#number two is the ruler and in charge

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The tax sharks are back and they’re coming for your home

I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me TODAY (Apr 27) in MARIN COUNTY, then Winnipeg (May 2), Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), and beyond!

One of my weirder and more rewarding hobbies is collecting definitions of "conservativism," and one of the jewels of that collection comes from Corey Robin's must-read book The Reactionary Mind:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Reactionary_Mind

Robin's definition of conservativism has enormous explanatory power and I'm always finding fresh ways in which it clarifies my understand of events in the world: a conservative is someone who believes that a minority of people were born to rule, and that everyone else was born to follow their rules, and that the world is in harmony when the born rulers are in charge.

This definition unifies the otherwise very odd grab-bag of ideologies that we identify with conservativism: a Christian Dominionist believes in the rule of Christians over others; a "men's rights advocate" thinks men should rule over women; a US imperialist thinks America should rule over the world; a white nationalist thinks white people should rule over racialized people; a libertarian believes in bosses dominating workers and a Hindu nationalist believes in Hindu domination over Muslims.

These people all disagree about who should be in charge, but they all agree that some people are ordained to rule, and that any "artificial" attempt to overturn the "natural" order throws society into chaos. This is the entire basis of the panic over DEI, and the brainless reflex to blame the Francis Scott Key bridge disaster on the possibility that someone had been unjustly promoted to ship's captain due to their membership in a disfavored racial group or gender.

This definition is also useful because it cleanly cleaves progressives from conservatives. If conservatives think there's a natural order in which the few dominate the many, progressivism is a belief in pluralism and inclusion, the idea that disparate perspectives and experiences all have something to contribute to society. Progressives see a world in which only a small number of people rise to public life, rarified professions, and cultural prominence and assume that this is terrible waste of the talents and contributions of people whose accidents of birth keep them from participating in the same way.

This is why progressives are committed to class mobility, broad access to education, and active programs to bring traditionally underrepresented groups into arenas that once excluded them. The "some are born to rule, and most to be ruled over" conservative credo rejects this as not just wrong, but dangerous, the kind of thing that leads to bridges being demolished by cargo ships.

The progressive reforms from the New Deal until the Reagan revolution were a series of efforts to broaden participation in every part of society by successively broader groups of people. A movement that started with inclusive housing and education for white men and votes for white women grew to encompass universal suffrage, racial struggles for equality, workplace protections for a widening group of people, rights for people with disabilities, truth and reconciliation with indigenous people and so on.

The conservative project of the past 40 years has been to reverse this: to return the great majority of us to the status of desperate, forelock-tugging plebs who know our places. Hence the return of child labor, the tradwife movement, and of course the attacks on labor unions and voting rights:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/06/the-end-of-the-road-to-serfdom/

Arguably the most potent symbol of this struggle is the fight over homes. The New Deal offered (some) working people a twofold path to prosperity: subsidized home-ownership and strong labor protections. This insulated (mostly white) workers from the two most potent threats to working peoples' lives and wellbeing: the cruel boss and the greedy landlord.

But the neoliberal era dispensed with labor rights, leaving the descendants of those lucky workers with just one tool for securing their American dream: home-ownership. As wages stagnated, your home – so essential to your ability to simply live – became your most important asset first, and a home second. So long as property values rose – and property taxes didn't – your home could be the backstop for debt-fueled consumption that filled the gap left by stagnating wages. Liquidating your family home might someday provide for your retirement, your kids' college loans and your emergency medical bills.

For conservatives who want to restore Gilded Age class rule, this was a very canny move. It pitted lucky workers with homes against their unlucky brethren – the more housing supply there was, the less your house was worth. The more protections tenants had, the less your house was worth. The more equitably municipal services (like schools) were distributed, the less your house was worth:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/06/06/the-rents-too-damned-high/

And now that the long game is over, they're coming for your house. It started with the foreclosure epidemic after the 2008 financial crisis, first under GW Bush, but then in earnest under Obama, who accepted the advice of his Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who insisted that homeowners should be liquidated to "foam the runways" for the crashing banks:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/06/personnel-are-policy/#janice-eberly

Then there are scams like "We Buy Ugly Houses," a nationwide mass-fraud outfit that steals houses out from under elderly, vulnerable and desperate people:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/11/ugly-houses-ugly-truth/#homevestor

The more we lose our houses, the more single-family homes Wall Street gets to snap up and convert into slum properties, aslosh with a toxic stew of black mold, junk fees and eviction threats:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/02/08/wall-street-landlords/#the-new-slumlords

Now there's a new way for finance barons the steal our houses out from under us – or rather, a very old way that had lain dormant since the last time child labor was legal – "tax lien investing."

Across the country, counties and cities have programs that allow investment funds to buy up overdue tax-bills from homeowners in financial hardship. These "investors" are entitled to be paid the missing property taxes, and if the homeowner can't afford to make that payment, the "investor" gets to kick them out of their homes and take possession of them, for a tiny fraction of their value.

As Andrew Kahrl writes for The American Prospect, tax lien investing was common in the 19th century, until the fundamental ugliness of the business made it unattractive even to the robber barons of the day:

https://prospect.org/economy/2024-04-26-investing-in-distress-tax-liens/

The "tax sharks" of Chicago and New York were deemed "too merciless" by their peers. One exec who got out of the business compared it to "picking pennies off a dead man’s eyes." The very idea of outsourcing municipal tax collection to merciless debt-hounds fell aroused public ire.

Today – as the conservative project to restore the "natural" order of the ruled and the ruled-over builds momentum – tax lien investing is attracting some of America's most rapacious investors – and they're making a killing. In Chicago, Alden Capital just spent a measly $1.75m to acquire the tax liens on 600 family homes in Cook County. They now get to charge escalating fees and penalties and usurious interest to those unlucky homeowners. Any homeowner that can't pay loses their home.

The first targets for tax-lien investing are the people who were the last people to benefit from the New Deal and its successors: Black and Latino families, elderly and disabled people and others who got the smallest share of America's experiment in shared prosperity are the first to lose the small slice of the American dream that they were grudgingly given.

This is the very definition of "structural racism." Redlining meant that families of color were shut out of the federal loan guarantees that benefited white workers. Rather than building intergenerational wealth, these families were forced to rent (building some other family's intergenerational wealth), and had a harder time saving for downpayments. That meant that they went into homeownership with "nontraditional" or "nonconforming" mortgages with higher interest rates and penalties, which made them more vulnerable to economic volatility, and thus more likely to fall behind on their taxes. Now that they're delinquent on their property taxes, they're in hock to a private equity fund that's charging them even more to live in their family home, and the second they fail to pay, they'll be evicted, rendered homeless and dispossessed of all the equity they built in their (former) home.

It's very on-brand for Alden Capital to be destroying the lives of Chicagoans. Alden is most notorious for buying up and destroying America's most beloved newspapers. It was Alden who bought up the Chicago Tribune, gutted its workforce, sold off its iconic downtown tower, and moved its few remaining reporters to an outer suburban, windowless brick building "the size of a Chipotle":

https://pluralistic.net/2021/10/16/sociopathic-monsters/#all-the-news-thats-fit-to-print

Before the ghastly hotel baroness Leona Helmsley went to prison for tax evasion, she famously said, "We don't pay taxes; only the little people pay taxes." Helmsley wasn't wrong – she was just a little ahead of schedule. As Propublica's IRS Files taught us, America's 400 richest people pay less tax than you do:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/04/13/for-the-little-people/#leona-helmsley-2022

When billionaires don't pay their taxes, they get to buy sports franchises. When poor people don't pay their taxes, billionaires get to steal their houses after paying the local government an insultingly small amount of money.

It's all going according to plan. We weren't meant to have houses, or job security, or retirement funds. We weren't meant to go to university, or even high school, and our kids were always supposed to be in harness at a local meat-packer or fast food kitchen, not wasting time with their high school chess club or sports team. They don't need high school: that's for the people who were born to rule. They – we – were meant to be ruled over.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/26/taxes-are-for-the-little-people/#alden-capital

[olympeline]

Gonna post my thoughts on the Hetalia Nations Revealed AU. Always a fun one to chat about. (￣▽￣)

We call it an AU but it’s actually pretty accurate. The part about nation-people not being a secret, I mean. I recently reread the webcomic and canon leans into NPs being public knowledge. Obviously their bosses are aware of them, but there’s lots of strips where NPs interact with members of the public as well. There are strips starring humans who don’t recognize their NP (that one soldier in France, Lisa, Davie, etc.) but they’re fewer in number. We all know Heta-canon is flexible so, for this post, I’m coming down on the side of “people know.” Here’s how I headcanon it all working:

Nation-people are common knowledge to the extent it would be really weird if you met someone who wasn’t aware of them. It would be like talking to a guy and he says he’s never heard of religion. Like, any religion. In the whole world. Not even the concept of it. You’d be all: “Whaaa?? Man, how?? Did you grow up under a rock?” It’s like that for NPs.

NPs are more than human and so aren’t too bothered by us. In a nice way. They still love their citizens but it’s not a relationship between equals. More benevolent demi-deities existing alongside the mundane. This is where I differ from some interpretations of this AU, I think. I can’t see the NPs as being weak and helpless around their people. They’re partially representations of the Earth itself and nature is much stronger than humanity. Like that panel where Francis was getting harassed by historians? Only happened because he allowed it. NPs let humans get close to them when they choose, but they can lose them if they wish. That’s what France did when he’d had enough. The historians blinked and he was just gone. Slipped away like a breath of wind. Leaving two very disappointed academics to continue their argument, lol. The only exceptions are their bosses. NPs have to obey any direct order given by them.

Have to, have to. Compelled in the old fae-like way. NPs are completely under the control of whoever’s running their country. The one who has the final say is the head of state, but they can and do delegate if someone else holds the true power. Kiku directly obeys his emperor, for example, but the emperor obeys Japan’s Diet. So the Prime Minister gives Kiku his orders through their symbolic ruler. If a country’s government is overthrown then that control passes to the new ones in charge. NPs don’t get any choice in the matter, sadly for them. When an NP starts obeying the “other side” then the writing’s on the wall that the regime change has succeeded.

They aren’t considered fully human and so don’t have the same rights and privileges we do. I’d imagine there’s been many high profile court cases about stuff like this in the modern era. Just what an NP can be ordered to do by their bosses before it becomes abusive, how culpable they are for crimes committed by their nations, etc. “The Nation of [x] vs. Nation-Person [y] in the case of Historical Crime(s) [z].” I don’t think much would have been accomplished over the years, lol. No country is going to let their NP go to a foreign prison. Plus the NPs always have the “magically compelled” defense to fall back on. So no progress, just lots of debate. NPs are considered somewhere between guardian deities, ordinary people, and “things” in the broader public consciousness.

Yes, they have social media. No, it has not always gone well. I bet after a few instant-major-historical-event cases of careless and/or hot-tempered NPs calling their bosses assholes on twitter, NP accounts were mass nuked. They were reinstated only after their bosses gave them loooong lists of subjects they weren’t allowed to talk about. Afterwards their posts were all fluff about hobbies and personal interests. Doesn’t stop foreign governments, economists, gossip channels, NP enthusiasts, and curious people combing through every tweet, post, and video to try and guess what the NPs are “really” talking about. So many conspiracy theorist channels, oh god. Even thinking about it is making me tired. 😂

NPs have two homes: a work address and a personal one. The former is usually located in their capital and is either where their boss lives or close by. So Alfred has a home at the White House, Arthur has one on Downing Street, etc. However most NPs don’t consider these their real homes and only spend time there while doing government work. Ordinary, if nice, houses and apartments out among their people is where they like to live. These can decorate them to match their personalities the way they can’t official residences. They use their power over the land to make sure no humans can find these sanctuaries unless the NP wants them to. Stops NPs being swarmed by paparazzi, tourists, and fans 24/7.

De-anoning to say it was me that sent @forsoobado137 the money ask. So just repeating what I said there. All countries put their NP’s face on their money. Along with the state’s name, the NP’s human name, and a picture of the actual land they represent. The money can have other famous people on it too, just on the other side. Governments have been doing this since money was invented and some of the only surviving visual records of ancient NPs are pictures on coins.

Any human being knows an NP and the country they represent just by sight. Unless it’s somewhere they’ve never heard of. Then all they know is that they’re looking at a nation-person. I imagine it would be considered a huge faux-pas to let it slip you don’t know an NP’s country name. Like telling a Holywood A-lister you don’t know who they are at a red carpet event. 😭

NPs have many default jobs, mostly related to their governments. One of them is being in their nation’s armed forces. They’ve always done this ever since the first age of empires. They even led armies and were seen as good luck charms in the past. Soldiers tend to make up the bulk of the humans the NPs remember most fondly. The relationship between Francis and Joan of Arc is one of the best known historical examples. Whether an NP actually enjoys their time in the military depends on their personality. Which is in turn influenced by how warlike the actual country is and has been. If your NP falls in battle, it’s one of the worst war omens possible.

Speaking of death, I headcanon that NPs can die from illness or injury. Or at least their human bodies can. They’re tougher than we are, but not unkillable. They’ll come back so long as the nation itself survives. True death for an NP is reserved for when the civilisation they represent stops existing. If an NP dies in a foreign country, they’ll crumble to dust and regenerate somewhere deep in their heartlands. The place they were originally “born” from the earth. Only a select few very high up in government know the location of their NP’s birth/rebirth place. This also happens if they die on home soil and their body is destroyed. If they die at home and their body is okay, they’ll heal and wake up after a few hours. If the country isn’t doing well it takes longer for its NP to come back.

Speaking of countries not doing well: NPs get sick either when their economies go bad, or when there’s an epidemic among their citizens. A lot of European NPs can chalk some of their early deaths up to the Black Death. When an NP get “depressed” it’s code for a financial fever. Nothing can be done but keep them comfortable until the economy picks up.

Hetalia is so fun to post about, my god. Such a prime series for theories and headcanons. You feel me, gamers?

[sister-of-hitoshi]

Bnha main three x turned to child reader

Scenarios with just fluff!

Midoriya Izuku

It was a quaint, idle afternoon, although Midoriya Izuku was as busy as ever.

Being the former no.1 hero's protégé, being the weilder of One for All, being a dutiful student of the most prestigious academy of Japan, being a good son, being a supportive friend, a wonderful partner, a-

Good babysitter?

Yes there was a lot to be, but being a babysitter was really asking too much of him.

Our pure, sweet and innocent boy might be good with kids in general, but he was not made to handle little gremlins with short fuses.

But alas, to be the future no.1 hero of the country, you should be ready to face each and every challenge thrown at you.

Or that's what he kept telling himself.

Because right now, a little gremlin had been pulling at his curls for god knows how long.

And this little gremlin was his adorable s/o...

It all started when he had comeback to his room being left in shambles with a little toddler claiming their throne at it's centre.

"U-ummm"

"W-W-Whoooo a-are youuu??!!"

What is an adorable kid doing in his room? How are they even in his room? Isn't UA supposed to have top-tier security? Why is-

"I'M Y/N!!"

This was enough for his instincts to take over his next movements as he immediately picked you up and full-cowled to Aizawa sensei.

Recovery girl was informed, and following her deductions, he got to know about the duration of three days.

Without further ado, and due to all the qualities mentioned in point number 2, Aizawa immediately put him in charge of his companion.

Which brings us back to the present.

The present where you were running around the common school yard with him chasing after you- because at some point during his conversation with his teachers you had become tired of his curls and had jumped down from his back, ordering requesting him to run and catch you.

The first few minutes he was only trying to humour you to see that adorable grin that you sported.

But this soon wasn't the case anymore since he was now being bested by a literal toddler in terms of running for two hours straight.

This activity was followed by you doing his hair and him doing yours in your room, since his was left in shambles and you wouldn't let him go.

To say you were hyper was an understatement-

And you hadn't even unleashed half of your potential!

At some point, the perplexity of his own precarious situation got to him, leading him to call his mom asking for tips.

Following which he had you strapped on his chest everytime he was busy doing something, he couldn't have you tiring yourself afterall (he didn't have it in him to run after you anymore)

It was pretty alright after your initial tantrums and pulling on his hair, asking to be let down.

You were a somewhat of cuddle bug for him- you slapped everyone's hands away when they tried to touch you, and only permitted him for doing so (he is still very proud of you for doing that).

Want to be entertained? You can swing using his black whips, float around the room with him, the options were endless!- So of course you did everything on the list because why not.

All in all he was a good servant caretaker, you never once cried when he was around and he could keep up with your royal decrees shenanigans.

Of course you would never know that he fantasized about you in his almight onesies

"...Is this the candy that you wanted, Y/N?"

"YEs"

You were pretty pleased with your devoted follower, so being a good ruler, you decided it was best to promise your loyal subject a deserving reward.

"Uh- they said that they've run out of stock for that juice Y/N-san so-"

You interrupted him by giving him a sweet peck on the cheek, as a reward of course-

"Mr. Izukw! I'm gonna marry yu in the fwuture!"

"..umM..."

.......

....

"...- so the kis- I MEAN THE CANDY- NO JUICE-JUICE-"

You child form wasn't enough to keep him from blushing till his ear tips.

He pulled on his bangs to keep you from seeing his red face.

"Umm...m-me too"

For Katsuki Bakugo: Here

For Shouto Todoroki: Here

[macsimagines]

Could I ask for Kisaki, Rindou, and Draken with partners that are insecure? Like they truly believe that their boyfriend/husband could do so much better than them

I've done this one already for Kisaki and Draken here but I can def do one for Rindou!! this is kind of like a part two to my EX! Ran Haitani headcanon set!! also idk why text colors are being weird i'll try to fix it later on

TW: YANDERE BEHAVIOR, MINORS DNI,

Yandere!Rindou Haitani

He loves you, adores you even. You're so soft and kind compared to his hard and mean. Rindou has always taken pride in being who he is. He's a Haitani brother, feared allover Tokyo and a ruler in charge of Roppongi.

But for you? Just you- He's Rin. Your loving boyfriend that is never too busy to spend time with you and never lacking in affection. He'll hold your hand gladly or throw a reassuring arm over your shoulder.

All the love in the world can't stop the thoughts in your head though. He's so much more than you'll ever be. You've seen him in action and his strength and overwhelming capabilities compared to your...to your anything just made you feel so dull in comparison.

Rin is beautiful, he catches the eye of every woman you walk past on the street. Rin is strong, he can beat men without breaking a sweat. Rin is powerful, he has people that flock to him at his beck and call and you are nothing.

"I just... I just think I'm holding you back," you tell him, over the phone because you're too much of coward to say it to his face, "I want... I want what's best for you-!" "What the fuck are you talkin' about, you're what's best for me! Baby-please-!" "I can't! I'm not enough, I'm sorry Rin."

And you hang up the phone, block his number. Its better this way, you're sure by this time next week he'll have moved onto someone else, someone better that could keep up with someone as amazing as him.

But then something unexpected happens. His brother comes looking for you. Rin warned you about him once, said that after a bad breakup with his girlfriend he hadn't been the same.

"I thought they got back together though?" you had asked him confused after he had told you. He never answered you back, just got this weird look on his face before giving you a warning; "Try not to get too close. And try not to piss him off."

Yet here he was, at your doorstep staring you down like you were the scum of the earth. Apparently you hadn't heeded the warning.

"Havin' fun?" he asks, not even blinking while he towers over you, and your voice is caught in your throat, too scared to even make a sound at the older Haitani. "Cause I'm sure fuckin' not."

And suddenly he's grabbing you by the hair so tight you're scared he's going to rip it from your skull, but no, he's dragging you out the door and down the steps of your apartment ignoring your cries and screams for help.

Muttering something the whole way to his car. Something like "...You bitches and the games you like to play. Fuck with our heads, you and my girl always got make fuckin' problems for us-"

Then he's shoving you into the passenger seat making sure you can't get out. One moment you feel like you've found your voice again and then the next it leaves you because Ran has a gun pointed right at you only seconds later.

"Your gonna fix this you ungrateful bitch," he spits, eyes so full of hate it makes you want to curl in on yourself, "Put my baby brother back together and act like you like it. Like you fuckin' love it. Or I'll kill you my damn self and make you regret makin' a fool out of the Haitanis. Do you understand, Y/N?"

