#ok that's probably the last for this ask game lol

[boleynqueenes]

Lying

That rose-mouth is the only similarity shared with her father, as her mother is only taller than herself and Lady Shelton, while her father is taller than everyone, and broader, too, shoulders stout as his horse Governatore's. And the first visit Elizabeth remembers, her mother was slimmer than all save the wispiest pageboys, save Lady Bryan. This time, like the other times, there is a soft curve to her stomach, like a "lump under the bed" (which she has never seen, but been called, when lying huddled under her coverlet and refusing to rise in the mornings).

[hoonieyun]

a lovesick girl's guide to heartbreak

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗ fwb!jake x reader i start fights cause i wanna makeup... summary: although you specified with jake that you were only looking for a fwb, you just love getting a kick out of pushing his buttons. after all, as much as you like starting fights with him, you like making up with him after even more.

warnings: kissing, drinking and playing beer pong, jake and yn are not good people, i'm not sure the term but they use other people to get back at one another, suggestive, consensual skinship, possessive!jake, jake slightly chokes yn but its consensual!! bratty!reader ,18+ wc: 3729

hoonieyun notes: this is probably the spiciest one out of this series but no smut because i can't bring myself to write it so everything is quite suggestive lol

you’re getting ready to go to a party when a text on your phone catches your attention. setting down your lipstick and reaching for your phone, a smile appears on your lips as you read the text in your head. 

from: jaeyun  need me to pick you up baby?

the text reads and you’re smirking to yourself knowing that you’ve got something up your sleeve. jake has gotten on your nerves lately because although the two of you weren���t exclusive, you were each other’s exclusive friends with benefits, meaning you two would only be seeing each other but not dating. 

however, he loves to act like you’re just some girl when the two of you are in public, ignoring your advances and doing his best to act like he isn’t smitten with you after spending the weekend at your apartment, cuddling you in his sleep and making you breakfast in the morning. 

sure, it was nice to have a warm body next to you when you slept at night but you were beginning to think that jake was becoming more than somebody you wanted to fuck around with and could see a life with him as your boyfriend, the only thing was you weren’t sure if he felt the same way. 

he always acted differently from the jaeyun that you knew in your bedroom and the jake that you knew when it came to being around your friends and in public. you wouldn’t necessarily say he was ashamed to be with you but more often than not it felt like he was hiding this relationship the two of you had like it was something to be ashamed of. 

you decide not to respond and set your phone back down to finish the last of your makeup but another text rings once again. you go to look at your phone to see another text from jake, this time he’s being less sweet and more assertive with you. 

from:  jaeyun alright, i’ll see you at the party i guess

you roll your eyes in annoyance at the fact that he was being so passive aggressive but you couldn’t blame him because you were being just as passive aggressive and even more with what you had planned for the night. another text appears on your phone but its from a different person this time, now a smile on your face that wasn’t partnered with mischievous. 

from: myungjae :3  hi cutie, i’m outside. take your time, ok?” 

myungjae was your plan for the night. if jake wasn’t going to flaunt you around like somebody he was proud to have on his arm, you’ll find somebody that would and you did. myungjae was a guy you had met at jake’s soccer game. he had come up to you before the game when you were at a vending machine and you learned that he was a player at your university’s rival team. you texted occasionally and myungjae wasn’t shy to show you how much he wanted to take you out on a date. 

out of respect for jake, you always politely declined myungjae’s advances but as of lately, jake’s behavior has pissed you off so much that you didn’t care anymore that you yourself asked myungjae out on a date; to which he enthusiastically accepts. 

a part of you did feel bad that you were using him to get back at jake but at the end of the day, it’s all fun and games, right? 

you quickly spritz perfume onto your exposed clavicle and admire yourself in your mirror one last time before heading outside to meet myungjae. flipping your hair over your shoulder and thinking about how killer you looked tonight, knowing how you could have any guy crawling after you tonight. 

when you exit your apartment, you see myungjae outside leaning on the hood of his car as he waits for you, you smile and do a slight jog to get to him, trying to make sure you don’t fall over in your heels. “hi, myungjae.” you say in a sickly and sweet voice. 

“hi, cutie.” he says, smiling down at your pretty face, taking in your features and overall demeanor, he doesn’t even notice he’s checking you out until you playfully slap his chest. “keep it in your pants, mister.” you taunt and he rolls his eyes with a smirk knowing that you know how much of an effect you have on him. you place a small kiss on his cheek before he opens the door for you and grabs your hand to help you in. you watch as myungjae runs around the car to get to the driver’s side, sliding into his seat and making your way to the party– his hand on your exposed thigh the whole drive. 

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

when you get to the party, myungjae doesn’t leave your side at all, one of his arms is constantly draped around your shoulder or waist, or his soft hands gently wrapped around yours. it was a party by someone at your university so he only knew a few people aside from you. he follows you as you make your rounds throughout the party like he was a lost puppy and you had given him a sliver of attention that he craved. 

 you introduce myungjae to a lot of your friends and find your way to the kitchen where you fix the two of you a drink, a concoction inside of a red solo cup of whatever looked good and a cold glass of beer of myungjae, explaining that he’ll only have one bottle because he wants to be sober to ensure he gets you home safely. you found him so cute, pinching his cheek, if your brain wasn’t so tainted with the idea of jake you probably would’ve chosen myungjae a long time ago but jake was just constantly running on your mind no matter how badly or well he treated you in and outside of your bedroom. 

as jake enters the kitchen, his steps slow down when he sees you handing myungjae his beer, clearing his throat to get both of your attention. 

“yn, nice to see you.” he says, anger clearly in his eyes. 

“hi, jaeyun.” you say, using the name he said was specifically reserved for you. 

“have you met myungjae? he plays for the bonedo soccer team.” you ask even though all three of you know the answer to that as jake and myungjae are known to have quite the rivalry. “sup, man.” myungjae says, raising his glass to jake and jake just nods in response before stomping over to the fridge to get a beer of his own. 

“have fun.” you say as he leaves the kitchen, knowing that you were not beginning to get under his skin just by showing up with not only another man, but also a man that he didn’t like. “you guys good?” myungjae asks and you turn to him with a bright smile and nod, “mhmm, don’t worry your pretty head.” you say, toasting your cup with his bottle and taking a sip of your drink, smirking to yourself once again now that your plan for the night has begun. 

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

you’re dancing with myungjae when you glance over to a corner of the room and see that jake was sitting on the couch with yunjin in his lap, twirling her hair while jake stared at her lips. you couldn’t believe it, jake was trying to play the same game as you by getting with a girl that you didn't like. you always voiced to jake how much you didn’t like yunjin because you felt like she was always competing with you for things that didn’t matter like when she got chosen for an internship over you and told everyone it was because she was smarter than you when in reality it was because the ceo of that tech company was her godfather. 

jake suddenly catches your gaze and smiles at you as if he was saying, “two can play at that game.” and you know what, two can certainly play that game so to piss jake off even more, you switch your position from facing myungjae with your hands around his shoulder to having your backside to his front, moving his hands to your waist instead as the music picks up and your bodies begin to move in unison. 

if anyone saw the two of you right now they would probably mistake you and myungjae as a couple and knowing that people were perceiving you that way only angered jake further because although he would act like he didn’t know you in public, he was the only would that should be touching you in that way. 

when you revert your gaze back to jake you see that he’s angrily storming out of the room, leaving yunjin with an annoyed expression as she’s left alone on the couch also watching jake leave the room. 

yn: 2 jake: 1 

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

the next time you see jake, he’s with chaewon in the kitchen, his hand fiddling with the hem of her crop top, a longing gaze in her eyes as she watches jake who you knew wouldn’t return the same expression because he would only look at you that way. 

you and myungjae make your way back inside of the kitchen to fix yourself another drink, ignoring jake and chaewon because you didn’t want to give them the attention jake wanted from you so bad. you bring your cup to myungjae’s lips as you offer him a sip and he takes a small sip because he just can’t resist the look in your eyes. 

jake on the other hand is tightening his jaw and is gripping his cup so hard that it constricts, causing the liquid on the inside to splash onto him and chaewon, “what the fuck?” she exclaims, causing you and myungjae to look over at them. you see chaewon swipe her hands in annoyance to get rid of the beer on her skin and jake apologetically follows her out of the kitchen as she storms out. you roll your eyes and shake your head knowing that jake couldn’t beat you in your own game. 

no matter how hard he tries to get under your skin, you were already deep under there. 

yn: 3 jake: 2 

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

you soon find yourself competing against jake and chaewon in a game of beer pong with myungjae. you were surprised he was very good which you knew only made jake angrier as he wasn’t the best at the game. you had even warned jake that he should probably find another couple to play against, boasting about myungjae’s abilities without knowing if your bluffs were true. 

the sound of you calling yourself and myungjae a “couple” sets him and causes him to start the game before you even accept his challenge– and with just a few tosses, you and myungjae have only lost one cup while jake and chaewon had lost all but one cup. 

it was myungjae’s turn to toss the ball and for good luck, he asks you to blow on the ball and you oblige. blowing on to it with puckered lips and an unbreaking gaze with myungjae. jake is gripping the edge of the table as he watches the two of you, chaewon standing off to the side disinterested in any of this as she’s noticed that jake was more focused on trying to win you over and competing with myungjae than he was interested in her. at some point she ends up leaving after she receives a text from yunjin saying that jake ghosted her at the party so she leaves without notice and jake definitely doesn’t notice her absence. 

when myungjae skillfully tosses the ping pong ball towards the cup, it goes right in, earning cheers from everyone watching and most importantly, you. you’re jumping up and down while clapping, proud that myungjae has successfully won you the beer pong game and to reward him you’re about to wrap your arms around his neck and give him a kiss but you’re suddenly dragged away when jake grabs onto your wrist and pulls you outside into the front yard. 

“let me go, jake!” you yell, trying to free your hand but his grip on you is relentless and there was no way you were freeing yourself. 

“are you done?” he asks and you look at him with an expression that reads like you had no idea what he was talking about. jake inches closer, his nose almost touching yours as he looks down into your eyes with so much fury in his eyes at the stunt you had pulled tonight. you looked up at him with an arrogant gaze knowing that your plan was successful, flashing him a smile like you were so innocent in all of this, jake can’t help but smirk at you; wiping his face with aggravation. 

“yn, are you ok?” myungjae says from behind as he stands at the door. 

before you could even respond, jake flashes his middle finger at the poor guy and drags you to his car, leaving myungjae behind without an explanation; a noticeable pout on his lips as he watches you willingly leave with jake and get inside of his car. 

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

the drive to jake’s apartment was quiet, his jawline more prominent than usual as he’s constantly flexing his jaw in annoyance, trying to think of what he wanted to say to you but all he had in his head was how he was going to make you beg after being so bratty all night. 

the grip he had on your thigh was a lot different than the one myungjae has on you hours before, jake squeezing your thigh with so much force that when he let go as you arrived at his apartment, there was a visible print on your skin. 

“get inside.” he says and you know not to disobey him further, a smile on your face as you think about all of your efforts tonight being successful and how this was the result that you wanted. sure it was wrong to start a fight with jake all because you wanted to but at the end of the day, it was his fault for acting like he didn’t crave your touch every night. 

it may be wrong to like to start fights but it was all because you enjoyed making up after a lot more. 

when you enter jake’s apartment, he’s right on your heel, shutting his door behind you and pressing you against the door, his hand wrapping around your neck. “you wanna act like a brat?” he taunts, eyes scanning your face and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t find jake’s behavior attractive. you decide to stay silent to push his buttons even more as he hates being ignored. 

“hmph, i’ll make you regret acting like that.” he whispers into your ear, his lips lightly grazing your ear as he hauls you over his shoulder and takes you to his bedroom. you try to fight him off, squirming around but it is to no avail as his strong grip around you prevents you from moving around too much. 

you were starting to think that this was all a bad idea but you couldn’t help but crave the way jake treats you whenever you act this way. 

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

after several hours of releasing tension, anger, and frustration; you and jake are laying on his bed, out of breath and staring into his ceiling. the blankets are covering the two of you and you’re laying in silence after everything that just happened. you got what you wanted and so did jake even if he was furious with you just a few hours ago. 

“you still being bratty?” he says with a cocky smirk and you just roll your eyes at him as you sit up, bringing the blanket up further to cover yourself. “jake i wouldn’t be acting like this if you treated me the way i deserve to be treated.” you say and the harsh truth hits jake in a way that he didn’t expect. 

he thought you were only acting like that because you wanted his attention but not because you were genuinely bothered by his behavior, “what are you even talking about?” jake says, turning towards you and propping up his arm with his elbow and resting his head into his hand. 

“jake, you practically act like i don’t exist when we’re in public or with our friends.” you explain and jake huffs as if he was exhausted from this conversation already. 

“we’re not even dating?” he says and now it was your turn to be furious with him. “that’s not the point, jake! you act like i don’t exist, you ignore me, and you act like you’re ashamed to be seen with me but once the sun sets you’re texting me to have me sleep in your bed. 

how is that supposed to make me feel? i know we’re friends with benefits but the first word of that arrangement is ‘friend’ and you haven’t treated me like one.!” you shout and jake was getting up to get dressed, avoiding your gaze. 

“oh and bringing myungjae’s ass to the party, were you being a good friend? you know i don’t like his ass!” he retorts and you’re standing up in aggravation because jake was not getting the point, “that doesn’t matter!” you try to yell back and he interrupts you, “yes it fucking does! you know i don’t like him and you still brought him to piss me off, why!” he shouts and jake has never raised his voice at you like this before. the two of you getting caught in a screaming match like no other as you both shout at the top of your lungs at one another. 

“because i like you and i wanted to be with someone that liked me the way i like him but the whole time you were the only one on my mind, ok!” you shout, finally confessing to jake that you’ve developed feelings for him despite that being the golden rule of your arrangement. 

never catch feelings. 

jake wipes his face with a heavy sigh and you’re plopping back down onto the mattress after getting so worked up you found yourself standing on top of his bed, the blanket barely clinging onto you. 

“what?” jake mutters. 

“i like you, ok? i have for a while and it pisses me off that you act like i’m just some girl when we spend almost every night in each others arms, you hold me at night like you never want to let me go but when morning hits sometimes you’re gone before the birds even begin to chirp. 

you make me feel things i know i’m not supposed to feel and it hurts, ok?” your chest is rising up and down as you finally let out your feelings and jake is looking at you like you’ve just told him your deepest and darkest secret. 

“thats… no! you can’t like me, i’m not good for you!” he explains and you’re looking at him like none of the words that leave his mouth make any sense. 

“you’re too good to me, you’re so sweet and kind and treat me like i’m the only thing that matters in your life even when i’ve been so shitty to you. even right now! i’ve been shitty to you and you’re professing your love to me and i don’t deserve it. i don’t deserve you!

you deserve better and i’m not that.” jake responds and you’re fighting off the tears pooling in your lashes. 

“you don’t get to decide what i deserve..” you whisper and you’re staring at one another in silence. 

jake is weighing the option in his head. he loved you so fucking bad, probably even more than you loved and his actions tonight showed that with how bad he fought for you despite you constantly choosing myungjae over him. if jake was being honest, he fell for you fairly quickly when he spent the night one weekend and gave him face masks to put on because you had made a comment on how dry his skin was. it was that small gesture that made him fall for you and everyday after he fell deeper and deeper. 

jake was terrible for you and he knew that and although he wanted to be selfish and keep you all to himself, he knew that your life would only be miserable if you stayed with him. that’s why he started avoiding you and slowly distancing himself in hopes that it would just drive you away but it only drove him closer to you because he hated seeing another man touch what was his. 

“no.” was all jake says and you didn’t need any further explanation. you’re jumping out of his bed and shoving past him to put your clothes back on and jake instantly regrets this, trying to get you to stay but it seems that jake has made up your mind for you by not rejecting you but dictating what you deserved; and it wasn’t him. 

“wait- don’t leave, come on.” he begs and you’re shaking your head and wiping your tears away, angry that you were crying over a man who didn’t even spare your feelings after you had just confessed to him. 

when jake tries to grab onto your arm to stop you from leaving, you’re quick to snatch your arm away and leave his room, standing at the door to listen to the last of his pleas, begging you to stay and explaining that you are meant to be and that jake didn’t mean what he said but it was all too late. you could tell he was just backtracking because he was scared of losing you and although you felt the same way and wanted nothing more to run back to him; you left jake in the darkness of his bedroom without another glance. 

deciding that you do deserve better even if the realization came from a heartbreaking experience, the revelation a result of having to lose someone you once held so close to your heart. 

"makeup" slayyyter x lolo zouai the usage of song lyrics is credited to the artists above

copyright 2024 - present © hoonieyun all rights reserved

all writing here is fiction & not in any association with characters mentioned.

if you enjoyed reading this please consider reblogging and following <3

heart not broken enough? let's try again... ˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

ᡣ•.•𐭩♡ @pagemiah @jiiyen @jnysaln @xh01bri @rairaiblog @laurradoesloveu @17ericas @manaah02 @heeseung64 @zorange13 @firstclassjaylee @leipforggy

@river-demon-slayer @ikeulove @fluerz @pjselee @multistansimp4life @yunthejin @urmomdotcom5678 @heebear @mora134340

[mistiell]

Ok so, maybe you knew this already or maybe not, but... In the game, if you hover over Astarion's original outfit it says that it looks rather old and mended over several times. The running theory is that he's been reparing his own clothes (explains the cheeky embroidery in his underwear) , since we damn well know that Cazador would not give two hoots about it, and that poor baby has been running around in a 200 year old shirt and probably doesn't have much clothes with him. I just want something fluffy... maybe the reader always let's him have first dibs on whatever they find or even gets him new clothes. I just imagine him finding a brand new shirt on his tent that is soft and comfortable and I just want to weep in a corner 🥺

Can you help a sister out?

Here you are <33 (also, I'm so sorry this took so long lol) WC: 1.3k Also CW for potential spoilers

---

Astarion is slow to wake this morning, fully intending to lay with you in his tent as long as you’ll allow. Rolling over with his eyes still closed, he reaches to hook his arm around your waist only to grasp at nothing but air.

He’s certainly awake now.

It’s unusual to find you missing given he’s usually the first to wake between the two of you; two hundred years of living in The Underdark and only ever surfacing at night having apparently made him a little sensitive to light.

Sitting up and shifting onto his knees, he reaches to pull the tent flap back and peer out at the campfire. A small gust of the cool morning air sweeps over his bare torso, raising goosebumps over the skin of his arms despite the fact that he’s not really bothered by the cold. That little spike of anxiety dulls when he finds you haven’t strayed far; standing maybe fifteen feet away in conversation with Karlach.

As if you can sense him, you glance over and light up when you spot him peeking out of the tent, excusing yourself from the tiefling. He expects you to come straight over, but instead, you turn to grab a basket he hadn’t seen first.

He shuffles back to let you come inside, flushing a bit when you brush a few rogue curls from his face and bend to peck his hairline, “Good morning, handsome.”

“I- Good morning.” Is all he manages, still tired and a little stunned. Shifting off of his knees to sit cross-legged, he peers into the basket as you set it down in front of him and cocks a brow, “What’s this?”

“Clothes.”

“Well yes, I can see that, darling.” He sasses and you chortle, “But why have you brought me a basket of clothes?”

“I found it the last time we left camp.” He remembers that. You’d gone out with Karlach, Gale and Lae’zel and came back bloodied and bruised. He’d been so focused on getting you patched up that he hadn’t even thought of asking about what you might have found.

You clear your throat and glance away, smiling sheepishly, “I picked out some things I thought you’d like, but then I thought you might prefer to have a look through yourself, so,” You shrug and jerk your nose at the basket, “I brought you all of it.”

His heart would be stuttering in his chest if it could. Reaching into the pile, he thumbs over a few of the garments, feeling the different fabrics and looking over all the different colours. It’s been centuries since he’s had a choice in what to wear. Sure, he’s picked up some things throughout your travels but never so much all at once. It’s a little overwhelming, having all this to pick through after so long.

Taking hold of the basket, he pushes it closer to you, “Show me what you picked out first.”

“Oh,” Your heart rate spikes, and he smiles as you stutter out, “Are- Are you sure? I’m not sure you’d actually like what I picked out. That’s one of the reasons I brought you the whole basket.”

