#otp: it's yours (my heart and my judgment) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

haechanhues · 2 years ago

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chapter sixteen : he’s right there

*written*

word count : 2.1k

As soon as Jisung greeted you with the rest of the group in tow, you wrapped both arms around him, finding the warmth of his body a safe haven from the wind zipping throughout your hair and your clothes.

‘I chose the wrong thing,’ You muttered, casting a quick glance at the shorts you were wearing.

‘It’ll warm up soon,’ Jisung promised, he shook his jacket off before giving it to you to use. You smiled at him with a slight nudge at his stomach before seeking warmth in his pockets.

‘Ooooh,’ You heard teasing as Seungmin draped both his arms around you both, ‘my OTP!’’

You look judgmentally at your best friend, not liking the way his voice was laced with provocation.

‘You know Seungmin, I distinctly remember that you’d cut off your left nut if we were dating,’ You purse your lips together and raise an eyebrow.

Jisung’s lips curled at the new information, ‘Oh really,’ he mused before turning towards Seungmin expectantly, ‘let’s see it then.’

Seungmin paled, ‘What?’

‘Drop em’ Jisung challenged. Your smile reaches a new width with how drunk on provocation you both were. Only for it to dwindle when Minho wraps a supportive arm around Seungmin and pushes Jisung slightly away.

‘Cool it, you cretins,’ Minho glances at the two boys who playfully glare at each other before making eye contact with you. The boys that helped make the atmosphere so warm despite the morning cold had fled, opting to find better company in chasing each other throughout the theme park. Yet you didn’t feel a dwindle of warmth. You shyly lick your lips and look down, bashful that you could hear your heart racing. You feel a curious stare at the both of you and you turn to make eye contact with Sieun.

Your smile drops slightly before you force it back onto your face and you wave. To which she waves in response. She’s rosy cheeked, no doubt from the cold, but she’s got a warm jumper on that makes you feel better about the warmth you’ve hogged. Minho sighs, quiet but so sure of the suffering he’s about to be tortured through.

‘Y/N, come collect your boyfriend!’ Seungmin yells. You turn back to the two boys, seeing Jisung has Seungmin cornered against the wall.

You look back at Minho pointedly before turning around to stop Jisung from murdering your best friend. Minho’s bottom lips loll into his mouth heavily, watching as you freely wrap your arms around Jisung’s waist, pulling him like you would a carrot in a farm. A sneer overtakes his face.

‘Minho.’

Ah. That’s right.

He looks back at Sieun and casts her a smile to the best of his ability and he’s sure she can see the way his expression is dull in comparison. But she doesn’t say a word. Instead she bounces towards Minho with the same hopeful expression that sets Minho into a state of absolute despair and annoyance.

Minho makes eye contact with Hyunjin, surprised to find the other already watching him curiously. The sneer on Minho’s face turns pointed as it digs into Hyunjin’s subconscious. A pout forms on Hyunjin’s face and a gentle smile returning to the older boy’s own face.

Though it never stopped feeling strange to be on a group date with your date being someone that wasn’t your boyfriend, it didn’t make it any less fun.

‘You know, you’re the only thing familiar in this place,’ Jisung admits whilst the ferris wheel takes its time to press the cart forward.

You and Jisung were close in high school and only through time did the distance prove too big for the two of you. That and other things life related. Your high school group don’t hang out with each other anymore - much too busy to spend time together. Despite it, you have fond memories of all of them.

‘For one, the people are different,’ You list, your right index finger curling around the other.

‘Right? These boys mean the world to me. They do. But you’re the only one that’ll get the time Sunwoo stuck some shit up his nose and how hilarious it was,’ Jisung giggles. You smiled wide at the memory, eyes brightening as a mosaic of different memories appeared in your thoughts.

‘I still laugh about that sometimes. OH! Also the time when we were coming down from that hill and that poor boy fell,’ You mused, chuckling to yourself. Jisung’s shoulders moved as he pitched in with his own laugh.

‘And, you had a crush on Jihoon but you thought the boys wouldn’t pick up on it because we were stupid’’ Jisung was smug as he looked at his fingers.

‘You’re still stupid,’ You scoffed, ‘I did not have a crush on Jihoon.’

‘Junkyu then? Jongho? Wait no- Eric. No no….not Sunwoo!’

‘Take a breather, I’m still mentally at Jongho,’ You waved him off, ‘But no it wasn’t any of them…’

Jisung nodded his head in acceptance, ‘So.. who was it?’

‘Meh, doesn’t matter anymore,’ You waved Jisung off, ‘I’ve got my boyfriend now…’

Jisung cocked his head to the side in thought, opening his mouth, only to be interrupted by a very loud voice.

‘HANNIE!’ There, down below, waiting impatiently for the two of you, was your whole group. Changbin had a wide smile and was waving his arms about chaotically. Hyunjin and Seungmin were busy taking selfies. Sieun waved along with Changbin, but sweetly.

Your eyes found their target and immediately a smile took over your face. His own face mirrored yours. Soft and serene as he looked back at you with boba eyes. You waved down below at your boyfriend to which the rest understood as a group greeting. All except your target who knew exactly who that wave was for, a smirk that promised hours of oxytocin and endorphins to be released overtaking his face.

‘He’s so embarrassing,’ Jisung comments, taking a look at Changbin as he weaves through throngs of people whilst yelling Jisung’s name, ‘This ride only took about ten minutes…’

‘He misses you,’ You coo, giving Jisung’s arm a squeeze.

‘Shut up,’ Jisung curses at you, as the man reaches a hand for you, helping you out of the cart, ‘Thank you.’

Han almost topples over in surprise as all of Changbin’s weight is thrown onto him with a squeal. With a smile, you reach behind Jisung to hold him upright as Changbin rants to your fake boyfriend, ‘You’re the only one that’ll go with me to the rollercoasters.’

‘You promised you’d take photos first!’ Hyunjin reminds Changbin, who pouts in regret.

‘We can go on the rollercoasters after we take his photos,' Jisung promised his hyung. Changbin frowns cutely before he’s persuaded by Jisung’s easygoing smile and little sway.

You lean into whisper between the two lovebirds, your face stretching into a teasing grin, ‘Why fake date me when you could fake date Changbin?’

‘He’s too ugly for me,’ Jisung jokes. Changbin throws his friend a middle finger, pushing him away from his body.

You raise an eyebrow, ‘Changbin’s really hot though?’

Minho catches wind of your conversation and raises an eyebrow with pursed lips. He’s not sure whether or not he should be jealous or amused. So he settles for both. Changbin huh?

Hyunjin chuckles at his friends. Chan has been smitten with the girl on his arm and has no time for others. Hyunjin knows that this girl will warrant another five songs to go on Chan’s soundcloud which means payday comes earlier. Which means benefits.

Changbin’s date had ditched along with Hyunjin’s date - finding better company in each other than a whole group. Though neither Changbin nor Hyunjin were completely bothered by it. Sieun has been trying to converse with an unwilling and grumpy Minho all day. Though you and Jisung have been in your own world, going back and forth on different rides and different conversations that nobody except the two of you can talk about.

He takes his camera out, lining up each subject in his lens. Sieun is the only one that smiles prettily.

‘Why are you guys ruining my candid pictures?’ Hyunjin whines at his friends, ‘Not you, Sieun. I’m glad somebody is sweet enough to help me.’

He doesn’t mean to, but his voice takes on a flirtatious tilt and Sieun looks at Minho to judge his expression, only to find him stone faced. Unbothered.

Hyunjin is the first to notice that the pretty lights are on the Merry-Go-Round, extenuating the romantic edge that the festival has in the evening. Sieun is the second. She wants Minho to hold her hand and she waits. Waiting for something that will never ever happen.

It’s what leads you here, you and Jisung facing each other, holding each other’s hands in a grip that is supposed to be romantic but is quite frankly awkward and strange. You want to laugh at Jisung’s face and how uncomfortable he is to be so close to you.

‘Are you sure you’re dating?’ Sieun giggles, ‘Get closer.’

It’s amazing that with just two words, she moves up Minho’s hit list and secures herself as someone that Minho absolutely wants to get rid of. Changbin, however, must agree with her somewhat because he laughs maniacally, getting in between the two of you to push your heads together.

You freeze as you feel Jisung’s lips against your own. They’re warm and only slightly chapped. But you refuse to feel anything else. You look at Changbin in surprise. Jisung’s eyes are as wide as saucers and are rooted in place.

‘Oh don’t look at me like that,’ Changbin chuckles, ‘We know you’re into each other.’

But you’re not.

You’re not into Han.

You’re into your boyfriend. In fact, you’re crazy about him. Your boyfriend who feeds you. Who listens to you ramble. Who you changed. Your boyfriend who had just watched his best friend and his girlfriend kiss.

Minho flinches away from the two of you and trudges to the bathroom, pretending he needs to empty out his bowels when in reality, he needs to empty out any memory of the two of you locked together in a kiss.

He wants to vomit.

He feels a tug on his shirt, and he goes to pull on it. He’s not in the best headspace right now and he does not want to pretend that there’s nothing wrong with him when there is. He’s frustrated. He knows it’s not your fault. He knows. He just can’t help the frustration that pulls the stitches he’s sure he has on his heart.

‘Minho,’ Your voice is soft and sad. He flinches away from your voice, before stilling, seemingly catching his breath before he chooses to face you.

You’re apologetic. He sees it in your face - you’re distraught. You feel your heart sinking. Yours. If yours was sinking, you thought self-loathingly, what about his?

‘Not right now-’

‘Minho’

‘Y/N.’ His voice is dangerous and it resembles the tone he has when he rejects the confessions that come his way, ‘Give me a minute.’

‘No- it wasn’t my fault, Minho.’

‘Can’t I just have a minute, Y/N? ’ Minho lashes out, ‘You and my best friend just fucking kissed in front of me so I think it’s a deserved minute.’

You take a sharp intake of breath, one that has Minho only feeling worse but he’s sure that nothing will ever pacify him right now. Nothing. You turn away, making up a pathetic story to your friends about how Minho would prefer quiet time and they accept it without so much as a blink. For some reason, that hurts even more.

You glance back at your boyfriend who now has his head in his hands before your lip is pulled into your mouth. Hyunjin, bless him, whines for cotton candy and takes you by the arm pulling the whole group to the food carts along the stretch.

Jisung wants to give you comfort at your stuttering mess of a person, but feels that his way of showing comfort will have the opposite effect, so he stands there. Uncomfortable and wallowing in guilt. He may not have met your boyfriend but he knows of him. He knows of your arguments. Of your little dates. Your private love account. He’s even jokingly flirted with the guy through you. And now..

Jisung’s fingers drag along the tingles your mouth had left on his, flabbergasted.

Did kissing you always feel like this?

Minho’s face drops as he takes a look at the starry gaze on his friend’s face.

Unwarranted violence ran freely within Minho’s head like it owned the place. And, once upon a time - it had. Distance was not the thing that made the heart grow fonder. In Minho’s case, it had been the kiss in front of the ferris wheel between his girlfriend and best friend.

