#poor MC just wanted a funny or nice dream for once and then they see that *again*

[kris-mage-fics]

A couple of Shepherds of Haven memes on this fine day. MC when they have one of those dreams:

Monsterfucker Endarkenedfucker Mages:

[astaroth1357]

"Hi kinda new. I don't know if this is where requests go, but if you haven't done it yet can I request an MC sneaking into the boys beds?" ~irenethehotdog

The MC Sneaks Into the Brothers' Beds While They're Asleep

@irenethehotdog don’t worry, I found ya anyway. 😁 Sooo there was a kind of tender way I could have played this… but then there was a funny way. I hope you're alright that I went with the funny way. 😅 I got two bed requests that are kind of similar-ish but how I’m interpreting them makes them just different enough to warrant two different asks. Here's the first one!

Check out my Masterlist for more!

Warning: Comical nudity? Is that NSFW-ish?

Intro:

Sometimes everybody needs a little comfort, especially in the middle of the night. Any number of things could have drawn the MC out of their bed: bad dreams, nagging thoughts, just general fear of the darkness of Hell that surrounded them, but they decided to try to soothe their unease with the company of their demonic housemates! Wonder how that turned out for them..?

Lucifer

I mean, if you’re feeling a little alone at night, maybe a little scared, it would only be natural to want to seek solace with the strongest person in the nearest vicinity, right? ...Right?

To say it was maybe ill-advised to just climb into bed with Lucifer would be an understatement… Frankly, if the enchantments he had on his door weren’t specifically meant for Mammon then they might have ended up in a very compromised position. But somehow, they managed to infiltrate the demon’s private sanctuary and get right up to his bed.

Now, Lucifer is not a heavy sleeper. Not at all. He’s grown pretty accustomed to waking up at all hours of the night because of his brother’s antics, so he felt the shifting weight on his mattress almost instantly.

They probably weren’t expecting him to suddenly jerk upright and spin towards them, fireball in hand ready to lob at their face... but that’s what they got.

After realizing that it was just the human and not Mammon coming in to take his stuff again, he made them sit down in front of his fireplace while he gave them a looong lecture about personal boundaries and how it’s really not smart to sneak up on demons like that… 

But he was still sympathetic to their sleep-deprived state so he offered them some tea and Devildom sleep remedies in hopes of getting them back to bed. ...Just not his. Back to your bed with you, MC.

Mammon

Mammon was their “babysitter.” Their protector. Their guardian. So why wouldn’t they want to go to him on a difficult night?

Getting into Mammon’s bed was hardly a challenge, sure they had to tiptoe through the garbage heap that made up his bedroom floor but it wasn’t Mission Impossible or anything…

What did catch them off guard was just how… not clothed he felt after they slid in under his covers. Like, pretty much wearing nothing at all. Not even a pair of courtesy boxers. 😓

It was their squeal as they flung themselves out of the bed that actually woke Mammon up. They had him ripping the covers off, ready to leap into action and everything, which definitely didn’t help matters. (Or maybe it did, depending on your point of view 🤷‍♀️).

Both parties pretty much turned into a cursing/blushing mess as he shot them embarrassed, rapid-fire questions while desperately trying to pull on some sweats. Meanwhile the MC stayed plastered up against the wall of his bedroom, answering him in equally defensive shouts.

Eventually, their fuss woke up Lucifer who was quick to send both of them back to their respective beds. The House teased them mercilessly for weeks… How were they supposed to know Mammon slept naked??

Leviathan

Levi might be a… strange choice for bedmate at first glance (he doesn’t really even sleep in bed, but a tub hardly meant for two people). However, there’s a certain level of approachability to him, isn’t there? Considering his own struggles with anxiety, maybe they thought he could relate…?

They tried knocking on his door first, thinking he might have been gaming, but there was no answer. When they walked in and found the otaku actually asleep for once, it seemed like their wishes might have actually been granted!

...But then came the actual trouble of trying to get into bed with Levi to start with. There wasn’t really an easy way to squeeze their body in past his because the tub was so dang narrow…

Any rational person might have just given up on the venture, but not MC. Whatever's possessed them to want to sleep with this awkward shut-in has a pretty good hold on them yet.

Lack of sleep might have been what gave them the bright idea to just try and lay on top of Levi veeerrry sooooftlllly…. Which is how the poor demon woke up to them halfway straddling his waist in the middle of the night.

His remarkably high-pitched scream woke up the whole dang House and the sheer amount of force he used when trying to jerk out of the tub toppled it over… Even after many apologies (and a trip to go buy a new tub), Levi still double locks his door at night to this day… 😓

Satan

Really an odd choice there, not going to lie. They’re well aware of the possibility that they could accidentally wake him and he maaaay not be the best waker (what being Wrath and all) but if it’s irrational worries that got you down, why not go to the most rational person in the House? Sounds like a perfectly logical decision, right?

That might have been what their half-baked disillusions were telling them on the way to Satan's bedroom but actually standing in front of the sleeping man was a whole other story. They felt crazy, genuinely crazy… But they still slipped in under the covers anyway.

Satan stirred almost immediately and turned to face them… but his eyes could hardly keep focus and the look of dopey confusion on his face could have honestly made the perfect screen background. "Huuuuuh…? MC…? What're you doin' 'ere…?"

They kind of had to hold in a laugh while they explained that they just wanted to sleep next to him that night. Satan beamed them an oddly serene smile and just nodded. "Okaaay…" With that he seemed to roll over to go back to sleep… but his mind caught back up with him before his drowsiness did.

"Wait a minute..." Ah shit….

 Like Lucifer, Satan ended up giving them a pretty good lecture on boundaries and the like when he finally snapped out of his stupor. Thankfully he wasn't mad, just a little embarrassed that they had seen him like that. He offered them a good book or two to pass the time if they couldn't sleep, but sent them back to bed all the same.

Asmodeus

Asmo probably doesn’t get people coming into his bed with completely chaste intentions very often, but he’s by far the most emotionally in-tuned demon in the House. If they're after a little sympathy, best just go to Asmo right?

They weren't really sure what to expect when they walked into his room... Does Asmo sleep like a Disney Princess, hair and makeup done perfectly in defiance of all laws of beauty?

Does he sleep like a '60s housewife, with curlers in his hair and leftover chips of mud mask on his face?

Does he sleep like the god of all sex that he is, sculpted chest for the eyes to see and everything underneath laid bare like a honeypot of temptation??

The MC doesn't really get to know, because when they pulled back the covers to climb inside they were met by the sight of someone else's very naked ass taking up the spot where they thought Asmo should be.

