#no one is watching. divinity has abandoned you <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[herines-harasaeon]

do not go north

**

@tbos-main

[iceunhie]

[ 3 + 1 ].

premise. in which entails your daily life being in a relationship with the one and only eccentric wanderer. (alternatively: wanderer's love for you comes in many forms. you welcome them all the same.)

warnings: established relationship, hurt-comfort, slice of life, wanderer is called kuni. jealousy (wanderer), angst. FLUFF fluff fluff. wanhida family goals

a/n: ITS SCARAMOUCHE WANDERER SEASON his event broke me btw [in tears]

BACK TO MASTERLIST || ASKBOX !

# observation one: unconventionally clingy

early on in your relationship, this side of the wanderer remains quite privy to himself alone. this is because he has a very, very uncanny similarity to an aggressive and guarded cat that hisses when given an ounce of affection.

this does not mean he doesn't like your outlandish and grand displays of affection, though; its actually the opposite. (LOL)

the true crux of the matter lies in his inability to let down his guarded pride to admit that he thinks your affection is his lifeblood. (basically, “ew, affection... do it again”)

he's a menace (affectionate), and if you were one for critiquing that aspect of his character, you wouldn't have been in a relationship with him by now, anyway.

however—there is always a however when it comes to him—this does not mean that wanderer doesn't come across points of anxiousness over the fact that his less than affable personality may be something you will grow sick of one day.

he knows he isn't the best choice of a romantic partner; seriously, what were you even thinking... but when he establishes that you are indeed now an irreplaceable part of his life (which will take a long time, good luck), he clings to you with a fierce desperation underneath all that thorn and bristle.

this is part of his visceral fear of abandonment—you are the one thing that he adores, cares for with his entire being (nahida as a close second), and to watch you slip away from him due to his own misgivings will spell out a death sentence for him.

(so please, treat him gently; cradle his cracked palms and broken psyche, and slowly, emphasis on slowly, but surely, he will learn to return in kind.)

this ‘clinginess’ comes forth in his proximity to you. once he has felt comfortable with your relationship, wanderer is quite unafraid to show how touchy he is in his own way.

whether that is to get groceries in your shared home, following after you like a second shadow when you go to the grand bazaar, or even shooing away people that harass you (tba), the wanderer's gaze and all his efforts are always directed to your will.

(you dubbed this as ‘scary cat boyfriend privilege’—and are rewarded with a painful flick to the forehead. ouch.)

—☆★☆—

“where are you going?” the slender hand that stops you from leaving your comfy bed does little to help your need to fall back into the blissful arms of sleep.

“just going to go get some water, kuni.”

waking up to the sight of the wanderer in all his divine glory certainly isn't one of the things you expected in your life, but you welcome it all the same. leaving a simple kiss to his forehead, you pry your hand away with a gentleness you reserve only for him.

he flushes, a lovely red adorning cheeks, to the span of his neck. oh, how you love seeing him melt.

“you won't take too long?”

he doesn't need to breathe, but he sucks in a breath anyway, face twisting to a deep set frown—your telltale sign that your kunikuzushi had a nightmare.

an unanswered question. you won't leave?

your hand caresses the silky soft strands of his purple hair, that in which wanderer nuzzles into. he doesn't seem keen on telling you, and you respect that. you'd wait for him as long as he'd like.

“of course i will. not going anywhere, silly.”

why would i? you convey in that same gesture. i love you.

the tightness of his face relaxes, his grip on your hand loosening. right—you weren't. (you were not going to abandon him.)

“hurry up and come back, then. it's far too early.” his voice is still thick with sleep, though that doesn't temper his signature sass at all.

i love you too. goes unsaid.

your grin sharpens, teasing. “aww, don't miss me too much, okay?”

anddd there's the signature scowl. “...never mind, don't come back.”

“hey!”

shuffling to hide his face from you, wanderer sports a genuine smile, hidden from your sight.

because in your presence, the wanderer stills, and all thoughts of a doomed eternity fall short of how he commits himself to you—wanderer loves and loves, loves you, for you nestle in the space his heart was meant to be, holding onto the mere wisps of your identity and weaving it into the mosaic of his soul.

it's silent save for when you plop yourself back to the bed, bearhugging wanderer and complaining about waking up early again because you stayed up all night playing tcg with him. (he's at 10 wins and 5 losses and he was not going to be caught lacking).

“you do realize that's entirely your fault, right?” he gloats. “it's not my fault my card bested that lawachurl of yours.”

“what?! no way, mister! my all geo team is still superior, mind you-”

once, wanderer wondered about the concept of infinity.

everlasting devotion. of unabashed care and trust. as he listens to your ramblings as the night falls to day, he figures that what you currently share fits that concept just fine.

# observation two: (very) jealous tendencies

it isn't in wanderer's intention to be jealous. well, so he says.

really, he isn't! after all, what was there to be jealous of? absurd! looks, intellect, an extensive range of vocabulary not limited to insults and creative verbal attacks; wanderer boasts quite the sizable number of pros that get most people falling at his feet. (his outward personality leaves much to be desired, however, but his snark does have a certain charm. probably).

and of all the bashful akademiya seniors and well-intentioned young women (and men), you managed to get into a relationship with this black cat of a derisive puppet. this is an achievement worthy of celebration, for not just anyone can take the wanderer and burrow into his many, many guarded walls and claim the title of being his lover.

yet, wanderer is the more jealous one in the relationship.

he knows that you won't cheat on him, and trusts that you won't look at others in such a way. but still, your boyfriend can't help but doubt. be patient when working out his jealousy, for it is a double edged sword—on one hand, wanderer was so adorable when he was jealous; sulky, clingy, hot you name it! and it was very flattering, knowing that he loved you enough to want to keep you all to himself.

but, the other side was quite... a piece of work. should you attempt to tease him about such a thing, it ends in three ways. one, him flying off to god knows where and leaving you alone (😐), two, restricting you from hugging and giving him affection (😭), and worse, giving you the silent treatment (😨). choose your ammunition wisely.

and from this, be prepared for the wanderer to monopolize your attention all to himself— with said admirers mysteriously off the grid or too afraid to approach you for fear of his wrath. i'll say it once: a jealous wanderer is a force to be reckoned with. (and we love him for it)

(he was chided endlessly by nahida for this; “you're scaring all the researchers that want to do a thesis review with [name]!” she says.

a sly smirk was his only reply).

—☆★☆—

“what, and here i thought he had more bark left in him.” wanderer huffs haughtily, with the researcher dashing away as if his life depended on it.

“you'll get scolded by nahida again, you know. i don't think the dendro archon's trusted aide should boast a terrifying reputation.”

he snorts. “lesser lord kusanali has better things to do than chide me for harassment.”

“but you don't have better things to do than scaring away poor kimiya?”

that gets you an eye roll that could reach massive highs of ‘what about it?’ from your boyfriend. “you're overthinking.” (translation: you're right).

“uh huh, sure i am.”

“whatever. who you talk to and interact with is none of my concern. it's not like i care about such things anyway.” he retorts. “i'm not possessive.”

so he says. “by the way, his pickup line was pathetic—‘are you anemo because your beauty blows me away’? atrocious.”

your eyebrow raises in return. really, who was speaking about “not caring” and then judging right after? well, it's fine because he was kinda right.... cyno would definitely get along with that guy.

“it was sincere! i think he has to be commended for his efforts, no?”

“you call that effort?” his face scrunches to a dissatisfied frown.

kinoya, kimiya—he doesn't even remember his name anymore. wanderer doesn't care for those that waste his time, and more especially to those that attempt to get close to you in particular. honestly, what a cheap trick.

and you! you were seriously humoring that moony researcher earlier. you even smiled at him! wanderer seethes, crossing his arms. “its quite irritating, knowing that they flock to you under the guise of—what was it he said? right, ‘shared academic pursuits.’ it was too obvious.”

“first of all: that's rude, second, he really needed help! anyone would feel sorry for him.” you tut, pinching the smooth of wanderer's palm. you wisely decide not to comment on how he immediately interlocks hands with you.

you snicker. “and he was only asking for advice on his research topic, silly.”

“hah! how nice — you're defending him now.” it's incredible how wanderer has the uncanny ability to be just like an annoyed cat that dunked itself into a bucket of cold water; and the way he frowns at you only makes you let out an even worse fit of laughter.

wanderer drinks in the sound, resonating it with the beat of his soul, your laugh the heartbeat echoing deep within his veins. he is reduced to nothing with you—with you, his face relaxes; wanderer may be indifferent to humans, but with you, your mere existence is enough for him to falter like a human, weaken like a human.

and weakly, perhaps in an attempt to save face, he speaks, “you didn't deny it.”

“deny what?”

“...defending him.” (if he were a cat, his ears would definitely fall flat right now).

you let out another light laugh, but sparing your lover the torment, you cling to the side of his arm instead.

“i never had such intentions.” stating it quite firmly, “i'm only saying that there's no competition to be made, darling.”

he gives you a skeptical look in return. “was there even any?”

“none at all.” you lean closer to him, and the wanderer leans into the touch of your hand on his cheek. “since you're winning.”

the flustered blush you receive and the subconscious squeeze of his hand in yours conveys all you need to say.

that did the trick. wanderer's smile is satisfied—smug. “clearly, you managed to make the right call for once.”

“well, i could hardly resist you.”

afterwards, you note that the wanderer's pace doesn't seem as fast as usual anymore. no matter the jaw dropped stares of others at the two of you cozying up together, he never let go of your hand once.

(the next day, kimiya comes to you with a sheepish smile saying that he'd like to focus on his own without your help.

“was it your doing?” you look at the wanderer by your bedside table fastening his vision in pace, voice deadpanning.

“hah? why would i waste my time over some insignificant mortal?” he replies, but as he's putting on his hat, you see him smile to himself.

that little...)

# observation three: secretly? protective/considerate (green flag!!)

if you ask anyone who knows the wanderer on a personal note, you'd find out that he is, indeed, quite considerate—hidden underneath alllll that snark and aloofness and haughtiness, the wanderer cares for those who have helped him in some way, and with you as his partner (romantic), that care is multiplied tenfold hundredfold.

this quality of his, despite being endearing on paper and practice, is reminiscent of that of an aggressive mother hen; if you count wanderer as a hen that pecks someone incessently to show his care.

he chides you like an exasperated young maiden, but the soft way he handles your bruised arm littered with injuries from your recent run in with some strange fontainian seahorse contradicts his harsh scoldings.

(“bested by a fish? are you serious?”

“excuse you, i needed to get it's horns for materials, okay?!”

“...remind me why i'm stuck with an idiot for a companion.”

“uh, because i have a great personality, and you love me?”

“a decision i've made that's quite hard to defend, honestly.”

you stick your tongue out at him. yes, his habits also become yours.)

or how he tells you you're hopeless at cooking, but always manages to excuse himself to cook for you the moment he notices even the slightest decline in your health. one concern though; he throws the bento towards your head—so minus points for domesticity. (...he has cut heart shapes into the vegetables before and has never been the same since.)

if there's anything you can count wanderer for, he will do it. you could ask him to attempt to pluck the very fabric of reality for you, string together the stars and leave them at your feet, and he will do so, huffing all the while (he never means it). he's just smitten like that; not that he would ever verbalize it—yet. his hushed and vulnerable whispers of asking you to let him stay by your side are your closest road to his admittance.

he will not serenade you with ‘shallow declarations of love,’ as he tells you, but you know that he will always be there for you, for better or for worse.

—☆★☆—

fury is an emotion wanderer was once very accustomed to—it reminds him of electric violet, of three betrayals and of yearning for a constitution he was never fated to reach.

and fury tugs at the strings of his being the moment he sees the droplets of tears fall from your eyes, blurring your vision.

“who did it?” something bitter and violent manifests in his countenance, his vision pulsing angrily with gales threatening to harm. (it does not harm you, though. it never does.) “who did this to you?”

his grip on your shoulders tightens the more you refuse to answer, both from anger and fear. you're never this silent; and his panic increases when you opt to bury yourself in his neck. wanderer sighs.

“hey. i'm asking who made you cry like this, idiot.”

“...”

“fine, i won't call you an idiot, then.” but impatient way he speaks the syllables that make your name betrays his worry. “just talk to me.”

“...can we just stay here like this?”

“....”

“sorry, that was a little-” you say, voice strained, pulling away; but the wanderer tugs you close, allowing you to hide from the world that seems so out to get you. (he knows that feeling well, after all.)

it's he who entangles himself with you, listening to the steady rise of your heartbeat, wiping away your tears.

“i didn't say you couldn't hug me, stupid. it's fine. do as you like.”

if it were a person that did this to you, that would've been better murder was never really out of the table with him, but when faced with something he is unable to solve for you; whether it be a bad day, bad luck, or even something he cannot control, wanderer finds himself at a loss.

because the concept of love, with you, is foreign—terrifying, even. betrayal and scorn were his guiding compass, and to be rid of it and to be seen by you, held by you, and to know that you were not going to follow in the footsteps of those he once clung to was far too good to believe. (yet he tries. for you.)

returning your embrace only passively, he tries to scramble for words of comfort—and when he fails to find the nerve to do so, he does the only thing he can allow himself to do.

with the kindness and gentleness he fostered (still fosters, thanks to you) from his memories as the kabukimono, the wanderer holds you, if only to remind himself of his place by your side, unchanging and adamant—as you remind him of his place beside yours.

he leads you to calm yourself down, albeit roughly as he tells you to stop fussing over trying to help him get you something wipe your tears with—and for all his flushed visage, he lets you cling to him, seeking his comfort.

i'm here, it goes unsaid. wanderer knows you'd pick up on it anyway. please talk to me.

(“if i die from this, i'll come haunt you as a ghost.” you shake like a leaf in his arms, clutched tight and staring at anywhere but the ground. who comforts someone by putting them almost 80 feet up in the air? heights are so not your thing.

“like i'd let you.” wanderer says, rolling his eyes. “and you're shaking too much. just keep your eyes on me, will you?”

“...was that flirting?”

“i will drop you.”

“wait, i'm kidding!” a particular breeze leaves you in goosebumps, with wanderer tightening his grip on you. “don't let me fall, please?”

“are you stupid?” he snaps, but urges you to look at the sight of the sunset on the horizon. his hold is more gentle this time, too. “why would i let you fall? now stop shaking and hold on to me.”

you think you fell just a little harder for him that day.)

—and if you decide to press a kiss to the back of his nape as a way of thanks, you're rewarded with a playful gale and a little zap to deter you in response.

“watch it, [name].” he says, but the shifty eyed way he doesn't meet your eyes isn't fooling anyone here; neither is the red on his cheeks. “you're too close.”

“hehe, sorry, sorry, couldn't resist.”

nonetheless. he supposes the growing smile on your face in place of your tears are sufficient payment for wanderer's efforts. hmph.

he'll let it slide for today.

(he does a lot of that when it comes to you.)

# deciding conclusion: totally in love with you (real not clickbait)

saying it outright: being with the wanderer is not a smooth road. it is full of hardships, hurt, and learning. there will be many times when his built in self destruction (read: abandonment issues) will kick in, hurting you in the process.

getting him to say ‘i love you’ will seem impossible at first, and there will be times when his doubt pierces your heart and renders it tattered to pieces. he's doing his best chat, pls help him

he will not be able to utter sweet words of adoration like you do, or return your embrace as easily as you would with him—and there will be many moments when he will feel as if he's not enough.

but nourish your affections, stay consistently by his side, show him that he is worth loving, worth staying for, and like the foundations of a steadily built tower, his trust and love for you too will grow.