J U S T S A Y I T

you have two boyfriends. one’s fake and the other a secret. one is avoiding love whilst the other is slowly opening himself to it. a story in which one’s cowardice, another’s insecurities and your own volition leads you here, overwhelmed and exhausted, in the middle of two best friends.

chapter sixteen : he’s right there

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taglist : @soobin-chois @penny-quinn @brit97 @bestleeknowstan @icedcoffeejpeg @hhjkji @skzgallll @aspenwritesstuff @kflixnet

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lys-9-10 · 2 years ago

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Tanaka gripes about being the only Karasuno player without an OTP

aka #3 of 5 times Tsukki reluctantly gives relationship advice + 1 time somebody returns the favour

“It isn’t faaaaiir,” Tanaka griped, hauling his shoe bag out of his locker and slamming the door shut. “Kageyama and Hinata. Asahi and Noya. Suga and Daichi. You two.” He jerked his head between Tadashi and Tsukki, who had the misfortune of being the only ones left in the locker room to hear Tanaka’s poor-little-old-me rant. “Even Kiyoko and Yachi. Literally everybody is part of an OTP except me!”

Tsukki frowned and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “You realize the only pairing you mentioned there that’s actually a thing is Kageyama and Hinata.”

“Yah but that’s not the point! The point is, if you imagined the Karasuno team as the main characters in an anime or a manga or a YA novel or something – those would all be the OTPs everybody shipped. They’re just the iconic duos you know? But I don’t have an iconic duo! I’d be the only one doomed to die alone in the manga alternative universe! Hooooowwww did this happen to me??” Tsukki shook his head and swung his bag over his shoulder – his third attempt at exiting this conversation. “I think you need a healthy dose of separation from your sister.”

Saeko, though you’d never guess it from her brazen tough girl demeanour, apparently had a hidden nerd side. She was really into “fandoms” (Tsukki had been educated on the definition of that word, and many others, in the duration of Tanaka’s locker room melt-down).

Tsukki was a nerd in his own way, of course, so he’d like to say good for her, to each their own, let her have her fandoms and he’d have his dinosaur collection... But the thing was, while Tsukki’s dinosaur collection harmed no one, clearly Saeko’s fanishness was absolutely destructive for her little brother’s mental health.

“You spend more time with Noya than Asahi does,” Tadashi said helpfully. “Why wouldn’t you two be the OTP?”

Tanaka heaved an enormous sigh. “That’s what I said to my sister. But she said Noya and I have too much of a chill, bro dynamic and not enough profundity or tender moments. And she said–” he wrinkled his nose. “That I ‘present as too straight’. Apparently that’s a disadvantage in the fandom world.” Tsukki and Tadashi exchanged perplexed glances.

“So according to Saeko,” Tanaka continued, “The best that I can hope for is that Noya and I would be the bro- tp.”

“Oh good grief.” Tsukki was very done here. He headed to the door.

To his surprise, Tadashi didn’t follow immediately.

“What about that girl we bumped into at Nationals last year?” Tadashi tried again.

Tsukki paused and looked back at Tanaka. The latter’s cheeks had pinkened slightly. He’d immediately sobered, dropping the drama.

“Do you mean Kanoka?” Tanaka asked, evidently trying to sound casual.

“Yeah,” Tadashi said. “The tall, cute one with black hair. She liked you. Whatever happened to her?”

Truth be told, Tsukki had been wondering the same thing. Not wondering like he cared, of course… It just occurred to him once in a while.

Kanoka’s evident crush on Tanaka had been the prime team gossip for a few weeks at least. But then nothing ever happened, and so eventually the gossip died out.

Tanaka scratched the back of his head. “Well... I kinda flubbed that one. I freaked out and said my heart was set on another girl and then I thought her cousin was her boyfriend and freaked out even more and booked it without any explanation and... long story short, we never really got a chance to clear things up.”

Tsukki, still standing at the door, was now frowning deeply. “You told her your heart was set on another girl?” He didn’t bother to hide the judgment in his tone.

Tanaka flushed. “Yeah. I know it was kind of a jerk move but –”

“Are you talking about Kiyoko?”

Tanaka looked perplexed. “Obviously. Who else?”

Tsukki groaned. Without realizing what he was doing, he set down his bag. “That’s pathetic, Tanaka. You don’t have your heart set on Kiyoko – you have your dick set on her.”

Tadashi looked mildly impressed. Tanaka looked mildly affronted.

“What do you like about Kiyoko aside from the fact that she’s hot?” Tsukki challenged. “Have you ever even had a proper conversation with her? And no, harassing her while she stonewalls you doesn’t count as a conversation.”

“Hey!” Tanaka blustered. “She’s said twenty-three words to me!”

Tsukki arched a supercilious eyebrow. “In total, ever? You’ve been counting?” Tanaka opened his mouth, but Tsukki cut him off. “Nevermind. I don’t want to know. Look, all I’m saying is, Kanoka likes you and you obviously care about her.” Tsukki recalled the way Tanaka’s eyes had lit up upon spotting Kanoka – even before they fell to her chest. He recalled, too, the touching speech Kanoka had delivered about how Tanaka had helped her find confidence in herself, by chasing away her bullies and encouraging her to stand tall. (Touching in an objective way, that is. Tsukki himself had been unaffected while overhearing it.) “That’s more than can be said for you and Kiyoko. So if I were you...” Tsukki shrugged and picked up his bag again, throwing it over his shoulder. “I would reconsider your path forward.”

He turned once again towards the door, this time glancing at Tadashi and giving a “let’s go” jerk of his head. Tadashi hurried to join up with him – but before they exited, Tsukki felt Tanaka’s hand grip his elbow. Irritated, he attempted to shake it off, but Tanaka held on fast. “What do I do, Tsukishima?” the wing-spiker entreated, his eyes wide and pleading. “Like I said, I screwed up with Kanoka... How do I get another chance?” It was strange to see Tanaka relinquish his usual macho affectation and actually humble himself to beg Tsukki for advice... Tsukki took a moment to decide whether to be smug about it, or just annoyed. He went with the latter. “Don’t ask me,” he said peevishly. “Gather up the little bits of brain in your head and figure it out.” He forcibly removed Tanaka’s hand from his elbow and took hold of the doorknob. But as he turned it and pushed the door open, he found himself muttering, “Just ask her to go for coffee. It isn’t rocket science.”

#haikyuu!!#haikyuu fanfic #tsukishima kei #tanaka ryuunosuke #yamaguchi tadashi #tanaka x kanoka #tanakano #underrated ship #imo #haikyuu fandom #tsukki #5 + 1 fic #5 + 1 things

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nowis-scales · 2 years ago

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002 for your favorite character from Engage, for the ask game!

This ask is in relation to this post.

Apologies for taking eons to answer this ask! In a hilarious turn of events from my previous FOMO, I am pathetically behind on playing Engage right now (to make a long story short, I stopped playing for a bit as I got Celica way sooner than I expected to, and then had to get a friend of a friend to confirm that Celica wouldn’t spoil her own story for me), so if you don't mind... I'd love to do Alear! They're shaping up to be a neat protagonist so far, and they're the one I know the most about, so I feel like it makes the most sense rn! :)

(Although otherwise, if you’re curious, I would say that I like Timerra and Yunaka!)

How I Feel About this Character:

I guess the best way I can describe the way I feel about Alear is that they’re very refreshing. They are in some way supposed to be a self-insert, but they don't quite have the same problem that Byleth had where the personality was there some moments and had to be pushed out the next. As a result, this allows the audience a much clearer picture of Alear, and in a way, I would say that one of the reasons I like them is that they're almost... Corrin-like?

Alear definitely seems to so far be someone who isn't keen on violence, but is willing to do what it takes to protect the people around them. They have a large sense of responsibility when it comes to protecting emblem rings, and they want to do everything they can to fulfill their mother's wishes... yet they're not overly possessive of the rings, nor do they seem all that judgmental when people have them for the wrong reasons. Even if Yunaka stole Micaiah's ring and seems to have a bit of an unsavoury past (I don't know what it is yet, I only have their C-support lol), Alear believes in the goodness of Yunaka's heart and wants to support them as a friend. They don't condone every bad deed, of course, but they believe in their capacity to do better now. It's a trait I really like about the character, because at times recruitment of different characters in past games felt a bit like glossing over some negative behaviours... so it's nice that Alear reflects on them in their personality. They really do just want to do right by people, even if they're in a hard position and don't know exactly what they're doing all the time.

I also find it really nice that Alear just like... isn't super crazy about violence? They're not quite as pacifistic as Corrin, but the fact that they decide to prioritize the lives of their stewards over fighting in one of the first scene really stuck out to me. Of course they will fight if it's necessary, but they don't have to. I find when it comes to Fire Emblem, I've always preferred characters who give thought to what they're doing when they're fighting, so to see Alear clearly framing it in their mind was really cool to me. I'm excited to see more!

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Having few supports and all of these potential cool characters, I am just absolutely spoiled for choice here, and I think that's the problem. Plus, for some, I'm kind of just at the point for aesthetic-reasons because I haven't been able to observe their dynamic just yet.

I suppose if I had to offer something, I've seen some fan art of Alear and Diamant that's kind of cute? And I also really like their dynamic with Yunaka so far, so I might throw that one in there, too. I'll probably have to get back to you on this one.

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

I need Alear to become the ultimate older sibling to Clanne, Framme, and Anna. Maybe some of the other younger kids too, when I get them. Watching Clanne and Framme just be so dorky in their commitment to Alear is impossibly cute. I just got the support conversation the other day between Alear and Framme where she is just squealing in delight about how cool Alear is, and it made me smile to see how hard Alear tried to be chill about it. The way Alear worries for them after that first fight with the Corrupted really stands out to me too, and I would just love to see them get to become the protectors of the Divine Dragon like they always wanted. As for Alear's half of the relationship, well, it's like them getting to have a little brother and sister. What's not to like?

As for Anna... Well, if I want to talk about Anna in Engage, I want to say that making her into a child was a great decision. As a character she has always had the essence of a little shit, so the fact that they were able to encapsulate that further in a younger Anna is a delight. I only did Anna's paralogue recently, but already I'm excited to watch her relationship with Alear grow. I get the sense that Anna would be a bit of a troublemaker in their relationship with Alear, usually having some ulterior motives that she's trying to get at, but ultimately being someone who cares very much for them. As for Alear, I could see them being exasperated by Anna's antics, but wanting to support her and get her out of tough situations. After all, they know that even if she gets herself into these situations, Anna is well-intentioned at heart and really does love and care about them and the rest of their friends.