He scoffs and waves off the thought, “Nonsense. You could hand me the most distasteful outfit in all of Faerûn and I’d at least try it on for you.”

“Really?” “Of course I would.” He realises the implications of what he’s just said and tries to play off the sentiment with a puckish grin, gesturing towards himself, “It’s hard to not look good in something when you’re this beautiful.”

You laugh, eyes squinting shut with the force of your smile. “Yes, you truly are dashing, my love.”

“Stating the obvious, but I can’t complain,” You roll your eyes at him as he taps the sides of the basket, “Now, are you going to show me what you picked out? Or are you just going to sit here sing my praises? Personally, I’d be fine either way.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll get on with it,” Reaching into the clothes, your laughter tapers off as you glance back up at him timidly one last time, “But if you don’t like something, tell me, okay?”

He lays his palm flat against his sternum, all dramatics as he grins, “Cross my heart and hope to,” He pauses, before chuckling, “Well, die again, I suppose.”

He laughs when you shoot him a glare with no real malice behind it and tut disapprovingly.

He watches in quiet curiosity as you pull out a few items, explaining why you thought he’d like them as you go. Your reasons range from colours and patterns to embroidery and necklines, all of which are shockingly on par with his tastes. It appears you know him better than he thought you did.

“That’s about it, I think.” Your brows furrow in a way that is entirely too cute – especially for someone he’s watched eviscerate hoards of goblins – before you perk up with an excited gasp, “Oh! I almost forgot!”

Turning to look this way and that, you make a little sound of satisfaction when your gaze lands on your pack. Your shirt rides up a bit when you twist onto your knees to reach for it, and he stifles the urge to run his hand over the sliver skin it exposes. You rummage through a few pockets before finding what you’re looking for, returning to kneel in front of him with something hidden in your hand.

“Close your eyes.” You urge, and he does as you’ve asked.

“Ooh, saved the best for last, have you?” He grins, holding out his hands before you even ask.

You chuckle, sounding a little nervous, “Hopefully.”

He hears the tinkling of metal and nearly jumps when your hand makes contact with his, one cradling the backs of his while the other presses something small and rough into his palm.

“Open.” He can hear the smile in your voice as you say it.

On your command, he opens his eyes to find you’ve given him a necklace. The pendent is a little piece of a raw, orange crystal encircled by dainty gold rods that are bent to resemble branches.

“This is... beautiful.” He breathes, turning it over in his hand to admire the jagged edges, “What kind of crystal is it?”

“Sunstone.” He looks up at you then, finding a shy smile hung on your lips, “I know it’s a little on the nose but...,” You worry your bottom lip for a moment, clearly a little hesitant to continue, “I know you’re worried about... what’ll happen once the tadpoles are removed. So, I wanted to get you something just in case. It’s not the same thing, obviously, but I thought this way you can still figuratively have a little piece of the sun if,” Cutting yourself off, you glance away for a moment, “Well, if things don’t go the way we hope.”

He stares at you for a long moment, entirely unsure of what to say. He doesn’t think there’s anything he could say to convey just how much the gesture means to him.

Setting the necklace on his pillow, he draws you into his arms and weaves them tight around your waist. He pulls you to him so suddenly that your knees bump his shins, but you don’t seem to mind as you hook your arms around the back of his neck. His eyes burn as he murmurs against the side of your neck, “I love you.”

You card your fingers through his hair and he shudders, leaning further into you as you dot a few sweet kisses along the length of his shoulder.

“I love you too.” Your words are muddled as they’re mumbled into his skin, “More than you know.”

Maybe he didn’t before, but he thinks he has an idea now. You love him enough that you gave him his own little chunk of the sun. Even if things don’t pan out they way he hopes they will, he doesn’t think he’ll need the necklace – however pretty it may be.

He’s already got his bit of the sun wrapped up tight in his arms.

[sparta369]

I bought slay the princess but haven’t started it ‘cause it kinda intimidates me, can you convince me to play it?

Ok now I know you just asked me to convince you to play it but hear me out

Don't play it yet

There's a huge, Free Content expansion coming out on the 24th of this month, in just 8 days called The Pristine Cut, which is going to expand the game by about 35%. The Devs themselves have said to wait for the expansion release if you haven't played it already lol

That being said, I'd never pass up an opportunity to gush about one of my favorite games ever created

I realized far too late that I'd accidentally written far more than either of us probably wanted. So I'll try to sparknotes it, and leave the full thing below the cut.

The less you know going in, the better. However, it is still a horror game. You can find a list of content warnings here. It's just a list, so it doesn't really reveal very much.

A single playthrough lasts about 3-4 hours on average, though I can guarantee you'll want to do more than one. The game is positively dense with choices. It's impossible to see everything in one playthrough, and one would be hard-pressed to have the exact same playthrough twice.

Words cannot really capture how much I love this game. It's story masterfully crafted with a vast ocean of choices for the player to make, all of which make a true and profound impact on the narrative. If you enjoyed Disco Elysium or The Stanley Parable, You'll like Slay the Princess. The game was lovingly hand-drawn, pencil on paper, and the music was beautifully composed. The voice acting, featuring the talents of Nichole Goodnight and Jonathan Sims, are also, in my opinion, phenomenal.

I truly cannot express the emotional impact this game has left me with. It's a game I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.

Whether you intend to stop here or read on, I'll leave you with this one screenshot. It's only text, and it's literally the second thing you see upon booting up the game, so don't worry about spoilers lmao

"Whatever horrors you may find in these dark spaces, have heart and see them through."

"There are no premature endings. There are no wrong decisions."

"There are only fresh perspectives and new beginnings."

"This is a love story."

Oh boy you clicked the "keep reading" button :o) I wrote this over the course of most of my day today before I realized exactly how long it was. Besides a small change to the end, I'm going to leave most of it un-touched, just for the sake of preserving whatever the hell was going on in my head at the time :o)

Slay the Princess is one of those games where, the less you know going in, the better, So I'll do my best to convince you without revealing anything.

Still, though, It is a horror game. If you would like to look through it just in case, you can find a list of content warnings on their website here. It gives a list of many things you may encounter, but there is a 0% chance that you will encounter all, or likely even half, of the things described in there. In addition, they present these things in a way that reveals as little as possible. Still, I would personally recommend against reading through them, but there's no shame or judgement if you go dig through it. You know yourself better than anybody, if you think ya need it that's fine.

There's also some flickering image effects & a parallax effect that has caused motion sickness for some players, but both of these can be disabled in the settings.

With all that out of the way...

Words truly cannot explain how much I love this game.

It is an absolute masterwork of interactive narrative storytelling. No other game I've played or heard of in my life gives as much weight to every single choice you make, every little thing you do. There are so many choices and possibilities, and not once does the game ever make you feel like you've chosen "wrong." It's impossible to see everything in one playthrough, and you would be hard-pressed to get the exact same playthrough twice. Quite literally, every time I've watched somebody else play the game, they happened upon something I'd never seen before, despite me having 100% of the achievements.

One playthrough usually takes around 3-4 hours, but you will almost certainly want to do more than one.

There are also a number of places where you can safely and logically pause and come back later, should you need to.

The narrative itself is expertly woven. The storytelling is phenomenal, interweaving paralyzing fear with heart-aching beauty, while also carrying a healthy amount of comedy at carefully chosen places. The themes carry through beautifully. I've cried actual tears on more than one occasion, and it's not easy to get that out of me. Slay The Princess is a story that will be a part of my heart for as long as I live.

If you've played and enjoyed Disco Elysium, you'll enjoy Slay The Princess.

If you've played and enjoyed The Stanley parable, you'll enjoy Slay The Princess.

I know that I often struggle with games that require a lot of reading, and that includes a lot of visual novel type games.

Thankfully, the game is, for the most part, fully voice-acted :) The very few bits that aren't voiced are that way for narrative reasons hee hoo

The voice acting itself is, in my opinion, phenomenal. Both actors put their heart and souls into their roles, and their care shows in their performances. The Princess is voiced by Nichole Goodnight & the Narrator is voiced by Jonathan Sims (Who you may recognize from The Magnus Archives, if you were ever into that).

The art of the game is beautiful. It is all lovingly hand-drawn, pencil on paper. Thousands of images, and even a few animations, all coming together to form a wonderfully unique visual style that lends itself well to the game itself.

The soundtrack of this game, composed by Brandon Boone & with vocal performances by Amelia Jones, is absolutely breathtaking. It does a phenomenal job setting and supporting the tone of the game, whether it be tension, fear, hope, joy, or anything between and beyond. I can't put it's beauty into words.

Brandon Boone actually just recently won the "Game Music Award" at the World Soundtrack Awards for his work on Slay The Princess, and I deeply believe that it was 100% deserved.

This is... probably far more than you ever asked for. But I mean it when I say that Slay the Princess is one of my favorite games of all time. I mean it when I say that Slay The Princess is a story that will be a part of my heart for as long as I live. I'll take any opportunity to make more people play it, in hopes that it might impact them even a fraction as much as it has impacted me. I've bought a total of 11 copies of this game (1 for myself, 9 which were distributed to friends, and one that's coming with the Collector's Edition)

As my final word, I'll once again remind you:

"Whatever horrors you may find in these dark spaces, have heart and see them through."

"There are no premature endings. There are no wrong decisions."

"There are only fresh perspectives and new beginnings."

"This is a love story."

[ninupi]

Hello I have a request! Could you write a scenario where either Kakucho or Draken (you can write for both or do one or the other I don't mind) have a crush on reader(they're friends though but they haven't confessed) however there's someone else who also likes reader and asks them to help them get together with reader🥸How would they react? And what would they do? I hope that makes sense 😅

Thank you 😊

Jealous | k. draken & kakucho (separately)

₊˚⊹♡ tags; fem!reader, both of these are in a good timeline where everyone look gets along, mention of reader looking up at draken, everyone lowk making fun of sanzu in drakens lol, ran being canonically blind but refusing to wear glasses is so funny to me LMFAOO, kakucho being a liar boy

₊˚⊹♡ wc; 830 (draken) 331 (kakucho)

₊˚⊹♡ a/n; ahh im so happy I finally found time to write this, I literally couldn't stop thinking about it when I first saw it lol

k. draken

Draken was intensely watching the TV from the couch while Mikey and Mitsuya were competing in mortal combat on the TV. Most of the guys were over at Mikey's house right now taking turns playing the new game. 

"I'm going to kick your ass Mitsuya..." Mikey warned after receiving a combo almost ending his character's life "You said that the last two rounds, maybe you should focus on fighting!" Mitsuya laughed nudging Mikey with his elbow trying to distract him. 

"You seriously suck at this Mikey!" Smiley laughs angering the blonde even more "Next round, you and me asshole!" Mikey yells pointing at Smiley after Mitsuya's character brutally rips Mikey's apart. "Ok let's go, this is gonna be a piece of cake" he smiles while switching places with mitsuya to sit on the floor. 

While the two of them argued about who they wanted to play Draken heard the front door open "I'm home! And I brought y/n so don't be weird!" Draken perked up once he heard Emma mention your name, you two had become friends earlier this year at school and Emma's been bringing you around a lot more. 

"Ok, so no one cares that I'm home?" Emma asks walking into the living room while y/n is behind her "No, not really" Mikey answers locking his character in "Oh screw you Mikey, I hope you lose!" she yells throwing a couch pillow at the back of his head.

"Hi y/n! How are you?" Draken can't help the way his face contorts in disgust at Sanzu's tone of voice "Hi Haru, I'm fine. Are you playing too?" Haru? Draken didn't know that the two of you were so close "Yeah, I played against Baji earlier and won" he bragged causing Baji to yell at him. 

"Are you not going to say hi to me Draken?" you question softly kicking his leg, he can feel the back of his neck getwarm. "Hey" He knows he probably seems like an asshole he just gets so nervous every time he talks to you. But when he sees you smile at him he knows you don't mind his cold demeanor. 

"Come on y/n, let's go!" Emma grumbles grabbing your hand and leading you toward her room "Bye y/n!" Sanzu calls out waving to you "Bye Haru! Bye Draken!" you smile waving at the two of them. Draken gives Sanzu a certain look when he hears Baji speak up. 

"You're so embarrassing man..." he sighs and Draken looks at Baji who's nodding towards Sanzu "Huh? What do you mean?" Sanzu questions offended "When are you going to tell her you like her? I'm sure she knows but it's best to get rejected now" Smiley laughs starting up his round with Mikey. 

"What are you guys talking about? I don't like y/n..." Draken turns to give Sanzu giving him an unimpressed look while everyone else turns to look at him including Smiley who paused the game to do so, much to Mikey's dismay. "NO!" he screamed out at the paused screen displaying how he was about to hit a combo on Smiley's character. 

"Do you think we're dumb?" Mitsuya genuinely questions fully turning to face Sanzu "Hi y/n! I love you y/n! Can I lick your shoes y/n!" smiley mocks Sanzu causing the guys to all laugh except Sanzu who starts protesting in embarrassment "I don't sound like that, and be quiet what if she hears you!" he hisses looking in the direction of Emma's room where the two of you were. 

"Her room is on the other side of the house, they can't hear anything" Mikey explains while fidgeting with the controller in his hands "Whatever man just ask her out already she might say yes, who knows" Smiley shrugs turning back to the tvand unpausing the game.

"Can you help me ask her out?" Draken can't even hide the way his face contorts in disgust before facing Sanzu "What?" he asks even though he heard him the first time "Can you help me ask y/n out?" Sanzu asks again a bit more harshly this time "No, do it yourself" Draken snaps feeling a bit annoyed about Sanzu's presence now. 

He feels Sanzu slump into the couch next to him when he gets up saying he needs a drink when the others ask him where he's going "Get me a soda!" Mikey calls out before losing to Smiley, again. When Draken walks into the kitchen he sees you sitting there almost like you were waiting for him. 

"Hey..." he mutters walking to the fridge "I heard you guys," you say without much emotion "Oh" Draken just continues to stare at the inside of the fridge not really caring about a drink anymore "I don't really like Haru like that you know..." you sigh leaning against the counter next to the fridge. 

Draken can feel a weight lift off of his shoulders "Oh really?" he questions standing up a bit straighter while closing the fridge, without grabbing a drink. "Yeah I kinda like someone else...someone a bit taller." you smile looking up at him. "That's nice to know" he smiles giving you his full attention now. 

kakucho

Kakucho really liked ran haitani, but right now he really wanted to punch his teeth in. "I'm real sorry about that sweetheart, are you alright?" Kakucho watched ran held your arm softly with a clenched jaw as he approached the two of you "Yeah I'm fine, don't worry about it" you smiled up at him.

"Hey, what happened?" Kakucho questioned walking up behind you softly pulling you out of rans hold. "Oh nothing, we just bumped into each other" you explain with a soft laugh while ran moved a bit closer to Kakucho squinting at him. 

"You should wear your glasses, then you'd see where you're going" Kakucho muttered pushing Ran's face away roughly "Come on my eyesight ain't that bad" he laughed standing straight realizing it was Kakucho who joined the conversation. 

"It actually really is, you need glasses" Kakucho sighs wondering how Ran's gotten this far in life being so blind "Oh yeah you should probably get glasses if it's that bad! But I have to go, I'll see you later kakucho?" you question looking at him with hopeful eyes. 

"Yeah, I'll come pick you up" he smiles nudging you with his elbow "Ok great, I'll see you later, bye guys!" you call out, running towards your class "You gotta set me up with her Kakucho" ran immediately says once you're out of earshot, nudging him with his elbow.

  "Yeah, not happening man," Kakucho says walking away from the taller boy "What? Why not? C'mon, help me out man" Ran sighed throwing an arm over the younger boy's shoulder "I'm not gonna help you ask out my girlfriend."

Kakucho is forced to stop when ran stops walking looking at him slightly shocked "Oh man I'm sorry, I didn't know you two were dating…that's my bad" Kakucho refused to look at ran knowing he was lying straight to his face. Ran didn't need to know that right now though, "It's fine, but yeah I'm not setting you up with her."

[amethystarachnid]

Hello I read this storyline somewhere and I want to see his version. can you write Rdj X female reader where he and y/n have a a lot of age gap and y/n is deeply in love with him. you can make them colleagues or whatever you want. he has small kid/s but no wife ,divorced or dead... your wish. reader always finds a way to flirt like staring at him and all that girl in love things and try her best to express her feelings. he has a soft spot/special place for her but keeps dodging her attempts as his priority is not only his partner but also someone who is mature enough to take care of his children like a mother. she believes age is just a number & keeps trying to prove that she can do all that and does her best to be a good mom but he prioritizes age. after desperate tries for love, reader does something really shocking to grab his attention. i read that she sends him her alluring pics but u can put smtg else if you're not comfortable. but that's when he loses it and scolds her. she feels humiliated, cries and leaves but his kids asks for her and that's when he gets her back and she apologizes for acting out of mind and they make up and he slowly realizes he loves her too and they kiss one day😊 If you do not write for real people, you can make it tony stark but plz don't involve anyone or anything marvel. no hate i just want it to be different. also, i hope you write all kinds of requests but if you don't want to write this, i can understand. its ok. english is not my first language so sorry if this is too long and any mistakes occur.

ALMOST HOME

⤷ ROBERT DOWNEY JR.

ᯓ★ Pairing: Robert Downey Jr. x fem!reader

ᯓ★ Genre: fluff, romance, some action

ᯓ★ Word count: 5k

ᯓ★ Summary: what the ask said

ᯓ★ TW(s): nothing I think?

ᯓ★ you can't even imagine how many times I wrote Tony instead of Robert...I hope I corrected everything lol. This is my first time writing for a real person and probably my last because I felt kinda awkward (?) writing this...hope you like it anyway tho! wanted to give it a try

ᯓ★ Love is in the air - Valentine's Day special game

ᯓ★ My Masterlist

ᯓ★ MARVEL Holiday Special

ᯓ★ MARVEL Multiverse - choose an AU, pair it with your favorite character and make a request!

ᯓ★ Songs & Superheroes tales - The Game (to make a request, follow the rules on the link!)

ᯓ★ MARVEL Bingo

ᯓ★ English isn’t my first language

The first time you met Robert Downey Jr., you were a nervous wreck. You had just landed a role in a big movie, and he was one of the leads. The idea of working with him, standing in the same room as him, was something you never thought would happen. You grew up watching his movies, admiring his effortless charm, his talent, his everything. But none of that compared to what it felt like to meet him in person.

He was magnetic.

The moment he walked onto set that day, you couldn't take your eyes off him. He had that signature smirk, the kind that made you weak in the knees, and his energy was infectious. Everyone gravitated toward him, and you were no exception. He noticed you almost immediately, tilting his head slightly as if trying to figure out where he had seen you before.

"You're the newbie," he had said, his voice smooth and teasing. "First big gig?"

You nodded, barely managing to get out a response. "Yeah. First time working with a legend too."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, honey, flattery will get you everywhere."

That was how it started.

Since then, you've worked on multiple projects together, and in that time, your admiration has only grown. You've fallen for him—hard. You know it’s ridiculous, that there’s an age gap, that he has a life far more complicated than yours, but none of it stops the way your heart races when he’s near. You flirt shamelessly, hoping he’ll finally get the hint, but he always dodges it. Not cruelly, not unkindly, but carefully, as if he knows how fragile this thing between you is.

It doesn’t stop you from trying.

Today is no different. You’re at a press event for your latest movie together, a film where your characters have a complicated relationship—one that mirrors your real-life dynamic a little too closely. Interviews, photos, endless talking—it’s all part of the routine. But the real fun is the game you play with Robert.

He’s sitting next to you, wearing that perfect suit that makes him look effortlessly handsome. His tie is slightly loosened, the top button of his shirt undone. You let yourself stare, knowing he’ll notice. He always does.

"You’re staring," he says under his breath, turning his head slightly so only you can hear.

You don’t look away. "Maybe I just like what I see."

He exhales sharply, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "You’re relentless, you know that?"

"And yet, you still haven’t given in," you tease, tilting your head at him.

"Because I know better."

You roll your eyes. He always does this—pushes back just enough to keep you at arm’s length but never so far that you lose hope. He likes you, you know he does. It’s in the way he looks at you when he thinks you’re not paying attention, the way he always finds a reason to be near you, the way his eyes soften when you say something ridiculous just to make him laugh.

But there’s a wall.

A wall built from his past, from his responsibilities, from his fears.