(it will sometimes feel tiring, it will feel hopeless, and it's more than what you've bargained for, but it will all be worth it in the end.)

because you know he cares; it's in the way his expression morphs into helplessness when he sees your face fall in an argument, how he doesn't push you away when you kiss him and shower him with hugs, and when his hands lock tightly in yours in a sea of people, with you only in his sights. how his eyes betray him to look at you with fondness and warmth.

(it's wordless whenever wanderer decides to hold you tight at night, hugging you like his last lifeline. especially after a disagreement, with only the quietude of the night to observe.

he said some hurtful words today. that much he knows.

“are you asleep?” his voice is muffled against your shirt, and he may not need to breathe, but he inhales your scent anyway, memorizing the sight of you in his arms like a promise. “...you probably are.”

silence. “i'm sorry.”

“.....”

his lip trembles, his grasp on your arms bruising if not for your non-awareness. there's a wetness growing against your shirt, and small sniffles.

“i'm sorry.” and gently, so gently, wanderer presses his forehead against your shoulder, feeling the rise and fall of your body. “i shouldn't have snapped at you and told you those sorts of things.”

i'm sorry i hurt you.

please stay.

please don't let go of me.

i need you.

i love you.

when morning comes, you wake up to the sight of the wanderer in your bed, face nuzzled in your chest.

there are tearstains on his face.)

getting him to be open and vulnerable is akin to keeping a rusty, torn boat afloat; it will not be easy, no, but you know that he tries, (so very hard) to make it work. that he fights desperately against his own clumsily strung tethers and rebuilds himself anew, if only to understand and perceive you—to love you as you deserve.

and when that time comes, wanderer will cling to you, desperately, completely, and make sure your efforts will never ever make you regret giving him the chance to open up and be with you.

—☆★☆—

“what would happen if we ever broke up?”

dropping such a bombshell in the middle of having the wanderer on your lap was not how he thought things would go to, granted how pleasant the atmosphere was—he'd agreed to going on a much needed date (your words) with you after lesser lord kusanali had just graded him on one of his essay papers. (he got an a, obviously)

you don't think you've ever seen such a distraught look cross wanderer's face—aside from the time you finally beat him at tcg (5 out of 4); and you've never seen him look so angry either.

rather, he looked scared.

“what brought this idea on?” he tries to lodge out the words, trying to act coherent. but underneath, a storm brews—his hands are shaking. wanderer feels like he's swallowed a bag full of needles.

am i not doing enough? was i too harsh on them when i scolded them for fighting that damn mechanical desert robot? he's scared. or... do they really....

the mere idea of you being tired of him—sick of him, and ready to leave him behind leaves an ugly, disgusting feeling. like acid on his skin.

perhaps, you don't love him anymore? wanderer panics, senses going overdrive. was it that argument months ago when he hurt your feelings? he knows you know he apologized, and he's doing everything in his power to make sure he wasn't repeating that mistake anymore—but why would you say this out of nowhere?

or maybe it's because he didn't notice you feeling uncomfortable in your relationship? no, you would have definitely told him if so. then what is it? you don't just say things like this out of nowhere so seriously-

“i mean... at this point, i think i wouldn't ever want to break up with you.”

“...what?” wanderer blinks.

“you heard me.” cupping the sides of his face with your hands, you restate your words with more vigor. eyes determined. “i don't think i've ever loved someone so much as i love you. heck, not even close! kuni, if we break up, i might actually never recover.”

and the wanderer falls. how could you even say such a thing?

“that's... you're shameless.” he states it like an insult, but his hands go up to hide his eyes, hiding his embarrassment from your romantic words. “why would you even say something so out of pocket like that? you utter fool. you almost made me think i-”

- would lose you. even thinking it made him feel nauseous.

“why are we still dating then? but really, i mean it. i love you too much.” you coo, and that, in return, leads the wanderer to release an exasperated, weary sigh. if he were human, he's sure his blood pressure would never be normal because of you.

but contrary to his attitude, he relaxes his face and allows you to hold him. lightens up, even. you continue, rambling on, “be honest, you know you love me.”

“unfortunately.”

and that brings out such a bright and dazzling smile on your face that the puppets sarcastic smile is replaced by a real one when you huff and smack at his head. (all is well.)

“you're so unromantic.”

indeed, being with this strange, eccentric puppet was certainly a challenge in more ways than one. nonetheless, you know he cherishes you—because with you, the wanderer is different. he's bristly, infuriating, and honestly a pain (lovingly), but he cares for you.

he tells you to stop ogling at his pretty face and do the dishes, yet he never minds the attention at all. he tells you that you were a fool for accidentally getting yourself injured by eremites because you wanted to save some fungi, but follows you anyway and makes sure no one messes with you.

he says he probably wouldn't miss you while you're gone, but is always the first person you see when you return to sumeru city. it's these little things that make you love him, and you know the feeling is mutual—even if he'll act indifferent about it in the meantime.

“hey, kuni?”

wanderer's eyes are closed, serene. once he knew that you were not, in fact, going to break up with him, he relishes the feeling of his head resting on your lap. it was safe, warm, and everything to him; but he'd rather let the world burn before he tells you. “what?”

“thank you for letting me love you.”

....

“...idiot.” is all he says. you can feel him shift to the side so you won't see his face. “you don't have to thank me for that. that's so sappy...”

(and if you ever saw the slight sheen of glossiness in his eyes, you keep it to yourself.)

i should be thanking you. he thinks instead. i'm glad you love me.

so many things pop up in his head for this, so many unspoken words—and he may not be able to convey such things to you; he might never be able to, but you know that he loves, loves, and adores you.

because you accepted his past, his sins and his imperfections and treated him with tenderness and care. and you know that no matter how many sides of the wanderer you have yet to explore, you will love each one.

and that is enough for him to never let go.

a/n: IM CRYING I FINISHED THIS RIGHT ON TIME AFTER HIS EVENT and his growth has come so far,,, so proud of him 🥹

[lovelivision]

GREEDY FOR MORE!

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: 【𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞】 fushiguro toji/reader, geto suguru/reader, gojo satoru/reader, kamo choso/reader

𝐖𝐂: 3.4k

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘: pussy drunk and so obsessed they're behaving downright greedily, just how will you fare against them when they're not thinking sensibly?

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: 18+ only, smut, swearing, dirty talk, overstimulation, multiple orgasms, clit slapping (once), needy and desperate boys, pussy drunk boys, biting/marking, creampie, p in v sex, afab!reader, no pronouns or y/n used, i think that's all !! <3

𝐅𝐔𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐎 𝐓𝐎𝐉𝐈 ★

It’s hot, the room is hot, Toji is hot, you’re hot, it’s hot and you can barely think. His huffed breaths warm against your neck, his hips relentless, hammering into you with reckless abandon, so far gone and still in pursuit of more.

Making such a mess, the combination of your shared previous orgasms drooling from your cunt with every thrust he makes. Lewd slapping sounds filling the room with the force of his every movement, ravenous and unwilling to stop.

Panting against your skin, hands pushing your legs down, folding you under him, moving you how he pleases, how he needs, “Doing so good – hah – for me, messy little thing.”

“I can’t keep going, Toji – mmph – it’s too much,” your eyes burning with tears, the overstimulation becoming too much for you, so fucked full that it’s beginning to make your head spin.

“Don’t be silly,” he nips at your neck before licking at the length of it, “Of course you can keep going…” pulling back to look you in the eyes and oh, he looks so utterly fucked, dumb and happy look in his eyes, “‘Cause I’m not fucking done yet.” Punctuating the end of his sentence with a harsh slam of his hips.

He’s not pulling out yet, not when you’re so soft and warm, creamy pussy pulsing around him, sucking him in so divinely, how could he finish now when he’s this obsessed with your sweet, little cunt.

Your tears only spurring him on, loving how wrecked you look, dick twitching at your small sobs and whines, so overwhelmed by your own pleasure. Leaning in to kiss you hotly, deeply, tongue licking into your mouth, moans shared in it, each sound he swallows down.

Never stopping his hips, pelvis hitting your clit with every re-entry, your mind foggy, hands clawing at his back, hoping it gives you some kind of reprieve. Legs starting to burn with how they’re thrown over his shoulders, too far gone to really register it.

Hands moving to tug at his hair, pulling him back by it, lips connected by a string of spit, snapping when he licks his lower lip. You’re not even sure if he’s all there anymore, eyes glazed and lidded, pace faltering when he looks you in the eyes.

His head dips to watch how he fucks into you, groaning aloud at how messy it is, how obscene it is. Balls pulling tight at how your cunt has him coated in white, “God, I’m gonna fucking die,” words rushed and mumbled, speeding his hips up, barely pulling out before fucking back in, “Gotta keep going – hah – can’t stop, don’t wanna – hnnn – stop, don’t make me stop, please.”

His gaze never leaving your cunt, something deeply possessive bubbling inside him at how your pussy bulges around his cock. He doesn’t want to stop, never wants to stop fucking you, breaths rushed and nearly panting like a damn dog. You’re doing so good for him, always so good, almost too good.

Your grip pulls his head up to look at you again, his eyes wet, skin flushed so pink, biting into his lower lip, so desperate to keep going. “Last one,” you condition.

“So cruel…” he groans pathetically, one of his own hands reaching out and holding the side of your face, “Fine.” His thumb wiping at one of your tears, “Better make it count then, huh?”

Eyes growing wide at his words, confused by what he means before understanding suddenly and all at once. Somehow, his thrusts harsher, controlled, angled specifically to hit against the one spot that has you going fucking insane.

Crying from how good it feels, too good, nails clawing down his arms, breath stuttered and rushed, shocked by his force, left struck dumber than him at it. His lazy smirk, drunk and proud, eyes nearly rolling back at how tightly you’re suddenly gripping him.

Already so close for him, not even with it enough to be embarrassed over it, though, you’ve both been far gone for a while now, how you can even still huff out pleas is beyond you. “Too mu– ah ah, too much, Toji– please, slo–”

“If you can – hnnn – still talk – hah – then I’m not doing –hnnn – it right,” he bites out, concrete in his sentiments.

Manoeuvring your legs down, pressing into the back of your knees, leaning back. Almost falling apart at the sight of you spread so open for him, so beyond wrecked, so soft, God, he might not pull out, might try and convince you to let him keep going, he might beg for it.

Pistoning down into you, “Just one more, right?”

“Mhm,” you nod.

“Let’s see how long I can hold out for then,” he smiles large and languid. Evil in his intent, sure, it will be his last orgasm but that doesn’t mean it will be soon.

𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔 ★

Chest sweaty against his, pressed to him, his arms wrapped around you, holding you tight. Sat in his lap, his hips fucking up into you, his cum leaking back down onto him from your overstuffed pussy.

You’re limp on him, however many orgasms deep, having lost count a long time ago, Geto keeps making you cum, over and over and over–

Obsessed with how it feels, how it feels when you cum around him, cunt gripping him so tightly, sucking him in deeper. Needing to feel it, loving it too much, hungry for more. Bordering on feral for it, losing his ability to consider his next moves, only really driving his hips up over and over, hoping he’s driving you as crazy as you’re driving him.

Your plush walls tight around his throbbing cock, his hands spread your ass cheeks to fuck himself in deeper, eyes nearly rolling back at it. Nuzzling his head into your neck, panting his moans against your skin, teeth nipping at you.

Your hands thread shakily through his hair, tugging his head back, “Sugu– I can’t– you need to – hah – slow down.”

“Don’t wanna,” he bites back, head tipped back, eyes hazy and fucked as he looks at you, “Feels too good – hnnn – so good,” mouth gasping for air when your hand tugs harshly at his hair.

Eyes teary when you plead, “Can’t take anymore – mmph – it’s too–”

“It’s fine, you’re fine, you–” hips stuttering when you grip him tighter at the sound of his wrecked voice, his moans cutting himself off, “Fuuck– always take it so well.”

Suddenly, your world is spinning, dizzy as he manoeuvres you both so he’s on top of you, heavy cock barely leaving you before he’s stuffing you full again. Pace wild and quicker, forcing all the air out of your lungs with it.

Legs kicking at the delicious sting of overstimulation, his pelvis smacking into your clit with every angled thrust. Wrapping your limbs around him to hold on for dear life, his large hands on your waist, tugging you back and forth, fucking you like a toy.

In all honesty, Geto feels like he might fucking pass out, head foggy and fucked out but needing to feel more of you, all of you. Your small whimpers and pleads fall on deaf ears, he’s not listening, not when you’re sucking him back in before he even really gets a chance to pull out.

Growing impossibly tighter around him, his groans breathless, hips struggling to continue fucking you at the pace he wants. “You’re gonna – oh fuck – you’re gonna cum again, can fuckinn feel it,” words pushed out through his teeth, shivers running down his back.

Your eyes are screwed shut, “I don’t – hnnn – know if I can – ah!”

“You can and you are,” he chuckles humourlessly at how pathetic you sound, so utterly ruined, “Poor thing – hnnn – so fucking wet, so sloppy, making a fucking mess everywhere and this cunt is still creaming for more – ah fuck.”

You’re cumming around him violently, pussy spasming around him, hips struggling to move away from it all but it’s of no use, Geto is holding you firmly, still fucking you through it. Mouth hung open and eyes rolled back while he dances on cloud nine, fucking delighted by how hard you’re cumming for him.

Barely even slowing his pace before ramming into you again with a renewed vigour, your body wracked and shaking with your aftershocks. Everything feels like jelly, your limbs, mind, everything, cheeks wet and stained with your tears and drool.

“Pick a number,” he grunts roughly, tone shaky even to his ears.

You huff against him, hands scrabbling for purchase on his back, your own barely even on the bed, nearly all your weight being supported by his hands, words slurred as you manage to struggle out a small, “W–what?”

“Pick a – hnn – fucking number, now.”

Sobbing out a confused, “Three?”

You can hear the grin in his tone, incredibly excited, “Alright, three more – fuck – three more orgasms from you.”

Eyes widening in shock, shaking your head against him, trying to pull away, “No no no, I can’t– I can’t, Sugu.”

He licks cruelly at your cheeks, collecting the tears that had stained them, “‘Course you can,” he huffs out through his nose, amused, “You picked the number after all.”

Not letting you argue against him, lips on yours, suffocating any words you had for him, tongue licking at your own. You can’t breathe against him; he’s not pulling back for air enough. When he does pull back, he’s ecstatic at just how fucked you look, pressing a soft peck to your lips.

“Three more, you can do it – hah – always so good for me,” he praises, still completely unwilling to pull out, he needs to feel it, your cunt snug around him, pulsing as you cover him in fresh slick, he fucking needs it.

𝐆𝐎𝐉𝐎 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐔 ★

Face stuffed into the plush bedding below, Gojo fucking into you from behind, his cock coated in your combined orgasms, completely obscene and depraved. His eyes locked on where he’s stuffing you full, fucking hypnotised by the sight.

Free hand gripping at your ass cheek, pulling you open just to get a better view, his knees knocking yours open more, your back arching for him even more. It’d be downright embarrassing how exposed and obedient you were being… if you were even capable of a singular coherent thought.

“So good– holy fuck,” laughing breathlessly at how your cunt spasms around him at the sounds of his voice, “I’m dying before I pull out, can’t– oh!” Hips stuttering and words dying on his tongue when he catches how your pussy drools onto the bedsheets below, his and your cum both leaking from you in thick globs.

He’s not leaving any time soon, obsessed with the view, with how it feels, lewd in how wet and sticky everything is. Not sure when the next time you’re going to let him fuck you like this will be and incredibly unwilling to end this experience.

Wearing a large smile on his face, eyes bright and filled with a fucked kind of delight, his body leaning down over yours to speak into your ear, “I bet,” he licks at the tip of your ear before nipping it, voice low when he continues, “You’re getting close again,” he tuts against you, “So greedy.”