My unpopular opinion about this character:

I honestly don't think M Alear's design is all that much better than F Alear's design. While they've both grown on me a bit, they're both still quite gaudy for my tastes. I guess people like him more because he doesn't have the suction boobs problem (easy advantage to have when you have no boobs and a base game outfit that is not awkwardly designed around them), and for the size of his eyes. I can agree with the former, but honestly, I don't have a problem with the eye size. If they look alright and are not there for sexualization purposes, it's pretty whatever to me. Of course, that is not to say that I would not prefer that all of the female characters got varying styles of eyes in different sizes, but to me that's an art style criticism. It's the same as me saying that I would have liked more expression variance in 3H's portraits or that I like Echoes' colouring style. All of the girls and even Clanne have the big eyes in this particular artist's style, and that's something they should work on. It was more of a problem for me with F Byleth because there were entire scenes where she just looked bug-eyed, but Engage likes to make close-ups on Alear, and I haven't seen one that is genuinely awful.

Like this is the comparison:

That being said, I can understand other people not liking the larger eyes. Certain associations can get made. For me, I usually just think of it as the character having a bit of a baby face, but I know others are quicker to jump to much stronger conclusions. I have a tendency to overextend the benefit of the doubt more than others do, I wholeheartedly recognize this! Otherwise, though, I completely understand that we all have a tendency for our brains to go "large eyes = youthfulness = sexually appealing to weirdos", so I can understand being bothered by them, especially since FE has shown no signs of stopping its beloved waifu/husbando marketing system. And I also know that for some people, it's probably a "looks too anime" thing too (although I am surprised that anyone who is of that opinion has survived in this series for this long).

I guess the point I'm trying to make here is that I guess I just feel like for the most part, M Alear having a "better" design feels like an empty comment, because it's something we've covered when talking about art style already, you know? Neither design is particularly strong as it is too visually busy, but an art style problem and a single poorly done outfit (considering her Somniel outfit does not have suction boobs) don't scream to me that the entire character design is worse.

Of course, I completely understand if other people feel differently than me! Like I said, I tend to be a bit more committed to Hanlon's Razor than most.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

I wish they would have had more time with Lumera and the people of Lythos. I feel like we didn't really get to know our people before we have to up and leave, and that kind of sucks. While Alear goes out to fulfill this quest, there are some things that are left up in the air while they're out, and I feel like having this worry about the people that were left behind would really help highlight the tremendous responsibility that has been placed upon Alear's shoulders. While I wouldn't say I'm one of the people who absolutely drools over the politicking in some FE games, I do like it, so I do think it would still be kinda cool if we got to see how this conflict with the rings is informing the people Alear is meant to be watching over.

My OTP:

Alear/A single hair colour

My crossover ship:

It's only a crossover between games, but screw it -- Alear and Corrin for the win! I feel like Corrin's natural charisma would pair well up against Alear's leadership, and they'd be the best damn rulers their countries had ever seen. They're both pretty accepting people who genuinely want the best for those around them, even if they are flawed, so I feel like they would get along easily and do a great job supporting each other. Plus they have a bit in common, being the children of dragon gods who have a special area only they and their friends can hang out in with a little mythical friend who lives there and several overenthusiastic guardians who would do anything for them.

A headcanon fact:

Alear mostly wears white, gold, and a bit of blue because they have the absolute worst time with fashion. How are you supposed to find anything that goes well with your eyes and hair when one side is bright red and the other is bright blue?! They drive themselves crazy trying to find outfits for formal events, usually having to commission something just to stay respectable looking. Sometimes they'll even try out new outfits to see how they look, but because they're the Divine Dragon, they tend to get buttered up. Only Piment, the accessory shop owner, is willing to be honest with them.

#loregoddess asks #fe alear #fire emblem engage spoilers #(relatively minor ones though!)#sorry I took so long to answer this I really gotta up my ask game smh

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darkpoisonouslove · 2 years ago

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Now that I talked about the OTP, I also have to talk about THE brOTP. Aka the besties. This is going to be harder without mentioning any names so I'm introducing the terms seamstress bestie (my fave character) and nurse bestie (which is ironic because I already pointed out that their work occupation is that of a professional bestie).

Once again there be Parallels TM and Feelings TM. (Basically, that's just it here. No coherent thoughts, just feels and vibes.)

The way that both of them are solely devoted to their children because the men they were in love with emotionally and/or physically abandoned them. The way that both of them have no idea where their daughters are. The way that both their daughters ultimately show up with the same face (of the daughter of nurse bestie and in the end she has the face of the daughter of seamstress bestie). The way that their other children got married. The way that they became friends because of their children.

I will never get over the way that seamstress bestie went to thank nurse bestie for helping heal her son and when she learned that nurse bestie had no idea what happened to her daughter, her instant reaction was "Let's go look for her! I'll help you." Just the way that that instantly foreshadows her own trauma over losing her daughter that she never got over but she also never opened up about to anyone. Not even to the priest who knew about it but didn't know any details such as the fact that she's still mourning her and is angry at God for taking her away (which she only later confessed). But she did tell her bestie about it before she ever told the father that there was a baby at all but she'd lost it. What happened with him hurt her so badly that she never opened up to anyone again, not even in a platonic way. But then she met this woman who is going through the same shit as her (not the least bit because she was abandoned by the father of her children as well) and they formed such a strong bond in no time.

The way also that nurse bestie was so worried about how seamstress bestie would react to seeing her daughter's remains but still went with her when asked. How she instantly said that they will look for her girl and she won't let her do it alone even if they have to scour the entire world. She said "forget sleep; you and your emotional state are way more important to me" (and her bestie had to put brakes on her and make her go to bed). She was ready to expose herself to danger even though she was already worried about both their children living with the monster woman just to keep her bestie calm by taking care of the man seamstress bestie still deeply cares about despite all his behavior.

I will also never get over the fact that they tease each other about their romances despite how closely the other's relationships play into their wounds. Seamstress bestie already got scalded by trying to revive her relationship with the father of her children and she knows how how hurt her friend was when her husband left for the first time. Yet, she can see the feelings lurking underneath and not only supports them but nudged her friend to open her eyes to them when she's resisting. And nurse bestie is from the first second supporting and encouraging her friend to give love another try even when she herself never did. She can see it's a potent possibility and is instantly pushing for it just to see her friend get all the happiness that she can have. They trust each other's judgment and hearts so thoroughly that they rarely feel the need to give the other pause out of worry that she might end up hurting herself through her choices (which is frankly a courtesy that no one else extends to either one of them).

They are both (trying to (their children are already grown up and trying to take off their load)) singlehandedly carry the responsibility for taking care of their families but even at their lowest emotional points they can find it in themselves to be carefree with each other. They do all the things that teenage girls do, literally act the exact same way which could make me cry over how they probably never got the chance to be goofy and have fun when they were young because they were instantly burdened with life troubles and supporting a family by themselves. The ease that comes to either one of them because of the other's presence coupled with their warrior's bond is so perfect.

They're already practically family and then not only do their children get married (which doesn't work out but still), but their elder daughters both turn up alive and sharing a face. I can only imagine how they both feel by the end when they look at their daughter and see the face of their bestie's daughter. They missed so much of their daughters lives and now both their daughters are different people and that is so plain in front of them when they look at them and see another woman's face. But at the same time before - when their daughters had their own faces - they were lost to them and to themselves. Only after they met and shared a face and a life, they both found themselves and found their way back to their mothers. And during that time their mothers found each other and helped each other not just deal with their past pain over their daughters and their failed romantic relationships, but also nudged each other into building a new life. And now that new life includes a daughter with the face of their bestie's daughter...

Poetic cinema.

#erda #og post #oh oh and the double wedding!#which is actually the last time that their daughters are together while sharing the same face #i'll say it again - poetic cinema #what else is there to add?#(i'm sure i could find something but that's all for today)#btw i'm starting to notice a pattern with my fave characters #they're all a woman that has very close relationships based on a ton of similarity with one other woman and one other man #and she's in love with one of them at least if not with both #brotp: professional besties

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ravenquingvax · 2 years ago

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Thinking about how the twins grew up with nature as their playground, only to be dragged away to a city that was more of a prison than a home.

Thinking about, after nearly being broken by Syngorn, the twins flee for Byroden and find it gone.

Thinking about how Vex retreated into nature, finding comfort in a bear, while Vax became determined to make cities his as he robs them blind.

Thinking about how, over years of recovery, Vax fell for a druid who controls the elements while Vex falls for an inventor from a city.

Thinking about how Vex marries into royalty, has children and becomes a leader of a major city while Vax dies before his love can fully bloom into itself and he becomes a guardian of life and death who is heavily associated with snowdrops and ravens.

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reflectingiridescent · 3 years ago

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#i love how parental they are here #and parker #oh parker (@hearteyesmcgarrett)

#listen I know it's not a perfect 1 to 1 reading #but like the way that sophie and nate so quickly become parents in the first season especially #it both makes and breaks my heart #neither has come to terms with who they are and yet like #sophie falls into nurturing so quickly #and nate falls into aloof sightly bewildered dad figure #it's not completely true because sophie's nurturing but also petty and ruthless #and nate's very dad but also very manipulative and tests them the entire time they're working together #but these shades of who they are and choose to be are already arising and it is beautiful #parker #sophie devereaux #nate ford #one true family #leverage #theft as a love language #otf: I trust your judgment #otp: I picked you

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burr-ell · 2 years ago

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it's lady vex.

#perc'ahlia #tlovm spoilers #tlovm #the legend of vox machina #percy de rolo #vex'ahlia #otp: it's yours (my heart and my judgment)#tlovmedit #burr edits

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giggly-squiggily · 2 years ago

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Hey heyy

After reading that YunLeo fic you posted, I wanna know how their first date would've been, can you write smth about that? (And maybe squeeze in a few tks-)

-😺 anon

Whoops I wrote another massive fic- I think it's physically impossible for me not two when it comes to Yunleo- they are my current OTP and I'm obsessed! Nonetheless, I hope you like it friend :D

Decided to write this one as non-tickles! I have tons of fluffy tickle content for these two coming up, so stay tuned for that!

CW: Insecurity, self-devaluation, self-loathing, angst with a happy ending, mentions of Yuno and Leopold’s time skip appearances (nothing story related or spoilery- but I thought I’d throw it in here just in case).

“Okay….how do I look?” Yuno turned to face his friends, smoothing out his clothes once more as he awaited their judgment.

“Amazing. Like you always do.” Mimosa nodded approvingly. “Klaus’ clothes aren’t a bad fit on you.”

“I agree- if one didn’t know any better, they’d think you were born royalty.” Klaus fluttered around him like a mother hen, straightening the hem of Yuno’s jacket and dusting off invisible dirt only he could see. “Shoulders back, straighten up- good. Good.”

The date in question wasn’t necessarily Black Tie, but the pair insisted Yuno should dress up a little. “It’s a first official date; you gotta leave a good impression!” Mimosa gushed as they got ready merely an hour earlier.

“We train together, he’s seen me at the hot springs and covered in grime from battle. Not to mention we’ve been dating- just not openly.” Yuno countered, wincing when she ran a comb through his bird nest of black hair. “Does it really matter what I look like?”