And part of that wall is named James and Lily.

You’ve met them before, of course. Robert talks about them all the time, his face lighting up whenever he mentions his son and daughter. The first time you saw them was on set, when Robert had brought them by for a visit. James, with his messy dark hair and bright brown eyes, was a ball of energy, running around and asking endless questions. Lily, still a baby at the time, clung to her father, big eyes staring curiously at the world around her.

You remember how carefully Robert held her, how he always kept one eye on James while making sure Lily was safe in his arms. It was a side of him you hadn’t seen before—softer, more vulnerable. It made you fall for him even more.

But it also made you realize why he keeps his distance.

Robert isn’t just looking for someone to love—he’s looking for someone who can be a mother to his children. And in his eyes, you’re too young, too inexperienced. You can see it in the way he hesitates every time you push a little too hard, the way he pulls back just when you think he might finally let himself want you.

Still, you can’t help yourself.

"Do you ever get tired of running from me?" you ask, keeping your voice light as the interview starts wrapping up.

He sighs, leaning closer, his breath warm against your ear. "I’m not running. I’m protecting."

"From what?"

He looks at you then, really looks at you, and for a second, you think he might actually answer. But instead, he shakes his head, a small, sad smile on his lips. "You’ll understand one day."

The words sting more than you expect. Because you already understand. You understand that he’s scared, that he’s been hurt before, that his children come first, always. But what he doesn’t understand is that you’re not just some starstruck girl with a crush. You love him. And you’re not going anywhere.

For now, though, you let him think he’s won this round.

But Robert Downey Jr. has no idea just how stubborn you can be.

---

The afternoon sun casts a warm glow over the quiet neighborhood as you pull into Robert’s driveway, your heart pounding just a little harder than it should. You’ve been here before—not often, but enough that it shouldn’t feel like this much of a big deal. And yet, it does.

You know why.

It’s not just about rehearsing lines. It’s about being in his space, where he’s not Robert Downey Jr., the larger-than-life actor, but just Robert—the man, the father, the person he keeps tucked away from the rest of the world. You’d be lying if you said it didn’t make your stomach flip knowing that you were stepping into that part of his life, even if it was just for an afternoon.

When you knock on the door, it swings open almost immediately, and there he is—leaning against the frame like he was expecting you the second you pulled up.

“You’re early,” he says, one eyebrow lifting in amusement.

“You sound surprised,” you tease, crossing your arms.

He steps aside, gesturing for you to come in. “I figured you’d be fashionably late. Make an entrance. Give me time to mentally prepare.”

You roll your eyes as you step into the house, inhaling the familiar scent of something faintly sweet—probably whatever scented candles he always has burning. The place is warm, lived-in. Photos line the walls—some of him with the kids, some of his old movie moments, a few candid shots that make you smile.

“Please, I’m a professional,” you say, looking back at him with a smirk.

Robert chuckles, shaking his head. “We’ll see about that.”

The sound of tiny footsteps thumping against the hardwood floor interrupts your banter, and before you can react, a small body crashes into Robert’s legs.

“Daddy!”

James.

The three-year-old grips onto Robert’s pants, his big brown eyes blinking up at him before shifting to you. He takes you in for a second, curiosity flickering across his face.

Robert crouches down, ruffling James’s already-messy dark hair. “Bud, you remember Y/N, right? She’s my friend.”

James doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he tilts his head at you like he’s trying to solve a puzzle. Then, to your absolute delight, he grins.

“You’re pretty.”

You let out a surprised laugh. “Wow, you’ve got great taste, kid.”

Robert groans, shaking his head. “Don’t encourage him. He already thinks he’s a smooth talker.”

James tugs on Robert’s sleeve. “She’s like a princess, Daddy.”

Robert looks at you, unimpressed. “See what you’ve done?”

You press a hand to your heart, dramatically sighing. “I’m honored. Really. I think James is my favorite person now.”

James beams, clearly pleased with himself.

Before you can say anything else, a tiny, wobbling figure appears from around the corner. Lily. The one-and-a-half-year-old clutches a stuffed bunny in one hand and her thumb in her mouth, her big brown eyes locking onto you. She doesn’t say anything—just stares, as if assessing whether or not you’re a worthy addition to her afternoon.

“Hey, sweetheart,” you coo, crouching down a little to meet her gaze.

She doesn’t move for a moment. Then, slowly, she toddles forward, reaching out—toward you.

You freeze, glancing at Robert. He looks just as surprised as you.

“She doesn’t usually—”

But before he can finish his sentence, Lily plops herself right in front of you, holding out her bunny as if offering it to you. Your heart nearly melts on the spot.

“For me?” you ask softly.

She nods.

Robert exhales, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “Well, that’s new.”

You glance up at him. “What, she doesn’t usually like people?”

“She doesn’t usually like anyone this fast.”

You look back at Lily, who is still watching you with those impossibly big eyes, and you swear your heart expands in your chest.

“I’m honored,” you whisper, taking the bunny carefully. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

She grins—a tiny, toothy thing that makes Robert shake his head in disbelief.

And just like that, you’re in.

James tugs on your hand suddenly, his excitement bubbling over. “Come play with me!”

You glance at Robert, raising an eyebrow. “I thought we were rehearsing?”

Robert folds his arms, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Apparently, you’ve been recruited for something far more important.”

James bounces on his toes. “Come on! Come on!”

You laugh, allowing him to pull you toward the living room, where toys are scattered across the floor—cars, action figures, stuffed animals. It’s a child’s wonderland.

Robert sighs, following behind you. “Guess we’re doing this now.”

You sit cross-legged on the floor, James plopping down beside you while Lily waddles over and settles into Robert’s lap.

James immediately starts explaining the “rules” of whatever elaborate game he’s come up with, something about superheroes and princesses and bad guys. You nod along seriously, determined to keep up.

Robert, however, just leans back against the couch, watching you with something unreadable in his expression.

You meet his gaze. “What?”

He shakes his head, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Nothing.”

But it’s not nothing. You can feel it in the air, in the way his eyes linger a little longer than they should.

Lily shifts in his lap, grabbing onto his shirt. “Daddy,” she murmurs.

He glances down at her. “Yeah, baby?”

She points at you. “Princess.”

Robert lets out a soft laugh. “Oh boy. Now you’ve really done it.”

James nods vigorously. “Yeah! Y/N is the princess. And you’re the knight, Daddy.”

You smirk. “Oh, I like where this is going.”

Robert groans, rubbing a hand over his face. “Fantastic. Just fantastic.”

You spend the next hour immersed in their world, letting James lead the way while Lily occasionally chimes in with her limited vocabulary. Robert, despite his initial protests, plays along—because, of course, he does. He’s a natural with them, effortlessly switching between playful and protective, always keeping an eye on both kids even when he’s pretending to be a dragon or a brave knight.

And you?

You’re completely and utterly in love.

Not just with Robert, but with this. With the laughter, the chaos, the warmth of it all.

At some point, Lily crawls into your lap, resting her tiny head against your chest as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. James sits beside you, chattering about something you can barely follow, and when you glance up at Robert, he’s already looking at you.

There’s something different in his eyes now. Something softer.

You swallow hard, offering him a small smile. “What?”

He doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he just watches you, his expression unreadable.

Finally, he exhales, shaking his head. “Nothing,” he murmurs. “Just… you’re good at this.”

You glance down at Lily, who is dozing off against you, and then at James, who is still playing but leaning into your side like he’s already claimed you as his.

Your heart stutters.

“Maybe I just like spending time with them,” you say quietly.

Robert doesn’t look away. “Yeah,” he murmurs. “Maybe.”

And for the first time, you think you’re starting to break through that wall.

---

The next time you see Robert, it’s not because of work.

It starts with a text—short, casual, as if it’s no big deal.

Robert: Hey, no pressure, but James keeps asking if you can come over.

You stare at the message, your heart doing an embarrassingly enthusiastic flip. It’s only been a few days since you last saw them, but apparently, that was enough time for James to miss you. And, if you’re reading between the lines correctly, Robert is letting you know that it’s not just James—it’s him, too.

You: Are you sure it’s James who’s asking?

You expect him to deny it, to brush it off, but instead, his response comes almost immediately.

Robert: Don’t get cocky.

You grin at your phone.

That’s how it starts.

At first, it’s just occasional visits. You drop by for an hour or two, entertaining James with his ever-evolving games while Lily clings to you like you’ve been a part of her life forever. Robert watches, sometimes joining in, sometimes just leaning against the wall with that unreadable expression that’s becoming more familiar.

But then, something shifts.

Because it’s not just James and Lily asking for you—it’s Robert.

He doesn’t always say it outright, but you can tell. The way he texts more often. The way he calls and casually asks what you’re doing, if you’re busy, if you feel like stopping by. The way he doesn’t protest when you stay a little longer, when you help put Lily to bed, when you make dinner with him like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

And before you know it, you’re there all the time.

Like now.

Lily is in your lap, her tiny hands gripping your fingers as she babbles happily, her words still forming but getting clearer every day. She’s pointing at things, demanding names for everything in sight.

“Tree,” you say as she points out the window.

“Te-ee,” she repeats, her little brow furrowed in concentration.

You grin. “Close enough.”

She beams, clearly proud of herself. Then she turns, pointing at Robert, who is sprawled out on the couch, watching you both with amused eyes.

“Da-da.”

Robert smirks. “Well, at least she’s got that one down.”

You roll your eyes. “Oh, please. That was probably her first word.”

“Actually, it was ‘baba.’” He stretches, arms behind his head. “But yeah, I came pretty close after that. She’s obsessed with me.”

Lily makes a sound of protest, reaching for you. “Yaya!”

You blink. “Wait—was that supposed to be me?”

Robert raises an eyebrow. “Sounds like it.”

Your heart stutters in your chest. “Lily, sweetheart, are you trying to say my name?”

She grins, nodding enthusiastically. “Yaya!”

Robert lets out a low whistle. “Damn. She’s really gone and named you.”

You should not be this emotional over a nickname formed by an eighteen-month-old, but you are.

Lily snuggles against your chest, and you kiss the top of her head, your voice soft. “I think I love you, kiddo.”

Robert doesn’t say anything, but when you glance up, his expression is different.

Softer.

Like maybe, just maybe, he’s letting himself believe this could be something real.

James comes barreling into the room a second later, effectively breaking the moment.

“Y/N! Come see what I built!”

You laugh, shifting Lily so you can stand. “Alright, alright. Lead the way.”

James grabs your hand, pulling you toward his latest Lego masterpiece, and as you follow him, you don’t miss the way Robert watches you go.

Like he’s realizing, piece by piece, that you’re already a part of this family.

And the craziest part?

You feel like you belong.

---

You don’t plan on spending so much time at Robert’s house.

It just… happens.

At first, it’s occasional visits. Then, before you know it, it’s almost every other day. The kids expect you now. James asks for you in the mornings, wondering if today is a “Y/N day.” Lily waddles around the house, clutching her stuffed bunny, babbling “Yaya” like it’s the most important word in her vocabulary.

And Robert?

He doesn’t push you away. If anything, he makes it easier for you to stay.

It’s little things—leaving an extra hoodie on the couch because he knows you’ll eventually get cold, making enough dinner for you without asking, sending casual texts that don’t really ask you to come over but make it clear that he wouldn’t mind if you did.

You’ve fallen into something. A rhythm. A life.

And it scares you how much you love it.

—

Today is one of those days where you’re not supposed to be at Robert’s house—but you are.

You were only supposed to stop by for a little bit. Just to see the kids, maybe help Robert with dinner. But then James begged you to stay for movie night, and Lily climbed into your lap, hugging you like she never wanted to let go, and suddenly, leaving didn’t feel like an option.

So now, you’re curled up on the couch with James tucked under one arm and Lily sprawled across your lap, her little fingers gripping your hoodie like she’s making sure you won’t disappear. Robert sits at the other end of the couch, legs stretched out, watching the screen with lazy amusement.

Halfway through the movie, James shifts, resting his head against your chest with a content sigh.

“Mommy, can you—”

Silence.

Your heart stops.

James freezes, his body tensing like he realizes his mistake too late.

Robert sits up straighter.

Lily, oblivious, claps her hands and repeats, “Mommy!”

The air in the room changes instantly.

Your throat goes dry. Your pulse pounds in your ears.

James lifts his head slowly, wide brown eyes flicking between you and Robert, realizing what he just said. “I—I mean—”

Robert clears his throat. “Hey, bud.” His voice is calm, steady, but you can see the tension in his shoulders. “You know Y/N isn’t your mommy, right?”

James nods quickly, his little face crumpling. “I know! It just… just came out.”

Lily, still unaware of the awkwardness, buries her face in your chest, mumbling, “Mommy, Mommy,” like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

You finally find your voice, forcing a gentle smile. “It’s okay, buddy. I know you didn’t mean anything bad.”

James’ lip wobbles. “You’re here all the time. You do stuff like a mommy.”

And there it is.

Robert runs a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. “James, come here for a second.”

James hesitates, then slowly gets up, moving toward his father. Robert pulls him into his lap, resting a steady hand on his back.

“You know that just because someone spends time with us, it doesn’t mean they have to be your mom, right?”

James nods, but he still looks upset. “But I like when Y/N is here.”

Robert glances at you. Your heart clenches at the conflict in his eyes.

“I like when she’s here too,” Robert admits, his voice softer now. “But we have to be careful about words like that, okay?”

James sniffles. “Sorry.”

You step in before Robert can say anything else, offering James a reassuring smile. “Hey, no need to be sorry. I love spending time with you guys.” You ruffle his hair, making him giggle a little. “And I love that you feel comfortable with me. But I also know that your mom is important to you, and I’d never try to take her place, okay?”

James nods again, looking slightly reassured. “Okay.”

Robert squeezes his shoulder before letting him go. James immediately climbs back onto the couch, curling up against you again, as if he doesn’t want to let the moment linger too long.

Lily, on the other hand, is still contently murmuring, “Mommy,” into your hoodie.

Robert rubs his face, clearly at a loss. “She’s not letting that one go, huh?”

You chuckle, running a soothing hand down Lily’s back. “She’s still little. It’s probably just because James said it.”

Lily snuggles closer, sighing happily. “Yaya… Mommy.”

You and Robert make eye contact again.

His expression is unreadable, but you can tell he’s thinking. Processing.

You’re not sure what happens next.

But for now, you hold Lily close, let James press against your side, and pretend that this—whatever this is—isn’t completely terrifying.

---

You refuse to give up.

Robert might keep brushing off your advances, sidestepping every attempt you make, but you know what you feel. You know that this thing between you is real. The way he looks at you when he thinks you don’t notice, the way he lets you into his world, the way he trusts you with James and Lily—it all means something.

And yeah, you’re younger than him. By a lot. But what does that really matter?

Age is just a number. It doesn’t define who you are, what you’re capable of, or how much love you have to give.

So you keep trying.

You spend more time with the kids, doing everything you can to show him that you’re not just playing house—you can be what they need. You cook dinners, read bedtime stories, soothe Lily when she wakes up crying in the middle of the night. You handle James’ tantrums with patience, help with his schoolwork, listen when he rambles about his favorite superheroes.

And you don’t do it just for Robert. You love these kids. You love them so much it scares you.

But no matter how much you give, how much you prove, Robert won’t let himself see it.

He keeps you at arm’s length. Always careful. Always drawing that invisible line between you.

And it’s driving you insane.

One night, after another long day at his house—after another quiet moment where he looked at you like he wanted to say something but didn’t—you go home feeling restless.

You sit on your bed, staring at your phone, heart pounding.

You know what you’re about to do is reckless. Stupid, even. But you’re desperate. You need him to see you. Not as the younger woman he keeps dismissing, not as just a friend, not as just the person who takes care of his kids.

You need him to see you as a woman.

Your fingers tremble slightly as you open the camera, angling the shot just right. It’s not too much—but it’s enough. Enough to make him look twice. Enough to get his attention.

Before you can second-guess yourself, you hit send.

The moment the message delivers, your stomach twists.

Minutes pass. No response.

Then your phone rings.

Robert.

You hesitate, suddenly second-guessing everything. But it’s too late to back out now. You take a deep breath and answer.

His voice is sharp, controlled—but there’s something simmering underneath. “What the hell was that?”

Your throat goes dry. “I—”

“No,” he interrupts. “Don’t even try to explain. What were you thinking?”

You clench your phone, your face burning. “I was thinking that I wanted you to see me, Robert.”

He lets out a harsh breath. “See you? You think this is how to do that?”

You grit your teeth. “You won’t look at me any other way.”

His silence is heavy.

You push forward, voice shaking but firm. “I’ve done everything. I’ve been there for you, for the kids. I’ve proven that I’m not just some stupid girl with a crush. And you—” You swallow hard, your eyes stinging. “You keep acting like it doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter.” His voice is lower now, but no less intense. “That’s the problem.”

“Then why—”

“Because you’re young, Y/N!” His voice rises, frustration spilling over. “Too young for this. Too young for me.”

Your heart cracks. “That’s not fair.”

“It’s reality.”

Tears blur your vision. “Reality? Reality is me taking care of your kids like they’re my own. Reality is you looking at me like you want this just as much as I do but being too much of a coward to admit it.”

His breath catches, but he recovers quickly. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

You laugh bitterly, wiping at your face. “Right. Because I’m just some stupid kid, right? Too young to understand?”

He sighs, but it’s not soft. It’s tired. “Y/N…”

“Forget it.” Your voice breaks. “I get it now.”

And you hang up before he can say another word.

You don’t go back to his house after that

---

You don’t go back.

Not the next day. Not the day after that. Not even when James sends you a voice message asking if you’re coming over.

You can’t.

It’s not fair to them, but you can’t even bear the thought of looking at Robert right now. Not after what happened. Not after the way he made you feel—like you were stupid, like you were nothing more than a reckless girl who didn’t know any better.

So you stay away.

Days turn into a week. Then two.

Your phone stays quiet. No messages from him. No calls.

Maybe this is what he wanted all along.

Maybe you were the only one who ever believed this could be something more.

Then, one evening, your phone buzzes.

It’s late, and you almost don’t check. But when you do, your chest tightens.

Robert: James won’t stop crying for you.

You sit up in bed, your heart pounding.

A minute later, another text.

Robert: Lily keeps asking where you are. She won’t go to bed. I don’t know what to tell them anymore.

You blink back tears, gripping your phone.

This isn’t fair to them.

They don’t deserve this.

Your stomach knots as you hover over your screen, hesitating.

Then, finally, you type:

You: I’ll come over.

—

When you step into Robert’s house, the first thing you hear is James’ little sniffles from the couch.

The second he sees you, he scrambles up, his face streaked with dried tears. “Y/N!”

He rushes forward, throwing his arms around your waist before you can even breathe. “Where were you? I missed you so much!”

You drop to your knees, hugging him tightly. “I’m so sorry, buddy.”

Lily, who had been curled up against Robert, suddenly perks up. Her eyes widen, and then she lets out a squeal. “Yaya!”

She wobbles toward you as fast as her little legs will carry her, practically falling into your lap. You pick her up, burying your face in her soft curls, your heart aching with guilt.

Robert stands a few feet away, watching you carefully. His face is unreadable, but there’s something different in his eyes.

You swallow hard, then look back at the kids. “I didn’t mean to disappear. I promise.”

James sniffs, still clinging to you. “You won’t leave again?”

You glance at Robert. He holds your gaze for a long moment before looking away.

“I won’t,” you say softly.

—

After the kids finally go to bed—Lily curled up against you, James holding your hand until he drifts off—you head to the kitchen. You expect Robert to just let you leave after that, to let this whole thing go unspoken.

But when you turn, he’s right there.

You freeze, gripping the counter.

He doesn’t look mad. Just… tired.

“You can’t just run away when things get hard,” he says quietly.

You exhale, shaking your head. “Robert, I—” You close your eyes for a second before looking at him again. “I know. And I’m sorry. For everything. I was completely out of my mind that night. I just—” Your voice catches. “I just wanted you to see me.”

His jaw tightens. “I do see you.”

You shake your head. “No. You see my age. That’s all you ever see.”

Robert doesn’t deny it.

But then he says, almost too softly, “It’s not just that.”

You frown. “Then what?”

He lets out a slow breath, rubbing the back of his neck. “You… you’re not just someone I can fool around with, Y/N. If I let this happen, if I let myself—” He cuts off, his voice strained. “It’s not just about us. It’s about them.”