You're not sure if you say yes or if you even or in affirmation before he's pulling out of the parking lot and speeding dangeroulsy to some unknown destination.

And you are crying, silently shaking and sobbing because you're so scared of what he's going to do and he's still holding the gun right at your head, muttering to himself yet again.

"I'll make it right- I'll fix him and he'll be ok- fuckin' women making us loose our goddamn minds-,"

Finally you pull into a warehouse, abandoned by the looks of it and new found fear arises in you- Is this where Ran is going to kill you? But no.... This is where Rin is.

You see him first, his eyes are dark and he looks so tired from his usual self, and his expression is so empty, so emotionless that you're worried for a split second but then you see...the man. At least that's what he used to be.

His face is beaten in, and his body is contorted in such a mangled way you're sure his limbs had been broken, and Rin is on top of him. Pummeling away at the already red and mangled face.

You can't help the small gasp that leaves you and you probably would've ran out there screaming had Ran not been holding you by the neck.

But your scream was enough to alert the younger Haitani, and he turns to look at you with eyes wild like an animals. "Y-Y/N?" he whispers standing on shaking legs, "B-baby is that you?"

It didn't matter how hard you tried you couldn't make out a single sound, too shocked by the scenes unfolding around you. Thankfully, Ran wasn't short on words....

"Ya, I brought Y/N here 'cause she has somethin' to say," Ran shoves you forward, making sure that the gun at his side is always within your view. A silent reminder of what he made you promise...

Rin doesn't let you get any words our before he's embracing you with bloodied hands, smearing another persons bodily fluid all over you... "Oh baby, please tell me you're back, please? Its been hell, I can't do this without you, I'm loosin' my fuckin' mind."

Its like your brain suddenly catches up with you. You have to say yes or else... "I-I'm back," you nod, hugging him back with shaking hands, "I'm... I'm sorry Rin."

And suddenly he's sobbing, pulling you away only so he could hold your face in his bloody hands to look into your eyes, "How could you do this to me, I love you so much,"

Ran once again, speaks. "You need to keep her in line," he tells his younger brother, much to your dismay, "Like I keep my girl. Don't worry. I'll teach you."

You could never leave Rin Haitani. Shame on you for even trying.

[followerex]

Fool's Fate Riddles

from @petra-creat0r's project.

-

1. What's always in charge, but never in debt, found in cars but never buses, found in cats but never dogs, and is known as the first amongst all their kind?

Answer: A

2. Remove a letter and I become one, yet add a letter and I can become an insect, a wager, or a place to rest. What am I?

Answer: Be

3. My name sounds like the ocean, yet how I sound depends on those around me. What am I?

Answer: C.

4. What is not a holiday, yet only found in the last month of the year?

Answer: D.

5. I am the beginning of the end, and the end of time and space. I am essential to creation, and I surround every place. What am I?

Answer: E.

6. I always start with T, but can be spelled with two letters, three letters, or a number. Every spelling changes my meaning. What am I?

Answer: Too/two/to.

7. What number is odd but can be made even by removing one letter?

Answer: Seven. (funny, answer to question Seven is seven.)

8. I never come once; I always repeat. Try as you might, you will always try me. What am I?

Answer: Again

9. When parties argue, I am gone, yet when there's peace, they both are me. What am I?

Answer: Agree

10. Add a B and I am round, and a C and I am sound, and an F and I am downed, yet add a G I am not ground. My name means everything. What am I?

Answer: All.

11. I never face my issues, I always ignore or hide, if handed degree or contract, I will nullify. Doing me will solve nothing but give little peace of mind. What am I?

Answer: Avoid

12. What is always behind you and can never leave, but a friend can have yours?

Answer: Back.

13. What can be seen in the sky, in the ocean and sea, can be felt but not touched by you or by me?

Answer: Blue

14. At the beginning of your life, you are me, yet change my first letter and others only do me once you’re gone. What am I?

Answer: Born.

15. What is in a deck but not on a ship, can have a heart but no other organs, and can be put on a table and cut, but never eaten?

Answer: Cards.

16. I am the sound of a tongue, I am the sound of a mouse. Remove my last letter and my sound stays the same but remove my first and now I sound wet.

Answer: Click.

17. What can you do to someone when spelled with four letters but usually can't do on them when spelled with three?

Answer: Care?

18. I breed unity and trust, yet can be used to manipulate. All humans crave me but I can be difficult to maintain. What am I?

Answer: Connection

19. What can be good or bad, big or not, crummy or fair, can be done with cards, commodities, or blows, and can be sealed with hand, pen, or card?

Answer: Deal

20. What closes out every book, story, or tale and which every life must eventually come to?

Answer: End

21. I can be a place of fun or a measure of justice, add four letters and I can be viewed as equality yet remove one and you won't see me at all. What am I?

Answer: Fair.

22. You can not escape me, yet you have the chance to change me. What am I?

Answer: Fate.

23. No matter what you add to the end, I always come last. Yet replace three of my letters and I am first. What am I?

Answer: Final.

24. What's value is 0 yet journey's through the deck? Is seen as stupid yet can be used as a trick?

Answer: Fool.

25. The imprisoned wish to be me, yet those that are me rarely think they are truly. My domain holds no rulers, yet my land is open to all. Many find me valuable, yet I cost nothing. What am I?

Answer: Free

26. I'm always a question but never a person, place, or thing. I am the odd one out among my family. What am I?

Answer: How

27. Two on a side, four on a field. A steed without jockey, yet still I don't yield. What am I?

Answer: Knight.

28. To be me you must learn yet the more you have me the less you have me. Put me before a ledge and I am power. What am I?

Answer: Know.

29. What can take many forms, from canine friend to valiant knight, and can be always seen through support or sacrifice?

Answer: Loyal

30. I trick people yet I am praised, make people disappear yet they give me a stage, can slip a man’s wallet from out his pack, yet when the shows over I’ll always give it back. What am I?

Answer: Magician

31. What crawls on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?

Answer: Man.

32. What does greed always make you want, no matter how much you have?

Answer: More.

33. You mistake want for me, yet it is not. If someone is me, you find them annoying though they require you. What am I?

Answer: Need.

34. I'm not from the future and not from the past. Once the moment is gone, I no longer last. What am I?

Answer: Now

35. Add a T and I am not, backwards I turn to on, E and N you have none and you’ll often find me paired with E, S, and Y. What am I?

Answer: No.

36. Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it you die. What is it?

Answer: Nothing.

37. How many times can you subtract the number 5 from 25?

Answer: Once

38. Played both in battle and out, I may be small yet I always protect someone bigger. What am I?

Answer: Pawn.

39. What can you do freely as a child, but are for judged for as an adult?

Answer: Play

40. I’m done by the sheep near the end of the day, yet change only my vowel and I am what the sheep is to the wolf. What am I?

Answer: Pray

[baileypie-writes]

~How to Watch Pretty Cure in Order - Part 2~

~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~

Pretty Cure has many seasons, so it can be confusing and overwhelming if you want to get into it. So I made this guide on how to watch all seasons and movies in order! It’s very specific, almost unnecessarily so. But I know that it’ll surely help people out!

This is part 2. So if you haven’t seen part 1, do that before reading this!

Part 1 here!

Note: The plot sections were not written by me. They were copied and pasted from various sources. They were occasionally edited to make them less long, or to fix mistakes.

~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~

~Important~

Pretty Cure, for the most part, does not need to be watched in order. You can watch almost any season first, and not be confused! There are some exceptions, of course. But I’ll get into those a bit later.

~Side Notes~

• The movies don’t need to be watched at a super specific point in the series. They are never mentioned in the actual series. They’re more like fun side quests. It’s not even confirmed whether or not they’re actually canon. But for those who want to be super specific, I added when during the series the movie aired.

• In newer seasons, there is sometimes an episode that includes Pretty Cure teams from the past. It’s usually not significant to the main story. But you can still watch it without being too confused.

• Starting in 2014 with Happiness Charge Pretty Cure!, Pretty Cure started doing something called the “baton pass”. Basically, during the last episode of the season, the main Cure for the next season will be featured. It ranges from a small cameo, to them having multiple minutes of screen time.

~Exceptions~

• Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart must be watched after Futari wa Pretty Cure.

• Yes! Pretty Cure 5 GoGo! must be watched after Yes! Pretty Cure 5.

• To watch Power of Hope: Pretty Cure Full Bloom, you have to have watched Futari wa Pretty Cure, Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart, Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash☆Star, Yes! Pretty Cure 5, and Yes! Pretty Cure 5 GoGo!(seasons mentioned in part 1)

Let’s get started!

~~~~

~Season 11 - Happiness Charge Pretty Cure!~

Number of Episodes: 49

Theme: None?

Plot: The ruler of the evil Phantom Empire, Queen Mirage, begins her invasion on Earth using an army of Choiarks and powerful monsters called Saiarks. Pretty Cures are dispatched to fight against the Phantom Empire threat. Hime Shirayuki, a princess from the Blue Sky Kingdom who was given the power to become Cure Princess by a being named Blue, flees to Japan when her kingdom is invaded by the Phantom Empire.

Movies:

Pretty Cure All Stars New Stage 3: Eternal Friends

Aired After: Episode 6

Crossover?: Yes

Seasons Included: All(from that time)

Plot: Gureru and EnEn from the fairy school come looking for the new Pretty Cure, Megumi and Hime. But a mysterious incident occurs where children keep sleeping without waking up. The Pretty Cure gather to help children trapped in a dream world.

Happiness Charge Pretty Cure!: Ballerina of the Doll Kingdom

Aired After: Episode 35

Crossover?: No

Plot: The film's story is set in the Doll Kingdom, where dolls reside. The Happiness Charge Pretty Cure are asked to help by a woman named Tsumugi when the sudden appearance of Saiarks begin wreaking havoc upon the Kingdom. However, all is not what it seems with the mysterious man, Black Fang, dwelling in the shadows.

~~~~

~Season 12 - Go! Princess Pretty Cure~

Number of Episodes: 50

Theme: Princesses

Plot: When Haruka arrives at her new school, a chance encounter with a pair of magical creatures influences a series of unbelievable events, and Haruka awakens as "Cure Flora," the princess of blooming flowers. After two of Haruka's classmates also transform into legendary princesses, a story of self-discovery unfolds as the newfound team "Princess Precure" carries the responsibility of protecting everyone's dreams. Engaged in a battle between hope and despair, Haruka may find the key toward becoming the princess she has always dreamed to be.

Movies:

Pretty Cure All Stars: Spring Carnival♪

Aired After: Episode 6

Crossover?: Yes

Seasons Included: All(from that time)

Plot: A spring carnival held in the country of dance and song, Harmonia, is beginning. Haruka Haruno and her friends also join the festival to learn dance and song from their senior Precure warriors. However, the fairies go missing, and the carnival is thrown into confusion. Even worse, the announcers Odoren and Utaen seem extremely suspicious, and the guardian dragon of Harmonia has started a rampage, angry at the chaos at the carnival. In order to protect the peace of Harmonia, the 40 Precure warriors work together to create a miracle through dance and song filled with hope.

Go! Princess PreCure The Movie: Go! Go!! Splendid Triple Feature!!!

Aired After: Episode 38

Crossover?: No

Plot: Part 1 is a dialogue-less story featuring Cure Flora and a mischievous ghost in a mirror. Part 2 features the four Precure girls trying to rescue a princess who is held captive. Part 3 is set when the Night Kingdom lost its daytime. The Precure team fight to take the daytime back alongside the princess Refi.

~~~~

~Season 13 - Witchy Pretty Cure!~

(Also known as Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure! and Maho Girls Pretty Cure!)

Number of Episodes: 50

Theme: Witches/magic

Plot: One day, Mirai was in the park when a witch, Riko, falls off her broom. Together with Mofurun, Mirai's talking teddy bear, they become Precure to fight the villains called Yokubal while collecting Linkle Stones.

Movies:

Pretty Cure All Stars: Singing with Everyone♪ Miraculous Magic!

Aired After: Episode 6

Crossover?: Yes

Seasons Included: All(from that time)

Plot: Two friends must use Pretty Cure's magic tears to save the human world. Separated by a witch and her partner, the only thing that can protect the world is the friendship of the 44 Pretty Cure.

Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure! The Movie: Miraculous Transformation! Cure Mofurun!

Aired After: Episode 38

Crossover?: No

Plot: I'm Mirai Asahina! Everyone, do you know about the "Wishing Stone"? It's a powerful stone that can grant any wish you want! Today is the day we're celebrating its revival, a huge magic festival that only occurs once a century♪ Together with Riko and Ha-chan, I wish upon this "Wishing Stone", but believe or not, it chose Mofurun's wish! This is truly exciting!! However...a mysterious bear・Dark Matter suddenly appears, and takes Mofurun with him!! I have to definitely save Mofurun! Even when we're separated, the wishes of all of us can bring about miracles!! Well that is what I thought, what~~~!! Mofurun became a Pretty Cure~!?

~~~~

~Season 14 - KiraKira☆Pretty Cure A La Mode~

Number of Episodes: 49

Theme: Sweets(and animals)

Plot: 8th Grader Ichika Usami becomes a Precure through the power of baking. With the help of fairy friends, she and 4 buddies fight evil as Precures while running a patisserie.

Movies:

Pretty Cure Dream Stars!

Aired After: Episode 6

Crossover?: Yes

Seasons Included: Go! Princess, Witchy, KiraKira

Plot: I'm Ichika Usami! On this day, I met a girl named Sakura! She told me that there is a beautiful sparkling world. However, a bad person named Karasu Tengu appears to steal <beautiful things all over the world> and kidnap Sakura's friends...but don't worry! "GO! Princess Pretty Cure", "Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure!" and my team, "KiraKira☆Pretty Cure A La Mode" will definitely save your world! So everyone, hold hands! Open that door! Let's go and save Sakura's world!

KiraKira☆Pretty Cure A La Mode: Crispy! The Mille-feuille of Memories!

Aired After: Episode 37

Crossover?: No

Plot: Set in Paris, the land of desserts, the Pretty Cure use the power of their memories to confront a mysterious monster.

~~~~

~Season 15 - HUGtto! Pretty Cure~

Number of Episodes: 49

Theme: Professions?

Plot: Hana Nono wants to be a cool adult. Her first day at her new school gets off to a rocky start, but she meets some nice people and is looking forward to the next day, when a mysterious baby named "Hug-tan" falls out of the sky, along with her hamster caregiver, Hari. Hug-tan is pursued by the evil Criasu Company and its monsters that want her Mirai Crystal. Soon, Hug-tan is attacked, but Hana's desire to protect the baby creates a new Mirai Crystal, and she transforms into Cure Yell. Hana learns that the Mirai Crystals have the power to create tomorrow, and if the crystals are taken, everyone's future will disappear.

Movies:

Pretty Cure Super Stars!

Aired After: Episode 6

Crossover?: Yes

Seasons Included: Witchy, KiraKira, Hugtto

Plot: Hana takes Hugtan to a field of alpine flowers, where she is eventually joined by Saaya and Homare. However, a monster called Usobaka appears, which is determined to cover the world in lies.

HUGtto! Pretty Cure♡Futari wa Pretty Cure: All Stars Memories

Aired After: Episode 37

Crossover?: Yes

Seasons Included: All(from that time)

Plot: The Hugtto! Pretty Cure team joins forces with the Futari wa Pretty Cure team to retrieve the Pretty Cures' stolen powers and memories from an vengeful teru teru bōzu named Miden.

~~~~

~Season 16 - Star☆Twinkle Pretty Cure~

Number of Episodes: 49

Theme: Space

Plot: The Starry Sky World is the home of the twelve Star Princesses, who maintain order in the universe. But when the Notraiders attack the Star Palace, the princesses scatter themselves across the universe as the Princess Star Color Pens. Seeking to revive the princesses and prevent the universe from being consumed in darkness, the aliens Lala and Prunce travel with the fairy Fuwa to Mihoshi Town on Earth, where they meet the imaginative Hikaru Hoshina. After receiving a Star Color Pendant and a Star Color Pen, Hikaru transforms into the legendary Pretty Cure, Cure Star. Hikaru leads the Star Twinkle Pretty Cure as they seek to revive the Star Princesses and fight against the Notraiders.

Movies:

Pretty Cure Miracle Universe

Aired After: Episode 6

Crossover?: Yes

Seasons Included: KiraKira, Hugtto, Star Twinkle

Plot: I'm Hikaru Hoshina! One day, when I was looking at the stars, space just warped before my eyes!? Twincool~☆ Are we really going to the planet that made the Miracle Lights? Wait, what? Huh~!? Suddenly the lights just went out and the stars are being swallowed up by darkness!? If this continues, the world as we know it will become pitch black...that's a huge pinch right there!! But, I definitely won't give up on bringing back the universe's light! So come on everyone, give us your support!

Star☆Twinkle Pretty Cure: Wish Upon a Celestial Ballad

Aired After: Episode 36

Crossover?: No

Plot: One day, a mysterious creature suddenly appeared from within Lala's gummy case! Their name was... UMA. And just like a shooting star, we were whisked away to a faraway place!? Is this UMA's powers? What sort of creature are they? But one day, a mysterious alien hunter appeared...oh no! Is it possible that they're after UMA!? If that's the case, then the universe and Earth are in danger! Let's all protect UMA together!

~~~~

~Season 17 - Healin' Good♡Pretty Cure~

Number of Episodes: 45

Theme: Elements

Plot: When a group called the Byo-gens attack the Healing Garden, a magical garden protected by Healing Animals, in hopes of poisoning the entire planet, Latte, as well as three of the Healing Animals, Rabirin, Pegitan and Nyatoran, flee to Earth in hopes of finding human partners to become Pretty Cure.

Movies:

Pretty Cure Miracle Leap: A Strange Day With Everyone

Aired After: Episode 30

Crossover?: Yes

Seasons Included: Hugtto, Star Twinkle, Healin’ Good

Plot: Nodoka, Chiyu and Hinata run into trouble when a troubled spirit known as Miraclun appears, being chased after by Refrain. The Pretty Cure appeared to defeat Refrain. Except, time has been reversed and the day starts again!?

Healin' Good♡Pretty Cure: GoGo! Big Transformation! The Town of Dreams

Aired After: Episode 45

Crossover?: Yes

Seasons Included: Yes! Precure 5, Yes! Precure 5 GoGo!, Healin’ Good

Plot: The Pretty Cure visit Tokyo in this movie!? Let's go to the fun world of "virtual dreams"!! What are "virtual dreams" though? Nodoka and the others obtain something known as the "Dream Pendant" which gives them the ability to see holographic images of various things in Tokyo. The "Yes! Pretty Cure 5 GoGo!" characters also make an appearance. Please look forward to seeing everyone meeting each other!

~~~~

~Season 18 - Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure~

Number of Episodes: 46

Theme: Tropical/summer

Plot: I'm Manatsu Natsuumi! The day I moved to Aozora City, I discovered a secret in the ocean. This secret goes by the name of "Laura", and she's actually...a mermaid! In the ocean, there's a land of mermaids called "Grand Ocean", however, a "Witch of Delays" who lives in the darkest depths of the ocean, deprived Grand Ocean of its "motivation power". So now, no one in Grand Ocean is feeling motivated anymore. And it'll be horrible if motivation is taken away from the human world too...! And that's why Laura has come alone to the surface to find the legendary warriors, Pretty Cure!

Movie:

Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure: The Snow Princess and the Miraculous Ring!