“‘Toru, I–” cut off abruptly by the swift smack he delivers to your clit, jolting your body forward, choked whine leaving you with it. Your pussy seizing against your will, cumming just like he knew you would, if his amused laughs are anything to go by.

“Ohh fuck! That’s it– holy shit –hnnn–” His words are spoken over a smile, completely wrecked but also completely excited over it.

His dick twitching wildly with how tight you grip him, cumming from how much slicker and tighter you get, dumping his cum deep inside you, barely even stopping his thrusts. Just stuffing your overfilled pussy, leaning back to stare at your poor cunt bulging around him.

Biting his lip to hold back all his own ruined noises, hoping to keep the illusion of control when he’s all to aware of how completely pussy drunk he is. If you threatened to stop him now, he might actually cry, whipped and desperate to keep fucking into you.

Pulling out only to watch the way his cum gushes out of you, eyes sparkling at it, hand leaving the back of your neck so he can use the both of them to pull you open, your cunt jumping and hips trying to wiggle away from him.

“No no nonono, you’re not going anywhere,” guiding himself back to your hole, shoving himself inside, bottoming out quickly, “Nooo, we’re not done, fuck– never be done.”

So quick to resume fucking you like a madman, his hands gripping and pulling at you everywhere, obsessively worshipping your body in the most depraved manner he’s capable of.

Leaning in again just to bite at your shoulders and neck, leaving marks everywhere he can possibly reach. Relishing in the way you twitch and whine for him, truly feeling the most debilitating need to keep fucking you.

Desperately rutting into you, eyes glazed over and lost, head heavy as he leans into you, hands tugging you back against him by your hips. “Feels too good– fuck, what the fuck– hah–��� Just about losing his mind over how good it feels.

Your small and wrecked voice calls for him, spit drooling from the corner of your mouth, “You need to – ah! ah! – ‘Toru, it’s too much!”

“Shhh, no no, please don’t – hah –” Pulling back just to pull you up with him, cock never leaving your tight heat, his chest to your back, hands roaming the front of your body, “Don’t say that, not enough– never be enough–”

His fingers moving down your body to rub messy circles into your clit, the sudden stimulation almost knocking you over, only held up by Gojo’s hand on your chest. Loud whimpers pulled from your chest, feeling completely limp against him, eyes wet and crying.

“More, I need more, more more.” He’s practically begging you to cum again, mouth right by your ear, “You can give me more, right? Please pleasepleaseplease.” Pathetic in how he’s asking.

“I– I dunno ‘Toru,” you whinge, words slurred.

“I think you can,” fingers speeding up on your clit, wicked and fucked out smile on his face at how your eyes roll back in your head, mouth dropping open.

You’d fold in on yourself completely if Gojo wasn’t still holding you up, your orgasm rocking through your body, hips caught between trying to get away from him and fucking back onto his cock.

He’s going insane, fucking you through it and holding you tightly so you can’t get away, needing to keep going, keep feeling how you pulse and cream all over him, he could swear he’d die if he doesn’t.

Fingers not letting up, still dancing over your clit, the overstimulation too much, whines leaving you, trying to tell him it’s too much, that’s it feels too good, that it hurts. He’s too preoccupied, though, completely aware of what he’s doing, just hoping to get another orgasm out of you before you pass out.

Succeeding in his endeavours, large, diabolical smile breaking out across his face at how he pulls another orgasm out of you so soon after the other, “That’s it– fuck– that’s it, so good, sooo good.”

Shaking your head against him, telling him no more, to which, he thankfully pulls his fingers away from your poor abused clit. His thrusts don’t stop though, obsessively driving forwards, letting you flop back into the mattress just to lay his weight over the top of you, pressed close. Cock twitching inside you, sensitive and still aching for so much more, voice cracking in his desperation, “Jus’ a lil’ more, hmm?”

𝐊𝐀𝐌𝐎 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐎 ★

This was just meant to be you riding him, something for him to enjoy, something for you to knock his socks off with but it’s quickly devolved into him holding your body flat to his, his hips rutting desperately up into you, his arms around you using you to fuck you back and forth onto his aching cock.

Fucking orgasm after delicious orgasm out of the both of you, though yours are just a consequence of his relentless fucking, not really aiming to fuck you properly, hips just mindlessly chasing his own pleasure.

“Sorry, m’sorry, ‘m so sorry,” he mumbles over and over, feeling bad for taking away your control but needing to use you to fuck himself how he pleases.

You felt too wet, too tight, too hot wrapped so snugly around him, your pace wasn’t fast enough, he wasn’t hitting deep enough, he just needed so much more, he needed to fuck you until he’s blind. He needed to be able to hold your body tight and fuck himself stupid, he’ll let you ride him next time, he promises.

“Cho– I– it’s okay,” you manage to force out, drooling into the corner of his neck, completely dumb on his dick.

“I’ll let you – hnnn – fuck me properly next time – hah – I promise,” pressing a soft kiss to your shoulder, a complete opposition to how he’s fucking you so meanly.

Hands moving down your body to your ass, gripping you, forcing you up and down in time with his thrusts. Moans leaving him in a choked manner, trying to hold back and failing miserably, sounding so pathetic even to himself but not really caring, not when your cunt only drips more for him, grips him tighter.

His abs tense and squeeze, it all feels too good, too much, and he’s hooked, completely drunk and desperate for more. So fucking desperate it’s embarrassing, eyes wet and glassy, like he might shed tears just from how good it all feels.

Grip tight on your soft skin, places that will hurt tomorrow, his hands hoping to ground himself but only driving him wilder at just how unbelievably soft you are, skin delicate, his nails probably puncturing into it, leaving crescent shapes behind.

His cock so hard it hurts, twitching and throbbing inside you, you can feel it, the tempo of it. The thought alone dizzying, pulling at his hair, making him moan, his hips jump, “Need – hnnnn – need so much more, need it all, need to stuff you so full you can’t breathe,” he’s not sure if he’s making sense, words rushed and completely horny.

“Do it then – hah –” You’re goading him, giving him the permission, just to see what he does, to see how much more he can ruin himself and you along with him.

He rolls the both of you, the air leaving your lungs at the switch, his arm quick to hold your knee up and over his shoulder. Holding you open in an obscene display, his dick back inside you so fast you don’t even have time to think about it.

“Sorry, m’sorry, sorry – hah – but,” his brow is creased as he fucks into you, head dipping to see how fucked full you are, his cock opening you up lewdly, his chest stuttering at the sight, messy and creamy, “I need it– fuck– I need it so bad,” his voice pitched and pathetic.

Every time he thrusts into you, his pelvis grinds into your clit, your pussy jumping and eyes almost rolling every time, your hips trying to meet his. His hand forces your hips down, “Just– stay fuckin still,” determined to make you cum, “Let me do this – hnnnn – let me fuck you how I like.”

His words have you shuddering, the most feral you’ve ever see him, not usually so demanding, usually allowing you to do as you please in bed. His eyes are dark though, needing something from you that you can’t give but he can certainly take.

The glazed over and fucked out look in his eyes has you breathless and his insistent thrusts have you cumming in a similar breathless manner, only able to smack at his chest lightly to try and warn him, words not forming.

Choso whines at how you cream on him, at just how much messier it all gets, how much slicker. Not slowing his thrusts though, fucking back into you at the same pace, pushing down on your stomach though, to watch all of his cum still inside you leak back out around him. Sinful in nature, having his eyes rolling into his head, cumming just from that.

Cumming inside you deeply, balls heavy and cock twitching as he pumps rope after rope of his cum inside you, leaning down to rest his forehead on yours, pressing kisses to your tear-stained cheeks.

“M’sorry,” he mumbles, you’re not sure why until you realise, he’s not stopped, hips slowed to a small rock but not stopping. “Need more.”

𝐀/𝐍: i miiight have gotten carried away with Gojo's but in my defense....... i got nothing, he's just been on my mind a lot lately ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ thanks for reading and i hope you liked it !!

[⚠︎] — 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆: do not reupload / repost / translate / plagiarise my works © all works are the intellectual property of lovelivision

[tsukimefuku]

old regrets and guilt ridden pasts ꕥ higuruma hiromi

this part → part 2 → part 3 (soon) | mdni!

summary: you and hiromi are sent out on a mission to exorcize a strong curse at an abandoned hospital. as hiromi has to use his domain to strip you from your cursed technique, things start to go downhill.

tags: +18!, starts out with an explicit! sex scene, some smut, f!reader, established relationship higuruma x reader, reader is kind of emotionally stunted, mentions of death, grief, yuuji and nanami make an appearance, implied past nanami x reader, overall angst, fluff, hurt + comfort.

wc: 3.9k

notes etc.: heavy spoilers for "sand and snow" readers. written to the sound of nothing in my way (keane). as always, i write flawed characters that can (and will) sometimes be assholes.

ꕥ collection of stories: "jujutsu partners au" → masterlist for fics listed in chronological order of events

The day had been pleasant. You and Hiromi shared a lazy Sunday with no missions or jujutsu sorcery whatsoever, watched a few movies on TV, talked and spent time together. He tried teaching you principles of criminal law, but you understood virtually nothing.

After a few glasses of wine, though, your hand wound up on his thighs, his lips on your neck, and well, here you were.

You were splayed in front of him, propping up your body with your arms, and his abdomen was pressed sweaty against your back, as he rolled himself into you. Hiromi had one hand on your thigh, and the other supported him over your trembling body.

"Ah, Hiro-" you gasped, in between mewls and moans, turning your chin over your shoulder, just so you could ask him to move, making it easier for you to come undone over him.

He huffed, warm, humid breath pressed against the hair in the back of your neck, as he answered with a husky voice, "yes, my love?"

He had called you that once or twice before, but this time, it swirled and tangled itself around you like divine rope, drowning you in molasses. The request you had lingering went straight to the back of your mind, as you moaned to the sound of his gravely, breathless voice calling you 'my love'.

"Call me that again," you pleaded, whimpering, while you felt him brushing against the deepest parts of you.

"Ah, my love..." Hiromi repeated, an audible smile while he spoke, nuzzling his gorgeous hooked nose behind your neck as he planted wet kisses wherever his lips passed. "My love, my love, my love…" His mouth traveled to the back of your shoulder, and you lifted your head to moan his name, shivers prickling on the roots of every hair in your body.

He kept cooing my love against you until his speech became nothing but incoherent mumbling against your bare, sensitive skin.

Before you noticed, his hand, previously on your thigh, descended to rub you as he approached his own release, and upon the pressure from his digits on you, already sensitive by then, you let out a strained moan of his name. 

Hiromi came with a watery groan, having you tip over the edge some time after, letting out a last cry for him.

As you were navigating your euphoric ecstasy, trying to keep the comedown at bay for a few moments longer, both falling to the side with him pulling your body closer, you felt him whispering against your locks.

Even though you couldn't be sure about it, you thought you heard Hiromi say I love you.

***

"I have to go," he said, playfully trying to untangle your arms from his waist, kissing your cheek with the sultry smell of fresh black coffee breath. You were both in your balcony, the breakfast plates empty over the only chair you had, and you giggled and kissed his jawline insistently.

"Why do you have to go?" You asked, parting slightly to look at Hiromi. As he looked back at you, you formed a pout with your lower lip, and he smiled, planting a quick kiss on your mouth.

"Because I have to water the sunflower you gave me," he replied, lovingly.

"Why don’t you just bring your sunflower here? You basically sleep here the entire week now. You should bring some clothes too, and other things you might need" you replied, liberating his waist from your tight grip on his body, crossing your arms in front of your chest.

Then you realized what that sounded like.

He also did.

"Are you... Asking me to move in with you?" He questioned, and you instantly blushed, red wash covering your cheeks.

"I... Just bring the sunflower already. I-" you stuttered, "just don't want you to leave every single morning to take care of it and change into clean clothes."

Hiromi put both of his hands on your shoulders and smiled fondly. "I will, I promise," he answered, as he kissed your forehead with a feathery touch. You smiled at him, and let your arms down, aligning his tie with the tips of your fingers. At that, he sighed contently.

It was then that you remembered what you thought you heard last night.

"Hey, Hiromi..." you began.

"Yes, my love?" He replied, sugary tone as he brought one of his hands up to caress your cheek.

You quivered to the sound of that, just like you did the night before.

"Yesterday, after we..." you cleared your throat, feeling a faint sense of trepidation creeping over you, "did you whisper or say anything? I mean, I thought I heard something."

He widened his eyes a little, and you could swear his face had become a light peachy pink. You kept silent, waiting for an answer, and his mouth opened, without a sound coming from it, as he blinked mindlessly thinking of anything to say.

Words failed him, hard.

Then, your phone rang.

You cursed internally at the interruption, sighing deeply.

Grasping at it with the tips of your fingers, you pulled the thing out of your pocket, seeing Gojo's name lit up on the screen. 

Pressing the green icon, you said, "yes, Satoru? I was kind of in the middle of something."

"Hey!" His whimsical voice echoed through your ear. "So, we have a mission for you and Higuruma, and I'd like to ask for you to take Yuuji along."

"Oh, okay, no problem. What is it?"

"There's apparently a Grade 1 curse in a closed-down hospital, just by the outskirts of Tokyo. You or Higuruma alone would suffice, but I want Yuuji to train coordinating himself with other sorcerers in the field, so the more, the merrier! Also, you are both great at it, so he might actually learn a thing or two." 

You smiled, noticing how this enthusiasm wasn't purely a facade. Gojo had been slowly — but surely — been chipping away at his frivolous-smile persona, and it became evident in how he sounded genuinely thrilled when talking about his students.

"Okay! I'll be delighted to have him tagging along."

"Alright, then!"

You hung up, and darted your eyes to Higuruma, that seemed curious about your call.

"We have a mission together. Just let me get ready" you stated, and he hoped for a second that you had forgotten the question you made moments before the phone rang.

You hadn't.

***

"Nitta, we'll be right back! Please, take care. This area seems kind of shady" you said, as you, Higuruma and Yuuji stepped outside the car. 

The blonde woman turned her head to smile at you, giving you a thumbs up. "No worries. Also, I'm bringing the veil down right after you go inside. Even if we're a little far from the huzz buzz of Tokyo, it's better to be safe than sorry."

You nodded. "Great. Thank you, Nitta."

After closing the doors, the three of you began walking towards the hospital. It was a considerably big structure, and seemed to be closed off for at least a few years, with the unforgiving weather weaving black cracks of mold across the sleeping giant’s facade.

"So, are you excited?" You asked, turning your head to look at Yuuji. He looked back at you, big puppy eyes flickering with anticipation.

"Yes!" He chirped, opening a wide smile. "I really want to see you and Mr. Higuruma fighting together on the field, I heard you two are mad strong working together."

Barely before Hiromi began taking missions on his own, and after working together for some time, you both became something of a legendary duo for having exorcized a particularly strong special grade curse side by side in a sequence of black flashes — you both had dealt three black flashes each.

Hiromi silently smiled, gazing at you, and after noticing it, you couldn't help but blush a little bit. You shook your head softly, and breathed deeply to ease yourself back into professional mode.

"So, Yuuji-kun," you began, enunciating every syllable separately.

"Yes, sensei?" He replied, imitating your cadence.

"Let's have a quick run through on cursed spirits again, shall we?"

"Okay!"

"So, why do you think a strong cursed spirit manifested here, inside a closed off hospital?" You quizzed.

"Because cursed spirits manifest due to negative emotions, and places like hospitals, cemeteries and such pool a lot of those" He answered.

"Good! But this hospital has been closed off for a while, so what do you think could've happened for a cursed spirit to manifest here currently?"

"There are two options. First, it took some time for the negative energy to concentrate enough for it to appear," he began, "and the second is that this spirit had already been exorcized, but after a while, it respawned."