Your heart clenches. “I know.”

“No, I don’t think you do,” he says, suddenly sharper. “Because if this doesn’t work, if something goes wrong, they lose you. Not just me. Them.”

You stare at him, stunned.

That thought—God, that had never even crossed your mind.

He exhales heavily, raking a hand through his hair. “James called you ‘Mommy’ the other night. You saw how fast Lily took to you. If I let this happen, and it doesn’t last, you don’t just break my heart. You break theirs.”

The weight of his words sinks into your chest.

For the first time, you see it from his side.

The fear. The hesitation. It’s not just about you being younger. It’s about the fact that, if he lets you in—really lets you in—there’s no going back.

You take a shaky breath. “I don’t want to hurt them.”

“I know.” His voice is gentler now. “And I know you didn’t mean to hurt them by leaving. But you did.”

You swallow hard. “I was embarrassed. I felt humiliated, Robert.”

His face softens, and he sighs. “Yeah. I know.”

A long silence stretches between you.

Then he takes a step closer.

Your pulse jumps, but you don’t move.

“I never wanted to hurt you either,” he admits, his voice low.

You look up at him.

Something shifts in his expression.

Like he’s finally seeing what was there all along.

His hand lifts slightly, like he wants to touch you—but he hesitates.

You don’t.

You reach out, grasping his fingers, squeezing just enough to let him know it’s okay.

His eyes flicker with something unreadable.

Then, finally, he moves.

Slowly, carefully, he cups your face, his thumb brushing lightly against your cheek.

Your breath catches.

He watches you for a second longer, like he’s making sure you’re real.

And then he kisses you.

It’s soft at first—hesitant.

But when you don’t pull away, when you press closer, it deepens.

It’s not just a kiss.

It’s everything.

Every unspoken feeling. Every moment that led to this. Every fear, every hesitation, melting away into something undeniable.

When he finally pulls back, he rests his forehead against yours, exhaling shakily.

You close your eyes, your fingers still tangled in his shirt.

Neither of you speaks.

Because for the first time, words aren’t needed.

[sewersaga]

HOPEDRUNK EVERASKING: moze, jing yuan, aventurine x reader

header art creds: nixeu on patreon! pls go support them bc this is almost exactly how i picture reader lol

pairings: foxian reader x unnamed individual (for the plot,) foxian reader x moze, foxian reader x jing yuan, foxian reader x aventurine(end game), (all separately but in the same timeline she's an old slutty fox ok)

warnings: implied sa/coerced sex, trauma tm, sexual cotent (the closest i'll EVER get to smut, too much yapping, none of the pairings except the last one are healthy so if you're a moze or jy stan idk what to tell you, no names are used on purpose but it's pretty obvious who's who, the first man is not a canon character!! read this for more context on the last few paragraphs

bee talk: this is an extension to the aforementioned fic set in @kii-nami and i’s hsr universe! (hence the mention of her gorgeous angelic lovely glorious oc alisa in the last section) i owe her my high school diploma and firstborn child

word count: 11.5k

When you were a little girl, you dreamed of a fairy tale romance.

You’d hide your face behind your books, pretending to study the various medicines and their uses so not as to fail your tutor’s harsh examinations, but your mind was worlds away. Back then, nothing was off limits, nothing too selfish, too rash, too inconceivable. 

Yes, a noble youth would indeed one day sweep you off your feet, and take you far, far away from this life filled with pressures and scorn. It was a naive little dream, but it was all yours nonetheless. 

At night, awake amongst your schoolwork and your notes, you’d imagine what such a man would be like. He had to be handsome, of course. Charming. Being rich would be a nice bonus, too.

He had to be able to make you laugh when the expectations of your family made you want to curl up in a ball and cry. And when you inevitably shattered, he’d have to be willing to piece you back together again. 

When you were a young adult, freshly graduated and bright eyed, you learned that real life romance didn’t work that way. You couldn’t just conjure up an image of your ideal suitor and expect him to materialize before you like magic. Still, your heart had an irksome little tendency to attach itself to the wrong people. 

The first one came to you, bruised and bloodied. 

Battle had wrought upon him its fair share of injuries, crimson red in various states of drying smeared upon his tanned skin. Despite his condition, the only wound you were tasked to stitch was a small gash on his chest, a few centimeters below his collarbone. 

Despite not being new anymore,  the contusions your brother assigned you to treat were nothing more than busy work for someone of your knowledge. You got the feeling he wanted to keep you as far away from the horrors of war as possible, but one didn’t need to see dying men to hear their mournful cries. 

The man winced as you stitched his laceration closed, casting his gaze somewhere behind you, fixed upon the dead and the dying that surrounded him. “Did you need more painkillers?” 

He blinked, turning back to you as if remembering your presence. “No. It doesn’t hurt.”

“Oh,” You spoke softly, your hands never halting their ministrations. The wound was small enough that you were already almost done, and considering his overall condition, the pinching pain of the needle was probably the least of his worries. “You flinched, so I thought I was hurting you.”

“It’s not you,” You felt his gaze upon you, and hyper focused on your work, you refused to look into his eyes, afraid of what you might find there. “Have you ever seen a patient die?”

You stopped abruptly, his sudden inquiry leaving you sufficiently rattled. “What?” You looked up, but his attention was elsewhere, focused upon the other wounded patients in various states of agony. Realizing he wasn’t going to elaborate and meant exactly what he had asked, you sighed. “Not one of my patients, no. But in this line of work, people are always going to die.”

He laughed, and you bristled, tying off a surgeon’s knot with more force than intended. “Aren’t you too young to be speaking like that?” He craned his head to look down at you, his tail swaying slowly behind him with mild amusement. “How old are you, anyways?”

“Not much younger than you,” You replied, beginning the final stitch. “Haven’t you ever learned it’s rude to ask a woman her age?” He chuckled again, and you poked the skin of his chest. “Stay still, or I’ll never finish.”

“What if that’s what I want?” He asked, rather brazenly, and you shook your head almost subconsciously. 

“I don’t care what you want,” You tied off the final knot. “And unless you want to end up like those dead patients you care so much about, make sure to keep this clean.” You put your instruments to the side and he leaned back, letting out a sigh of relief. You realized then that despite what he had said, the process had been rather painful, if not uncomfortable at the very least. “And try to stay alive, alright?”

“Sure, sure. I look forward to seeing you again.” He stood up, stretching with a light groan despite the mangled state his body was in. You watched him limp away with mild horror as he threw you an absentminded wave. 

“You won’t.” You stated resolutely, but he was already too far down to hear you. 

He was right, of course. You saw him again on many, many different occasions. Sometimes he’d have a minor wound that just absolutely required your attention. Other times he requested a consultation with his favorite medical professional over whatever splendid meal your brother and the other cooks had prepared for dinner. The night he stole you away from the camp, you realized you’d fallen for him.

You watched him under the waning moonlight, sharing a bottle of rice liquor he’d somehow taken from the field hospital. He’d worked his way into your heart rather easily. But it wasn’t a bad thing then, your vulnerability, your propensity to fall wholly and completely.

“You’re such a liar, [Name].” Despite addressing you directly, he didn’t meet your gaze, his own fixed upon the stars. 

“What do you mean?” He took a swig of liquor. There were so many stars that night. 

“You act like you don’t give a shit,” You scoffed abruptly, snatching the bottle from his loose hold. The liquid burned your throat. You weren’t yet used to drinking, and your mind felt clouded with a heady sort of fogginess. “But you care about every single one of those patients more than anyone else.” 

“I don’t.” You shake your head, blinking away your disorientation. You stared ahead, and your head felt so heavy that your body began to lean upon him almost subconsciously. “I don’t care.”

“You’re a liar,”  He repeated, much softer. His hand cautiously wound its way upon your back to adjust you to an upright position, but found itself more comfortable around your waist. You didn’t move, nor did you complain. “It’s not a weakness, you know. Caring about people.”

“You think I don’t know that?” You spoke bitterly, but hardly above a whisper. He was so close then that you could hear every breath, feel the rising and falling of his chest. He lifted the bottle to his lips with a shaking hand. “If I care about them, and they all die, then what does that leave me with?”

“Your heart,” He was so close then. Your head felt so heavy. The stars were blurry and bright. “Your empathy. Lose that, and then there would really be nothing left of you.” 

“You have the wrong idea of me.” You were hardly aware of the way you were nuzzling yourself further into his side, conscious only of the warmth of his body, and barely of the words he spoke almost directly into your ear. 

“You can say that, but you know that I’m right,” The hand around your waist pulled you closer into himself, as if such a thing were even possible. Your vision was hazy, and every sensation felt amplified. “I like you, [Name].” You parted your lips to respond, but they were met with the mouth of the bottle that he held to your lips. You swallowed as he tilted it upwards, no longer feeling the pain of its acrid taste upon your tongue. His free hand found your chin as he set the bottle somewhere on the ground beside you, wiping a stray drop of liquor from your bottom lip. 

“I like you, too.” You said those four words for the first time, your face in his tight grip. He kissed you, tasting like rice liquor and fallen stars. 

He wasn’t anything like that imaginary lover you’d dreamed up as a little girl. Not even close. But still, you loved him, and he needed you. 

You had information he didn’t have, secrets discussed in clandestine rooms by ailing officers receiving treatment. You had a body to keep him warm at night, his grip upon you as tight as it was that night he kissed you under the stars. You gave him everything you had, even when the only thing you wanted was to be left alone.

Or, perhaps, the only thing you wanted was to be wanted. It didn’t matter, because everything soon came crumbling down, coating you in ashes and stardust. 

There was so much death, so much destruction. Had you known he was working with them you would have never—

But you had. You had unknowingly done the worst thing you could have ever done. And it was already done. They were already dead. There was nothing you could do to save them. 

So, you had no choice but to leave. Traitor, rogue, fool. All of these descriptors could be attributed to you. But they could never call you a liar, for you had never loved him with anything less than your whole heart. 

The second one appeared to pull you from the endless shadows of the abyss.

Some years after the disaster, you remained in the most desolate corners of the Yaoqing in an impromptu self imposed exile. Every night you’d lay down restlessly, tortured by the cries of the dead and damned echoing in your ears, and every morning you’d wake up with their blood between your teeth. It was an unbearable sort of existence, but every cell of your being knew that you deserved it. 

And you knew that you weren’t the one who suffered. Not really. You knew it was your cross to bear as the one responsible to live with the guilt of what you had done. Running away was selfish enough, and you found the endless punishment of remembering your misdeeds each and every day to be more than fitting. 

And thus you punished yourself, every single day. Cold river baths, freezing nights spent underneath the elements, deadly medicine trials. You’d do anything to feel a fraction of the pain and suffering you’d indirectly wrought upon others.

Yes, you’d continued to hone your skills even under such circumstances, collecting medicinal herbs and creating various antidotal elixirs in the subconscious hope that one of them would kill you.  It was a self centered, cowardly wish, but it was all yours nonetheless. 

Each night you spent in exile, those long dashed dreams of romance turned into feverish vignettes of death. It teased you, seduced you relentlessly, and each time you awoke in a cold sweat, wasting away further and further by the day. Your obsession with self deprivation quickly grew out of hand, and you hadn’t realized how sick you were becoming despite the evidence making itself known upon your person. 

One night, you danced with death itself. It held you like you were the finest treasure in the world, kissed you like you were too good to give up. Death dripped venom upon your lips, and you swallowed it like sweet ambrosia. 

And then, it disappeared into nothing, crow-feathered and equally as fleeting. 

You didn’t wake up that morning. Or the next one. Or the morning after that. 

They told you that you’d been asleep for five days. The kind folks of a small village on the fringe of the Yaoqing had diligently cared for you, patched up the wounds from your exposure to the elements and nursed you through your medicine and hypothermia induced fever. 

They didn’t know who you were, of course. News traveled slowly to this region, and to them, you were simply a weary, sick traveler in need of their aid. 

It took a while to get them to tell you how you’d ended up here in the first place. Your impromptu research “base” had been far from all facets of civilization, you’d made sure of that fact. And of course, you weren’t exactly in the state to ask many questions when you’d first woken up. 

Once your fever had finally broken, the woman caring for you became candid about the good samaritan who’d saved your life. “He was an odd gentleman. Didn’t say a single word. Dark clothing, hood over his head, ashy hair. Brought you here cradled in his arms like you were a treasure.” You weren’t sure how to respond. 

You left early the next morning while the village was asleep. The night was so quiet, and with the whispers of your deal with death at your heels, you made for the forest from whence you came.

It took an entire day to make it back to your previous spot. Whoever the man was who brought you to your caretakers had to have had either superhuman speed, strength, or both. Not to mention the gall to disappear before you could thank him properly. 

It didn’t matter. Now that you were healed, you were ready to settle into your old routine.

But you realized while collecting some herbs for an antidote that it seemed a little odd to continue your pursuit for reprieve when someone, mysterious as he may be, had put so much effort to drag you from the abyss with his bare hands. 

Almost subconsciously, you dropped the handful of plants you were holding. Your body moved on its own while your mind remained preoccupied, searching every dark corner of the area for some sort of sign. The wind obfuscated your search, rustling the leaves of the trees, and your shadow taunted you with its insistent presence as the sun set in the westward direction of that little village.

Having thoroughly run through your options, you stopped in the middle of a clearing. You noticed for the first time after your long day of travel that you were exhausted, and suspected that perhaps you hadn’t fully healed from your bout of illness. Instinctively, your gaze drifted to a patch of the herbs from earlier just a few meters away from you, the bright flowers seeming to beckon to you. You stood up, intending to heed their call. Perhaps now was as good a time as any to—

“Looking for someone?” A quiet, almost uncertain voice spoke from the farthest reaches of the clearing. You froze, lithe fingers brushing against the leathery petals of the poisonous flower. 

Frightened and suddenly hopeful, you glanced over your shoulder only to find no one there. You turned your attention back to the flowers, and the wind pummeled at your back with unknown urgency. A ghostlike tap on your shoulder, and you turned around to find him standing behind you. 

Tall, hooded, clothed in dark hues, and ashen haired, he looked exactly as the woman had described him. Despite having shown himself to you, there was an air of insecurity to him, as if he was unsure of exactly why he’d done what he did. 

Still, he tilted his head at you inquisitively, seemingly content to stay silent until you’d given him an answer. 

“Yes,” He didn’t react, continuing to stare at you in that odd, unreadable way. “What are you doing here?”

“What are you doing here?” He returned your question, his gaze flickering toward the patch of foliage behind you. “And after I took you all that way to the village.” 

“It was you.” You responded incredulously rather than answer his question. “I’ve been wanting to thank you, but they say you disappeared before I even woke up.” You tilted your head at him, mirroring his actions. “Why?”

“There was no further need for my presence.” He stated bluntly, once more glancing behind you. You fidgeted with your hands behind your back like a guilty child. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

“Oh,” You were sufficiently caught off guard by his lack of willingness to allow you to skirt around the question. “Well, I thought I might have left some things back here. Medicines and such,” You unwittingly and rather tellingly gestured to the plants that seemed to be so very intriguing to him. “Just wanted to come back and check.”

“Wrong answer,” He stated matter of factly, and your eyebrows furrowed. “You didn’t have much with you, but I left all your belongings and medicines with the villagers.” He blinked, his expression as unchanging as if he hadn’t completely called your bluff. “I made sure to warn them that one dose too many could kill the average Foxian.”

“How did you manage to carry me and my stuff too?” You quickly redirected the conversation, crossing your arms over your chest and sincerely hoping to distract him from discovering the real reason behind your return. 

“Simple. I have pockets.” He showed you the insides of his cloak, which were indeed outfitted with handy storage pockets. “And you aren’t exactly hard to carry.”

You reluctantly decided to continue your interrogation, much to your shared dismay.“Well, how did you find me here in the first place?” This particular question seemed to succeed in making him uncomfortable and he blinked quickly, seemingly caught off guard. “And why did you bring me there?” 

He closed his eyes momentarily, sighing resignedly. “I just happened to be passing through. You were unconscious, so I brought you to the nearest village.” He turned over his shoulder, walking back in the direction of the wooded area. “You ask too many questions.” 

“Well, thank you.” You called after him, quieter than intended. He didn’t respond.

He made it a few more steps towards the dense thicket before stopping abruptly, throwing a glance over his shoulder. “Aren’t you going to follow me?”

You hesitated. “Where?” 

“Back to the village. You’re still sick.” He stated as if his intentions were entirely obvious. You blinked, incredulous. 

You followed him back, of course, complaining and bitching. Because he was right, you were still sick. And he had to carry you most of the way there, which was rather awkward because this time you were actually conscious. 

But the main reason you allowed him to take you back to the little town was because he hadn’t properly answered your question about why he even saved you in the first place. Because there’s no way he simply stumbled upon you in the middle of a desolate forest, far from the rest of humanity, to say nothing of cell service. A part of you wondered if he just wanted someone to be indebted to him.

You weren’t sure, but you didn’t get that impression. He was blunt, but undeniably kind, stolid, but somehow charmingly awkward. And if testimony from the villagers was to be believed, he was most talkative around you and others could hardly receive even a grunt from him. 

And after profusely thanking the kind folks that had so selflessly cared for you in your hour of need, and a week’s worth of well needed rest, you felt significantly better. Of course, your physical condition was back in good shape, thanks to a superfluous amount of meals cooked by your host and devoured by you (and that man never seemed to have an appetite, if the amount of his food he tried to discreetly add onto your plate meant anything,) and you regained some common sense. 

Yes, after some time with the villagers, who were entirely content with living a simple life far out of the reaches of the Xianzhou modern conveniences, you learned three simple truths. 

The first. What use were you to anyone if you suffered until you were nothing at all? You quickly busied yourself with day to day tasks—doing laundry, helping make meals, treating the scraped knees and skinned elbows of the children—and you learned that the better state of mind you were in, the more you could do for others. And that mysterious companion of yours seemed to have a sixth sense for whenever your guilt and self-loathing began to take over, and was so good at distracting you that you didn’t even know you’d been distracted until your attention was successfully diverted. Sometimes at night, plagued by images of the horrors you’d seen unfold before you, you’d hear rustling by your bedside. Thinking you were imagining things, you’d close your eyes again, only to open them blearily and find him standing by the window, his back towards you. You didn’t know why, but the fact that he stayed with you even then made it easier to fall asleep.

The second. Isolating yourself made things impossibly worse. Your unfounded fear that everyone could smell the evil on you and would treat you like a pariah was proved false daily by the kindness of your hosts, who treated you like a member of their own family. And even when the villagers left you alone, that crow feathered weirdo remained stuck to you like your shadow. As annoying as it may have been at first, it kept you away from your own thoughts, even if you were just sitting in comfortable silence. 

“Do you ever even sleep?” You asked one night across the still darkness, his back turned to you as he gazed out of the small window at nothing in particular.

“I don’t need to.” He didn’t turn around, but you knew you still had his full attention.

“Everyone needs sleep.” You teased lightly, tiredly.

He sighed. “Let me rephrase that. You need to sleep more than I do.” 

“I think I’ve done enough sleeping,” He didn’t respond, but you caught him glancing over his shoulder at your form in the small makeshift bed, sitting upright amongst the pillows. “Do you want to sit with me?” You weren’t entirely sure what possessed you to ask. You were even less sure what possessed him to agree, fixing you with an uneasy stare before awkwardly sitting beside you on the pallet.

You stayed up the entire night talking. Or, rather surprisingly, he did most of the talking. Neither of you discussed anything important, but his calm company was soothing, and as he spoke quietly of ordinary things, you found yourself closing the distance between the two of you. You moved gently, slowly, and at the same pace he unstiffened, allowing you to rest your head upon his shoulder.

You fell asleep like that sometime during the early hours of the morning. And perhaps you were dreaming, but you swore you felt a gentle hand stroking your hair as you drifted off.

And thus, the third truth was the most frightening. A part of your heart had attached itself to that man, for as eccentric as he was, he never left your side. At first, you attributed your feelings to the sole fact of him having saved your life, but as the days crawled on, that irksome flutter in your chest persisted. And the more time you spent with him, the more he began to talk, and the more you began to listen. You were never any good at that before. But with him, it came as naturally as breathing.

The first time you kissed him, he melted into you.