They go back to their room willingly, dejected and maybe a little scarred... Apparently they were just too late to the party...

Beelzebub

Okay, everything about Beel screams “Hello! I’m a warm comforting teddy bear!”...aside from the hungry parts. It’s really not hard to see why they’d want to go to him if they’re feeling a little vulnerable.

They didn't worry too much about being quiet when they walked into the twins' room. Belphie could sleep through a rock concert and Beel wasn't too far behind him (as long as he wasn't hungry).

They figured that the tall twin wouldn't mind too much if they just crawled into bed with him… He had make a similar request of them before, it was only fair right?

As they were preparing their tired body for a good night's sleep, they gently pulled the covers back next to Beel but they probably weren't expecting to find so many food wrappers surrounding him… or bags of chips… or packages of cookies… or-

Apparently Beel had yet another sleep-eating run and this time he seemed to have brought the whole kitchen back with him. There was hardly enough room left for Beel anymore, let alone the MC!

Considering their options were to either wedge themselves between a havoc roast and a bag of jerky or just brave one more night on their own, they cut their losses early and went back to their own bed...

Belphegor

They didn’t have to know Belphie since Day One of being there to pick up on how hard he slept. The man was pretty much in a coma for most of the day and that included his nightly rests too. Would he even notice if they… per say… slipped into bed with him to get a little comfort from their nightmares? Surely, he’d stay asleep, right?

When they didn't see his sleeping form in the room he shared with Beel, the MC eventually found Belphie up in the attic room. His little hideaway with a plush-ass bed to boot.

They didn’t bother being quiet at all. They figured that Belphie could have stayed under for anything short of banging pots and pans in his ears so why try to mask their footsteps?

They never expected him to be awake. 😰

The moment they lifted the covers, Belphie struck like some kind of blanket crocodile! He grabbed them by the waist and dragged them into the spot of the bed right under him with a impish grin on his face.

Turns out they weren't the only ones having sleeping problems that night and as they felt the full weight of his worn out body settle in nicely up against theirs they knew that maybe, finally, they'd get a good night's sleep… 🤭

[leonardhoee]

Ikevamp Boys In Vegas

Leonardo:

Ok Leo wouldn’t really be into the expensive nightlife part of Vegas. He’d probably like the old bars and pubs in downtown Vegas where all the original casinos are. He’d also like to explore the nearby mining ghost downs (Rhyolite Ghost Town). (He’d also take everyone to the ghost tours of those places at night). He would probably just wake up and leave the hotel and when all the others wake up they can’t find him but don’t really question it since they probably expected him to go off exploring on his own. He would also go to the Neon Graveyard and Madame Tussaud’s + any other cool art display with Vincent and Theo. He would take MC to the gondolas in the Venetian hotel. They would also go to the Ceaser’s Palace mall and just run around there for hours looking at different stores and get lost. He’d like the Avengers Exhibit and he’d try to make some of the things he saw there. (There was also a Da Vinci exhibit that MC would definitely take him to see). One time Leo and Dazai were smoking together at a fancy rooftop bar and ended up sharing a blunt with Snoop Dogg. Both of them wake up the next day thinking it was a fever dream. (Listen I just really think Leo and Snoop Dogg would be good friends. They are basically the same person)

Arthur:

He would immediately go to an expensive rooftop bar to flirt with women (If MC isn't part of this). His favorite places would be the strip clubs and bars (he drags Theo with him). He and Comte go to a Burlesque club together. He got kicked out of a bar once because he was unknowingly hitting on someone’s wife. This boy would also take Theo Gucci shopping with him. The two of them will probably get into several bar fights and either get kicked out or arrested. (Comte bails them out). He would take pictures with every showgirl he meets and gets Theo in on some of them (Theo is just standing there glaring at the camera with his arms crossed). He loved going to the Pitbull concert, wants to be called Mr. Worldwide now but no one will call him that. He would also go to Casinos and somehow win big to impress MC. Security is keeping an eye on him.

Comte:

One of the chillest ones on the trip. He just goes to fancy restaurants and watches Cirque Du Soliel shows. Every time you see him he just has a glass of expensive wine. He takes Leo to clubs with him, even though they just sit by the bar the whole time having a drinking competition. Comte also runs into Arthur at a Burlesque club. (This man would be into burlesque you can’t tell me otherwise).  He mostly just manages everyone’s schedule, helps them book tickets for whatever they want to do, and occasionally bails people out. Also goes to Italian restaurants with Leo (because Vegas has the best Italian food I’ve ever had ong) What? No ofc its not a date. He buys MC a new dress and leaves it on her bed with a note telling her to be ready by 6 and takes her to an exclusive restaurant in a limo. He goes all out for their date.

Shakespeare:

Bruh he would absolutely LOVE all the different shows. The whole environment that THRIVES off entertainment. This would be his dream city. He would somehow get backstage for a Variety show and help them add scenes and dance numbers. He’d come back with so many ideas for his own plays. He would also follow around some of the wilder residents to see if they do something he can include in his plays. I also believe he’d somehow find the most romantic places to take MC if she was there with them. He would also be interested in the Mob Museum and the mafia history. He would LOVE Criss Angel’s Mindfreak show (No I’m not just saying that because I love it too)

Napoleon: 

I think he would like exploring the various hotels more than going out clubbing. Let’s be honest, Comte would get the super expensive suites so Napoleon would just be sleeping in half the day. He would use it as a chance to unwind and would take full advantage of the room service and spas. He would go to the pool with MC and Sebastian. I can see him being everyone’s designated photographer and bag holder. If MC wants to go somewhere he would come with her to make sure she gets there safely (The amount of creepy old men who have stared at me when I walk through casinos is gross).

Vincent: 

He and Theo would definitely go to the Neon Graveyard with Leo. They would also love seeing the abstract art pieces and murals that are all over downtown Las Vegas. He would be so amazed seeing the seasonal decorations in the Bellagio hotel. MC would take him to the Van Gogh art gallery so he and Theo could see how successful his art has become. He also like exploring the hotel with everyone and going to the pool to relax. He would take amazing pictures of MC and make an album for her. One time he was walking to a show with everyone when a few showgirls asked if he wanted to take a picture. And being the absolute angel he is, he told them how beautiful they are and just had the most wholesome heart- stealing interaction with them. 

