#master degrees or something like that so i can have a leg up on said search for a new job

[weekdaygladers]

.

[astarionenjoyer69420]

reader x astarion - "i want an heir"

hi! this is my first fanfiction ever!

summary: ascended astarion has some...desires that only you can provide for him.

warnings: dubcon/noncon, smut, breeding kink, cnc, bondage

(not my gif)

You were his. Forever. Aetherna amantis, he had claimed. Lovers forever. It almost sounded too good to be true. 

You should have known it was too good to be true. 

Being one of Astarion’s spawn, albeit the prized one, was not all it was cracked up to be. Sure, you had a certain degree of protection. And yes, you got to live in this fancy mansion, existing by your lover’s side both day and night. And the bite marks he had gifted you on your neck; well, they were just more reminders that you were his, entirely his, and no one could take you away from him. 

But Astarion had been ascended for a few months now. You had gone from being his only one, his only prized spawn, as he had promised you, to brothers and sisters galore, traipsing up and down the halls of the palace he promised was solely for the two of you. As much as you wanted to complain, you knew your now master would never hear of it. And he would get in one of his moods.  

And when Astarion got in one of his moods…you knew trouble was headed your way. 

And that’s how you came to be completely helpless, arms bound to posts of his velvety bed, stark naked with the nip of chilled air the only thing covering your body, rag shoved in your mouth so you couldn’t even talk to yourself, couldn’t even make any noises besides mere vocalizations. 

At least you still got some individual attention compared to the other spawn. 

He had tied you up…crap, how long could it have been? Hours ago now, most certainly, or maybe that was just you getting in your own head. “Be good, darling,” he had purred, tugging your restraints so hard they dug into your flesh, after he had physically picked you up and forced you onto his bed. “I’ll be back when I’m done for the day.” But he had not said exactly when, and there were no clocks in this ancient room. So you had sat, tears welling in your eyes at the utter humiliation of it all, for what felt like an eternity. And the bastard knew you couldn’t fall asleep, either. 

But there was something else. The longer you waited, the longer the pool of warmth grew between your legs, aching with anticipation for what would come next. Your thighs smushed together, desperate to indulge in any sort of stimulation, imagination running wild as to what your master had planned for you. He had never…done this before. Forced you to submit to him. You were always a good girl. But defying, you realized, had its advantages. And with every bit you wiggled and the leather dug into your wrists, the more slick you felt fountaining from between your legs. 

Low noises from the hall…footsteps. Quick, light footsteps. Your heart thrummed at a breakneck pace in your chest. You would know that stride anywhere. He was back. Your cheeks grew hot, remembering how completely exposed you were, stripped of any choice in him seeing you entirely nude. And you were starting to begrudge that fire in your belly that picked up when you thought about your forced indecency. 

Your lover’s footsteps grew nearer, then stopped as you discerned the sounds of a key turning in a lock. You were practically vibrating with adrenaline when he stepped in the room, swiftly sealing his door behind him, red eyes shifting to your helpless form on his bed.

You couldn’t help it; in the face of such perfection you felt almost dizzy. Power radiated through him, jagged and dark and untamable. Under his cloak, bulging muscles tugged at the fabric, and his white curls boasted perfection, as always. You were so overcome with lust you could barely speak…even if you hadn’t had a gag in your mouth. He was always the most beautiful creature you had ever laid eyes on, but the commanding swagger he exuded after he became master to you and the other spawn was, admittedly, a great look for him. 

He approached your body, wisps of a smirk tugging at his perfectly plump lips. “Darling. Tsk. Look at you, still here where I put you all those hours ago.” His smirk widened, becoming overt. “Not that you had much of a choice…I mean, look at you.”

“Mmph,” you tried to respond, your inaudible reply sending a flood of humiliation to your head, and you became aware of a soft thrumming in your nether regions. God, you had no idea you were so into this, being completely and utterly helpless and so degraded, but you supposed you were just along for the ride at this point. 

A pause. Thirsty eyes gazed into yours, never breaking eye contact as his overclothes were shed, and you tried (in vain) not to ogle his perfectly defined body; he had to be handcrafted by the gods themselves. You were grateful for even this tiny moment to soak him in; he was so busy nowadays.

“Darling, I have a proposition for you.” 

Your eyes darted to his face, which had abruptly transformed into something more serious, more pensive. You really hoped this proposition had something to do with his mouth and a few choice body parts, although it had been mostly you servicing him like that since the ascension. “Mmph?”

He stepped closer to the bed, and he was so close you could almost (metaphorically) taste him; every inch of his flesh was perfect, and you longed to be able to touch him, to reach out and trail your fingers down his abs, caressing his marble figure, lowering your hand down to his happy trail and lower…lower…

He inhaled sharply, taking time to fully release his breath from his lungs. “Darling, it can’t be any surprise you’re my favorite of the bunch of these…creatures. You know, we genuinely had something before…all of this. It was cute, yes, cute, the way you stared at me, the flawed…thing I was before I became unstoppable. Unkillable.”

Okay, not off to the best start by calling you and the rest of the spawn creatures, but you would take it for now. Especially because he was really hot. Like, really hot. And missing him all day helped matters as well.

“And so, now to my point. I have been…thinking recently. About the future. About expanding my network, so to speak.” His brow crinkled, and he began to pace, back and forth by the foot of the bed. “And how, since you’re usually so terribly obedient, how I could honor you in some way, perhaps by making you a part of that future.”

He stopped pacing, averting his gaze to rest on you, his eye contact almost too intense to bear. “After today, I realized you couldn’t be trusted anymore to serve me. Struggling, resisting your master simply will not do. Which is why this is going to happen now, regardless of any of those pesky opinions you might have about it.” He spat the word opinions out like it was poison on his tongue, and unfortunately the growl in his voice made the heartbeat between your thighs thrum more intensely.

“I want an heir. And you’re going to carry him for me.”

Silence. Your pulse skyrocketed, feeling like a hummingbird in your chest, but your brain had not been able to process his words yet. An heir? As in, like, a child? A…pregnancy? No, no, that wasn’t possible between two vampires. Unless… “Mmph…”

“I know, darling, aren’t you just so thrilled to hear the news,” he cooed, reaching out, cool fingers cascading slowly down your cheek, every nerve in your body alight at the simple touch. “It can happen, you know. Between vampire and spawn.”

And he was by your ear, you flashing back to nights in camp right before he would bite down on you, excitement zinging through your body like a rogue boomerang. His whisper surrounded you, tickled your neck, had you crying between your thighs. “And you would look just so pretty all swollen with my child. Body completely belonging to me. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

Logistically, you were panicking. Even if what he was saying was true, who knew if it was, that he could…get you pregnant in the first place, you had never been the maternal type. Your life as an adventurer had prohibited any thought of parenthood to ever cross your mind, and you figured you had officially forfeited that path once your heart had shuddered to a stop after your master’s ascension.

Logistically, sure, yes, bad idea. But an ever-growing part of you; one bellowing as it invaded you, sent waves of bliss through your body, moistened your inner thighs; wanted this. Wanted it bad, wanted it more than anything. You would be his, all his, a display of submission so great it physically took hold of you. None of the other spawn would have that privilege. And moment by moment, this was all looking more and more alluring. “Mmph…”

You felt yourself flush again as the vampire hopped into the bed, positioning himself so he was completely on top of you, using his two arms to balance himself, making you look at him directly in his glowing, almost ravenous eyes. Up close, it was even more unfair that he oozed perfection; unmarked skin, smelling of bergamot, rosemary and fine brandy, so tantalizing it made your head spin. Though you wanted to resist, wanted to protest, wanted to try and kick him off of you, Astarion was using the full extent of his vampiric charisma on you.

You couldn’t do anything but stare as he lowered himself to your neck, brushing gently against your collarbone at first, an involuntary moan escaping from your lips, only slightly resenting yourself for how much you would inevitably show you enjoyed this a little too much. With a low chuckle, he nipped lightly at your neck, not yet drawing blood, pain intermingling with pleasure as you knew he was marking you. He loved to do this, especially when he was in one of his moods, teasing you and working you up until you were begging him to give you pain, give you anything.

“Mmm…” you murmured as his teeth scraped your flesh, puncturing you, penetrating you, all over, as if your entire neck was his to maim. Your neck was throbbing, no doubt blooming now with marks all over, and you loved every second of it. You wanted the other spawn to know you were his, that you had the honor of being marked by him. 

Your hips bucked into him, once again desperate for any kind of touch, even just one lone finger. Your wrists yanked at the restraints as your body made itself known, shame of being completely nude gone, just wanting some release. 

Astarion pulled back, breathing hard, something gleaming in his eye. It wasn’t hunger, but it was close. Hunger for…something else. Something more than blood could give him. “Wear your hair back tomorrow,” he growled. “I want everyone to see what you let me do to you.” 

You nodded meekly, pulsing between your legs nearly painful, being fairly certain you had soaked the sheets. Although you knew you might be punished for it, you continued to try and grind on your master, though the angle wasn’t quite right. And he knew damn well what he was preventing you from doing, splayed completely on top of you, deadening any hope of movement in your legs for the time being. 

Astarion grinned. “I love it when you’re so good for me. See, it isn’t that hard, now is it?”

You shook your head, widening his smile, being only able to watch as he grabbed your breast, massaging it slowly with his hands, earning another choked moan from you as he pinched your nipple hard between two of his slender fingers. “Maybe if you were a bit more obedient this morning, you would get something of a choice in this matter.” 

His other hand made its way to your other breast, squeezing tightly. “But now…cute little sluts that like getting tied up need to get taught a lesson.” Your body was on fire, the shape of his large erection now prominently pressing on your thighs, and you dripped with want- no, need. “You want to get knocked up by me so badly, hm? You fought against me so hard this morning, but you want me to own your body for nine whole months more than anything, is that right?”

Any logical thoughts you harbored had sailed away long ago. “Mmm…” you replied in affirmation, drunk on him, his scent, his scarlet eyes, the low intonation of his voice, the way you were helpless, you had no defense, he could fuck a baby inside of you with no resistance. 

���Good girl,” he replied, and to your humiliation his hand trailed downward, dancing on your skin ever so slightly, goosebumps raising on your arm as he made his way between your legs, nearly casually dragging his index finger up the side of your folds. You gasped, the stimulation almost too much to bear, the bed quaking as your whole body seized with pleasure.

“Tsk, tsk,” he intoned, drawing his hand away as quickly as it had come, your clit thrumming with disappointment. “You have such a pretty little pussy, positively, delightfully soaked by me.” A low growl. A pause. Then: “Too bad I’m going to fucking ruin you for anyone else.” 

Before you could think, before you could react, his hand was back on you, aggrandizing slow circles being drawn around your clit, your heartbeat so loud you could barely hear his whispering. “Have to prepare you to be bred, darling. Have to give you so much pleasure your body knows me, and only me.”

Your legs shook, warm, radiant pulses emanating through every limb in your body, every neuron welcoming his touch, his filthy words, your complete and utter submission. You were already close- fuck, how were you already close? You pressed your pussy against him, trying to ride this high, to feel his beautiful hands while they were there. You began to tremble.

As if he could read your mind, his pace quickened, stroking you with renewed firmness, pressing down on your clit directly with his thumb, making you see stars. “Greedy,” he chided, his reproach only making you want him more, climbing higher and higher toward your release, flames licking at your core. “How does it feel to be defenseless? Totally at my mercy? Subject to the whims of your master, totally and utterly mine?”

You practically yelled as your body prepared you to cum, muscles tensing, his velvet voice so close to tipping you over the edge.

Then, he stopped.

Stopped point-blank, withdrawing his hands, sitting up, your body humming with broken promises, with betrayal. With wide eyes, you stared at his godly figure, silently beseeching him for an answer, for him to keep touching you, for…anything. You were a sopping mess, a puddle, your clitoris swollen with need. Tears sprung forward, much to your embarrassment. This wasn’t fair. You needed him.

