#mc: rion

[inaflashimagine]

Did someone say a Nagumo fic? I would like to see it 🤲🏽

ask and you shall receive (pasting 2k below bc i'm unhinged)

–

You’re considering poisoning the vice principal of JCC.

It’s still in the planning phase, of course. But the true challenge, if this impossible task were to ever be achieved, would lie in the execution portion. Before leaving the airtight rooms of the laboratories, all students in the poisons department must properly discard any concoctions they’ve made in the fume hood (and any other chemicals that require extra care in their disposal are handled by the 24/7 toxic waste team). As many faculty in the department often repeat during their classes, the greatest poisons a student could ever make are arrogance and ignorance. For that reason alone, anything made for off-campus assignments is safely stored by lab managers in the school’s securely locked freezer until they must be given out.

Not to mention that every poisons professor also practices their due diligence by constantly updating the school chemicals inventory, which includes keeping track of the approved materials and poison recipes that students can take out of an extensive library of hazardous reagents, toxic substances, and highly coveted venoms.

That doesn’t mean that students haven’t tried to outsmart faculty or find a loophole in the system. Third-year Tanaka Kaito thought sneaking out with the tiny glass bottle containing his newest poison inside his mouth was a smart choice; and it might’ve been, if he hadn’t tripped over the lab assistant’s foot, which, coincidentally, happened to be in his way. Peers smarter than him have managed to avoid ruptured intestines or chemically burnt mouths, but considering these individuals–of which there are many–still fail and end up being expelled, stealing such precious items is not a risk many in your department are willing to take.

You understand the delicate position JCC is placed in when students break the institutional rules; since the JAA requires any poisons that are used by assassins or during non-educative assignments to be manufactured by those with a toxicology license, it makes sense that the JCC would adopt the most stringent guidelines to avoid a bad reputation.

Still. It doesn’t hurt to dream–or at least, you can’t get expelled for wishful thinking.

Besides, you have to find some way to pass the time in this dreadful class.

“Who are you thinking about killing this time?”

You blink, your eyes falling on the person who interrupted your delusions. The one who makes this class even more agonizing than should be tolerable.

“What makes you think I want to kill someone?” Flipping over the pages of your notebook to a blank one, you begin to scribble today’s course topic and can’t help but note the irony of you desperately wanting Ito-sensei to enter the room so he can start your least favorite class.

The Art of Espionage: For Intermediate Learners

From your periphery, you can see your dark-haired classmate leaning back into his desk chair as he deftly twirls a pocket knife in his hand, unfazed that all of his weight is balanced by one precious metal leg. He laughs lightly at your question, but it’s difficult to catch any mirth that follows it. “I always assumed only assassins carry bloodlust, but you proved me wrong. Though I guess I should’ve seen it coming.” His smile widens, a hint of smugness tugging the corner of his lips as he points the blade toward you like he’s just pointing a finger in your direction and not a potentially lethal weapon. “The ones in the poisons department do love holding grudges.”

You don’t know what others see in Nagumo. Sure, he’s objectively attractive–it would be stupid to argue that fact, and you’re not blind. And yeah, he’s one of the top second-year candidates in the intelligence-gathering department (though there are rumors of him wanting to transfer to the assassin program)–that’s not a surprise for someone who comes from a prominent family of spies, even if it is quite funny that the tidbit is well-known despite everything else about him being shrouded in the largest cloud of mystery…

…but any of those appealing characteristics seem to be thrown out the window the moment he begins to talk. And boy, does he talk.

“See, if I didn’t know any better,” he speaks up, yet again, eyes closed into half crescents as he cheerily jokes, “that annoyed look on your face says you wanna kill me!”

“Well, if you must know, you’re the third on the list. The first person is the vice principal for not switching me into another class.”

Each semester all JCC students must enroll in one class that falls outside the curriculum for their major. This is to ensure that their graduates are competent in all skills that they may need to succeed on the field or in the lab, even if it is unlikely they’d employ every skill on a daily basis. Since the best assassins, spies, weapons makers, and poison experts in the world are adept at rapidly adapting to different situations, it makes sense that the JCC would implement such a rule for their students. But that doesn’t mean you have to enjoy following said rules.

Your first semester at JCC wasn’t too bad. Technically, only third years can matriculate in poisoning classes–though there are a few introductory courses and practicums you can take starting your second year–so you’ve grown well accustomed to enrolling in classes that are beyond the usual chemistry and physics gambit. And since all students are allowed to rank their top choice electives, you were fortunate enough to get the History of Weapon Craft and Creation (considered one of the easier electives for those outside the weapons fabrication department). 

The semester after, you barely passed Firearm Handling & Defensive Training, but at least that class improved your aim with the laser guns in the cafeteria, meaning getting less of those horrid JCC bowls. Yet your luck quickly ran out at the start of the second year, as this semester you now find yourself to be the only poisons department student in a room filled with good-looking, downright intimidating, and incredibly sharp intelligence-gathering students.

You have no idea how you were even allowed to take a class with prerequisites that are nested in the intelligence-gathering department, but your grievances fell on the deaf ears of administrative staff who didn’t even apologize for the scheduling mishap. (Then again, these are the same people who don’t bat an eye when students in the assassin department are gravely injured and even die during an assignment or in the middle of class. It’s no shocker that the second-year class size has considerably dwindled from last year.)

With all other courses being full, your choice was to stick to this option or switch to Martial Arts & Tactical Hand-to-Hand Combat for Advanced Learners. Even if you can’t avoid your fear of looking like an idiot in front of Japan’s future spies, you can at least evade the terror of literally dying by the hands of the country’s strongest assassins-in-training (you heard Sakamoto Taro was a killing machine, a fact you would be happy to simply believe rather than test out for yourself).

However, your earlier fears have now evolved into a living nightmare after Ito-sensei announced that everyone would be assigned a partner to work on assignments together throughout the semester. You didn’t know who Nagumo was until your roommate Asami gasped at the mere mention of him (which isn't even his full legal name! What is he, Prince?). Banging your head against the wall might be a more pleasant experience than having to hear her complain–for the umpteenth time–that you get to learn from such a ‘genius’.