Theo:

He would go to old bars and pubs with Leo and Arthur in downtown Vegas (They got into a bar fight that Leo helped them hide from Comte). Arthur would drag him to various clubs but I think he would have an overall artistic appreciation for Burlesque. I think he’d be happy to see that artistic expression isn't being censored anymore like it was in his time. MC would take him and Vincent to the Van Gogh exhibit. He would also love the different murals and abstract art that's all over downtown Las Vegas. MC would buy him one of those glass art sculptures and he would be all “oh Hondje brought me a toy?” but he would actually be super touched and would blush when she gave it to him. Arthur would also drag him into taking pictures with various showgirls and then would get jealous when Theo gets more attention from them (even though Theo isn’t a big fan of it).

Isaac:

Isaac would go to all the different museum exhibits with Leo, MC, and the Van Gogh. He would also enjoy the Avengers Exhibit because of all the crazy technology and scientific concepts used in creating it. He would also go to the spas with Napoleon and MC because that boy needs to relax himself. I think most of the time he would either stick with Leo, Napoleon or MC because Vegas is... a lot and he might get overwhelmed. Arthur would rope him into taking a picture with the Showgirls and he would be flustered for the rest of the day. He mostly just gets dragged into whatever activities the others are doing.

Dazai:

Dazai would love all the different comedy shows. He would also be exploring the hotels but instead of finding the spa he would find the most random hidden storage areas and rooms of the hotel. By the end of the trip he would somehow know the whole hotel inside out. One time he went missing and no one could find them until he came down the elevator with this rich elderly couple who gave him a tour of their whole VIP floor. He would also go out to bars with Leo in the middle of the night and they’d come back and just smoke together on the balcony. He would find the best obscure dessert places in the whole city and somehow make friends with a celebrity that he met purely by accident. (He just shows up to lunch with Pitbull one day and he’s like “yeah I just met him in the bathroom”. MC and Sebastian are  s h o o k)

Mozart:

Mozart would be very interested in seeing the street musicians and how they're able to play songs from everyday objects.He, Comte, and MC go shopping together and then they’d go to exclusive lounges together. He gets dragged to clubs by everyone but god forbid he gets touched by a sweaty person dancing, he will LOOSE IT. He gives pointers to the DJs and he actually likes listening to different genres of music. (Funny story, one time my dad went to a club in Vegas where Calvin Harris was DJing and he gave him tips on how to mix songs. He had no idea who Calvin Harris was). Mozart loves the spa and huge bathrooms, hates casinos since he thinks they're noisy and filthy. He goes to the mall and buys expensive skincare items. 

Jean:

Poor boy is so lost. Just like Isaac he kind of gets dragged everywhere. He likes going to the lounges with MC and Mozart but most of the time he will just want to enjoy the hotel room alone. MC doesn't want him to be alone the whole time so she takes him to see the Bellagio decorations and takes adorable candid pictures of him while he's there. He is amazed at how they were able to create something like that. He’s also amazed at the fountain show that MC takes him to at night. Mozart and MC take Jean with them when they goes shopping and he buys Jean some nice things (because he DESERVES IT). Would avoid clubs at all costs and if he somehow gets dragged there by everyone he leaves the first chance he gets.

Sebastian:

Like Shakespeare, Sebastian also follows around the residents, seeing how they react to such a new environment. He takes notes on all their activities and exchanges info with Shakespeare. He made all the reservations and keeps track of everyone’s itinerary. He is the only other person who knows about Arthur and Theo’s bar fight because Leo told him in exchange for modern cigarettes. He was so excited when Napoleon asked him to join him in their spa trip. Most of the time Sebastian goes with Comte and Napoleon to their activities. He would also love seeing some of the historical exhibits, like the Titanic and Ancient Egypt ones in the Luxor hotel. He’s mainly just happy to have enough free time to write as much info in his book as he wants.

[obeyme-kaidii-writes]

Sick

Mammon x gn!MC

Words - 3275

Content warnings - fluff, crack, my attempt at humor, adult humor I guess? but no smut

Prompt/Inspiration - Mammon gets sick and MC cares for him

Summary - Mammon gets a very minor case of the sniffles and is determined to milk it for all its worth. But he doesn’t realize you know exactly what he’s up to and have a plan of your own in mind.

AO3

It’s not often demons get sick, you’ve been told. Since their bodies heal quicker and are generally more resilient than humans, they are much better at fighting off disease.

So imagine Mammon’s surprise when he woke up one morning, shivering. Yes, he sleeps au natural, but his body temp runs warm to begin with and he kept plenty of sheets and blankets on his bed to keep him nice and snug. If he bundled up right, he’d create his own little cocoon of warmth that he was always reluctant to leave.

But this morning he was cold. After a few moments of staring at the ceiling he decided he should text you and ask you to bring him something to drink.

Of course he wasn’t really after the drink.

He was after your attention.

It’s not often demons get sick after all...and he was going to milk this for all it was worth.

As you headed towards Mammon’s room with the bottle of water he requested, you were a bit annoyed with him. You couldn’t figure out why your boyfriend couldn’t get it himself, and it was way too early in the morning on a Saturday for you to get out of bed. But you figured if he was going to wake you up, the least he could do was let you climb into bed with him and steal his warmth. It seemed like a pretty fair trade.

Only when you got to his room, he didn’t greet you like normally. Instead, you heard a faint coughing sound coming from his bed. Thinking maybe his throat was just dry and that’s why he begged for the water, you headed over to him and sat down on the edge of his bed. Mammon finally rolled over partway to face you, and you immediately noticed how flushed his cheeks looked.

“Thanks,” he said, weakly.

“Are you ok?” you asked, handing him the water and reaching out to touch his forehead. He seemed a bit warm to your touch, but you had no idea what a demon fever was supposed to feel like so you couldn’t tell if he was running one.

“I’m jus’ tired. And a little sore. Nothin’ The Great Mammon can’t handle,” he replied, coughing again, before taking a sip of his water.

“Maybe I should get Lucifer?”

“No!”, he yelped, with a surprising amount of energy, causing you to raise an eyebrow skeptically.

“I mean...it’s jus’...” more weak coughing, “I’ll be fine if you’re here. Prolly just a cold ya know?” He offered you a weak smile.

“A...cold…?” Do demons even get colds? You hadn’t the faintest idea. You knew it was possible for them to get sick, but you heard it happened so rarely you honestly didn’t think you’d ever get to see it for yourself. You were about to ask if it was ok to talk to Barbatos at least, but a tiny niggling feeling at the back of your mind told you not to say anything out loud for now and just to text him later.

“Can ya just...hold me?” Mammon asked, looking at you with the best puppy dog eyes he could manage.

Ok, something was definitely up, you thought.

“Sure babe, let me just get some stuff from my room and I’ll be right back.” You leaned over and pressed a kiss to his forehead, before standing up and leaving his room. As soon as his door closed behind you, you pulled out your DDD and sent Barbatos a text, hoping he might already be up early. And fortunately for you, he was.