“Yes! Those situations aren’t the same as this; you’re on a date!” Giving up on the comb, the girl instead used her magic to undo any tangles and give his tufts a pleasant floral scent. “You gotta show him how good you clean up. Besides,” She leaned in teasingly, stage whispering in his ear. “Iff he’s already head over heels for you in your usual state, imagine how he’s gonna react when he sees you like this?”

Yuno considered, eyes widening as he imagined Leopold’s face. That radiant smile, emerald green eyes dancing with joy whenever they looked upon Yuno. Even when he was dirty and bruised from training and fights, Leopold looked at him like that.

And if Mimosa was right…

“See? You get it.” She teased as he blushed, a hand pressed into his chest, feeling his heart rapidly beat.

“Oh my…our dear Yuno. How he’s grown up so fast.” Mimosa dabbed at her eyes, smiling at him. “And to think; just yesterday we were teaching you the difference between a soup spoon and a salad spoon.”

“They grow up so fast.” Klaus sniffed, adjusting his glasses. “You’ve come so far in so little time. I’m so proud.”

“Tch, you two are weird.” Yuno shook his head with a chuckle, amused by his friends' antics. “Really, thank you though. I…appreciate you both. Truly.”

“Oh, don’t make me cry for real now!” Mimosa fanned her face, her smile growing wet as she squeezed Yuno’s hand. “You’re gonna knock him off his feet; I just know it!”

“Have fun tonight, and remember if you ever need help, you have the whistle I gave you.” Klaus nodded, resisting the urge to give Yuno another once over. “Not that you’ll need it, but it’s always good to have it on you.”

“Thanks.” Yuno smiled, decidedly not mentioning how he left the obnoxious thing back in his drawer. “I will.” With that, he slipped out the door, his friends chattering softly behind him.

~~~

The Capital had its charm during the day, but during the night? It was magical.

The streets were busy with people, loud drunks laughing freely in local bars while young mages flew overhead, laughing about this and that as they casted harmless spells into the starry sky. Couples dived in and out of sight, giggling about this and that while their lovers pulled them close, and tired mothers carried their children home, a basket of goods in hand with plans on making something delicious for the following morning.

When Yuno first came to the Royal Capital, he had been overwhelmed by the sights. It was nothing like the sleepy towns back in Hage- where the most activity you’d see were small bands formed during the holidays. When he did grow used to it all, he learned to appreciate the busy but comforting haze around him, never quite losing that wonder he felt upon first arriving here.

“Yuno! There you are!” A voice called out from across the streets, making him turn.

Oh…

Oh wow…

Incredible wouldn’t be the right word to describe Leopold. It simply wouldn’t do the man justice; for where once it was a mane of bright red in his face Leopold’s hair was cut shorter. It made him look older, and by Yuno’s viewpoint- even more handsome.

Dressed in a dark green tunic that fit like a glove and deep brown pants- his boots clean and the long cape he wore along his shoulders flowing around him like a flame- he gave the impression of a true prince.

Suddenly he felt like a kid wearing their older parent’s clothes; out of place in these royal garbs and self aware of how his hair never quite stayed put. Surely he must have looked like a fraud to the other.

Then Leopold took him in, eyes widening as he took in Yuno’s appearance. There was a clear awe in those green eyes, a soft flush spreading along his cheekbones. “Oh man…you look amazing.”

The insecurity faded- at least; a good chunk of it. Yuno fumbled to return the favor, his heart practically pounding at his ribs. “Th-Thank you. You cut your hair…”

Leopold ran a hand over the fresh cut, a shy smile on his lips. “You noticed- yeah, Mereoleona did it for me; she’s a little rough, but she’s been cutting our hair for years now. Does it…look alright?”

Yuno blinked- he hadn’t realized he was staring again. “It looks amazing- you look amazing too.” That radiant smile was back- Yuno felt like he was on cloud nine. “Shall we?”

“Oh heck yeah- eherm. Of course.” Leopold cleared his throat before straightening out, his prince-like manner back as he held out an arm. “My sir?” He grinned.

Yuno took his arm with a snicker, internally noting Leopold seemed taller as well. He was almost Yuno’s height now. How did he not notice this before? “Thank you.”

~~~

After walking around a bit, they settled at a nearby restaurant blooming with fresh bread aroma. “This place is amazing! My siblings and I go here from time to time whenever we’re craving pasta!” He hopped up to the doors and held one open, nodding invitingly to the other. “After you.”

Yuno nodded, hiding his nerves as they walked in the busy restaurant, taking in the sights within. Everything smelled as incredible as it did from outside- fresh rolls were brought out in fancy looking baskets to tables filled with royals- their laughter and chatter all fading into a peaceful hum as they sipped on expensive looking wine and nibbled on equally pricey cheese.

At least- that’s what Yuno figured it to be. A place this nice couldn’t be cheap.

“Hello! Table for one?” The server asked, eyes taking in the burning glow that was Leopold. She barely gave Yuno a once over; something he tried to ignore.

“For two, actually.” Leopold reached over and took Yuno’s hand, giving it a squeeze. The server stammered before nodding, gathering their things and leading with a meek “Right this way.”

As she started to go, Leopold leaned over to Yuno, whispering to him quietly. “Sorry- that was kinda rude no? We can go somewhere else if you want.”

Yuno shook his head, instead opting to follow the server, pulling Leopold with him. “It’s fine.” He made his whisper sound as confident as he could. “Besides- I’m interested in that pasta you talked about.”

Even so, as they made their way towards their table, Yuno could feel eyes on him. Nobles taking in his appearance, the hand still clutching Leopold’s. Some dared to smirk, seeming amused. “Oh look, a commoner and a royal.” He could practically hear them thinking. “No amount of fancy garbs will hide the fact you’re a lowly commoner.” “I bet the redhead with him is just toying with him- a new doll to play with.” “I wonder how long that’s gonna last before he ditches him for a real noble.”

“Are you okay? You look uncomfortable.” Leopold’s voice shook him from his revelry, bringing him back too. They were sitting at their table now, tucked away against a window and mostly out of view from the other patrons.

“I’m alright.” Yuno tried to smile, picking up the menu and peeking at the various options. “Just a little nervous- nothing to worry about. What do you recommend?”

Leopold gave him one more curious look before opening his own menu. “Well- the pasta is pretty good here; oh! So is the fish! They catch it fresh for every meal! I think I heard somewhere that Water Mages bring them in.”

Yuno smiled behind the menu, trying to ease himself into the new environment with Leopold’s happy chatter. He was fine- he was here with him. He was gonna make a good impression.

Still- it was hard not to feel shocked by the cost of some of these dishes. For a single serving of fish here Yuno could get his siblings all new shoes! Shame creeped into his chest as he searched for the cheapest thing on the menu, the less appetizing each thing grew with each glance at the price.

The eyes were on him again, taunting and laughing in his ears. “Poor little commoner; he can’t afford any of this finery!” “How embarrassing! He’s probably only with that noble for a free meal!” “Shame- he’ll never belong with us.”

“Here’s your bread- what can I start you off with tonight?” The server from earlier asked politely. “I can start you two off with some of our finest wine if you’d like? Imported all the way from the Diamond Kingdom.”

“Oo, that would be nice- though my sister would kill me if she found out I was drinking.” Leopold laughed. “What would you like, Yuno? It’s on me!”

Yuno felt his heart sink. Guilt mixed in with shame as he hid further behind the menu. “Erm…could I have a few more minutes?”

The server nodded, an almost pitiful look in her eyes as she let them be. Yuno felt his ears grow warm.

“Yuno…are you sure you’re okay?” Leopold asked, concern in his voice once more.

That did it. Yuno stood abruptly, starting the other. “Sorry- sorry; I need some air.” He forced a smile before bee lining for the door, his ears catching the words of those around him.

“And then I told him I will not have any wasted potential-”

“Don’t you love my necklace? My husband bought it for me-”

“Do you really think Commoners have a place here at the capital-”

‘Shut up!’ He wanted to scream. He wanted to pull his hair out and rip off his borrowed clothes. He wanted to bury himself in a nearby hole and never return.

Cool air encircled him as he finally made it outside, pulling him in like a hug as he stumbled away from the restaurant. He took a few paces away before leaning on a nearby tree, the reality of what he just did sinking in and crushing his heart.

These clothes, that restaurant- it was all painful reminders of what he wasn’t. What he’d never be. He didn’t care if he never became a noble- that wasn’t his goal in life.

But how could he ever stand proudly by Leopold’s side? He’d only bring him down- burdening him with his mere presence.

He was the too strong wind to Leopold’s ever burning inferno. They just weren’t going to work.

“Yuno! There you are!” Leopold sounded a tad breathless as he caught up to him. “Hey…are you okay?”

“...I’m sorry.” Yuno got out, not trusting his voice after that.

“What do you mean? You have nothing to apologize for.” Leopold started to reach out, hesitating at the last minute. “I don’t understand.”

“I’m not a noble, Leo. I’m not…made for this kind of thing.” Yuno sank his shoulders, averting his gaze to the ground. It was easier to confess to a rock right now. “I don’t know how to use the right spoons, I could barely afford anything on the menu, and…frankly you deserve someone better. Someone who knows how to do all this fancy stuff.” He pulled on his jacket, his earlier feelings coming back in full force. “I’ll never be able to give you the things you deserve- even if it’s just a dinner out together.”

Leopold was quiet as he took in everything Yuno said. When he spoke, his voice was rough. “Do you really think any of that matters to me?”

Yuno blinked, turning around and finding hurt green eyes. “What?”

“”You deserve a noble who knows how to use spoons’?” Leopold shook his head, a weak laugh creeping into his voice. “We’ve known each other for what- almost a year now? Six months of it I’ve been crushing on you, another three I’ve dated you in secret, and we’re now openly together. All that time and you really think I care about your upbringing?”

Leopold walked forward, poking his chest and properly looking at him. “Let me make this crystal clear. I’ve never cared nor will I ever care about your status- be it a noble, a commoner, somewhere in between or something completely different. I’m with you for you.” He tapped Yuno’s chest again. “For the cool mage dude who came from Hage that wooed the captains at the entrance exams and in turn wooed me. Who willingly trains with me when I know he’d rather sleep in; who likes to lay under the stars and talk about his family back home. Who has a laugh like a wind chime and a smile that can steal all the air out of someone’s lungs.” Leopold nodded. “That is who I fell for.”

Yuno blinked, letting the words settle in. His heart began to race, practically skipping as the finger on his chest smoothed out into a full palm, pressing gently against his heart. Did he…

“You fell for me?” He looked at Leopold properly now. The redhead scoffed and rolled his eyes in good nature.

“What- was kissing you from dusk till dawn not indication enough? Yes!” Leopold laughed, shaking his head. “I’ve fallen fully and deeply in love with you, Yuno.”

“You love me…” Yuno breathed, tasting the honey dipped words.

“With my entire heart and soul.” Leopold smiled now, leaning up and pressing a gentle kiss against Yuno’s cheek. When he stepped back, he suddenly looked…guilty. “If anyone should apologize, it’s me. I erm…lied.”

Yuno blinked. “When?”