Admittedly, it's only been a few weeks into the semester, but you're still having trouble identifying the genius part.

“Wow, how scary! I’m terrified!” Nagumo sounds anything but after hearing your empty death threat. “Who’s the second?”

“None of your business.”

“Aw, don’t be like that! Do I know them?”

You think about it for a second, drawing the potential lines forming the network before shaking your head. “Well, actually, yes. Because congrats, you’ve just been bumped up to #2.”

He grins at that, big eyes crinkling. “See, now that’s a better response! But wait, am I third–”

“Second, now…”

“–right, second on the list because I forgot to do my part of the presentation? I swear I meant to get to it, but I got carried away with an outside mission.”

Genius? More like a lazy piece of shit, you think bitterly, eyes squinting at him to scrutinize what he’s hiding under those large dark eyes and that apparently innocuous grin. Of course, because you suck at intelligence-gathering, you come up with nothing other than a pathetic, “Stop lying, you sucky liar.”

The corners of his lips droop a bit further down than usual, but he still manages to adopt that customary smile of his and waits for another beat. Fully aware that the silence and staring make you uncomfortable.

“About the mission or getting the work done?”

“Both.”

“You’re funny!”

“See what I mean about the lying?”

The chair he’s sitting on instantly lands on all four, the harsh sound of pegs scratching the linoleum floors making you startle against your better judgment. One hand rests on his chin as he raises a brow at you, clearly amused. “But really, why would I lie about either part? If it makes you feel any better, I’ll make sure we get top marks on today’s presentation.”

You only have enough time to offer your exasperated sigh as an answer, since Ito-sensei finally walks in and announces the start of today’s presentations.

“Good afternoon everyone, apologies for my tardiness as a meeting went over. In preparation for your first exam next week, each group will be reviewing a different fundamental skill for carrying out espionage. First tactic: seduction.”

When you hear your name and Nagumo’s being called out, your suddenly heavy legs slowly drag their way to the front of the room, already anticipating to make a fool of yourself with your half-assed presentation on how to seduce a target, a skill all these students staring at you in boredom more than likely have performed a thousand times before.

Straightening your posture, you’re ready to begin your long unnecessary speech on the purpose of seduction until Nagumo yawns. Loudly.

The action has you momentarily pause, soft tittering spreading throughout the classroom until you narrow your eyes at your beaming partner, clear your throat, and continue.

“Seduction can be used as a weapon when the person employs the technique to obtain an objective, as seen in–"

“This demo we’re about to show!” Nagumo cuts in, waving his hands animatedly as if about to introduce a mesmerizing performing act. Your confusion only continues to grow as he sharply turns on his heel to face you, bewildered to see that his usual bright smile has been replaced with a more coquettish expression on his face.

“What are you–”

“The word seduction means to ‘lead astray’ in Latin. Doing such a thing means you have to observe your target’s every move. How they move. How they look at you. At others. At their surroundings.” Every step he takes forward means you take one step back. Until you find yourself hitting the wall, your eyes widening with how cold it feels against the back of your neck. “How they react. How they respond to you.”

He doesn’t even have you pinned, his arms laying idly by his sides while you dumbly acknowledge you can easily escape right now. But for some reason, you feel trapped under that curious gaze, the upward quirk of his lips sending a weird shiver up your spine.

“Catch the changes in their body language.” He tilts his head, and when strands of his shaggy black hair tickle your cheek you fully realize the distance–or lack thereof–between you two. “Are they fearful? Or are they open to receiving your advances? Do they approach you just as eagerly?”

Since when did he get so close?

You gulp when his hand dances over your hip while the other outstretched one reaches your face, and you hate how your head instinctively leans toward the motion. It becomes harder to stand your ground while your gaze flits back and forth between the inked numbers on his fingers and those half-lidded eyes, a darkness so rare with how inviting it seems.

As he delicately brushes a strand of your hair behind your ear you wonder if he can hear the frantic hammering of your heart against your chest. Even if he can’t catch it, you can tell by the slight way his eyes glisten that he certainly knows, and maybe even relishes, the effect he has on you–the way you’re futilely trying to snap out of the reverie you’re currently in, drunk in the smell of whatever woodsy fragrance he decided to wear today mixed with the sickly sweet scent of that caramel candy he was chewing on earlier.

Well, fuck.

“And it’s in that moment, when their mind is distracted and more focused on you than their own thoughts”–his nose brushes yours, and your breath hitches as all you can do is close your eyes–“is when you make your move.”

You feel your lungs deprived of air the second he presses you deeper into the wall, one hand still on your hip as he uses the other to swiftly grab a piece of paper tucked in the back pocket of your pants.

A sharp inhale is what returns you to reality, your jaw slackening upon seeing him retreat and wiggle the neatly folded piece of paper he stole from you.

“Nagumo,” you nearly growl as you feebly attempt to get it back from him, which only seems to get him more excited as his face breaks out into a full-blown grin and he waves the item higher with that freakishly long arm.

“Should I unfold it? Reveal to all the secret recipes?”

“Do it and you die!”

“Is that a joke or a threat?” As if he’s some film actor breaking the fourth wall, he turns his head toward your classmates and winks at them. “You can never tell with poisons students.”

The room erupts into laughter.

If only you did lace that paper with poison! You’re mentally preparing to fight (and definitely lose) to him when Ito-sensei’s booming voice keeps you two in check.

“That’s enough, I believe we extracted the main point of your presentation. Either return to your desks or report to the staff room after class for wasting more of our time.”

Both of you don’t need to be told twice–you practically sprint to your desk while an elated Nagumo hums a merry tune from behind, your mind still reeling from what just happened while the chaos in the room dies down and the next group begins their presentation on deception.

How the hell was Nagumo able to do all of that? A presentation you conducted research and rehearsed for around two hours was something he easily accomplished in less than five minutes. And with you as the guinea pig! The thought makes your cheeks burst into flames, but you refuse to hide your face for fear of appearing weaker.