He had been laying beside you on the pallet, having become more comfortable with the casual intimacy and reassurance the two of you shared. Your faces were close, so close that you could feel the warmth of his breathing fanning across your face, how it quickened when you brought a gentle hand to the cut of his jaw. You spoke his name softly, and it seemed like he stopped breathing completely. “Thank you.” You whispered across the pillow. Then, you pressed your lips gently to his. 

Yes, he melted into you like it was something he was waiting for his entire life. And perhaps it was, because his existence seemed like a terribly lonely one. And every time he shut his mouth for fear no one would listen to a word he had to say, the piece of your heart he carried with him wrenched in his hand. 

He held you so tightly that the both of you feared if he let go you’d shatter. You were the first to relinquish your grip.

You left the village after a nondescript period of time, preemptively mourning the loss of the simple life shared with its inhabitants and your unorthodox benefactor. You’d all mutually decided it was the best decision for you, and although your next destination was as of yet unknown, you found yourself caring for the implications of the future less and less. 

It wasn’t out of a sense of nihility, though. In fact, it was quite the opposite, for that man who stayed by your side day in and day out had managed to possess your thoughts enough that you were unable to think of a future that didn’t have him in it. 

So, you traveled, sticking vehemently to the fringe towns on the outskirts of the Yaoqing where whispers of the current events of the more inhabited areas were few and far between. You slept beside him in their various inns or in the houses of generous townspeople, his watch by the window relinquished for an insistent focus on the way you breathed while you slept. 

You didn’t really know your way around your homeland, having only left the city on the grounds of your self banishment. So he led the way, sometimes carrying you, always holding your hand as you forged an unknown path with no destination in particular.

At least, that was the impression he had you under. 

“Looks like we’re getting closer to civilization.” You commented offhandedly, having just checked out of a month’s long stay at a riverside inn. The place had been lovely, and you relinquished your cold baths for warm soaks in the hot springs (which had taken an insurmountable amount of convincing for him to join you, which he only did when you reminded him that you had already seen him naked, a fact that left him sufficiently flustered.) 

He simply grunted in response, and you furrowed your eyebrows, for he usually was more than willing to entertain even your most frivolous remarks. Yes, something was different that day, and he’d hardly spoken a word to you despite maintaining a loose hold on your smaller hand. “Am I allowed to ask where you’re taking me?”

He didn’t answer. Your stomach twisted as you came to a horrifying realization. How stupid you’d been to not realize—

“We’re heading towards the city, aren’t we?” Thinking aloud, your words were less of a question, and more of a conclusion. He stopped abruptly, lowering his head. “When were you going to tell me?”

“I didn’t know how,” He spoke almost shamefully, his gaze still fixed upon the earth. “You know it’s what’s best.”

You dropped his hand, betrayed now that he had finally confirmed your suspicions. “I don’t know that. You know I’m never going back there. Who sent you? I should’ve known that they would do this.“

“[Name],”  He turned to face you. You didn’t say anything. The wind rustled through the trees. He sighed. “It was General Feixiao. She—“

“General? So she’s a general now?” It was your turn to cut him off,  scoffing bitterly with your venom tipped canines on display. “A promotion or two, and she’s sending her crows to take me back there. I should’ve known.”

“I don’t know what you think you know, but you’ve got it all wrong.” He almost looked hurt, but you didn’t care. It didn’t matter. All of this to bring you back to the place you never wanted to see again, and to think you’d fallen in love with him—

How foolish you’d been. How idiotic for you to have been led astray by that wind that rustles feathers and claims naive hearts. 

Dusk approached. Your shadows lengthened. “I’m leaving.”

“If that’s what you want, then I can’t stop you.” He spoke, sounding bereaved. You wondered if he knew he still held your heart in his hands, the pumping blood cascading through his lithe fingers. 

“It is.” Perhaps you were a liar, for you knew what you wanted at that moment, and it wasn’t to leave him here, hope-drunk and silently begging you to stay. 

And it was your duty to deny yourself of the things you desired. 

You walked back into the direction of the woods as the sun set, the abyss claiming you once more. Your dreams dissipated like shadowy wisps as he left for the city, taking a piece of you with him.

And you left, as you’d promised to do, for you’d never lie to him the way he had to you. Not ever.

The third one offered you wisdom in a golden chalice, and you drank it gratefully, the warm wine burning your tongue as it slid down your throat.

The Xianzhou Luofu was positively the last place you’d ever expect to end up following your retreat back into the darkness. But alas, you had concluded that as long as you stayed on the Yaoqing, there’d always be someone trying to drag you back from whence you came. And you weren’t going back there, not ever. 

Getting there was the first challenge. Luckily, some of that man’s directional expertise had rubbed off on you, and you managed to head due south, following directions from the inhabitants of the places you stopped along the way until you made it to a smaller port city. 

When you smuggled yourself amongst the cargo on an unattended ship— something that would likely be next to impossible these days, you suppose— you had no idea where the vessel’s final destination was to be. You could’ve ended up on an entirely different planet for all you knew, and you didn’t care. The only thing you knew for certain was that you had to go, and it didn’t matter to you where. 

And you’d definitely underestimated the difficulty of the trip. You thought after traversing almost the entire perimeter of the Yaoqing, you could handle anything, and frankly, you had incorrectly concluded that you were small enough to hide comfortably on the cargo ship. 

You’d been terribly wrong. And funnily enough, you also failed to consider what would happen if the ship wasn’t as unattended as it had been once it finally arrived to its recipients. Luckily, it wasn’t a very long trip, but it was long enough to bring that thought— along with a sense of insurmountable dread— to mind.

And how incredibly stupid of you it had been to fall asleep halfway through the ride. 

You were shaken awake an unknown amount of time later by an uncomfortable prodding. You sat up straight, fluffy ears standing at attention. You rose fast enough to hit your head on a nearby crate, and looked through hazy eyes at a pair of Cloud Knights, one staring at you with alarm, the other seeming amused. “This piece of cargo wasn’t on the shipment list.” The latter sheathed his sword, the hilt of which must have been that mysterious poking that had woken you from your deep sleep.

You blinked the shock away, recovering as fast as humanly possible. “Double check that list. You must not be looking close enough,” You deadpanned, rubbing the sleep from your eyes, stretching out your legs. “Gonna tell on me?”

His companion spoke, a hand resting nervously on the hilt of his own blade. “We’re required by nature of our job description–”

“I don’t give a fuck about your ‘job,’” You groaned, standing up, brushing the dust and cobwebs from the peachy fur of your tail. “Are you turning me in to your boss or not?”

The nervous, younger looking Knight turned to his companion for an answer, who shrugged in response. He turned back to you, and despite the bite to your voice, you realized you likely looked thoroughly disheveled and even more exhausted despite your little cat nap. In fact, if you could see his face, he likely would be looking at you with unadulterated pity. “Zhi Peng, look at her. We can’t just…”

“Haitao. Zhi Peng,” A deep, coarse voice sounded from the distance. Both knights startled, sharing a brief glance that remained unreadable behind their helmets. “What’s so interesting over here?” The man known as Haitao cursed under his breath. Zhi Peng looked like he was about to wet himself. 

“What do we do?” You whispered, but neither man responded verbally, and while Haitao shifted to cover your smaller form, Zhi Peng remained frozen in place, horrified. “Is that your supervisor or something?” 

Haitao simply nodded. “What are you two doing?” The supervisor called, and his voice sounded closer. 

Your eyes widened with fear. Haitao cursed again. “Just stay quiet.” 

“Zhi Peng, tell me immediately what is happening?” The supervisor hissed, and you heard the meek knight in question let out a strangled cry that sounded oddly like he had been grabbed by the breastplate of his uniform. 

“The cargo. There’s a stowaway in the cargo.” Zhi Peng managed through a choked voice, and there was a thud as he was released upon the ground. You scoffed quietly, your sharp canines digging into your bottom lip. Didn’t take the fucker much pressure to cave in, did it? Although you did feel bad that he’d been tossed around on your behalf. 

“Haitao. Is this true?” The knight who had you trapped beneath his form glanced once more at you, and then at his officer.

Then, he grabbed your arm tight enough to bruise, shifting to reveal your presence. “Yup. Found this little fox hiding amongst the military shipments.” 

“Mother fucker.” You hissed. His grip on your arm tightened as he dragged you in the direction of the disembodied voice that you’d heard earlier, which belonged to an even larger man in a slightly different uniform. Just your luck to get discovered by the most spineless little grunts out there. You couldn’t have been captured by an officer, or even a general?

The larger man scrutinized you, his shielded gaze lingering upon you for longer than you were comfortable with. “I know who this is.” 

You blinked. “That isn’t possible.”

“Yes, it is. You’re the nurse that deserted the Yaoqing army all those years ago,” You froze. So he did, indeed, know who you were. Again, just your fucking luck. “We keep close military contact with our allies.” 

“I prefer ‘medic,’” You deflected, shooting Haitao the nastiest look you could muster as you attempted to wrench free of his grip. “Even ‘practitioner' is acceptable.” The man refused to relent, and you let out a noise akin to a snarl as your bicep began to burn.

“I don’t care what you are,” The officer brushed you off as easily as swatting a fly, and your eyebrows furrowed with further annoyance at being treated so trivially. “Do you two remember your orders for a fugitive situation?” He addressed his two underlings, who vehemently nodded with a chorus of yes sir’s.

“Fugitive situation?” You protested, unable to ignore the way Zhi Peng flanked the unoccupied side of your body. “That’s not what this is.” The other soldier grabbed your other arm, although significantly gentler than his companion. 

Ignoring your objections, the officer continued to deliver orders to his men, who began to march you behind him as you headed somewhere entirely unbeknownst to you. 

You asked quite a few questions on the way there. Where are you taking me? Am I going to jail? Will there be a bathroom? Are you sending me back to the Yaoqing? I’m hungry. Although the last of which was more of a statement. 

The point being that none of your objections nor your questions received competent answers. And the moment you reached an area you would later learn to be called the Exalting Sanctum, the soldiers on the other side of you promptly let go of your arms. Before you could even massage the pain of their grasp away, their officer had grabbed you again. “You two are dismissed. The General will know what to do with her.” 

The knights bowed respectfully to their supervisor before departing, both sparing you a second glance over their shoulders, one you met with a look that hopefully conveyed just how much you despised them. Once they were out of earshot, the larger man grabbed you by the back of the neck. “Now listen here,” You yelped as he leaned down, his gruff voice directly in your ear. “The General has requested you be brought directly to him for whatever reason. I personally couldn’t give less of a shit what happens to a traitor like you, but clearly he finds you useful in some way,” You were unable to control the tear that spilled from your watery eyes at the pain of his large hand tightening around your neck. “So you better not fuck this up for yourself, alright?” 

You didn’t move, warm teardrops streaming down your ruddy cheeks. Realizing he wasn’t going to relinquish you until you responded in some way, you nodded, with quite a degree of difficulty considering his hand was still indeed wrapped around your neck. He released you, and you fell to the ground, coughing. He didn’t wait for you to catch your breath before taking you inside.

“General,” He led you up the carpeted stairs in the General’s office, the deep red color suddenly foreboding as the man’s words echoed in your mind. What use could the General of the Luofu possibly have for you if not to punish you for your desertion? You were so stupid, in fact, in a lifetime of stupid decisions, this was by far the stupidest thing you could’ve ever done— “I’ve brought the Yaoqing’s fugitive.”

The Cloud Knights stationed along the landing of the stairs didn’t spare you a passing glance as you approached the General’s desk. The man let go of you, instead shoving you in his direction before bowing chastely. “I know it’s been a while since we discussed the protocol for her discovery, so I thought I’d bring her here for you to decide what to do with her.”

White haired, long-lashed and heavy-eyed, the General regarded the man before him with complete disinterest. “Thank you,” His gaze landed upon you, the sorry state you must have been in, and his serene expression faltered momentarily. “But, please, remind me where in the protocol it states that it’s acceptable to treat a woman so barbarically,” Slowly, tiredly, he rose from his desk, approaching you where you stood shakily upon your sore feet. “It’s deplorable.” 

For the first time, your impromptu captor was speechless. “Sir, I…”

“No explanation is needed. You can expect further disciplinary notice in the next few days.” The General refused to even meet his eye, his attention instead focused concernedly upon you. “You are dismissed.” 

He didn’t say anything to you immediately upon the other man’s departure, still scrutinizing your visible condition— the bruises on your arms from the Cloud Knights, the dirt and dust still clinging to your clothes from the cargo ship— and you sighed. “Am I under arrest, General?”

He blinked, genuinely surprised. “Not at all.”

“Then what’s my punishment?” You shrugged, shifting your weight. “You know, for treason.” 

He raised an eyebrow at you, and for some reason you got the feeling that you two were each having completely different conversations. He gestured to the chair behind his desk. “Have a seat.” 

“That’s your chair.” You raised an eyebrow, and he simply nodded in confirmation. Realizing he wasn’t going to continue until you sat down, you sighed, doing what you were told. Your feet were killing you from being cramped up for so long, anyways.

Once you had made yourself comfortable, he began to speak. “You’re not under arrest, nor are you receiving any punishment.” 

“Then why did you request for me to be brought here immediately upon my capture?” You fiddled anxiously with the fabric of your clothes, anticipating his response. “With all due respect, General, sir, it’s a bit confusing.”

He stared at you for a moment, unreadable, before suddenly bursting out into boisterous laughter. “Ah, it is, isn’t it?” Your mouth fell open, surprised by his swift change in demeanor, but he didn’t seem to notice. “Allow me to explain. I’m well aware of your talent as a medical practitioner. And considering that you currently owe a debt to the Xianzhou Alliance’s military, well…” He gently rested his palms upon the desk, leaning over you in a way that was more expectant than imposing. “We’d like you to work with our branch of the Alchemy Commission.” 

“Me? Work for the Alchemy Commission? That’s all?” You were unable to suppress the breathless, incredulous laugh that escaped your lips. “Forgive me, sir, but that’s a rather light punishment.” 

“I already said you weren’t being punished.” He raised an eyebrow, simultaneously amused and concerned. “Is that what you want?”

“I don’t know. But there’s one thing I don’t want.” You bit your lip, considering the possible ramifications of telling him exactly how to torture you most effectively. “If you don’t intend to punish me, then don’t send me back there.” 

“Right. You were rather lucky to end up here, aren’t you?” He chuckled once more, and who knew the Luofu's General was so good-natured? You supposed a man like that needed some entertainment to liven up his day. But it wasn’t going to be you. 

“I wouldn’t call it luck,” You scoffed bitterly, absentmindedly moving your hair from behind your shoulders. You saw his eyes widen in shock, and realized with embarrassment that your subconscious movement had exposed to him the bruise that the brute of an officer had left from his grasp upon your neck. “Oh. Ignore that. That officer of yours got a bit too handsy.” You shrugged, despite the tears you’d swallowed down after the initial incident threatening to rise back up in your throat. 

“That seems to be putting it rather lightly, don’t you think?” His good mood was effectively dashed, his worried gaze fixed upon your neck. Suddenly self conscious, you moved your hair to cover it once more. “And rest assured, after his behavior today, he is no longer any officer of mine. That isn’t how my men operate.”

You scoffed, recalling the behavior of the low ranking Cloud Knights before you’d even met the officer. “If you sincerely believe that, you don’t know your men at all.” You gasped sharply upon realizing the ramifications of your words, quickly backtracking. “Forgive me, that was incredibly disrespectful. And I’m already in this position—” 

“It’s alright. I suppose I do have some more work to do on the ground as opposed to sitting up in this stuffy old office all the time.” He sighed, offering you a small, reassuring smile. 

“Sir, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but this place is beautiful.” You gestured to your comparatively luxurious surroundings.  “Not exactly what I’d call ‘stuffy.’” Anything beats that dusty shipment container. 

“Anywhere can become stifling if you spend enough time there. Beauty has nothing to do with it. I’m sure you know that just as well as I do.” He laughed awkwardly, almost self-deprecating. “Ah, look at me, rambling on again. I’ll alert your supervisor at the Commission of your arrival. Your lodgings will be arranged at a nearby inn, so go wash up and get a good night’s sleep.” He reached for a spare piece of paper that rested upon the surface of his desk, quickly scrawling the name of the inn for your reference.  “Your work begins at sunrise tomorrow.” 

You gingerly took the paper from him, folding it gently before sliding it protectively into the pocket of your shorts. “I don’t know what I did to deserve such generosity, but thank you. Sincerely.” 

“You don’t have to thank me. You’ll pay off your debt soon enough.” He placed a gentle hand on your shoulder. Neither of you moved. As if realizing the impropriety of his actions, he quickly retracted his arm, instead offering you a small nod.  “Go.”

You rose from your— his — chair and made for the exit, already envisioning the hot shower and warm inn-cooked meal you were going to have. Suddenly remembering the constraints of respect, you froze halfway down the stairs, turning to offer the General a stiff, clumsy bow. 

You left with his almost-fond chuckle at your heels, intending to scrub the remains of your idiocy from your skin. 

The Luofu branch of the Alchemy Commission was significantly different from the one back home. Although the work hours were just as insane, its employees genuinely enjoyed their jobs, if your master was anything to go off of. 

Dark brown haired with cutely pointed ears and deep ruby eyes, Lingsha was incredibly skilled, and just as well-composed. She smelled lovely, too, a fact you noted as she showed you where each of the supplies were located.  As she explained the rules with which the Luofu’s branch operated, you found your mind wandering elsewhere, wondering what kind of woman you’d be if only you had a calm spirit, to say nothing of impulse control. 

“I diagnose ailments a bit differently. I’m sure you’re familiar with aromatic therapy?” Lingsha spoke as she stood before a presently empty cauldron. A nice, herbal scent lingered around it, and you concluded that she had to smell so nice from working around aromatics every day. 

“Yes, we use it quite a bit on the Yaoqing. I’m definitely not as skilled as you are, though.” Your intentions on your first day were to emphasize your competency without seeming too confident. The last thing you wanted was for your new boss to think you were trying to outshine her in any way.

“Anyone can learn, and you already have the background, so don’t worry about that.” Lingsha had mercifully not seemed to glean that impression from you, treating you with kindness despite you really only being there to work off a debt wrought by your own stupidity. “I can’t teach you how to utilize the cauldron, though.”

You nodded, offering her a small, grateful smile. “Let’s get to work, shall we?” 

Despite your feigned eagerness to get on the job, she tried to breach a different, non-work related subject with you come lunch break. “You know, I once traveled far from home too.”

Unimpressed, you chewed your braised pork. “Really?”

“I followed my master when she was banished. It was quite jarring at first, but I learned so much and improved my craft.” She picked at her food with her chopsticks, seeming to favor attempting to connect with you over shared circumstances more than eating. 

“I see.” You, on the other hand, did not much enjoy having your meal interrupted by useless talking, no matter how good the intentions behind it may be. 

She sighed, noticing your unwillingness to converse. “All of this to say, I understand how you feel.”

Do you? You found yourself wondering, almost shamefully, for the woman’s intentions were clearly to make you feel more comfortable working away from home. But being young and irrational, you couldn’t help but believe your situation was undeniably unique. 

Of course, it wasn’t, nor were your experiences anything special. And realizing this, you kept your mouth shut, simply nodding in respectful acknowledgment of her statement. 

You finished the rest of your lunch in silence, your new mentor finally recognizing that you weren’t quite in the mood for conversation. You did, however, catch her sending a few fleeting glances your way, sometimes concerned, sometimes curious. 

The first day of your impromptu apprenticeship ended with barely any further words exchanged between the two of you. You parted ways with a few polite goodbyes, and you beelined for the closest restaurant with a myriad of conflicting thoughts swarming your mind. 

And the work did get significantly more bearable the longer you did it. Even the early mornings were alright, considering you had to get up in the wee hours of the morning back as a medic for the Yaoqing. Not to mention, with the minor ailments being the only ones Lingsha initially sent your way, you felt like you were back at the army hospital with your brother stifling you beneath his scrutinizing glare. It was all rather banal.

You weren’t the only one bored almost to death by day to day work, however.

The first time the General stopped by your office for a check up, you were on your best behavior. Convinced he was only there to observe your progress, you prepared to conduct a thorough examination  that addressed all of his concerns. 