“Remember when I said my sibling and I go here a lot? Yeah…that was bull. I actually have never been here before.” Leopold averted his gaze, face warm. “I wanted to impress you, you know? Show you that I’m this cool, sophisticated guy.” He laughed sheepishly, scratching at his neck. “I realize I sound like a hypocrite- you’re free to tear me apart for that. I just…wanted to give you a date to remember.”

Yuno blinked, staring. Then he started to laugh, unable to hold down the giggles. Leopold’s eyes widened as Yuno chuckled himself silly, nearly doubling over with mirth. “W-What? What’s so funny?” Leopold asked, his own mouth starting to smile.

“Pfft! Ahehahahahahaha! God, we’re both terrible at this, huh?” He wheezed, earning a gentle swat from an increasingly giggly Leopold. “Oh god- aheheehehhahhhaha!”

“H-Huhuhuhuhsh!” He giggled, leaning into Yuno as he tried to compose himself. “Seriously though- I’m really sorry. I should have insisted we get out of there earlier. Especially when people were making faces at us.”

“You saw that too?” So it wasn’t in his head.

“Yeah...eh, screw them, right?” Leopold nodded, taking Yuno’s hand in his. “We don’t need their fancy restaurant to have a good time!”

"Definitely.” Yuno nodded, relaxing as they started walking once more. “There’s so many places to get food. We could go anywhere.”

“Exactly! Speaking of…” Leopold gestured to a smallish one further down. A woman and who they assumed to be her father were running a stand, pots of creamy looking stews and fried potatoes beckoning them over. “You said you like potato’s right? Shall we?”

The previous princely manner was gone. Now Leopold was just Leopold, smiling as bright as the sun as he bounced a few feet ahead, offering a hand.

Yuno didn’t hesitate, taking Leopold’s and letting him guide him over. “Let’s.”

~~~

“You know- this spot feels familiar.” Leopold mused as they sat against the hill, looking up at the stars. “Like we’ve met here in a past life.”

“Probably did.” Yuno agreed, fighting down a smile as he nibbled on his dinner. They were against the grassy hill, under the stars once more. It was the same spot they first confessed. The same spot they had their first kiss. The location they often flew to whenever they wanted to sneak a few extra kisses before being sent off to missions. “Do you think they’d have picnic’s here too? Our past selves?”

“Absolutely.” Leopold grinned, dipping his potato pancake into the stew and taking a bite, practically melting on the spot. "Always impromptu- sometimes they’ll cook and bring food. Hey- these are incredible! Think I could make them at home? If I can, I’ll bring them for our next picnic.”

“I don’t know- considering your brother managed to break a dish with burnt toast, I’d say avoid it.” Yuno deadpanned, making Lepold laugh so hard he nearly choked.

~~~

“Hey..can I tell you something?”

“Sure. Wait- hang on-okay I’m ready.” Leopold braced, visibly flexing all over and scrunching up his face- making Yuno snort.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad…I don’t care about status either. And…I may have crushed on you for six months as well.” Leopold looked at him, eyes wide. “I liked you when I first saw you during the Merit ceremony, but I really started falling during the Star Ceremony.” Yuno nodded. “You’re loud, reckless and on any given day ready to throw yourself into battle.”

“Oo, keep sweet talking to me.” Leopold cooed, earning a pinch to the ribs.

“But..alongside all of that, you’re brave, talented, funny, a truly amazing person.” Yuno smiled softly at him. “I’m so glad I’ve met you. Thank you for letting me be in your life. I love you.”

Leopold’s eyes grew misty; he blinked rapidly as he raised their enclosed hands, kissing Yuno’s knuckles gently. “I love you too. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life as well.”

They stayed like that for a moment more before finally, Yuno leaned in. Leopold closed his eyes as their lips pressed together, warmth spreading through their beings at the softness of the kiss.

This was truly a date to remember.

I hope this was good!

#black clover #yuno #leopold vermillion #yunleo #first dates #insecurity #light angst #mostly fluff #I love them your honor #non tickle #I was gonna include some but decided not to #mainly because I have a ton of tickle content for these two coming out soon #I hope you like it anyway! :D

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durotoswrites · 3 years ago

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on Popuri :)

Thank you so much for your patience on this! Ah, yes, Popuri - probably the most popular bachelorette for the Harvest Moon Series, right beside Celia and Muffy if fan art is any indication. There’s no denying she’s a popular character. My feelings for her have fluctuated greatly throughout the years.

How I feel about this character:

My first interactions with Popuri were when I played Harvest Moon DS, but she showed up for the rare festival here and there, and she was the one who answered the phone for the poultry shop. I found her design cute, but I didn’t have much of an opinion on her in general.

The first game I played with Popuri was More Friends of Mineral Town, and my first impression was “why is this immature, spoiled brat so popular”? Her immaturity really grated on me, to be honest, and I felt bad for Rick for having to take care of the whole family on his own. I also felt like her and Kai had some hints of trouble in the future of their relationship during their heart events, with Kai seeming a little uncomfortable that Popuri was so insistent to go out with him to see the world. I got the impression she saw him as a ticket out of town, and she was eager to leave, not giving much thought to how much that replicated her father’s actions.

Looking at it a little more and watching more character events, I realize my first judgments on her might have been a little harsh. She does express frustration that she was never taught anything to run the farm, and she does try to learn on her own by visiting the MC. In trying to protect her, Rick is pushing his own sister away, and it’s kind of sad to see, because we know he is going through a lot of pain as well. There’s a lot of unspoken pain in the PoPoultry family with Lillia’s disease, Rod’s absence, and the effect it’s had on their children. Rick sees her as not wanting to do any work, but he doesn’t trust her with any of it. What other choices does she really have? I can understand her frustration a little better now.

In the intro event to the siblings in Back to Nature, HM for Girl, we come across the two of them arguing. Judging from the teary smile Popuri gives us, it’s easy to guess that she’s very eager to have someone in her life that she doesn’t associate with constantly putting her down (even if Rick isn’t like that all the time).

I will probably say this about most characters, but I really prefer the HM64 version of Popuri. It was this version that also encouraged me to go back and watch her events in Friends of Mineral Town. HM64 Popuri is more self-assured and mature, helping her mother around the store. Rick is not her brother in this game, and her father, Basil, is gone for part of the year. Her romantic events with Gray are really cute, and the two of them treat each other with equal respect. I really liked that someone as closed off as Gray took up an interest in flowers after meeting Popuri.

So, I guess to sum it up, my opinions on Popuri have improved. She’s not my favorite character, but I can understand better why people like her and can relate to her.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Popuri x Gray - This is the canon pairing in HM64, and I think it was done really well. Their personalities played well off of each other.

Popuri x Karen - I feel like this is just a given. I headcanon that Popuri looks up to Karen and thinks she’s really cool. They both love romantic things, and I can easily see them walking on the beach together and having a picnic date there.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Mineral Town: Popuri/Carter - I see Popuri as shut off from a lot of the town, or at least a lot of people in her age group. She spends some time at the church, and I don’t think it’s any stretch of the imagination that she enjoys Carter’s company.

Popuri/Cliff - See above regarding Popuri’s time at the church. It’s possible these two have communicated quite a bit. I can see them having a deep friendship as Cliff opens up about his past and Popuri compares it to her father leaving the family. They’d definitely have a lot to talk about.

Popuri/Zack - While Zack probably stops by regularly to pick up shipments and check on Lillia, I can see him having an uncle-esque role to Popuri and Rick. I imagine him sharing a lot of family meals and spending time together on their time off.

Popuri/Ann - I can see the two of them being friends in both games, but especially HM64 as she works on another farm (greenhouse) that likely helps support the ranch in some way. They both have a playful streak, and we see them hanging out at the hot springs most mornings in Friends of Mineral Town.

HM64:

Elli/Popuri - As written in my Elli ask, I feel like Elli admires a lot of things that Popuri does. I can see them sharing flowers and cake together.

Popuri/Greg - By extension, I can see Elli introducing Greg and maybe even Cliff to Popuri as they all go fishing together. I feel like Popuri would be up for trying something new, especially among friends.

My unpopular opinion about this character

I both love and hate the idea of Popuri x Kai being a canon couple in FoMT. Like I mentioned earlier, there are some events that hint at possible unhappiness in the future, and I sometimes got the impression that Kai was a little uncomfortable about causing tension between the two siblings, but Popuri persisted. And, I mean, she should definitely be allowed to spend time with the people she wants to. My concern is that Kai seemed a little uncomfortable about being the cause of tension between the two.

Their last heart event gave me a lot of complicated feelings. Kai's proven himself to be a very kind person despite not wanting to keep in contact with his family. Part of me feels like Popuri latched onto that idea a bit - seeing Kai as an escape from Rick. The moment they start arguing about it, the more she lashes out. This could just be a lot of pent up anger coming out, though, and I totally get that. They’re definitely an interesting couple - I’ll give them that!

(A moment of silence for Lillia's sad reaction at the news of her daughter leaving town and quickly slapping a smile back on her face. 😔 I can't imagine her not comparing this to Rod's departure.)

Out of the bachelorettes, FoMT Popuri is probably my least favorite, mostly for her immaturity and complaining without really acting on it. She wants to help at the farm, and I’d love an event with her mother while she expresses that! She wants to be whisked away because she’s unhappy, and I feel that she latches onto Kai… because she feels the distance between them is romantic, likely by seeing her parents. (Wow, I just realized that as I typed it and it just makes me sad.) Still, among all the games in the series, I love this cast, and Popuri is still part of that. I still feel like she got a lot more development than a lot of the “newer” games gave characters (i.e. Grand Bazaar, Tale of Two Towns).

Back to Nature and Friends of Mineral Town are similar, but they have different events. I really wish that they had kept the event where Popuri forgot to take the hens inside and one got killed. It helps set the mood for the tension between the siblings a lot better. It’s really easy for people to dislike Rick and see him as nothing but a bully when we don’t see the irresponsible things that Popuri has done while being put in charge of a task on the farm.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Oops, I guess the thing I wrote above was more of something I wish they had done. Well, I have other things I wish for Popuri.

I wish that she was given a chance to work on the farm and feel more confident in herself. I could see this working similarly to Cliff getting his job at the winery. Seeing Popuri have a sense of helping her family would eliminate a lot of tension between her and Rick. And that doesn’t mean that she’s not allowed to want to travel the world, either! I just think that it would be great if she’s able to experience working on the farm like she wanted. It also be a great tie-in for Rick and Kai to make up and I could see them coordinating with him to help with supplies and keep his beach shack open year round. Still, Kai likes warm weather, so the jury’s still out on that…

One more thing I wish had been kept from BTN/HM for Girl - Popuri (and a lot of the characters, honestly) had some great expressions that ended up getting cut in future games. I miss the waterfall tears and over-the-top expressions from others.