“What did I tell you?” He tosses the paper into your lap–still folded into its original position–as he sends you one of those big smiles that used to give you the creeps but now seems to evoke some other inexplicable feeling. “Top marks!”

The urge to spit out “No thanks to you” is so strong that you have to bite your itching tongue, because that would be a fat lie. So you let out a spiteful ‘hmm’, twitching fingers creasing the folded paper even further.

“Wasn’t it fun teaming up?”

He’s still a bit too close for comfort when he whispers the question, so you lean forward into your desk, trying your best to ignore the buzzing coming from the pest.

“You and I have different definitions of fun.”

“And how would you define it?”

“Not being near you.”

“Guess I’m not the only sucky liar on this team!”

That earns him a glare as you plot several ways to wipe that pleased look off his face. You cross off a few bad ideas that you’re embarrassed your mind even conjured.

“The silent treatment, huh…Didn’t peg you to be the type who does that.”

The eye roll you offer him appears to be a sufficient answer as he lets out a small huff and pretends to listen to his classmates’ project, his bored yawn louder than whatever is being presented. You naively think you’ll be able to endure the remainder of the class without his yapping.

And then he turns to you once again, an impish spark in those large, curious eyes.

“But I just need to ask–what’s written on that piece of paper anyway?”

You press your lips firmly into a straight line and stare at him, bemused that he hasn’t figured it out. He matches your stare, looking at you expectantly. Maybe he’s pretending that he hasn’t read it–with how fast he is, you wouldn’t be surprised if he only needed one or two seconds to skim over the writing.

Then again, you’re the idiot for having a physical copy of your plan to cheat and steal from the school chemicals and rare toxins inventory.

“It’s my formula for a poison that I’ll use to kill you.” Like a psycho, you grin triumphantly upon seeing the way his mouth turns into a tiny shocked ‘O’.

And like the maniac he is, he’s quick to return your smile, though it doesn’t quite reach those indecipherable eyes. “Looking forward to it!”

You’re too proud to admit that you feel the same.

[starstrucklovetragedy]

Back in April I got a commission piece on Instagram of Rion and MC and I thought I'd share on here as well! It was done by @yndy_arts on Instagram and I highly recommend them!

I'm so sad I didn't get to see more of these two 😭😭😭

[ewa-jednak-chce-spac]

[itmeblog]

So! The next podcast [redacted] features 3 children

Keryth (she/her, for now) - baby witch, lives above a bookstore/magic shop (unable to properly use "small magic" despite her age)

Rion (he/him, Ree-on) - werewolf, yet to shift. Student council president, chess club star, professional teacher's pet.

Elas (they/them) - ????, new kid in town. Bully?

I've been editing the first episode and it's so much longer to do this when each ep is 30 pages. They're fun tho. These kids need help

[boo-moved]

Reached the point of rage

[thechaoticdruid]

This Bites (6)

Pairing: Astarion x Fem! Chubby!MC

Plot: Astarion gets to know Winnie's little step sister Vanessa as the trip to the carnival date grows near.

Content/Warnings: Fluff, mean vampire threatens smol human, smol human is annoying and asks too many questions, smol human's dad is a bigot, Batstarion abuse.

Chapter 5: Long ass chapter

Chapter 6: We here.

Chapter 7: To the carnival!!

“Shit.” Astarion breathed out, staring at the little girl with shock. This was not good. Winnie had busted her ass to make sure no one in the house found out about Astarion. Winnie shot up from the ground, eyes widened with horror as she saw her stepsister in her room.

“Vanessa! What are you doing in MY room?” Winnie snapped, arms crossed. 

“I couldn't sleep!” Vanessa complained before her eyes stared at Astarion, taking in his features. 

“He looks like the vampire from that game all my favorite YouTubers are playing!” 

“Ah…Well, he's just a big fan!” Winnie said nervously before elbowing Astarion in the shoulder.

“Oh! Yes! I am just absolutely captivated by him! He's so beautiful and dreamy.~ It's as if he was carved from stone by the gods themselves!~” Astarion put his hand over his heart, lacing every word with some dramatic flair.

“Okay, I think she gets the point.” Winnie rolled her eyes, as she huffed at Astarion's ridiculous and frankly egocentric theatrics. 

“You sound just like him too!” Vanessa said, eyes narrowing in suspicion. “And are those fangs in your mouth?”

“He's a cosplayer and he just so happens to be very good at impressions! Seriously Nessa, don't tell me you think he could actually be a vampire. You know they aren't real, silly.” Winnie said, laughing nervously as her anxiety began to spike.

“He literally has no reflection.” Vanessa said, pointing to the mirror in Winnie’s room. Just to add to their shit luck, the two of them had been standing at the perfect angle for her to notice. 

“Fuck.” Winnie cursed, stomping her foot and covering her face in her hands. 

“Well…Looks like we'll have to kill the child.” Astarion said with an annoyed sigh, clenching his clawed fingers.  Vanessa tensed up and backed up against the wall as the vampire took a step forward. Winnie quickly moved in front of him and blocked the way to Nessa.

“No no no! We are not murdering my stepsister!” Winnie put her hand on his chest. 

“I can't believe there's a real vampire in our house!” Vanessa exclaimed, sounding way too excited about a blood sucking undead being hiding in her home.

“You are not having the appropriate reaction to finding out a bloodsucking monster-” Winnie was cut off by Astarion clearing his throat,” right sorry LIFE CHALLENGED INDIVIDUAL is in your house.” 

“Well, you obviously don't seem afraid of him.” Nessa exclaimed, “and if he was dangerous why would you bring him into the house?” 

“I am very dangerous, thank you.” Astarion scoffed, crossing his arms with a slight pout.

“He is my friend and I'm taking care of him…” Winnie began to say. 

“Dad has no idea he's here does he?” Vanessa raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

“No and I want to keep it that way.” Winnie said sternly. 

“I can't believe there's actually a video game character in front of me!” Nessa squealed in excitement. “Wait, how is this possible?” 