You had apparently become upset presumptuously, because your lover had taken you to the edge and then ceased because he wanted to give you the proper treatment. This became obvious as the clothes on the lower half of his body were shed, you unabashedly reveling in the show, a huge, thick pale cock springing forward from his pants as they crumpled to the floor.

You always wondered how you could take him. Conservatively, he must have been eight inches, and you could barely wrap a hand around his girth. It had taken your breath away the first time you had seen it, one of your sweeter sexual meetups, a drunken encounter after a party, what seemed like ages ago now. It was sweet, him taking the lead, servicing you over and over again being the main event, him whimpering with carnal lust every time you so much as brushed against his length. But sweetness had been gone from your bedroom for a while now. Not that you minded so much. This…was also nice. Your mouth began to salivate staring at his perfect cock, wanting in equal measure for him to be inside of you and to taste him. 

Unfortunately, your master knew you too well, unabashed smarminess plain as day across his face after catching you ogling. He threw his head back to laugh; something you had never heard addressed to you before a few months ago, sadistic and mocking. “My little pet is so terribly desperate for this cock, isn’t that right, darling?” As you moaned your confirmation, he pushed your legs apart, the chill of the castle room whispering on your wet pussy, him smiling as he did so. In fact, he almost looked positively giddy to have you here, with no one to aid you. “Be a good little fuckdoll and take it, hm?”

You weren’t thinking about logistics anymore. You weren’t thinking about whether what he wanted was possible in the first place. All you knew, all you could register, all you could feel, was your body being folded in half, your legs nearly touching your shoulders, and your lover’s strikingly beautiful form above you, like a siren, like original sin himself. 

“Let’s cut the pretense, darling,” he purred, and you could feel him line himself up with your core, your body reading yourself for him, the tip of his cock dancing among your slick folds, your body writhing and spasming with need. “I’m not going to be gentle, nor must I be to give you my most precious gift, my son. You’re going to be stuffed full of my seed by the time I’m done with you, and you’re going to absolutely adore it. Understood?”

Astarion thrust forward, snapping into you, giving you no time to respond, no time to  adjust to his length. A cry escaped your lips, muffled by your makeshift gag; it felt like you were being torn in two, your pussy burning with the stretch of his width inside you, hitting your cervix, the pinch making your recoil. He began ravaging you, hips snapping back and forth, tears now streaming down your face and onto the silk pillows. He had never fucked you this brutally before, pain quickly ebbing into ecstasy as you clenched around his girth, so perfectly full of him.

Your master groaned, low and deep in his throat, eyes fluttering closed. His tough facade was crumbling, desire unmasked at last. “Always…always so fucking tight for me,” he panted, grabbing your chin, ruby eyes captivating yours as he pummeled you. He was a sight to behold, mouth ajar as he drew in breath, fangs glistening in the candlelight, smoldering gaze on your face. “G-gods above.”

The sound of your lover pumping inside of you permeated the stone room as if it were a heartbeat. Your mind spun, unable to focus on anything but the sensation of his cock impaling you, whimpering as he shifted his angle oh-so-slightly and hit your most sensitive spot. He knew how bad you wanted to be put in your place, the way his length dripped with your moisture revealing it, no perception checks necessary. 

“That’s right, darling,” Astarion cooed, recovered from the dominant edge slipping during his entrance, hips bucking faster within you, hammering your sweet spot. Dark spots danced at the edges of your vision. “Tell me, who’s my good little slut?”

Moaning through your gag, your walls eagerly clenched hard around him, feeling as if you were floating through the small pinches in your cervix as he thrust. It was you, you knew it was you, he knew it was you. You were his, mind, body, and soul. You couldn’t put any coherent thoughts together, and all you knew is that you wanted him as deep as he could go. 

He took you like that for a while, until you could feel your release approaching once again, the rhythm of Astarion inside of you so intense now you could barely breathe. Your fingernails dug into his back, earning a sharp hiss from the vampire, who in turn finally tore his eyes away from you to sink his fangs into your neck. Gasping at the sudden ache blossoming through your throat, you lost control. A wave of bliss tumbled through your body as you screamed, your orgasm ripping through you like a trail of fire. Astarion fucked you through it, every thrust to your overstimulated core making you see stars as you felt your blood slip further through his porcelain lips. 

As your climax receded, your vampire drew back, mouth and chin smeared bright crimson. You recalled the first time you had let him feed on you, the night you found out he was a vampire; he was careful, and he knew not to take so much. His face was softer then, a blush of gratitude touching his dialogue. Memories of that first night seemed so far now as you examined the beast before you, all sharp angles and lust.

“Well, isn’t this just perfect,” he sighed. “Thank god you’re so enamored with me. Conceiving is so much easier this way.”

And he began again, thrusting even harder than before. 

You could barely take it, the sensation of his cock burrowing even deeper inside of you, and you became conscious of embarrassingly inhuman noises you were eking out. Astarion gripped your chin, forcing eye contact as he continued to ravage you, minute beads of sweat trailing down his ivory face. Fingers dug into your face as you gazed into the vampire’s eyes, their shade of scarlet deeper than ever, unable to think about anything but his steely regard, futilely attempting to choke out his name. Smirking at your failed attempt, of course he was. He always made you feel so good, and unfortunately, he knew it. 

“Fantastic,” he cooed. “That’s my good fucking girl. You like this, don’t you? To be nothing but a toy for me. To be completely and totally vulnerable…” He hammered into you harder, your entire body nothing but a vessel centered around him, your sex practically chanting his name. His words sent pure shock to your core; resistance was futile and the new gush of wetness between your thighs proved it. Liking it was certainly inside the realm of possibility. Adoring it was far more likely. 

The bed groaned beneath your entangled forms, and your lover leaned in toward you, teeth grazing the top of your ear. “I’m close, my sweet.” And you felt yourself clenching around him much more, body thrumming with the promise of your shared release. 

With a grunt, Astarion dropped his face to ensnare you in a kiss as his warmth flooded into you, thrusting sporadically as he filled you to the brim. “Fuck,” he breathed as he forced himself deeper into you, taking care that none of his seed leaked from your eager hole. “Good girl, take all of it.” 

He grabbed your thighs, forcing your bottom half upwards, cum dripping further down into you, the angle change hammering you right in your most sensitive spot. You cried out as your release hit you like a freight train, muscles melting and becoming liquid, Astarion’s slow deep thrusts prolonging your nirvana. Ripples of adrenaline rushed through you as you felt his release pool in you, knowing undoubtedly that his rough breeding had worked. He decreased his speed until he was at a stop, your legs feeling awfully similar to jelly, as you basked in a combination of afterglow and shock at what had transpired. 

You stayed interlocked and still for a few minutes, your master’s breathing even and heavy, explaining in a whisper that he had to make sure the process was successful. You felt each beat of your heart in your chest, and if you had the privilege of language at the moment, you would have reassured him that your body was most certainly going to house his child. Eventually, he unsheathed himself, letting your hips back down to the four-poster bed, and you watched his statuesque form stand and begin to clean himself. After he had finished, with a smirk he made his way over to you and gently wiped your thighs of his release. 

You could do nothing but watch as he began to dress himself back into the armor he had previously worn, silently wondering if you were going to be let free.

Astarion didn’t even turn around as he spoke to you. “My pet, I think it only fair you remain in this bedroom for as long as it takes to successfully knock you up. I want you nice and helpless against me until I know for certain you’re too dependent on me to go anywhere. Shall we repeat this process…I don’t know…twice a day?”

Twice a day. For as long as it took until he could tell you were pregnant. Verbalizations strained against your gag, but you were completely ignored as Astarion walked out of the room, sealing and locking the door shut behind him.

Pregnancy symptoms could take a hell of a long time to show up. And maybe, even when they did…you could conceal them for a while. 

If it meant being used like this again, you would have done nearly anything. 

[hollow-lime-green]

my 2sorcs gushy post

2sorcs is done at last, and i feel like i've run a marathon (albeit very slowly). now that people have had a chance to read the final chapter, i want to be squishy about it for a minute. so without further ado, I yap under the cut.

it's no secret (because I can't shut the fuck up about it) that i have had a pretty rough past year of grad school. things have often not gone as planned. i'm not where i wanted or expected to be when i started this program. and yet, i think i am happier than i would have been had everything gone to plan. all of the delays and difficulty of my master's degree have forced me to sit down and actually learn how to cope with this shit instead of forcing my way through. apparently (this will shock you), i cope pretty well by writing fanfiction.

i'll be honest, when i started domains, the scope was 40k of PWP under a thin veneer of H/C and comedy. I still wanted to do a little character work, and I couldn't help but do a bit of jujutsu theorycrafting. but i very much expected it to be a one and done thing that i was writing as an easy way to get back into writing fic after a long hiatus.

while writing 2sorcs, i started doing a lot of work unpacking my own anxiety and depression, and it's been quite a journey. but it has been a much more pleasant journey than it might have been, because i can project it onto some gay boys and make them kiss. and (eventually) be happy (maybe).

many of my readers have said very kind things about my characterization in FIYM, and that makes me so happy. 2sorcs, and FIYM in general, is extremely unserious. but underneath the comedy, there's a lot of real sht. i wanted the characters and their ridiculous hangups to feel real, and i wanted their extremely illogical decisions to still make sense. because real people are like that. i'm like that, and so - as most authors do - i put a lot of myself into these characters while i write, and we can feel and grow together. (i can't say that i'm a gay special-grade jujutsu sorcerer in the 2010s, but i think we'd have a few things in common.)

FIYM is also my first time writing comedy! there's something fun about writing serious, artistic fanfic, but there is something freeing about putting the dumbest 2010s shit i can think of onto a page and seeing how much psychic damage i can inflict on my audience (and Nanami). i love that you guys are here for it. it really makes the whole writing process so much more fun.

your comments and your asks have gotten me through some of the roughest months of my life to date, and i am just so grateful to have such a rewarding hobby and community to retreat to when the real world gets dark and cold and shitty. i would not have been able to write this fic, or honestly my thesis, if i didn't have you all cheering me on in the background and reminding me that things i do make people happy. <3

so what's next?

well, 3sorcs, obviously! FIYM is far from over. i feel a liiiiittle guilty leaving you all on such a cliffhanger, but with any luck, you won't have to wait too long. i've had the outline for part 3 in the works for a long time now, although it's nice to sit and take some time to re-work it and make sure it fits the writer i am now, who has grown so much over the past two years. part 3 will be (primarily) from satoru's pov, and it may get more serious, but also more unhinged. i can't wait. i also have plans for a few more interlude pieces, including a longer multichapter focused on shokohime in this verse.

for now, though, i'll take a short break and take some time to read some of the lovely fic in this fandom and some of the books on my tbr to recharge creatively for the next and final leg of this race. and defend my masters if these motherfuckers will get off their asses and send me my test samples. i know that we might be looking at a dip in the jjk fandom, at least until new animation comes out. but i hope that by the time i am back, you guys will be here and ready for some more tomfoolery :)

if you have stuck around through my yapping, here is your reward: a 0-context snippet from part 3, 'fellas is it gay to be his one and only'.

[tribalauthor]

THE WISEWOMAN (roman reigns ff) <chapter 1>

Word count: 2k

It is a snowy Saturday in New York which is perfect for a coffee hangout with friends drinking overpriced hot chocolate or reading a clichè romance book by the fireplace at home but do you know where I am? I am situated in a hospital room, worrying my ass off for my dear uncle Paul.

"Uncle, I hope you get better soon" I was holding his hand. If something happens to him, I would completely lose it. He is the closest family I have after my mother.

He apparently got into an accident earlier and for everybody's surprise, that accident didn't happen in WWE - the place that can literally end you in the hospital especially for a talker like my uncle. But no, it wasn't there. He may have broken his leg in his very own house while he was trying to fix his lightbulb.