"Yes, yes, good," you answered, nodding, trying to keep a straight face to mask the proud feeling. "But there is a third option!"

"Oh, is there?" He inquired, whipping his head in your direction.

"Yes! If this is an almost special grade curse, like some we all have faced in the past, then it could've spawned elsewhere and come here out of its own volition" you completed, finger extended up beside your face to make your point.

"Oh, true!" He replied.

"So, which one do you both think it is?" Hiromi asked, as he mindlessly swirled his gavel around his fingers, the crunch of leaves and dirt under your feet filling the air.

As the three of you entered what you liked to call the invisible cloud, the point where the energy emanated by the cursed spirit around its area seemed to hit like a whiff of strong air, similar to the forming winds of a tornado, you sighed, putting your hands in your pockets. 

"It's strong, but not that strong. I'd place my bets on the first or second options."

***

"There is no time to argue, Hiromi, I need to go in there with Yuuji and I need you to use your domain on me!"

The curse had its own kind of veil, from what you all could tell, and the only people allowed inside were those who apparently had no innate cursed technique. Yuuji easily peered his hand inside its realm, and so did Nitta, apart from her protests of being used as a lab rat. 

"Judgeman can pick any random crime to judge, I have no say in that" he hesitantly answered. "It can be a serious offense, worthy of the death penalty. I'd just like to avoid that happening" he concluded, voice simmering with hesitancy hitting the back of his throat.

"I'm not a contumacious criminal, and you can go easy on me when it's your time to speak. Come on. We can do this!" You tried reassuring him, one hand planted to each of his shoulders. "I can't let Yuuji go in there alone, I'm responsible for him. He's my student, and a teenager."

"You sound just like Nanamin" Yuuji complained more to himself than anyone else, crossing his arms on his chest, still mumbling. I'm not a kid.

"Hiromi, please."

He sighed deeply before nodding.

"Itadori, I'll need you to step behind."

The boy acquiesced and distanced himself, as the other sorcerer stepped his way into your direction and expanded his domain, drawing you in.

No matter how many times you got pulled into other sorcerer's domains, going in was always a jarring and disorienting experience, overall. 

In a few short moments, you and Hiromi were standing facing each other, and you sighed deeply at the sight of that shikigami, remembering that the last time you saw it, the thing gave you one hell of a headache.

Or better, it and Hiromi did, when he was still a curse user.

"Fine, let's go on with this" you stated, getting ready to hear yet another possible (or not) misdemeanor or unknown crime you might've committed.

But you weren't ready for the words that left the shikigami's mouth.

"February 24th, 2008."

That date.

"Odate City, Akita Prefecture."

Oh, no.

Your eyes widened in panic, and Hiromi saw it.

You could visualize his lips moving, he was talking to you. Perhaps asking if you were alright. 

However, you heard nothing.

"You stand accused of homicide against-"

You didn't need to hear the rest.

"I confess. I killed him."

Whatever Hiromi was speaking suddenly drowned in his chest. You looked at him, and he tried futilely holding your faltering gaze to ask you what the hell was going on, shocked eyes wide open, but you just crawled your way back inside your head, desperately wishing for this fucking day to be immediately over.

"Confiscation! Death penalty!" The creature shouted, before dissipating away.

That little shit.

And then… It all happened in a split second.

Hiromi saw the Executioner's Sword in his hand. Yuuji began asking what the hell is going on under bated, preoccupied and terrified breath. You nearly lost your balance before coming back to your senses.

Hiromi immediately dispelled his technique, feeling equal parts mortified and disgusted to be holding that against you.

"Why did you-" the former lawyer began, extending his hand your way.

You flinched away, eyes glued to the ground.

"Not now. I have to go in with Yuuji and finish exorcizing this curse."

"My lo… Please" Hiromi pleaded, before exhaling slowly. "Be careful."

"I will."

***

Hiromi sat beside you, as Yuuji looked worried from afar, since you were never one to be so unbearably quiet and aloof.

The sorcerer knew you were finding it incredibly hard to speak right now, and when everyone got back to Jujutsu High, all you did was sit at the base of the stairs, not uttering a single sound, and not following them when they began walking upstairs. 

Hiromi stayed quiet, gazing at you, and held your hand to see if you'd react.

You didn't move, frozen in your spot, feelings hurricaning inside you like a blizzard. You feared that, if you moved, even a single inch, you'd come crumbling down.

"My love, please, talk to me."

You couldn't do anything other than shake your head.

You just couldn't.

Hell, breathing was barely manageable under the broken dam of painful memories flooding your mind all at once. 

Hiromi sighed, ever so patient, aware of what he had to do. He didn't particularly appreciate the idea, but it was his only option then.

"Tell me the truth" he began, "is it me that you need by your side right now?" Hiromi asked, earnestly.

Your lips trembled for a moment, your jaw clenched, and you searched for the strength to find your voice again. When you did, you felt horrible for what you knew you were about to say, but you chose to honor your promise to Hiromi — always tell him the truth, even when it hurt.

Truth is, you had never told him about your brother and all that happened at Odate, and right now, you knew you couldn't muster up the strength to explain it all to him. It would be necessary to make Hiromi understand the depths of the emotional struggles that had been at stake ever since his shikigami bestowed upon you the death penalty.

Only one person could talk you through this.

"No, it’s not."

He resigned, feeling the words piercing him like needles. The sorcerer was aware that he had to talk to you about it, but decided to do it at a later time.

At that very moment, he knew what you needed to talk about, and Nanami was the only person you'd speak to.

Hiromi got on his feet and walked towards Yuuji.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" The boy asked, genuinely concerned.

"Itadori, can you please call Nanami? Tell him it's important, that it's about her, and ask him to come" Hiromi stated.

Yuuji nodded and pulled his phone, immediately starting to dial.

After the call, Hiromi asked if you wanted to be alone, to which you nodded. He and Yuuji walked upstairs as you waited — for Nanami or for this feeling to go away, whatever happened first.

Some time passed before a car stopped in front of you. 

As Nanami got out of it, he looked at you, and you had a completely defeated look on your face as you were still sitting on the same spot ever since you got there an hour prior.

He closed the door behind him and made his way towards you, steady stride taking him to meet you at the steps, as he, himself, descended, sitting by your side. He didn't glance at you, choosing to look at the sky after removing his glasses, putting them inside his blazer's pocket, and waited patiently.

Nanami had done this many times before, and knew you usually only needed some peace, quiet and space in order to begin spilling your ruminations and thoughts all over his ears.

With a sigh, you began. 

"I got sentenced to death today for killing my brother. Wonderful day."

Nanami was instantly taken aback, not grasping what you were on about. 

"Could you please clarify?"

You shuffled uncomfortably.

"We were fighting a curse, and long story short, only people without innate cursed techniques could enter its own brand of veil in order to fight it. I asked Hiromi to use his domain on me, so that Itadori wouldn't go in alone, and I was tried for my brother's death."

The sorcerer had some knowledge as to how Higuruma's domain worked, and it still didn't make sense to him. He knew that Higuruma didn't pick the crime to be tried, as it was chosen at random by his shikigami, and also knew there were two possible different penalties, confiscation and death sentence, the second reserved for the most serious of cases, which granted Higuruma the executioner's sword.

He also remembered very distinctly how your brother died, and knew for a fact that you weren't culpable for his death. 

"I apologize, but I still don't understand how that could've happened" he proceeded.

"I..." you stuttered, "I confessed."

Oh.

"Why did you confess?" Nanami asked, voice lowering softly.

You looked at him, and in an instant diverted your gaze back to the ground.

"He died because of me, to save me. He sacrificed himself in a gamble for me to live."

"That doesn't make you culpable" he answered, his voice a mixture of empathetic and objective.

"Why not? He's still dead, and I'm still the reason he died."

You leaned your arms to hug your knees shortly after you said that, physically holding your pieces together.

“You're aware he’d wish you to be happy and at peace after he was gone, right?” Nanami asked.

“And that’s the worst part!” You let out, now finally choked on tears that wouldn't come, allowing your fragments to burst at the seams.

Relief, however, was slow to come, and your chest still was tight around your heavy heart.

Nanami was surprised at your response, and remained silent, so that you had the time you needed to elaborate on your feelings.

"I… I know he’d want me to be happy, so now I don’t just feel sad for his departure, but I feel guilty for not being able to fulfill his wish, to just be happy after his death." 

You sighed tightly, trying to air out that wrenching sensation. It didn't work.

"I feel guilty for not being able to fulfill his dying wish. It's like... I failed him in every single way imaginable."

Nanami gave it a pause before he spoke again.

"I understand."

"You... do? I'm not crazy for feeling like that?" You inquired, looking at him.

Nanami shook his head. "No. Navigating grief is a hard challenge, and it can show itself in many ways, often nonsensical."

"I can't imagine how people deal with grief without undoing themselves every time they have to face it" you blurted out.

Looking at you, his eyes softened, as he said, "sometimes, they end up undoing other people in the process."

That caught your attention, and you looked back at him.

With half a mind to distract yourself from the pain regarding the loss of your twin, you unconsciously decided to poke at another kind of ache, one that you hadn't touched upon ever since you and the sorcerer in front of you had defeated the Lover's Pass curse.

"Kento, why-" you halted for a brief second. "Can I call you Kento?"

He smiled so discreetly you nearly missed it. "Yes."

Acclimating yourself to it, you proceeded.

"Kento, why did you shove me away like that after we spent a night together?" You asked him, unsure if you really wanted to know the answer to that question.

Nanami sighed and looked down for a while before he answered you.

"I was... Frightened."

That definitely took you unexpectedly, and you looked at him puzzled.

"Of what?"

"Dying and leaving you behind."

He sighed before allowing himself to proceed.

"No, that's not all of it."

Nanami took a few seconds to muster up the courage to admit the not-so noble part of his reasoning for doing what he'd done.

"I was afraid of the pain I'd endure if you died, too."

"Afraid of me dying? That was your reason?" You felt genuinely confused. "Why was that even a reason to push me away? This is a risk just as much now. I'm still a jujutsu sorcerer, you know."

"Yu Haibara" was everything he could say, involuntarily pinching the bridge of his nose, impassive face concealing the sting of pain that came from the depths of his past.

"Your friend?"

You remembered when Nanami told you about the mission where his partner died. How they were both chased by the town's people that treated the curse like a deity, how Haibara was fatally wounded, and how Nanami helplessly tried to flee taking Haibara with him, unable to do a single thing to save his best friend's life.

"Yes. At the time, I had only met a few older sorcerers who died in the field, and dying while on a mission myself felt somewhat like a foreign concept to me. I was young and just saw it as an abstract possibility of being a jujutsu sorcerer" Kento said. You waited quietly for him to proceed, collecting his thoughts.

"When he died, I felt his death deeper than any other that had happened up until that point," Nanami began, now turning his eyes to look at you as he said his next words, "and when I failed your mission years ago, it felt quite like the same. That distinct sense of helplessness and failure."

You were both silent for a moment, letting it all hang in the air.

"I thought that if I kept my distance, and something happened to either of us, it wouldn't hurt so profoundly for me or for you" he concluded.

Upon hearing that, you shook your head and looked away, smiling bitterly and incredulous.

"Well, that's just stupid."

He huffed, with a regretful, quitted expression on his face. "Yes, I know that now. But it seemed to make sense then."

After a few moments, gentle and polite, Kento got up and offered you his hand.

You took it and lifted yourself with his help, feeling like his unwavering serenity could somehow be passed over to you from that brief contact alone.

"Thank you" you murmured, nearly whispering.

"Whenever you need my assistance" he answered, fondly.

It felt like the film that had been suffocating you ever since you stepped out of Hiromi's domain was finally removed, and you could breathe in peace again.

-

Tag list (that I keep forgetting, sorry): @yammy-yammy-yama @g-kleran @otomesass @redlikerozez

[moooncats]

✿ Pick A Card : What do your pets think of you? ✿

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✿ Pile 1 ✿

Your pets love you so very much! I'm hearing a specific pet here, they want me to tell you that you are their very best friend. Omg this is so wholesome. I'm seeing that they get pampered a lot and they really appreciate it so much! They love to lay and sit next to you while you're doing whatever it is that you do, I'm hearing that they want to be by your side forever. Pile 1, your pet wants you to give them more treats lmao! They love when you spoil them and call them a good boy/girl. It really makes their day so much more enriching. I'm also seeing that your pet thinks you could do with a bigger living space. They want to do zoomies all around the house/apartment and they also want you to throw house parties so your friends and family can all come and give them more pets and treats. Lol! Your pet is a very crafty. They love to laze around and do sunbathing, so please make more special spots for them. They want you to open more curtains and windows. For those of you that have a pet in a cage or tank, move them closer to a window they love the feel and look of the sun! I'm also hearing that your pet loves to people watch. Their favorite person is you! Hahah, please don't get creeped out by this pile 1. They love to see your little quirks and they use it to their advantage by making sure they can get into situations where you give them pets, treats, and cuddles. ♡ Awe what a smart pet! (: You may not know this, but you met your pet for a reason. They are here to teach you valuable life lessons & be by your side during big moments in your life. I'm hearing that something big is going to happen this year and you will celebrate because of it. Your pet doesn't want to spoil the suprise, but they want you to be prepared. If there is anything on your mind at the moment, the answer is Yes to that question that has been bugging you. 🌱✨️

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✿ Pile 2 ✿

I'm sensing here that we have someone who might own a farm lol! What I mean is that they have more than 3 pets all together. I'm hearing that your pets ADORE you!!! They just love how spacious everything is. (Even if you have 3 pet rats and 1 hamster, they love their new homes!) I'm also hearing that this pile may love to be a saviour to their furry (or non furry cx) friends and they may get them from kennels, shelters, or find them from abandoned places. Please continue to rehome animals, I'm hearing from spirit that it is one of your divine callings in the world. You are spreading around positive vibes and they're saying "go, go, go!". The pets lives that you save teaches you many life lessons during this time. You may have learned how to be patient, or how to properly manage having more than 1 living thing in your home. Your angel guides are applauding you for being up to task, and they want to give you a hug. ♡ You may think that your other pets are all secretly jealous when you give one of your furry friends pets/treats/tickles, and you are totally right! Lmao, despite that, your pets are telling me to tell you, to spend more quality time with all of them. Take them on walks more, give them more pets, play with them! They miss having a frequent play time and on schedule. They also know that you are very busy, so no need to rush. They are just super excited that you get to hear from them, this is so cute omg. Your pets watch you 24/7 whenever you are around them. They are secretly taking notes and they also love to give you special messages through your dreams so please pay attention to them! I'm hearing that they may be your spirit guides, which is why you have such a deep intimate connection with them. ☁️🌠✨️

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✿ Pile 3 ✿

I'm picking up on a pet that has been in your family for years and has passed away. Your current pet is a manifestation of the one that has left the 3D realm. It is your spirit animal pile 3. I'm hearing "I will never leave your side, and I will protect you." Omg, that is so effing cute Pile 3! Your pets love shows know bounds in this lifetime. They were sent to you so you can learn new lessons in life and become a better person. I'm seeing in my minds eye that they have taught you many things such as patience, unconditional love, and allowing yourself to have fun once in a while. Your pet loves to get scratchies and treats from you. I'm hearing "Please give me more treats in a day, I've been so good I deserve it!" Hahah. You have a fiesty one on your hands don't you? If you been seeing this pet in your dreams, that is another sign that it is your spirit animal. They love to sleep next to you because that is when they feel the safest. ♡ Pile 3, please be more active when it comes to playing with your pet. I'm sensing here that they are very smart. They will be able to learn tricks from you in no time, and it is also a safer way to feed them treats so they don't get overweight or spoiled. Your Spirit guides and Angels wanted me to tell you to start off with the basic tricks first and after a month, to move onto intermidiate, then advanced tricks. They will have so much fun going through this process with you and your bond together will strengthen 10 fold. ♡🎯✨️

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[ghost-1-y]

Desecration

Pairing: Demon!Obanai x Angel!Reader

A/N: Here is the prologue for a work that I have been planning for months now. This has been on my mind ever since I wrote Temptation back in October. I am currently anticipating that it will consist of either 3 or 4 parts, but this may be subject to change and is most definitely not set in stone.