Thank you so much for the ask! I had a lot of fun with this one, and even after writing it, I realize that even though she’s my least favorite bachelorette, she’s still a decent character and adds a lot to the cast of the games she’s in. ^-^

#character breakdowns #character breakdown ask game #harvest moon popuri #harvest moon #story of seasons #popuri #pikablooo #thank you for playing! <3

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burr-ell · 2 years ago

Note

okokokok fr like

percy trying to surreptitiously learn everybody's favorite sweets so he has a Totally Legitimate reason to go down to the bakery (the white stone oven is A Name for it idk) and yet he has absolutely NO idea about his parents or julius and so he finally just has to give up and ask them and hope they dont think anything of it. (percy has not asked them a shooting-the-breeze personal question since before he learned how to talk. they think many things of it.) he brings back pastries from the bakery at least once a week and ludwig and cassandra in particular are obnoxious about how ooooooh, big brother has a cruuuuuuuuush, and while johanna tries to keep everyone from being too evil about it she does ask pointedly how everyone at the bakery is over dinner sometimes and percy's ears turn scarlet

also i LOVE elaina being completely unimpressed by this little lordling and needing to be persuaded that he's not going to hurt her daughter, i imagine she also sees how percy acts around vex one day and immediately recognizes that that's not fake. u cant fake being this pitiful. this boy is a disastrous nerd who is just wretchedly smitten with her daughter. look at him, he's making them bear-shaped cookie cutters

i cant get over the idea of percy visiting the bakery on behalf of his family but never telling vax or vex or anybody who he is and flirting with vex over the counter and having dumb teenage angst about what if she doesn't like meeee because im a noblllllle but also stopping just short of sighing romantically and sliding down walls after every conversation with her, and vex and vax get a little suspicious about who he really is but it's only confirmed when his siblings show up on a day he's not there and are like 'pls he's an incorrigible dweeb just hold his hand or something we're so tired'

and vex and vax wondering if he wants something or is trying to be manipulative but it soon becomes clear that he really is just a Square with a hopeless crush and unfortunately endearingly-dorky-with-a-dry-sense-of-humor is just vex's type and vax makes fun of her for keeping a lookout for her favorite customer

Oh my god

But also imagine that Vex has an inkling the whole time that he's not who he says he is. He dresses far too well for a servant and talks too fancy, but she doesn't say anything because she's curious about him and wants to know what his deal is.

Also just the de Rolo kids being meddling little shits and tormenting their brother for his puppy love crush on the bakery in the city? It's everything.

But also, imagine Elania's reaction when she finds out about it. Because she knows exactly what it's like to be fucked over by a noble ass hole and she'd rather die than have her daughter go through any of that so she's initially very protective of Vex because she doesn't trust that Percy has her best intentions at heart. It's Vax that convinces her to back off, showing him a letter that Percy wrote Vex while they've been apart.

#critical role #otp: it's yours (my heart and my judgment)

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maladaptive-ninja-returns · 4 years ago

Text

It’s The Avengers (03x16)

Loki x Reader Avengers The Office AU (Slowwwwww Burn)

Season 3 Episode 16: You Picked the Wrong Weakness

Series Summary: Living in the Avengers facility post-apocalypse in a better timeline Tony Stark has decided to capture every moment by pulling The Office on the Avengers. All of housemates are pretty used to the idea except for you, who had just come here to finish her degree, and the newest member- Loki.

Warnings: did someone just go and tell the otp about the otp?

Word Count: you know that feeling when you have had a bad experience on some project or assignment or homework before. And you know that thing is going to come around again next month or something like that. And you just age yourself by giving yourself anxiety by thinking everything that could go worse in that area. Yeah. So, I kinda shut that off for a few hours and wrote this.

MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)

The Interview Room The camera is recording empty seats as a pair of voices grow louder with every second. "...it's like they don't even care about what the other person wants!" "...no, why would they. These rich daddies and their rich egos think they are the only ones thinking about the world." The camera swivels a bit to watch Peter and Scott enter with a new guest following them with a Caprisun in their hand. Peter: And why did you have to go ahead and help them? Shuri: *sits between Scott and Peter* *takes a long sip of her 'sun* What. I'm not going to give up any opportunity that involves space and weird energy boxes. Peter: Why did your brother even agree to it?? Shuri: *shrugs* all your sugar daddy had to say was 'what if it was Shuri'. And my thicc-head of a brother lost it like a rhino in a mating challenge. Peter: *scrunches his nose at the example* Scott: Great *sigh* now we'll never get to see them together. With your brains, those dads are probably already in space now. Shuri: Not so fast! They don't have the codes to neutralise the pandora's box yet. Peter and Scott: *look at each other* Shuri: So teleportation might be delayed as long as I am kept happy? Peter: *takes out a notebook* Scott: *takes out his phone and a card labelled Avengers Black Card* The camera pans in on a smirking Shuri sipping on her Capri sun.

Inside a Spaceship: Destination Unknown You and Loki were captured by the little drone flying at the same speed as the spaceship (which clearly had seen some remodelling, thanks to your rainbow buddies). Both of you were staring at something in front of you that lids by your waist level- something the outside drone was not able to capture because of the limited view in the spaceship window. The expressions on your face were serious. So was the arms-crossed stance. "Are you sure it wasn't just a noise?" Loki now had a finger on his lips in deep thought as he heard your words. "I am pretty sure of what I heard," he acknowledged without missing a beat. "So-" your voice faded as your fingers twirled in the air with a mind of their own- "that means he has...another..." "You really can't say it?" Loki looked at you with a questioning brow going up quite smoothly. You tsked. "It's my baby," you mentioned while Javier's camera watched you point down at slumbering Lulu. "I cannot just casually say he might have another hole and I think he farted through it. I cannot hurt my baby's feelings!" Loki scoffed. "Your baby's sleeping." "He still has ears." "You think he understands what a fart means?" "What do you think I've been teaching him when you, me or Javi pass the gas?" Loki's casual demeanour suddenly changed to an offended one. "I beg your pardon?" You were quick on your feet, already walking towards the front of the ship. "So, where exactly are we heading now? Aellae's next of kin? Though I find it hard to imagine she would have left your essence with anyone other than herself." Loki came and sat next to you, still pissed at that comment in those narrowed eyes. "I am going to circle back to your words-" he inhaled while you acted all innocent- "and no. We are not looking for anyone related to that witch." "Then are we looking for another one of your exes?" "No, we are n-" Loki stopped short, his lips right in a thin line as he stared at you. "Why are you so interested my exes?" You simply shrugged and raised your brows. "On the contrary, it seems your exes are still pretty interested in you." That casual expression turned into a familiar judgment as your head turned to look at him. "Though I wonder what did they find so-" you hands moved haphazardly- "interesting about you." Loki swivelled his captain seat towards you, locking your legs between his while grounding your armrests with his hands. Clicking the control button on your armrest, he moved your chair a bit closer to him, his face in close proximity to yours. Javier's camera panned in on the gulp moving down your throat while your eyelids did a flutter at this uncalled movement. The 4K caught those goosebumps rising right where his arm barely grazed yours and in the background, Lulu played an arousing violin piece. "Something you can only dream about, darling," he whispered. The violin picked up the charge in the air within its quick clean high notes. The only noise leaving you was the escape of the air stuck in your throat, shivering on its way out. "Of c-" you cleared your throat. trying to sit back up in your seat- "of course I can only fantasize. The reality makes me want to puck. Ugh!"

Loki: Y/N thinks space is all fun and games. What she does not realise is that just like earth, this universe too has an underworld. Ten times in size and twenty times as brutal. And Aellae was just the tip of the filthy iceberg. *camera zooms in on his tensed features* looks into the distance* Wonder who else she told about her. *looks back* *blinks* I'm taking her somewhere we can lie low for now. *rolls eyes* that is if she understands what lying low means. *sighs*

You: *eating bread like a peasant famished for days* Hm? What? No *shakes head* 'm nod nerbous. *takes another bite* debinidly nod becoz o doki. He wash jus playing wee me. *viciously bites into the bread* *growls and buries head in your lap*

"I am still telling you to ask for their help. It's not too late," you suggested in a composed manner, sitting in the co-pilot seat. "I am not calling seven alien boys just because you have a fetish for Korean pop bands." You thwacked his leg with yours. "I do not! And don't you dare talk shit about k-pop." Loki chuckled. "Why? What are going to do?" "I won't. But you know what k-pop fans are like, don't you?" The smile on Loki's face suddenly started to flicker away as he looked at the camera. "Remember that Vegas trip?" Clearing his throat, he adjusted himself on his seat, while you shared a devilish smirk with the camera. "We're going somewhere safe. Where I have a chance of getting my powers back and hopefully a gateway back to earth." You sat up. "Why didn't we go there in the first place?" Loki blinked, not really answering. You and the camera noticed the tension in his jaw. "It's not a place I like to talk about." The asteroid belt cleared in front of the spaceship to show the part of a planet covered in grey clouds shadowing frozen blue mountains and dark valleys. "Jotunheim," you whispered to yourself, letting the gloomy yet majestic scenery of the place reflect in your eyes. “Loki,” all humour in your voice seemed to dilute as you looked back at home, “we don’t have to go there. We-uh...we could go to one of Peter’s hideouts? Or maybe we could call the Boys and ask them to direct us to one of their safe places? You know, till we find a lead on your essence.” A smirk built upon the God's lips. "Is that concern I hear in your voice?" Those worry-laden brows suddenly dispersed all emotion to make way for anger. A slap made way from your hand to his right side of the back. The thwack was loud enough to wake Lulu and force a sincere 'ow' from the God's throat. "This concern is for me and my babies you awful animal," you growled, your voice considerably higher, "you think they'll survive there?"

Jotunheim If the mountains seemed to carry an eerie aura about them, the valleys were a straight suggestion of being pits straight to hell. To add to the effects of arriving at the gates of hell, the snow falling was harsh, to say the least. As soon as the door to the ship opened to let all the passengers feel the heat, the drone travelling outside took in travellers covered in thick fur. Javier carried Lulu on his front, both of them visible just with their faces- not to mention the former's blue eyes standing out over everything else in his surroundings. Loki too embraced the thick skin, looking quite the part of a Jotun till he picked up the hood of your coat to put it over your head without saying much; only smiling when you looked like a fluffed up birb in that Viking overcoat.

Loki: *smiling sheepishly**looks at you standing next to him* Angry birb *looks back at Javier's camera* Sam taught me that one. *camera pans at you simmering under that fur*

Lulu had already picked the background music for his pack's entrance. The Viking beat had just the right amount of weight and horror of the unknown in it as this place did. Just ahead of the pass lay the structure carved in the mountain itself. It could be called a palace or a temple. But that was not what sought your attention. Eyes. The camera caught eyes in the dark staring at the unwanted guests. Blue. Piercing. Murderous. And more than one pair. The drone panned in on that one subconscious movement of your fingers gripping the fur of the coat on Loki's back as the God walked gallantly- as if he owned the planet. But your eyes did not stop to observe the alien movement around you. "Remember-" Loki's whisper brought you out of the daze your own thumping heart was creating for you- "do not show them your fear. Show them that you are to be feared." It may have been his words or just his voice that started to melt the fear visible on your features, lasting for five seconds before a loud thump vibrated the land beneath your feet, making you all come to a stop. And when that was not enough, the audience saw the feet first, then the legs and then the whole length of a Jotun appearing before them. Some necks were really going to feel it tonight.