“I've been trying to get to the bottom of that.”Winnie rubbed her temples, “look the bottom line is you can't tell anyone about him being here, understand?” Vanessa ignored Winnie and immediately went over to inspect Astarion.

“So what's your name?” She asked curiously.

“It's Astarion. ~” The vampire replied with a dramatic little bow. 

“Astairen?” Vanessa repeated, pronouncing the vampire’s name incorrectly. The elf sighed and rolled his eyes.

“A-star-rion.” He corrected her. 

“Ha! You sound like a Pokemon!” Vanessa giggled.

“A what?” The vampire was completely confused. 

“Vanessa.” Winnie huffed, “listen to me.” Vanessa eventually turned back to look at Winnie. “You cannot tell anyone about him, understand? Especially not your father.” 

“I won't tell anyone! I promise! I've just always wanted a vampire friend!” Nessa exclaimed with a twinkle in her eyes. 

“Let's not get carried away…There are very few people in this world I consider ‘friends’ and you are certainly not one of them.” Astarion said in a sassy tone, face scrunched in disgust. Winnie quickly elbowed him.

“Be nice.” She scolded him. 

“Ugh….If I must…” Astarion groaned and looked over at the young girl. “…I may consider becoming friends…” The vampire said the last word as if it would make him vomit.

“Don't take what he says too personally, Ness. He's basically a cat on the inside.” Winnie said calmly, causing Vanessa to giggle. 

“This is going to be so cool! I have so many questions!” Vanessa said with excitement. 

“Ah yes well, it might be best if you hold off your questions for tonight. I'm really tired.” Winnie said with a yawn, stretching out her arms.

“But come on! Just a few minutes! Pleaaassse!” Vanessa whined. Winnie groaned in annoyance before sitting on the bed and kicking off her shoes.

“Alright. You got ten minutes.” She said with a sigh. 

“Okay okay! Can you fly?” 

“No.” Astarion replied.

“Can you hypnotize people?”

“No.”

“Can you see the future?” 

“No.” 

“Read minds?” 

“No.”

“Do you….sparkle in the sun?”

“Not sure…Usually I'm too busy burning to death to check.” 

“Well, you're a boring vampire!” Nessa huffed.

Astarion rolled his eyes,”I can rip your heart out and eat it. Is that exciting enough for you?” 

“Kinda gross, but okay.” 

“Alright you've asked enough questions. Now go to bed.” Winnie sighed. 

“Fiiiine.” Vanessa finally gave in before leaving to go back to her room. 

Winnie let out a groan of annoyance once her step sister left her room. She rubbed her temples in frustration as Astarion sat down on the bed beside her. 

“God, I hope she doesn't tell anyone…” Winnie muttered before suddenly feeling clawed hands on her shoulders. Astarion began to rub her gently. 

“Since you won't let me kill them I dearly hope you have a plan brewing in that pretty head of yours? In case our little secret gets out.” The pale elf said as he continued to massage her shoulders, thumbs moving down to rub circles around her shoulder blades. 

“We'd have to move out I guess…..Which is just a problem in itself. There's no way I can afford my own house and an apartment is too crowded. You'd never be able to sneak out and hunt without the possibility of being seen.” Winnie hummed, unable to help but let out a slight groan at the vampire’s touch. 

“Our own home does sound wonderful though. Just you and me living together. It'd almost be as if we were married.” Astarion hummed. The subject of marriage made Winnie go pale. She hoped he wasn't trying to drop some kind of hint? They'd only actually been dating a few weeks. They haven't even kissed yet for pete sake!

“Ah…Let's not get carried away now. I'm still a bit too young to be thinking of marriage.” Winnie huffed before pulling away and laying down on the bed. 

“Ah..Yes of course. I only meant that it would be similar.” Astarion replied with a sad smile as he noticed Winnie facing away from him. He didn't want to make her feel pressured into anything, but he couldn't help but long to be closer to her. It was hard for him to understand that what seemed like years of companionship to him were only days, weeks at most to her. Winnie was completely infatuated with him. But love, real genuine romantic love was still such a foreign concept to the young woman. It was something she never thought she'd ever receive. She had to be smart about it and not rush into anything.

“Are you upset with me?” His saddened voice immediately made her look back.

“No, no! I'm just really worn out. Today has been tiring.” Winnie explained looking up at him. She let out a deep sigh before patting the space beside her. “You can ... .lay here if you want..” she murmured shyly. Almost as if on command Astarion immediately slotted himself beside her, arms pulling her against him. Astarion smiled, nuzzling his face between her neck and shoulder.

“Goodnight my love.” Astarion whispered in her ear. Winnie blushed a bit, returning his embrace as she closed her eyes.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

“So you can turn into a bat, but you can't fly?” The twelve year old girl looked up at the vampire who stood in her room. Ollie the dog was curled up by her feet, sleeping.

“Technically I shouldn't be able to turn into one at all, but yes flying doesn't appear to come instinctively.” He rubbed his chin, glancing around the child’s slightly messy bedroom in discomfort. Vanessa sat down on a bean bag chair, dressed in a yellow Sonic the Hedgehog hoodie and blue jeans. 

“Then it's probably a good idea to practice! My dad won't be home until four so we have the whole house for you to fly around in! I can get you a little tiny bat helmet if you'd like?” Vanessa exclaimed as she hopped up. 

“Are you always left home alone this long?” Astarion asked, curiously. 

“My dad says I'm old enough to be here by myself.” Nessa exclaimed. “And Winnie said I need to keep an eye on you while she's at work so come on!” Nessa got up and quickly grabbed something from her drawer before leading Astarion out of her room and into the kitchen by his hand. Astarion rolled his eyes but complied with the girl’s wishes, not wanting to hear her whine. Astarion followed Nessa into the kitchen before taking his bat form, disappearing into a cloud of red before reappearing on the group as a little white vampire bat.