CW: This work will be NSFW, so minors please do not interact. There will be violence, death, smut, and a LOT of angst. I hope you enjoy :)

The very second Obanai began hunting you, he knew that your death would break him in one way or another.

The demon crept within the shadows of an abandoned house, simply watching as you wandered into a small garden, unaware that death followed you as the moon does the sun. His eyes never left you – to do so would be to let his prey escape – as he stood unmoving in the night.

“Kill it. Now.”

His thoughts were overrun with a voice that didn't belong to him, orders that demanded he complete his task before taking on another, and then another. 

As was his purpose in eternity – to deliver the end upon those who were deserving of his blade; those who were nothing but mere obstacles for both him and his Creator. 

And he did so with pleasure.

He watched as you crouched down,  golden light flickered in the palm of your hand as you pressed it into the cold, dried-up soil; the surrounding flowers, once wilted, slowly standing upright with their petals unfurling; it filled the demon with a hint of curiosity.

You weren’t human.

No matter, he thought, brandishing his weapon – a sickle created from the very metals found deep in the hells; a weapon smithed with infernal ore that burned hotter than that of melted iron and dealt sharper blows than the finest obsidian – as he continued to lurk within the shadows of a home that wasn’t his. 

He had killed many of his kind before; those who were defective and broken, too, deserved to be punished. You would be no different than the thousands of bodies that lay in his wake; just another corpse whose purpose wasn’t divine enough to be considered worthy of life.

Yet, the smallest inkling pestered him in the back of his mind – suggesting to him that you were no demon, either. Your soul wasn’t scalding like his. Instead, you graced him with a warmth that was unknown to him – a comfort that he’d not known throughout his entire existence.

It was disturbing. Foreign.

He needed to make it rot.

Tagging: @peachdues, @forest-hashira, @xxsabitoxx, and @meowzfordayz because I've been discussing this story with them non-stop lmao

[shizunitis]

Luo Binghe & Tianlang-Jun: Origins. And a Bit of Projection.

Disclaimer: This is basically just a collection of quotes from The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System, Volume 3, accompanied by (adjective) thoughts, and then even more relevant quotes listed at the end. If I could, I’d paste the entirety of Chapter 18.

“As expected, I can’t bring myself to hate humans.” — Vol. 3, Chapter 21: Always Together

I will always be conflicted on the topic of Tianlang-jun, and it annoys me. There is so much I could say about him, and so little I can successfully articulate. He is, to me, more confounding, complex and tragic than Shen Jiu.

He’s pitiful and awe-inspiring, wicked and affable, cunning and wide-eyed in his curiousity. He is a compelling, heartbreaking character. He alternates between emotionless wisdom and mournful apathy. I admire how his knees don’t buckle under the weight of his grief, but how he crumbles at the barest hint of hope. How rage claws at him and, still, he can’t figure out how to make it stick.

I empathise with him. I understand him.

But then, in the distance, Luo Binghe's indifferent voice disturbs the silence, causing me to drop my drink onto the floor and this post onto your screen:

“He’s not my father.”

It’s an interesting exercise, exploring their relationship in reconciliation fics. To see them interact (semi-)honestly, watch them take turns filling up the chasm between them. It’s wonderful. Every fic I’ve read centred around them was a delightful read that I still think about.

However. I cannot see Tianlang-Jun, as I understand him, as Luo Binghe’s father. And not just because of the 3rd Novel’s events.

But because Binghe had hoped for something; he did have that wide-eyed wonder. He did hold one last window open, for the sake of an improbability he couldn’t quite, just yet, dismiss.

It’s what (most) orphaned and/or adopted childred do.

Though Luo Binghe had never said a word about it before, Shen Qingqiu knew that he harbored some fantasies about his birth parents. […] In fact, he’d always secretly fantasized about whether his parents might still be alive, and how well they’d treat him, and how they’d never let him suffer the mildest slight. — Vol. 3, Chapter 17: Tianlang

It is the most human thing; to want to be helped, accepted, invited by those given to you. A family is given to you. Whether you believe it an act of the divine, of nature, of coincidence, it isn’t something you fight for. It’s the first and, arguably, only thing you don’t have to fight for in life.

Depending on a multitude of factors, that can be a blessing or a curse; but where there is room for interpretation, questions left unanswered, most childred—Binghe included—will turn to their imagination, and try to make sense of it. Usually, to comfort themselves, to reassure themselves that surely, if their family could, they would have.

And, yeah. Most likely, if the Palace Master had gotten punted into the Sun like he fucking deserved, they would have. But does it matter?

In the face of a bleak reality, what comfort is a could-have-been?

He liked to call Luo Binghe “that son of mine,” but he didn’t seem to possess any concept of fatherly affection. […] Luo Binghe was in fact…someone who was unloved by even his own parents. — Vol. 3, Chapter 15: Holy Mausoleum

What use are good intentions to an abandoned child? What consolation is it, to say, They gave birth to you, when that child has seen no evidence of their care? Does it dry their tears, that their mother can’t be here, but she surely would have wished to be? That their father would protect them, if only he knew of them?

(And don’t make me tell you about the visceral horror I felt reading the Origins chapter. I’ve yet to make my peace with it. MXTX, Airplane, whoever: you’ve ruined me.)

The washerwoman was and continues to be, to Binghe, his only mother. And I would argue, that’s healthy. Even independent of his other traumas (Abyss, Shizun’s betrayal, Xin Mo’s influence, living on the streets, etc, holy shit Binghe) Luo Binghe will not accept anyone else as his mother.

“Who is this Su Xiyan?” Luo Binghe asked coldly. “My mother was a mere washerwoman.” — Vol. 3, Chapter 18: Origins.

It may seem callous. It probably even is! But it is a healthy line he’d drawn by his own initiative. It’s what helps him, what he feels he needs to do in order to do right by his mother, and his own heart.

And! Tianlang-Jun doesn’t seem to give much of a shit, either!

Won’t, probably, even in the future, once the dust will have settled. He is exhausted, weary with carrying the corpse of his love, the loss of his nephew. Whatever goodwill he shows, it’s a perfunctory sort, because he can’t afford more.

So. Uhh.

Tianlang-Jun is not a character I can love, nor one I can hate. Usually, I can’t help but be inclined to love complex characters. Like them, too—though that’s more of an action-based thing rather than just said character’s personality.

But with Tianlang-Jun, I’m stuck whichever way I turn. If I want to love/like him, I’m drawn back by Binghe’s pain and disappointment. If I try to hate/dislike him, I’m drawn back by his own history and grief.

In conclusion:

I don't know! I'm not really trying to, like, prove anything. I still love the aforementioned TLJ & LBH fics, I still love their dynamic. I started walking and ended up exactly in the same space. This, perhaps, could be considered a Heavenly Demon Family Mobius Strip!

I'm not really trying to say anything. It just… makes me feel conflicted, and angry, and whenever I allow myself to think about it a bit more, sad.

But.

However!

Alas.

Nonetheless, even.

As a reader and—on my better days—a writer, all I can say is:

As promised/threatened: some selected passages, for your reading pleasure:

So, it looked like neither the father nor the cousin had any intention of acknowledging Luo Binghe. — Chapter 15: Holy Mausoleum

He liked to call Luo Binghe “that son of mine,” but he didn’t seem to possess any concept of fatherly affection. — Chapter 15: Holy Mausoleum

Tianlang-Jun lifted his hand, took a look at Luo Binghe’s snow-pale face, and commented indifferently, “He looks like his mother.” “His eyes look like yours,” came a chill voice from the side. — Chapter 15: Holy Mausoleum

The faint hopes and dreams Luo Binghe had held in his heart for many years had been mercilessly pulverized into so much dust. […] [Tianlang-Jun] refused to speak a single word of their relationship and had been utterly ruthless back in the Holy Mausoleum. […] To his parents, Luo Binghe was an unwanted child. — Chapter 18: Origins

“If he was my father, why didn’t he bring it up earlier? Why not tell me?” The most Tianlang-Jun had said was that single line he offered while beating up Luo Binghe, devoid of either praise or criticism: “He looks like his mother.” He looks like his mother. What of it? But that was all. There was nothing more. — Chapter 18: Origins

Luo Binghe was indifferent. “He’s not my father.” […] Luo Binghe shook his head. It was unclear what he was stubbornly clinging to, but he repeated, “He’s not my father.” — Chapter 18: Origins

Luo Binghe raised his smiling face, his eyes shining brightly. “Mother was the kindest person in all the world to me.” — Chapter 19: Shen Jiu

[danwhobrowses]

I've kept myself contained and (mostly) quiet as I consumed all of Downfall - knowing that each part would alter my previous perspectives and assumptions - but man, there is so much to discuss. Finally it's time to talk about it!

Spoilers for all 3 Parts of Downfall below

The TLDR of this essay is that it was awesome and it has both unraveled so much context while enshrouding so much more lore in mystery. The long answer is long so stock up on cake - but not Brennan's cake, he's very protective of it - or something to keep the energy up.

Let's start at the beginning: Tengar. What a start that was! The destruction of Tengar really does reframe the Gods from the get-go. They were lights, they were refugees, they watched the destruction of their home and the loss of their family just as mortals would in life, war, and Calamity - but in a place where those things had only just come into being. It poses many questions too; were they what the Luxon scattered themselves into? Is Dunamis the remnants of Tengar? Was Predathos - assuming that the 'fruit' was Predathos - a purposeful creation or one that got out of hand? We knew of two gods that it ate but there was more (Unless Predathos is Edun? It's definitely a theory). The prologue shows how the Gods ended up being forced into shape, how their traumas limited their possibility as they careened towards proto-Exandria. There's a parallel to be made with the Lights' response to escaping Tengar's destruction and several PCs', especially Bells Hells who are able or attempting to rise above their pre-defined traumas and unhealthy coping mechanisms, development and growth - compared to the gods who found themselves stuck in place: doomed to play the role and domain they became shaped into. It also makes me wonder about the Founding, Creation, and the Schism itself; did the Primes start creation in order to keep an essence of home (all the divine trees planted across Exandria could be parallel to the Orchard)? What are each Betrayer's views on mortals? Asmodeus and Lolth clearly have disdain for them, but Asmodeus hurts mortals with a 'jealously kicking down your siblings' legos' vibe whereas Lolth likes to make mortals look as ugly as she already sees them. In cooldowns it was mentioned that had Melora been willing to walk away from Exandria she might've been a Betrayer, so I wonder if all Betrayers are simply mortal-hating or some are just willing to just leave mortals behind? I remain super curious over what the Primordials' side of the story is too; asking Rau'shan and Ka'mort should be considered eventually, given how they have knowledge and experience with sealing Predathos, but how did they see the events leading to the Schism; was there a deal that was broken? Did the Primordials hate mortals? Were they aware of Tengar before the Founding? Did they aid the gods in adjusting to their fixed forms and domains? And did they treat them like children like the gods treat mortals? What in history is lies and what in history is lecture?

Then of course there's the mission itself, which commits to its title in many areas; the Downfall of a civilization and culture within Aeor, the Downfall of (more) Wizard hubris with the Factorum, the Downfall of splinter factions trying to end the war by thinking they're doing what the gods want, and the Downfall of the Primes' infallible reputation as their armies and followers felt abandoned by them, no longer willing to accept the 'I am the parent, you are the child' justification. In the end only the Betrayers succeeded because the city falls and mortals died, but they don't succeed enough because they didn't get the Factorum - and the Primes still cared enough for mortals to try and save them - and thus the Calamity resumes, which I suppose is another Downfall: they were once family and wanted to be family again, but the truce wasn't real. The Betrayers were planning to use the Factorum to win the war (perhaps the two who didn't show had a change of heart?), they wanted to go where the Primes would not because, at that moment, winning and being right was more important than family.

The characters to nobody's surprise are all fantastic; Ashley's Trist (Saranrae) and Noshir's Emissary (Proxy of Erathis) had my heart in a winch for all three episodes, reminding me of it every so often with a big squeeze of emotions. Laura's Emhira (Matron of Ravens), Taliesin's Asha (Wildmother), Abubakar's SILAHA (Corellon) and Nick's Ayden (Dawnfather) all flourished as their characters too, alongside Brennan's variety of NPCs both as mortal gods and Aeorians. I loved Trist's boundless compassion and her constant struggle with having to do something cruel to many for the sake of saving the people she loved, as well as being forced to choose between her mortal family and her infinite ones, I loved how Asha was prickly and cutthroat as Nature can be in desolation but also not without her own regrets, longings and her gradual softening towards the Emissary, I loved how Ayden was an embodiment of the Dawnfather's purest hope and desire to protect people - contained in the body of a teenage boy, I loved how SILAHA loved Aeor's culture and people so much that he couldn't even be angry at the archmages using their gift to build a weapon that could destroy them, I loved that Emhira played cold and detached in an effort to bond with her siblings but found that her connection to them shone greater in the more human moments, and I loved the Emissary's innocence, how with so few words you had an earnest encapsulation of what he was thinking or feeling, and how in death the deep bass became a childlike lightness when meeting the Matron in her domain. The short arcs each of these characters undergo was amazing to see and the combat the more they became divine was insane - like seriously Trist hit 500 damage from a Guiding Bolt! And Ayden's Sunburst killed 3 Dragons and more AT THE SAME TIME! And btw throughout all 3 parts the dialogue has been outstanding, good grief! You could make a small book of all the amazing, thought-provoking, and downright emotional quotes packed in these three episodes. These are true tour de force players, guided by Brennan painting a gallery of scenes as if he was speaking at the Globe Theatre.

I like that the Factorum Malleus is pretty blatantly an allegory to a Nuclear Warhead. With the problem being that dropping a nuke will only beget the sobering conclusion that it can be done again, by others too - much like the Ritual of Seeding: once you make god bleed, everyone will try to cut them. The Factorum should not exist just as Nuclear Weapons should not exist, and that plays a part in the horror of seeing Cassida present it to Trist as if it was a gift to win the war rather than a tool to kill her family, just as Oppenheimer saw the bomb as a means to end all wars until he realised after that it was just a new escalation to warfare.

We also found room for important non-God NPCs, mainly the tragic success and failure of two Aeorian Archmages: Selena Erenves and Cassida Previn. Both display acts of humanity which end tragically; Cassida fell into faith to save her son and was given the chance to try and erase the knowledge of the Factorum so that people could survive, but her good intentions was prey to Asmodeus' cruelty and she was tortured and killed for information that, had he maintained the Arcadia guise, would've been handed over willingly, then on the other side there's Selena, who accepted death and consequences before attempting to activate the Factorum while also successfully spreading the knowledge of its construction to every wizard in Aeor, effectively forcing the Primes into having to destroy the city, only to be embraced by Corellon, forgiven, spared, and left to live with her actions. It's ironic that Cassida was punished for her humility while Selena was spared for her hubris, and the only real reason for their fate is which god they were stood before at that moment. The celestials Garathran and Acastriel were solid obstacles for Brennan to flex his dialogue of embitterment and demonstrate humanity in characters deemed otherworldly but not so much human, Garathran's suicide was very visceral even if them killing themselves in front of the Death Goddess was dumb, and Emhira and Ayden both using themselves to shield a blow from Acastriel was great symbolism to pay off their arc of bonding as siblings. They and the Archmages also acted as a harsh reality for the gods that their 'children' don't want to be coddled anymore, they've grown enough to want to understand, and have at least a voice on the table. On the lighter side of NPCs, Slitch was a lot of fun, I hope he managed to survive - maybe ascending with the Matron since Emhira did willingly relinquish her mortal form rather than it being destroyed in the crash - and still serves the Matron somehow, he's just a funny lil' guy. Brennan playing as children is always gonna be heartwrenching too, but the Everchildren Haylie and Topher were both sweet and also so brave; they have their mother's courage, as well as her divine spark.