"Hey Barb. Kinda an odd question but can demons get colds?” “Not usually. It would be exceedingly rare. Is one of the brothers sick?” “Mammon says he has a cold. But I don’t know enough to tell how bad it is.” “Can you tell if he’s running a fever?” “He seemed warm and a little flushed. If he was a human I would say he had a low grade fever. Nothing serious.” “Ah. He will be fine in that case. Demonic fevers run very hot to the touch. You would know immediately if there was cause for concern.” “Thanks Barb. You’re a lifesaver.” “It’s not a problem at all. You can message me anytime.”

With a better understanding of Mammon’s ‘condition’ under your belt, you felt relieved to know it wasn’t anything serious. But that still left you to figure out what exactly to do for him. Should you just pretend you were none the wiser and indulge him? Or should you call him out on it?

You continued thinking about this as you gathered up your things - a book, your DDD charger...when a brilliant idea struck you. You knew just what to do to make your poor, sick demon boyfriend feel better.

————

“Hey Mammon, I’m back. Sorry it took so long,” you announced as you entered his room, carrying a large bag. You carefully sat it down on top of Mammon’s pool table and began to unpack.

“What’s all that?”, he asked. Mammon had rolled over on his side to watch you.

“Oh just some human realm cold remedies. I thought I could take care of you like how my family used to take care of me. I’m not sure how effective some of this stuff will be, but at least it’ll make you feel better.”

You turned around and gave Mammon a brilliant smile, and he relaxed into his bed, pulling his blankets snug around him. You were such a good human, looking after him like this. He almost felt guilty for making you work so hard for his sake when he wasn’t all that sick. Almost.

“Where’d ya get all that stuff?”

“Oh Barbatos helped me out. Turns out Lord Diavolo has quite the collection of human things stashed away in his castle. Food too. I guess it was part of his research and preparation for the exchange program,” you said with a shrug.

“Barb?” Mammon tensed up imagining Barbatos talking to Diavolo, who would certainly talk about his “illness” with Lucifer. And he really doubted Lucifer would let him get away with this if he knew.

“Don’t worry, he promised not to mention it to anyone for now. But he wants me to get back to him if you’re not better by the end of the day, because that could mean it’s something much more serious.”

“Oh. Okay. I’m sure I’ll be fine by then. Just need a day ta rest is all.”

Mammon wasn’t sure how he felt about you talking to Barbatos, but it seemed that the butler hadn’t blown his cover, for which he was grateful. Now all he had to do was sit back and enjoy your undivided affection and attention. All. Day. Long.

“Give me your feet,” you said, walking towards the foot of Mammon’s bed.

“Sure babe,” he replied, wiggling his feet free of the covers so you had easier access. You had never given him a foot rub before, and he was getting excited at the thought. This was the life.

His dreams were quickly dashed though, when he felt something cold, wet, and kinda slimy pressed to the bottom of his foot as you tugged some thick, wool socks over them.

“What the hell is that?!” he squeaked, trying his best to keep his voice down and not react too much. He didn’t want to give himself away after all.

“Oh this? It’s a home remedy. You put onions in your socks and it draws out the toxins in your body so you can recover faster,” without batting an eye, you moved on to his next foot.

Mammon really did not like how those socks felt on his feet with the onion slices against his skin. But if this was something you were doing to help him, then he guessed he could let you be. You were being so attentive, he really couldn’t complain.

“Alright, there you go. All wrapped up,” you said, patting the bottoms of Mammon’s feet, laughing inwardly when you noticed him flinch at the sensation, before tucking him back in.

“So can ya cuddle now?”, he asked, making sure to punctuate his sentence with a cough. He really wanted you to hold him and run your fingers through his hair like you always did. Maybe he could even convince you to give him a neck and a shoulder rub too.

“Of course.”

You grabbed a small thermos and your book from the pool table and then returned to his bed, climbing in next to him, “Here, this should help with your throat,” you said as you offered the thermos to Mammon.

He couldn’t help but smile at your thoughtfulness. You really were the best. He wasn’t expecting to get a nice warm drink, but you had gone above and beyond what he had hoped for. Propping himself up in the bed slightly, Mammon opened the thermos and poured himself a small serving.

Yummm, warmed milk, he thought.

But as soon as he took his first sip he realized something was wrong. Very very wrong. Not wanting to insult you after you had tried so hard, he forced himself to swallow, shivering as it went down.

“Err, babe...I think there is something wrong with the milk. It tastes umm...a little funny…?”

“Oh that must be the garlic,” you replied, giving Mammon a warm smile, “It helps with aches and pains, plus it’s supposed to help fight infections.” You returned to your book, careful to position it so that Mammon could not see the stupid grin that had now spread across your face.

“Right...umm...thanks…” Mammon looked down at the portion still left in the lid of the thermos and realized he had to drink at least that much if he was hoping to close the container at all. He gulped, and then decided to just treat it like a shot and tossed it back, trying his best to prevent it from lingering on his tongue any longer than possible.

As soon as he started to put the lid back in place however, you stopped him, “You need to drink all of it or it won’t work.”

“Ha...yeah...of course...makes sense,” Mammon chuckled nervously. The whole thing?! You really expected him to drink this whole thermos?? That had to be at least 4 other servings in there. He almost felt like crying at the thought, but then reminded himself that once he was done, he could get back to his comfort cuddling. If you offered him anything else later, he’d just have to tell you he was still full.

“All...done,” he said, tightening the lid back on the thermos before handing it to you. He was so thankful right now that the thermos wasn’t any bigger. He remembered how you mentioned your family used to do these things to help you when you were sick, and immediately felt bad for your childhood self. Being sick as a human must be awful.

Hands finally free, Mammon turned over and curled up beside you, wrapping his arms around your thighs as he rested his head in your lap. Finally he was going to get to rest and cuddle all he wanted. He let out a sigh of contentment when he felt your fingers start to carefully comb through his hair. Now this was what he had been waiting for.

You peered around your book at the adorable, malingering demon resting so peacefully on your lap. You were honestly surprised he had managed to drink all of that vile milk concoction. You had thought for sure that would be the thing to make him fess up. You however, were prepared for this scenario and had one final trick up your sleeve.

But first, you were going to let your sweet demon of Greed get a bit of rest and some real cuddles in. You did love him after all, and you did enjoy cuddling with him. If he had just asked you to be spoiled for a day, you would have happily obliged him. Instead, he gave you an opportunity to tease him that was simply too good to pass up.