“So, you’re telling me you’re experiencing extreme drowsiness.” You read from your notes, taking this far more seriously than you should’ve. He was indeed a patient, after all, and an important one at that. Even if he was just bullshitting you, you were under a medical obligation to heed his concerns. 

“Yes, doctor. My eyes are simply too heavy to hold open.” He spoke dramatically, although you got the sense he was holding back a laugh. 

“I’m not a doctor,” You simply stared, incredulous. “And there’s not much I can do for you in that regard. I can make you some tea?”

“Tea would be lovely,” He smiled up at you, although even with him being seated you were nearly at eye level.  “Come to think of it, I have the most wonderful tea set at the Seat of Divine Foresight.”

You raised an eyebrow. “That’s a bit of a walk from here, don’t you think?”

“If you don’t want to travel all that way, I can bring it here.” He rose from the chair, towering over you once more as he made for the door. 

“Oh, you wanted me to drink the tea with you?” You began to follow him, and he sent you a mirthful glance over his shoulder. 

“You were the one who suggested it after all.” He noted, almost offhandedly, and you paused to consider the offer. 

“Well, I suppose I could take a lunch break right about now.” You also supposed that he’d never intended to leave the clinic without you, anyways. 

Agreeing to let him steal you away from your duties was a mistake. Because one lunch break became two, which became three, which became entire shifts once you realized Lingsha could easily handle the steady trickle of patients herself, and the General would always provide her an excuse for your absence— however ridiculous it may be. 

You met with him a few times outside of those sleepy afternoon hours, too. Once he realized your passion for fine Luofu cuisine, and having an impressive appetite of his own,  he took you to all of the best spots, and watched you fondly as you inhaled your meals. You’d share drinks afterwards, and without fail, he’d walk you back to the inn, sometimes with a gentlemanly hand hovering over your back so your tipsiness didn’t get the better of you on those tricky stairs.

And that was all it was, communion, camaraderie. Until the night you invited Lingsha along for dinner and drinks by way of apology for shirking your duties. 

You had far more of that familiar rice wine than usual, likely due to anxiety that the woman in question hated you for your truancy. After a few shots, you were limber and loose, your inside thoughts spilling from your tongue as if it were the most normal thing in the world. 

The General, despite his size and tendency to be able to hold his liquor, seemed a bit more far gone than usual, too, if the way he laughed and spoke quite louder than usual in response to your jabbering was anything to go off. Lingsha, in contrast, drank slowly, mindfully, sipping at her beverage while eyeing the two of you with a mix of concern and amusement. 

And neither of you really noticed when she gracefully ducked out, citing her early shift in the morning as her reason for departure. Your witty banter continued, your knee brushing his beneath the table, his much larger hand resting atop yours on the wooden surface. 

You kept drinking, of course. And things progressed. Very quickly. And you were, as always, horribly stupid. 

You remember him paying the bill, taking your hand as you stood up, swaying on your feet. The night was humid and starless, the condensation in the air contributing to the haze in your mind. He had a loose arm wrapped around your waist as you started in the direction of the inn. 

You remember, rather boldly, asking instead for a tour of his place. You remember him agreeing. 

His house was quite spacious. You stumbled past the entrance and he caught you, laughing intoxicatedly. You didn’t make it past the kitchen before he had you leaned up against the counters, his face centimeters away from your own. He was saying something, but your brain wasn’t registering. Rather than responding, or even asking him to repeat himself, you raised up on your tiptoes to kiss him. 

Yes, things did progress rather quickly from there.

That wasn’t to say you didn’t remember— or enjoy — anything you partook in. In fact, you recall being rather entrenched in bliss as he had you pinned beneath him, your legs wrapped tightly around his hips to pull him impossibly closer. Your long nails clawed at the skin of his back and you were too far gone to tell him it was too much, or not enough, you weren’t really sure. Whatever the sensation was, it was incredible, your toes curling as he mouthed at the sensitive skin at the junction of your neck, a deft hand sliding between your bodies to push you over the edge. 

It was too much. And it wasn’t enough.

You woke up the next morning, somehow satisfied, moderately hungover, your face having been buried in his broad chest. Naturally, he was still fast asleep,  breathing serenely beneath you as long lashes brushed against his cheeks. 

And naturally, you sat up, oriented yourself, dressed, and left. 

It wasn’t anything you’d ever done before; slept with someone you cared about and left without another word. But you had a feeling it was the only way to do this without ripping yourself apart again, without leaving a piece of yourself behind beneath his once-pristine sheets.

And despite the way every single thing between the two of you had been turned on its side after a single night, you found yourself sitting behind his desk once more during your lunch break as he smiled down at you, gaze lingering on the poorly concealed marks just above the neckline of your shirt. You tugged it upwards as you’d been doing all day, but it was no use, for he leaned down to kiss you as if there weren’t numerous guards stationed around the entrance.

And you let him, like that’s how it was between the two of you all along.  

Which was to say that those breathless nights spent at his place after work became a frequent occurrence. And when you’d show up early to work the next morning, half asleep and abnormally chipper, Lingsha would only raise a suspicious eyebrow before telling you to rewash your hands and get to work. 

“I’ve always been quite curious if a Foxian’s sense of smell is as refined as mine.” Your mentor commented offhandedly after the two of you had just seen off a young Foxian patient who was experiencing abnormal tail shedding. Lingsha had performed some aromatherapy and sent the poor girl home with some oils to apply to the area on a strict regimen. 

You shrugged, your fingers absentmindedly and protectively rubbing through the silken fur of your own tail. “I wouldn’t say ‘as refined,’ but I’ve certainly got a good nose.”

She hummed in acknowledgment, peeling off her gloves. “Really? So can you detect the scent of other people on yourself?”

Your eyebrows furrowed as your hands continued working through your fur, unsure of the relevance behind her line of questioning. “Sometimes.”

“So, you must be well aware that you smell entirely of the General.” Your ministrations froze.

 You turned slowly to face her, only to see her expression as unchanged as before, examining her pristine cuticles as if what she’d said was the most normal thing in the world.  “I’m sorry?” 

“It’s not an unpleasant smell, it’s just so overbearing that your scent is layered all the way at the bottom.” She diverted her attention elsewhere, assuming an air of nonchalance as she began to rearrange her bottles of scented oil.  “What did you do, roll around in his bed or something?” 

You opened your mouth to respond, only to close it once more. “...No comment.”

“Aeons above. There’s my answer.” Lingsha groaned, setting a glass vial down with slightly more force than was necessary. 

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to.” You responded coyly, the embarrassment giving way to an unfamiliar yet deep seated urge to make her even more uncomfortable as a twisted form of deflection.. 

“That’s not entirely true. I want some answers.” 

And boy, did you answer her many, many questions. In fact, the remainder of your lunch hour was spent detailing the progression of the affair between you and the General. You were mildly disappointed that you missed out on spending the time with him, but you figured you could make it up to him in a rather meaningful way later that evening. 

Besides, the look on Lingsha’s face as you spoke— an amalgamation of shock, incredulity, and curiosity— was well worth it. And if the woman didn’t trust you before, she sure did now that you took the time to describe your sex life in intricate detail— in response to her insistent prompting, of course.

You met up with him that evening. And the next. And the one after that. And despite your habit of slipping out in the early hours of the morning like a creature of the night, you stuck around one morning. 

It was the dawn of your weekly day off, and you were positively exhausted from work and a myriad of other, irrelevant things, no thanks to the man who slept soundly beneath you. And even though you’d slept well enough yourself, you couldn’t help but feel restless as your cheek rested against the bare skin of his chest. 

You knew this was casual. It didn’t mean anything. Both of you understood that. But as you watched him sleep, your thumb absentmindedly tracing the mark beneath his eye, something familiar stirred in your chest. You didn’t want to leave. 

The feeling persisted as you ate breakfast with him, neither of you acknowledging just how far from the norm this was. It intensified as you stepped into the shower beside him, unwilling to leave each other alone for even half a system hour. It threatened to swallow you whole when he brushed your hair, large fingers raking through the damp strands as you leaned into his touch, horribly infatuated by the whole situation. When he kissed you in the pavilion after you walked him to work, you felt like you were drowning. 

What a stupid woman you were, you thought as you sat on the arm of his chair, his free hand wrapped around your waist as he pretended to focus on whatever dull paperwork sat on his desk. When the Master Diviner walked in, his grip tightened despite the look of unadulterated distaste she sent your way. “I had something important to discuss with you, General, but it seems you’re presently occupied.” Her words were dripping with acrimony, but you were too far beneath the waves to care. 

He hummed without sparing a glance towards the small woman. “Yes, I am presently inundated with paperwork,” His large palm slid further downwards, digging into your hip behind the desk. “If it can wait, we can discuss whatever it is at a later time.” 

The woman blinked, inhaling sharply at the shameless display before her. “Fine. I’ll come back at a much, much later time.” The General’s gaze remained fixed on the paper despite his attention clearly being elsewhere, if the hand caressing your backside said anything. “Or never.” Fu Xuan muttered to herself as she left, likely wishing to take her brain out and wipe it clean of the last five minutes. 

The more he made it clear he didn’t care who knew what existed between the two of you, if anything, the more you fixated on it until it was all you could think about. You’d been burned once, twice, by relationships wrought by your own selfless devotion, and you’d fallen into this one while caught in the throes of your own greed. So perhaps, it had to be a sign that this could work? 

And no matter how hard you tried, you could not stop yourself from craving his complete affections, in sharing every aspect of your life with him. Even though he was so often unreadable, you knew deep down that a part of you had stuck with him. You only prayed it was significant enough to last. 

One night, you held his face in your hands as you straddled his abdomen, and despite holding some of the control, you let him take everything from you that you had to give. When the both of you were thoroughly satisfied, he kissed you like you were his, and in all ways but one, you were. 

Your mouth didn’t give either of you much time to bask in the afterglow, for the moment you’d shifted to untangle yourself with him, it spoke without your common sense’s consent. “I’ve been thinking.” Perhaps this was a bad time, but you supposed there never was an ideal one for these sorts of conversations. At least you’d waited until he wasn’t inside you any longer. 

“Have you?” He said, his voice still low and rumbling in a way that made you shift uncomfortably atop him. “What about, my dear?” He pulled you down so your chest was flush against his, pressing a quick kiss to the side of your temple. 

You let out a quick gasp, trying to disguise the way his affection had left you reeling. “Us.” 

“What’s there to think about?” He responded good-naturedly, teasingly tugging at your tail.“We’re here, aren’t we?”

“Yes, but…” He clearly hadn’t yet grasped the seriousness of your train of thought, for his wandering hand abandoned the fur of your tail to grab a handful of your backside.  “Hey.” You warned, swatting it away as he laughed, unashamed.  “I guess I should start by asking this. What do you want from me?”

He blinked, his expression sobering as he finally caught your drift. “Whatever you’re willing to give.”

You scoffed. Despite your heart hoping otherwise, you should’ve known he’d dance his way around your questioning, ever-skilled at circumlocution.. “That’s a cop out.”

“I still don’t understand what you’re asking.” He clarified gently, his hands rubbing soothingly up your sides. Your annoyance deflated significantly, your body welcoming his touch. 

“Fine. I’m asking if you want me to be your girlfriend. Partner. Whatever you want to call it.” His hands halted their ministrations as he looked up at you, his expression indecipherable. 

“Where is this coming from?” He spoke after a beat had passed, tilting his head at you with what seemed like genuine confusion. Whatever it was angered you, because if he really had no idea what you were talking about, he must have been fucking you with his eyes closed. Because it was clear as day to the Cloud Knights, Lingsha, Fu Xuan, everyone who saw the two of you together, what was happening. 

“The fuck do you mean, ‘where is this coming from?’” Your annoyance morphed into a sense of betrayal, spilling from your mouth like murderous venom. “You take me out to dinner multiple times a week, I sit in your office all day like your little pet, I practically live at your house.” Then, the betrayal melted away to hurt.  “And still, I can’t tell exactly how you feel about me. That’s where it’s coming from.” Your sentence ended far softer, far more vulnerable than you intended it to. 

And he noticed, for a large palm came to cup your cheek in his hand, ready to wipe away the angry tears that threatened to fall. “[Name]—“

You pushed his hand away. “Answer my question,” You intertwined the hand you’d used to reject his touch with his own, still unable to part from him no matter how obstinate you felt he was being.  “We can take things slow if that’s what you want. No labels, or anything. I just need to know how you feel.”

You’d barely finished your sentence before he pulled you down to kiss him, slow and sweet. “I thought it was abundantly clear how I felt about you,” He spoke almost against your lips, your fingers still laced together, pushed up against the headboard. “You’re an incredible woman, [Name]. Witty, headstrong, beautiful,” His free hand brushed your bangs away from your face, coming to rest once more on your cheek.“But I cannot give you that which you desire.”

You hesitated, blinking confusedly at him.“What do you mean?”

“You know what you want, a trait that is inexorably admirable,” He paused, his gaze flickering away from your own to collect his thoughts. “But I know who I am, and it won’t be any good for you.”

Another cop out. Your canines dug into your bottom lip as you felt the pressure of your returning tears behind your eyelids. “You’re not being truthful.”

“I am.  I only want the best for you.” So that was how it was. Fine. You weren’t going to embarrass yourself any further by crying in front of him. You had lost so much in that moment, but you couldn’t let go of your fragile pride.

“I think I should go.” You dropped his hand, leaning back upon his thighs. 

He swallowed, looking reluctantly away from your watery eyes. “Perhaps that may be what’s best.”

You left that time, defeated and embarrassingly heartbroken. But it didn’t stop you from going back to him quite a few times, somehow convinced that what you desired deep down would change. But never once did you expect him to mold himself to your expectations, shouldering the blame for the failed relationship all upon yourself.

You were foolish then. For believing you could ever rid yourself of the desire to be loved wholly and completely. For believing you could change yourself rather than choose a different man to love. For suppressing your own heart beneath layers of impenetrable armor.

He taught you many things about yourself, rather inadvertently. You learned you could be alright on your own. You learned that love and sex were a gamble, a way to gain leverage on others without revealing the vulnerability that lay within your own losing hand. And you learned to stop denying yourself of the superficial little things you wanted, because you’d concluded that your heart’s deepest desire could never be fulfilled.

These lessons were incredibly valuable, and you held them close to your heart even as you sat aboard the mysterious Astral Express, gazing out the window at the vastness of the universe with your palms laying defeated in your lap. 

The fourth one took you entirely off guard, two lightning strikes in an open field, an asteroid upon a barren planet, a winning ticket out of a million losses. The chances of finding him in this life were astronomically low. But he was miraculously, blessedly lucky. 

Alisa would know more about this than I do. That is the thought that always crosses your mind in situations like these, when you watch him on the rare nights he sleeps peacefully, and something in your chest overwhelms you so much you fear you might die in his arms. You’d spent ages telling yourself you were never meant for love, and that little girl’s dreams of a fairy tale romance were never yours. But here you are, not only deeply enamored, but literally engaged, evidenced by that bewilderingly expensive gemstone on your ring finger. 

You can’t help but feel like you’d experienced everything in your life just for this terribly mundane moment, if not just for the way he looks fast asleep.

And perhaps you know more about love than you care to admit, for you’d proven your past self wrong on several occasions. You were alright on your own, sure, but you are far better with him by your side. Maybe you’d gambled your way into his heart, but your vulnerability is no longer a weakness. And now that you have the one thing you’d always desired, everything else is background noise. 

He means everything to you, you realized then. He is your heart, your ultimate weakness, your one in a million. You couldn’t leave this time, for there is nowhere else to go. 

You rotate the gold band on your finger absentmindedly, curling yourself even further into his body. He subconsciously pulls you closer, and you hide your face in his chest, smiling fondly to yourself. You hope he knows he’s stuck with you forever now. This love is blessedly and irrevocably yours. 

[deymo0s]

Good article hunting (Oscar Piastri x Male Reader)

Hello guys! :) so this is my first fanfic in a looong time + english is not my first language so please bear with me. But since I had this idea lingering in my mind all day long I decided: why not? 

word count: 2119

warnings: +18 content! minors please dni!

You glaze to the ever growing crowd that entered the hall, if there was a place you never imagined being in, it was here, what would a rookie reporter like you be doing on a big formula one event like this? You look at your open notes app as a way to pass the time, and try not to freak out as more and more celebrities pass by. For the tenth time you repeat yourself what you came here to do

“just interview the Mclaren drivers, ask them about the last race and the problems with the car and go home, easy breezy”

A silent nod marks that you understood your game plan, a nervous laughter escapes your mouth when you remember what happened in said last race. It was all over social media, impossible to forget, the moment where Oscar Piastri bumped into you while you were announcing to the broadcast about the car problems that lead to them finishing P11 and P12. His eyes, fueled with anger, locked with yours and like a wave that breaks into the shore, they seemed to lose strength and soften. That moment that was only a couple seconds long seemed to last for eternity, then his eyes followed your body and you could see yourself starting to stutter, you didn’t know if you started an interview or if you ended your announcement, after all it was your first time as a reporter. Oscar snapped back and stormed off, leaving you and the general public with more questions than answers, the car problems took a second place in everyone’s mind.

“Who is this guy?”

“Lol I didn’t know Oscar was bissexual, good for him!!”

“I think yall are exaggerating really, not everything needs to be romance, and osc has a gf after all…”

Those were some of the comments that flooded social media after that day, and all you could do was read them and pray that they didn’t find your profiles and started calling you a man-whore. I mean, your opinion on Oscar was of anyone with a sane mind, he was a good driver, great even, not much more than that…right? 

“He is average looking”

That’s what you thought, even though you couldn’t shake off this funny emotion that you felt every time you remembered that ruinous moment. His eyes…his unreal gorgeous brown eyes left a mark on you that you really couldn’t ignore. But everything seemed ok, after the race you followed with your normal life as a reporter until one day, a couple of weeks ago, while scrolling through instagram you received that risky message. You stood up, couldn’t believe for a second what your eyes were telling you, was it really THE Oscar Piastri sending you a message? Yes, the screen wasn’t lying, the formula one driver really was trying to slide into your dms.

You shake your head trying to reenter reality. After that day you both stayed up long nights texting each other, it truly was something that seemed like a made up fantasy. Why would he be interested in your uninteresting reporter life? But he seemed…really interested, especially in the ‘you’ part. He complimented you a lot, on your beautiful hair, your beautiful eyes, your beautiful smile, you got flustered even remembering those charming but more than everything seductive messages.

“He probably doesn’t even mean it that way. After all, he is a straight guy, probably just trying to get a good article on him, typical self-centered celebrity behavior” 

You muttered to yourself as you saw the Mclaren drivers enter the hall. Making your way through the legion of reporters and magazine writers trying to get a piece of the drivers, you could only think that your wish was to get this over with, and finally stumbled into the view of both Oscar and Lando. After fixing your tiny microphone you elevated your gaze only to meet those same brow eyes that were taunting you weeks prior. The questions started flowing normally, but all you could think about was his eyes, and his lovely eyes and his cute bunny-like smile. He moved the weight of his body and you could feel his hand lightly brush yours, a side look and your eyes locked again. At that moment you could feel you breathing become shorter, raspier. He moved again, at that moment staring at Lando, who you didn’t even remember was answering one of your questions. What was that? You could feel your heart pounding like an earthquake as with your peripheral vision you could see Oscar’s side smirk. He knows, he knows the power that he has over people, he knows that he made you lose sleep when you had to work the next day, and he liked to know it.

“Alright, thank you for your answers”

You enunciate to the drivers, after deciding that their answers would give your enough material on your next article, in that second, you thank god for the invention of microphones and recorders, because you couldn’t remember a single word that Lando had said. Your telephone buzzes, and after making your way back to your starter point you pick it up just to see his name again, Oscar

“Can you meet me by the second floor stairs in 2 hours?”

This can’t be real, you exhale and laugh while holding your phone. You turn towards the other side of the hall. First of all, how did he have time to text you mid interviews? But nevertheless, you answer, without thinking much about it.

“Ok”

Two long hours pass by. Since it was a charity event, after all the interviews were conducted in the entering hall all the drivers and the press were guided to their respective seats. The event begins, and the host conducted a long speech about the importance of their cause, except all you could think about was the driver seating five tables across from yours. His black tuxedo had a mate shine that exuded elegance and his beautiful hair was cut a little longer than normal, falling softly towards the end of his neck. Some words are exchanged with colleagues, they don’t even suspect that there is anything out of the ordinary, you excuse yourself and pretend to go to the bathroom, actually going towards the stairs and going up to the second floor. 