Yeah, I know this sounds very dumb but sometimes the dumbest things lead us to accidents.

"Don't worry, Sophia. I'm going to be fine." he assured me with a little nod.

"So Mr. Heyman" the doctor entered in the room. A medium tall man with very short grey-white hair and beard. He was holding an X-ray.

"You see this?" he showed it to me and uncle. I see an X-ray. My mom would be more familiar with this. "I don't know how you fell down but this a serious injury. You will need a lot of rest and time for recovery."

"Yeah, okay. I understand" uncle gave one of his light smiles.

"That means no work" the doctor specified.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Johnson" oh no. Here he goes. The ultimate talker himself, Paul Heyman. "I am the special council for your Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns and he has to prepare for a very important match for the Royal Rumble which is a fatal 4-way match by the way which in case you don't know, it means he has to fight three men at the same time, so he can defend his Undisputed WWE championship and then he has to prepare for Wrestlemania 40." I'm sure the doctor understood close to nothing from what was said. I know uncle gets crazy during Wrestlemania season and now he will get even crazier that he won't be able to work.

"Uncle" I sighed and rolled my eyes. He loves his job. He has always loved his job but he is way too dedicated and that's why he got so far, of course. He is amazing at what he does. I watch his stuff from time to time. I know all of his guys and I know that Roman Reigns is a big deal.

The doctor had the typical look of confusion, probably thinking my uncle is crazy which he is. He is a crazy man indeed but I still love him. He has helped me a lot throughout the years.

Especially after my father died from overdose almost 9 years ago. I was just 18 years old when this happened and uncle still hasn't forgiven his own brother for doing this to me, his only daughter, and my mother who is a very successful surgeon, by the way.

Uncle was the only one who supported me when I said I wanted to major in journalism in Julliard because I think I got that orator skills from him. My mother, of course, wasn't supportive since she wanted me to become a doctor. I mean are we surprised?

But I knew I ain't made for the hospital rooms. I am made for talking. I was born with a big mouth and have talked smack since forever.

After I finished my master's degree program in Mass Communication in Julliard I started an internship in Brooklyn Magazine where I write articles. The editor in chief likes them and she said she sees a high potential in me.

"If you want to recover sooner, Mr. Heyman, you have to stay at home and take a rest. Your wife can take care of you-

"I'm divorced" uncle interrupted him.

"I will take care of you, uncle. No problem." I said immediately.

"No." he just shook his head. Who is gonna take care of him then? My cousins are in college and I'm working a full time job.

"Look, I can ask my boss for less hours work" I tried to persuade him.

"No" he shook this head, saying with the exact same tone as earlier. I see the spark in his eyes. The same spark when he comes up with something.

"I can always hire a lady to take care of me but you, my dear niece, will take my spot temporarily in WWE as a special council for the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns".

I furrowed my eyebrows so hard that I bet, an enormous wrinkle appeared on my forehead.

"What? Why?"

"This is going to be perfect for your resumè, Sophia. Trust me. Think about this." he seemed absolutely certain.

"Uncle, I want to be a JOURNALIST. To sit around in the studio for the morning shows, wearing my cute little costumes that I'm going to buy with my own money and interviewing politicians, celebrities and all the crazy, pretentious people that come to your mind. I don't wanna be stuck in a wrestling federation interviewing some big ass sweaty men and asking them things like 'So what are you gonna do to your opponent tonight?'. No. That's not my dream. See, the boss told me she sees a big potential in me because of my skills and face card. How am I supposed to leave?"

I just dropped my dramatic monologue about my dreams. And I didn't lie. This is how I've been imagining myself my whole life.

Uncle didn't seemed deeply fazed by this monologue. Indeed, he softened a bit but he still had the look in his eyes, the exact look that he knows he has something against me.

"Okay. Alright, Sophia. Whatever you say. I get your point. I'm not going to force you but didn't you say you want to take care of me?" I see where the things are going right now.

"Yes but that's-" he didn't even let me finish my point because he knows another monologue is coming. We rarely argue but boy, when we do, things get crazy.

"Taking my place temporarily in WWE is the best way you can help me and yourself as well. It's a win-win situation." he flashed one of his cute little innocent smiles but he knows very well he ended me with using my phrase and the "help" part.

I just pressed my lips, closed my eyes in defeat and took a deep sigh.

"Also don't make me mention the fact that you are always going to travel around the country and even the world and if you get your dream job in CNN or GMA or like you called them "morning shows", you aren't gonna travel much, for the record. You are going to be stuck in the same thing over and over again but in WWE you have the variety of experiences and you are going to see for yourself. Also WWE is the best place you can get recognition which will lead to big opportunities beyond your imagination."

And with this statement uncle just solidified himself even more as the righteous one. The part about opportunities may be no lie.

"Plus, in WWE you can wear your "cute little suits" as you referred. Allow me to send you some money and buy yourself something" he took out his phone and transferred me some money.

"Okay, uncle. I got your point already. Alright. I'm going to be your replacement...temporary." I specified.

"Temporary, of course. I would never let you take my job, Sophia. As much as I love you, you know the grip it has on me."

"I am fully aware" I chuckled and rolled my eyes.

"You will see how easy it is to work with Roman Reigns." Uncle seemed weirdly excited.

"That Aquaman ass guy? He ain't giving me those vibes but whatever you say, I guess. You know him better than me." I shrugged. Uncle always talks in superlatives when it comes to Roman Reigns. He ain't even talking about me and my cousins like that, so we get lowkey jealous.

"I want you to behave in front of him, okay? And Jey and Jimmy too. Save the smack talk for the rest of the roster." he knows how dangerous I can get when I start talking.

"Got it, uncle" I rolled my eyes for the millionth time today. We will see how these guys are going to treat me and I will decide how to behave. But from what uncle has told me they seem like great men but at the end of the day, I'm going to be the judge of that.

"Alright. Now I'm gonna make a few calls. I am going to call Roman, Hunter and even your boss if you want to. Then I'm going to tell you all about work.

"I'm gonna tell my boss, don't worry about that." I assured him.

...

"So tomorrow you have a meeting with Triple H aka Paul Levesque aka your temporary boss and after that Roman will show you around the building and everything. He may even add some stories for the business from his point of view. Agh." uncle sighed and had a big grin on his face. "He is an amazing man, Sophia. The biggest single star in the whole sports entertainment. If someday you bring me a nephew in law, I wish him to be as Roman - successful, strong, loyal and dedicated."

"Chill, uncle. You ain't at work right now." I couldn't help but laugh at him.

Honestly right now, I don't want any man. Two months ago I ended my relationship with Robert Mayer. We graduated at the same university but he was from the Law Department. Does a laywer and journalist sound like a great match?

That's what I thought.

"Dad, how are you?" my cousins flashed in the room. They are a few years younger than me and they are so cute, honestly. We exchanged a hug.

"I am gonna be okay, kids" uncle couldn't help but smile at them. "As long as I have you three, I am always going to be okay."

"We told mom about this". Jason said.

"Why? What have I told you? You don't tell your mother anything about me". He scolded my cousins. Uncle can't really stand aunt.

"Don't worry, she is not coming". Amanda assured him. She looks exactly like aunt when she was young, though. Blonde hair and brown eyes. She looks nothing like uncle but his son does. He just has hair...still.

I got the blue eyes from my father and uncle and the blonde hair from mom since she is also a natural blondie but a very skilled surgeon.

Somebody entered in the room as well. That must be aunt. I haven't seen her in ages but I couldn't mistake her.

"What did you do, Paul?" she scolded him. They still have that "married couple attitude" although they have been divorced for so long and as much uncle claims that he cannot stand her, I know it's not completely true. She is the mother of his kids after all.

"Oh Lord, please save me" uncle started baptising and looking up at the ceiling.

"Chill your dramatic ass down and let me see what have you done" she went to him and smiled at me mouthing "Hi", I did as well.

I waved at my cousins and uncle goodbye because I intend to leave them alone.

"No, Sophia. Don't leave me" he begged.

"I have to prepare for tomorrow, remember? It's a big day" I replied while walking to the door. "I'm going to contact you tomorrow and make sure to keep me updated of your condition" these were my last words before I exited the room and dialed my boss' number.

[agendabymooner]

𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 !!! 𝐥𝐧𝟒 — 𝐨𝐧𝐞

☼ WHO TF IS LANDO NORRIS?

chapter summary: honey-sue is… honey-sue. she knows who she idolizes (and have a crush on; mason mount), she knows that she’s looking forward to getting the hell out of the university after two years of her masters degree program, and she knows that she doesn’t care about the formula one teams that aren't mercedes amg - she also knows she cares about mick schumacher.

so when her fans (who were coincidentally fans of the sports as well) began to ask her things about her lack of interest, more people (mostly just a group of british youtubers and a certain f1 driver) immediately shifted their attention towards the socially awkward woman as she and her brother got invited to a party in monaco hosted by an f1 driver. newsflash: it wasn’t hosted by either lewis hamilton or george russell.

content warning: use of explicit language, chatfic + tweets, mentions of social anxiety

masterlist

HONEY-SIUUUUU

jideeee 😚😚

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

who dis?

HONEY-SIUUUUU

stfu you know this is your best girl stop capping

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

no? idk who you are

HONEY-SIUUUUU

so if i were to say that i told simon about you using his towel to clean up the mess you made in his room then you wouldn’t be phased about it?

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

naw fam i’m all jokes 😭 don’t tell simon

what’s up, honey??? can’t pay your rent this month?

HONEY-SIUUUUU

oh har har 😒 we all know who’s most likely got more money in her savings

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

and we also know who’s most likely to get someone anything she wants because that someone refuses to use her money on any stupid shit for once

HONEY-SIUUUUU

fuck off i’m being practical. at least i haven’t lost my money to crypto

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

ouch ok. i’m hurt 😒

HONEY-SIUUUUU

anyways. I GOT MY FINAL GRADES BACK 😭😭 I WANNA TELL U FIRST BC I FEEL LIKE YOUD BE MORE EXCITED FOR ME

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

ong??? holy shit, that’s fast. did you make it to the president’s list???

HONEY-SIUUUUU

ok but what do i get when i tell you the result? /jk

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

a pat on the back and congratulations? 🤣

HONEY-SIUUUUU

i’m expecting for something more than that but as long as you’re fulfilling your promises i’m solid

BUT ANYWAYS I GOT THE ONLY 4.0 AND PRESIDENT’S LIST 😭😭😭

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

HOLY SHIIIIT LEZGOOOOO

smart ting you are what the fuckkkkk

happy for you honey!!!!! 😮‍💨

lowk wish i’m there rn to celebrate that with you and the mandem 🙃 stupid boxing trainings

HONEY-SIUUUUU

ugh don’t even worry about it jj 😁😁 i was just v excited to share this to u

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

i’ll make it up to you i promise!!! i’m hella proud of u and ur ability to not even have a breakdown during those days ✊

i gtg tho 🙏 congrats again bro! lmk when ur graduation’s gonna be and what u want for this. i’ll ttyl

HONEY-SIUUUUU

forget about it jj— i was just joking when i said get me sumn

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

it’s a good thing i don’t listen to you whenever you tell me not to get you something huh?

HONEY-SIUUUUU

that’s just your guilt from calling me a sket on harry’s diss track.

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

haha just tell me what u want and i’ll get it sorted out as soon as possible

HAROLDINHO

oi honey

PLONKER

oi harold

HAROLDINHO

i’m at the mailbox rn

u got a package

PLONKER

gee do you ever wonder what the mailboxes are for? 🤔🤔

HAROLDINHO

i was going to bring it upstairs but i guess never mind 😒

a simple “oh really? thanks harry!” would suffice

PLONKER

just get up here and bring it 🤡 you could’ve just brought it up instead of texting me

what’s so special about it that you had to text me before you get up here n e ways??

