training grounds much to Sakusa’s delight as the latter would insist Atsumu’s stench was “unbearable” after training sessions (Atsumu was adamant that Sakusa only said this to wind him up but showered anyway), he also didn’t want to wake you up with the noise of water hitting the hard marble flooring in the bathroom and the sounds of the shower rinsing him.

Some may consider Atsumu a selfish man but it was small things like this that proved that hypothesis wrong. It was the little things Atsumu did out of habit that made him lean more towards the selfless side rather than selfish but it wasn’t like the two of you particularly cared about others perceptions of himself and your relationship. You knew Atsumu and you loved him the way he was regardless of what anyone else had to say about him.

He pulled the soft white sheets back and the mattress dipped as his weight rested down as he turned on his side to face you.

‘An angel’ he thought to himself as he brushed a few stray hairs out of your relaxed face before he managed to tear his eyes away and look down towards your stomach.

A smile crept up on his face as he crawled further down the bed until he was face level with the centre of your stomach.

“Hey little man, or girl.”

His soft whispers grew excited as he began to chatter to your stomach.

“Ya must’ve worn ya mother out today, she’s completely knocked out ya gotta go a little easy on her sometimes.”

His hand now moved to the beginning of the curve where your stomach stretched out to form a bump where your child was currently conversing with their father.

“Anyways, since I know what trouble you were causing today let me tell ya what I did today- oh yeah sorry I forgot, don’t get too mad at me will ya?”

Atsumu quickly pressed a ‘hello’ kiss to your stomach. He would always kiss both you and your stomach hello whenever he was met with you again insisting that the child would feel neglected if he left them out.

“Omi was in a bad mood this morning but would ya believe he said I’m gonna be a great dad?! I’m pretty sure it was a backhanded compliment since he did say ‘You’ll be a great dad, your kid is gonna love having a stupid and childish father they can call a friend.’...Do ya think that was backhanded? I think it was but he still admitted I’ll be a great dad so I guess I’ll take it.”

Rubbing small circles on your stomach Atsumu’s eyes twinkled as he felt a small kick, the action ever so slightly hitting against the palm of his hand.

“I knew ya were gonna agree with me! It was totally backhanded! I guess that's Omi for ya! Speaking of, I think yer gonna like him. If ya gonna be anythin like me, you’ll enjoy annoying him so I think he’s hopeful that ya gonna turn out like yer mother if anything.”

He glanced up at your sleeping form and smiled warmly. The thought of having a small version of himself excited him, but he also liked the idea of having a small version of you. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to handle an overexcited and non-stop child if they were to take after himself. Besides, he loved everything about you and he was sure that raising a small version of you would be a dream.

“Ya know, I have a feelin ya gonna be more like yer mom. She’s great and I know yer gonna be too. Obviously yer gonna be talented I mean, I’m yer dad! Of course yer gonna inherit my good looks and athletic talent but if ya don’t wanna play sports that's okay too! I know yer gonna have the talent for it though so the choice is yours!”

Finding out that he was going to be a father was one of Atsumu’s greatest achievements he’d insist. It was always in his plan for the future to become a dad and he was over the moon when you’d revealed that his efforts hadn’t gone to waste and that later on in the year, he was going to have a little Miya to help raise. Of course he wanted his child to get into sports. He was introduced to the industry at a young age and it had bagged him a career he loved, friends and bonds for life and a generous salary. At first, he was sure that his child was going to play volleyball. How could they not? Their dad was the setter for V-league team MSBY and recently scouted for the Olympic team. He had his sights set on raising a future champion but then he thought back to his own brother.

Osamu had been successful athletically too but looking where that took him, Atsumu saw that even though his brother had the capability to go professional and maybe even play in the same teams as him, Osamu found passion elsewhere and these days he was the owner of an extremely successful company in the food industry.

They’d both started at the same point but ended in different places and that was okay. It was then Atsumu began to tone down the insistence that his child was going to be a pro player just like him and he was more focused on helping his child find something they loved whether that was sports or something else and help them grow and go further in doing something they loved just like he had done.

You were extremely proud of your husband when he told you about this. You knew he’d realise it eventually but you were surprised at just how quick he’d been able to rethink the future of his child and reflect on how he was going to raise and support his them. Atsumu knew he wanted his child to be successful somehow but he had finally come to realise that it didn’t have to be athletically but rather anything your child wanted to do. If they did end up taking an interest in sport, great, but neither you or Atsumu were going to push it onto them just because their father was a pro athlete.