After a couple of hours had passed, you sat your book down and stretched your arms above your head. You had gotten a little bit stiff maintaining your position for so long, but Mammon had fallen asleep and your book was better than you had been expecting, so you hadn’t wanted to move.

As you stretched, Mammon started to stir and hugged your legs closer to himself. You smiled at him and gave him a small pat on the head, which caused him to reposition himself a little so that he could better see you.

“Hey, how are you feeling now?”, you asked.

“About the same,” he coughed a couple times before continuing, “I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it down ta lunch. Ya think you could bring my food up to me?” He gave you another weak cough, then tugged the blanket up to his chest so only his head was exposed.

“Really? You don’t think you can even make it downstairs?” you asked, feigning concern.

“Yeah,” cough cough, “It’s just so far to walk ya know? I’d probably get trapped on the stairs.” Mammon laughed weakly at his own joke, a pleading look in his eye.

“That’s starting to sound serious Mammon. I’m getting kind of worried.”

“Nah it’s fine! I’m sure. I just need ta rest. No big deal.”

“I don’t know Mammon. I'm thinking I should go get Lucifer just in case.”

“Hey, that's really not necessary ya know.”

“Well, I do have one more thing I can try,” you said, sighing, “But if you don’t want to try it then I’ll need to get Lucifer.”

Mammon thought for a moment. So far his luck hadn’t been the best with your home remedies. His feet felt awful, and he could still remember the taste of that milk. But maybe if you didn’t have him eat anything he’d be fine? If it could get him out of talking to Lucifer, then a little bit of discomfort would be worth it.

“A’ight, whatcha got?”

“It’s just medicine. Don’t worry. Nothing you have to eat,” you replied, with a saccharine sweet smile. You really wished you had thought a bit further ahead and set up a video camera, because you were sure his reaction was going to be amazing.

Mammon rolled off your lap, resting on his stomach with his arms crossed under his pillow. He watched you as you went back to your stash of things you had brought with you, and picked up a small green box and began opening the end, removing the products carefully.

“Ok Mammon, I need you to lay on your side, facing the wall.”

“Umm...ok.” Mammon rolled over as instructed, thoroughly confused as to why he had to face away from you to receive medication. Maybe it was some sort of topical cream and you were going to rub it on his back?

“Great, now I want you to pull your top leg up towards your stomach, and keep your bottom leg straight.”

“Alright….” He was starting to get a little anxious now. This position seemed really odd to him, and sorta vulnerable. In fact, it vaguely reminded him of a sex position. Which was silly, he thought, it wasn’t like you were going to try to make a move on him when he was supposed to be ill.

“Perfect,” you said, as you started pulling down the blankets and sheets to get a good view of Mammon’s ass. As soon as the cool air hit his backside though, he became very concerned about what was about to happen next.

“Wh wh wh what are you doing back there?” he asked, trying to crane his neck so he could see you, which was very difficult to do from the position he was in.

“I’m prepping the suppository. I just need to apply a bit…”

“THE WHAT?!” he yelped, slapping his hands over his butt as he scrambled to sit upright in bed.

“The suppository,” you replied. It took all of your concentration to keep a straight face at this point.

“I I I I...really don’t think that’s necessary. In fact! I’m feelin’ better already! See?” Mammon flexed his arms, as some sort of show of strength, “Look, even my cough is gone.”

“I don’t know Mammon, I really don’t want to take any chances. If you’re not comfortable with this, I’ll just go get Lucifer, it’s ok.”

“NO! Uhhh... really, I’m feeling much better now.”

You could hear the panic rising in his voice, and the sadist within you laughed in glee. Oh this precious, precious man. How boring would your days be without him?

“It’s fine. I’ll just get Lucifer,” you said, standing up and heading towards the door.

You barely made it a single step though before you felt Mammon grab your wrist, as his confession started pouring from his lips…

“imnotsickpleasedontgetlucfierpleaseimfineiswearimfinenobuttstuffnoluciferpleasepleasepleaseplease.”

You couldn’t contain your laughter any longer, and just started... cackling . There really was no other word to describe it. Tears fell from the corners of your eyes as you laughed and laughed, completely doubled over.

Mammon blinked in confusion. That was not the reaction he had been expecting. As he stood there watching you struggling to compose yourself, he became aware of the fact that he was still completely naked, and not only that, he was standing in his onion socks and the feeling was...not pleasant.

He couldn’t decide if it was safe to let go of your wrist yet, since he had no idea why you were laughing as hard as you were. Would you make a break for it if he tried to grab some shorts to cover himself? Or should he just pick you up and crawl back into bed so he didn’t have to stand anymore in these disgusting socks?

As he was weighing his options, you finally seemed to be calming down, and after taking a few deep breaths you turned to face him.

“Ok...I’m good...I’m good now...phew…” you wiped the tears from your eyes and continued, “Mammon, I know.”

“What do ya mean ya…?” realization started to dawn on him, and Mammon’s cheeks flushed crimson, “But all th th that stuff?”, he stammered out.

“Just some old wives tales and folk remedies.”

“Why…! You…! I drank THAT! That disgustin’ rotten milk!”

You tried to stifle your laughter with your free hand, but were not very successful.

“And...the socks! These nasty slimy socks! You…!”

It was getting harder to contain yourself again as Mammon kept pointing out all you had put him through. Watching you struggle not to laugh made him blush even harder, which only left him more annoyed.

“That’s it ya brat,” he said, and without any warning, scooped you up in his arms.

“Ack! What are you doing?!” you yelped, as you quickly wrapped your arms around his neck to steady yourself.

“We’re goin’ to take a bath and ya scrubbin’ my feet ‘til the onion is gone.”

“What?! Why do I have to do that? You’re the one who faked ill!”

“Th th that’s besides the point…!” he stuttered out, while walking towards his bathroom, his socks making a sickening squishy sound with each step.

You wrapped your arms a little tighter around his neck, giving him a hug, as you laughed softly to yourself. He really did keep your life interesting.

[spencstan]

Six of Crows re-read

(i also did this for the shadow and bone trilogy so read that if you want to)

spoiler alert obiously

i'm SO EXCITED FOR THIS this is my comfort book (with crooked kingdom of course)

JOOST HI

oo fun fact this was my first grishaverse book and i read it with no context whatsoever except that the mc is an emo boy and morally grey

so IMAGINE my pure confusion when JOOST appeared

i was like ?????? weird take on morally grey character but ok

joost trying to figure out how to flirt with a girl is a mood

anyone wanna teach us how to???

i kinda wanna skip this part so i can see the crows..

but i won't don't worry

(won't I?