HAROLDINHO

i dunno. something about it screams fancy.

did you get any bag by chance because this seems a bit too expensive

PLONKER

i don’t buy expensive stuff online???

can you come up so i can open it?

HONEY-SIUUUUU

JJ ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?!

LIKE YOURE NOT PULLING MY LEG? AND HARRY’S?!!!

IS THIS REALLY MONACO GP?!

JJ YOU BETTER RESPOND NOW OR IM GONNA BREAK IN YOUR HOUSE AND I KNOW WHERE YOU PUT THE KEYS TO YOUR LAMBO

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

sorry i was on the gym

don’t break into my house

and yes??? you said to get you something right?

HONEY-SIUUUUU

yeah but i was joking 😭😭

this is so cool

but this is expensive. do you take paypal?

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

no tf 🤣

as i said. i’d get you anything you want. but you didn’t tell me what you wanted so i just asked the boys

HONEY-SIUUUUU

you never should’ve listened to harry lmfao

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

lol it was vik and simon who recommended we get you and harry those tickets lololol

i was like “hmm idk what to get her” so they were like get you a trip to monaco or something. they specifically said get you a paddock pass for mercedes

so like go see your michael schumacher or that ken doll you showed me

HONEY-SIUUUUU

jj babes 🤣🙃 mick is in haas

and the fact that we’re taking your jet too 😭😭 you didn’t have to go all out on me

but seriously thank you thank you thank you

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

letting you know as well that will, filly and chunkz are coming along. they got passes from mclaren and all that. it'll be a full plane lol. so it won’t be as overwhelming for you and harry to go alone

HONEY-SIUUUUU

no way?!!!! MY FRIEND FILLYS COMING ?! 😭😭

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

yeah lol

so you have fun in monaco. everything’s been paid for by your personal bank account

HONEY-SIUUUUU

ugh my personal bank account is so fucking amazing

i could give ‘im a lil kiss on the mouth rn 😮‍💨😮‍💨

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

naw don’t do that i don’t think your brother would like that

lmk if there’s anything else you’d like i’ll see what i can do 👍😉

HONEY-SIUUUUU

a little kiss of appreciation on the mouth for you?

SUGAR DADDY JAYJE

no 🤣🤣🤣

RIABISH

hey! i hope this isn’t so weird but you’re honey-sue right? wroetoshaw’s sister?

HONEYSUE

uh hi.

yes it’s me. it does say it on my username and bio. sorry if this is very rude.

RIABISH

no no! all good haha!

i just wanted to confirm! we got the information from will about you. i’ve known the sidemen and your brother but when he mentioned you were coming along to the race in monaco i had to look you up :)

i’m ria btw! i happened to be acquainted with him and filly bc we collab’d with them before. quadrant?

HONEYSUE

i’ve heard of you guys before because will spike a lot about you lots.

RIABISH

all good things i hope 😉

HONEYSUE

haha. yeah.

nice to meet you

RIABISH

likewise :))

we’ve been told of you because apparently you got lucky with ksi getting you free tickets and trip to monaco for the race

HONEYSUE

yeah idk.

i don’t watch formula one as much as i used to years ago. i don’t know much about who’s racing now and whatnot except from whatever’s happening with merc

RIABISH

oh… not at all?

not even mclaren?

HONEYSUE

no. this will be the first time i’ll be watching in a while.

RIABISH

you seem very nice!

listen, will and filly said you’re all flying in at the sunday before the race week begins. lando’s got will, filly and chunkz paddock passes and they’re all hanging around with us quadrant lots for the week.

would you and w2s be interested in coming with us? take you around monaco and get to know each other better since we all live in london and all :))) lando’s been wanting to meet harry for a while so him being in the monaco gp would def work out for all parties. lando will also be hosting a party in his flat in monaco. what do you think??

HONEYSUE

uh

to be honest you’ve lost me at the first message. if you don’t mind— can i ask who lando is? i’m not like any sidemen people— i don’t watch f1 as much as i used to.

i’ve heard of his name before. but that’s because there are people on my twitter saying he’s made references about my videos and songs and whatnot.

i really don’t know who he is

RIABISH

ah right.

that’s alright ;)

lando drives for mclaren and he has the driver number 4. he’s actually one of the members of quadrant. he races and all that! that’s how will and the lots got their passes lol

HONEYSUE

oh okay.

about the invitation.

i think it’s ideal you ask my brother or shoot him a message in insta about it.

he’ll gladly answer

thank you for the offer. i’m sure he’d say yes. i have to go sadly. i’ll talk to you later!

RIABISH

okie. ttyl 👋

MINI HARRY

you absolute knobhead

you call me socially inept all the time yet you’re out here trying to get me to talk to people?!

WILLIAM²

wdym?

oh my god. i am so so sorry

i didn’t think ria would actually be sending and shooting a message to your way

MINI HARRY

you know what

i don’t even care

whatever it’s not like i’d be talking to them anyway.

WILLIAM²

if you’re talking about not being around them during the week nice try.

because harry just said he’d come along with us in monaco before the race. so the chances of you being friends with the quadrant lads are high.

i’m not sure if it’s just me but lando’s more than excited to meet you. harry just ok’d that you two would hang out with us.

MINI HARRY

oh my god. does anybody in my circle ever use their brain?!

[timetoletmyimaginationfly]

Show You Off

Nanami Kento x Reader

(Song Inspiration: Agora Hills by Doja Cat)

You are happy. Happy with your life and happy with your relationship. Nanami Kento was more than you could ever ask for. He is a gentleman of his word and he always puts you first before himself. And so, you do the same. But you could tell that he didn’t want that from you. He wants you comfortable and happy from him.

In public, he is a reserved man. For the past two years, he would seldom hold your hand when you two walk around Tokyo. But the subtle gestures of him opening the door and the sidewalk rule was always enough for you. But when you two were alone, he wouldn’t let his hands off of you. So you didn’t mind it.

But it did bug you when women go up to him when you walk away to grab something or leave his side to go to the bathroom. Nanami would stand there with crossed arms. He would frown and shake his head every time, resulting disappointment in all the women that try to ask him out.

“You’re mad again,” he would say as he reached out to rest his hand on your thigh. You relaxed and smiled. He made sure that you were the only one for him.

“I want you to be more affectionate in public,” you said. Nanami was surprised with your simple request but he nodded with a smile.

“Anything for you, my love,” he said. You quickly turned to him in shock.

“Wait, what?” Nanami just shrugged.

“I mean, it’s not like I don’t care when I hold your hand or kiss you in public. I don’t mind it,” he said. You felt your heart race. You smiled and placed your hand on his.

“Then, we can hold hands often out in public?”

“Mhm.”

“And I can get kisses? Not make out sessions or anything.” You blushed at the thought of Nanami showing major PDA. Nanami chuckled, squeezing your hand.

“Little things, darling,” he said. “I thought you weren’t comfortable with it. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, Kento-kun!” you exclaimed. “I just…I want the women to know that you’re mine.” Nanami brought your hand up to his lips and kissed it.

“But you do know that I will always want you right? And that you’re mine?”

“Yes,” you answered shyly. You couldn’t stop blushing. “I just need them to know.”

“I’ll make sure that they’ll know.”

And he made sure. When the two of you were out on dates, he held your hand and pulled you in close to him. He would wrap his arm around your shoulders and he would steal kisses from you every now and then. He loves giving you forehead kisses in public.

You noticed he’s been stressed lately. He’ll arrive home with his body tense. He was quieter than usual. And when you worked your overnight shifts, his texts were short as he would head to bed early. So recently, you would clean up around the apartment you and Nanami shared and cook/buy dinner.

“I appreciate it, my love,” he would say and kiss you softly on the lips. “Didn’t you have an exam though?” You nodded but you kissed him reassuringly.

“Don’t worry about it, okay?” you said Nanami nodded. “You’ve seem stressed lately.” Nanami kissed your forehead tenderly.

“You’re amazing.”

You were studying in the cafe that you frequent since you decided to go for your master’s degree. Another exam was coming up. Nanami was still returning home stressed. Your schedule was getting busier. And you and Nanami weren’t able to go out on frequent dates. However, Nanami never failed to show his love to you. He’ll surprise you with snacks, lunches when you study, flowers, and cafe visits during his shift.

You quietly groaned to yourself. It has been almost two weeks and you missed him so much. You looked out the window and your heart dropped. Outside was Nanami wearing a scowl on his face when a woman was clinging on to his arm. You watched him pull away before turning inside the cafe. The woman pouted and chased after him.

The sudden feeling of insecurities hit you. She was taller and has long, slim legs. Her physique is slim and you can see that she was toned. She wore a dark blue uniform, similar to Gojo’s and Mei Mei’s. And come to think of it, you don’t recognize her and you met everyone already.

“Darling,” you heard Nanami call. His voice pulled you out of your insecure thoughts. You watched him walk up to you with a smile on his face. He took the seat next to you and kissed your lips.

Passionately.

“Kento-kun!” The two of you pulled away. You stared at the woman from earlier. “Oh…you weren’t lying.” Nanami sighed. The woman stared you up and down before glaring at you. “Kento-kun, aren’t we going on our mission?”

“It’s your mission,” he said. “I never agreed to go.”

“But then, why did you come all the way here?! I thought you were following me?”

“No, you followed me. I already planned to surprise my beautiful girlfriend here.” You blushed. She irritably stomped away from the cafe. You heard him sigh with relief. You placed your hand on his arm worriedly. Nanami gave you a soft smile. “Surprise.”

“Kento-kun,” you called. Nanami couldn’t help but kiss your lips softly.

“I love it when you call my name,” he said. “And I miss you. It’s been a while. You don’t mind me staying with you while you study?”

“Not at all, Kento-kun!” You were so happy to have him by your side. “Who is she anyway?”

“New faculty,” Nanami mumbled. “She’s going to get transferred to Kyoto in a couple of weeks.”

“That’s a relief. Is that why you were coming home stressed?” Nanami nodded.

“When you’re done studying, do you want to go on a date?”

“I would love to.”

“Maybe making out in public isn’t so bad,” he whispered in your ear. You blushed and Nanami chuckled as he lightly kissed your nose. “I noticed you were jealous.”

“I-I mean…yeah, I was.”

“But you know you’re the only one I love.”

“You never fail to.”

[otrtbs]

hi! could you explain a little bit what you studied and if you did any apprenticeship before you got a job ? a little summary to how you got there ? i’m so curious (and i admire you a lot)

hiya!! sure!!

so back in high school i actually started volunteering at my local art museum when i was 16 (up until i graduated at 18). they had a program specifically designed for teens to volunteer at the museum (i gave guided tours, and helped plan events at the museum, and worked with kids 3-12 in a drop-in studio every saturday where they could make art of their own after looking in the gallery) <- not a lot of museums do this, but you can call and ask if they need volunteer docents for the weekends !! they’ll train you!!

then i majored in art history in undergrad (making sure to focus my courses in modern and contemporary art towards the end of my studies bc that’s what i wanted to do! also i took a LOT of french classes. as in i only needed a few credits to have a minor but the last class was so hard i dropped it) to give yourself a leg up, i recommend studying a language (italian, french, spanish, german) most jobs in ARH require at least a minimal reading knowledge of another language.

while i was in school, i got a job at my university’s art museum as a gallery assistant! (<- fancy way of saying i walked around the galleries and told people not to touch the paintings and answered their questions if they asked and made sure no one was trying to steal the art)

during the summer, i got a summer internship at an art gallery in the biggest city close to my house (bc i moved back home w my parents in the summertime. uni housing was crazy expensive) and that was the *most* instrumental. i learned how to write wall texts, how to install artworks, i made studio visits to artists, updated the gallery website, handled artist contracts, you name it! it was great experience!!

i also got involved in art history/fine arts clubs at my university! i was on the fine arts council at my uni which represented the art and art history department to the student senate and the university at large. and the art historical society.

then i got my master’s degree in history of art theory and display, joined the art historical society at that university, got a degree and entered my FLOP ERA OF THE CENTURY

and by that i mean, i was 6 months unemployed and moved back home w my parents flop era. no one would hire me ,, no one would even give me a call back to tell me they didn’t wanna hire me ,,, and then one day someone did !! rahhh!!!! and i got some of my research approved 4 publishing and now im here!!!! (i say this not to discourage you but to let you know that the job market for art history ppl is tough,, it has always been tough,, but if you love it, it’s never a waste to pursue!)

i would do a few things differently if i had a second go at it, just to get a leg up so here’s some advice that im giving but i DIDNT DO myself:

1) try to minor in something to give you a leg up! a language is good, marketing is good, public relations… something to make you stand out!