Aired After: Episode 33

Crossover?: Yes

Seasons Included: Heartcatch, Tropical-Rouge

Plot: I'm Manatsu Natsuumi! One day, we received an amazing invitation from the Land of Snow, Shantia! They're holding a coronation for Sharon! We all depart to the sparkling world of snow♪ Woah, it's tropica-shining~! Laura, who wants to be the queen of the Mermaid Kingdom, has befriended Sharon, who gave her a beautiful ring. But just as they decide to keep a promise, a mysterious monster suddenly appears and locks everyone inside of the kingdom.

~~~~

~Season 19 - Delicious Party♡Pretty Cure~

Number of Episodes: 45

Theme: Food

Plot: CooKingdom is a delicious happy world run by cooking. One day, the Recipe-Bon, the treasured power with which they cook with, is taken by the phantom thief Bundoru Gang! Next, they're after the cooking fairies, Recipepes...!! The Energy Fairies arrive in Oishiina Town in search of the Recipe-Bon and by chance, three ordinary girls become Pretty Cure!

Movie:

Delicious Party♡Pretty Cure: Dreaming♡Children's Lunch!

Aired After: Episode 28

Crossover?: No

Plot: A theme park for Children's Lunch has suddenly appeared! It's all-you-can-play, all-you-can-eat! There are so many attractions that make me delicious smile♡ It seems Kome-Kome and the others were treated to a Children's Lunch by the park director, Cait Sith. Everyone was having fun playing together, but... What!? Oh my god!! Rosemary has been turned into a stuffed toy!? Is there a secret to "Dreamia"...!?

~~~~

~Season 20 - Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure~

(Also known as Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure)

Number of Episodes: 50

Theme: Sky, super heroes

Plot: A major incident has occurred in the peaceful Sky Land!? The young Princess Ellee has been kidnapped by the monsters of Undergu Empire! A brave young girl, Sora, follows the princess through a mysterious portal. "TV"? "Cars"? Are those some kind of magic tools!?!? But there's no time to be surprised! She has to get the princess back to the castle...! Flying between two worlds! The adventure with the Pretty Cure begins now! It's hero time!

Movie:

Pretty Cure All Stars F

Aired After: Episode 32

Crossover?: Yes

Seasons Included: All(from that time)

Plot: "Where am I...?" --When Sora wakes up, she finds herself in a mysterious world... It seems that she has lost Mashiro and the others.... They meet a lot of friends, but for some reason, their memories are all a little hazy... And it seems that the only people in this world are Pretty Cure...? We want to go back to our own world! The clue is a castle in the distance-- Onward! Our journey begins here! Let's go on a great adventure to the castle! ♪

~~~~

~Mini Season? - Power of Hope: PreCure Full Bloom~

(Also known as Kibou no Chikara ~Otona Pretty Cure '23~)

Number of Episodes: 12

Crossover?: Yes

Seasons Included: Futari wa, Futari wa Max Heart, Splash Star, Yes! Precure 5, Yes! Precure 5 GoGo!

Plot: When Nozomi was an ordinary middle school student, she met Coco, a mysterious fairy from Palmier Kingdom. In order to protect everyone's wishes, as the Pretty Cure of Hope, Cure Dream, she joined forces with her friends to fight against a powerful enemy. Time has passed since then, and Nozomi and her friends are now adults. Suddenly, a mysterious shadow appears and attacks humans...! When the bell of the clock tower rings, a new story of Nozomi and her friends, who have become adults, begins to unfold!

(This season has no movies)

~~~~

~Season 21 - Wonderful Pretty Cure!~

Number of Episodes: 34 so far(still airing)

Theme: Pets/animals

Plot: Animal Town is a town where animals and people live together. Iroha loves animals and is good friends with her dog, Komugi! One day, a mysterious monster, a Garugaru wreaks havoc in the town! However, in order to protect Iroha, Komugi transformed into a human and became a Pretty Cure...!? Komugi has to save the animal whose heart is being garugaru-ed...! Let's join forces and return the animals to the Niko Garden!

Movie:

Wonderful Pretty Cure! The Movie! Doki Doki! An Epic♡Adventure In The Game World!