"Who dares enter the land of Jotunheim?" came the thundering and low growl from the Jotun that stood towering over you all. "The one who is alive and stands on this land," Loki announced, "with the blood of Laufey in my veins, I have come to claim what is mine." There was nothing but an uninviting smirk on the Jotun's face. "I am Loki, son of Laufey, son of Odin, ruler of Asgard and your King," he commanded with ice in his voice, "and you...need to bow...before your King." The dead silence proceeding his threat of a speech was enough for you nearly bury you inside your own overcoat. And when that did not seem enough, your body- on its own- moved a step closer to Loki's side. "Oooooh Gooood," you whispered with quite the shudder while your face was plastered with a no-fucks-given wave, "we're gonna die." On the contrary, the silence was followed by many Jotuns coming out of the shadows to surround your group one by one before bowing down. Even the ones who looked quite young did the same. All of them except for the one Jotun who had greeted you first. "Allir fagna konungi!" they chanted in unison. "All hail the king," Javier translated it for you. "Didn't know you were into Nords," you quipped, "the language, I mean." "Honey, I am all into Nords," he signed before looking around with a smile, finding a buff Jotun that caught his eye. He did not take another second to blink at him and leave that giant a bit confused and flustered at the same time.

Inside the Palace The throne was sculpted out of ice that seemed as old as the mountain. Alongside it had been made seating arrangements for the family, running parallel till the doors of the throne room, all greyish blue stones marked with Jotun carvings. You and Javier believed they might be names of dignitaries. Lulu thought they are just doodles by other babies and proceeded to contribute to the stone they were standing next to. A little female giant sat down and looked at Lulu's doodles with curious wide eyes. Loki stood rightfully in front of his throne, admiring it before turning to his subjects, most of them adults who were exceptionally taller and blue-er than him. The drone captured the magnificence of the throne room that had fire pits next to the seats at intervals right alongside the stone pillars and right in the middle, a few feet in front of the king. But none of them were lit. And the giants were visibly annoyed by the drone while the kids wanted to catch it and play with it. "An Asgardian announces himself as our King," the one giant growled as he stood at the steps of the throne, "why would we believe you to be our King, son of Odin." He nearly spat the last part. The drone captured that bit of concern breaking out on your composed features but Loki just smirked. Pulling his overcoat to the side- as magnificently as he believed himself to be- he sat down as if he has done it ever since he was born. The authority exuding from his presence certainly put the murmurs going around the hall to a standstill. "At ease, Helblindi," he stressed to the giant with a purr and directed the rest of the audience to take their place. "Not you." Everyone stopped short to looked at their king. And he was clearly looking at you. You pointed a finger at yourself in question. "Don't you know your place....pet?" he commanded ever so slyly, discreetly pointing his finger at the stone next to his throne.

You: *look around to make sure no one's looking at you* *anger about to explode through your eyes* *whispering* Pet?? PET?? I swear gonna just *gestures to grab the air* grab his throat and *punches the said air repeatedly in her palm* *camera pans out to focus on three baby giants looking at you in pure horror before their mother carries them away murmuring something* *camera swivels to show Javier looking disappointed* Javier: *signs* she said 'stay away from the crazy human'. *sighs* *shakes his head*

“Come-“ Loki’s fingers gestured at you to come over to that stone couch of a thing next to him- “sit.” Taking a breath to compose your usual embers of rage at that comment, you smiled and walked up the stairs to stand next to him. The camera recorded the little gracious bow you gave the God but not before your back was to the spectators and you signalled an insult with your middle towards him, nearly making him chuckle. And with one heavy inhale, you sat down next to him, clearly not at the same level as him. “Is this what Lulu feels like?” “I would’ve made Lulu sit in my lap,” Loki acknowledged with a smirk. “You’re welcome to join me anytime but for now-“ he adjusted himself on his seat and raised his voice to address the court- “let us have a feast tonight and raise our mugs in union of the Jotun king and his subjects.” Helblindi scoffed and spat on the floor. Loki did not look but he was surely observing his every move. “In union of an excuse of a giant who does not even resemble-“ “I would like you to stop there my brother-“ Loki announced as he got up, letting the whole room take one united gasp at the scene- “before you start regretting your own words.” You blinked at the reactions to turn and look at Loki. Now the lights from the ceiling did a stupendous job of catching the widening of your eyes while your pupils were dilated in an emotion only known to you when you witnessed- for the first time in your life- Loki's skin change its shade and features. The flawless paleness gave way to a blue so deep over those arms he rarely displayed in public. The colour ran up his neck as well, covering him all the way. And along with this shade came ridges on his skin which apparently every Jotun had; running up his face and down his limbs. Those smaragdines and whites around them were now replaced with red. “This Jotun-“ his voice was low, but with enough weight that it echoed to the last corner of the room- “has seen enough lives to know what is hatred and what is fear. So next time you try to question my right, Helblindi, know that I have no qualms in exploiting them in a way which seems necessary for me.” Helbindi did not seem to stand his ground much now. Not after a few Jotuns who stood up to speak against the giant who had been torturing them for a while with his reckless and greed-ridden laws. Javier's camera was stuck on your reaction in the middle of this mild chaos. Your parted lips, wide eyes, stare lingering all over the God's body, your throat feeling the urge to swallow the dryness; it really was a sight, an emotion that many fanfiction artists would want to take inspiration from. Loki- who was smirking at the warm welcome he was receiving through the roar against his brother- turned around to look at you. His smirk disappeared and his usually focused gaze was interrupted with those unsure blinks at your features. Before he could explain himself, one giantess blocked his way to you with a bow. "We have prepared the Bath for you and your companions, your grace," she announced, still with her head held low. His gaze was running between you and her. To make it easier for him, you got up from your seat and walked down to the giantess who wanted to show you, Javier and Lulu to the Bath. "Nandi," Loki finally looked at the giantess. "Yes, your grace." "I need you to choose four of your most loyal companions to guard them." "They are all ready to escort your companions where you please." Loki smiled at Nandi. "I owe it to your mother to protect you, your Grace, like she protected me and my children." "My mother had a loyal friend in you," the God appreciated before walking down the throne and away from the crowd. The drone followed him. The graceful composure of the God crumbled like a dry sand castle as soon as the doors closed behind him and he was alone in the icy corridors. His pace got faster by the second, his eyes searching everywhere. "This isn't fair, you know." Loki stopped at the echo of your voice. The pause of one breath, and he knew where to turn to find you standing in the shadows. Javier stood by the pillar next to you two with his camera, capturing this strange tick on Loki's features. You stepped out of the shadows, your gaze uninterrupted, looking right at those red eyes. "Do you know the amount of chaos it would create on earth if people knew that you look like..." "Like what? A monster?" Loki's voice was heavy. "Nah don't say i-dammit! Now I cannot stop imagining the term monsterfuckers." Loki blinked. His brows furrowed at you ever so slightly. "I mean-" you sighed with frustration- "was it not enough that you looked like a literal God in a human form that you had to now go and reveal that you are one buffed up alien? Look at you? You are one breath away from starting a cult of monsterfuckers! Do you realise that? Look at-" you grabbed that one barely naked blue arm and tried to squeeze it- "this firm, cold, arm that is people are going think about in-" you tried to breathe, your gaze still stuck on his shoulder- "their bed at night. God, why do have to be so-" you pointed at all of him with a frustration-filled, longing look of...disgust- "you." By now Loki was raising his brows in question and shifting his gaze between himself and you, clearly confused by your reaction. It even seemed he was a bit flustered at one point. You winced, looking at his body again. Your eyes followed the ridges on his face to his neck, plunging down his v neck t-shirt. With a frown you turned hastily, flinging your body involuntarily in the direction of the bath. "I bet they go all the way down," you whispered to yourself in between your sobs and walked away.

Loki: *still stands there* *blinks* *looks at the camera* what...*looks in her direction* *looks back* *does this two more times* what just happened?

The Resting Chambers: Next Day One of Javier's drones followed you from the balcony you were standing in to witness the first light of the nearest star in this frozen land. The snow-clad mountains were a majestic sight in their own stature. Even the smile emanating under the warmth of the star could not deny that. The giggles coming from inside the room broke the sweet hum of sync you were having with the weather, walking back in to find Skandi and Kolga, Nandi's daughters setting up the table with Jotunheim's specialities- snowberries, Kruweed- fresh seaweed from the frozen lake- and Lulu's favourite, spiked abalones. "What are you girls snickering about?" Lulu was already jumping on the table to sniff everything placed for his liking. Once he had inspected every single item, he went over to his bowl of abalones.

"Nothing," Skandi cooed, "just discussing how Loki-" Kolga elbowed her sister to correct herself- "how his Grace, keeps looking at you." Your hands paused for a fraction of a second near your mouth before the snowberry found its way in your mouth. "Look at me how?" "He looks at you as if you might vanish any second if he does not keep his eye on you," Kolga added, sitting down next to you. Her face had gentle tones all over it. Her eyes seemed to sparkle whenever she talked to you. "Are you being punished for something?" It took you some time to realise she was genuinely curious. "What. No. Why would you think that?" "Because his grace keeps you under guard. I thought pets were kept in cages in Midgard." Skandi turned to Kolga with a gasp. "He caged her last night then?!" The camera captured your furrowed brows sitting there confused in between the sisters. You opened your mouth to speak but lost to Kolga. "You mean when he told off Helbindi that she will be sleeping in his quarters." Skandi nodded vigorously. "He could not have kept her in a real cage." "Maybe he chained her to the bed." "Ah. So he could keep an eye on her at night." "Is that what happened, y/n?" You hid your face behind the mug of tea that did not seem to leave your lips while your free hand seemed to check your cheeks for their temperature. "This tea is good," your burned throat appreciated the drink. "He seems quite...what is the word... possessive of her," Skandi commented. You shared a look with the drone- your face devoid of any emotions. Kolga hummed in agreement, popping a snowberry in her mouth. "I thought Kruge would die last night by his hands." Now that seemed to catch your attention. "Kruge who?" "Helbindi's guard. The one who nearly pushed you into the wall last night." "When you went inside," Kolga continued, "his Grace took Kruge's staff and struck him in his limbs and threatened him to never touch you again if he wanted to stay alive." "Kruge should be glad he did not use his powers on him lest he would be a part of the dark pit's icicles by now." Kolga and Skandi stopped talked to watch you lost in deep thought while your hands scratched Lulu's back on their own, making the floof purr quite loud. "Is she making this little creature vibrate?" Skandi asked her sister in a whisper. "It looks like it," her sister whispered back in awe.