"I think Yuri may be quarantined"

aaaand?

so are we you are not special

i feel like it's very important for me to mention that i read this book in spanish first

and then i got into the fandom and i was like who the fuck is the wraith? i only know El Espectro

Heartender who??? ooo you mean Cardio

Tidemakers? nope, i only know Maremotores

for real i was so confused i had to re-read it in english (not that i mind tho)

say whatever you want about the spanish version but we have to agree that this design is pretty af

another one yay: "Retvenko was a Squaller" vs. "Retvenk era un Impulsor"

(should i also say that in my pfd english version the book is 294 pages long and in my pdf spanish version its 532????) (i think it's because in the english one the speces are way less like the lines are so close together wtf

i've decided that i'm bored so i'll be skiping this chapter

anya is super badass tho

skdgfalsdgfliaysvfascvhjl yesssssss inej

Kaz Brekker didn't need a reason.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

KAZ

INEJ

I MISSED THEM

omg now i can picture amita and freddy SDJGKASKGLASG THIS IS AMAZING

we interrupt our regularly scheduled program to watch the shadow and bone trailer once again to hear freddy's beautiful voice

ok moving on!

now hear me out i'm giving you all permission to make fun of kaz for this one: Dirtyhands = Manos Sucias

hello i am Kaz Manos Sucias. nice to meet you!

AAAAA

AAAAAAAAAA

JESPER FAHEY

JESPER LOVE HI

SJDGHFKAHSGDLAJSDFSJ,AHFLHDSGF

I MISSED HIM OMG

OMG NOW I CAN PICTURE HIM AS KIT

can you tell jesper is one of my favourite characters?

i really love the fact that kaz is pissed about the murder of that ambassador ONLY because he can´t figure out how it happen

he´s such a nerd

i can't believe one of the firts things we hear jesper say is threathen to kill someone by writing "forgive me" with bullets

AND HE CALLS HIS GUNS "BABIES" OMG

picture saying hi baby and wylan thinkin he's talking to him but actually jesper's talking to one of his guns

Jesper rolled his eyes. "It's about sending a message. What's the point of a dead guy with forg written on his chest?."

"Compromise," Kaz said. "I'm sorry does the trick and uses fewer bullets."

ooo thank god we have kaz to come up with creative solutions /j /s

honestly i love how they talk about kaz's cane like it's the scariest weapon ever (which it kind of is)

nothing will ever disappoint me more than finding out that in english their gang name is "the Dregs". like i don't even know for sure what that means

in spanish is "Los Indeseables" (the undesirables?) which sounds a lot more badass

no hate tho i like the dregs

but i was confused af bc i expected it to be sometihng like "the undesirables" or"the unwanted" or whatever

and it said "the dregs"

which in the translator means something like shit or something

anways moving on:

If he'd (kaz) ever been a little boy

i love how lowkey all the crows think he was just born exactly like he is now

imagine a baby kaz all dressed in black and threatening people

cute

"No mourners," Jesper said as he tossed his rifle to Rotty

"No funerals," the rest of the Dregs murmured in reply. Among them, it passed for "good luck".

YES

YESSS

i wonder what wylan's doing right now :))

i can't wait for the next book where he has a pov

the first time i read this book i literally looked at the title of every chapter to see if he ever got one (i was disappointed to say the least :((((

Besides, she was the Wraith - the only law that applied to her was gravity, and some days she defied that, too.

ma'am

marry me please

i'm gonna cry so hard once the show is out and we get to see inej omg

me simp

That Kaz had chosen Jesper to be one of his seconds was no surprise. Twitchy as Jepser was, with or without his revolvers, he was at his best in a fight, and she knew he'd do anything for Kaz.

idk why but i just love it every time kaz implies or shows that he cares or trusts jesper

it makes me soft

But every one of Inej's senses told her that was not how this was going to play out. Her father would have said the shadows were about their business tonight. Something bad was going to happen here.

underrated saying from Inej's father right there

"I'm a business man," he told her."No more, no less"

"You're a thief, Kaz."

"Isn't that what I just said?"

i-

i see no lies here

not to be annoying but i hc jesper as adhd (i mean is pretty much as canon as wylan's dyslexia) so i'm gonna write here every time i see evidence :)

jesper with adhd part 1: impulsivity

Jesper snorted. "Stomach, spine. What's next, spleen?"

"Shut it" Oomen snarled. The rules of parley dictated that only the lieutenants could speak once negotiations had begun. Jesper mouthed "sorry" and elaboratedly pantomimed locking his lips shut.

he know he couldn't speak but couldn't stop himself from making a comment (i relate way too much to that lmao)

hoestly poor jesper he had to watch hid friend get shot and kaz do nothing about it

i would've been mad too

"I like it when men beg," she said. "But this isn't the time for it"

KAHGFAHLGSFGASFLGSAFS

this is one of the best quotes in the book by far

YASSS KAZ POV

Kaz could have tol Jesper that he knew he wasn't dirty, reminded him that he'd trusted him eough to make him his only real second in a fight that could have gone badly wrong tonight.

cute

but kaz is petty af

he didn't even have a reason not to tell jesper that!

i love that kaz knows inej is following him but doesn't say anything because he wants to wait until she's ready

i LOVE the scene where kaz in in the van eck mantion /srs

idk why but it's so good

And, of course, there was the mystery of Van Eck's son.

wonder what that could be!!! /s

He grinned at her (...)

"Hmm." she said noncommittally, pretending to examine one of her knives, determined to ignore that grin.

KANEJ YESS

HE'S BASICALLY SHOWERING IN FRONT OF HER OMG

this is so funny poor inej is getting flustered

"And I'll need Wylan waiting at the Crow Club tomorrow night."

YES WYLAN OMG

One minute he made her blush and the next he made her want to commit murder

happens to the best of us :/

"Please, my darling Inej. treasure of my heart won't you do me the honor of acquiring me a new hat?"

if kaz doesn't say this on the show we riot

agreed?

it's so amazing how nina found a way to use her powers to get money instead of having to like steal and murder like the rest in the gang

NINA'S POV YESSS HIII

nina and inej omg

their friendship is just perfect

POOR MATTHIAS HE HAS TO FIGHT THE WOLVES

i would straight up cry

Matthias was dreaming again. Dreaming of her

i'm gonna cry damn it

this is the enemies-to-lovers we all needed

jesper has adhd part 2:

"Jesper was supposed to wait until three bells." said the pale boy

"It is three bells, Kaz." replied a small girl (...)