Aired After: Episode 32

Crossover?: Yes

Seasons Included: Witchy, Soaring Sky, Wonderful

Plot: Komugi, Iroha, Yuki, Mayu, Daifuku, and Satoru have gathered to play the super popular game "Doki Doki♡TanuKingdom" Everyone starts the game happily! Or so they thought... But it seems they've been sucked into a world of the game with a suspicious tanuki... And now they're in even more trouble! Komugi has been separated from Iroha and the others...!? How on earth did this happen...? What is the secret hidden in the world of the game...? The clue is in the hands of Natsuki, the young girl who created the game. "Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure" and "Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure!" have also gathered together! When everyone's feelings come together, will a wonderful miracle unfold?!

~~~~

Congratulations! You’re officially all caught up on Pretty Cure! I hope it was a fun journey! Now, you can enjoy a healthy dose of one episode a week from now on.

~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~🎀~~~

~~baileypie-writes

[cardverseut]

CLOVER KINGDOM =

• This kingdom was one of the poor and decadent of the 4 kingdoms, because of that it had a large number of thieves, assassins and mercenaries. It was not until the arrival of the new King that the kingdom began to prosper and enrich itself, positioned next to Diamante in wealth.

• There is a rivalry between the Clover and Diamond kingdom that is very strong, although the rivalry only comes from Clover. • They have one of the best armies of the 4 kingdoms.

• It is the only kingdom where its rulers are almost always ex-criminals.

• They have the best gastronomy and trade routes. _________ ♧ __________

• KING OF CLOVER =

Name: Nightmare. (Previous name: Night Joku) Age: 26 years. Spouse: Error G. Crayon. Family: ???.

Weapon / Abilities: His body is surrounded by negativity and liquid hatred that he can use at will and form tentacles that can change his density and become affiliated and hard to pierce his enemies. His staff has a hidden katana. It also has the power to feed on negative feelings that people have, making it stronger.

Personality: At first glance, he usually seems very polite and polite, but in reality he is a being who cannot bear insolence; It is known by everyone in the 4 kingdoms that the King of Clover is extremely cruel when he sets out to do it, there were many people who did not want him as king due to his past, but they disappeared. Although what precedes the King's attitude the most is the continuous hatred and competitiveness against the King of Diamonds, nobody understands those clashes between these two kings, but what is known is that, if the King of Diamonds does something, the King Clover will do the same and better. And no one in the Clover kingdom wants to anger their king.

Life before the coronation: The only thing that is known about King Nightmare for sure is that before he was known as "The Nightmare of the Seas", he was the most feared captain of the 4 kingdoms for many years, along with his second-hand Killer, a Day they described their marks and abandoned piracy to rule the clover kingdom. His past before being known as a pirate captain is unknown, but many can see that he has great hatred and dislike for the King of Diamonds.

Bonus fact: He hates sweet things. He is a reading freak and has a great library just for him.

• QUEEN OF CLOVER =

Name: Error G. (Glicht) Crayon Age: 24 years. Spouse: Nightmare. Family: Geno A. (After) Crayon (Big Brother), Fresh S. Crayon (Little Brother), Piggies Q. Crayon (Mother. States = Deceased).

Weapons / Skills: Summoning and manipulation of its magic threads that come out of the tear marks on its face. You can control people's bodies with their strings by wrapping their souls around them, but it is easy to remove control by cutting the strings. Aside from his threads, he is also extremely good with the Halberd.

Personality: Many describe the Queen of Clubs as a grumpy older cat. Her attitude is quite dry and cutting, with the few people she shows affection for is her royal family and the Queen of Sword. But he is usually quite cut between all that, although with the Queen of Diamonds the worst of Error comes out, he usually has several fights that end with the destruction of his surroundings, only his older brother or the Clover family can calm him in that state .

Life before the coronation: Born in Espada, but raised all his life in Clover. After the departure of his older brother to the kingdom of Espada, he was in charge of taking care of his younger brother Fresh. One night, however, there was a great storm on the island where they lived and their house was destroyed and carried away by the sea; Error managed to survive, but his younger brother was taken by the storm with the remains of the house. Unable to bear the thought of telling his mother and brother about his failure to save Fresh; Erase any clues from him, making believe that he died along with his brother in that storm. He lived on the streets of the Clover kingdom, stealing in order to survive, until one day he was captured by the kingdom's guards and sentenced to death. The day of his execution, being prepared to die; the King of Clover himself interrupted the execution. King Nightmare approached Error and showed the Mark of the Clover Queen that she had under her broken gloves of Error, she was immediately acquitted of all her charges and taken to the castle to fulfill her role. For saving her life, Error is indebted to her King and determined to become the best Queen for Clover.

Bonus: He loves to eat chocolate, likes to knit, and stars. She has eyesight problems, but refuses to wear her glasses in full view of people, as she thinks it makes her look vulnerable.

• JACK OF CLOVER =

Name: Killer Raha. Age: 24 years. Spouse / Lover: None. Family: All dead.

Weapon / Skill: It has a greater handling than close-range blades such as knives or pocket knives. He can summon a giant GB (Gaster Blaster) and sharp bones like stakes. He has a natural ability to hide in the shadows, he is always hidden guarding the backs of his kings.

Personality: He is a very sadistic joker and with a sense of humor that many would call sick. It is usually quite "friendly" in its own way, but make no mistake about it; his devotion to his two kings is very great and he will do everything they tell him without hesitation, one day when you least expect it he can stab you in the back without hesitation. Despite all this, he hardly ever interacts with anyone, he usually remains in the shadows taking care of his kings' backs.

Story before being the Jack: His family died in unknown ways one day (it is rumored that he was the one who killed them) and with their money he bought a ship and began his life as a pirate with some comrades.

One day he met Nightmare and after he covered him from being caught by the guards, Killer gave his boat and his crew to his new "owner" without hesitation, as a sign of gratitude and loyalty. After a few years they became the most feared pirates of the 4 kingdoms, his Jack mark appeared on his left cheek and left the piracy behind after Nightmare ordered. He and his comrades became the personal and undercover assassins of their kings.

Extra: He has a taste for spicy ketchup. He loves stars and sits with his Queen watching them on sleepless nights

[an-indecisive-nerd]

Okay, lore drop two! The Organization! I will admit that this is the section of my lore that I have the least concrete info for, but I'll do my best.

TW for the Organization being shitty basically

It's unclear when or where the Organization was created. The story that has the widest circulation is that it was started when a corrupt ruler/mage/official or something along those lines became obsessed with seizing power. That person somehow took control of their entire world.

But they weren't satisfied.

They discovered a way to travel between worlds, and their conquest spread throughout their universe, and eventually to other universes. They turned their citizens into soldiers, and the Org was born.

Of course, this all would've happened millions if not billions of years ago, and doesn't affect the Org today. Chances are whoever did start the Org is long dead. Even if they had some form of immortality, something was bound to get around it eventually. Still, there are rumours that they are still alive and running the Org today, but who's in charge doesn't really matter to most people with an organization that large.

No matter its origin, the Organization's goal is the same. Take control of everything. And unfortunately, they're winning.

You see, with control of multiple worlds, you gain the best technology, the best magic, the best weapons, the best resources, and the best people from all of them. Nowadays the Org is in control of hundreds of thousands of worlds. Obviously, this is not good.

Many many worlds have learned to fear the pristine white uniforms of the Organization, and even more so their terrifying Godeaters.

The Godeaters are some of the Organization's most powerful operatives, and the first sent to worlds the Org wants to conquer. Their job? To destroy, capture, or force the gods of that world into submission. To be a Godeater is to have your name known far and wide as one of the most horrible villains in existence.

They’re known as Godeaters because of their tradition to eat the heart of the gods they kill, to increase the chances of being able to absorb the god's power. Absorbing the power of a god is a sensation that can quickly become addictive, causing the Godeaters to actively seek out more victims. The regular soldiers tell horror stories of Godeaters practically going feral after being told they're going on a mission.

Only a select few in the Organization know the realities of being a Godeater. The vast majority of Godeaters do not walk free. When they aren't on missions, they are kept in stark white rooms that might as well be cages, bound in chains, and forced to wear power suppressing collars. They’re treated like rabid animals, and many are so far gone that that is all they are. Godeaters that are somehow still sane are paid extremely well though, so at least there's that.

Being a regular Org soldier isn't a very good deal either. The Org gains recruits through promises of power, riches, immortality, glory, and fame. The new recruit is then taken into the lab, where they have a tracking chip embedded in them and are injected with a chemical cocktail that serves a number of purposes, including, but not limited to; performance enhancement, making it easier for the recruit to be controlled, numbing emotions, and making the recruit more compatible with Org tech, magic, etc. DNA samples are also taken for various experiments and cloning and fun stuff like that. Oh and you're not told they're going to do any of this when you sign up and you don't get to back out.

After all that, they hook you up to a machine called a soul cage. This rips off a small piece of your soul and traps it, making it so that if you die, your soul can't go to the afterlife. This means they can easily revive you and continue using you as a soldier for all of eternity. Fun times!

Now then, let's say you fucked up, or the Org has no use for you anymore. Then they put you in a machine that'll completely destroy your soul. No afterlife. No reincarnation. No nothing. You just cease to exist. This even works on gods.

Doesn't the Organization just seem like the best place to work? This isn't even touching on some of the worse stuff they do, I want to save some of the horrors for the book that's actually about them. Oh, and by the way, if you join the Org, you can't leave. If you try, they will make your life a living hell and you will die painfully, if you’re lucky enough that they let you die.

So that's the Organization! I also mentioned the Resistance (I think I might have accidentally said rebellion but I meant Resistance), so I'll talk about them a bit too.

The Resistance was a group created to oppose the Organization. The few people brave enough to stand up and oppose the Org banding together across the universes to try and restore order.

The Resistance didn't have nearly the resources or power that the Org had, but they refused to give up. They created a dimension between the universes called the Hub where they could meet, train, and strategize. Eventually they were ready to face the Organization in a final battle.

And they lost.

The Organization completely wiped out the Resistance. The leaders of the Resistance used their dying breaths to give the Hub a sort of mind of its own. Now it randomly pulls in those it thinks will be able to pick up the fight where the Resistance left off and finally defeat the Org.

@thelovelymachinery @unforgettable-sensations @littleladymab @megamijadeheart @my-bright-legacy

@ominous-feychild @thecomfywriter @wyked-ao3 @anamelessfacelessnerd @differentnighttale

@mysticstarlightduck @the-letterbox-archives @leahnardo-da-veggie @paeliae-occasionally @tr4sh-p4nd4-404

@lovey-dovey-wovey @sidon0isnt0here @damonk13

[dgrailwar]

Round 6, Day 2 - Foreigner vs. Alter-Ego vs. Gunner

"…Good morning, Miss Alter-Ego."

The two Servants stood across from each other.

"There you are, little doll. So pure and innocent, beloved by the world… you're the type of thing I want to trample the most. I've since learned these feelings are abnormal, a curse from my 'origin'… but they're my feelings nonetheless, and I'll let myself be a slave to them for this war."

"I see…I'm sorry your feelings make you do bad things, Miss Alter-Ego, that must be hard… I want to help, but I don't think I know how… so I'll have to do my best to fight, okay? Masters-- on standby for commands!"

Before the two could charge at each other, a two bullets were fired with excellent precision. The Foreigner leapt out of the way, eyes wide, as the Alter-Ego swung her leg and knocked it away, frowning. Another Servant approached, keeping his distance, one hand on a shamisen that was smoking from the end.

"Ah-- dammit, I missed. But look! Two Servants fighting in broad daylight… that's problematic for a number of reasons, though I'm no Ruler, so you won't see me complaining."

"Good day, you two. I can't remember your names-- I guess the Grail didn't want me coming in with an unfair advantage, but you both go ahead and have an interesting fight while I observe. I'll just take potshots when your backs are turned."

"Mister Gunner…? How'd you get to come back? That doesn't seem fair."

"Hmph-- how cowardly. You have a handsome face, but a terrible attitude. Fine, you're the type of man I like squashing too!"

The Servant Boosts are...

Voyager: +2.5

Meltryllis: -1%

Takasugi Shinsaku: -1%

This is Voyager's first time engaging Takasugi directly! His 'Contact with Civilization' skill triggers!

Takasugi has a chance to gain components from both Meltryllis and Voyager!

Takasugi's 'Unconventional Child Prodigy' Skill triggers!

Servant Skills:

Voyager (Foreigner)

Swing-By (A Rank): A momentum-based skill that assigns a boost to Voyager. This value starts at 1%, and increases by 1% per each victory, and .5% per loss. It remains unchanged if the Masters choose to 'Play Defensively'. This buff is applied whether Voyager is caught off guard or not. (Current value: +3.5%)

Contact with Civilization (D Rank): When fighting in a Free-for-All, he gains a +2% boost. No matter the battle type, if he's encountering a Servant that he hasn't met before, he gains a +2% bonus to his poll results.

Voyager of the Stars (A Rank): When fighting against a Servant with a higher boost than him, gain an additional +2%. Voyager's 'Swing-By' skill is also upgraded, adding an additional .5% bonus to his Swing-By victory boost if he wins in a Free-for-All.

FOREIGNER-CLASS Servants take advantage of the chaos around them. When engaged in a Free-for-All (while not Playing Defensively), all other participants are given a -3% demerit. If attacked while 'Playing Defensively'', their attacker takes a -2% penalty.

Meltryllis (Alter-Ego)

Melt Virus (EX Rank) - When engaged in a Free-for-All, inflict all foes with a -3% demerit. If Meltryllis gains 1st place in the Free-for-All by a margin of 10% or more, inflict a -3% demerit to your foes for their next round and gain a +3% boost for your next combat round.

Crime Ballet (A Rank) - When engaged in a one-on-one, increase the Alter-Ego Class Trait one-on-one boost to +5% rather than +3% (+6% if targeting a Servant that's Playing Defensively).

Saint Graph Expansion (B Rank): When engaged in a Free-for-All, gain a +2% boost. Additionally, if Alter-Ego finds herself in a tie against an opponent in a one-on-one (according to the final results, including boosts), her opponent takes a wound and a -2% demerit while she fully escapes damage and gains a +2% bonus for the next round.

ALTEREGO-CLASS Servants fight at their best when given a specific target. When engaged in a standard one-on-one confrontation, they gain a +3% boost. If attacking a Servant 'Playing Defensively', they gain a +4% boost instead.

Takasugi Shinsaku (Gunner)

Unconventional Child Prodigy (A Rank): When fighting someone with a higher boost than Gunner, gain +2%.

Innovate - Armaments Reformation (B Rank): Defeating a Servant once will net special 'components' from them. When at least 4 of those 'components' are gathered, a secondary Noble Phantasm will be unlocked. If 6 are gathered, then the utility and power of 'Kiheitai' will be upgraded.

Current Components: N/A

(Winning first place in a Free-for-All will count for gathering 2 components- one for each Servant beneath you).

Retaining the Japanese Spirit (A Rank): When Gunner is about to take a fatal blow and the difference between scores is less than 5%, survive with one 'health' remaining. If this is triggered, gain a persistent +2% bonus that cannot be reduced or removed.

GUNNER-Class Servants are quick to action and yet methodical with their attacks. When engaged in combat, gain a +3% boost. Additionally, if in last place during a Free-for-All, inflict a -4% demerit on the 1st place Servant.

[lyssaterald]

Take Flight, Part?: Stood Up

Content Warning: General spoilers for the main story. Minors and ageless accounts do not interact! First person writing, named character, and slight mentions of character’s past and history which are not expanded upon as they are not important to this chapter. Weirdly, I switch between past and present tense. Sorry, not sorry. Unbeta read.

SMUT: LucixLyssaxDia

Word count is around 6k and was supposed to be PwoP but developed plot as I went, lol.

Masterlist

----------------

Staring at the empty chair in Ristorante Six where Lucifer was supposed to be sitting made me angry and sad at the same time, and also made my gut twist in ways I hadn’t felt since before he and Dia had accidentally kidnapped me to the Devildom in the first place. Swirling the Demonus in my glass and sipping at it while the staff glanced quickly to me and then away as they took other customer orders was very humiliating. The reservation had been made by him under his name for the two of us where we were to meet up after we had each finished our work or school for the week and spend a few hours together outside HoL and away from his brothers.

How many times had I texted Lucifer now?

My thoughts had gone a little wild over the last hour since he had failed to arrive at his self-appointed time to start our date. Had something happened? Was HoL on fire? What if Mammon or them had done something to distract him? Maybe there had been a prank gone wrong or Diavolo had kept him over for a meeting they were having?

But my D.D.D has been silent for most of the day. Asmo has found out about our date and insisted on getting together my outfit for the evening (a somewhat racy little black number with red and black lingerie) and had even promised to keep his oher five brothers distracted for a few hours tonight. And Asmo usually pestered me about my nights with Luci when he could feel when I was horny and knew when I’d spent a satisfying evening with one of my two lovers. So…that was probably what was going on with Luci’s brothers and he or Diavolo usually text if a meeting is going to interfere with plans we had set before the plans take place. So…

Was this a subtle way of punishing me or telling me that he was unhappy with something I had done? But Luci was usually fairly direct in when he was unhappy with something. Flirting was a subtle thing with him in public. Our disagreements had been…heated…but also resolved in private and…sometimes…with sex. We had never had a public disagreement…

Or, and this was what was making my gut twist, was he breaking up with me? And had just lost his nerve or something?

I’d done that before with others back home. I know the reasons I am unattractive as a mate to those individuals, but…since arriving at the Devildom…Diavolo and the seven Avatars had all been courting or showing possessive, familial behavior. 

This wasn’t normal with them.

Lucifer was fucking prideful. If he had lost interest in the relationship, he would have said so. So…

That’s why I had stayed for an hour and tried multiple times to call and text him, to which there had been no reply and there had been just the gut-churning anxiety. So…so, I met the eyes of one of the waiters and waved them down after setting aside the glass of Demonus and gave them my best smile with my hands folded under my chin.

“What was the charge the last time Beel was here?”

“Si-six-m-m-m-m-m-million grimm,” the waitress stutters nervously and I instantly feel bad.

The Avatars are some of their rulers and I live with them.

“Has the bill been satisfied?” I ask kindly.

“N-not…exactly,” the demoness tells me and casts her eyes down and away further. 

I want to scream in frustration over the negligence that they get into…instead, I simply smile and pull out the cards that Diavolo and Lucifer both gave me and hand them over. “Bill six times the leftovers of that bill to both cards and then half that for a tip for all the server staff that deal with Beel on a regular basis, but make sure to take what you need from the cards for your month, too,” I tell her and she looks like she is about to burst into tears. “What is your name?”

“R-r-r-r-Raya.” She is sobbing now and everyone is looking on, but I give zero fucks.

I reach towards her and she gives me her hand automatically and then I tumble up and into her, giggling. If Luci wants to make a scene or forget me, I will make this demon’s month. Especially since she seems to be having a bad day or week…or year.

“The kitchens, please,” I whisper to her amidst my sudden giggling. I stumble and giggle as she leads me towards the kitchens. As soon as we are out of view of the public eye, I smile and thank her and then wait for her to charge the two cards to be returned. It takes a few minutes, but the looks the staff are giving me shift from pitying to straight up adoration and I have to wonder when the last time they were tipped generously. It’s something I’ll have to shake into the Avatars, apparently. The manager straight up cries when I leave both cards on file for the next time that Beel visits them and I leave them instructions on how to reach me if any of the Avatars get rowdy or leave an open bill.

Their gratuity and the way that I was stood up makes me pissed. Shoving my hands in my pockets and embracing the dark mood without reservation makes the usual demons who would harass me flare off and hide in the darker corners of the market.

My D.D.D has been silent this whole time despite close to a dozen calls and texts that I had sent to Lucifer. Either he’s ignoring his phone or he is dead and both options have their appeal right now.

The one night I feel like getting into a fight and no one tries to pull something. Some of the local children who recognize my more human form run to greet me and “steal” the leftovers that I took from the Ristorante Six employees for them. I can’t help the smile I give the “blob” child that was the distraction and slip them an extra treat for letting their friends practice on me. Once they are gone, tho, it’s hard to maintain the smile as this is just another reminder of how broken systems can be.

It's an odd reflection to see how children are forgotten amongst different cultures. For my dame’s, they are always hyper aware of how precious children could be, but as soon as we hit maturity that’s another story and leaves us open to all the blood prejudice that the species can harbor. Here? I am standing in front of the burnt out building that harbors the refuge for the children of the Devildom’s capital. Dia is a special kind of ruler, but even he can’t do everything.

A frustrated hiss leaves me and I feel the eyes of the children on me before I drop the rest of the food off for them and then turn away to allow the privacy they want for the scavenging they will do from the offering. I pretend not to hear the light, hurried footsteps or delighted exclamations of joy over such a little thing. It makes me want to shake Dia or break out of the Devildom early so I can bring these kids to my mother to be adopted amongst the clans, but I still don't know enough about their developmental lifespan.

For now, this has to be enough.

With Luci…

I have to pause and scowl at the dirt under my feet for a hot second as I contemplate what I want to do. My D.D.D. goes off in my pocket and I pull it out, smiling instantly at the notice. Dia. Our other lover, the one that hadn’t forgotten me once since coming here. 

Dia: Barbatos informs me that you just spent a large sum of money at Ristorante Six. Did you two have fun?

Me: Nope. You free?

Dia: I have several stacks of paperwork, but I would love to see you later. Perhaps that will serve as motivation to finish everything tonight. Should I be worried?

Frowning at the screen, I leave him on read for a moment as I collect my thoughts. My relationship with Luci is a little more intense because he is a sadist and likes to try to dominate the relationship where I feel it is unnecessary. Him standing me up tonight is just a new tactic that he hasn’t used before and it hurts, because I’ve been forgotten by others but never someone this important to me.

Dia and I have a little more...complex...of a relationship. It made our start a little rough because he had technically kidnapped the daughter of a dragon royal and he himself being a prince had set us on the entirely wrong foot. It was his persistence and warmth that had drawn me in where others had hurt me before.

So...

My heart was aching and Dia had never stood me up before. In fact, he was consistently trying to find ways to keep me and Lucifer with him for an extra couple of hours, however childish and inane those were sometimes were.

So...

Dia: Should I be worried?

His repeat in his text makes me smile and seals my decision. It's an easy one to make now that I reflect on things again.

Me: No. Lucifer stood me up and has ignored my calls. So, it wasn't very fun and I am coming over for a few days if that's ok?

The anxiety in my stomach is a knot as I hit send and watch the little dots that indicate he is typing something. Maybe I shouldn't have assumed...

Dia: I would love to have you over for a few days! Is everything else alright? Do you want me to do anything?

The little flutters in my stomach with his easy acceptance and offer of help leave me blushing a little. My bad mood evaporates a little more, but I retain a little niggling doubt because demons are so much like dragons.

Me: Did you do anything directly or indirectly that would have kept Luci from our date tonight?

Dia: Never. He's been working so hard recently, I thought it was a great idea for you two to have this date tonight. I'm shocked and very disappointed that he missed it.

Dia: But I am quite happy at the chance to have you to myself for a few days.