“Aww you're so cute!” She cooed before putting a tiny pink doll helmet on his head. “Okay now I'll get you started, and you remember to flap your wings!” The girl said before picking up the tiny bat who let out a few squeaks of annoyance. The sandy haired girl held him over her head before suddenly launching him into the air. The poor little bat let out a terrified squeak as he was slung through the air wings flapping frantically. Ollie shot out of Nessa’s room, hearing the bat’s squeaks. He immediately began to bark and snarl at the little creature. 

“Ollie no! Leave him alone!” Vanessa scolded, but the untrained pup just ignored her and snapped at the little bat, hopping up to try and bite him.

 Astarion hovered above the dog, just safely out of reach as he flapped his wings in desperation. 

The dog continued to lunge at him until Maddie poked her head out of Winnie's bedroom. Almost immediately she charged at the dog, a nasty growl left the feline's mouth as she came close, ears straight back and fur puffed up.

“Merrrrooow…” Maddie's vicious yowl caused the dog to turn tail between his legs before he ran off into Brian's bedroom. Astarion huffed, gradually slowing his flaps before dropping down onto Maddie’s back.  

Astarion let out a sigh of relief before hopping off Maddie's back and transforming back to his elven form. The little helmet falling off his head as he did so. 

“Alright, I think I've had enough of flying for one day.” Astarion dusted himself off before noticing Maddie rub against his legs. 

“Awe come on! You were doing so good!” Vanessa pouted. 

“Darling, you're completely impossible. If it wasn't for your sweet sister I would have drained you dry already.” Astarion scoffed. 

“Darling,” Nessa mocked, “you sound like a girl hehe.” 

“Oh such a cruel clever insult! However, will I possibly recover?” Astarion's words were dripping with sarcasm as he held a hand over his heart dramatically. Vanessa looked at him curiously and blinked.

“Are you gay? My dad said guys who act like you are gay.” The twelve year old asked bluntly. The vampire looked back at her, not quite understanding what the rude child was asking. 

“Not at present. I'm rather annoyed actually.” 

“No I don't mean happy gay. I mean do you like boys?” The young girl asked.

“Gods, you're a nosy child.” Astarion rubbed his temples.

“I just wanna know. Dad said I shouldn't talk to gay people. Not sure why though.” The child shrugged. “So do you like boys or girls?” 

“Hmm…I much prefer adults rather than boys and girls….” Astarion finally answered with a grimace. 

“Ah! That's what I meant! But what gender do you like?” 

“Must I choose?” Astarion chuckled before his pointed ears twitched and he heard someone pull into the driveway. He peeked his head through the door to the livingroom and spotted Winnie through the window. She had gotten off her motorcycle and was walking back to the house. Astarion grinned before entering the living room.

“Hey!” Vanessa whined and followed him. 

Winnie walked inside, she looked exhausted, hair messy and her uniform had a bit of dirt on it. 

“Winnie.” Astarion smiled at her sweetly,“welcome back my sweet.” He quickly pulled her in for a hug, nuzzling his face in her neck. Winnie nearly fell over, but the vampire held her up. 

“Darling? Are you alright?” He asked with concern.

“I'm exhausted. Work was hell today.” Winnie huffed, leaning against him. 

“Oh my God. You guys are dating aren't you?” Vanessa piped up.

“Ugh ...Not now Nessa. I don't have the energy for this.” Winnie said and pulled back from Astarion’s arms. Astarion smirked a bit.

“Winnie and I are partners, yes.” He said, smugly.

“Astarion.” Winnie glared at Astarion slightly.

“What? I'm simply being honest with the kid.” Astarion said with an innocent look. Winnie rolled her eyes before walking into her room. The messy haired female laid on her bed and took a deep breath. She laid there for a while, staring at the ceiling in silence. Eventually Astarion came into her room and sat on the bed next to her. 

“Love, I brought you something to eat.” Astarion hummed, setting down a plate with a sandwich on it. He looked down at her tired face and gently caressed her hair.

“Some crazy lady screamed at me today.” Winnie began suddenly. “She was pitching a fit because we didn't have any of the dog food she wanted. Becca wasn't working today so I had to handle it by myself.” 

“A pity I couldn't join you there during the day. I'd be happy to dispose of anyone who gives you trouble.” Astarion said with a smirk, clenching his free hand into a fist and cracking his knuckles. 

“You'd get arrested in a heartbeat.” Winnie chuckled, finally grabbing the sandwich and taking a bite. It was just bologna between two pieces of bread. No cheese or condiments. So incredibly bland. Well, she had to give the vampire some credit for trying. Winnie ate the sandwich before tossing the plate in the trash and laying her head on Astarion’s lap. 

“It pains me how little faith you have in my skills, my love.” Astarion said as he continued to stroke Winnie’s hair.  

“Honey, I've told you already. It's not like how it is in Faerûn where you can just dump the body in a ditch somewhere and no one will ask questions. People keep track of everyone who goes missing here. You will get caught.” Winnie mumbled, snuggling her head against his thigh. 

“Well, actually they do begin asking questions in Baldur's Gate. Of course I still managed to get away without being caught.” Astarion said smugly. 

“Makes me wonder if I should be involved with such a dangerous, dangerous man.” Winnie teased. 

“Oh don’t worry, pet. I'd never hurt you. Not unless you wanted me to.~” Astarion tapped Winnie on the nose with a flirtatious wink. Winnie rolled her eyes and just relaxed with her head on his lap. 

“Anyway, we have a lot to look forward to. We're going to meet up with your friend for a date in a few weeks, aren't we?”  Astarion reminded her.  Winnie’s eyes widened as she remembered they were supposed to meet Becca and her boyfriend at the carnival for a double date.

Shit.

Winnie turned and buried her face into Astarion’s thigh as she thought of all the things that could go wrong. 

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

The carnival came to town much sooner than Winnie expected. It didn't take long before Nessa was begging Brian to let her go before she had to go back to her mother's house.  Winnie had called up Becca a couple nights back to make sure they'd meet up after sundown. She told her friend that her boyfriend couldn't get off of work until then. Everything was in place for the evening. Winnie wore a black T-shirt and ripped skinny jeans along with a pair of black converse. She brushed her hair out as best as she could while she stood in front of her bathroom mirror. Once she finished she put her glasses on and left the room, grabbing an old leather jacket from her closet that she barely wore as she let out a sigh.