"Since when is Jesper punctual?" the boy complained with a glance at his watch

the time blindness come one

(btw i love the fact that kaz plans around jesper's time blindness instead of like threatening him to be on time)

i really love how every one feels the need to take the time to say/think that the masks are ugly

its so unnecessary lmao

yessss inej is a badass that kills monster we stan

and matthias is lowkey impressed lmao

as he should

"Thank you, Jesper," said Nina

"You're very welcome, gorgeous. See, Kaz? That's how the civilised folk do"

THESE TWO OMG

JESPER IS THE LOML

INEJ OMG LOOK:

She stepped aside as if she's known he was coming, languidly hooking her heel behind his ankle. Matthias let out a loud grunt as he landed on the stones

(...) "Clumsy, this one," the bronze girl said impassively.

i-

that's what happen when you underestimate her bitch

AAAAAAA

PEOPLE

PEOPLE

TIME TO FREAK OUT

WYLAN IS HERE

AND HE'S DOODLING STOP IT'S SO CUTE

ok jesper has adhd part 3 i think:

"Just how crazy is he?" asked Jesper, fingers drumming on the pearl handles of his revolvers.

ok first of all: stimming

second of all: hyperactivity

i rest my case

ok 2 or 3 things here

"I believe you know Nina," Brekker continued. "The lovely girl freeing you is Inej. (...) and this is Wylan, the best demolitions expert in the Barrel"

"Raske is better," Inej said

The boy looked up, ruddy gold hair flopping in his eyes, and spoke for the first time. "He's not better. He's reckless"

"He knows his trade"

"So do I"

ok 1: kaz calling inej lovely omg kanej

2: YES WYLAN STANDING UP FOR HIMSELF

2.5: kaz calling him the best cute af

3: honestly why do people think wylan is like an innocent soft boy or whatever. he's in a room full of murderers and thieves and the first thing he does is correct them and stand up for himself

like i wish i could do that

i would be crying like a bitch

AAAAAAAA

"Meet Wylan Van Eck"

KHDSGFALSGFIASGFAL

HI WYLAN BABY

YESSS JESPER'S POV NOW

I'M SO HAPPY also look at this it's the first thing in his pov

Jesper stared at Wylan

do i sense some wesper?????

ok everyone is being so mean to him right now

they are aclling him useless and an idiot and other shit

poor boy honestly he had to deal with this + taking part of a heist he is definetly not ready for + he has to hide the fact that he can't write or read

it so distrubing that kaz is literally the nicest one to wylan right now

"See that? Hidden depths." (...)"He's good enough at demo, and he's got a fine hand for sketching, thanks to all those pricey tutors."

(...)

"There you have it," Kaz said to Jesper. "Marketable skills. Wylan is watching you, Helvar"

GET READY

ARE Y'ALL READY?

OK THEN:

"Scheming face," Jesper whispered to Inej.

She nodded. "Definetly."

THEIR FRIENDSHIP OMG

AND THIS QUOTE

I NEED IT ON THE SHOW THEY BETTER GIVE IT TO US

"Who's Mark" damn wylan (but pretty good comeback to jesper tho)

"What's the easiest way to steal a man's wallet?

"Knife to the throat?" asked Inej.

"Gun to the back?" said Jesper.

"Poison in his cup?" suggested Nina.

"You're all horrible," said Matthias.

tag yourself i'm jesper

KJSFGAL kaz just told wylan to tell him everything he know about his dad's company

and he said he doesn't know and kaz was like "and you never looked trough his documents????

AND THEN HE GOT SAD AND SAID HE HADN'T (and kaz believed him this is sad)

AND NOW JESPER CALLED HIIM USELESS

ok you know i love you jes but if you keep this up

idk i can't do anything you're a sharpshooter

but stiiiiiil

LMAO MATTHIAS ACTUALLY THOUGHT HE COULD BEAT KAZ

nice try

demjin

*insert spongebob voice* demjin

WE'RE GONNA TAKE A MOMENT NOW TO APPRECIATE INEJ GAHFA

BECAUSE KAZ DOESN'T

The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true.

*ugly crying*

Many boys will bring you flowers. But some day you'll meet a boy who will learn your favourite flower, your favourite song, your favourite sweet. And even if he is too poor to give you any of them, it won't matter because he will have taken the time to know you as no one else does. Only that boy earns your heart.

*uglier crying*

TANTE HELLEN IF YOU DON'T GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE

SOMEONE PLEASE STAB HER FOR ME

jesper has adhd part ?? (i have dyscalculia you can't expect me to remember the number):

That sound - the swift, shocking report of gunfire - called the scattered, irascible, permanently seeking part of his mind into focus like nothing else.

do i really need to explain this?

ok just in case.. an adhd brain doesn't actually have a deficit of attention(the name just sucks) it's problem with controling that attention. the brain is always looking for new sources of dopamine which is why it shifts its focus so much

i love that jes thinks of matthias as "tha giant"

like sir

have you seen yourself?

you're tall af

HE GOT SHOT

WHY DID I FORGET JESPER GETS SHOT IN THE LEG HERE

"Close your eyes!"

"You can't kiss me from down there, Wylan"

"Just do it!"

i love the energy BUT NOW IT'S NOT THE TIME JES

YESS WYLAN SHOW THEM THEY WERE WRONG CALLING YOU USELESS

inej just stabed some guy int the d

good for her!

KAZ YESSSS HI

AWWW SHE'S WORRIED HE DOESN'T HAVE HIS CANE

KANEJ FOR LIFE

oh no wylan got shot too???? (just barely but stilllll por baby)

my Wraith omggg

ok 3 things about this:

Without another word, he tipped Oomen into the sea.

"No!" Wylan shouted, leaning over the railing, his face pale, stunned eyes tracking Oomen in the waves. (...)

Jesper set his hand on Wylan's shoulder. "Let it go."

"It's not right-"

"Wylan," Jesper said, giving him a little shake."Maybe your tutors didn't cover this lesson, but you do not argue with a man covered in blook and a knife up his sleeve"

1. wesper yasssss

2. wylan just argued with a mant hat had just tacken the eye out of someone. he literally called him out for being an asshole. like damn wylan is brave af i love him

3. do you think seeing kaz trow the guy out of the boat reminded wylan of when the same thing happened to him???? this makes me sad

he's brave and a good person and i just-

"Man with a knife, remember?" he said over his shoulder.

"Man with a gun!" Jesper called after him

this had no right being so funny

AND THEN KAZ GAVE HIM THE MIDDLE FINGER STOP I CAN'T

nina is the biggest kanej shiper no one can tell me i'm wrong

unrelated but if jesper had gone to the Little Palace and had studied there with nina they 100% would've had a crush on Zoya and bonded over it

like you can't tell me those two bisexual disaster wouldn't be absolutely in love with Zoya

jesper has adhd part ??:

Jesper scrubbed the back of his neck, touched his hands to his gunds, returned to his neck. He always seemed to be in motions

hyperactivity right there

and restlessness

"Do you know the best way to find Grisha who don't want to be found?" (...)