He's already planning how he can keep me in the palace all for himself for the next few days. After everything, all the heartbreak and the doubts and the second guessing, it's a hot feeling in my stomach to know that I am wanted. But...I know the boundaries I have to set. Lest things get out of hand.

Me: 48 hours, at a max, of making them hunt for me. We can arrange something else later down the line.

Dia: Deal. Now come over before I hunt you down.

Perhaps a thrilling thought for a different day...

It's exactly 48 hours later that Diavolo allows Lucifer to find us in his office. Lucifer is hovering on the threshold, his crimson eyes tracking the way that one of Dia's undershirts hangs off a shoulder and how I sit away from him on Dia's lap. He can clearly see the new and fading hickeys on my skin that Dia left there and knows for a fact that I don't keep clothes at the castle, so he also knows I am sitting in Dia's lap in nothing more than this shirt.

But I ignore him for now.

Diavolo bites the strawberry out of my fingers and glares over my shoulder as the study door clicks shut behind us. He takes my wrist and begins to delicately suck the juice from each finger. His golden eyes flash to mine and I just return his amusement with one of chagrin.

"Dia," I breathe at him and his gaze darkens.

"You've been hiding her," Lucifer observes. "For two days. My brothers have been mounting a very large search effort." It's a subtle dig at my feelings for his brothers and it turns my hard gaze to the scarlet, slitted gaze.

"Good for you," I say mildly, tuning back to Dia to sink my teeth into his neck, surprising a moan out of our lover.

"Lyssa, I do not believe this is the-" Lucifer begins.

"Fuck off and shut up or leave," I cut in, tugging at Dia's buttons. A glance up at his face confirms that he is totally invested in this, not that I had doubted his erection or the gentle hands on my hips.

"Lord Diavolo, this is hardly the time to-" Lucifer began again.

It was remarkably easy to launch myself off Diavolo's lap, plant a foot on his desk and leap at Lucifer, wings flaring in aggression. He caught me with his arms around my waist as we toppled over with my momentum. Lucifer landed on his back with a soft grunt and me straddling his hips with my hands on his shoulders, wings still flared as I stared down at his slightly parted lips.

"Two days and this is what you have to say for yourself?" I ask him, struggling to maintain the mildness of before. "Was this your way of saying it's over? Or are you just tired of spending time with me? What was more important two nights ago that kept you from even calling?" The tears are hard to choke back once my fears are voiced and his stare only remains blank and shocked. "Fine, I get it," I mutter and lean away from him, allowing my wings to Veil.

I attempt to push to my feet, but his hands tighten on my his as he purses his lips and studies me. "Two nights ago, I was dealing with Mammon and Satan for having broken into my study and stolen-"

"Let go of me," I snarl at him, but he doesn't budge.

"Allow me to explain," he says with infuriating patience.

"No." The word is a shriek of pain that has Diavolo wrenching me into his chest and knocking Lucifer's hands away from me.

"That's enough, Lucifer," Diavolo says with cutting gentleness as he strides towards the couch where he settles me in his lap. My arms wrap around his neck and I am sobbing into his neck as two days of pent up fear explode out of me in silent, wrenching gasps and tears. "Lyssa has been hiding with me since you stood her up two nights ago."

There is a slight scuff of shoes on the floor and the rustle of clothes as Lucifer tries to approach us, but Dia removes his hand from my waist and must hold him at arms length. His thigh muscles tighten and ripple beneath mine as he fights with himself, but I keep my head buried in his shoulder until the tears have eased and the shaking has ceased.

Dia's gentle hand through my hair rouses me and I look up at his concerned gaze, noting somewhere in my head that his other arm is still raised. "D?" I ask muzzily.

His lips are gentle on mine, a comforting touch after so much fear and a reminder that I am wanted. It's when his tongue slides with mine and begins stoking the embers of the earlier arousal that he jerks his extended arm and there's a gasp and thud that startles me from the kiss.

Turning to look behind us, I find Lucifer surprisingly close to us. More surprising is that he's on his knees in front of us, his hands on Diavolo's knees, and Dia's hand fisting his collar. Lucifer's expression is so fractured that I almost reach out to him.

A glance at Diavolo finds a molten, golden gaze flickering between us. Placing a kiss on his jaw lands that gaze on me and it softens into something gentle. "Are you feeling better, Lys?" he asks.

It's hard not to blush under the realization that they had watched me ugly cry into Diavolo's uniform. "A little," I mutter.

"Do you want answers from him now?" he asks. "Or do I send him away?"

He's giving me the control so easily that I stare at him for a second, then glance at Lucifer's desperate gaze. They're normally the dominant ones, the ones calling the shots and making the decisions in our relationship. It's not that I'm a submissive for them, it's just easier to flow along with them and more fun most of the time, whether in bed or in public.

"Lys," Lucifer says quietly and then gasps when Diavolo fists a hand in his hair and yanks his head back.

"Or we can punish him and get answers later?" Diavolo suggests thoughtfully, snaking an arm around my waist to shift me to straddle his thighs and face Lucifer, who has dropped his hands from Dia's knees. The blush deepens as Diavolo's erect cock rubs at my ass through his slacks. "I have a few ideas," he breathes into my ear and ruts gently into my bare ass. "But it's up to you, sweetling. We can stop and cuddle for the rest of the night if that's what you want."

Arousal overwhelms the fear and last traces of sadness as I study our positions. Diavolo has left the decisions to me tonight even with how clearly obvious what he wants is. But...

"Ease up a little, Dia. He can hardly breathe let alone answer a question," I request and Diavolo instantly releases him to lean back and slide his hands along my bare thighs as he continued his gentle ruts into me. They feel good and I arrange myself so that he's rutting into my core and not my ass. I lean forward towards Luci, who is watching us with growing hunger, and place my hands on Dia's knees to support myself.

Lucifer leans eagerly towards me to accept my kiss, but I knock his hands away when he reaches for me. He settles for twisting his gloved fingers into Diavolo's pants by my hands where I place them again. For a long minute, it's a desperate flurry of movement as Lucifer yields to my tongue and Diavolo's ruts turn into not-so-gentle grinding with his hands hard on my hips. I have to yank myself back from the kiss to breath and Dia halts his movements, though he does so with a desperate groan.

"Are you done with the relationship between you and I, Lucifer? And I am not talking about the sex. I ask about the emotional commitment we made to each other independent of everything between the three of us," I tell him and he almost surged in to hug me but Dia stopped him with a hand to his throat.

"She hasn't given permission for you to touch, Morningstar," Diavolo growled behind me.

Lucifer hits his knees again, his hands fisted in Dia's slacks close to where mine rest again. I lean back into Diavolo's broad chest and deny him even that closeness. His scarlet eyes flash with something like fear when he presses against Dia's hand.

"No, Lys, never," he answers and draws breath to say more but I press a finger to his lips and he stills.

"If I asked you to beg, would you?" I ask, feeling Diavolo widen our legs a little and groan softly.

Lucifer looked conflicted for a second but then nodded and felt heat rushed through me. Pride's embodiment had stood me up, but I had him on his knees now, willing to beg. I slipped a finger under his chin and rubbed his lips with my thumb. His tongue darted out to wet the digit and I slipped it into his mouth to let him suck on. I could feel Diavolo harden further beneath me.

"You're going to kill me, sweetling," Diavolo groaned with a sharp thrust that had me gasping.

"Then fuck me while I decide what we do with Luci," I ground out.

That was all the encouragement it took for Diavolo to lift me off his lap, unbuckle and free himself before he slammed my hips down to his in one sharp thrust. Stars burst behind my eyes at the slight burn of his girth stretching my cunt. Then his hands tightened on me so my hips wouldn't move and his thrusts were so long and deep that he fucked the strength out of my arms. I could only fall towards Lucifer and cling to his shoulders while I whimpered and gasped into his neck.

Diavolo didn't pause in his thrusts when I felt Lucifer move. He slapped the fallen angles hand down and growled. Then he leaned over my back and spread my legs to change the angle and was suddenly hitting that spot that had me almost screaming and then biting sharply into Luci's neck to muffle myself as I clenched down on Diavolo's cock with the force of my orgasm.

"Mine," he growled at our lover. "You left her alone, so mine until she allows your claim again."

The tears that slid down my face as he leaned back and continued to fuck me through my orgasm weren't entirely from oversensitivity. Wanted wasn't something I had felt a lot of throughout my life and this man, this demon prince, was claiming me. I could only curl my toes around his ankles and attempt to rock back into his body to be closer to him.

The taste of copper on my tongue had me squeezing and clenching on Dia's cock again and whimpering through another orgasm. Blood. Life blood, at that. I relaxed my jaw and just let myself float while he continued to use me as a fleshlight to chase his own orgasm and exhaust his stamina a little.

Heat filled my cunt as he thrust one last time and shot his seed into me. I was a whimpering mess and Luci's gasping breaths in my ear was the only grounding thing that kept me awake.

"Please," Luci breathed into my ear.

"Mmm," I hummed at him as I continued to lap at his blood, still oozing a little from the wound left by my fangs.

He shifted forward so that more of my weight rested on his chest. "Please, Lys," he continued. "I'll beg, but please let me touch you. I'm sorry. Please."

The memory of humiliation and fear rose in my chest and I growled at his words. He'd left me there with all those eyes on me in a public venue. Lucifer had forgotten me. Begging wouldn't reverse that humiliation or fear or the tears or the doubt it had caused.

"No," I told him, tears gathering.

Diavolo's warm hands slid up my stomach and gently cupped my breasts as he carefully shifted me back to lean into him. I groaned in protest of the heat but he slipped the shirt gently off me and it was a relief I hadn't realized I needed until I was gently kissing his neck. All while Dia was still rock hard in me.

Sated once for a demon wasn't the same kind of round as compared to a human, but he was kind enough to care for me and wait if I needed it. I groaned at Dia's tweaking of my nipples and sucking more bruises into my skin.

"Dia, please," I whimpered and his attentions eased except to wrap his arms around my cold breasts and continue to suck different hickeys into my neck. When he rocked into me again, his pace was gentle and slow and had me squirming in his arms as heat gently pooled in my stomach and spread until I was boneless on him.

"I love you, sweetling," he whispered into my ear as I came around his cock, squeezing and milking him through his own orgasm. His fingers were gentle as he wiped my tears away and continued to kiss me. "What do you want to do?"

Gold and scarlet gazes met and held before Luci dropped his from Diavolo's. "I'll leave if you want me to, Lys," he said quietly, moving to push himself to his feet.

My hand darted out and snatched his tie, pulling him in close for a kiss. Diavolo assisted in dragging him closer to us by grabbing a handful of his vest and pulling him flush. For a moment, Lucifer's hands fluttered at my sides before settling in Dia's hips and pressing as close as possible to us. For once, he didn't try and control the kiss as our tongues slid together with easy languidness.

I don't know how long the kiss lasted but a soft knock and a click had us pulling apart and looking over at Barbatos. "The other six avatars have arrived and are demanding to see Lyssa and Lucifer." He looked as unruffled as ever even as a blush dusted my cheeks and I was basically speared on Diavolo's cock in front of him. All three of them looked at me. Barbatos gaze held just a hint of amusement, Lucifer looked conflicted, and Diavolo just grinned at me. "Shall I pass along a message to them that you three are, shall we say, indisposed?" The amusement in his voice left me further blushing and hiding my face in Luci's neck.

"Yes, thank you, Barbatos," Diavolo said merrily. "If there is nothing more?"

"Just a reminder that you have several important meetings with outlying principalities tomorrow and paperwork that you have fallen behind on these last few days,"Barbatos said crisply and we both winced at that one. It hadn't been my intention, but I had distracted us from his work as the Devildom's prince.

My fingers slipped through Luci's hair as I considered him and frowned. I still wasn't anywhere close to being ready to forgive him but I also didn't want to go home just yet. His brothers would be barking up all sorts of trees, especially Asmo and Mammon.

There must have been something in my expression because Barbatos' next words were softened and aimed directly at me. "There is nothing today that cannot be pushed back until tomorrow, Lyssa. I will see to Lucifer's brothers and ensure that they are taken care of tonight. Reconciliation is more important to you and the Young Master at present and so should be prioritized," he said and I glanced up at him and wince back from the sympathetic gaze.

"So how far has the story traveled?" I ask, setting my chin on Lucifer's head.

"Not far at all. The employees who were present as well as some of the chattier guests have either been dealt with or bribed to keep quiet on the matter," Barbatos replied and Lucifer winced at that one. "Although, as it turns out, none of the staff would say one word of the incident until I myself spoke to them." There was a hint of amusement and pride in his voice that made me further blush. "That being said, I do believe I shall take my leave to ensure that Beel has not devoured the contents of the kitchen." The door clicked quietly shut behind him and left the three of us in silence.

"So," I said into that silence. "Barbatos and your brothers have now all seen me naked." It was difficult to keep a relationship like ours private in a house of seven rowdy brothers who all liked to burst randomly into Lucifer's room and study over little things. Diavolo's unhappy growl startled me into looking back at him. His lips were furrowed in a deep frown. "I am not moving to the palace just because my roommates lack personal space boundaries. You know they would just all follow me here. And no, that's not a good idea either. They need space to be themselves and you need to keep up some appearances."

He was actually pouting at that and I could only chuckle at his expression before laying a kiss on his jaw. Then, my gaze flickered to Lucifer again, who was watching me with an expression of mixed longing and frustration. It twinged a little at my conscience that he was still on his knees waiting for something that would set things right with us. I pushed at his shoulders and he sat back on his heels.

To Diavolo, I said, "I need to get cleaned up and Lucifer and I need to talk." I saw the excuses to accompany us brewing and added, "Alone. And you need to catch up on some of your work." The pout intensified and I laughed. "Just because Barbs gave you blanket approval for today doesn't mean you should abuse it. Just give us some space and we'll have dinner in your rooms tonight."

It wasn't so easy to extract myself from Dia's grip but I managed it and snagged the shirt he had tossed aside while he made himself presentable again. The kiss he dropped on me when I turned around was both sweet and gentle, making me lean into it until I realized what he was trying to do. I broke away with a laugh and smacked his shoulder. "I will see you in a bit, love," I told him and he smiled.

Lucifer was still kneeling where we had left him and his expression brought me up short. He was staring at Dia with unbridled jealousy? Dia must have seen the look but had chosen to ignore it.

"Luci?" I asked, holding out a hand to him.

The expression melted away as he took my fingers in his and shifted to his feet. We stared at each other for a moment before I pulled him along behind me. The walk to a guest room was quiet with nothing more than the tap of my bare feet on the marble. The servants that we passed gave us a sidelong glance but didn't even blink at the sight of Luci and I. It was an open secret among them that Diavolo and Lucifer had become involved with the "human." They also knew better than to gossip about us, lest Barbatos overhear something.

We took the first guest room we came across and Lucifer opened the door for me to enter before him. By the time he had closed it, I had bounced down onto the bed to watch his approach. What surprised me was that he knelt in front of me and settled between my legs, draping his arms over my thighs so as to touch me without actually touching me. Draping my own arms over his shoulders, I leaned into him and pressed our foreheads together.

"So, you're not done with this relationship but you still stood me up at the restaurant," I summarized for him and then kissed him into silence when he would have spoken. "Let me guess, Mammon broke into your study and Satan used that as a chance to steal your phone. Your entire calendar was deleted somehow and you spent the evening distracted by punishing your brothers."

"Levi-Levi erased the phone's contents," Lucifer said thickly. "Without knowing it was mine. Asmo was the one to remind me. He was...livid." His lips on mine were tentative and a question and he drew back when I didn't reciprocate. "I missed you by ten minutes." It wasn't an apology, but I had denied him of that earlier. "By then your phone was off and it took me too long to get anything out of the staff."

"Hours, Luci," I said mildly and the regret in his expression almost broke my anger, but not quite. "You made me feel unwanted and left me humiliated in public. If we didn't have Diavolo in this with us, I probably would have gone home, sparked a giant fight, and dumped you." I rubbed a hand across his throat, enjoying the little hitch in his breathing. "Instead, I made you and your brothers run around the Devildom for two days while I was here with Dia."

"They were all worried sick," he said distractedly.

"And I'll have a chat with them tomorrow. For now, let's focus on us, yes," I tell him.

"What...can I do to make it up to you?" he asked, pushing a little more into my space. It was like he could sense the cooling of my ire. "Let me make it up to you." His tone had dropped to sultry and he was starting to push me back into the bed, leveraging his knees under mine to usher me back. I didn't resist, but I gave him absolutely no help.

"If I say no?"

He froze, halfway to getting me to his intended destination. "Then I would ask for a chance to court you again, to show that this is not something that will happen again. To show that you can still trust me."

"And if I asked for something else to give you that chance?"

"Anything," he promised, stretching his body out along mine on the bed.

My hands on his face bring him down to kiss me and I let him get away with that...for now. "What have I said about that word?" I chide him.

He actually smiles at that, relief beginning to ease in. "To be careful of it unless we could give you the whole of the realm," he answered, the old disagreement coming easier with time. "Because one day you might actually take up that offer and we look forward to it."

"Then it's a good thing I'm not Madrigora," I tease him right back.

"If you were Maddi the Great witch, we would not have fallen for you," he stated, running his fingers over my face. His kiss is easy, then. "What would you ask in return for the chance to court you again?"

"The usual. Just promise not to use and discard me if you ever get tired of me. Don't do it again," I say and if my voice is a little tight then he chooses to overlook it with another easy kiss.

"Of course, my heart," he whispers against my skin. "I will swear it in blood if you want me to. I will never tire of you and I will never stand you up again."

I let him have his way for a little while, just touching and cuddling with kisses to reacquaint ourselves with each other. It's as I can feel his desire is awakening that I pull back with the broadest smile I have ever given him. Slipping my arms around his neck, he returns my smile without a hint of a clue as to what I am going to do next.

"Luci?"

"Hmm..."

"I never gave you permission to touch." He freezes above me and seems to do a review of the last hour. "Me giving you my hand does not imply an invitation to touch."

His shrewd look makes me laugh and I can't resist the urge to run my hands through his dark locks. "Well, my heart, what shall we do about this infraction on my part?"

I give him an amused look. "Let's start with a bath and go from there." The bath itself is a fun way to reconnect with him and he takes exaggerated care to implore my permission with every touch. By the time we were done and dressed with clothes Barbatos had somehow laid out for us, the bathroom was sopping wet with water everywhere.

When we stepped out of the room, the servants waited for all of three seconds before rushing in. The way they still wouldn't look at me had bothered me before but it didn't any more after I found out what they had tried and Barbs fierce reeducation among their ranks.

One of the succubi directed us towards the gardens that Dia was fond of and it was an easy walk as we discussed his brothers and the roles they had played. Levi was ruled innocent because it seemed like Satan had tricked Levi into the prank, thinking it would lessen guilt by association. Belphie had slept through the entire thing. Beel hadn't had anything to do with it. Asmo had attempted to fix the issue when he had learned of it and we both agreed that Mammon had been uninvolved except to break in in the first place and steal something unrelated.

It was as we approached the gardens that we first heard the soft murmur of familiar voices and then Asmo's high laugh. Barbatos was whisking away a tray of empty dishes when he caught sight of us. He gave me a chagrined look and then carried on his way.

Everyone was present and chatting happily, except Mammon and Levi, over several trays of food. Two servants flitted about here and there refilling glasses and food. One seemed intent on keeping Beel's plate full and preventing him from consuming the table, untensils, plates, glassware, or anything else of a non-consumable variety. Mammon and Satan were sitting on complete opposite sides of the table, Satan involved in his own conversation with Levi over a book. Levi kept glancing around nervously and then froze when he saw me on Lucifer's arm. Asmo kept sliding up to the second servant and getting handsy, which he didn't seem to mind and even seemed to enjoy the attention. Belphie was snoring against his twin's shoulder. Mammon's face went white when he saw us, too.

"Lys!" Mammon yelled and sprang up to half sprint at me and engulf me in a hug. He completely missed the flash of jealousy on Diavolo's face at the action.

Asmo abandoned the servant to sweep in on the hug. Beel waved happily at us and carefully did not wake his youngest brother. Everyone else just stared at us in varying degrees of fear and-in Satan's case-seething rage.

I wrapped an arm around Mammon and Asmo's necks and let them lift me off the ground. It was when Asmo went for a butt grope that I shrieked with laughter and swatted him off. At least he knew he was safe.

"Where ya been, Lys? I been worried sick about ya," Mammon muttered into my hair before releasing me.

"I've been right here," I answered him, floating over to Diavolo and kissing his forehead. The crease in his lips eased a bit as he caught my hand and kissed my palm before letting me drift away. I didn't usually flaunt my romantic relationships openly in front of them, but

"I'm sure you had a grand old fucking time while we were looking for you," Satan sneered at me.

I smiled at him. "And whose fault is that, Tantan?" I shoot back sweetly and he flinches at that. He hasn't liked me using his nickname since I became involved with his brother and his lord.

I walk towards him, opening our pact just enough that his cold, twisted wrath can leak through and touch my even colder rage. There was so much pain laced through my rage that he flinched back from me and refused to meet my eye. Instead, I leaned down to his eye level and waited for him to look at me out from under his mop of blonde hair, his lips twisted in an unhappy frown.

"No one and, I mean no one, gets to make me feel unwanted and humiliated in any capacity," I tell him.

Satan knew what I was driving at, knew what I was saying, but he chose to ignore it anyway. His smile was so stiff and fake that it hurt just to look at it. "So I guess you and Lucifer are done, then," he shot back.

"Satan!" Asmo gasps in horror and even Mammon is staring at their brother, aghast.

In answer, I smile and turn away from him, stalking towards the frowning first-born. I don't give him time to react when I seize his golden belt and pull him in close for a passionate kiss that he returns. Asmo's gasp and the click of a camera are the only sounds as I wrap an arm around Luci's neck to prolong the sensation. I let myself enjoy the kiss for a good minute and then lean back. His eyes are half lidded and roving my body hungrily. Glancing over my shoulder, I grinned at the horribly blushing Satan.

"I guess not," I said.

"Do that again," Asmo says happily.

"No, Asmo," I return. "I think once made my point."

"Oh, yes, it made a point for me that I'll thoroughly enjoy later," he said with a wink. "And several other points, if you catch my drift." He subtly nodded at Diavolo who was studying us in a way that made me suddenly self-conscious.

"Yes, well. You'll be deleting that photo, Asmo," Lucifer cut in. "Hand your phone over so that I am sure it's gone."

Asmo clutched his phone protectively. "No! I never get any good photos of you and that was perfect!" Lucifer growled and stalked off after his brother when Asmo took off.

Satan was silent after that, his angry gaze tracking my every move. Diavolo let me float around between the other four brothers for a while, soothing and cajoling them in each their own way. I could see Mammon thinking he had gotten away with everything as he became more relaxed and animated through the meal. The demonus was eventually brought out and a disgruntled Asmo and Luci returned. Diavolo snagged my waist and pulled me into his lap and all chatter ceased for a moment, even the servants. Then Asmo started admonishing Lucifer for taking out a chunk of his photos instead of just the one.

The servants nervously glanced at each other and then returned to their respective tasks. Beel continued to shovel food into his mouth and Belphie was still asleep. Satan turned an interesting shade of magenta. Levi continued on pestering Mammon about Grimm he was owed.

"Feeling possessive?" I teased Dia quietly.

"Jealous," he admitted, pressing a kiss to my neck.

We didn't usually advertise the relationship even if it was an open secret among the brothers and palace servants. "Why?" I asked him, trailing a hand through auburn locks.