Red eyes looked her over as their owner sat on the armchair, brushing his snow white locks. He was dressed in a sleeveless dark purple turtleneck which covered the bite scar on his neck. With it he wore black skinny jeans and tennis shoes.  

“You're going to get cold wearing that, you know.” Winnie hummed. 

“Well then, perhaps you'd be so kind as to lend me one of your coats if you're so worried about little old me.~” Astarion hummed, hopping up and moving a stray hair out of his face as he followed his lover into the bathroom.

 “I already told you, Star. My jackets won't fit you right. You're too tall and skinny to fit in my clothes.” Winnie said with a sigh as she began to brush her teeth. “Besides I already bought you your own jackets.”

“But yours are so much softer and more comfortable.” The vampire replied, fiddling with a bag on the sink counter. He took out a small purple tube of mascara before applying it to his lashes. Astarion put the mascara back before grabbing a black eyeliner pencil. 

“You're ridiculous but I-.......Where did you get that make up?” Winnie said as she looked back at him and blinked.

“Oh this? I found it in your mother's closet the other day. Looked like it hadn't been touched in a while so I thought it best not to let it go to waste.” Astarion replied as applied the eyeliner under his eyes. 

“Don't steal from my mom. You know you can ask me if you want something right?” Winnie let out a sigh and kept brushing her teeth. She spat out into the sink before rinsing the sink and her toothbrush off. Then she walked back into her room, picking her backpack up off the floor. 

Astarion came out and swiftly grabbed Winnie’s purple hoodie from the closet. He pulled it over his arms and let it hang off his shoulders before following his love out the door. 

Theys snuck out of the house quietly, making sure to lock all the doors behind them before leaving. Winnie hopped onto her motorcycle with Astarion getting on behind her as the two set off. It was 8pm by the time they reached the carnival. The rides were all illuminated up with bright colorful lights. The sound of screams of excitement filled the air as did the delicious smell of fried foods. 

Astarion glanced up at the strange contraptions with curiosity and a slight wariness. This wasn't like the circus as he predicted it would be like.

Winnie smiled a bit, memories from past trips to the carnival flooded her mind, filling her with joy and sudden enthusiasm. Perhaps this would actually be fun? She quickly shook her head, she needed to focus! There was another reason they were going here! 

Winnie got off the bike and led her vampire up to the entrance. He kept an arm locked with hers as they purchased their tickets, heading inside. Winnie checked her cellphone to see if there were any messages from Becca. 

“Okay, Becca's here. She’s with her boyfriend waiting for us by the snack stand.” Winnie hummed before looking over at Astarion.  His eyes scanned around the crowd. There were so many people and a sweet alluring scent hit him like a brick.

“Hon? You alright?” Winnie asked curiously before noticing some random guy had fallen on the sidewalk and skinned his knee, drawing blood. Winnie placed a hand on Astarion’s face. 

“Star…Look at me.” She said softly, causing his blood red orbs to snap back to her. “You haven't fed for a while have you?” 

“I tried going out and hunting but the last few nights prey had become rather scarce…” Astarion admittedly. 

“I told you, you were going to eat the whole forest. Look, hold on until we get back home and I'll let you feed from me.” Winnie said with a sweet smile. 

“Thank you my sweet.” Astarion returned the smile before Winnie tugged him along. 

“Now, let's go! Becca and Anthony are waiting!” Winnie exclaimed. They wandered through the carnival, marveling at the sights and sounds. The more they saw, the more Winnie began to grin, mind constantly slipping away from her main objective. 

“Yo! Winnie!” Becca's voice snapped Winnie out of her thrill fueled trance. “Over here! Come meet my babe!” The redhead called. Sitting next to Becca was a tall lanky man with messy black hair and green eyes. He had to be about mid twenties and was dressed in a sleeveless blue hoodie and shorts. 

Winnie walked over and smiled shyly, Astarion still holding on to her arm. 

“Hey…I'm Winnie and this is Star…” Winnie introduced them.

“Star? So that's his name, huh? You know I can't quite put my finger on it but your boyfriend seems really familiar.” Becca scratched her head.

“The vampire from BG3! He looks kinda like him!” Anthony spoke up.

“Oh shit, you're right!” Becca exclaimed, “dude's even got elf ears on! Wicked!” 

“Yeah, he really loves cosplaying!” Winnie said nervously. Astarion just stared at her in confusion.

“Cos-what?” He murmured. 

“It's an amazing costume. You look pretty hot in it too!” Anthony grinned.  Astarion smirked with a smug look.

“You flirt.” The elf rolled his eyes.

“He really is. It's part of his charm.” Becca giggled.

 Winnie looked at the two with a slight discomfort, but shook it off.  It was all harmless banter. “Anyway! Let's get this show on the road!” Becca hopped up with a grin.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Druid here! I hope I didn't make Vanessa too annoying, honestly I'm really just trying to portray her as a mischievous naive child though I can understand if she isn't well received. I'm going to New Orleans soon so it might be a while before the next chapter is dropped and I've also got some Winnifred The Druid oneshots to do.

Hope you guys liked the chapter! Next time we'll have some drama at the carnival!

~Druid

Taglist:

@seradyn , @plimsim, @astarioffsimpmain , @marcynomercy , @iamsexytrash , @gaymistakeboi , @divineknightmare , @tinyfreakgirl , @misscrissfemmefatal, @gianchan-de @jaksfanficsaver , @the-disaster-in-waiting , @hp-art-studio , @im-just-a-simp-le-whore , @dajeong , @iamnotokei

[evereinefaust]

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐲 ࿐ྂ

Pairing: Kurapika Kurta X afab!Reader

Sypnosis: MC and Kurapika had been lovers ever since starting school. And for as serious and work-driven the blonde is, she didn't expect that he would show jealousy because of a certain someone.