2) try to get things published as an undergrad or a grad student! get your research out there if you can (way easier said than done ik ik) have some things you can list under your publications tab on your CV

3) if you find yourself in a 6+ month jobless, flop era period like me, volunteer somewhere at a museum or gallery if you are able. i was bitter as fuck that i had a masters degree and would be working at a museum for free when i needed money so i didn’t do it ,, but when someone finally calls back and you get an interview and they ask what you’ve been up to recently ,,, telling them you spend your time volunteering in museum spaces and working in your desired environment looks so much better than saying “i’ve been job searching” i promise !! (<- also just recognizing the extreme privilege i had to just stay at home and look for jobs in my desired field instead of immediately having to get a job somewhere. but im not gonna lie to you. i put out applications at olive garden and einstein’s bagels and they both rejected me. so. i was scrambling bc my student loans were due and i had zero dollars 2 my name 🧍‍♀️)

okay i rambled on for entirely tooooooo long. but i hope this was helpful somewhat !!! 💗💗

[radiance1]

I cANNOT believe this thought has escaped me for so long.

Okay so, you know my phoenix Vlad au I created, where he's the Duke of the Black Flame and by extension, one of or THE Duke of the Ghost Zone? (Honestly haven't decided yet heha)

Yea, ok so.

I don't know how it escaped me for so long, but y'know how Phoenixes are immortal right? By how they get reborn anew from ashes, yes?

(Idea territory btw)

So, I'm just gonna say that Vlad experiences that, because unlike Danny, he didn't stop aging at the ripe age of (really can be anything, but for the sake of this specific idea I'mma go with with) 40. He's envious of this, because he didn't like the brittleness and fragility of the human body when it's reaching its last legs.

Not even his ghost form was safe from the effects of aging, which baffled him, truly, it did. Probably had to do with his status as a halfa, which he disliked but what could he do about it, really.

So when he was finally on his last legs age wise, he practically welcome full death with open arms, ready to fully die and not be impeded by his human body.

No longer would his bones be break so easily! No longer would he need to use a cane as a walking aid in human form! No longer would his back scream at him from the slightest of inconveniences!

He would miss the ability to spawn candy from out of nowhere, however. That was nice.

So when he died, he was fully at peace with it and was ready to embrace full ghostly hood.

Then fate just decided to do a "FUCK YOU" with all caps to him in particular, because when he reopened his eyes, he was not met with the being a full ghost, no.

He was met with short limbs, a high-pitched voice, and the appearance of a 5-year-old.

You have got to be kidding.

He did NOT outlive Jack Fenton (out of spite, really) and Maddie Fenton just to have to relive his child years all over again.

He was a Duke for Observants sake, he couldn't be seen like this. The reputation he worked so hard to build, the respect he clawed into his talons and the awe he stole would go down the drain if this got out!

So he discreetly made his way over to the Master of Time and demanded he age him up to a respectable degree!

.

Perhaps he should reword that.

He politely requested the Master of Time to age him up back to adulthood, it didn't even have to be him in his forties! He would take even a goddamn 20 for Ancients sake!

Clockwork said no.

Breath Vlad. You cannot burn away the literal manifestation of time itself. You cannot burn away the literal manifestation of time itself. You cannot burn away the literal manifestation of time itself.

Then he noticed Clockwork's cheeky grin.

.

The more logical, sensible side of himself told him that no, do not try and fight the literal Master of Time, he would lose, and he still needs something from him.

But the more irrational, noticeably more feral part of his brain demanded that time burn for its insolence.

And, well.

The irrational side won out.

So of course, of course as soon as he acts undignified.

One Danny Fenton has to appear at the exact moment.

This was not a good day for him.

And of course, being the worst brat on the planet and the entire Ghost Zone, he had to make fun of him. Now, normally he would not react as strongly as he did, because of logical thinking and how he was just better than the brat, but was he feeling as logical then?

No, not really.

For the last time, he did not throw a goddamn tantrum, he's above that.

So of course, what two braincells he currently had access to came up with a solution to this current problem he was facing. The solution?

The Observants.

Appearances be damned he was not going to be taking jokes related to his current age any day of the week. So he flew over to them, dragging both the Master of Time and the Ghost King (yes, shocker I know coming from me.)- both of which, much to his charging seemed to be humoring him like one did a child- and demanded they do something to fix this.

And their solution was that he, now as a young child, would have to be taken care of due his current situation.

Vlad bluescreened.

Then calmly rebooted, and when he finally did so. Well, he very not so subtly decided to burn the Observants to the ground.

Unfortunately, Danny- who was practically his total opposite in nature due to his ice- put a quick stop to his attempts to burn those floating eyeballs to the ground. Then they had the absolute gall to act as if what he did wasn't at all reasonable and proceeded to use it in evidence for why he needs a guardian of all things.

He didn't need such a thing, he was perfectly capable of making logical, rational decisions as he was before his... 'rebirth'. Unfortunately, his statement apparently wasn't enough for them, because they very obviously, and very physically showed their doubt for such a thing.

And then, and then they did the absolute worst, most utterly reckless decision they could have possibly made in his decision.

The Ghost King (who was very smoothly made king after the previous one stepped down to live on a farm) was made to be his 'guardian'.

He's doomed.

The man wasn't even able to take proper care of himself on a good day, what do you mean he's going to be the one to (forcibly) take care of him!?

Ok, breath Vlad. He is the smartest (now that Maddie's dead), most logical and persuasive person he knows, surely, surely, he could find a way to get himself out of this predicament like any adult would.

Some small, tiny part of his brain, one not run by logical and getting increasingly bigger, whispered that he could always just. Run away.

The thought was getting more and more tempting the longer this went on with him not getting away, so you know what?

He did just that.

And now he's wandering the streets of some random world where goddamn heroes roamed about, living the life of an orphan and wondering how the hell he managed to fuck himself over so bad.

...He blames fate. It's always fates fault.

Also, what the hell is a meta and what does his wings have anything to do with being one???

[light-end-dragon]

Chapter 1

Cain: Okay! This is definitely the place that request was talking about.

Arthur: Yes, the map that was included all but confirms it, but…Master Sage, do you sense anything? 

Akira: No, I thought this would be a desolate place, but there’s nothing really distinct…

The three of us tilted our heads in concert, confused about the outcome.

We were visiting a deserted town in the Central kingdom, on yet another report of an incident caused by the Great Calamity. 

“There is something terrifying haunting the ruins of the former town-the air is so cold scary it’s so horrible please come quickly” That was all the chaotic contents of the letter said, so we went immediately to investigate-

Bradley: Lemme give you what I think. These weird-ass air chills and fear they’re talkin’ about or whatever- it ain’t caused by the Calamity at all. 

Arthur: Is there a reason you’re able to be so certain, Bradley? 

Bradley: It’s real simple. You lot would even be able to figure it out eventually; do you see any signs of the Calamity bein’ here? 

Bradley: Cause there aren’t any. And so my job here is done. 

Cain: Okay, okay. Look, I know you’re just here for the pardon, but we can’t exactly bring a proper end to this deal like that. 

Bradley: Who gives a shit about proper? If it’s nothin’, it’s nothin’. 

Bradley: The twins jus’ flapped their traps about  “helpin’ investigate this strange incident.” If you want me to hunt down this 'chilly thing', I’m gonna need some extra incentive. 

Bradley gave a flippant wave of the hand, but for some reason, his gaze kept shifting over to the forest on the other side of the ruined walls. 

Akira:  ….? Um, Bradley, is there something over–

Bradley: Have a good rest of yer night there-don’t fuck ‘round too long! 

(Sound of Bradley whooshing away.)

Arthur: Ah-! He’s gone…..

Cain: Of course he is…..but at any rate, I should probably wrap it up this one time now. 

Cain: Magic and curses aren't the only things that would cause chills and strange behaviors like this. If its poison or a sickness, it’s better to let doctors take the stage. 

Arthur: That is a good point….Master Sage, Cain and I can report back to Drummond this time. 

Arthur: It may be useful to approach this from a different angle for us to help the frightened residents….would that be okay with you? 

Akira: Of course. Please, if you two wouldn’t mind…

Arthur: Thank you very much, Master sage. Then shall we return to the Manor as well?

Cain: Yeah.

Cain nodded, but then oddly his gaze drifted over to the ruined walls. He muttered something under his breath, like he didn’t want anyone to hear. 

Cain: Still…it wasn’t from the Calamity? 

Cain: This has to be where that incident took place, though….

Akira: That incident….?

Arthur + Sacrificium: ….!

With a sudden snap, both Arthur and Sacrikitty turned towards the forest. 

Just one beat behind, Cain turned around as well, ready to face whatever it was. 

(Sound of wind blowing through.)

There wasn’t a chance for me to wonder how or why as a cold icy wind flew past my face.

Because the temperature then dropped dramatically, to an unnatural degree. 

There was no need to ask Cain or Arthur what was going on; I understood instinctively.

Something terrifying was heading towards us from the forest.

Akira: (Oh God, oh God, I’m so scared, it’s so scary so scary so scary scary oh God….) 

Nothing was even happening, yet my legs gave out underneath me, forcing me to shakily sit on the ground.

(Sound of clothes shifting as Akira falls onto the ground.)

Hugging Sacrikitty close, I buried my face into its body, feeling like I was losing control of myself from the horrid chill. 

I was afraid I might let out a cry if I didn’t. 

Cain: Akira?! Are you okay??! 

Arthur: Master Sage……I-what….why…why can’t I move?!! 

Arthur had his gaze cast deliberately down, like he was trying to avert his eyes from something. 

(Sound of leaves rustling in the distance.)

As he did so, the trees in the forest started rustling. 

Something was coming; something I must not look at. 

Akira: Aahh…..

It was just a fleeting shadow on the edge of my vision, but it was enough for me to form a picture; a strange, distorted figure covered in a pitch black mourning veil, dragging the train along in the dirt.

A swollen, distorted head shaped like rotten fruit; skeletal arms so long they almost touched the ground; and a body that was twisted a complete 180 degrees towards us.

Akira: …..ck……

Arthur: Th…that's…..the spirit…..

Cain: Master Sage, Arthur!

(Sound of footsteps running.)

Neither Arthur nor I were able to raise our heads still, but I heard the sound of frantic footsteps as Cain burst out between us and the approaching figure. 

Cain: Run!! I’ll hold it off!!

Arthur: C….Cain! No….it’s dangerous!

Cain: That’s why you need to get out of here!! Go, now!! 

(Sound of Cain drawing his sword.)

Cain raised his sword as the sound of gravel being crunched underfoot drew nearer. 

Cain: Fuck, this really is some sort of demon! I…I can see it just fine…..

???: sA…W……saw…

???: You…sAW it.

Cain: Huh? 

???: You saw iT….you sawit yousawityousawityousawitYOUSAWITYOUSAWITYOUSAWITYOUSAWITYOUSAWITYOUSAWYOUSAWYOUSAWYOUSAWYOUSAW

Bradley: ….Don’t make eye contact, you fucking idiot!!!

(Sound of magic, then several gunshots being fired.)