He looked conflicted for a second and then gave me his public smile and I almost smacked him. I hate that smile, the look of genial mirth in which no one could ever penetrate deep enough to find the demon below. It was his lonely smile.

"You came to me but you go home with them in the morning," he said lightly. "It's been nice having you here the last two days."

Ah.

And suddenly, reading his behavior is so much easier from today. He's struggling with the idea that I am abandoning him after getting a taste of something that he wanted. Luci comes when called for dinner and evening activities but I chose to run to him during a potential relationship ending screw up on Luci's part and now the problem has been more or less resolved. I chose and I stayed and now it's bringing up some of his issues with abandonment now that I leave in the morning again.

"Not yet, Diavolo," I murmured to him. "You can't just end thousands of years of society and not see bloodshed and war. You're doing this the right way if you want a demon male consort and female, non-demon consort and do what is right for your people." I placed a lingering kiss on his temple as he pressed an ear over my heart.

The servants were looking at us again and I frowned at them until they ducked their heads and went about their duties again. I made no mention of the odd behavior again as Diavolo continued to hold me close. It was Mammon's eye that I caught and nodded towards Asmo when he kept making passes at the receptive servant. There was simply something I hadn't liked about those interactions and it was better safe than sorry. Meanwhile the others continued to wind down and Luci had a few glasses of demonus to be completely relaxed and Dia did the same, becoming progressively more handsy with me under the table. It's when I intercepted Dia's hands again on my knee that Barbatos appeared with what looked like night caps for everyone.

Beel was watching me closely as he kept an eye on Belphie and Levi, keeping the latter from tipping over into his own food. Asmo had vanished a bit ago to find a different bed partner with Mammon hot on his tail and Satan...was still watching us from where he was slumped in his own little corner. Diavolo noticed the intent of Satan's gaze and set his chin in my shoulder. Satan turned a bright red under his lord's sudden regard but refused to drop his gaze.

Diavolo's smirk catches me off guard as does the sudden way that he grips the top of my thigh under my dress. His possessive kiss and the slide of his fingers into my core have me gasping against him when his thumb gently circles my clit. His other hand settles on my hip and keeps me from bucking into the feeling and all I can do is grip his dress shirt as he fucks me hard on those fingers. The sudden stop has me clenching on him and whining.

"Mine," he rasps at me and I try for a kiss that he denies me. "Say it and I'll make you cum."

"Yours," I snarl and then scream as he plunges his fingers in again and grinds down on my clit. The smirk he directs over my shoulder makes me growl. Putting me on display for his own amusement and to stake his claim? Fine. I grip his wrist when he makes to pull back. It's satisfying to watch the smirk turn to shock when I move to straddle his hips with his hand still inside me. "Again. And do it right. Make me fucking scream it so everyone knows."

I feel his dick start to harden in his pants under me. "Out," he starts to command everyone but his words end with a moan when I capture his lips and slide my tongue into his mouth. I'm fucking his mouth like that when Asmo comes running back to the gardens and then stops and full on stares.

"Again," I demand with a snarl.

"Lys," Lucifer starts forward and then pauses under my look.

"Consequences, Lucifer," I rasp and he blushes when I fuck myself on Diavolo's fingers. To Diavolo, I say, "Again or you can fuck this fist for a month by yourself."

He rocks his fingers out of me for a moment and I release his wrist. Four fingers slide back into me and I'm arching into the feeling with a low moan. His other hand finds my breast and he squeezes possessively. "Mine," he rasps out, thrusting his fingers and circling his thumb on my clit. "Scream it and I'll maybe let you cum."

"Make me," I grunt and he's smirking again. My stomach drops at that look.

His pace then is relentless and hard, his fingers hitting my g-spot and making me gasp. "Say it," he demands, stopping suddenly and making me curl into him with a whimper. His thumb lifts and I'm screaming "Yours" in a desperate chant. His free hand slides to my hip and stops the little rocking I'd been doing. "Beg."

Frustration wells up in me as I try and continue to rock, but his hand is a solid weight against my skin. "Please, please, please." The last word is almost a scream.

"No," he says with an easy smile and I slump into him with a sob. My hands claw at his jacket when he gently teases my clit again.

"Dia, please," I cry at him but his lips seal over mine, muffling my words.

Hands smooth down my back and settle on my shoulders, then Lucifer is leaning into my back, trapping me between them. "Games are all well and good, but I believe a more private venue is in order for the rest of this evening," he breathes into my neck, his hardened cock pressed flush to my ass.

I moan around the tongue leisurely exploring my mouth. Tears well up as the fingers slip out of me and are then held up Luci. Crimson eyes meet mine briefly before Lucifer takes Diavolo's wrist and wraps his tongue around the first digit.

Diavolo leaned back, still smiling and I suddenly knew what he was going to say. I dropped my head to his shoulder and moaned as he said it.

"She started it here and she'll finish here." The smile in his velvety voice was genuine, as was the lust that sent shivers up my spine. "You cannot tell me you've never wanted the chance to claim her in front of your brothers."

I knew better than to argue with him, I really, really did, but... "You started this, Dia," I muttered at him and he laughed low in his throat.

"I was content to let you finish after the first time. You started this," Diavolo replied, rolling his hips into my slick core and dragging his clothed cock against me. Heat pushes me up and almost...

"Dia," I scream in frustration, balling my hands into a fist and hitting his shoulder.

His golden eyes danced merrily as pulled Lucifer's hand to my waist. "Yes, sweetling?" He asks innocently.

"Please," I return quietly.

He looked like he was thinking it over but Luci was tracing my sides like he was contemplating ripping the dress off my body. "There is a way for you to end this," Diavolo says, his eyes flickering up and then around.

"No pacts," I say automatically and he pursed his lips as he looked back to me. "Fuck me in front of them if you like, but I won't order them to do anything." His eyes flickered between Luci and I for a long moment.

"Are you sure?" He asks and I scowl at him.

"Do you want me to safeword out?" I snarl and his gaze softens.

"No, sweetling. It was just a thought," he says, cupping my cheek and kissing me. It was a sweet thing that turned into a gasp when Luci shifted my dress up a few inches.

The touch of leather gloves on my hips has me moaning into the kiss and trying to wriggle back and forth to find friction, but I was still trapped between them and Diavolo's hands kept me anchored in his lap. Diavolo looks up at Luci and apparently got what he needed because he sat back and released my waist, only to have Lucifer's hands take his place and lift me into his chest just enough that Diavolo could undo his belt and work himself free of his boxers. The long, thick shaft had me clenching in anticipation of the coming pounding.

Like this afternoon, Diavolo took my hips and pushed into me in one long thrust, leaving us both moaning at the stretch of him in me. I sink my teeth into Diavolo's neck and he makes a low noise at the feeling of it. Dia's hands hold me flush to his hips as his eyes dart up again before Luci steps away from us for a moment.

"Think you can handle us both?" Lucifer asks me softly, biting the finger of his glove and pulling it off to toss it somewhere out of my sight. His cool finger sliding into my ass has me clenching down hard on them.

"Lucifer," Diavolo moans out. "Keep doing that and I won't last."

"Oh?" Luci asks and I can hear his smirk as he thrusts another in.

Stars are popping in front of my eyes and I tense up further, tears starting to fall. Releasing my teeth from his neck, I plead, "Dia. Please. I need to cum, want to."

He rocks his hips up a little, just rutting into me without enough friction. It has me panting and sinking claws into his jacket with a frustrated gasp. "Relax, sweetling," he chuckles. "Keep begging and you might get to cum before we're finished with you."

So I do until I'm almost babbling as Lucifer continues to work me open with my own slick for lube and Diavolo continues his little ruts. Asmo is the only one that dares to creep around into my sight. It's his blue gaze and the light dusting of a blush over his cheeks that finally reminds me of the other Avatars.

The words die in my throat as embarrassment rears up. Looking away, I bite down onto the tendon of Diavolo's neck and startle a sharp gasp out of him. Hot seed fills me and he pauses in his motions at the same time as Lucifer.

"Now, Lucifer," Diavolo growls and pulls himself out just to slam me back down on himself. Pleasure makes my eyes roll up and give a strangled sob against Dia's neck as a second cockhead pushes slowly at the muscles of my ass.

"Hold her steady," Luci chides our lover.

Strong hands grip my ass and part me for Lucifer as he eases in, taking his time to let me clench and unclench around them. He rocks out and then a little further in each time until he is balls deep inside me, stuffing me full with both cocks.

Tears are flowing freely as I struggle with the burn and ache between them. I'm limp when Diavolo starts thrusting and then Luci joins him, jostling me between their bodies like a living doll. My teeth remain tight in Dia's neck, making my jaw ache and all I can do is whimper.

Luci runs a hand through my hair and then fists his fingers in my locks, yanking my head back sharply. No longer muffled, my moans and screams echo through the garden. His free hand slides down my stomach to my clit and he flicks it, making me scream and plunge over the edge. They continue to fuck me through the orgasm at a brutal pace and then continue to chase their own pleasure.

Lucifer keeps me on a tight edge between the pleasure and pain of multiple orgasms, expertly playing my body and keeping me boneless against his chest. Diavolo kept my thighs tight to his and my ankles propped on his knees so he could change the angle of their thrusts with his hips. My hands rest on Luci's shoulders behind me and weakly grip at his jacket when they hit my g-spot.

At some point, the dress is ripped off and Luci continues his torment of my breasts free of the cloth. They both spill their seed numerous times until they're fucking into me and pushing slick and semen down my thighs and onto their slacks. It keeps going like that until Diavolo pushes up from the chair and uses his hips to maneuver Lucifer into stepping back against the table and traps me firmly between their chests. My bare feet brush the ground and I groan at the cold.

Diavolo's warm hands cup my face and he gently peppers my cheeks and forehead with soft kisses. "You've done so well for us, sweetling," he says, his eyes darting over my shoulder to Luci. "Just a little longer and you can rest." Louder, he growls at the other avatars, "Leave. Now."

Levi is watching us with wide eyes and a hand over his mouth, but at Diavolo's words he's gone faster than a hunted rabbit. Belphie is draped over Beel's shoulder and the other four reluctantly and slowly drag themselves out of the garden. Beel's reluctance comes from his protective, backwards glanced at me and only stops when I drape myself over Diavolo's shoulder to wave weakly at them. Asmo lingers by the palace door until Mammon grabs him by the scruff and physically drags the Avatar of Lust away with one last worried look at me. It's Satan who stubbornly remains seated, though I can't actually see him.

"I can take care of Lyssa if you're done with her," Satan grinds out.

Very clearly still aroused and both still tucked inside of me, they were not done with sex for the evening, with or without me. Exhaustion might be making me hang limply between them, but I was not going to let Satan touch me like this. That would be one boundary too many crossed for me today.

A growl rumbles up from Diavolo and Lucifer's chests and vibrates through mine. Luci's hands tighten possessively on my hips.

"Leave," Diavolo reiterates.

"Do not make more trouble for yourself, Satan," Luci warns quietly.

Stupidly, I can hear his footsteps approach. Diavolo bursts into his demon form, making me groan at the way he stretches me out that much further. If I hadn't been holding onto him, he would have attacked Satan. As it was, I tucked my head under his chin and looked at the usually intelligent Avatar of Wrath. The look that he gave me was one mixed of despair, desire, and longing.

"You want to leave with me, don't you, Lys?" Satan asks, stopping just outside of Lucifer's striking range.

Luci was watching me with more patience than I had and very carefully trying to control the temper I could see in his eyes so as not to transform as well. Diavolo's wings curled around us protectively but I could still see Satan's blue eyes trying to plead with me. He took a single step towards us, raising a hand, and I snarled weakly at him.

My wings unVeiled and threaded gently through the gap of Diavolo's and I placed a clawed hand possessively on Luci's. "Mine," I growl. "G'way, Tantan." The draconic features Veil again at Satan's pained look before he retreats without another word.

Lucifer is looking at me with a surprising softness after the rough treatment. Diavolo kisses my head and says, "I love you, too, sweetling."

And they are still fucking hard inside of me. The thought of another round has me whimpering with a little fear. "Please," I half sob into Dia's mantle. "No more. Please, Dia."

Too late, I realize I shouldn't have tried begging again. Luci and Dia both groan and I give an actual sob, clutching at Diavolo's chains as he pushes me harder into Luci's body. "One more, sweetheart," he murmurs into my hair, thumbs wiping away my tears. "You have one more, don't you? You do." Luci begins to suck a new mark into my neck as Dia pulls out and starts to rock his hips again.

"Marigold," I sob out and they instantly shift gears. "Marigold." Their hands are gentle at the safeword and disentangle our bodies. It's a relief when they pull out of me but leaves me achingly empty.

Lucifer steps from behind me and Diavolo hoists me onto the cold table. Dazed, I let the clean me up as best they can in the garden and then Diavolo carries me because I refuse to let go of his chains. Lucifer goes ahead of us to make sure the way is clear and at some point, I drift off.

Later, I come to in a warm bath with Diavolo's chest to my back and Luci sitting on the other end of the bath. He's gently rubbing the sole of my right food and working his way up the calf while Dia keeps me from accidentally drowning. His touch is so gentle against the aches across my whole body that I groan and then cough at the rawness of my throat. A glass of water appears before I can ask and Dia holds it for me as I sip on it.

Diavolo sets the glass aside and kisses the top of my head. "Hi," I manage to Luci, who had been watching carefully.

"Hi," he returns softly with a smile.

Rolling my head back, I meet Diavolo's pleased gaze. "Hello, sweetheart," he murmurs.

"That was...intense," I croak.

"You lasted longer than I thought," he replies. "Thank you." He shifts and I eye him warily and his chest rumbles with a deep laugh. "We're re done with you for tonight, promise."

"Feeling better?"

His smile is cat-like and lazy. "Much. I doubt Satan will try anything like this again," he says and Lucifer pauses in his massage of my left calf.

I look at him and find an expression of mild regret and chagrine on his face. "I am sorry, my heart. I shouldn't have let my brothers distract me in the first place. It was...unwise...of me to neglect you. Will you forgive me?"

My throat is still raw but I open my arms to him in response. He carefully crawls between my legs and hugs me tightly to his chest. The rest of the bath is quiet as he returns to his massage of my body. I drift in and out as Luci and Dia discuss small matters they would need to review the next day and I wake to Diavolo's gentle fingers in my hair as he massages the conditioner into my scalp.

Lucifer is elsewhere.

I glance questioningly up at Dia and then look pointedly around the bathroom before back at him. He smiles and kisses my head again. "I asked him to get some things ready for us," he says, helping me to rinse my hair out. "We might be done with you for tonight, but I am hardly through with him. Do you want to watch or rest? Or we can just cuddle for the rest of the night."

The idea of watching sent a thrill of arousal through me but made me wince at the throb of aches that it also set off. Still, it wasn't often that Luci allowed Dia to indulge in their stamina and not something I wanted to miss.

"Watch," I say firmly and his deep laugh sends water cascading over the edge of the tub.

After I am dry and bundled into a large robe, Dia carries me out to his bedroom where Luci is waiting for us. He's dressed in only a low hanging pair of slacks that leaves hardly anything to the imagination where they taper down at the v of his hips. He watches us with a hint of nervousness as Dia settles me on the couch and takes care to wrap me in a blanket and ensure I have access to plenty of water and honey that Barb had dropped off.

When Dia is satisfied that I am comfortable, he finally turns to Lucifer and lets his gaze track hungrily down our lovers body. Lucifer's cheeks dust with a bit of color and I realize he's going to sub tonight for Dia. Oh! An even rarer occurrence since he hardly ever gives up control.

"Knees, Morningstar," Dia croons and Luci slowly goes down, eyes flickering between us. Dia tugs the towel from his hips and drops it as he walks to Lucifer, his shaft already visibly hardening. Taking his face in his hands, Dia continues, "Do you want to explain to her or shall I?"

Luci glances at me and the blush is in full effect. "Diavolo believes that you are being too lenient with me and wishes to see to my punishment," he explains. "With your input."

Both of them are watching me now and, oh, wow. Talk about feeling wanted. "Y-yeah," I stammer. "That sounds good. Um...how?"

"Since I like making excuses, Diavolo will have me make better use of my mouth...on him," Luci explains with the blush beginning to creep down his chest. After that, he glances at Diavolo, who is smiling that smile again.

"At first, then we'll have to see what interests you," Diavolo finishes for him. "But I wanted to ask you to make an exception to your no using your pact without an emergency." He lazily pumps a hand along his cock and smirks as I watch the motion. "Will you place an order on Luci to only cum when you command him for the next twelve hours?"

My eyebrows shoot up at the timeframe. "Twelve hours?" I repeat.

"My suggestion, Lys," Luci says quietly. "I would like your commands tonight, to ensure your words are thoroughly engraved in my memory."

Well, then...ok. Drawing on our pact is almost as easy as breathing and opening it between us allows a wave of love and regret to wash through me. "Lucifer, you will cum only when I command it for the next twelve hours." The command stretched between us like a physical caress and the pact slipped down to an unconscious link again, there but not.

Lucifer made a noise when Diavolo gripped his hair in one hand and pressed the head of his cock to Luci's lips with the other. His hands flew to Diavolo's hips as Dia fed him his cock and forced his jaw to accept the girth.

"Fuck, yes," Dia pants when Luci's throat bulges and his balls met his chin. "So good." Without giving him time to adjust, Dia took his fistful of hair and drew himself back to thrust forward. Luci made a choking sound at the fast intrusion but could only swallow at Diavolo's brutal pace of bobbing our lover's head and thrusting his own hips.

Diavolo's gaze is half lidded as he continues to use Luci's mouth without cease until he jerks his hips one last time and held Luci to him with a low moan. His head rolls back as his abdomen muscles ripple as he shoots his load in Lucifer's throat, making the former angel dig his nails into Dia's hips as he struggles to swallow around the cock.

The heated, golden gaze turns to me and I feel flush again. "Again," I order and he smiles beautifully.

Tears are streaming down Lucifer's face by the time Dia cums a third time in his mouth and spit and semen are dribbling down his chin. Diavolo pauses again and looks at me. "Sweetling?" He asks, voice breathy.

I watch Luci's gaze dart to me as his fingers flex hard on Dia's hips with the effort of not pulling himself off Diavolo's cock. His chest heaves as he inhales deeply through his nose. "Ease up, Dia," I say and Diavolo releases the former angel, who jerks back to wheeze and cough.

"Quite the mess you've made, Luci," Diavolo chuckles. "Clean it up." Diavolo's hand is gentle on Luci's head as he guides our lover's face to his still hardened shaft again. Lucifer catches his glare and instead glances at me before complying, licking and sucking at Dia teasingly until the larger demon is moaning and has to jerk Lucifer off himself. He strokes himself and then pinches his fingers at the base of his shaft to prevent from spilling another load. "Should I cum all over that pretty face of yours or start fucking your tight ass?"

Lucifer makes a low noise in his throat and my blush deepens with Dia's filthy words. Usually he doesn't do this, but I guess he's in the right mood for it.

"Luci?" I prompt in his silence. "Will you continue to try and make excuses about what happened?"

He gives me a wide-eyed look. "N-no," he coughs. "I-"

Diavolo's hand yanking his head back with a fistful of hair cuts off his words and the dick rammed into his mouth again has him coughing and choking on it. He's face fucked again at a brutal pace and Diavolo groans loudly when he cums. "Don't speak unless it is to beg or answer our questions," Dia orders him, rutting his hips a little and continuing to choke Luci on his cock. "Understood?"

Luci coughs again when Diavolo yanks him back. "Y-yes," he manages.

"Yes, what?" Diavolo demands.

"Yes, my lord," Lucifer says softly.

The demon lord gives our lover a long look before he drags him up by the hair and wraps an arm around his waist, bringing them flush together for a kiss. Luci fights for control for a second but a sharp tug to his slacks and even sharper slap to his ass has him gasping and lets Dia take over again. The handprint is bright red against his light skin and my gaze lingers on it for a moment.

"Luci, Dia," I call softly and they break apart to look at me. "How did that make you feel?"

Diavolo frowns at me in confusion but Lucifer turns an even brighter shade of red. "Shocked," he murmurs.

"And?"

Diavolo gives the former angel a thoughtful look as his hands slip back to Luci's ass and start to knead the flesh. Luci gasps and bucks his hips at the touch, grinding his own shift into Dia's stomach.

"And?" Diavolo prompts again.

Lucifer struggles visibly with himself and Diavolo slaps his ass again. Then again and again until Luci is bucking against him to try and escape the blows.

"Cum for me, Lucifer," I order as Dia lands another slap and Lucifer gives a sob as his seed spills onto their stomachs and clings to Diavolo's shoulders.

"Please," he says, but Dia grins at the reaction.

Golden eyes flicker to me and I can read the mischief in them. "Couch or bed, sweetling?" he asks and Lucifer buries his face in Dia's neck with a strangled moan.

I consider the mischief. "Couch. I want to touch the both of you," I answer and Diavolo's smile turns into a smirk.

Lucifer puts up a small resistance as Dia manhandles him to the couch and turns him around by the couch arm. Diavolo lets him stand for a minute so that I can admire Lucifer's body and the long, slender cock that is still hard. Sweat is starting to sheen across their skin and I can smell the sex on their skin as I crawl towards them. Hazy, scarlet eyes track my movements and he shivers at the first touch of fingers on his stomach. I wince when I try and sit up on my heels.

"Sit," Diavolo orders me and I fall back onto my ass. To Luci, he says, "Bend over." He does so with a hesitant glance over his shoulder and then at me. I scoot forward until I can catch his lips before he fully settles onto the arm rest. Diavolo presses a hand to the small of his back and he breaks the kiss to settle his hips over the swell of the arm rest with his head in my lap and one arm looped around my waist.

"Beautiful," Diavolo murmurs, his eyes raking across our bodies. "How are you feeling, sweetling?"

"Sore," I answer him, threading my fingers through dark locks. "Better but still sore."

Lucifer slides his free hand into my robe and I let him open it enough to have skin contact with me. "I'm sorry, Lys," he murmurs and then yelps when Diavolo slaps his ass sharply.

"Since you can't follow directions, we'll continue your spanking and you will count to fifty. One miscount and we continue until my hand gets tired or Lys believes you have learned your lesson," Diavolo cheerfully informs the fallen angel. "Understood?"

His grip on my hips tightens a little and, with a small whimper, says, "Yes, my lord."

Except Dia doesn't start right away. Instead, he slips a finger into Luci's ass and has him squirming in pleasure. "Cum for me, Luci," I whisper to him and he moans with the orgasm.

Diavolo's hand cracks across his ass then and Lucifer shouts. The demon lord pauses for a second and Lucifer drags the first count out somehow. After that, Diavolo is relentless in the spanks that he delivers, varying the rate and strength at which each were delivered, but Luci somehow manages to keep the count until thirty-five. Diavolo looks at me and smiles, his question silent.

"Cum for me, my love," I whisper again and Lucifer gives a broken moan at the orgasm and Diavolo's sudden intrusion. "Again." And he does, clenching down on Diavolo's fingers. "Again." He cums with a small sob and Diavolo glances at me. "Again."

"Lys, please," Lucifer moans. "I am sorry. Please. Not again. Not again."

"Cum for me," I murmur and he presses his face into my stomach with a strangled scream.

Diavolo is staring at me hungrily, all movements ceased. Then, he removes his fingers and smooths a hand across Luci's reddened skin. He keeps eye contact with me as he slaps Luci's ass again.

"T-thirty-five!" Luci half screams into my stomach and Diavolo smiles. "N-no! That wasn't a miscount. It was..." he struggles for the right words as he realizes his mistake "...a recount!"

"It sounded like a miss to me," Diavolo muses to me, continuing to work Luci open on his fingers. "What do you think, Lys?"

Lucifer tightens his hold on me to an almost painful degree and his back tremble under my touch. I knead the meat of his shoulders and answer, "I think... that's enough...for now."

Diavolo pouts at that but doesn't argue as he pulls back from Luci and then helps the other demon to find his feet and collapse beside me with his face in my stomach again. I watch Diavolo re-emerge from the bathroom a moment later and watch as he cleans Luci with a warm rag.

"You're very...intense tonight, Dia," I say, coaxing Lucifer to drink some water. My eyes trail over Diavolo's still half-hard member and then glance back at him. "Are you still jealous?"

He avoids eye contact with me then as he tucks a blanket around me and Lucifer. "Yes," he says finally.