The second floor was empty, words could be faintly heard coming from the main hall, the moon shining from in between the big silk curtains that draped over the windows. You let out a big sigh, your hands tapping your suit in search of your pack of cigarettes. Since the windows were open, no one would really mind if you smoked here, right? As you light up a cigarette you feel two hands grasping your waist, a body approaching firmly yet somehow softly and a head resting lightly on your shoulder.

“You look even more handsome up close”

Oscar’s voice was indistinguishable, you turn around to face him, face to face, his perfume was strong and inebriated your senses. You stroke his arm, his actions spoke all the unspoken words. You could feel his tensed muscles, he knew how dangerous this was but all he wanted at that moment was at a palm’s reach, he wanted you. Since your eyes locked at that first day that’s all he wanted, you, and only you.

“What do you want…osc?” you ask, teasingly.

“All these messages, these past few weeks just trying to catch my attention, for what?”

You brush his lip lightly with your thumb, he was breathy and his eyes focused on your hand, your body, and then your eyes.

“You, I want you” he responds, eyes deep into your soul.

He presses you against the window, and kisses you lustfully, his tongue moving rapid in your mouth like his life depended on it. With one hand, Oscar pulls you closer, pressing his body against yours, a faint moan escapes your lips when you feel his boner pressing against your hips. Your mind rushed, what if someone saw you two? Both of your careers would be done, completely. You feel Oscar unbuttoning your shirt, his eyes sinfully focused on your exposed skin. He wraps his teeth on your skin leaving marks that would be terrible to explain. You pull him closer, hands running through his hair, his beautiful beautiful brown hair, you pull it, obliging Oscar to separate himself from you neck and look in your eyes. 

“This is insane”

You whisper with an expression that said “we should stop” but secretly begged for more. He pulls you deeper into the second floor, where light almost couldn’t reach. All you could discern were the shape of both of your bodies, merging against each other. You start to make out again, this time more aggressively than before. The kissing now was only interrupted by a few breaks to gasp for air. You could feel a single drop of sweat roll on your back from the heat between you two. All you could say is how much you wanted to feel him inside you. You push Oscar against the wall, changing positions, he lets out a shocked smirk and brushes his hand through your hair while you get down on your knees.

“Oh, so that’s what you like?”

He asks you while you take out his belt. All the time, your eyes are chained to each other, the same spark you felt when you first met seemed to engulf you two completely. He tilts his head back as you start to blow him, going up and down sloppily, while your hands hold his waist.

“fuck..” he murmurs “and you seemed so shy” he laughs with his mouth semi-open while you go deeper, feeling his cock against the back of your throat, he tilts his head again and bites his lips, failing to contain a moan. You could feel his core clenched, his waist moving against his will, his body begging for everything you could give him. He couldn’t contain his whimpers even if he tried, his breath cut short by soft moans that intercalated. He pulls your hair, making you hold direct eye contact with him, making you feel something that you never ever felt before, you beg him to fuck you, feeling ashamed by how much you needed him to fill you up.

Oscar puts you up against the wall, your back turned to him. He takes off his jacket and tosses it to the side, you could feel his warm breath against the back of your neck. He pushes your pants and your boxers down just enough to give him space to push inside you, you feel the warm spit lubricate you and his hands squeezed your waist hard as he pushed his cock deep into you

“you are so fucking tight” he says breathly while you grind against him, feeling him hit every spot inside you. His hand cover your mouth while he pushes faster and faster inside, and you feel jolts of pleasure go through your body while he bites your neck, marking you as his, and his only. His body finally collapses against yours while you feel his semen fill you up, both your weakened bodies trying to catch what is little left of strength just to go back to the main event you were ditching. He softens his grip while he gets off of you, and starts to softly kiss your neck, his hands going up your back, then down, stopping at your waist. After starting to dress up again, you turn around to face him, a little embarrassed thinking about what just had happened. 

He laughs, noticing your shy stare, then holds your face with both of his hands, kissing you lovingly for what seemed like one last time.

“Message me, ok?”

He said, staring deeply into your eyes, and you could feel that it was sincere. Maybe you were wrong about him, maybe he was entranced by your stare the same way you were by his, maybe the wish to see you up close wasn’t some try-to-get-a-good-article tactic, maybe he really wanted to see you.

“Ok” you agree, looking up towards him

He caresses your check, kissing it right after. When up close you could feel him trying to catch his breath, his perfume now mixed with yours. And then he left, as quickly as he appeared, and all you could do was smoke another cigarette.

[internetscenarios]

Isaacwhy hcs I BEGG YOUUU !!!!?!?!?!? DOESNT MATTER IF ITS SFW OR NSFW !?!?!??!!?!

OKAY!! 😆

isaacwhy headcanons ♡︎

• mmmm the thought of him makes me blush

• would force himself to get into hobbies that u do so u could do it togetherr

• tall🤤🤤🤤

• he orders random stuff for u, like u didnt even ask him too

• he does so much stuff for no reason, tying ur shoes for u, grabbing u glasses of water when u didnt even ask?? its like he can read ur mind

• he makes u laugh SO much

• ok.. he is a hickey man idgaf

• imagine one day u walk downstairs to go grab food and some of the guys are in the kitchen,, they dont even say anything to u as u just smile at them

• they definitely confront him later like what the flip dude

• hypothetically if u have ur own house and he comes round to visit, while ur busy doing something u will come up to check on him and he is just sat on the couch after cleaning ur entire house??

• acts of service, physical touch, quality time and gift giving are his love languages <3

• GOING BACK TO THE HICKEY THING

• imagine he leaves it in the mark in the intial of his name AHH

• he loves watching u do daily tasks, like if ur doing ur makeup or cleaning up, he is jus admiring you

• i mentioned this in my last isaac headcanons, but ltlvc with him!! sat near his desk with pillows and blankets while he whispers sweet things too u

• when ur tired u eventually end up falling asleep at his desk, probably ending up in him picking u up and placing u in bed <33

• and that soft launch thing of him whispering smthn like “i love you” then theres just someone in the call being like “i love you too!!”

• he will leave random clips of him maybe whispering too u in, leaving fans going CRAZY

• cc!reader?!?? imagine ur streaming and he walks into ur room throwing his penguin plushies at u

• his face obviously not being in view since this man is a giant

• i feel like he would bounce around shaking you like that one clip in ltlvc3 with yumi where he is just shaking the room LOL

• if u love a certain colour he will find anything of that colour and give it too u, like snacks, little objects, drinks etc

• god this man can scream like a girl..

• if ur hanging out in the group house and isaac screams someone will run in thinking its you, but its actually just isaac shit scared of a horror game

SORRY IF ITS SHORTT

also,, living in the tgc house headcanons maybe??

[madsfrank]

How would the Dead by Daylight Killers(Mastermind, Trickster, and Ghostface) would react to a Survivor! Himbo! Male! Reader that's a bit like Ken from the Barbie movie?

Himbo! Reader is a 6'6 powerhouse of a guy whose heart of gold, cheerful demeanor, and great sense of fashion makes up for his lack of braincells!

He's just so nice to literally everyone, even Killers lol

(you can delete this ask if you want)

'*•.¸♡ SFW II HC 𝕶𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖊𝖗𝖘 ����𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖆 𝕳𝖎𝖒𝖇𝖔! 𝕾𝖚𝖗𝖛𝖎𝖛𝖔𝖗 ♡¸.•*'

-ˏˋDirectoryˊˎ -ˏˋ Masterlist ˊˎ -ˏˋ Mastermind ˊˎ -ˏˋ Trickster ˊˎ -ˏˋGhostface ˊˎ

- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕸𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖉 ❜┊˚ ̥۪͙۪◌

………..Chris?

No like seriously this man is going to stare at you and be like “ah my long lost Redfield.” Especially if you’re nice.

Honestly, he’s probably going to maul you more since you remind him so of his beloved friend-zone situationship.

However, if you start giving him fashion advice? He’ll hook you….but you may or may not see him in the next trial with more than just black leathers.

I feel like you would always be the last alive and of you play into his silly mind games, he may let you get hatch. Maybe.

Either way, all your fellow survivors are extremely jealous you’ve somehow managed to survive even sometimes around Wesker.

It may get so bad that wesker will actually discard the real Chris Refield because your too much of a fun toy to play with.

- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕿𝖗𝖎𝖈𝖐𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗 ❜┊˚ ̥۪͙۪◌

First of all, who hurt you? Why are you trying to befriend this man?

Secondly, the trickster is hardly nice in any trials. You will be getting some knives launched at you. Advice? Sharpen his blades for him and after each trial to win him over.

Yeah, he’s still gonna kill you. But at least it will be more painless than what the others get.

If you’re really insistent and somehow convince him you want to really befriend him, not just another fan, he may even let you stay in his realm. The little studio apartment that the entity lets him keep.

I swear the man would probably completely change. Instead of the hyper on stage attitude he’s probably be a bit more…chill? How he is with his manager mostly.

You are physically at an advantage against him, he’ll probably admire you for that, which will give you some lenience with him on allowing other survivors into his realm.

Just don’t get too cocky and don’t trash his place either!

Not to mention that every time you go back to the campfire, you are getting some major outfit changes, he’s totally going to force you to dress like he does. Not even an option to say no. If you have any taste, it’s gonna be his.

- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕲𝖍𝖔𝖘𝖙𝖋𝖆𝖈𝖊 ❜┊˚ ̥۪͙۪◌

Now this, this is fun.

You’re a powerhouse of a man, yes? Perfect.

Danny is a short king. Ideal.

You are carrying him on your back. In trials. To hunt down other survivors. He does not care.

Ok yes, the other survivors are laughing their asses off but also getting slashed in the throat so who really wins?

This is the fastest friend setup you will ever witness.

Also you’re carrying him bridal style now everywhere. Final.

Not to mention this man is gonna want your help in designing his new costumes. You think there should be hot pink flames on his mask? There should be hot pink flames on his mask. You get the point.

Needless to say you are getting hatch every single trial. Also, any of your closest friends are also getting hatch. Plus, a houseparty at his realm.

Danny is pretty chill ngl, so expect him only to kill you if he wants to show you a new technique he just learned.

“Dude, check this out” and you get gutted, but hey! At least it was pretty cool right? You literally end up giving him pointers while verging on blood loss.

So great, you’ve become the Ghostface’s #1, and you’re never getting rid of him!

[starmocha]

Ok I'm gonna throw this plot bunny here but feel absolutely free to ignore it

I was wondering when the kids are a older, maybe around 8 or 10, and say they get themselves in done serious trouble, maybe they go somewhere they know they shouldn't because it's dangerous, lots of wanderers sights there and they end up getting hurt, which of the dads would get super mad--after the initial panic and eventual relief once they make sure their kid is alright--who do you think would get so mad they'd be shaking? Of course it's all because they're scared, they could've actually lost their kid...

I'm basing this on my own experience cause my dad's very calm and rational so whenever he got really mad it was lowkey scary 😂

In my opinion, Raf losing it and scolding his kid would be scary cause he's probably the kind of dad who's always finding excuses for his baby and saving him from MC's scolding, so him being so mad would be unsettling. He's already the most emotional of the guys, so afraid of losing MC, I can't even imagine how terrified he'd be in that situation, almost losing his little treasure, he warned him so much to be careful...

And Zayne who's always keeping his cool and being very rational--seeing him being distraught and mad at the same time would be scary too. You know when he yelled at the prisoners in his card during tomorrow's catch 22?? that took me out, never heard him so angry, he never raises his voice...(and I loved it very much, holy shit)

Anyway, this is just something that popped in my head and I value your headcanons and writing a lot so I thought I'd ask ♥️

Love this prompt. I'm incapable of simply yapping lol but while thinking about their reactions, I ended up imagining little scenes instead oops <333

Zayne –

His father is yelling at him. His father never yells. Ever.

He had messed up completely. There was a lockdown in Linkon due to an influx in wanderer attacks, and as per city order, all residences should remain at home, with only a few exceptions allowed. His mother is a hunter, and with a shortage of manpower at the Association, she has been working around the clock. Likewise, his father is on active duty at the hospital as both civilians and hunters are rushed into the wards nonstop.

His father had left him with only one instruction: Stay home.

He couldn’t sit still. He just had to go outside. He wanted to go to the arcade, wanted to see his friends, eat his favorite desserts, and do all of the things that he usually did prior to the lockdown. It was only for a few hours, he had said to himself. A few hours out and he would be back home and neither of his parents would ever have to know he had disobeyed them.

This district is safe, he had thought. There hasn’t been an attack here.

Yet.

There was a sudden scream. Human.

And a screech. A Wanderer. Two wanders. Three, four—

It had all happened in a flash, but the last thing he had remembered was suddenly seeing his mother’s shocked face as she shielded him from an attack.

And now. Now he is sitting on an exam table in a private room, bandaged up, and hearing his father screaming at him.

There are such dark, heavy bags under Zayne’s eyes. The little nine-year-old boy couldn’t help but wonder when his father had last slept. His mother had also looked slimmer than normal. They are both worn down, sacrificing their own wellbeing for the sake of others.

And he was selfish, wanting to play some arcade games. There are games at home. He wanted to eat desserts. There are desserts at home. He wanted…

“I’m sorry…”

Zayne pauses.

“Dad… I…” He isn’t sure what to say. Normally, so quick-witted and sharp-tongued, this tense moment has robbed him of all words. He just looks down at the white tile floors in shame. He knows he deserves his father’s beratement.

A minute passes before this awkward silence is broken and Zayne sighs. He walks over and hugs his son gently. He presses his lips to the top of the boy’s head.

“Your mother and I… had thought at the very least, you would be safe at home, and we wouldn’t have to worry about anything in our absence.”

He feels even more guilty now.

“When this lockdown is over,” Zayne says, “you are volunteering at the hospital after school for three months.”

“Th-three months?”

“Do you want to make it four?”

“N-no, sir…”

“Good boy.”

Zayne hugs his son again, feeling the embrace returned much tighter.

Rafayel –

The ocean could be calm and playful, but within an instance, it could also do a switch, turning violent and unforgiving.

To the little nine-year-boy, that’s what he saw happened in his father. He is knelt on the shore, wet and cold and shivering as his father is yelling at him. His father is bleeding after sustaining a wanderer attack while protecting him, but it seems Rafayel isn’t even fazed by the injury.

His eyes are dark and stormy, bearing so much rage, the little boy actually feels fear.

“Even if there wasn’t a wanderer in the water, a storm was coming in!” Rafayel is yelling, his mind racing with all sorts of scenarios that could have happened, and none of them were good. “You could have been swept away by the waves and just—”

He pauses, seeing his son was trying to hold his tears back.

“Dad… your shoulder…”

Rafayel blinks, his rage momentarily forgotten. He glances at his shoulder. He’s still bleeding.

“We’ll talk at home—”

Rafayel gasps when his son stood up and ran to him, hugging him tightly. “Y-you…” He sighs helplessly and kneels down to his son’s height, returning the hug immediately. “My little fishie… are you hurt anywhere?”

The boy shook his head furiously, but he quickly points at Rafayel’s shoulder. “Dad…”

“Yeah, yeah, let’s head back,” he says, suddenly picking his son up, to the little boy’s surprise. “I’m sure your mother will have some words to say to you as well.”

Xavier –

Xavier doesn’t even raise his tone, but there is a clear edge in his voice that leaves the little eight-year-old girl trembling. She is his little princess, his whole universe, and while she has never been the exact definition of a daddy’s girl that Xavier hoped for, she is still his everything and up until now, she could do no wrong in his eyes.

This time it’s different. Even he couldn’t look past her recklessness.

In the midst of his reprimands, he stops suddenly when she hugs him, crying and apologizing profusely.

“I’m sorry, Daddy, I’m sorry, please don’t be mad, please, I’m sorry,” she’s crying nonstop, because she has never seen her father mad at her the way he is now. He’s not yelling, but the steadiness of his voice, the way his words come out so clipped and terse made her more scared than if he was screaming at her in anger.

Xavier sighs helplessly. He hugs her back and picks her up in his arms. “I know you’re sorry,” he says, “But… but we can’t let this go unnoticed… What if something had happened and I wasn’t there to protect you?”

The girl nods in agreement and buries her face in her father’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, princess, but… this time I am siding with your mother.”

She kisses his cheek.

“Nope,” he responds, “Kissing my cheek will not get you out of your mother’s punishments.”

She kisses his cheek again, in quick successions.

“It won’t do any good. If your mother finds out what you are doing, I’m sure she’s going to double your punishment.”

The girl sulks, her pout disappearing when her father kisses her cheek back.

“Let’s go home, princess.”

The girl smiles back when she sees a little bunny made of light sitting on her father’s shoulder next to her cheek. She hugs him back tighter, and Xavier sighs in relief.

Sylus –

She was confident she could take on any wanderer. Her father had been training her to box since she was three, began using a firearm at five, and with a mother who is a skilled hunter, it’s in her blood, right?

No. She’s only nine, and her first sighting of a wanderer has left her frozen in fear much like a deer caught in headlights. She shouldn’t have entered this no-hunt zone. It was a stupid dare from her classmates, saying they didn’t believe she knew how to fight. She’s just a spoiled little rich girl who was lying for attention.

Am not!

Then prove it. Film yourself taking down a wanderer. It can even be something stupid like Lemonette.

Except this isn’t Lemonette.

It was a swarm of six Elysian Lupulus, and they were in a frenzy.

One charges at her and she drops her phone, the device instantly crushed under a heavy paw. She’s shaking on the forest floor, all thoughts gone as she stares into soulless eyes, and when it lunges at her, she screams.

Nothing happened.

She opens her eyes, shocked to see…

“Mephie?”

The mechanical crow she has known all her life is shown to be more than just a long-suffering over-glorified babysitter. She watches in fascination as it takes down one of the wanderers. Suddenly, she hears a branch snap and realizes the other wanderers are closing in on her. She scrambles to her feet and as she runs in the opposite direction, she recognizes the approaching swirls of red and black mist rushing at her, gasping as it engulfs her and within seconds, she is safe in her father’s protective embrace. In just mere seconds, he has dissipated the remaining wanderers, and when she tentatively looks behind her, she only sees the remnants of red particles floating in the air before disappearing entirely.

She hears the sound of wings flapping, which is immediately followed by her father’s deep voice, “Well done, Mephisto.”

And then, his attention directs to her. That same voice now carries a different tone. Fury.

“What were you thinking? What would you have done if Mephisto wasn’t watching over you?”

She flinches. Sylus didn’t raise his voice, but he had never spoken to her like this before. There was this uneasy tranquil fury in his voice that didn’t sit well with her. She doesn't like it.

He is still berating her, the calmness slipping away the more he spoke, until he’s nearly shouting now, “Your mother and I were panicking looking for you! Do you know how many children your mother had witnessed killed by wanderers? If I had been just a few seconds lat—”

She starts crying and Sylus pauses, realizing he had lost control. He could see fear in his daughter’s eyes, something he’s not used to. She has never feared him.

He drops to his knees and just wraps his arms around her. “My little birdie, I didn’t mean to rais—”

She hugs him back tighter, surprising him, and she is just apologizing over and over again, completely word-vomiting about everything that had led to this moment. “I’m sorry, Daddy, I’m sorry, I won’t do this again, I won’t disobey you or Mommy. Daddy… I want to go home…”

He sighs and easily picks her up in his arms, just like when she was a toddler. He hugs her back and nods. “You’re safe now,” he whispers, kissing her temple, “We’ll discuss this later. Let’s get out of this place now.”

All actions have consequences, and for the darling of Onychinus, Sylus has decided to start off with her doing 50 laps around the bases’ gym. Every day, for three months straight.

Caleb –

For as long as Caleb could have remembered, his son has always had a restless, adventurous spirit, getting into many different reckless situations again and again, except this time, the eight-year-old boy had soared too close to the sun and it nearly costed him more than just a few broken bones.

“What am I going to do with you?” Caleb is shouting. “I’ve been too lenient with you, is that it? And now you think you could go wherever you want and do whatever you want?”

“Dad—” the boy’s voice is more feeble than normal. He had messed up big time. His father had never exploded at him the way he is now. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know there would be wanderers in that fores—”

“You weren’t even supposed to be in that forest!”