Word Count: 1,105

You hummed while walking towards the gymnasium, with a towel and bottle of water in your hand, you are eager to watch your childhood friend play basketball, even if it's just a practice. You stopped in front of the door and knocked. After waiting momentarily, the door opened, revealing a blonde captain.

"Hi, Taiga!" you beamed, flashing him a close-eyed smile.

"H-hi, [Name]. Looking for him?" he averted his gaze to hide his upcoming blush.

You nodded. He let you in.

As you walked into the gym, you saw the other basketball club member. The redhead narcissist, Laiko Enemoto; the blonde cutie, Rinto Suzuki; the redhead gentleman, Rion Kawasaki; and finally, your short-tempered childhood friend, Akihiko Inuzami. You always visit the boy during practice, to ensure that he won't cause chaos to his teammates. He has a twin sister named Akari, but unfortunately, she's studying at Seirin High while you and Akihiko attended Yorkshin High. After he and Akari parted schools, she entrusted you to watch him, knowing he is one troublesome brat. Now it is your responsibility to fulfill this task.

"Hey guys!" you greeted them and walked towards the court they were using.

"Hi [Name]-chan," Rinto smiled brightly at you.

"Hey, [Name]~" the redhead strides towards you.

"Greetings, [Surname]-san," Rion bowed down like a butler, you can't help but smile at his great personality.

'Reminds me of a certain someone.'

"Ah..... you've finally come [Nickname]," the arrogant bastard rubbed the back of his head with eyes closed, making his way towards you.

A tick mark appeared on your forehead as you gripped the towel and bottle that's in your hands, nearly squeezing the water out of its container.

'This guy—!'

"Well, since [Name] is now here, let's take a 10-minute break," the captain told them.

"Yes!"

The team went to the benches and rested for a while. You watched Akihiko while he drank his water, a smile plastered on your face as you rested your chin on the palm of your hand.

"What are you looking at?" his voice snapped you out of your trance.

"Huh? Oh, nothing..." You blinked a few times then removed your head from your hand.

"You're thinking about something, right?" his mischievous side appeared, a smirk plastered on his face. "Or maybe you're thinking about someone?"

"Don't be ridiculous! I'm just thinking about how you can find a girlfriend," you chuckled. He was poker-faced, his expression obviously told you 'what-the-hell?'

"Ah~ Akihiko won't probably find a girlfriend at this rate~" Laiko butted into your conversation.

"What did you say?!"

"He's probably right, knowing that Inuzami-san is very arrogant," Rion added while chuckling.

"Oi!" a tick appeared on his forehead.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Little did you know, a certain blonde passed by the gym. It's already 5 in the evening and his duty is to observe the clubs who are going after school practice. He glanced inside the gym and saw the basketball team having their break on the bench. But his focus wasn't on them. His gray eyes landed on a [h/l] [h/c]-haired girl smiling and laughing beside her childhood friend. Seeing them so close made a pang in his chest.

'Jealousy? Impossible.'

He thought that it is impossible for him to get jealous, after all, [Name] is his girlfriend and Akihiko is just her friend—nothing more, nothing less.

But that's what he had thought. The days went by with you hanging out with the boy frequently, which made the blonde uneasy. He can't stop glancing in your direction and would see a happy [Name] and Akihiko. Whenever that happens, another pang he felt in his chest. He thought he could overcome it, but sadly, he couldn't.

"[Name]..." a familiar voice called, earning your attention. His voice was soft and hollow.

"Hm?" you turned around to face your blonde boyfriend. You are currently walking out of the gymnasium after the basketball team finished their practice during lunch. And by the side of the entrance stood the school council president, leaning on the wall.

"I-I... need to talk with you," he faced you with an unreadable expression plastered on his face.

You slightly frown because of his unusual behavior but complied with his request.

The two of you went to the rooftop and stood there still, no one dared to talk as the wind blew so harshly. After a few moments, he broke the silence.

"Do you like Akihiko?"

Your eyes widened at his unexpected question. He glanced down with a saddened expression on his face. It took you a minute before you realized what he meant by those words.

'Is he jealous of Akihiko?'

Unconsciously, you walked up to him and wrapped your arms around his torso. His eyes dilated in surprise at your sudden embrace.

"Baka~" you muttered teasingly, burying your head deeper in his chest. "Akihiko is just a childhood friend and you know that."

"I know, but recently, I always notice that you're close to him. It's like all the attention is on him." The male returned the hug, burying his head in the crook of your neck.

"Remember when Akiari and Akihiko are about to part ways?" You questioned. He nodded, remembering the time when he last saw the other twin. "She told me to keep an eye on the boy, and I promised her to prevent him from being so troublesome."

He nodded, understanding.

"Don't be jealous because of him, Kurapika," you raised your head and your [e/c] orbs met his gray ones. "You're the one I love."

"Yes, I know." Kurapika's expression softened. He then lifted your chin and leaned in, closing his eyes.

You also leaned up and closed your eyes. Your lips touched and sweetness bloomed. The passionate kiss lasted for a minute when the two of you parted for air. Kurapika's forehead touched yours and locked eyes with your [e/c] hues.

"I love you [Name]."

"I love you too, Kurapika~"

[whitethorn]

Still thinking about what I would like to happen in my fantasy world where Lovestruck comes back

s10 for Aurora and Chance with Sweetheart MC

Revamps/continuations for routes with obviously rushed endings like Andi/Duke/Lorelei/Renzei, Nora/Ezra/Lucas, Piama, Roman, Malakai...

More seasons for Alain, Remy, Jett, Onyx...

Rewrites for Cecelia S6 and other seasons that were widely considered poorly written

New routes/shorts, including but not limited to popular side characters and pairings like Aphrodite, Persephone, Chimera Prime, Gamma, Wyst, Annabelle, Mothman/Roshni, Grace/Gwen, Liliane, Hikari, Zeke, Robin, Dahlia, Zola, Axia, Bejana, Ripley, Vinca, Nero, Lazarus, Jace, Nadia, Quince, Ruelle, Hazel, Gideon, Roland, Kellan, Josephine/Darla, Omar, Rapunzel, Edward...