"Of what?" I ask, reaching a hand for him.

He twines our fingers for a moment and just stares at them. "You seem to love Lucifer more," he admits softly. "And he's able to spend more time with you than I can, which means your bond is stronger over time. If he hadn't stood you up, I never would have had this chance." He follows the tug of my hand and lets me put his hand on my cheek.

"Our relationships are fundamentally different, Dia," I sigh. "I don't love Luci more or less than you, just differently." I kiss his palm and he sits down at my back and wraps his other arm around my waist.

"You forgave him so easily when you would have made me beg much longer."

I hesitate and search his golden eyes for sadness or anger, but there was nothing. Masking his emotions, then. "You're right, but you're also wrong," I admit and he shifts us so that he can see my face. "I expect the two of you to learn from each other's mistakes the way I learn from yours and Luci's with each other. If you stand me up on one of our dates in the future, so I would make you work harder to win me back. The same goes for Luci going forward." My look turns shy and I blush again. "And besides, you can't tell me that you didn't have fun making him beg with me. I'm positive Luci would have as much fun if or when your positions were reversed."

Diavolo smiles at that and we both look at Luci's sleeping form. "Too true," he murmurs and lets me lean into his side.

The silence that envelopes us after that is a comfortable one and Dia plays with my hair as we chat idly and wait for Lucifer to recover some more. The topics aren't important, but spending this time with them like this is and I can practically feel Diavolo relaxing out of his jealousy.

"What are you going to do about Satan?" Dia asks abruptly.

"What about him?"

"He wants you."

I wait a beat before asking, "And?"

"As much as I want you."

I give him a confused look. "How is that my problem? I've rejected him three times, including tonight, Diavolo. How much clearer can I be without starting a literal fight? He'll get over me or he won't and that's his problem." His expression twists and I sigh. "Satan is my housemate, not a friend at the moment. He's too fixated on Luci and I's relationship for anything to be healthy between us so I keep my distance and let Luci deal with him. Occasionally, like tonight I have to step in and do something but that's the extent of my involvement."

"Maybe I should step in," he mutters to himself.

"No," I say firmly and he scowls. "I allowed you your little show tonight in front of your avatars because I knew it would either drive Satan to do something stupid or it would reinforce that I would never be with him. Either way, leave it alone or tonight will look like icing on a cake."

"Tonight was not icing on a cake," Luci mumbles from my lap and our attention shifts to him. "Is it over?"

Sharing a glance with Diavolo, I ask, "How do you feel?"

"I will feel better knowing that the both of you have fully forgiven my transgression," he murmurs, laying a hand on Dia's thigh and squeezing my waist.

"You are," Dia and I agree at the same time and then share a smile.

"Thank hell," Luci mumbles.

"Unless you have a second round in you tonight?" I tease. Crimson eyes glare at me and golden eyes stare hopefully. "We still have about ten hours left to that command."

Lucifer just moans weakly and buries his head in my stomach, making me and Diavolo both laugh. "I may not be able to walk tomorrow as it stands," he complains and sends us into another fit of laughter.

Diavolo eventually took us to his bed where we cuddled and enjoyed the post-sex endorphins. We chatted about small things we needed to do the next day and eventually drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

[legendary-defender-of-fandoms]

Guess what? It’s Vanellope’s turn

So, one of the chief complaints that gets tossed around about RBTI is how Vanellope “went Turbo” by abandoning Sugar Rush for Slaughter Race. And while I get some of the criticism, I have to push back on some points.

Folks say that gamers will notice Vanellope’s absence & get the game unplugged for good. First, she’s been missing for at least a decade and no one noticed. Second, her outfit & kart don’t match ANY of her pictures on the game console and no one cared. Third, KING CANDY’S gone and his death didn’t lead to the game being unplugged. That’s the power of the Random Racer Roster - no one notices if an old character disappears or if a new character is added. They think it’s just chance.

Turbo forced himself into Roadblasters & Sugar Rush, completely hijacking the latter’s programming to make himself the guy in charge. Vanellope was INVITED to stay in Slaughter Race.

While the movie clearly meant to make it a stupid joke about “Oh, those Disney princesses, always wanting Something More,” we can’t forget that Vanellope was abused, ostracized, and mistreated during her Glitch decade. If Wreck-it Ralph was a standalone movie, it’d be ok if she took charge in the end but became a benevolent ruler so no one would experience the pain she had to suffer because the movie was 90 minutes long & folks needed to get home for work the next day. But with a sequel, it’s not out of the question for Vanellope to need some time & space away from Sugar Rush to figure things out. MAYBE she’ll come back someday, MAYBE she’ll stay in Slaughter Race forever, but she deserves a break.

So, no, I don’t have a problem with Vanellope wanting to expand her horizons and try some new things.

IN THEORY.

In RBTI, however, the execution was incredibly flawed. The press leading up to this movie said the story was meant to be akin to friends going their separate ways for school, one friend being ready to move on while the other stayed behind. But the film made it feel like Vanellope was trading up, not moving forward. The whole thing went out of its way to make Ralph the worst possible choice for Vanellope, replacing him in her life with Shank.

And I’m not hating on Shank. She was clearly made to capitalize on Gal Gadot while Gal Gadot was a marketable star, and the character doesn’t do anything to try to one-up Ralph in the Surrogate Parent department. It’s all the narrative’s doing.

Oh, Vanellope said “Cool” to Ralph living in the garbage once and Ralph kind of trauma-dumped about how living in the garbage sucks ass? Well, Shank & her friends live in a super-cool dystopian dumpster fire & they think it’s AWESOME!

What’s that? Ralph & Vanellope spent a long time baking her first kart, which didn’t look anything like the perfect sample kart but Vanellope loved anyway because it was HERS & her love for her imperfect kart gave Ralph a sense of pride for doing something right for the first time in his life as well as recognition that perfection is overrated? Then the two bonded more as Ralph helped Vanellope learn how to drive & unlocked her dormant driving skills? Well, Shank just GAVE Vanellope her own race car during an Alan Menken musical number & they flew through the sky, so same thing really.

And again, Ralph’s character was COMPLETELY ASSASSINATED to make him look worse compared to Shank! They went back to his stupid beta version from the deleted scenes that was super whiny, kind of gross, and impressively stupid so Shank would look smarter, sleeker, and more put-together. They made him throw a temper tantrum outside of eBay when he didn’t understand the rules of bidding & blubber like a baby when he got caught trying to steal Shank’s car so Shank would be the more emotionally stable one. HE PURPOSEFULLY CRASHED SLAUGHTER RACE & ALMOST KILLED VANELLOPE so no one would want to see her stick with his clingy, insecure ass.

And this “Vanellope traded up” vibe continues in other media. Like the “Sugar Rush Racers” books I mentioned before. Vanellope spends MAYBE five off-page minutes with Ralph before he takes a nap & the other Sugar Rush Racers ask Vanellope if they can join her in Slaughter Race for a bit. Then during the story, Vanellope’s always referencing either the Disney Princesses (which she apparently does a LOT according to the other Racers’ reactions) or her new life with the Slaughter Race characters. There’s ONE mention of that time Ralph was WILLING TO DIE TO SAVE HER LIFE, but that’s it. No mention of making her kart together, no talk of their heart-to-heart in Diet Cola Mountain, no acknowledgement of the training montage or the time he trashed her kart because he thought he was saving her life, then his going back later to apologize & really help her get her life back by winning the race. Nothing. Almost like their adventures together meant nothing. And there’s no mention of OTHER adventures they might’ve shared between movies, despite the Sugar Rush Racers casually mentioning the time King Candy banished two of the recolor racers (which opens a WHOLE can of worms about why he didn’t just do that with Vanellope, or kill her outside Sugar Rush before trying to delete her code & reprogram himself into the game, but whatever). And at the end of the second book, when the Racers are told they can go back to the arcade, Vanellope says she wants to spend “a hot minute” with Ralph before going back to Shank & her crew in Slaughter Race. Implying they’re her REAL family.

WHAT

THE

ACTUAL

FUCKITY

FUCK?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I truly believe if the authors of the books COULD have left even the mention of Ralph out, they would’ve. He has been thoroughly Scrappy Doo’d by Disney, and it fucking HURTS!!!! HE’S THE REASON VANELLOPE EXISTS!!!!!!! AND THEY ARE TRYING TO KILL HIM!!!!!!!

And still, I need to know why? Why does Disney hate him? Why does Disney want US to hate him? WHY are they trying to bury him?!!!?! WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED DURING PRODUCTION OF THIS STUPID CURSED SEQUEL?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

[the-starlight-writer]

Religion in TKoM's Faerie I: Intro to the Gods

Hello! In my previous worldbuilding blog post, I made reference to religious figures and gods of Faerie! Who are they? How many of them are there? What are they in charge of? What do their ceremonies entail? All excellent questions! I aim to answer them (at least briefly) in this post series!

Who are the Faerie Gods? There are two gods involved in the creation and passive maintenance of Faerie as we know it. Previously just spirits, the story goes as follows: two spirits decided to pool their mana and create a people to dote on and become parent to since spirits cannot procreate. The Goddess most revered out of the pair is known by many names including "Lady Rowan" and "Green Mother". Her actual, holy name is Miele-Ara (me-el-ay ⋅ ah-rah).

[Alt text: A portrait picrew of a brown-skinned woman with a pair of goat horns twisting upwards. Her hair is long, wavy and a honey brown colour. She is wearing a holey white halter top and an off-shoulder dress. The background of the image is white. The woman is haloed by a green circle.]

Miele-Ara is designated ruler over the living, the ground and the things that grow from it. She is worshipped generally and most religious customs that are part of the Faerie Calendar and general life are related to her.

Her religious counterpart and fellow god is named Malaran (mah-la-ran). Similar to Miele-Ara, they are addressed by a variety of names including "the Night Watchman".

[Alt text: A portrait made in the Djarn picrew depicting a humanoid figure with a large number of eyes, black horns and ears reminiscent of a dragon or reptile's. The sclera of all their eyes are black while the irises are purple. All of the eyes are looking in different directions. The figure is wearing an ornate necklace and grey/black clothing.]

In a way complementary to Miele-Ara, Malaran's domain is in the abstract and yet concrete things like knowledge, astronomy, research of a esoteric nature; the night and the unknown and the things that live in it.

As their sacred texts are more difficult to understand and have generally never been part of the wider religious culture of Faerie with the exception of those who live in the lands most closely linked to his kind of magic, worship and reverence of Malaran is often seen as occult and dangerous. But Malaran is gentle, sweet and kind. Malaran is patient and loving, anxious and tender. Miele-Ara on the other hand? Not so motherly as people like to romanticise her to be.

In additional posts in this worldbuilding series, I'll go into more detail about their specialities and the methods of worshipping both of them + some folktales! See you next time.

[angelicyouth]

Lavender ; Chapter 2

⇢ pairing: stan marsh x broflovski!reader

⇢ genre: summer romance ; soulmates AU

⇢ synopsis: ❝You looked forward to attending the sleepy, beachside town's famous carnival every summer. But not because you got to see your cousins or your friends after a year of not seeing them—it was to see the boy behind the ring toss booth.❞

⇢ [series masterlist] ; [previous] ; [next]

// FIFTEEN:

“I fucking saw that, you dirty little cheat!” Clyde’s screeching loudly interrupts the otherwise tranquil heat of the afternoon, the boys and you gathered around your cousin’s backyard with your feet dipped inside Ike’s inflatable kiddie pool filled with water.

“If what you saw is all the nasty ass spit flying out of your mouth from all your fucking complaining then sure, Clyde—that’s what you saw!” Craig barks back as he roughly hands the yelling brunette his half of their shared popsicle, your tongue leisurely lapping at the sweetness of the one that you split with Tweek.

The two of you are leisurely sitting next to one another, your head comfortably resting against the blonde’s shoulder as you both lazily watch your bickering friends. You can feel Tweek’s damp locks of hair against your own as his head leans against the top of yours, perspiration beading at the hairline of the whole group yet you couldn’t find it in yourself to care with this almost torturous heat.

The sleepy beachside town has been met with sweltering temperatures that exceeded last year’s, causing the boys to be greedy with their ice cream and easily irritable with the weather. There was an operating fan in every room of your friend’s houses (except for Tolkien and his fully functioning air conditioning system) to which all of you yelled at Clyde when he unplugged one just to charge his phone.

Nothing deters the brunette as he yells out, “I’ll look for a fucking magnifying glass and a ruler just to prove to you that you made your half bigger than mine, asshole—I swear I will!”

But before the ravenette can make a scathing retort back, the glass sliding door leading to the house opens as Tolkien roughly chucks a newly bought box of frozen sweets at the wailing jock. All future responses are cut off as their hands hurriedly fumble to save the package before it falls into the water, the promise of more ice cream after this one ending their argument as their mouths wrap around their snack.

After devouring the rest of the popsicles, you all hop onto your bikes to race each other to the beach with the threat of the last person there having to stuff seaweed into their swimsuit. Not only that, but they have to go up to a random person of the opposite gender to try to get their number.

Your stomach hurts from laughing too hard when Clyde gets pushed towards his designated pile of soggy seaweed on the sand after losing, his nose crinkling up in disgust when a wet squelch signals its success in finding its temporary home. It makes him look like he has a full diaper on, the sight of it only fitting the childish pout resting on his face.

“What the fuck ever! This makes it look like I have some gnarly pubes or my dick isn’t as small as Craig’s micropenis!” The brunette snickers as he swiftly dodges the ravenette’s predictably upcoming kick, the rest of you watching as his earlier bravado suddenly disappears when a few older girls begin to giggle with numerous obvious glances towards his stuffed shorts.

After the humiliating public rejection, he embarrassedly stomps his way back towards your cackling forms before reaching inside his swim trunks to grab the now warm seaweed and chuck it at the closest person. You all scramble to dodge as you painfully wheeze, tears rapidly leaking from the corner of your crinkled eyes onto your heated cheeks. 

“Sick, dude! Don’t throw that shit on me—it was just stuck on your sweaty fucking balls!”

・ ─ ・ ⋯ ・ ─ ⊹ ♡₊˚๑

You felt stupid because you were fifteen now but you couldn’t help but to think of the stuffed flower at the bottom of your suitcase as you step through the familiar throngs of carnival rides and games. All too soon, the sky faded from blue to black as your group repeated the cycle of eating unhealthy food and riding all the rides on the boardwalk as your tradition from previous years.

Deciding not to tell the guys about seeking out Stan, you wait until the perfect moment to make an excuse before you slip away from the group for a bit. As you excitedly walk towards the isolated booth, you think about how you never once considered the possibility that someone else could be working the game instead of the familiar bleached blonde.

This causes you to pause in your steps and while your usual reckless abandon would have caused you to give less of a shit and continue your journey to the ring toss booth, you don’t. You’re not sure if it's because the students at school have made it a common topic to talk about crushes and whatnot at every given moment with this new age but you can’t help but to feel self conscious at your one-sided fascination with the older teen.

You’re used to feeling like a dumbass and not thinking before you act (you’re surrounded by Clyde and your other friends after all).

But now…

You can’t help but to suddenly feel scared of the hurt of the rejection you know will appear when the bleached blonde routinely dismisses you like he always does. You’ve seen girls at school cry for days when they’ve broken up with their significant others and while you’re not quite sure as to what you feel for the older teen, you can’t deny the attraction that forces you to stop by the booth every year.

Almost like a hypnotic walk, taking control of your body and leading you there.

Like a connection.

But before you can make a decision as to what to do, you suddenly jolt when a pair of arms wrap around your shoulders from behind, Clyde whisking you off to fall into line for another ride as Craig mocks you about getting lost. 

・ ─ ・ ⋯ ・ ─ ⊹ ♡₊˚๑

This is what drove you to sneak into the carnival alone before it opened the following day, despite knowing that you were definitely not supposed to be there. But when did some measly yellow tape with the words Do Not Enter ever stop you from going anywhere?

How could you not disobey when it looked as if it was prettily tied up in a bow to be given as a present?

People were busy getting ready for the upcoming afternoon so you went by unnoticed, resolutely walking towards the far corner of the boardwalk that was tucked away from everything else. Clyde had said he was surprised that the ring toss was still operating and you could see why—no one ever seemed to stop by yet as you got closer, you could see the lights and prizes that meant it was still in business.

To your relief, Stan was there. His pretty blue eyes were still stuck to the glass screen of his phone, yes, but he was still working at the carnival and he was still appointed to the same booth. 

This time, however, you don’t let the older teen speak up first this time. “Let me help you out.”

Your stomach clenches in nervous anticipation of your bold actions but your face doesn’t show it as Stan lifts up his head to look at you. A few beats of silence passes on by and while the multiple shades of cerulean hues were familiar, the bleached blonde didn’t hold an ounce of recognition in his eyes—again.

It hurt… 

Again.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to be here.” The smooth lilt of his deep baritone awakens something within you after not having heard it for a whole entire year, your heart clenching painfully in yearning.

“No shit.” You respond back and you can’t help but to internally preen at the fact that you echoed his previous words to you from years before back at the teen. 

God, you felt like you were on a roll.

Stan considers this for a moment before his legs swing down to hit the floor in front of his stool, a scoff escaping his mouth. “Whatever. If some kid wants to do my job for me then I’d be an idiot to not let them.”

“I’m not some fucking kid!” You angrily retort back, to which the older teen simply ignores.

“I swear I’m not! I’m in high school and probably not even that much younger than you, you know.” Stan just shrugs and the dry responses ignites the familiar irritation that fills up your body every single time you’re in the presence of the apathetic teen.

“Unless you’re a dumbass who failed a couple of grades and got held back a few times. How old are you, then?” The bleached blonde hops off his previous perch on his stool, his arms lazily stretching upwards over his head as your eyes immediately zone in on the small sliver of skin being exposed at his waist.

“I’m 17.” Stan responds around a bored yawn, your attention going back to his face when the cotton of his shirt resumes its previous position over his taut stomach.

“That’s not even that much older than me! I’m going to be a sophomore next year—I’m 15.” Your lips automatically curve along your face into a happy grin at the revelation that there were only two years between the two of you. 

He really wasn’t some old fart like how he acts he is.

The older teen doesn’t respond, the metal of his keys softly dangling against one another as he unlocks something underneath the counter. You speak up again, “Let me help you.”

“I’m getting the prizes and shit. If you stand over the counter, you can hang them up.” Stan picks up a stuffed bunny and demonstrates by reaching up to rightfully place it in its display but you can’t help but to watch the way the silver of his rings prettily catches the sunlight over his longer fingers.

“My name is N/N. I mean, Y/N.” You stutter and you internally curse at yourself because you were doing so well at taking control of the situation and at taking the initiative to get closer to the teen.

“Stan.” Is all he supplies and you can’t help the frown crossing your face, your teeth biting onto your bottom lip because you already knew that.

You haul your body over the counter and get to work with putting away the plushies that the bleached blonde seamlessly hands to you, the older teen sitting atop the cold structure of the counter beside your feet as his other hand fiddles with his ever present cellphone. You can’t help but to smile in fondness every time a gentle breeze swings by, the soft caress of the wind causing the stuffed toys to dance along in the air.

“Hey.”

“Hm?” You distractedly hum back, watching the toys sway and say hello.

“Come here. I’ll show you how they fuck people over with this game.” And just like that, it’s as if you're an overeager puppy desperate to get its owner’s attention again as your trance gets broken and you hop down to land beside the older boy.

“They put the bottles really close together.” He mumbles as he sets up the glass objects onto the wooden table in front of you both. “So to win, you’d have to do it perfectly.”

“The rings are different weights so that you can’t get used to them.” The bleached blonde continues as you pick up different colored ones to test them out, and he was right.

“These are the order of the colors you should throw it in. You start with red because it’s the heaviest.” He throws it with a perfect arch before he grabs the next colored ring.

“Then it’s orange, yellow, green.” Each word is emphasized with the appropriate object as they beautifully twirl around the neck of the glass bottle.

“Light purple is always last—it’s the lightest.” You watch in fascinated awe as the rings all neatly lay on top of one another, like the rings around the planets of the solar system that Craig talks so much about.

That seemed to be the end of setting up as Stan drops back onto the stool to routinely tap against his phone, your eyes wordlessly staring at the disconnected teen. Clyde had said that he stopped entertaining other people that he didn’t deem worthy of his time except for his friends and you couldn’t help but to want that for yourself.

While you were loud and impulsive, Stan was quiet and deliberate.

He was cool in a completely different way than your older cousin. Where Kyle was passionate about what mattered most to him—of his studies and his morals, Stan didn’t give a shit about what other people thought of or if he pleased anyone with his actions. He barely spoke but every time he did, it felt hypnotic in the way where you were hanging onto every intonation and cadence of his words.

“You can come back later on tonight.” The older teen speaks up, your attention diverted from where it was watching his tongue dart out to wet the pretty pink of his plump lips. “I have to clean up after the carnival if you want to help.”

You beam in affirmation at the invite before you excitedly bound out of the boardwalk to meet up with your friends. When you tell them the exaggerated tale of you sneaking into the carnival, Tweek admonishes you in panic for the possibility of getting caught and banned for life.

There’s a secretive smile on your face as you shrug sheepishly.

・ ─ ・ ⋯ ・ ─ ⊹ ♡₊˚๑

It was late into the night when you finally remember your promise to Stan, having lost track of time as Craig roughly wipes the remnants of cinnamon sugar from your lips and Clyde finishes the last bite of your shared churro. You tell the guys to just go on ahead without you because you forgot something and after much reassurance (“I’m not going to get abducted by aliens, Tweek”), you jog back to the far corner of the boardwalk.

“I’m sorry.” When you had shown up, the older teen was done packing everything up and now he only shrugs in response at your guilty face.

“S’fine. Going home now.” You obediently nod in reply but you’re distraught at how childish you still were in comparison to Stan for forgetting such an important event in the distraction of fun with your friends.

Taking a step forward to the direction of the entrance, you can’t help but to notice that the bleached blonde was slinking away towards the darkness of the beach despite saying he was heading home. You bounce on the balls of your feets as you decide what to do before you take off after where you saw the older teen disappear.

Trying to stay quiet was no hard task as you walked through a multitude of bushes and overgrown tree branches until Stan finally sits down on the sand, your smaller form ducking behind a piece of driftwood on the beach. Peering past the brittle barricade, you watch as Stan heaves out a deep sigh before he lifts his head towards the illumination of the beautifully present moon.

Your breath gets caught into your throat at the sight of the vestiges of light prettily caressing the visage of the boy in front of you, his gaze intense as the shadows accentuate the affection his face holds for the brightly lit object shining above the both of you. Stan’s lips part ever so slightly and you can’t help but to wonder: what was he saying in secrecy to the moon?

You wanted to know.

But, you were intruding. It felt like an intimate moment that you shouldn’t be a part of and with one last glance, you stand up to slowly back away.

And just like that, a floodgate had opened. As you ride on your bicycle across the quiet expanse of empty streets, you’re ridden with the thoughts that you wanted to kiss Stan. You wanted him to look at you with that deeply held fondness that he looked at the moon with, wanted him to whisper his intimate thoughts to you.

But most of all, you wanted to hear him say your name.

When you throw your bicycle atop the grass of your cousin’s front lawn, you’ll look up to the moon across the glass panel of the window when you’re tucked away in bed that night and ask:

“What were you guys talking about?”

・ ─ ・ ⋯ ・ ─ ⊹ ♡₊˚๑

// SIXTEEN:

This time, this year, standing on the boardwalk with your friends as they hand over your shared money to the person behind the ticket booth, you weren't going to assume that Stan remembered you. This was a mistake you made last year and the year before that but now you weren’t going to have expectations that could lead to any hurt.

It was your turn to be strategic—no more fumbled introductions or childish tantrums.

You were cool too, goddammit.

Steeling your resolve with one last deep breath, you walk up to the hidden booth. This was it—you were going to make Stan remember you this time.

“Hi.” You greet, the older teen looking up from his phone to nod his head at you. He looks as tired as he did the previous years, as if the universe just wouldn’t let him sleep but despite it all, he’s still as beautiful as before.

“Sup.” There is no recognition flickering behind his ever pretty eyes but that was okay, you prepared for this.

The stand is set up like it always is as you rummage through the pockets of your skirt to pull out the appropriate amount of tickets, your mind reminding itself of the order of colors to throw it in as he passes you the stack of rings. It’s almost funny how you remember, how clear the memory with Stan was when just yesterday Tweek was yelling at you for forgetting the tray of chicken nuggets you placed in the oven and letting it burn to a blackened crisp.

You pick up the red ring, the heaviest from what the older teen had told you but as you prepare to throw it, you don’t close your eyes like last time. Stan watches as it seamlessly glides across the air, the satisfying clunk! causing the corner of your lips to twitch upwards.

One after the other, you throw them in the order you remember until there was nothing left to throw. You made every single one, a beautiful array of colors with the pretty lavender color sitting atop the stack.

It’s quiet for a period of time as Stan squints at the perfect sequence of colors and back at the girl who made everything without batting an eye. “What the fuck. How’d you know the order..?”

“You showed me last year. Or did you forget, old man?” You teasingly smirk at the stunned expression on the teen, a satisfied thrum running along your veins.

“What? I showed you?” The skin between his eyebrows begin to crease in disbelief, “I don’t remember doing anything like that at all. Are you fucking with me?”

Although this meant that he forgot about you again, you couldn’t help the cacophony of butterflies that dangerously flutter along your stomach at the notion that you were the only one Stan had ever told that to. You want to stay a bit longer to make a deeper impression after your success but you made a promise of having a hotdog eating contest with Clyde later on so you had to go.

“I’m Y/N. And you’re Stan—I remember you.” There’s a blank look in Stan’s eyes as he looks at you but it was okay. Like you said, you were prepared for that to happen again.

“I have no idea why you remember an asshole like me. You won though, what prize do you want?” He stands up as he slides his mobile device into the coarse material of his jean’s pocket, your eyes breaking away from his form real quick to scan along the hanging prizes.

“Nah, I’m okay. I just like playing.” You flash him a wide grin, your pearly white teeth making an appearance when you see the eyebrow that he quirks up.

“I’ve never heard that before. You like playing rigged games or some shit? Or just ring toss in particular?” Ever so slightly, the corner of his mouth lifts up in amusement which in turn causes you to feel like you won a Nobel Peace Prize or some other great accomplishment.

Like usual, your mouth works faster than your brain as you impulsively say, “It’s not the game that I’m into.”

You internally shriek but outward you stay composed, tilting your head to the side when you see the older teen slightly part his pretty pink lips. “... Oh.”

You’re absolutely beaming in delight at this newly predatory position you’ve reached, flashing the bleached blonde a smile. “Later!”

Waiting until you were no longer in sight of Stan, your feet pick up their pace as it steadily hits the structure of the boardwalk in a thump-thump-thump motion like your still racing heart.

・ ─ ・ ⋯ ・ ─ ⊹ ♡₊˚๑

Your head is laid against Craig’s lap, the ravenette’s longer fingers running through the soft locks of your hair in repetitive motions that threaten to put you into deep sleep. All eyes are on the television as you watch Tweek and Tolkien duke it out on the big screen, the incessant sound of a vibration against the wooden floor irritating the boys.

“Who the fuck are you texting, Clyde?” Tolkien nosely asks, his head trying to catch sight of the brunette’s flashing phone as he tries to dodge any prying eyes.

“Fuck off—It’s none of your goddamn business!” He screeches, the sheer volume of his voice causing you to jolt awake.

“It’s probably a girl, dude.” Tweek lazily says, his blonde bangs tied up into a mini palm tree at the top of his head to keep it away from his sweat-sheened face.

“Pfft, now you know that’s a damn lie. Clyde can’t pull for shit.” Craig snorts from his position above you, a high-pitched whine resounding from your throat when his fingers stop their soothing ministrations in your hair.

“Fuck you! I get enough, thank you very much!” The brunette is indignant as he harshly swats away Tolkien’s teasingly reaching hands away from his cellphone, the rich teen diverting his fingers to tickle Clyde instead in an attempt to distract him.

“Yeah, if getting some is kissing your own grandmother on the fucking cheek when you see her then sure, Clyde. You get all the retired bitches.” Tweek hollers out a loud laugh as he brings an elbow up to hit Craig in the ribs at his words, your eyes closed as you sleepily giggle at the burn.

“N/N got even more action than you when she was 13, Clyde. You’re a lost fucking cause.” Everyone snickers as you blindly bring a hand up to swat at the resident blonde of the group for bringing up that memory, a nostalgic grin curling at your lips as they teasingly push at your resting body for having game as a kid.

Your first year with the boys for the summer, you caught the attention of one beautiful Wendy Testaburger when she saw you by chance on the swings of the park with your friends. She knocked on your window to break you out of the house in the middle of the night, the pair of you intertwining your hands together as you both silently giggle off into the warm darkness of the air.

Surprising you with an impromptu visit, she led you to a clearing where the din of the luminescent fireflies casted her soft features alight in a beautiful glow. You both rested your backs against a magnificently tall tree that you couldn't identify under the inky night, the ravenette pulling out two lunchables for the both of you from her Chinpokomon backpack to snack on as you talked.

She had dropped you off back to your cousins with your first kiss as a parting gift that summer night.

・ ─ ・ ⋯ ・ ─ ⊹ ♡₊˚๑

“Stan! Can I help you set up?” You present the older teen a soft smile, your hands clutching one another as you fiddle with your fingers as an outlet for your nervous energy.

He looks up from where he was staring down at his phone, an eyebrow quirking up at the sight of you. “How the fuck did you get in here?” 

“How else? I climbed through the tape, duh.” You roll your eyes as you cross your arms over your chest, shifting you weight to one side as you await for his answer.

He snorts but it’s still pretty, a lilt of amusement tainting his tone. “You mean the one that clearly says Do Not Enter in all caps?”

“Hm. If it’s made out of something so flimsy then it feels more like a suggestion, no? Whatever, I’m only asking because you let me help you last year.” You lean over the counter separating the two of you as he busies himself with unlocking all of the cabinets.

“You sure like to claim a bunch of shit that I don’t remember.” He hums before he stands to his full height, your breath getting caught at your throat because this is the first time you’ve stood this close to one another and face-to-face at that.

You lean back from your previously leaning position when you take note of his taller frame (not as much as Craig but still a fucking giant compared to you, holy shit) but you don’t back down. “It’s not my fault that you don’t remember me.”

He hums again in thought as he crosses his arms, “And that’s such a fucking shame. I feel like I would have remembered someone like you.”

You busy yourself with hopping onto the counter to sit because it’s easier to flirt when you can’t see the mesmerizing depth of ocean blue eyes. “Someone like me, huh? And what does that mean? Someone attractive? Funny? Charming?”

Your feet leisurely swing as they dangle from your perched position and from your peripherals, you can see Stan laying his palms flat against the counter beside you as he leans his weight against the structure. “I was going to say someone annoying as hell.”

“Fuck you! I don’t have to go out of my way to provide you free labor just for you to be a piece of shit meanie!” Your cheeks angrily puff out as your lips curl into a pout.

“Boo-fucking-hoo. If you don’t like the working conditions then quit.” Is all you get before he shoves a box full of glass bottles into your arms.

You mutter to yourself as you petulantly place them onto the wooden table until you catch sight of Stan watching you. “Close together so that they can fuck you over, right?”

“Yeah, all the games are rigged here.” He says before he resumes his task of hanging up plush toys but you already know because he told you that before.

“This stand isn’t very popular.” You remark when the two of you are done setting the booth up and are standing under the shade provided by the hanging prizes.

He waves off your words, “Like I give a shit. Not my fault that the stand’s hidden in the asscrack of the boardwalk.”

Sending him a judgemental glance, you scoff at his response. “Pretty sure it is your fault. You’re a fucking asshole, dude. It’s like 30 degrees colder here compared to the rest of the boardwalk because of your shitty personality.”

“Says you. You show up every year, apparently, and now you’ve snuck in early to force your help onto me. Which I don’t get any fucking tickets for, by the way. ” The taller teen sends you a condescending look back.

“Who gives a shit about some tickets when you get to hang out with me!” You boldly declare, presenting the older boy with a shit eating grin.

The bleached blonde simply narrows his eyes down at you, “Like that’s any form of compensation. What, your mom let you out of the house dressed like that?”

You look down at your skirt as the soft material flutters along with the wind. “What the fuck are you talking about? I’m here with my aunt, first of all. And fuck you—people loved my outfit when I wore it to a party once.”

The older teen just sends you a look, as if communicating that he never asked for an explanation. “Well the party you went to probably sucked ass, then.”

“I mean, parties fucking suck in general when you’ve been to enough. It’s fun at first but it’s repetitive so it gets pretty tiring.” You mumble, honestly reflecting your personal experiences from the high school parties you often get dragged to.

“Hm? What happened to you?” He lazily asks, a well-welcomed breeze caressing both of your locks of hair against the harsh sun rays.

You think about how you made out with a boy who had similar bleached blonde hair and couldn’t get yourself to go through with it when you began to imagine that the larger hands trailing down the skin of your waist was Stan’s. Or how the only reason you agreed to get locked in a closet during a game of seven minutes in heaven was because the deep lilt of the boy you went in with sounded similar to Stan’s baritone voice.

“... Peer pressure, lots of confusion. Don’t worry though, I don’t think I’ll be doing those things again.” Your voice is soft between the space of the booth you’re standing in, your fingers fiddling with the creases in between the folds of your top.

“Good—I don’t know what I’d do without my worthless assistant if they got into shit.”

Your mouth parts to give a scathing retort but you pause when you see the sight of a gentle curl along Stan’s lips for the very first time.

・ ─ ・ ⋯ ・ ─ ⊹ ♡₊˚๑

“Back to torment me?” Is what greets you when you come back the following day before opening, the older teen in his usual laid-back position atop his stool.

You roll your eyes, “Fuck off. You don’t even have to do anything—I can do all of this shit by myself and with my eyes closed.”

“Like that means anything. A fucking baby could do this.” He lazily scoffs.

As you get to work, your body goes through the motions now ingrained into your body as taught from the taller teen while Stan sits back and relaxes. When you stop in front of one of the floor to ceiling mirrors that make your body look all wonky for comedic effect, you can’t help but to pause in front of the panel of glass.

Because from the reflection, you could see Stan watching you.

Not that he was making eye contact with you, but the bleached blonde was watching you work without knowing that you had caught him in the act. It was a different type of attention from the years of disinterest that it made you smirk to yourself at this newfound knowledge.

Slyly, you take off the jacket adorning your frame as if it was bothering you because of the sweltering heat. You see how Stan’s eyes slowly darken as they take in the expanse of newly exposed skin with this new but special kind of attention, leisurely dragging his sight across your body as if he had all the time in the world to admire your form.

When you leave the booth later on to meet up with your friends, you notice how he doesn’t call you a kid anymore.

・ ─ ・ ⋯ ・ ─ ⊹ ♡₊˚๑

“Hey. Show me how to play this game again.” You ask, Stan staring up at you with his leg tucked under his chest as usual but without a phone in sight.

“Light work.” He scoffs, a cocky lilt to his voice at the simple request.

You slip inside the booth as you internally preen at the fact that you’re the only person that Stan would let in like this as you drag your fingers across the necks of the glass bottles. “Get them all over just this one bottle then.”

He smirks, the handsome expression making your insides warm at how attractive his confidence is. “Like I said: fucking easy.”

“Then show me.” You stick out your tongue at him as you step back outside of the booth, your skirt following the movement of your body.

“Got a ticket for my troubles?” Rolling your eyes, you flick the paper at him as he steps beside you, his ring-adorned fingers flexing in preparation to throw.

His aim is precise as always as he goes through the order of the colors imprinted in your mind, all until he has just the light purple ring in his hold. He sends you a glance and you can’t help but to notice that it’s with the same attention from when he looked at you in the mirror earlier in the day. But this time, you make eye contact.

His hand wobbles before the worn out object clatters onto the ground.

Your eyes widen in surprise as you don’t understand what was going on because you’ve never seen Stan lose composure, your head quickly whipping back to the side to look at the older teen beside you. He looked… Angry.

“Seriously? Don’t lose on purpose just to make me feel better. I’m not a fucking kid anymore no matter how much you think I am.” Scoffing, you walk towards the fallen item as you place it back against the counter.

“I didn’t lose on purpose.” His voice is quiet, back to his usual self again.

“What then? Forgot how to play, old man?” You tease, collecting all of the rings from the bottles to gather them back into one pile on the counter.

“Want me to teach you how? It’s free of charge since I feel so bad.” Snickering, you resume your previous position beside the taller teen.

“I taught you first.” He grumbles back as you perch yourself atop the counter, leisurely swinging your feet back and forth in delight.

“Red is first.” Stan rolls his eyes at your words before he picks up the aforementioned ring, his hands still trembling ever so slightly.

You quirk an eyebrow when you notice, jumping down beside the bleached blonde to reach for his wrist in an effort to guide him into a throw. The second your skin touches for the first time, however, the older teen gasps at the contact as the second ring of the night meets its demise on the ground.

“Holy shit! I’m sorry—” Cutting off your words, muscular arms wrap around your waist to which you immediately wrap your own around broad shoulders.

Leaning his weight against your body, you try to keep the both of you upright as he burrows his face into the safe solace of your neck and a shaky breath hits your exposed skin. It’s quiet for a moment as you don’t know what to do, confused and begging anyone that was listening to make it so that Stan couldn’t feel how quickly your heart was beating underneath your chest.

You stay that way for the rest of the night with Stan oddly quieter than usual, the teen not responding as he stays in your embrace whenever you try to fill the space with meaningless talk. When he gives you a wordless goodbye in the form of a gentle nudge when people begin to leave the boardwalk, you hurriedly rush to speak up in your immense confusion to the events that transpired.

“I’m leaving tomorrow.” But he still doesn’t answer.

Your hands clench around the soft material of the shirt adorning his frame, “Please say something. I don’t want you to forget about me again.”

Like you always do.

Finally, Stan pulls away and looks at you. “I don’t think I’ll forget someone like you. I don’t even know why you’re so dead-fucking-set on getting to know an asshole like me in the first place.”

You silently watch as he returns behind the counter of the booth, his hands rummaging between tufts of plushed toys before he pulls out a cute star. “Here—as payment for helping me because I don’t want to owe a shithead like you anything. Something to remember me by and because it looks like you.”

Gently grabbing the proffered item, you smile as you whisper. “You’ve said that to me before, asshole.”

When the thoughts of what had occurred crowd your mind on your ride back home, you’ll hug your new gift to your chest as you think about how you’d never forget Stan.

[tvlandofficiall]

seam ships ranking tierlist?

this is a little less of a tierlist and more of an unsorted assortment of the pairs i'm invested in, but;

SEAVIL

gamewise; i admit i will forever be most partial to the shopboss pairs because – in my humble opinion – they really have it ALL. seam watching jevil descend into madness and – rather than being horrified by it – being were so intrigued that even now what jevil had said in those moments of madness lingers deep within them. seam wishing they hadn't locked him up for that madness at all because he gave them more of a "purpose" than anything their fate or their status as "object" could offer them. the ambiguity as to whether they were even friends at all, or if it was solely their positions in the court and the thrill of the "numbers game" that kept them coming back to one another.

headcanonwise; the phrase "mutually unrequited love" made absolutely zero sense to me until i thought too hard about these two. they're both one another's "one that got away" – they both think they should've professed their love before jevil had to be locked up and think of one another almost like fleeting mirages (only worsened by having both seen the state of their being in the light world.)

SEAMSWATCH

what can i say? these two have absurd chemistry every time i do a writing "sketch" where they're the subjects. they're admittedly the relationship that's the most my own invention out of any of these, but i think there's a lot of really fascinating stuff you could do with them. they're both in the same position of having a shadow crystal holder that was close with them – seam is really the only person swatch can talk to about spamton now that they're in castle town. and too; what does seam know about the lightner that created neo through their hands? why are they so mysterious? just what was the crystal in neo? there's an interesting detective & them fatale (get it?) dynamic to be found there and their personalities are both so charged for it that i just can't get enough of them.

SEAMQUEEN

i'm honestly surprised these two didn't take off more after ch2 given mysterious past relationships seem to be the name of the game for deltarune fans. aside from said mysterious shared past though these two are classic character foils – queen believes wholeheartedly in her own mistaken assumptions about the machinations of this world and seam is by contrast so aware of said machinations and said world that they've given up on it near-entirely. just that alone provides a lot of fascinating ways the two can bounce off of one another; especially in snowgrave where the violence of queen's entire world being pulled out from under her becomes apparent to her. seam meanwhile knows that sort of thing is inevitable – one way or another queen's world would be destroyed and one way or another her people would be discarded. in fact, it's happened to them already! why worry? why not come stay with them a while? (and even in a normal route, consider they seem to know about other game files – would they know of a snowgrave file then? could they look with nothing but their own detatched fascination at an old friend who they far surpass in knowledge now? she seems to have been gone from the kingdom some time before jevil was locked away – or i think so, at least – and so she's no idea of just how much her old friend has changed.)

and on queen's end; i think she and the pandora palace crew are quite close, but i don't doubt she misses the old court crew, especially while she's first finding her footing as the sole ruler of cyber world. there's no way seam wasn't sneaking around with queen back when they were younger; they're the sort i think queen would have a blast just drinking and going back and forth with. she's the kind of person who prioritizes a good time (doesn't everyone?) and so seam – who's always had a layabout streak – is happy to take her side when trying to get the kings to throw grand balls or when she just wants to ditch 'em entirely. all in all very underexplored very classic yuri that deserves to have more than three posts in the tag in my humble (read: extremely biased) opinion.

SEAMKING

this is the one i would not say i "ship" but that i will say i think happened in the time between jevil being locked away and the knight arriving / all the kings being locked away / the remaining court members being fired. spades king spent many a night privately telling seam about his ire towards the kingdom's state of abandonment. seam was seam about it. they probably laughed mysteriously at him about it. he probably hated it. he probably liked it a little more than he'd like to like it. you know how it is.

[wealmostaneckbeard]

Oversimplified theory of politics:

Theocracy: What if the people who know our regional religion best were in charge of everything? God would never allow frauds and hypocrites to take positions of power.

Feudal Caste System: One tribe of people got to be in charge of everything, another tribe was the slaves, and everyone else was between these two extremes.

Imperialism: Let us, as a society, go to other lands and steal stuff and people that will (probably) benefit everyone back home. And if people try to stop us, we kill them.

Democracy: What if the people who promised the nicest things to the most number of people were put in charge, by the people? Surely, this will not result in a new caste of incompetent rulers.

Capitalism: What if the people who were best at imperialism got to be in charge, rather than because they were in the ruling tribe? Surely this will not result in a new incompetent ruling caste.

Anarchism: The tribes thing would have worked if some tribes hadn't taken charge. Let's try that again but we discourage the accumulation of power.

Communism: What if we did Imperialism to the rich people in our own country? Surely, that would fix our problems and not result in a new ruling caste.

Fascism: What if we did Imperialism to poor people, people we don't like, and ethnic minorities everywhere? Surely, that would fix our problems because those people are actually secretly rich so we can steal their treasure and use it to pay for everything.

[cosmerelists]

Why I Think Dalinar Will Lose

[MAJOR spoilers for Rhythm of War! Spoilers also for Mistborn included in #1]

At the end of Rhythm of War, Odium and Dalinar set terms for the Contest of Champions: it’s happening in 10 days, and they’re each picking a willing champion to fight to the death on the top of Urithiru. Dalinar has decided to be his own champion, but we don’t yet know who Odium’s champion will be. We also don’t know what the outcome will be.

And personally? I’m wagering that Dalinar will lose the fight. And here’s why.

1. We’re halfway through a 10-book series.

I mean, it’s like when the protagonists of a TV show have a great plan...10 minutes into the episode. You know it’s not going to work out. Now, this is a little different, since there’s going to be a time jump before Stormlight 6 and who knows what the plot of the second half of the series is going to be--it could be like Mistborn Era 1, in which [spoilers ahead] the Lord Ruler did really die at the end of Book 1 and then the next two books dealt with the fallout. But still. I feel very suspicious about our protagonists winning against Odium this early.

2. Taravangian’s now in charge.

Dalinar could handle the old Odium--they’d verbally sparred a few times already, and Dalinar always came out on top. This Contest of Champions business itself is Rayse making what seems to be a pretty bad deal--he’s bound to the system no matter the outcome. But now it’s not Rayse any longer; it’s Taravangian. And Taravangian is scarier--even Hoid freaked out before his memories were wiped. And in that same scene, Taravangian realized something. We don’t know what, but I am not optimistic about what it means for Dalinar.

3. The Mysterious Odium Champion

My previous list/poll about who Odium’s champion might be raised a number of seeming no-win situations for Dalinar--especially once you take into account the comments I got on my poll. What is Dalinar supposed to do if his grandson Gavinor is the champion? Or Adolin? What if it’s Taln, and killing him will mean breaking the oathpact and letting Odium free after all? And if WE can come up with these seemingly unwinnable situations for Dalinar, what could Brandon Sanderson come up with?? The fact that we don’t know who the champion is makes it seem much worse for Dalinar, somehow.

4. It’s just the more interesting outcome

Like, if Dalinar loses, he becomes Odium’s agent in the wider Cosmere: evil, worldhopping Dalinar working for Odium and presumably doing what he can to undermine him at the same time. Flavors of Marsh from Mistborn Era 1. To me, that just feels more narratologically interesting than Dalinar winning, getting some land back, and then the borders freezing where they are. 

5. There’s always another secret.

I feel pretty secure in stating that there will be SOMETHING unexpected about this duel. Maybe it won’t be Dalinar losing--maybe it will be someone other than Dalinar being his champion (I haven’t given up on a Kaladin vs. Moash fight). Maybe the fight won’t happen at all, due to some sort of Taravangian machinations. Maybe we’ll finally find out what made the Radiants break their oaths in the first place and the fight will take on new and more terrible connotations. I’m not that good at guessing. So for me, the simple “twist” to expect is Dalinar losing.

What do you all think? Take the poll to share your thoughts!