An echo of a gunshot rang out, and instantly the oppressive chill faded.

When I finally managed to raise my head, I caught a glimpse of the spirit trying to flee into the forest, Bradley hovering above us on his broom.

Cain, who had stood his ground between us and the demonic being, lowered his sword with a sigh of relief.

All the while tears of thick, oozing blood trailed from his golden-colored eye. 

Akira + Arthur: ….?!

Cain: Uaah!! What the-what the hell-?! 

Bradley: Fuck, this is why I wanted to get outta here!

Bradley cursed up a storm, all the while wiping at his eyes with his thumb. Even so, I could still see the dark red color that stained his skin.

Akira: Cain! Bradley…!

Arthur: Are you two okay?! I’m so sorry, it’s because I couldn’t move……

Cain: It’s not your fault, Arthur. See? The two of us are fine-

Bradley: We ain’t fine.

Bradley: This blood’s the sign of a curse. Me an’ Mr. Knight here are cursed.

Arthur: Cursed…?

Bradley: Yep.

Bradley: That thing will keep huntin’ us down, even to the ends of the earth. Just to kill us.

-----------------------------:･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･------------------------------

Cain: Faust, thanks for coming. I’m real sorry to bother you like this.

Faust: It’s fine, really.

A short while after. We had moved from the abandoned town to a meadow far away from any civilization.

Arthur had sent a letter to the Manor to beg for Faust’s help in the matter, and he had arrived here as well.

According to Bradley, the two of them could only use weak magic now, about what it took to fly a broom.

Any more than that, and that “Wandering Lament” would immediately be able to sense them.

Faust: Anyway, you were saying you were cursed by this wandering spirit..? 

Bradley: This shit’s your specialty, right? Can ya fix it? 

Faust: I have all the necessary components to try, but the curse is powerful. I can’t say yes with any sort of certainty.

Akira: Um, this “Wandering Lament”.....what sort of spirit is it? The fact that it would hunt you down to the ends of the earth…..

Faust: The remnants of a deceased person that manifests from a powerful grief or some sort of lingering attachment. At this point, I wouldn’t even call it a ghost anymore; it’s just a shadow of their former self; one that’s forgotten everything. Their name, why it is they were grieving, until the only thing it has left is hatred. 

Faust: If you make eye contact with it, it forges a connection between you; and it will indiscriminately hunt down anyone who does so.

However, it didn’t seem like they’d be able to turn the tables on the demonic spirit and defeat it to end the curse.

Once a soul came into contact with this "Wandering Lament", it became akin to a water bottle that held a poisonous stone. Even if you took the stone out, the water wouldn’t become drinkable again.

And a soul that’s eaten away at by this deep resentment the spirit held would start drawing misfortune and calamity onto themselves. And before long, amidst all that ruin, they too would die, grieving and anguished.

[the-grand-av3]

Can you all tell us some cool facts about yourselves when you were human?

Of course we can! When I was human I was a married man with a child on the way. Crazy to think that now I've stooped from her to a drugged up moth. I also took mild interest in planes and flying them

Hm... i was the queen bee of my highschool and went on to modelling when i got older. my favourite walk was the horsewalk, but my bitch of a boss said it was too masculine so i had to tone down the sass. bitch.

You've heard me say it before~ I had a master's degree in humanitarian studies and I liked to dabble in psychology and chemistry occasionally. But something new is I actually had a huge head of hair that I... no longer... have...

Ah, well, there's not much you DON'T know, my friend! You know I was a radio host, city of Jazz, fond of my mother.. Though, a small fact to know.. Maybe.. I did some cliff diving with a few friends in my teen years, ended up getting my leg sliced by a rock once I fell. I have the scar. Another small fact is I didn't actually need the monocle I wore-- It was the style of the time.

[downthegenderriver]

The Souls of the Overlords Alastor took down.

So we know that soon after Alastor died he kidnapped and tortured a load of Overlords for that sweet sweet attention. My question is: what happened to the souls these overlords owned once Alastor was done with them. I see three broad possibilities

The souls were freed upon Alastor getting bored with their master and putting the overlord out of their misery.

He leverages the overlord's misery into a deal and agrees to mercy kill them in exchange for whatever souls they have in their possesion.

He doesn't kill them, he keeps them in a torture dimension forever to provide endless screams and/or to provide potential future leverage in case their situations can be used to his advantage somehow

All three of these possibilities are tantalising.

Option 1 is probably the best option if you are one of the souls in question, but option 3 de-facto frees you for most practical purposes, even if it stops you from making any deals where souls are used as collateral. That means a decent proportion of sinners would have some degree of goodwill towards Alastor even if he didn't do it for Altrustic reasons. Depending on the former overlord's MO, this may even apply to option 2 as Alastor seems to be fairly hands off most of the time in regards to his contracts and if any of the contracts required maintanence there's every chance he let some of them lapse.

Option 3 is the most interesting for me because it creates a portion of the population who are impossible to recruit via soul deal and thus need more mundane methods to keep on side as while they may be worth recruiting for their skills, you wouldn't be able to force them to stay on side, which is not how any established overlords would be used to operating. It kindof makes sense with how we know some of the other overlords operate. We know Vox and Valentino (and probably Velvette too) have mind control powers to some extent and they are implied to be the ones to really benefit from the Power Vaccuum Alastor created. Through mind control they could extract labour to give themselves a leg up on the rise to power before more souls came that were able to be properly bought.

It also fits with what we see of Rosie, who's main quirk as an overlord is having what looks like an extremely good relationship with the people of cannibal town. She probably pre-dates Alastor's arrival but probably not by much. Being able to earn genuine loyalty in hell is a rare trait and that probably grants stability during chaotic periods.

Option 2 might be the intended characterisation as it allows Alastor to establish a powerbase of his own very quickly (even if it doesn't explain how he defeated whoever the first overlord was) as it basically allows him to combine all the soul deals of almost all the overlords at time of his arrival, and we know from Husk's experience that he isn't above buying souls from an overlord in trouble. But I wouldn't say there's enough information to explicitly declare this canon (unless viv said it in a livestream or on twitter or something)

In regards to characterisation implications for Alastor himself. Option 1 Reinforces his nature as primarily interested in his own entertainment, Option 2 emphasises his desire for power and is easily the most explicitly villainous. Option 3 is the most chaotic as while he is leaving himself a few cards to play in case it becomes useful, it is not explictly power grabby but also reduces the ability of other potential overlords to exploit the power vaccuum, as it stops the newly freed souls from being able to resell their souls if they get desperate enough. It reinforces his nature as a destablising presence.

Anyone else have thoughts?

[humanitys-strongest-bamf]

hi. im having a really bad day. (cw for mean parents, academics)

my mother’s really mad at me because i’m approaching 30 and still unmarried and still without a master’s degree, and today she basically confirmed im a failure 😖 she knows it’s largely because my mental illness was untreated until this year, not that it matters. 🤣

can i request a quick drabble/scenario for how levi would respond/react to a reader going through this? just a sentence is enough! i’m at wit’s end right now. (turning to fanfic about my comfort character for help. 😭)

feel free to ignore if it’s too much! i get it, just typing this was way too much emotionally for me too. LOL

hi nonnie! i'm so sorry, i got this last night and was too out of it to write this 😭 i hope things at least feel a bit better or less intense today

this is also something i've dealt with—my dad literally just revealed to me the other day that he thinks my life is still a shitshow jkalfsd

notes/cw: mentions of mean parent, academics, self-loathing, levi being sweet and blunt at the same time because it's levi, just sweetness :3 word count: 880

You tried to put on a smile for the sake of your boyfriend, but it felt next to impossible. After all, how could anyone smile after their parent openly called them to chastise them for things beyond their control? It didn't matter that you were struggling with your mental health, it didn't matter that the pieces just didn't line up for you to live that "traditional, prescribed path", all that mattered was that you didn't do it.

You told yourself you didn't care. You told yourself their opinion didn't matter—but part of it still did to you.

You hadn't eaten properly all day. All you've had was a mug of coffee and a piece of a potato chip that you've nibbled on throughout the day to test to see if you could eat. You couldn't. You tried your best to hide this, but you already knew that it was next to impossible to hide anything from Levi. The man was stupidly observant.

"What's going on?" Levi asked as he pulled up a chair next to you.

"Hmm?"

"You've been chewing on that damn potato chip all day and you haven't moved out of that chair in hours."

You glanced down at the chip and then up towards Levi, looking straight into his intense, gray eyes that had a worried look within them.

"Oh, have I?" you asked, genuinely unaware of how long you had been stuck in this position. Your phone was next face down next to you after you had flipped it upside down upon hanging up on a phone call from your mother, in which she had oh-so-kindly decided to provide you a report on her analysis of your life.

Levi glanced over towards your phone and then at your state. He sighed.

"It was your mom again, wasn't it?"

Your eyes slightly widened upon that question.

He knew. Levi always knew. No matter how much effort you put into hiding whatever it was that was bothering you, Levi always seemed to read straight into your soul.

You averted your gaze and nodded.

"Yeah...It was."

"What'd she say this time?"

It took you a while to respond.

"Just...the usual," you mumbled. "How disappointed she is that I haven't really finished school, or how I'm not even married yet, and that I'm-"

You took a shaky breath as you felt your emotions building. You felt like a lump was building in your throat and that your eyes were heating up. You gripped onto your leg in a desperate attempt to keep yourself together, especially in front of Levi.

"That you're what?" Levi asked gently.

"She basically confirmed that I'm a failure," you said, with your voice barely above a whisper as your felt tears building at the corners of your eyes. You opened your mouth to speak again, but Levi was faster.

"Do you seriously believe that?" he asked. The question was harsh, but his voice was gentle and instead of a frown, he only looked at you with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"What-"

"You heard me," he said, never taking his gaze off you as he grabbed your chin so that he was looking into your eyes.

"Do you really believe that?"

"I-I mean, she's right in that-"

"Right about what?" he asked again, challenging you.

"Well, I still don't have my Master's-"

"You had to withdraw because of your mental health condition," he said, before prompting you to go on.

"And I'm still not married-"

"And you really think that it's impossible to be happy or successful without it?"

You didn't respond. You knew he was right.

"Next?" he asked again, confident that he was going to succeed in invalidating everything your mother decided to throw at you.

You fell silent.

"I know you're trying to help, Levi," you whispered, "but I'm sorry if I can't find myself believing that I'm not a-"

You felt your lower lip quivering as the emotions began to boil over.

"-a f-failure," you said quietly, your voice breaking.

Levi wrapped his arms around you, pulling your head against his head.

"You're not a failure," he whispered. "You've been dealt unfair cards, and you've come so far despite it. It's her loss for not recognizing that."

You took comfort in listening to his heart beat as you buried your face into his chest.

"You're not a failure," he repeated. "If you want to finish school, you'll get there. If you don't, that's okay too. Just because you've struggled with your mental health doesn't mean you're deficient."

He pulled away so that he was looking into your eyes before gently flicking your forehead.

"So quit pitying yourself," he said, a small smile pulling at the corners of his lips as he saw the pout that formed on your face. "You're capable of more than you know."

You rubbed at your forehead. Levi pulled you into a gentle kiss shortly after, with one hand gently placed on the side of your face. He lingered there for a few seconds, before resting his forehead on yours.

"Never doubt yourself, love," he whispered.

He gave you another quick kiss before standing up.

"Now, let me whip you up something to eat, so you get some food in you other than coffee and that damned potato chip."

[rimurufan18]

Chapter 8: Impact of the Orc Lord

New skills

Unique skill: Eye of the Ancients

Allows the user x100 thought acceleration, more efficient analyses of things around them, 360-degree vision, view of their hp % and magicule %, status effect durations, as well as detect spiritual energy and concealed presences.

Unique skill: Copy Machine

A more efficient copycat can take in more at a time and requires far fewer magicules to fill in the gaps for skills.