For the mortal god NPCs Brennan rightfully didn't have Arcadia (Ioun), Zaharzht (Torog), Umleta (Lolth) or Tishar (Grummsh) outshine the main cast, often guiding the story along or cracking wise with them, but that could not be helped when it came to Milo Cowst. Brennan's Asmodeus is spectacular, absolutely untouchable, and when I say that I mean every time he does something I want to punch his smirking shit-eating face so hard that my hand appears on the other side of his head, because fuck that guy! The continual torment he does not just to mortals but to his own family is just some absolute peak villainy; he conspired with the celestials to entrap Ioun and was willing to sacrifice her, his own sister, to get what he wants. He as Arcadia tried to convince Trist to go after her family, telling her 'I love you' just as Imri did before heading into the fire, knowing KNOWING that he was luring her away from Cassida - one of the few followers she had left - to try and run away with the knowledge of the Factorum, and then donning Trist's husband's shape while he revelled in getting Cassida to allegedly renounce her before eviscerating her at his feet for Trist to find, all this while he had already sent his forces to murder all the refugees in Hawk's Hill - targeting Trist's mortal family especially while this all happens - I hate him so much. As a side note, it's interesting how Brennan and Matt establish two different Major God villains in the world: Brennan's Asmodeus and Matt's Tharizdun. It's not a bad thing to have two godly villains, I shudder to think what would happen if they worked together (at least before the inevitable power struggle), especially since their villainy is in two different departments: Asmodeus is a villain to beings while Tharizdun is more a villain to the Material Plane, you could also relate that to Predathos who uses both of their methods in their own way. Since Tharizdun doesn't get as much in-person appearances atm Brennan's Asmodeus does truly feel like the absolute villain of everything right now, but Matt does have way more time than Brennan does to get his godly villain across.

The three episodes each had a unique flavour to them; Part 1 was very much about establishing the dynamics and setting the scene: Aeor in its militarized dystopian state and the characters as mortal avatars of a pantheon of siblings and lovers, refugee lights of Tengar, in a truce. Part 2 however flaunted the positives, negatives, and defiance of mortality; the Ars Elysia was wild as it was beautiful, SILAHA's monologue with Emhira was engrossing, and the episode excelled in showing the weight of knowing how many innocent, faithful and/or good people there were, paired with the horror of knowing how many lost faith in the Gods there also was, and the lengths both the devout and the undevout would go because of the Calamity's toll on them. And then Part 3 ramps up the tragedy to like 15: the dystopia dystopes again, the destruction destroys, and the disaster disasts, and we reach the boiling point of conflict for an episode that was a mammoth SIX AND A HALF HOURS! The visual of the gods slowly being forced to break from their mortal shells to keep fighting their creations, and each other, to different ends showed the physical and mental toll the mission had done to them, Ayden rapidly aging the more his divinity courses through him and Trist continually trying to hold onto mortality if but for a single second longer, and reaching a point of no return: a choice between sacrificing, at that point, one unknown god to potentially find a way to spare the rest of Aeor - as they had desired to do - or save their entrapped sibling - having already lost so many to Predathos and the Matron having replaced another - but doom all of its people by not stopping Selena's Wish, which she believed would be a victory rather than a damning of her city. Heartbreak after heartbreak, sacrifice after sacrifice, and betrayal after betrayal, but even in the dark and desperation there was still a faint measure of hope; a mother seeking to erase the scrolls to save not just her son but all families in her home, Primes seeking only to destroy a weapon and as the city falls offering acts of compassion where they could, and a Slingshot firing a Sending Stone across the sea like a shooting star so that a mother could protect her children one last time. It is the fact that the hope still existed that makes it a tragedy: it could have been prevented, but because of the way mortals are, and because of the way the gods are, it couldn't end that way. By Part 2 I was intrigued by the fact that the idea of the Divine Gate had started to take shape this early, the Calamity after all would last another century, but it was a greater surprise learning that by the end of Part 3 Aeor wasn't the start of the conversation but the conversation, the last straw. Everything leading up to the Divergence was the Primes attempting to corral their siblings - and the Chained Oblivion - so they could lock themselves away from their second home forever, for the sake what they had built, which was chronologically the final layer to the tragedy. The theme that will complete the trinity of tragedies would be the theme of sacrifice. The Emissary was Erathis' sacrificial lamb, how biblical it was that she sent her 'son' knowing that he would die because she was unable to defy her laws nor bear to watch her lover come to harm, just as biblical is how Pelor sent the best and most hopeful qualities of himself to try and help people, Asha sacrificed her mortal form to embrace Zaharzht even when he hooked and clawed her form away, SILAHA sacrificed saving Aeor like he wanted in order to save Ioun, and then all the Primes resolve to sacrifice their presence in order to protect what was left of what they made. The theme of sacrifice will be compared with the weight of whether it was worth it, but it's not something you can say was justified either way, Downfall doesn't feel like it should be about sides; it was always a Trolley Problem, it is a current fey-absorbing, war-criming, land-sundering elf mage who is trying to make it about sides.

On that note, we must wonder how Bells Hells feel about watching all this. I did like many others think about their reactions throughout; did Imogen think of her mother when watching Trist and Cassida? Did Orym relate to Asha given how stretched thin and pining for Erathis she was? Did Ashton perhaps relate to Trist a little having also felt broken and powerless, kept going by the support of their family? I know we joke about Braius probably having to be silenced for cheering and hollering for Asmodeus but did he really agree with all that? And will Fearne now worry about seeing Asmodeus' true nature, which she should (call them lawyers Dorian!), given how she has unwittingly (and I maintain that it was not said to be a pact, Fearne clearly didn't know it was one and Nanna Mori, who is versed in pacts, called it an 'invitation to trade') bound her soul to him for Dominox's dusty wikipedia page - which is more a redirect to a 2-line section in 'List of Demons Unaccounted for Since the Calamity' - that yielded less info than a Speak with the Dead spell with an Aeorian corpse did. Outside of individual thoughts, I wonder if the Hells collectively related to other events the Gods underwent; the loss and lack of a home, tension caused by one of them thinking they knew better, the constant attack of their sense of morality by others? Ayden's character may invoke an interesting pause - since the Dawnfather has been pretty cold and unkind to the Hells, mainly Team Trauma, and Deanna lately - I wonder if they acknowledge or soften towards this new light (pun not intended but welcomed)? I know he didn't show and wasn't gonna but I also wonder if the Hells kept looking to see if FCG was there, if only to get another glimpse of their fallen friend, or if any of them managed to spot FRIDA - who while we know is canonically present wasn't explicitly mentioned either.

I must admit though I'm in the camp of 'what does this achieve for Ludinus?' because Matt said in the Cooldown that there was parts that proved him right but honestly I don't see it. History knows that the Gods united to drop Aeor, but if anything the footage makes most of the Gods more sympathetic, even to the god-adverse Hells. Showing how they have been just as messed up, traumatized and conflicted as they are as they tried to limit the loss but in the end get put in a crossroads where they choose their family, without discarding or disavowing their creations because of it, isn't gonna endear them to Ludinus' already ill-thought plan. Honestly the only Prime Deity that seemed overly brutal was the Stormlord and like, why would you even try to use Control Weather in a storm made by a Weather God? In interviews Taliesin has mentioned that Ashton has conflicted thoughts on the humanizing of the Gods, though again I don't think it's in the way Ludinus expects - I anticipate that it's more of an 'it was easier to hate them when they were all-powerful, all-arrogant entities that ignored our prayers' kinda thing, having sympathy for someone they had grown accustomed to disliking - so I wonder if other members of the Hells have conflicted feelings and whether it smooths over their aversion or whether their resolve remains the same. I'm not saying they will, but imagine if the Hells decide to be more open to allying more with some of the gods because of this? Seeking the temple in Aeor to converse with them and get on the same page. They all seem pretty respectful towards the Matron already, but perhaps some focus on Corellon - if only to see if he rebuilt the Ars Elysia elsewhere for a post-Ruidus rager XD - and Ioun would be an interesting route; the Knowing Mistress would have answers for those seeking history and information, and the Arch Heart could have answers in curious and divine magics. In addition, imagine if the Everlight gains more followers through the Hells? She helped revive Laudna through Pike so the Hells shouldn't really have any negative feelings towards her, honestly I just think she deserves more followers after seeing all of this. Plus if they could get some of that Divine Prowess (Vitality and Potency at the least) for the final fight we could be in for some blockbuster and creative damage feats! Again, I don't see it as likely, but it's a thought. We could also entertain learning more about the non-god characters that survived; did the blood of the Everchildren continue to this day - there are theories they're tied to the Clay family? What did Selena do post-Aeor? Is Cassida's body still in a protective shield? These are questions fans would want answered that isn't 'was the silver dragon's name Bolo?'.

One has to wonder too if this presentation framed as validation for the atrocities he's committed just shows how divorced from reality Deludinus is. Was the point that 'they're family so they'll choose to save each other over entire cities'? Because many mortals would do the same in their position, the Hells themselves have inferred at times that they would prioritize each other over everyone else. You know what's not a way to avoid that dilemma? Unleashing a god-eating entity the gods even at the height of their power are afraid of! Because of this, Ludinus is painted as someone blind to the fact that it's his machinations that are trying to push the world into an even worse and bloodier Calamity than what he endured as a child, with him weakening the measures put in place to avoid such a thing rather than preventing it. Also he is almost like the Primes in that the people he's allied with secretly seek to remove him from the equation, though I think he's just arrogant enough to believe he can handle them. On the topic of whether Ludinus is Hallis Previn - spared by the Matron after having been healed by the Everlight - I'm not sure, it is possible but I don't think he needs to be Hallis, in fact it would probably be more interesting if he wasn't - since you'd have to jump through a fair amount of hoops to even begin explaining his motives and mindset.

But now we have to ask a question: what do we do now? The mission was to take down Ludinus, and we could still achieve that given how it's 10v1; but Orym isn't in the best of shape health-wise, the Toothy Maw and Dominox fights did cause a lot of the group's slots to be used up and Ludinus only really used 2 spells (Gate and Counterspell) since being encountered, deluded he may be but weak he is not. Laudna's haunting will permanently track him anyway and if he shows this to the world it'll likely emit similar results we and the Hells are having; some faiths may be shaken sure but others may be more supportive of the Gods. Right now there's no real reason not to show this footage. I suppose we could kill him and show the footage anyway - I mean it doesn't need to be shown by him explicitly - before handing it to Vassalheim or the Cobalt Soul's archive, honestly I would live for it if the first thing Bells Hells did after seeing the footage was Orym or Ashton just calmly walking up to Ludinus and decking him in the face, but the encounter in Aeor does feel designed for either Ludinus or the group to escape rather than fight to the death. Between the two, it would favour more for the Hells to stay; Aeor still feels barely scraped for them and Essek, who hasn't given Ashton any tangible answers about Dunamancy that he couldn't have gotten from a book yet - plus wild magic is rife within Aeor heck a beacon could be here, won't have much reason to stick with the Hells if they leave. If they don't use Essek's 'emergency escape' measure he's hinted at there could be something devised to let the group linger here a bit more such as finding the temple, the Ars Elysia, or another special room simply to explore more of Aeor - freeing the Stasis bubbles may not be the smartest or merciful option right now, given that all wizards within know how to make the Factorum. In terms of Ludinus, it'd be good to kill him now from a mission standpoint because he's the head honcho and the Hells need a big, convincing W to kinda make up for Otohan (which was more Matt's fault for rolling so high), but if we eliminate too many Exandrian enemies like Ludinus, providing that Liliana won't 180 again with him gone...which is a possibility, the endgame battle can risk turning into a more ugly Exandria vs Ruidus conflict rather than Life vs Predathos. So perhaps Ludinus should simply escape this time and we'll save the next major enemy to kill for Zathuda or one of the Five Imperium leaders.

Overall, and this won't be the last time we'll have to say it because some people have short memories and impulsive reactions, this is a prime example towards why we need to let CR cook. Yes, C3 has been scattered a bit, but this plot is a worldwide threat, which means you must show that it affects the whole world: this is a convergence of storylines from all 3 campaigns AND spinoffs, everything has its place and while we can be irked about the timing of things what we get is still pretty awesome. Just like the CK intermission, Downfall was an incredibly intricate and well-performed piece of narrative important to the main plot which honestly, as much as I still miss the Hells, could've gone an episode longer. Where we go next becomes further interesting because we have a greater grasp on the lore and characters of the gods, and it opens the door for more lore - such as what Corellon's strand of hair he left behind is - and context to be discovered in later episodes in this and/or later campaigns.

[danosrosegarden]

hold tight - edward nashton x fem!reader headcanons (NSFW) ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

{kinktober: day one. prompt: breeding. 🎃}

{contains: some obsessive yet shy edward, mentions of pregnancy, creampie, and very mild descriptions of overstim.}

☽ You suppose you should've seen it coming. Edward didn't fuck you, he made love to you. And he usually made love with a good dash of submissive obedience, a slight streak of bashfulness. His hands would roam your body with a soft and quiet kind of adoration, a gentle appreciation. He was so sweet to you, holding your hips like you were a glass ornament. Shattering your fragile frame would hurt him, too. He could not afford to have blood on his hands when it came to your comfort and satisfaction.

☽ He was different tonight...it was as if a switch had been flipped. He would never want to hurt you, but he hardly registered the way his fingers dug into your skin with a greedy hunger as he thrusted into you. He panted hard and deep as your hands gripped the sheets beneath you and your jaw fell open.

☽ "Eddie, Ed...wait."

☽ Your rushed words pierced their talons into his stomach. He felt sick to his lurching guts. What did he do wrong? He always has to go and fuck up everything good, doesn't he?

☽ But you're grinning as you catch your breath. He watches your bare chest tremble, rise, and fall. "Jesus, Eddie, where did this come from?"

☽ His cheeks are lit aflame as he fumbles for an answer. "Just...just wanna be inside you." You chuckle. "Hmm, yeah? Tell me about it."

☽ The coils of his brain are short-circuiting, the wires of his mind smoking and shooting sparks. How's he supposed to express how deeply he wants to be a part of you? How is he supposed to convey his darkest, most carnivorous desire without scaring you off?

☽ "I...I'll try," he mumbles, his hips starting up their quivering movement once again. "I d-don't wanna frighten you."

☽ Eddie whines as your legs wrap around his waist and pull him even closer. "You can't frighten me, honey. C'mon, tell me what you want."

☽ His thrusts are sloppy and jittery as his long fingers find their way to your lower stomach. They brush against your smooth, fluttering skin. "I...hmm, fuck...I think about it sometimes."

☽ He's too flustered to say it without the shroud of vagueness clouding his words, but it's clear what he means. "Oh, yeah?" you tease. "You wanna fill me up, Ed? Wanna get me pregnant?"

☽ Clearly, he was not anticipating your candor, because now he's gripping your hips like you'll disintegrate into dust if he lets go. You have to understand where he's coming from, though! He's never met someone who has put that level of affection and credence into him! For somebody to want to carry his baby...even if it's just pretend for now...him, of all people! He can't help but ravage your innards with reckless abandon. Just a bit.