The boy flinches. “I… just wanted to be like you… Be strong like you… And… And…”

Caleb pauses, his anger disappearing suddenly. He looks at the little boy in front of him, seeing his head lowered in shame.

“C’mere,” Caleb says softly, keeping his temper under check this time. With one hand behind his son’s head, he gently pulls the boy to him, hugging him in comfort. “You’re already like me in so many ways—just ask your mother, it annoys her so much, you know—you don’t need to get into dangerous situations to prove anything.”

His son relaxes.

And then he freezes again at his father’s next comment.

“Since my little co-pilot wants to be like his good ol’ dad so much, then starting tomorrow, you are waking up at 4 AM and running 5 miles with me.”

“F-four AM?! F-five miles?”

Caleb nodded, grinning. “For six months straight.”

“D-Dad!”

“Let’s go, you little rascal, your mother will have her own punishment for you.”

“…Crap…”

“What was that?”

“N-nothing, sir!”

[michirusagi]

blues in the night.

there ain't a doubt about it now, the rain's a-fallin'.

Kn8 + heartbreak. Based on a song we sing sometimes in the choir I'm in lol

Kafka Hibino is used to heartbreak. So when you break up with him, he's not very reactive. He's like "oh :( haha...ok. I get it." Even as you explain that you just can't be with him if he's going to play it as risky as he usually does, your heart just can't take it, he probably just shuts down. Wouldn't try to convince you to stay, even though he'd think "i could play it a little safer for you."

Mina Ashiro doesn't know how to deal with your sudden stonewalling her. You have this dead look in your eyes when you dump her after months of one word responses and hardly seeing each other. She knows you're depressed, and asks how she can help. Your response is "leave me alone, find someone better." She'd push a little, but gives in after you yell at her to leave. Cries herself to sleep that night. Doesn't delete your number for weeks because she's still hoping you'll text eventually. You never do.

Reno Ichikawa is a mess when you dump him. Speed runs the five stages of grief. You tell him "I'm just not in love with you anymore." He wants to scream. What the fuck, since when? Argues and argues with you, won't let it go until you block him on everything. He really thought he could fix it. Most likely to try getting drunk to make it feel less terrible. Might never love again. Who knows.

Soshiro Hoshina fights with you when you tell him you're fed up with his loyalty to Captain Ashiro over you. He thinks you're being ridiculous and childish and just jealous which makes you want to rip him to shreds. He doesn't get it. Why would you see Mina as a threat? Mina. Not Captain Ashiro. That's the last straw. You end it and stomp out before he can protest. He thinks you'll come back but you never do. He's probably angry. You do not end on good terms.

Iharu Furuhashi cries when you break up with him. You give the whole "it's not you, it's me" schpiel but he doesn't buy it, why should he? You've been dating a month, he knows you met someone else. He's right. That's what he gets for moving so fast, he thinks. He always gets ahead of himself.

Gen Narumi screams at you when you tell him you're in love with someone else. He's hurt, he's pissed, he feels betrayed as hell. Not that he can blame you for falling in love with Kafka over him. He knew it, but hoped he was wrong. He covers this up by yelling about how Kafka is weak and not as cool as him, and you scream at him even louder to defend the guy. It sets him off. "So that's it then, you're done? We're done?" He sounds like a broken little kid when he says it. You apologize, teary eyed, but have to leave. It wouldn't be fair for you to keep lying to him. He isolates himself for days afterwards and plays a ton of shooting games. Only comes out for work and is more violent then. Don't cross him during this time.

Rin Shinonome breaks up with you easily, without breaking a sweat. It's practiced, wooden, boring even. You accept it too easily for her taste, and she knows it's because she's second to Captain Narumi. Whatever. At least she dumped you first, right?

[loveafterdeath-if]

Hey Echo i hope you are well! 💜

I laughed at how stupid my brain is and maybe abit dark. Lmao so you don't even have to post this but I've been replaying the game and reading the asks and a single thought occured to me.

You've managed to curate such a impressive level of simpship (let's pretend this is a word ok) for El and obviously the feeling of grief especially when it comes to Athiel and pursuing them feels so real and complicated that it's a surefire testament to how well you write emotions and convey feelings and characters.

Now because of that and the fact we all adore El i got a very random thought that is probably not even a scenario in this game at all but with El's pov being the last to release. I was like how fucked up would it be if after all of this.

The grieving, the way everyone has El on such a pedestal as the great love of MCs life and someone to constantly compare to the other ROs... what if the reason they got into a accident the whole reason they left the house was to meet up with someone they were having an affair with.

Because none of us would've ever even considered tht shit. It seems so out of character for the character you portrayed that everyone would be like what the fuck?! 😭 pushing ROs away because what if they just do the same shit and are also just lying. Grieving now for the real person and not this perfect person we admired.

Lol my brains weird. Anyway like i said it's probably not even likely but having their last moments be filled with guilt oh god. I'd die.

These are just the ramblings of someone tht has too many friends in the IF space who dump their ideas on me lmao so you don't hve to post this i just loved the craziness of how distrustful my brain is.

Hahahaha that would be wild, but not entirely impossible. Just dropping this here, do what you will with this information, but El did cheat in the past—just not on MC, obviously.

[urautismdiagnosis-wistie]

what do you think the Octonauts like to do in their spare time?

thanks for the ask!

Sorry this took forever to answer i haven't been well recently but I'm doing better

I've talked about this on some different octonauts octo headcanons posts but ill make a nice neat list! These are a mix of Canon and headcanon <3

Barnacles:

he enjoys attempting to play the accordian, traditional inuit soap stone carving (not something he does often, most of his room carvings are from his childhood), using charcoal and oil pastels to paint scenery as a way to wind himself down(sometimes he'll do people but they don't look very good), sport competitions and exercising, and writing small short screenplays about the characters hes made for his carvings <3 the screenplays are usually very soft and light hearted or deeply sad.

Kwazii:

ok our undiagnosed adhd boy let's go: anything competitive or exciting! I'm talking chess (with inkling), ping pong, any type of sports competition, board games, card games-

He also has a hyperfixation on historic miniature model ships- and some modern too. Bro also LOVES to cook with the vegimals! (Even if his cooking skills are... debatable) hell often teach them (the kid friendly) version of the shanties he grew up with. Funnily enough he doesn't really share his shanties with the rest of the crew,not really...

He does enjoy girls night, esp with jewelry and claw care 💕 dashis been showing him movies and teaching him stuff about pop culture and land culture in general

Also he loves comics <3 and book kwazii enjoys long baths so I gave him a whole long self care routine.

Peso:

making stickers 🥰 playing his xylophone <3 reading all the gossip in his family group chat and trading it with dashi <3 watching inaccurate medical drama shows and making fun of them with dashi <3 knitting !!!💕 he likes to make little stuffed animals and scarves <3 also hats sometimes

He likes reading chiikawa (kwazii recommended the comic to him) and talking to his mom about their favorite romance dramas together

This last one isn't really a hobby but he does enjoy listening to pinto yap about whatever video game he's hyperfixated on lol

Dashi:

Ok speed run, yoga, photography, making tiny dumb video games with tweak (they once made one where its just the gup b and it was basically like flappy bird lol), ROOM DECOR AND PINTEREST BOARDS OH MY GOODNESS (my friend is like that lol I love it when she sends me her stuff), SURFING, BASKETBALL SHES SO COMPETITIVE IN EVERY SPORT, listening to horror podcasts and cursed pov asmr at night <3, talking with shellington about tiny random creature species!!! Also stimming <3

Tweak

: LEGOS(miniatures of the gups) 🗣 CLASSIC VIDEO GAMES( stuff like the og metroid and space invaders) 🗣 NOT SLEEPING (gurl ur room is a depression cave PLEASE get a bed frame PLEASE (dashi probably)) 🗣 GUPS GUPS GUPS she lives and breathes em baby if she's not working on a gup she's developing an idea- 🗣 she really likes cute baby animal videos 🗣 reading alternative fashion magazines 🗣 MONSTER TRUCK LEGO 🗣 dying hair with dashi occasionally (this entire post is so dashi filled loll) 🗣 LISTENING TO MUSIC 🗣🗣🗣

Shellington:

He breathes his hyperfixation about creature species. He and tweak and literally EVERYONE is SO autistic and/or nuerodivergent in some way. Anyways so I'm talking drawing sea creatures (hes a pretty good artist ngl, barnacles could take notes), researching them, comparing them, studying their biological abilities and the chemical components and possibilities of it- literally his entire job is just him having an autistic blast like good for him

But most of his free time is very much spent with the vegimals XD whether its playing with them, trying to teach them things, or just talking with them.

He also loves drawing hyper realistic animal drawings saying very very stupid silly puns. The vegimals internally react to them like dad jokes but they pretend they're very funny cuz hes SO. PROUD.

Inkling:

He enjoys doing very deep dives into topics, deep cleaning, chatting with min on video call, conducting psychological social and behavioral experiments on the octonauts, competing with kwazii and the other octonauts to challenge them (he slays),

Journaling, and even his actual job of organizing their discoveries and getting them ready for scientific peer review as well as handling all paper work sides of thibgs

He really enjoys spending time with thr other octonauts, they are ALL his children(in a "my fascinating lil creatures!! I must teach them and challenge them so that they can grow!) to him and he adores them all immensely. He likes to make photo albums with dashi.

He also enjoys not having bones because apparently when mammals and avians get old their bones hurt all the time??? So he's pretty happy about that ngl

the vegimals all have different interests: whether its having certain genres of media they gravitate too, different aspects of gardening they enjoy,or joining different octonauts in their own tasks! But they'll always love making their own songs and working together <3 also experimenting in recipes lol. A few will often join the other octonauts doing their own hobbies or try to do the hobbies they see the others doing. They are kids after all lol

This could mean tominnow joining peso and dashi while they watch their dramas, barrot being very excitable while playing video games with tweak, tunip learning how to play chess with the professor, grouber being a little princess and enjoying self care, coddish trying to learn how to sword fight with kwazii pretending to be a silly monster, or halibeet curled sleepilu next to inkling as he reads and explains what he's learning- and so on and on and on.

:3

[a-twistedheartslonging]

About your non human au

Got a bit of a ramble plus a question but it's a bit long

How open to cuddling are the Nrc folks? Or more like, how willing and upfront/obvious about wanting scritches and pets is everyone in Nonhuman au. I was wondering where on the sliding scale of "unabashedly unashamedly asking for cuddles" vs "i totally do not want cuddles but if you don't give attention to me i will be upset for completely unrelated reasons that have nothing to do with not being petted and cuddled"

(also due to my garbo memory, i can't remember if basically the majority of all of NRC is now nonhuman in this au but i do recall that humans are rare so I'm gonna put in the other NRC folks too in case also cause it's fun)

I feel like the most upfront and unabashed about demanding or asking for scritches would be Lilia of course. Followed by Ace (i feel like he's desperately trying to act smug and jokey about it but he will be genuinely upset if you turn him down or worse get annoyed and actually go to someone else). Deuce i feel like wouldn't necessarily be super upfront (he's uber embarrassed and doesn't know how to go about communicating that) but he will do what he thinks will get what he wants without being too pushy. Lots of Deuce being fairly clingy and lots of casual leaning on reader/yuu but Deuce would get flustered easily i believe and he doesn't have the word weaving skills like Ace to try to bluff his way out. Also Floyd will give Lilia a run for his money with how vocal and willing to go get his damn cuddles. Kalim as well but he's not as likely to gun for Reader/Yuu like Lilia or Floyd. More of an impromptu decision based on encounters.

Cater, Trey, Jack, maybe even Ruggie and Jade are less openly vocal and pushy about their scritches and cuddles. They are more likely to be casual i believe and also try to sneak in their wants. However they probably won't deny nor completely avoid the want for pets or grooming. Rook can technically be placed here too cause i feel like he wants to have attention on him but also he wants his little mischievous chase games in the mix (he's being chased and the reward is pets) but he doesn't want to miss out on that relaxation time just in case the lil human can't keep up. Some good old Rook complexity in there involving wanting to be accepted to be seen and to see beauty but also an odd sense of trepidation and almost shyness, he might even half joke about how you're trying to tame him and that you should be responsible for those you tame

The last group definitely feels like the type to never outright demand or ask for cuddles scritches or pets but they will be soo petty and irritated if they think they're not getting their due attention. Jealous tsunderes to me lol. Leona, Vil, Riddle, Idia and Malleus go in this category but for different reasons. Leona and Vil just have a lot of pride and an image they're trying to uphold. Riddle and Idia are soo touch starved and socially awkward that they both don't know how to go about communicating what they want but also they don't know how to handle it when they're actually interacting. (riddle is so socially awkward but he at least has a plethora of rules to work off of unlike idia). Malleus is awkward and out of his depth so i think he just wouldn't know how to express what he wants but he's very jealous of the others for getting their own cuddles so easily in comparison

Loving the ideas you got!

I do love a good ramble.

Ok, so

“How open to cuddling are the Nrc folks?” 

With the guys at that school in general It's sort of a case-by-case type thing and depends on the person in particular. Kind of like how some people are cool with physical affection or hugs but some aren't, and with others, you gotta build up a bond for them to be cool with it. Some of the beasties aren't gonna want some random person touching them, just like a regular person wouldn't be cool with it.

A thing to remember though that changes the circumstance is, that this is a school full of a bunch of hormonal dudes and you happen to be a cute exotic little thing. So some are gonna be cooler with that curious touching just for that…though you should be wary of their intentions.

But that’s just an in general thing for the students, it's gonna be dif with the main guys since they know you and you went through all that stuff with them. You guys are homies.

Looking at what you wrote I say you're pretty spot on with how open those certain main guys would be to it. Adding on to the Lilia bit, not only in his regular form is he perfect for petting but in this au, he has two other forms he can switch into: A big scary sexy bat monster and…adorable little actual bat that you can keep in your pocket. Being in the latter form lets him conserve energy and magic so he likes to chill in it, another benefit is how freaking ADORABLE he is in it, and he uses it to his advantage with no shame.

Pet him, brush him, tell him how cute he is, and kiss his little face. The funest thing to do is feed him little cherry tomatoes and watch him go ham on them. Have you seen those cute vids of fruit bats eating stuff? Well, you should.

Ace and Deuce are clingy little things but in different ways. Deuce wants you to touch him so badly but he’s anxious about making you uncomfortable or you thinking he’s weird. Being a girl would add more to that. Also you call him a good boy while showing him affection he will die. P.S. When he goes home for the break and his mom smells you on him she is going to ask him so many questions and tease him. Please help him.

Ace is…regardless of what creature he is in the au he has asshole cat energy. Like, he's clingy and demands attention at the worst time but when you're in the mood he's like “Meh” but then gets pissy when you go to or smell like someone else. Passive aggressively scents all your stuff.

Floyd and Kalim have no shame in asking. Though with Kalim it's asking and although he’ll get sad when you're busy or not in the mood for it he’ll respect it. Floyd does not. He is like one of those big ass dogs that will straight up lay on you and won't move. Kalim keeps offering to hire you as his personal cuddle giver/groomer and his parents encourage it since having a human serve under you shows status, not that he cares about that.

My god, Cater would use you for so many videos.

So true for the “won't be vocal about it” thing. Cater is gonna “Haha…unless?” about it. Trey, Ruggie, and Jade would definitely manipulate situations so that you WILL pet them. Ruggie is gonna act like he's doing you a favor so you end up cuddling AND feeding him. Jack is still very much a tsundere about it, will probably take a while to get him to let you and he wants to do it in private.

Rook…another with no shame in accepting it. He’s so used to being the one doing the chasing. It's nice having someone so interested in him and giving him praise. He’s still gotta keep some of his mystery so he won't tell you things but he's gonna ask you all kinds of questions and want to take…terns with touching. He’s as interested in your unique body as you are with his. Take that however you want. 

Leona will straight up tell Ruggie to go get you and bring you to his room for Touching Time. With certain affection, he doesn't want others to see but with other kinds, he wants to show off. Especially if your mates.

Vil is pretty particular about what he allows you to do and how you touch him. Do not mess up his hair or feathers. 

Riddle and Idia. Even if he likes you it will take time for him to be cool it. Both want the affection given to be privet. Riddle actually puts together a Snuggle Scedual and gets pretty pissed if someone or someone interrupts or makes it run late. God forbid it gets canceled. Tbh for both of them it's kind of…cuddle therapy? For Riddle it helps with his anger and feelings of loneliness and the lack of affection he's had to deal with since…well forever.

For Idia…tbh I can't help but picture him as one of those anxiety-riddled dogs that's always shaking. You kind of end up his Emotional Support Human and if he absolutely has to leave his room he's keeping you close and hiding behind you, even if you're smol.

Is Mal awkward? Heck yes, but he is also touch-starved and greedy. You'll be lucky if his dragon instincts don't kick in have him keep you in his nest forever. Once he figures out “Oh…these touches are pretty nice.” He won't be shy about physical affection, even with the others around. Might get territorial and you should prob talk to him about it, so he doesn’t end up…going all dragon about it.

[thathomestar]

My four main issues with the Marathon reboot:

It doesn't look like classic Marathon

It doesn't play like classic Marathon

References to the original games seem superficial at best

PvP in Destiny 2 wasn't exactly a big draw to the game

Overall I'm more confused than upset. Why call it Marathon if you're gonna change it so much?

I'm not gonna argue whether or not the artstyle of the reboot is good or bad or whatever. However you feel about it is subjective. That's not the point I'm trying to make. My point is that it doesn't look like what the original games look like. The human stuff in the classic trilogy has a pretty distinct look and feel, so it's bewildering to see Tau Ceti get retconned into looking like it's some kinda neo-Y2K music video with solid color plastic aesthetics. One could argue that the 300 year gap between the creation of the UESC Marathon and the establishment of Tau Ceti brought a change in cultural aesthetics but I don't buy it. Plus we've seen what a human from Tau Ceti looks like in Marathon 2:

The main thing that burns my ass is the change in genres. After we've seen big budget reboots of other classic FPS games from Doom to Wolfenstein to Shadow Warrior, it would have been really interesting to see a modern take on something as story-focused and methodical as Marathon. From where I sit it seems like an easy W. The pivot to a PvP extraction shooter is a huge gamble that I don't think will pay off.

Maybe they were afraid of trying to add to or retell a story that's already been told? Which I mean fair, but then why choose a story-heavy IP from the 90s as your setting for a PvP-focused game instead of coming up with something entirely new? Besides the obvious of course (brand recognition!! (even though no one knows or cares about Marathon outside of classic FPS players and insane Macintosh heads)).

So ok, they're setting this PvP game in a legacy series with a story people lavish with praise any chance they get. What exactly are we getting out of it? So far all we've got is "it's on Tau Ceti" and "the UESC is there" and "there will probably be a S'pht compiler at some point". It feels so surface-level. This might be harsh, but you know that tweet where someone asked Elon Musk if he'd seen Evangelion and replied "NERV"? This feels like that, in a sense. Using one of Durandal's best lines from the first game as a marketing tagline rubs me the wrong way too. Like they're looking at you and winking, in case you didn't understand that this is Marathon. It's Marathon guys! We know what Marathon is!

My last point needs some explaining. I've played Destiny on and off, since the first game released up through The Final Shape last year. During the majority of that time I've never once thought to myself "I can't wait to jump in the Crucible and play some PvP!". That's not to say I've never enjoyed playing some Crucible matches from time to time, far from it. It can even be quite satisfying, since there's honestly no other game with PvP like it. It's just never been much of a compelling draw, you know? A side activity to the main portion of the game.

I don't doubt that the moment-to-moment gunplay won't be good. Destiny is a hell of a lot of fun to shoot guns and use abilities in. Bungie devs know how to make the gun shoot good, even now. I just question how long they can keep people invested in this. On the flip side, it will be refreshing to see a major studio with real talent actually take a proper stab at a PvP extraction FPS, because the only one on the market right now is Tarkov and that game from what I've seen is jank as fuck and rampant with cheaters. Though Destiny's had its fair share of cheaters too over the years... EDIT: i forgot about hunt showdown but you probably did too lol

This was a lot of words just to reiterate what I said at the top. Why did this have to be Marathon? It would have made a splash either way, it being a new game from Bungie and all, especially in a genre untested by AAA. I know why they did it but I'm still confused as to why they did it. I'm just left here scratching my head.