Part 1: Our First Felled Demon Lord

After consuming his former master, Geld began evolving into a Demon Lord Seed. He was on the verge of reaching a form that could potentially defeat me. However, my comrades and I were determined to stop his army from claiming more souls.

"You were on the cusp of greatness, but it's time to bring you down a peg.” I said, slashing at him with all my might. My blade grazed his arm, leaving a deep gash. I quickly drank a few drops of his blood, hoping to gain an advantage. But before I could react, a blade was aimed directly at my forehead. Time seemed to slow down, allowing me to dodge the attack by a hair's breadth. What just happened? I knew I had thought acceleration, but he appeared almost motionless. "Notice: Through the ingestion of the Demon Lord Seed, conditions have been met. The Unique skill Magic Eyes has combined with the Extra skill Sense Spiritual Energy to create the Unique skill Eye of the Ancients, and the Unique skill Copycat has combined with the Unique skill Starved to create the Unique skill Copy Machine. Obtained Demon Lord Seed." So that's the answer.

"Well... it seems we're both Demon Lord Seeds now. But you won't win," I declared, my voice filled with determination. I unleashed a barrage of attacks, rapidly cutting him up with decay and caustic flames to prevent his regeneration. The battlefield was engulfed in a chaotic dance of destruction.

Geld retaliated with a powerful swing of his blade, aiming for my head. Before I could react, it pierced my skull, but I managed to move just in time to avoid a fatal blow, but the force of the attack sent me crashing into the ground. Pain surged through my body as I struggled to regain my footing. My mimicked skull shattered, and I felt a true sense of terror like never before. The fear threatened to consume me, but I refused to let it overpower my will to survive.

With a surge of determination, I healed my shattered skull, nursing the throbbing headache. Shaky legs carried me back onto the battlefield, where I faced Geld once again. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I prepared to unleash my next attack. But before I could make a move, a searing pain shot through me. I finally understood this was reality, not some video game or anime, he wouldn't wait for me to recover. I fell to my knee, witnessing my now severed leg, and saw him preparing for a killing blow. I roll to the left, barely dodging his blade and grounding myself with thoughts of Rimuru, I regenerate my leg and get back into the fight.

Adrenaline coursing through my veins, my eyes start glowing as I activate my eye of ancients. I remember one move that I haven't tested in combat yet. I fire multiple corrosive bullets at the Orc Disaster, blowing holes all throughout his body, and like the abomination he is, he just regenerates. “What the hell even are you?!!” I shout as I realize that he is now staving off the corrosion and flames and regenerating through them.

The orc lord grins evilly and takes a bite of something in his hand. “You can call me what you want, but you are making me stronger.”

“Y-you didn't… You couldn't have.” I say as the horror unfolds, in his hand is my disembodied leg, and he's eating it like a snack. I go to chop off his head with my scythe but it's far too late, he grabs me out of the air and takes a bite out of my shoulder. I scream at the top of my lungs, the pain wracks my body as he rips off a piece of my flesh with his teeth. I try to escape his grasp but he puts rot on me. Slowly my consciousness fades as I succumb to the pain of my injuries. In one last ditch effort, I use thought communication. “ Rimuru!! Help me!! ” I say to Rimuru then see a blinding blue streak hurtling to me and the orc lord.

"ROBIN!" Rimuru's familiar voice echoed through the battlefield as he descended from the sky, his aura radiating power. He unleashed his predator skill on the orc lord, halting my imminent demise and absorbing the orc lord. The ground trembled beneath us as the battle reached its climax. I could feel as the Orc Lord became no more, his soul disappearing as Rimuru absorbs his body. Held tries to escape but he's too far gone and fades away as Rimuru consoles him in his dying moments.

I tried to speak, but the words eluded me aswas still in a state of shock, golden slime oozed from my shoulder and side where he took big bites out of me. The fear still lingered in my mind, but the pain was all I could focus on, urging me to give up, wanting me to lose all hope. But I clung to my will to survive, my determination to see another day, and my unwavering desire to be with Rimuru.

Rimuru gently scooped up my body as I remained frozen. I didn't know what to do. If I needed air to survive, I would have suffocated by now. Crushed by my own body giving up on me. However, Rimuru's voice became my ray of hope. "Let's celebrate this victory, so you better not die on me." Confidence resonated in his voice, but there was also a hint of worry.

His words grounded me, and I managed to speak. "It'll take more than that to take me down for good." I said, trying to convince myself as much as Rimuru. "Let's have a feast, with plenty of booze. I bet we can have Kaijin and the dwarves get some for us, if they haven't already started brewing it." I attempted to distract myself from the fear and pain with humor, though it brought little results.

"I'm sure I saw them drinking some once or twice.” he chuckles. “Let's do this!" Rimuru replied with determination in his voice. The battle may have been won, but the journey was far from over. Together, we would face whatever challenges lay ahead, united in our unwavering resolve.

Part 2: FINALLY

The scene unfolded in the heart of revelry, a magnificent feast set before them and spirits flowing freely. Laughter danced on the breeze, an infectious symphony that echoed the joy of the festivities. Even Rimuru, known for his composed demeanor, had succumbed to the allure of the drinks, much to the amusement of the crowd.

On the outskirts, the once-hostile orcs observed, their apprehension slowly giving way to a glimmer of hope. The banquet had brought together former enemies, now united by a shared optimism for a brighter future. The pain and fear of the battle, dulled greatly by the alcohol and comradery of the moment.

Carrying the lively atmosphere, I swayed my way over to Geld One's son, a mischievous grin playing on my lips. A friendly slap on his back, and I playfully suggested, "How about a name, buddy?" I chuckle as I don't give him a second to reply. "From now on, you're Geld, You admired your father, didn't you? Either way, it's a good name for you." I say having forgotten how dreadful the battle was, was it due to the alcohol or did I suppress it, I may never know, but right now I was happy.

Geld's eyes widened in surprise, gratitude warming his expression. "Lady Robin... I don't even know what to say. Does this mean my people have a chance?"

"Absolutely!" I exclaimed, fueled by the spirit of the moment. "Just swear your loyalty to Rimuru and me, and your people will find mercy."

Geld's voice trembled with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. "Yes, Lady Robin."

"Perfect!" I chirped, my enthusiasm unabated as I made my way back to Rimuru, who was now clearly under the influence. Giving him a playful pat on the back, I quipped, "How's it going, Rimuru?"

His response was a merry drawl, his words melting into each other. "Livin' the dream~ or somethin' like it~"

Raising an eyebrow, I couldn't help but tease, "And how much have you had to drink?"

"Only... two~" Rimuru replied, his words elongated with a playful slowness.

"Wow, lightweight!" I laughed, realizing he was in no condition to navigate his way home. "Looks like you're staying at my place tonight."

With a bit of effort, I hoisted Rimuru onto my back and set off, leading us to my house as Rimuru's house was locked and Rimuru was mysteriously asleep, however, my inebriated mind thought nothing of it. Gently settling him onto my bed, I intended to leave, but Rimuru's grip on my wrist changed the course of events.

He pulled me down, flipping our positions as he lay atop me. His voice carried a longing tone as he whispered, "Robin~ I've been waiting so long to say this... to tell you that I lo-"

Swiftly, I maneuvered, cutting him off and straddling him, and confessed my own emotions, unburdening myself of the feelings that had silently grown between us. "No~ It's my turn to speak~ I love you, Rimuru~ I've been feeling this way for a while~"

His blushing face reflected a mixture of emotions: surprise, hope, and a touch of disbelief. "Robin... you mean it?" he ventured, a note of hope threading through his words.

I respond by burying my face in his chest, I sought closeness, the exhaustion of the night finally catching up with me. Great sage let Rimuru sleep as well, silently approving of me and my love for Rimuru. The lightweight sleeps under me, as I lovingly hold him tightly, hoping and praying that when I wake up he is still here as I drift off to sleep.

Part 3: Time For Payback, After Rimuru of Course

As the morning sun bathed us in its gentle, golden light, I relished the warmth of Rimuru's body pressed against mine. Our hearts danced in perfect harmony, and the world beyond our embrace faded into obscurity, leaving just the two of us in this tender moment.

Resting on Rimuru's chest, I gracefully rose to meet his affectionate gaze. A warm smile adorned my face as I drew nearer. "Good morning, Rimuru," I whispered softly, leaning in closer.

Rimuru, now free from the haze of the previous night, blushed and stuttered, "G-good morning, Robin."

With a tender smile, I gently brushed a stray strand of hair from Rimuru's face and murmured, "Last night was truly beautiful, wasn't it?"

Rimuru's eyes glistened with affection as he nodded, his breath quickening with emotion. "It was, Robin," he admitted, his words slightly tangled. "B-but perhaps we should s-start our d-mmph?!"

I silenced him with a loving kiss, our lips meeting in a soft, lingering embrace that solidified the love that had blossomed between us. Smiling, I say “I agree, let's start our day~”

Rimuru is too flustered for words and just nods in response. We get ready for the day, wearing similar outfits. Rimuru wore his blue coat, white fluffy scarf, black pants, and blue fur lined boots, and I wore the darker colors of a black scarf, black coat, black pants, and black fur lined boots.

“Looking good, cutie~” I say to Rimuru.

“T-thank you, R-Robin.” Rimuru replies flustered.

Wait… we never officially stated what we are. “Hey Rimuru… Are we like… together now?”

He blushes and has to think for a moment before he finally replies. “Yes, we're… together.” he says softly, too embarrassed to speak loudly.

I wrap my arms around him in a loving embrace. “Thank you, my cutie~”

He makes a quite adorable squeak of fluster and pouts. “I'm not cute, I'm a really cool and strong dude.”

“That I can pick up like a little doll and play with.”

“Ok, maybe I'm a little cute… b-but you're cuter!” he retorts while blushing.

I laugh, “Thank you, now let's set off and start our day, I have a few people to talk to.” I say in a sinister tone.

Rimuru nods and we part ways for the day. I go out to first find Soui while Rimuru goes to name the orcs.

I find Soui and Benimaru conversing over some tea. I approach in a friendly manner so as to not raise suspicions of my anger at Soui. Why am I mad at Benimaru too though? I guess Rimuru does think him to be a hot guy, so that does make him competition in a way… eh, I'll beat him up too.

“Heya, how are my Kijen doing?” I ask in a comeraderous tone, belying my hatred of them.

“We’re doing great, lady Robin, how about you?” Benimaru replies in a chipper tone.

“Well, I'm doing perfect, Rimuru and I are a thing now, so isn't that neat?” I brag. “But I was thinking, since you've gotten your names, I haven't fought either of you, so how about a little friendly spar?” I suggest with mischief painted on my face.

“Oh… uh… lady Robin, are you sure? I mean, you must be a little hungover from last night, right? Also… congrats on the relationship… I guess.” Benimaru says nervously.

I grin evilly. “Absolutely sure.”

“Ok then, but if you lose, don't get mad.” Benimaru replies.

“Oh? You think I might lose?” I laugh. “No no, I'll fight you both two on one purely because I need a quick and easy win right now.”

The Pair’s eyes widen in shock and Benimaru attempts to ask, "What are you trying to-"

But his words are interrupted as I swiftly seize both Benimaru and Soui by their collars, dragging them towards the training grounds. Their protests are muffled, and their attempts to free themselves are futile. My laughter cuts through the tension. "By the way, the loser will have the 'pleasure' of indulging in Shion’s cooking for an entire week, so give it your all, boys~" I tease, a smirk playing on my lips.

The mere mention of Shion's cooking instills a deep-seated dread in the pair. As soon as I release them onto the field, they immediately assume their battle positions. Soui mutters, "With those stakes, winning is our only option."

"We'll overcome this. Give it everything, and together, we have a chance." Benimaru states, his voice steely with renewed determination.