☽ He can feel the steady heat rising in his gut. It's utterly humiliating how quickly he's close just from hearing your whiny cries to please, fuck, fill me up, I want it so bad, I need it, Eddie, I need it!

☽ And oh my, does it feel blissfully divine when the heat finally bursts. It's like he's floating. He can feel your quivering pussy gripping him tight. He grits his teeth through the shooting pinpricks of his overstimulation and fucks his cum deeper. The sticky, sodden sounds are delectably obscene. His face is burnt a feverish scarlet as he pulls out of you and watches his cum leak. It's such an alluring sight, the milky liquid dripping from your already soaked cunt. It takes all the power within to stop himself from diving down and tasting you right then. He wouldn't want to overwhelm you.

☽ Again, even if it's just make believe, a filthy fantasy you two indulge in...it's the thought behind the action that counts, the message behind your pleading for him to fill you up, make you full, that makes him want to grab hold of you and never let go. <3

[the-white-void]

THOSE LOST IN TIME SEARCHING FOR WHAT CANNOT BE FOUND

˚₊‧���ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ Caged little bird - You, who once held so much power, abandoned it all for freedom from the one who loved you most, yet, they still crawl from the death of your mind to drag you back.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ Escape of the Burdened Oni - one unworthy of such treatment, you grant them the presence of your benevolence (date).

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ Mine Mother - One favoured by the world's sentience

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ Divine Mischief - Oh, mischievous god toys around with their little followers.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ Little Bird, why do you Sing such a sad Tune - those of the dive favour their pet, until it runs away and meets its one look-alike from another world.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ Bloody Mary - Blood of gold stained the soil of the world that was supposed to revere your name, yet, you treated like a vile villain that plagued this world. And when the world knew the truth, only carnage filled your eyes.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ "O Divine Creator, we humbly bow to you whilst you're on your throne-" I'M ON MY TOILETTE!!! - As you innocently play Genshin on your phone, the seven Archons that are known in the game claim you as their creator. All while you were releasing the remains of the sustenance you had from the past two days.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ You are my only Haven -  A little girl watches over a human that she has waited so long to meet “Will you please wake up? I’m really lonely” she whispers hoping to see your eyes and hear your voice.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ Teyvat's Diary - Teyvat, a small oblivious creature, only sees the world formed on her by humans through eyes that do not belong to her. All her thoughts were written in her diary.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ Teyvat's opinion about the children - what the sentience of teyvat thinks about the children.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ Unbounded by the trivial - You are an imposter but you don’t really care about anything anymore so you just let it be, it’s not like if you try hard enough you could change it.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ "Who are you? Wait, there's TWO?!" - simple texts between what was supposed to be nothing but an AI, yet, how did casual texting two Tsaritsa's end up with both coming to your world.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ Moving On - You're moving away. We want you back.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ My Momma - little scenarios with a child’s mother figure

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ Otherworldly Things *Part 2- The archons come to your world but cannot return to theirs, so they start getting to know yours.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ La Seine (Monster in Paris AU) - Running away from the captors along with a friend, you find yourselves in a bar where you end up dancing together to hide from the guards.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ Let the Play Begin - The Imposter is caught. How shall the play end?

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ Life, Death, Rebirth - “Thee hadst been thrown into teyvat wh’re i did rule. Thou art mine own heir, mine own physical f'rm, yet those daws besmirch t by leaving thee with scars and wounds. And i shall nay longeth'r standeth aside while those imbeciles taketh our headeth”

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ "The Story" 1 2 3 4 - This story is a Samsara, one you cannot control. *WARNING* this work may contain topics or language that may make some audiences uncomfortable.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ Scriptor De Re - The Traveler is known for their grand accomplishment throughout Teyvat, but who pulls the strings behind the scenes.

Special

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖₊˚⊹ Interactive Player AU - A story you build. You decide each choice [name] makes. And each choice could change how the story progresses and ends.

✧˖°. How it works - You send an ask of who your character is and where they start. The story begins until you need to make the choice again, there, the fic will stop until you decide what happens next. Long story short, a role-playing game.

Works

Dès le Début: Noraa 1 by: @udretlnea

[libraryscarf]

this is my fic for night divining: a noragami tarot zine project - leftover sales are happening now, check it the heck out!!!

the fool ( ao3 )

1.

Your purpose , he has been told from the earliest age he can remember, is this.

He carefully watches his parent clip branches from the fruit tree.

If we leave the unfruitful and corrupted branches, it will stunt the rest of the tree. The purpose of the tree is to make fruit for us—you like the fruit, don’t you?

He nods. The figs from this tree are delicious. He reaches up for the smallest one on a lower-hanging branch.

His parent pulls the branch out of reach, smiling.

If you don’t fulfill your purpose, you will disappoint me. You will have to make up for it, otherwise I might be very angry with you.

His parent looks at him, head at a slight tilt, cheeks still lifted in a gentle smile.

I could make another of you. Did you know that? And I could unmake you, as easily as I could break these shears. You are my creature, Yaboku. My tool.

He is given the shears, handle first.

Now, little one. Do as your father tells you.

2.

“Alone, alone, alone…alone again!!”

There is a guttering spark of hope still in his heart that Tomone will hear him and turn back, offer herself as his shinki, apologize for abandoning him so cruelly—just so he could laugh in her face, and maybe kick some dirt on her clothes as well.

But he wouldn’t do that.

If Tomone turned around—which didn’t seem likely, since she had in fact vanished a good ten minutes previously without a glance backward—Yato would take her again. He’s familiar with the feeling of being weaponless, but that doesn’t make it particularly nice.

He grabs a can of spray paint as though it could serve as a divine blade, and begins busily defacing the nearest bridge with his phone number.

He lifts his voice in a misery-laden crescendo:

“Aloooooone…AGAAAAAAAIN!!!”

“Shut up!” shouts the red-faced, wild-haired wino camping under the bridge. He chases Yato down the street, brandishing a half-empty bottle.

Yato loses his pursuer quickly–it’s nice to be able to fade into the background in such moments. He slinks into the shadows of a shrine, fingers tight around the neck of his own glass bottle. The heavy clink of the coins is comforting. Now that Tomone is gone, it is also his main weapon.

He lies down under one of the benches, trying to trick his mind into spinning a dream of his own lavish shrine. Covered in gold, studded with gems, absolutely lousy with shrine-maidens…it will be the best shrine, certainly for any god in the country, perhaps even the world.

Yato goes to sleep, smiling, hugging his bottle, the grandiose architecture of his imagination wrapping him as soundly as any blanket.

He won’t fade forever.

3.

As Yato watches his new shinki sleep the dreamless sleep of the dead, he considers his options.

He just wanted a weapon. What he got was…this.

Responsibility.

He hasn’t had much to do with that concept for a number of years. Perhaps, in fact, he never has had a single responsibility, which is what makes this situation so damn uncomfortable.

Now he has two charges: a foul-mouthed, broken-hearted child ghost, and the human girl who guilted him into keeping that ghost around.

“He’s your responsibility,” she had said, ad nauseam. What she hadn’t said was: So am I.

It should be so easy to be rid of them both. And they are both truly massive problems for him.

The kid would be easy enough to get rid of, as long as he doesn’t think about it too hard. That girl though…she might be more complicated. But his cuts have always been clean. For now, she’s not the problem.

Yato knows, even before he spends the rest of the night convincing himself how bad an idea it is, that he won’t revoke Yukine’s name.

It will be the hardest thing he’s ever done.

4.

The work takes less time than he thought.

He makes sure the hole is deep enough, and digs an extra two feet for good measure. He takes up his light burden and lays it within the earth. He entrusts it to the living soil that will make new things, growing things, out of something that should have been new and growing itself.

Because it takes less time than he thought, and also because he cannot yet make himself leave the little mound alone there on the hill, he sits there for a time. He wanders off after a while, comes back with a pack of cheesy buns, and eats all but one. The last he sets, carefully, on the overturned dirt.

Then he walks away.

5.

In the end, the decision is his.

A soft, helpless voice deep inside him—a voice that sounds like Hiiro’s—asks:

Will it be worth it? Will they be happier without you? Really, truly happier?

Then growing to a shriek inside him, nearly physical in its desperation: Is this the only way?

And it is. The only way he can go, after all, is toward the thing that made him, and toward the thing that will unmake him. He doesn’t mind that. He’s already been lucky enough to find happiness twice, which is two times more than he deserved.

He closes his eyes, feeling Kazuma’s impatience growing with every second of delay. His newest shinki’s willingness to toss both their existences on the fire without a second thought is something Yato never thought he would value, but it certainly serves his ends now.

The image of the little shrine flashes through his mind, hooking his heart like a struggling fish. The scarred fingers that built it—how long can their owner keep waiting for him? How hard can she possibly believe in him? How much does he deserve that faith?

After all, he tried so hard to chase her off. Her first prayers to him were in the form of ghosted texts and screened calls. She had been his first, his only, his most relentless worshiper, and he had spurned her for it.

Here, at the start of the day and at the end of the world, Yato only knows that he owes her a debt.

You’ve been my god of fortune for a long time.

He opens his eyes, and across the dark and silent space between them, he senses Kazuma sit up. The dawn is gray and still, holding its breath, until Yato says:

“All right. It’s time to go.”

[circyexistforcontent]

hii!! for the team comp event, my boys (triple crowned kings) are xiao, albedo, kazuha and the wanderer (I named him Aoki btw <3 but u dont have to include this if u dont think its relevant) though sometimes I switch out xiao or the wanderer for cyno because im in love with him too and sometimes i need an element that isnt geo or anemo. all of them are triple crowned not for meta, but because they are my boyfriends (im super normal about them).

sorry if this was too much </3 take care <3

TEAM COMP: XIAO, ALBEDO, KAZUHA, WANDERER (FT. CYNO)

♥ Your team is just a spider web full of conflict. Xiao and Wanderer are always fighting, always trying to 1v1 each other and Albedo and Kazuha had to run away from multiple tornadoes caused by the two Anemo boys. Cyno is just waiting patiently for the two to just kill each other, or maybe weaken each other so he can finish them off himself. Sadly, nobody in the game can fully kill each other (I'll enhance that concept in another post).

♥ Albedo doesn't know if he should be relieved or tense at where he stands in your team, he knew being on your main team has high stakes but he didn't know they were this dangerous. He's glad his element is useful in your eyes and he strives to better his skills and talents to maintain his spot in your main team. He doesn't care about his other members, he may be acquaintances with Cyno but that's it. He wouldn't help him when Cyno has the possibility to replace him as well.

♥ Kazuha can only sigh when he hears the voices of his other two teammates. To be honest, he's worried about his place on your team. Considering your replacing your team members with Anemo visions with Cyno and his Electro vision. He wonders if he will be the next one to sit back and watch all his other teammates be graced by your divine will, it brings an inking sense of dread to his stomach to think about it. He just hopes he's enough for you to continue using him.

♥ Xiao doesn't like this. He doesn't like Wanderer. He doesn't like Cyno. And he doesn't like how his feelings make the situation worse. Is he lacking somehow? Why is he being switched with another spear user? These questions eat away at his brain every time he gets switched with Cyno, he observes from the sidelines and just stares at Cyno's fighting style. Is it the way he fights? Do you want him to fight more like Cyno? He might struggle with fighting his code but he's willing to do just that, so please use him more.

♥ Wanderer, or "Aoki" as you named him, is seething in anger and confusion. The first time you switched him with Cyno he had a full-on tantrum about it off-screen. He thought you abandoned him until he was put back on the team while he was having a mini pity party alone. He was confused, but he quickly snapped out of his confusion and continue doing his best. And then...it happens again. And it just repeats and he doesn't like that! You should keep him by your side permanently! Or maybe just replace that brooding yaksha since you don't need two spear users anyway!

♥ Cyno has been waiting for this moment, this moment where he gets to be one of your mains. When he's on the field he does his best on every kill, every domain, and every ley line challenge you may use him on to show you just how capable he actually is. Aside from that he is a chatterbox when you both are just exploring, he abuses his voice lines just to speak with you for longer. Even though it's a one-sided conversation, he will cherish those moments.

♥ A lot of fights happen, and weapons are always involved in the fights. Sometimes it's Xiao and Cyno, then it's Wanderer and Cyno, also Xiao and Wanderer, and then it becomes Cyno versus Wanderer and Xiao. All Albedo and Kazuha can do is watch from the sidelines and pray to you that they don't get involved in the fights.

[writerfarzanatutul]

Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Raheem.

Indeed, the Qur'an is filled with verses that offer deep solace and hope, promising that Allah, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, will alleviate our sorrows and transform our hardships into ease. Allah assures us that He is ever-watchful, and nothing in our lives escapes His notice.

"فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا. إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا" "So, truly, with hardship comes ease. Truly, with hardship comes ease." Quran 94:5-6

This verse is a divine reminder that after every trial, relief is not just promised once but twice. Your current difficulties, no matter how heavy, will eventually give way to ease and joy. Allah Himself has guaranteed it.

Furthermore, the Qur'an reminds us to stay patient and steadfast:

"يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اصْبِرُوا وَصَابِرُوا وَرَابِطُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ" "O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful." Quran 3:200

Patience and reliance upon Allah are keys to success, both in this world and in the hereafter. The people of Jannah are those who bear their trials with faith and patience, knowing that Allah is with them through every hardship.

Moreover, Allah promises that those who trust in Him will never be abandoned:

"وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ" "And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him." Quran 65:3

Trust in Allah means acknowledging that even in the depths of our pain, He is our Protector, and He will take care of our affairs, both in this life and the next. Your struggles will not be in vain if you keep your heart tied to Allah and His guidance.

Finally, for the believers who endure, Allah gives a beautiful glad tiding:

"إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ كَانَتْ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتُ الْفِرْدَوْسِ نُزُلًا" "Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds – they will have the Gardens of Al-Firdaus as a lodging." Quran 18:107

Yes, you will meet the people of Jannah, insha'Allah, both in this world through righteous companionship and eternally in the hereafter, where your sorrows will vanish, and you will experience endless joy. Allah's promise is true, and His mercy encompasses everything.

Your pain, your patience, and your trust in Allah will lead you to a brighter future, one that may even surpass your expectations. Allah has a plan for you, and His plans are far greater than anything we can imagine. Never give up hope, for you are in the care of the Most Merciful.

[happilyobsessing]

(hiii omg thank youuuu hehe <3 🥺 here's some prompts in the meantime since it will take me a bit to get to the ask!!) for sfw: 6 & 10 and nsfw: 4 & 13 for a ship of your choice? :3

Tysm for the ask! Surprise, surprise, I'll answer these prompts for Weiler and Emmrich because they are currently consuming me body, mind, and soul. If anyone else would like to send a prompt, please find the original post here - my ask box is open!

Shipping Headcanons

SWF

#6 - Going out to eat: who pays? Who orders the most food, and who has dessert?

Emmrich adores taking Weiler out to eat. She unfortunately has very little experience of going out to dine - only going to an inn for the first time when she joins Varric's mission - and for a man with such a refined and extensive palate as Emmrich he simply cannot allow that to continue. It brings him great joy to see her eyes widen then flutter closed as she moans around mouthfuls of fragrant soups, steaks that melt on the tongue, the most delicate fish that flakes under the very suggestion of her fork. She cannot read, so he reads the menu out loud for her asking what she would like at every course. "Yes, the King Prawns in red chili oil do sound divine, and would you enjoy the focaccia as well? You won't want to waste a single drop of that oil. Splendid, that will pair perfectly with your linguine and mussels, and do make sure you save room for dessert, dearest. I have no doubt that you will love the lemon sorbet." Both have healthy appetites, and soon their table is groaning under the weight of platters and bowls and cutlery. It is an easy enough thing for Emmrich (once Weiler is distracted by slurping up her dinner) to slip the necessary payment to the waiter's hand each time. A light coin purse is an easy sacrifice to make when gains so much pleasure watching her recline back in her seat, her belly a little rounder than before, and a food-drunk grin splitting across her face.