Continuations for all the routes that were cut off early, obviously :’) which includes Antares and Nova 2.0, Chance and Aurora 2.0, Xenia, Evina, Emilio, Rafe, Alanna, Cash, Arianna, Maxime, Lexi, Rion, Korin, Lavinia, Abel, Arin

Seriously, just let the team do the routes they want(ed)

Physical media ports

Physical merch

Voice acting...? that would be so bangin’

TV and movie adaptations?? dreaming Big here

:)

[seoafin]

omg a fellow bachira stan!! <333 !!!! also i cant help but think that bachira and violinist!mc could be besties if they met before blue lock happen,, sth sth abt the mutual understanding of the loneliness when chasing after the hobby/ passion that u may be the only one to understand the full extent of your love for it bc when telling other ppl they'll go was it that serious? unless u meet someone who gets it, like bachisagi

will we get more info on the person who won 1st place in the future chapters tho? if the person and violinist!mc are in the same prefecture until the end of their highschool years, wont they run into each other during competition season?

nagi and gojo...190 cm men with white hair and a lil deranged...if one more guy with this criteria exist and u happen to dislike him well hfgfbkfhbvkf

also i saw that you're catching up to sakamoto days?!?!?! i'm so!!!!! the sakamoto, nagumo, rion + uzuki group makes me so aughhh wdyt even happen for uzuki to just flipped and why rion is [redacted] - 🐱

no bc bachira and violinmc would actually get along so well change my mind!!!! bachira would definitely help her loosen up lmfao she's way too wound up tightly (pun intended). i actually think barou and violin!mc would get along wayyy too well for nagi's liking (barou appreciates classical music. i know this. he listens to classical music while he works out and he understands #the grind)

as for the person who won first place i actually envisioned that he actually got bored of playing and quit LMAO but who's to say he won't make an appearance later <333

HELP I DON'T HATE NAGI!!!! 😭😭😭 but...the similarities....are there (bad breakup included help).....also nagi being over 190cm is actually sending me though like why is he so tall he's like a tree 😭 he doesn't even look it bc he's slouching half the time too LMAO

spoilers for sakamoto days below!

i definitely think uzuki had something to do with rion's death like they were paired up together for a reason during their mission and i think it was more than just to show their conflicting ideologies revolving around taking a life!!!! i just think it's surprising how sakamoto didn't recognize uzuki!!! but then again idt hs sakamoto was rlly in the business of really caring since it's shown that he's much more apathetic than the current sakamoto we know (character development we love to see it) but also im so fucking mad rion is the one the mangaka chose to kill off. she's such a bad bitch the narrative couldn't handle her. but also misogyny. like what the hell 😭

[dragonknightofsummerset]

Honestly, obsessed with the fact that A(rion) associates smiley faces with MC, and it's something the MC is fond of 😭

I also had forgotten about the bold flirtation in the paper airplane scene & how MC wants to change the smiley face to a heart (above), so I was pleasantly surprised when I replayed after reading through ch.9 for this reason (below)

[ewa-jednak-chce-spac]

Readable Rion’s route (note: heart scenes are featured only in the 1st and the 8th episode).

[seduceme-lovestruck-thearcana]

Idk how but I forgot about the newly series, “Edge Case Love Pursuit” (I believe that’s what it’s titled) when Lovestruck shut down. I posted about Rion and how I like his dynamic with the MC and I literally forgot all about them………

They deserved more……

[hyeahgaku]

rmb how very early on uzuki said "you don't need a heart to kill" and people took that metaphorically... well now i think it's literal. he literally doesn't have a heart, which is how he survived getting stabbed by nagumo. as to where it is/how it relates to the whole slur/rion situation i'm not sure 🤔

Yep how could we all not rmbr that :) I saw some people sayin that he could have had a heart transplant surgery (replaced w Rion's heart) and it's now on the right side instead of the left.

Yknow one time I thought Rion's persona within Uzuki remind me of Hulk within Bruce Banner, in the sense that she wouldn't allow Uzuki to die. But then I rmbr a film I watched called "Get Out" & i wonder if it could have inspired the Slur-Rion situation. Have ya seen it before?

Sorry i have to spoil but in the movie, the family of the MC's girlfriend does brain transplant surgery to create "perfect" humans. They belive that the superior consciousness of white people should be merged w the superior bodies of black people. The victims that undergone the surgery are trapped & powerless in the Sunken Place, while an old white person's mind control their bodies. It's a real twisted way of achievin immortality.

So in my theory which is not entirely like the movie's version but what if Rion's heart and/or brain were transplanted into Uzuki's body & she has some control over his body & such.. The Al-Kamar kids are all special so i do belive that Uzuki has some extraordinary ability too which may be why he couldnt die in the past as well as now. Well I could be ded wrong but I'm rly thrilled to see Suzuki-sensei's pov.

[dragonbreakers07]

I love and adore you and im genuinely tearing up so badly my therapy dog is trying to comfort me at the thought of you dying

aw w…. yh anka:))

that mea nds a l ot

give p upper a pa y for mc

and he y, d ont cry… ive killed wh ole dra gons before… th is is nothijf

i’ll po wer throu gh, a lright? <3

-Scylla Dragonbreaj er Rion

[dakotawritesif]

the king’s hound @the-kingshound mc 1/3;

Rion

Pronouns: They/Them

Romance: Arthur

Very quiet and withdrawn initially, mostly due to their past experiences with loved ones being not-so-loving. They learned at a young age that, despite being soft hearted, it was only a weakness and they had to hide it if they wanted it to remain intact.

Spoiler alert, their heart got broken anyway.

They fall hard for Arthur and it’s kind of obvious to everyone around them. Still manages to be a slow burn romance simply because they can’t bring themselves to trust so easily despite being desperately in love.

The scar on their face came from a training accident, if anyone is curious. They caught on that blocking with their face is a bad idea. Don’t worry, they’ve improved greatly since their youth...

Playlist / Picrew

[layaart]

Some more The Disasters designs! Also, trying out some sort of lineless style?