A playful giggle escapes my lips. "Whatever helps you sleep at night." I retort, lowering my hood. The power of the Eye Of The Ancients activates, my irises radiating an intense blue. My scythe materializes in my hand. "I'm waiting." I taunt.

Benimaru draws his blade while Soui melds into the darkness. Relying on my heightened perception, I parry Benimaru's incoming strike with my scythe. Simultaneously, I swing the end of the shaft, catching Soui squarely on his face. The impact knocks him unconscious, and his body hurtles hundreds of feet, crashing into a distant tree. Seeing his comrade downed so easily, Benimaru's bravado falters. "Mercy?" he asks, hope slowly diminishing in his eyes.

I scoff, "Coward." Swiftly, I deliver a kick to his midriff, following it with a slashing motion that severs his sword arm.

Tossing him a healing potion, I remark, "Freshen up, you're a mess." Contemplating my actions, I concede, "Perhaps I did go a bit overboard. No need to suffer Shion’s dishes."

To my surprise, gratitude replaces the pain in their eyes. "We promise to train harder, Lady Robin. Next time, we'll present a true challenge!" Benimaru pledges, cradling his mended arm.

I raise an eyebrow, bemused. "Well, I look forward to it." Struggling to maintain my composure, I add, "For now, I have to check on Rimuru." Then walk to find Rimuru.

I find Rimuru engrossed in the task of naming the orcs, his expression a picture of boredom. To speed things up and perhaps to steal a few moments with him, I initiate another line, eager to assist my newfound love interest.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHo1yKt2wpw919BjCB4uVvxqv2rJZW31zc4vRv7TsLE188Lg/viewform

[shadowmaat]

Mischief and Misinformation, part 2

(Part 1)

"Knight Kenobi!"

Obi-Wan turned to see a grinning Kit Fisto bearing down on him. His fellow Knight was a few years ahead of him in classes, and there were whispers he might be on track for the Council someday.

"Kit, I've been a Knight for two years, now," he smiled. "Throwing my title at me is getting a little old."

Kit laughed. "Says you!" He clapped a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Do you have time for a spar? Or do your Knightly duties call you away from your resounding defeat?"

"You wish, Fisto!" Chuckling, he glanced at his chrono. Anakin would be in classes for another two hours, which should leave him plenty of time.

"I think I have enough time to show an old man the dangers of hubris!"

"Old man!" Kit clutched his chest, bare beneath his outer robe. "I think you meant handsome! Or clever. Or-"

"Save that energy for the salle, Kit." Obi-Wan winked. "You're going to need it."

-

After working out the rules and going through their warmup stretches, they launched into the spar without too much preamble.

Kit's style was flashy, which made for a good distraction to the power behind the showmanship. He also had a more fluid sense of movement, which was something Obi-Wan found common among the aquatic and amphibious species.

They traded good-natured barbs as well as saber strikes, but then Kit seemed to shift gears.

"I wanted to say how sorry I was about what happened to you on Melidaan," he said, leaping over him to attempt a slash at his back.

Obi-Wan blocked it, frowning. "What?"

Had he been offworld recently? A few smaller mission, but nothing dangerous, not with Ani to consider. The name did ring a vague bell, though. He tried a leg sweep, which Kit avoided by flipping up to the wall and launching himself in another direction.

"I know Master Jinn was a highly-respectable Master, and his loss still ripples through the Temple-"

Kit reversed direction, scored a tap against Obi-Wan's arm, and got a tap of his own for his effort.

'-but leaving you alone in a war zone for a year is unconscionable!"

"What?" Obi-Wan repeated, blocking another swing. "What war zone? Wait- Melidaan..." Memory started to bubble forth, along with an uneasy sense of déjà vu.

"Have you been in so many wars you can't remember?"

Kit's tone should have been teasing, but there was a degree of worry mixed in as well.

"No, I remember." He hissed as Kit got in another strike on his leg. "But Melidaan... Qui-Gon didn't abandon me there, certainly not for a year. We were there maybe a tenday, and Qui-Gon remained in charge of the mission until it was safe for us to leave."

Between storms and bombing, there hadn't been a way off the planet. Qui-Gon's attempts at mediation had failed. Obi-Wan had done what he could for the victims of both sides- including a group of children- but in the end, and with Master Tahl's condition worsening, they'd taken the first opportunity to leave and dump the problem back in the Senate's lap.

"I'm relieved to hear that."

Kit made a move Obi-Wan couldn't quite track and scored a final hit to his shoulder.

"Solah." Disengaging his blade he rubbed his shoulder. "Where did you read about the Melidaan mission? This isn't the first time someone's come to me with a spacer tale version of my own life."

It was Kit's turn to frown. "The mission archives. I heard about-"

Obi-Wan's comm went off. It was Master Bear, Ani's ropework instructor.

"Ani threw up all over the nets and has been taken to the healer," the gruff voice of the Harchian Master said. "You'd best see to him."

The comm clicked off and Obi-Wan swore under his breath. The cafeteria had been serving custard yesterday and he'd bet his lightsaber that Ani's vomit was primarily blue.

Kit shook his head, rattling the bands on his ahwey. "This is why I'm never taking on a padawan," he said. "Go see to Ani. We can finish catching up later."

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, already striding for the exit. "I'd like to know what else the mission archives have to say about me."

As the doors closed he could hear Kit saying, "You aren't the only one."

[maguro13-2]

Juliana : Hey, look. About what happened...

Carmine : Don't hey look me. Where in the world is the rest of the money?

Juliana : Couldn't we just talk this out? I have no idea what you're talking about?

Carmine : I'm talking about the allowence, the money that you want buy thing in-app purchases?

Juliana : The gacha industry sure has something to do with it. You got it all wrong, this was some kind of mix up from the gacha industry. I used some of it, but I used it for the other apps like the Pokemon Go app?

Carmine : (suspiciously) You did what, you little sh-[beep]?!

Juliana : Wait! Wait! I can sort this out! I can explain it to you! It was a misundersta-

*Throws Juliana against the wall*

Juliana : Ahh! Hey!

[BGM : Vitrifaction Fire by Michiru Yamane]

Carmine : I told you not to spend all of it. I demand to know how much you charge on my phone!

Juliana : Please! Carmine! I just wanted to play some Pokemon Masters, I haven't gotten the glory and the fun.

Carmine : Why did I tell you about gambling on stuff on my phone!? I need those bills to pay off my student loans and I told you not to go ballistic and touch my stuff! Where is my money!?

Juliana : Please, Carmine! What's wrong with Pokemon Masters?! Every Trainer or Fan on the Planet wants to be addicted to these games we made-

*THUMP*

Juliana : Ah!

Carmine : I was only making a fortune and do you know how it costs me a leg, an arm, or even costing to sell our souls for one Lousy gacha!?

Juliana : It was a limited time offer! Please, let's not-

*hitting sounds*

Juliana : Ow! Stop smacking me! I'm sorry, Carmine! I said I was sorry! I only wanted the money! Please! I promise!

Carmine : Listen here, you worm. All money is worth of saving my funds for my degree, I've saved this money for the festivals, the battled, and the prizes I win. Do you know what this means?

Juliana : What does it mean it to you anyway...?

Carmine : It means...I'm gonna make you pay back.

Juliana : Alright! Alright! I'll pay you back! I promise! I'll pay you back! I swear! I won't do it again. I promise to pay those bills! Take all my riches!

*takes out her riches*

Juliana : Well it's official!

*later*

Carmine in bed : Now this is what being rich feels like.

Juliana in bed : Oh man, I never thought this would happen.

Nemona : What the-? What's going on here? What are you doing in bed?

Carmine : What? You're not the boss of me, I feel like a rich person.

Nemona : Come on, that was not entirely our decision and that decision paid me off! I could've sworn we had eyes on the wealth balance. But seriously, I paid her dearly into battle for a plate of grilled cheese on the table.

Juliana : Yawn. *pulls out sword*

Nemona : AW MOTHERF-!

(next take)

Brock : Hey there guys. Look I know about spending our money on the Pokemon Masters App thing. You see? We trainers have been saving our money to make a couple of few, and we are not going ballistic and had to go cold turkey. Luckily, I'm finally a wealthy business man and made a huge term of success.

Brock : I have a lovely wife and kids. We had some minor details with Ash in the past years and he hasn't come back since after this retirement. Just to get a hold of this... delicious banana liquor...OH MY GOD! I NEED IT SO BAD!

*starts drinking the liquor ballistic*

Brock : This is delicious! I need more! I NEED MORE! GET INSIDE ME-!

*later*

Misty : Hey, Brock. Ash says something about the Pokemon Masters App. And he told us that we forgot to pay off these bills right now.

*MGS EXCLAMATION MARK*

Misty : Brock! Have you been drinking again?!

Brock : What? No can do, swimmer. I think the Pokemon Masters App is literally soul-crushing but having a drunken haze makes you look good on the outside.

Misty : Grow up, Brock. You know you don't have a license for drinking stuff like that. What's with these girlsv

Brock : Oh don't you remember? I had drinking any booze and had a wild party going on.

*MGS EXCLAMATION MARK*

Brock : Oh...! Damn it! Damn it!

Misty : (sighing) And there goes another friendship.

[normalsdotheolympics]

Did I miss part of the course?

The last time I wrote, we had just bought new shoes and some new inserts. So how have they been doing? Well, there's been some good and bad. Katy is loving her new shoes, and has been making great progress with her running. In fact, she ran a Turkey Trot, in which she completed a 7km course in just about an hour. So proud! I think she was more shocked than anyone. At the end, she asked the organizers if she had missed part of the course, thinking she had skipped a lap or something. She started looking up the track because she just couldn't believe she had finished it so quickly! I opted not to do the Turkey Trot, in part because I hadn't been running yet, but also because it was freezing! It was about 28 degrees that morning, so I decided to sit that one out. That being said, I have FINALLY started to see some progress with my knee. I think the shoes were a bust for me, but I the knee wraps might actually be working, just to stabilize the patella. Strengthening the quads and doing my PT the last month or so has finally paid off as well. So, over the last couple of weeks, I've started to jog on the treadmill, and I've been able to slowly up my intervals to almost two minutes. I'm just so happy to be finally making some progress towards my running goals.

What else? Well, I hit 40km on the bike, taking about 105 minutes to do so. That's the distance I need to hit for the triathlon, so it's satisfying to hit that mark. In the pool, we've been starting some new drills, each one becoming more challenging than the prior set of drills. But what is more is that we started on breaststroke. I had the naivete to think that breaststroke was an easier stroke, but I blame Katy for that. She calls it a "recovery stroke". What the hell is she talking about? It's like I'm just flailing my legs in the water - I'm not even sure they're doing anything. The motion is really awkward and the instructor said it's a really technically challenging stroke, and the hardest to master. I've started a few drills to try and work it into my swimming routine. Katy is already pretty smooth with it, but she's started working on her butterfly. I tried 25m of it, and it was one of the most physically exhausting things I've ever done. I mean, my god... how does anyone do 200m of that? That's going to require A LOT of core strength.

We've also been back to play badminton a few more times, continuing to work towards being able to play a competent match. We're getting there. Slowly...

The goals for December are 2.5km running. Katy has already hit that and I probably won't get close to it quite yet, but if I can get to 1km by the end of the month, I'll be quite pleased. Goals in the pool are 750m freestyle and 100m breaststroke, and we want to hit 50km on the bike. I'm still trying to push Katy to get back on the bike. One of these days... We'll probably do another swim lesson towards the end of the month and work on butterfly. On the schedule, we had our first events scheduled for the end of the month! Those include the 50m free, 100m free, and 200m free. We'll see if we do it this month or push it into January, but we could probably do those soon. We need to investigate the new 50m pool and see when the longer lanes are open and if they'll let us use the starting blocks (which I still need to learn how to dive off of). We'll probably push our badminton matches until January too just to try and master them as best as we can.

We keep pushing forward. I'll write again in a few weeks!