#10 - Any pets? Plants?

Weiler has no experience of keeping anything alive (notorious, frenetic, traumatised assassins don't have the most experience with those particular skills) and Emmrich is fastidious with the cleanliness of his study and living spaces. But as Harding's garden begins to bloom, Weiler finds herself spending more and more time amongst the flowers, silently following her friend as she gardens. Every now and then she'll point at a plant, ask a simple question ("What's that one?" "That one?" "This?") and nod slowly at Harding's patient responses. In time, the scout has Weiler helping with easy tasks such as watering and de-heading dead flowers and the assassin finds the routine soothing. As the garden blooms, she notices a tiny spiderette sprouting from the end of a trailing spider plant leaf and points it out to Harding, who immediately takes a cutting and plants it in a pot. "Here you go! Your first project. They're pretty tough, so you'll have a hard time killing this." The spider plant flourishes under Weiler's attentive care, and after the blow at Tearstone Island she can sometimes be found gazing sadly at the plant, stroking its leaves for comfort. She will sit and wonder whether Harding can see how well the plant is continuing to grow. Emmrich will come and drop a kiss on the top of her head and squeeze her shoulder. "It's coming along beautifully, just like you."

NSFW below

#4 - Oddest place they have sex?

Once Weiler is comfortable enough to have sex (and enjoys it regularly) her libido skyrockets and - so long as Emmrich is also in the right mood and consents - she will eagerly suggest that they fuck no matter where they might be so long as they are not in direct sight of anyone. Perhaps the oddest place they have sex is in the boat of the Caretaker the one time it was at the dock unattended. Riding the high of defeating patrols of Venatori in the Converged City as they travelled alone, they gleefully took the opportunity to strip off with wild abandon and literally rock the boat.

#13 - Who's loud? Who's quiet? Does one try to make the other louder/quieter? How?

Neither Emmrich or Weiler is particularly loud, but Weiler is initially quiet to the point that it is concerning. She is so focused on remaining present in intimate moments and not slipping into traumatic flashbacks, she doesn't say a word or make a noise save the odd soft intake of breath. Worried that she isn't enjoying herself, Emmrich stops their lovemaking one night to hold her hands in his and talk to her about the importance of communication whilst they are both vulnerable like this. "Of course, this does not mean that you need to scream my name or make it a wild performance worthy of some Orlesian brothel. But, darling, I want to know what pleases you and, most importantly, which displeases you. It is my only wish to satisfy you entirely." Smiling awkwardly, Weiler responds that she might find it easier to know what to say with a demonstration, so Emmrich pulls her hands to his chest, moaning into the crook of her neck as her fingers brush the hardened nub of his nipples. "Keep touching me here and I'll be helpless in your hands."

[sidecharactersdomatter]

Thoughts I had during TGCF Season 1 the Recap!

Basically, I recap the First Season of TGCF with my reactions, before my Season 2 binge watch!

Ep 1

-Don’t go out there… don’t go out there… don’t go out there… don’t go out there… *Bride gets snatched* Okay, maybe you should’ve gone out there.

-Right after XL ascends, Lan Hai and Qing Tao then go, “Huh, Who is that?”  Then everybody yells at them, “PRINCE XIE LIAN!”

-So much Property Damage…

-Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!

-Fu Yao, *Is sarcastic and rolls his eyes* Basically me: He’s just like me fr!!!

-Hehehehehehe Dick joke XD

-Sees Bride!XL: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA I’m Sorry XD!

-Yeah right a few alterations, she totally fixed his make up calling it.

-*Sees Bridesmaids NF and FY like* W H E E E Z E XD XD XD XD

-So that’s how he was able to last longer than the previous bride

-Pass me the Aux cord!  You better not be playing mainstream garbage! *Turns on One Flower and One Sword and vibes like there’s no tomorrow*!

-I now pronounce you both husband and husband!  You may now kiss the gro- I mean, bride!  

Ep 2

-Honey, He looks a little too good looking to be the Ghost groom

-That temple looks abandoned, and the animation camera for walking inside

-There’s the ugly mob

-Hehe Xie Lian’s aggressive kindness

-When the mob scooched away from Bride!Lian I freaking lost it XDXDXDXD

-And Nan Feng and Fu Yao inch away instead of defending him!  

W H E E Z E!

-The fact they both agreed to not explain anything XD!

-Xiao Ying is a real friend

-And hurting the injured is a real low for the mob

-They have enraged the ghost groom

-KO!  Flawless victory!

-Zombie brides!

Ep 3

-Didn’t know it a zombie apocalypse happened in Ancient Feudal China (I need to brush up on my history)

-Welp, now they’re grateful 

-Wait a minute, he was an acrobat???  Xie Lian Pre 3 ascension life spinoff when??? (That’ll prolly never happen)

-Man here comes the Bride Pun count: 3

-Now that is an Azula level breakdown

-They are not merciful with the body count in this whole series

-Woah saved by literal divine intervention

-Geez, Pei Ming this is why we don’t Ghost our Exes, Pun Count: 4

-Man, Xuan Ji, maybe you should’ve heard of the phrase, “Plenty of Fish in the sea”

-The way Xie Lian blinked when he realized he was still in the wedding dress XD!

-Restoring faith in Ming Guang

-Oh no Trauma

Ep 4

-He’s so distraught he couldn’t follow

-The telepathic matrix, is basically the world’s first discord server

-Thank you Ling Wen

-Aw he likes Hua Cheng’s name!

-That explains the fall of Xianle and the Moldy Face Plague

-Let’s be honest, Bai Wuxiang is totally responsible for Covid-19

-Woah Hua Cheng has made his mark on Heaven

-Aww he thinks the Butterflies are beautiful!

-Honestly, smart move Mu Qing and Feng Xin

-Oh she is so burnt out

-Yeah, who was the Prince of Xianle anyway?

-WHY IS EVERYBODY’S EYELINER GAME SO ON POINT?!?!?!?!

Ep 5

-The way he blew off that maple leaf

-Oooh that subtle hinting later on and symbolism with Xie Lian

-The way he moved in closer *fangirls like no tomorrow*

-I freaking love the instrumental version of Hong Jue

-Is he touched starved?  He is touch starved

-I love that when San Lang scared the Ghosts shitless they ended up running like no tomorrow, Ghost 1: Book it guys our lives depend on it!  Ghost 2:  But we’re already dead! Ghost 1:  Well it’s just an expression!

-And there was only one bed.  Oh my gods there was only one bed!!!

-Aw he caught him staring

-I believe you Ox cart man

-Heck with how popular TGCF is right now, Xie Lian would be worshipped today by fans like us

-His luck did rub off on you and you should take it all Xie Lian

-Welp time to go start the next arc

Ep 6

-Woah, that old man is traumatized

-Of course being a martial god, he has experience in combat.  Have you seen him in a sword dual at Yinian bridge? (Subtle Phineas and Ferb quote)

-Yep called it, and the gong noise when the door opened!

-“How did we get out here in the middle of the ocean???”

-Awww look at San Lang’s emo hoodie!

-You know what’s better than one evil Daoist?  Two evil Daoists!

-And he drank the whole thing like a boss

-Now Nan Feng’s acting like an NPC from a fantasy video game

-The woman in the teal cloak saw him

-He’s touched starved again!

-Best chemistry ever!

-And after Rouye grabs San Lang and Xie Lian says, “I didn’t mean San Lang”. Rouye goes: “Really? Ok!”  And then lets him go, that’s just the hypothetical dialogue I’ve got for the silk band

Ep 7

-It’s official!  Xie Lian is shorter than San Lang people! 

-I’ve heard of a close knit unit but this is just insane!

-There’s so many people

-Ooooohhh That poor poor general

-SO MANY COBRAS!

-Oh no and 4’s an unlucky number in China

-He is sucking the venom out like a G!  Get yourself a man like San Lang people!

-You know we’re all thinking what Xie Lian’s thinking about how he’s going to clean San Lang’s bloodied lips (I’ll let you share your answers in the comment section)

-And Fu Yao’s stuck with merchant sitting

-Really lovely desert travel music!

-Yeah he does know an awful lot

-Uh oh the woman in the black cloak spotted them

Ep 8

-Thank you San Lang for protecting your man like a champ!

-Ooooh cool more Ban Yue lore!

-Ooooh his poor, poor head

-And San Lang’s expression, is worried if he hurt him, but it worked!

-Yeah but our faces don’t stick out of the ground like a fresh tater!

-Aw no they’re gonna need sacrifices

-Zhao’s fight response kicked in

-Eeenie meanie meinie that kid (probably Kemo)

-“Sully not thine honor on innocent blood” That almost sounded like a bible quote…?

-Dude Xie Lian was royalty

-Trust fall!  (You’ll see next ep peeps!)

-Oh and Xie Lian’s scream!  Kind of needed more raw emotion though

Ep 9

-He’s gonna jump into the pit, he’s jumping into the pit, he jumped into the

-Xie Lian’s like: Well I am going down there, but I won’t go down alone!

-The pit’s entrance is sealed!

-Trust fall!  TRUST FALL!  

-He touched his throat!

-There’s your answer Xie Lian

-Dance fight!  Dance fight!

-You’re just gonna excuse the mass murder San Lang committed in the pit?????

-Let me just find somewhere that isn’t covered in blood

-Oh yeah you’re grateful for San Lang carrying you

-The faces they made when he called them out for jumping into the pit XD Xie Lian’s eyes are wide and blank while San Lan has a cat face! XDXDXDXDXD

-She came down!

Ep 10

-She saw Xie Lian and San Lang

-So many fallen Ban Yue soldiers

-Hi Fu Yao

-I wasn’t kidding when I said Fu Yao isn’t great at crowd control

-Thank you Fu Yao

-She’s holding his hand and he’s patting her head my freaking heart!!!! 

-Oh No! Vomit trigger warning for this episode people

-Xie Lian raised her more than her Yong’An father did (and to some extent her late mother)

-It was still a good choice after all Xie Lian

-Take it easy with the ‘Bad Cop’ routine Fu Yao

-Oh no a scorpion snake

-Well that’s bad

Ep 11

-Aiaigasa!  It’s Aiaigasa again folks AAAAAHHH!!!!

-Scorpion tailed cobras why’d they have to be Scorpion tailed Cobras?!?!?!?!?

-That explains the sandstorm

-Ooooh Pei Xiu army backstory

-Ugh Classist general

-No Ban Yue!!!!  She was so young!!! T - T

-Yeah where will Xie Lian go from here?

-Oooh Yizhen got name dropped too!

-Uncle Jiang is cured!

-And the way he’s running away from the duo XDXDXD!

-Here’s why Fu Yao left early, as they healed Uncle Jiang he contacted Nan Feng through the telepathic array and Fu Yao’s reason is:  Come on, you know how horrifying his highness’ cooking can be.  This is just my theory, and I’d love to hear your possible ones in the comments!

-And the way Hua Cheng moved in closer and just preferred to be called ‘San Lang’ my freaking heart!!!

Ep 12

-We are back in Puqi village folks

-I freaking love how Xie Lian says ‘The Crimson Rain Sought Flower’ Howard Wang’s voice could act as my new sleeping aid

-Oh yeah San Lang does treasure you dude

-Ban Yue deserves all the head pats!!!!

-Ban Yue, I think you should keep living despite all the mistakes you’ve made… other than that I also don’t know the answer like Xie Lian

-Aww Xie Lian will love him no matter if he’s hideous or a monster he really does have the best standards!

-Awwww He’s hot when he’s mad!

-Another Reason why Hualian works so well is that San Lang also Respects!  Xie Lian’s!  Boundaries! (Yep still not getting involved with the Helluva Boss drama folks)

-It’s official!  That looks like an engagement ring people!

-Dude pass me the Aux cord!  Ya better not be playing mainstream garbage *Puts on Hong Jue at full blast and vibes like no tomorrow!*

-It’s like they’re running towards each other AAAAAHHH!!!

-Welp, see you guys later for Season 2!

Season 2! Here I come!!!!

[bg-brainrot]

what are your thoughts on Larian walking away from BG3/BG4/DLCs?

What a great question!!

So, first to acknowledge my own feelings as a gamer, as a fan of BG3, of the franchise, and, of course, of Astarion : I'm naturally a bit bummed. I would love to play more, read more, watch something, anything really.

Added to that, I also don't trust an outside team to come in to pick up the vision of the original team. I've seen it happen with other games, where the base game was one studio and the DLC was outsourced or they onboarded a new studio to take on it on as the main development team moved on to the next big project. It rarely, if ever, has worked out well.

My hope on the Hasbro/WotC side is that they leave BG3 alone to live on as a behemoth in the history of gaming... however, knowing how game publishers are, how much money BG3 made, the player interest in more content, etc -- there is no way that Hasbro is leaving money like that to the wayside.

Best case scenario I see on this side: they make auxiliary content, like books, toys, comics.

Worst case scenario: they outsource a new game team for DLC.

As for BG4, I honestly didn't expect that to be Larian's next project anyway (I was expecting Divinity 3, so feeling a different disappointment there haha). That being said, I don't think WotC or Hasbro know (and I mean this at the executive level of course) why BG3 did well. There are honestly a ton of factors on why BG3 did well, but that's for another post lol, but I don't think they could replicate that for BG4 with another studio. Doesn't mean I don't think it will be good-- it might be! It will just be very different.

Best case scenario here: they have a good studio make BG4 and it's still good, but it's different.

Worse case scenario here: they try to have a studio replicate what Larian did instead of tapping into their talents, and end up with a buggy, unfun mess. Also they bring back characters just to try to get people to buy it. 🥲

Now, as a game dev, what do I think of Larian's choice in all of this?

I LOVE IT. Wow, Swen Vincke is doing what every single developer wishes they could do if they actually had the power, money, and the influence to do it.

I have wished in the past for my studios to abandon projects, but sometimes it really was necessary to try to keep the studio afloat. As much as you want to work on a passion project, very rarely is it actually something that will keep the lights on. Oftentimes you will have to make that deal with Hasbro for a license or that deal with Epic for exclusivity just to recoup costs. Making games is expensive and, if you want to make anything at the scale that BG3 is, you usually need a lot of partnerships (a lot of their GDC talks were part of partnerships, like Dolby, Amazon, Adobe).

So the fact that they had such a success with BG3 to actually, comfortably follow their creative passions? Wow, wow, wow-- I am rooting for them so hard. I want them to make exactly the game they want and take all the time they need to do it.

Now, even knowing that Hasbro had something to do with this, was what he said about the developers not feeling passionate about the DLC true? Yeah, probably.

I've never seen something kill creative passion more (even if it's for a franchise you like or a game you've loved working on) than a directive from the top for something that's clearly just meant to make people above you more money. And with each partnership comes approvals, comes red tape, comes stakeholders that want to dictate what's in the game (oftentimes to the detriment of the game)-- and the game team can't even object because it's not their license or their brand.

The fact that Larian can say, 'screw that, I don't need more money from you' is truly such an anomaly in gaming. I am so very in awe of them as a developer-- it feels like someone breaking free of the system and paving the way forward for the rest of us. So whatever they do next, I will be there to support them.

BG3 is their most successful game so far, and I'm hopeful they will continue to push those boundaries. They've proven with each release that the core of their studio remains the same: immersive/massive RPG experiences, community-feedback focused improvements, and a well-balanced studio.

The tldr for all of this: I've loved Larian's choices so far and, while I'm bummed as a player, as a game dev I can't wait to see where this one takes them!