You: *whispering at Javier* What? No, it's okay. We can record here. No one can say anything. *sits on the stone seat in the gallery that seems empty to the camera* *adjusts hair* is it recording? Of course. It's always recording. *clears throat* *at normal tone* So, clearly...*inhales* *raises brows* things are barely standing still right now. And it is clearly not helping that Loki is having sudden urges to pick a fight with whoever bullies me. *Javier's drone catches him discreetly signing at you to lower your voice a bit* You: *irritated* I mean does he want me to get bullied more? Bullies are always going to pick on the weak one in the group for fuck's sake! And evidently, I am the weaker sex. *the camera catches a movement behind you, turning to focus on the source* You: and his highness does not seem to realise that it will be too easy for these giants to torture his weaknesses out of me. Does he not see that? *squints at Javier* what? The drone is recording Javier aggressively telling you to cut it out while looking pale as his gaze goes far behind you. You turn to look where his gaze is going. Javier's camera automatically focuses on Kruge standing next to the last pillar, throwing daggers in your direction through his bloody eyes for a moment before disappearing somewhere. You: *turn around with a shade lighter yourself* *the camera is panning over your face now as you look at it* *whispers* Fuck!

Five Minutes Later One of the drones buzzed against the ice that separated the balcony and the bedroom, tapping itself repeatedly on the transparent frost till the door to the room opened. It turned around to record you and Javier rush inside- the latter placing his camera in his bag and packing his stuff. "Okay, relax, relax!" you stressed to the hyperventilating boy. "We need to get out of here," he signed. "Javi, take three deep breaths? Yes? One? Two? Good. Three. Now think about it. As long as we are with Loki, no one will dare harm us. Okay? Not to mention he has allotted us our personal security team." Javier was on the verge of sobbing. "What about when Loki is not around. What will we do then?" "Javi, don't think like that," you nearly fumed at him. "Loki is in the throne room right now. You take the guards with you and go to him and when you find a window let him know what happened, okay?" Javier was still taking deep breaths while sweating through his fur coat. He nodded. "What about you?" "I...have Lulu." You pointed at the floof sleeping with his belly bared and his paws out. "I won't leave the room, don't worry." Once convinced you'll be fine, Javier hurried outside, leaving you in a silence only filled by light snores of your baby. The drone recorded you biting your lip and tying your hair up in a bun. "Okay," you whispered to yourself, "now we wait." It also recorded the sudden change in the shade of one section of the wall opposite to your back. With the focus still on you, the section of the wall appeared to open out, revealing the pitch blackness lit by a pair of red eyes. The next thing you knew, the drone was lying on the floor, its barely working lens recording your muffled screams and boots struggling to find the ground as a pair of blue feet walked past the lens before it went black.

One Hour Later The camera sat on the stone seat, recording the periodic tapping of Javier's foot from outside the frame. Loki still had audience. The Jotuns discussed every aspect of Jotunheim with the king. Loki sat patiently, listening to every word before advising them necessary steps. The majority was satisfied with the King's suggestions. Many were even in awe. There were a few who were dissatisfied no matter what the God mentioned. "Well-" Loki sat straight, addressing the whole court- "this concludes our day then." "Your grace," one giant bowed at the steps, "there are a few more issues that need your kind attention." Loki sighed, his hand resting on the armrest, his fingers running over his lips in thought. Not sure about Loki, but the camera recorded the patient that ran out of Javier. He got up from his seat, immediately catching the God's eye, who was quick to raise his fingers just for the boy to stop taking any further steps towards him. "You have stalled me enough," the God acknowledged, catching the giant off guard. "Helbindi should know it better than anyone that a coup against me would be a futile attempt." Loki did not budge where he sat, just his finger drumming on the arm rest. "And I am in no mood for a mutiny."

The one drone who had been playing with the Jotun kids picked up the damage to a drone in the resting chambers. It buzzed through the halls, trying to pick up your trail, finding corridors and corners to fly through, walking down dark pathways with no windows and steep stairs spiraling deep into the mountains. On its way it found Lulu howling and meowing in a frantic daze, walking down the same path where he found your scent. And it seemed like he found you through the same dark pathway that ultimately reached an opening. There was nothing but ice all around and in every form. A section of the mountain that opened to the outside with a catch. There were cells cut into this ice for prisoners. Shackles of cold metal rested in every cell. Each of them had metals bars to keep the captives in and an opening in the ice to keep any grain of warmth out. And to add to it all, this entire prison cell rested on a frost chunk hanging at the edge of the mountain. "Stop, please, you cannot do this!" Your voice and footsteps could be heard echoing through this section. The drone buzzed and landed on the wall to record the Kruge stripping you of your fur coat with a maniacal grin on his face. "Hey! HEY!! Give me back my coat!" Kruge stopped you from going for your coat by his hand coming for your throat. His grip made it hard for you to breathe as you struggled to get out of the hold, your nails trying their best to dig into that stubborn cold skin of his. Lulu ran and growled at the giant, scratching at his ankles till the latter kicked him away. "What do you want?" you barely managed to get out of your mouth. "We want Loki out of Jotunheim," he growled in your face, smacking your back in the ice wall behind you before letting go of your throat. You fell down with a thud and a groan, taking in as much air as your windpipe allowed. "Okay," you wheezed, "okay. You let me talk to Loki and I will convince him to leave Jotunheim. I promise. I pinky promise." You even raised your pinky. But Kruge was already closing the bars on you. Lulu ran and jumped through the bars to stop by your side, sniffing and crying, wanting to make sure you were okay. "No no no no," you crawled to the bars, trying to wrap your fingers around them but failing once your skin felt the vicious cold personally, "please don't do this. You have to stop. Now." "You said you know Loki's weakness," a voice boomed from the shadows where you had been dragged from. A very familiar and ominous voice. The drone turned to capture Helbindi stepping into the ice prison with a stature fit for kings. "His essence is lost. It is a secret no more, you quim." You looked at Lulu in confused defeat. "Why does it feel like he called me a whore?" you whispered. Lulu threw his own curses at the giant. "Listen, sir, Mr Helbindi," you began, "you want the throne, right? And I want to get out of here alive. How about I take Loki with me? You get back your kingly rights, I get my friends back and we go our separate ways. Everybody wins!" Helbindi came down on his knees in front of you. A smile rested on those cracked lips of his. His hand went past the bars- to your surprise- and landed on your cheeks. Your gaze kept shifting between his eyes and his hand while your body tried to move away from his hold. But he was one stubborn bastard. "He must have kept you alive for a reason." Helbindi was talking to himself now. His thumb rubbed against your skin, something that was visibly making you uncomfortable. "Ah...he keeps you to satisfy his nightly needs." You pushed yourself away from Helbindi, only to be forced into the bars by his hold around your skull; his chuckle resonating through the prison. "Do not worry my little whore," he whispered right in your ear while his icy breath ran over your skin, "you will be my pet soon. And unlike Loki-" he licked your cheek with his tongue, driving you mad with disgust- "I prefer violence even in my chambers." Your breaths were shallow. A single tear falling from your eyes as you did you best to maintain your features. "You are making a grave mistake," you whispered through your teeth. Lulu tried to claw at Helbindi too but Kruge was already kicking him away, earning a death stare from you. The giant struck his nail in your throat, driving it deep till there was blood. "The only mistake that was made was by you coming into my land. And you all will pay for it." Dropping you back into the snow, Helbindi got up and walked back into the darkness.

Loki watched the doors open to let Helbindi in, his gait ever so dominating as he walked past the judgmental eyes of every other giant in the court with his own little battalion following him, carrying weapons of all sorts. "A king with no powers has no right to sit on the throne, Laufeyson," Helbindi roared, ground his staff a few feet away from the stairs to the throne, creating a crack in the ground. "And a Jotun with Asgard in his blood has no right to stay alive in Jotunheim." Weapons were drawn at anyone who was not on Helbindi's side. Javier was already on his feet, running by Loki's side with his camera. Loki still had his mouth covered with his hand, as if in a tired trance. "Everybody out," he commanded ever so smoothly to his audience- who was hesitant at first, but left as soon as the God's eyes pierced through every last one of them. Left alone with his brother's radical followers, he sighed out loud, his fingers still drumming. Javier felt a buzz in his pocket, making him take out the little tablet he used to control his cameras. "Your actions with every passing moment make me more sure of your inability to rule over the subjects, brother mine," the God simply commented. The seriousness on Javier's face was turning into a field of fear. "Oh, I am not asking, brother mine," Helbindi snared at Loki, "I am taking what is mine." "And why would I give you anything you want." "Ask your little plaything," Helbindi smirked. The drumming of those pale fingers stopped. Silence eroded in the throne room. And slowly a shallow panting was audible from the God's side. The camera suddenly lost its balance and fell down on the armrest before toppling on the throne behind Loki, his back still in the frame. Light reflected through Javier's eyes, more precisely through his tears, as he moved the tablet towards Loki. "Stop, please, you cannot do this!" your voice echoed through the tablet, and all the lines on Loki's face disappeared. His body got up from the throne, his eyes still stuck on the device, looking at the aftermath of Helbindi's actions. There was no emotion on the God's face while he witnessed everything recorded on the drone. He did not even budge till the recording finished. Once the screen blacked out, he swerved the tablet for Javier to take back. His gaze was apparently still stuck on the black stones on the floor, his jaw threateningly sharp in whatever light coming from the nearest star. "If you want to see her alive again, go back to your ship before the star drops fro-," "You touched her." His voice was just a decibel higher than a whisper; his shoulders stiff. The silver bracelets were visible on his wrists, more so with the light reflecting from them. His pale fingers now turned into fists. "You hurt her." Nothing but the resonating crack of a metal reverberated through the hall and everything went black.

The drone sat over the bars, recording the visible shivering breaths coming out of you while your skin turned pale, your fingers blue and your hairs were already collecting frost over them, despite moving your legs as close as you possibly could to your body. "P-plea-hease," your voice shuddered, "s-s-stop hi-im. T-there is-s-s st-i-ill time." "Your master is quite possibly begging on his knees by now," Kruge cackled, gulping down the mead and pouring more from the barrel next to him. Lulu was trying his best to keep your warm with his little body, wrapping himself around your neck while whimpering for you. Kruge was about to finish another mug when his ears caught a snicker that slowly turned into a weak laughter. The drone recorded you chuckling through the pain of the blight. "What is so comedic," Kruge snarled at you. "You thought I was telling you to stop for Loki's sake?" you laughed a little more, making the Jotun simmer with building rage. "I was telling you to stop your master before it's too late, you sewage rat's tick." The lens panned in on your features, all those helpless tears replaced by a smirk that could put the devil to shame. "You master thinks I am Loki's weakness." Your eyes glistened with a tint of some hidden darkness inside them in contrast to all the white around you. "Because I made him think that, you buffoon." "He is nothing without his essen-" "Count your peaceful breaths, you son of a bitch," you stressed, never batting your eyelids, "because you are not going to die an easy death today." You smiled turned into a chuckle before your eyes turned heavy and you fell down. The drone- in its last few minutes- went dark, but not before recording Lulu's cried, mewls, howls that slowly turned into a blood curdling roar echoing till the end.

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