“Who knows, maybe you’ll even end up like yer uncle Samu and take up cookin. I’m sure he ain’t gonna mind if we take ya to his restaurants or stores to teach ya a thing or two. Yer gonna be more like me than him though got it? I don’t need him teasin me sayin that yer more like him and that ya like him more than me yeah?”

Another soft kick met his warm palm and he let out a soft scoff and aimed a harmless glare at your unborn child.

“Oi! Uncalled for! I know I can be a little rude sometimes, but I ain’t gonna let yer end up like me in that sense! Yer mom would kill me if she found out that yer manners were like mine back when I was a kid. Ya better not be annoyin either. Nana Miya will probably tell ya a few stories about me and uncle Samu and how we used to get on her nerves with constant bickerin and fightin.”

A soft laugh drifted from him as yet another soft kick was sent Astumu’s way.

“Alright, alright I’ll stop layin inta ya, just promise me you’ll be good for yer mom while I’m training and stuff? She’s the best and yer gonna love her so much I promise. I hope yer gonna love me just as much too because not to cheat, but yer mother and I have a little bet over who the favourite parent is gonna be so I’m not saying ya have to pick me but I am tellin ya now that yer obviously gonna like me more cause I’m gonna be the best dad ever for ya.”

His warm, calloused hand rubbed over your stomach as he carried on chatting to your child as if this was casual conversation to him.

The warm temperature on your growing stomach caused your eyes to flutter open as you registered it was in fact your husband who was touching and talking to you while you were unconscious.

“Tsumu? What are you doing?” Your eyes and voice heavy with sleep as a lazy smile traced over your face.

Atsumu looked up and hummed before meeting your half lidded eyes as he gave you a toothy grin.

“Just tellin our kid how I’m gonna be the best dad.”

“You little shit! You’re cheating, you can’t tell the baby to pick you as their favourite while I’m asleep that’s not fair!”

“Yeah? Well I bet ya tell our kid to pick you as their favourite while I’m at training! Ya have all day to convince them! I gotta make up for my time lost.”

You fought the smile that was trying to break out onto your face as the petty argument with your husband continued with him sitting next to your stomach and you leaning facing him.

“That’s not true, I would never play dirty!”

“Baby, yer a Miya now, playin dirty comes with the name so I know yer lying!!

His hand still rested on your stomach as his eyes lit up as yours widened. Yet another small kick was felt as a smug smile wiped across your husband's face.

“Ha! Even little Miya admits yer a liar!”

You huffed and playfully gared at your own stomach and then your husband.

“Snitches get stitches.” You poked your stomach gently as if to retaliate to your growing baby.

“Hear that? Yer mom’s mean! That’s why I’m gonna be the favourite!” Atsumu declared with a triumphant smile as you laid back down to rest your head on the pillow.

“Yeah yeah we’ll see… I’m gonna go back to sleep. Tsumu, I love you.”

Atsumu crawled back over to you and pressed a soft kiss to your cheek and whispered a ‘good night’ and ‘I love you’ before padding back over on all fours to your stomach before meeting it eye-level once more.

“So back to what we were talking about before we were interrupted…”

general taglist → @atsumuwoah @bloody-bella @bbymilkbread @miracleboy420 @doggonudez @atsunakaashi @peteunderoos @saturnfarie @toffees-main @zumisace @boosyboo9206 @totorosleaff @27kei

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[exclamaquest]

dr sys cheat sheet

hajime/izuru: (closest to an) OSDD2 system. okay to give someone else izuru since he was formed through surgery that anyone could have gone through. fine for singlets to kin for the same reason.

toko/syo: DID system. don't give syo to anyone else. toko is the only one who could have split her. not okay for singlets to kin since theyre fundamentally different experiences and could be VERY appropriative (ive seen people be like oh i remember switching. no u dont)

ishida: nah, just taka weird trauma response. ptsd, not a system. ishida was consciously chosen.

korekiyo: he's just got issues man

junko: ????? idk where youd get the idea that shes a system but. shes not

celestia ludenberg: shes not a system taeko is just her deadname

-this is okay to reblog

-im still taking any questions yall might have about system stuff this is just a cheat sheet

[akinari-kashihara]

I've never really had a problem with the idea of someone kinning my ocs, but I wonder if that's because I'm never intentionally writing autobiographically. If a character reflects smth of myself it's unintentional but I don't really kin any of my ocs so I'm not really bothered by the prospect of "doubles".

Like damn if you kin one of these fucked up little men, that sounds like your business. Though I will happily rank them on most to least in need of therapy in case you need a cheat sheet.