"Seems to be if they don't want to be found, you should just let them be" (jesper says this)

this conversation must be so stressful to him omg

LMAO JESPER CUT MATTHIAS HAIR THIS IS SO FUNNY

AND HE SHAVED HIM

ok you all know i love all of them but they can be sooo stupid

like wylan wrote no names on the drawing and he's excuse is that he doesn't know fjerdan?

AND THAT'S NOT EVEN TRUE he literally said he learned school fjerdan which means he should know how to write it too (we know why he can't but the tohers don't)

and even then like the excuse doesn't make any sense. why would having the original name be usefull if no one can fucking read it????

the worst part tho? NO ONE QUESTIONED HIM

THEY WERE LIKE "yup makes sense" AND WENT ON WITH THEIR DAY

i wondered how they didn't figure wylan's secret sooner but now i now

it's because theya re idiots

"I'm just doing my job. Stop glaring at me"

wylan baby let's not make the gigant mad

Jesper knocked his head against the hull and cast his eyes heavenward. "Fine. But if Pekka Rollins kills us all, I'm going to get Wylan's ghost to teach my ghost how to play the flute just so that I can annoy the hell out of your ghost."

Brekker's lips quirked. "I'll just hire Matthias ghost to kick your ghost's ass."

"My ghost won't associate with your ghost," Matthias said primply, and then wondered if the sea air was rotting his brain.

i had to put this here i don't want to get murdered by the fandom

jesper, inej and nina have the BEST friendship

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE JES AND INEJ TOGETHER ON NETFLIX

"I know some people don't understand, but Kaz told me ... he said it was my choice, that he wouldn't be the one to mark me again."

i love this because it happen when they had just met

he did it because he understands her trauma and he respects her not because he loves her (i doubt he did at the time)

Kaz had been impressed with the sketches. (...)

"Just learn to take a compliment. Kaz doesn't hand them out often."

I'M SO PROUD OF WYLAN

and yess kaz only compliments wylan (and inej but that's sarcastic so it doesn't count) because he's a proud dad

"And you don't belong here, either."

"I beg your pardon, merchiling?"

"We don't need a sharpshooter for Kaz's plan, so what's your job - other than stalking around making everyone angsty?"

He shrugged. "Kaz trusts me."

Wylan snorted and picked up his pen. "Sure about that?"

DAMN WYLAN DESTROYED HIM

also

"If you aren't born with every advantage, you learn to take your chances."

"I wasn't-" Wylan left off and set down his pen. (...)

aww cute neurodivergent boyfriends bonding

Wylan had turned back to his work, his disappointment obvious. For some reason, Jesper felt disappointed, too.

ajgflasjgfjagslfiuusgflgdfsgdflasdgfsd

wesper

aww jes checks on inej every morning and every night i love him

"Thank you for keeping me in this world when fate seemed determined to drag me to the next. I owe you a life debt."

Nina blushed deeply. "I was teasing, Inej"

LJFGALKGFALGA another cute friendship right there

(and i can see why people ship them romantically)

STOP INEJ AND JES ARE BONDING SO MUCH (page 127 so i can go back and read it lmao)

Van Eck writes to Wylan every week, and Wylan doesn't even open the letters

"They just said the same thing again and again: If you're reading this, the you know how much I wish to have you home. Or I pray that you read these words and think of all you've left behind."

should i kill him? anyone want to join me?

Inej bumped her shoulder against his."Then at least we're both the same kind of stupid." (...)

"You're too good for him, you know?"

"I know. So are you"

jes and her bonding over their stupid crush on a white boy

Because I've been looking for an excuse to talk to you for two days.

jfsfdajdhmgkfutdjrgsg ok i can't blame them for having a crush on him anymore

this chapter is full of kanej i love it

"What do you want, then"

You, Inej. You forever.

jksdgfoagsdfgsdgfklasgdflaghsldfgksdgfkahgsdfghjlkf

kaz's backstory makes me sad

"When we get our money, you can burn kruge to keep you warm," said Kaz. (...)

"I´m gonna pay someone to burn my kruge for me."

Kaz fell into step beside him. "Why don't you pay someone else to pay someone to burn your kruge for you? That's what big players do."

"You know what the really big bosses do? They pay someone to pay someone ...". Their voices trailed off as they tomped ahead, and Matthias and the others followed.

JES AND KAZ HAVE THE BEST CONVERSATIONS

i can't believe we get to see nina and matthias meet and their whole backstory in less than a month omg

"It's not natural for women to fight."

"It's not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall, and yet there you stand."

QUEEN

YOU TELL HIM

oh no the dead grisha

this part breaks my heart every time

"Do you have a different name for killing when you wear a uniform to do it?"

.....i'm just gonna leave this quote right here

anyways acab

stop nina tried to kill the survivor so they wouldn't suffer but she couldn't do it

and jesper did it for her without hesitation i wanna cry

and inej didn't want to do it either i want to hug them

"Because our crime is existing. Our crime is what we are"

..........

i'm gonna leave this here again

do with it what you will

"Don't mock what you don't understand."

"My mockery offends you? My people would welcome you laughter in place of this barbarity"

i- this conversation is so important

AAAAA JES AND WY ARE A GREAT TEAM I LOVE THEM

WYLAN TROWS BOMBS TOGIVE JESPER TIME TO GET READY TO SHOOT

INEJ AND KAZ ARE A GREAT TEAM TOO

THEY LITERALLY DID THE SCENE LIKE IN THE AVENGERS (but without the shield WHICH MAKES IT BETTER)

Jesper shouldered his rifle. "Wylan earned his keep."

Wylan gave a little jump at the sound of his name. "I did?"

YES BABY YOU DID GREAT

kaz getting self-conscious for his hair is pure comedy

but nina how can you say that have you see his hair on the show???? it's perfect

"Remeber our friend Mark?"

HELP I CAN'T

"Any other impossible feats you'd like us to accomplish?"

The bearest smile flikered over Kaz's lips. "I'll make you a list."

once again jesper and kaz being besties

unrelated but nikolai and jesper would love each other

the amount of sass they have between them it's unparalleled

"Mmm," Inej murmured, taking a sip from her mug. "Maybe you're just not enough."

DAMN

ma'am marry me please

kaz fainted damn poor boy

unrelated unce again but this is so much betetr than shadow and bone

like you can tell leigh improved so much

her characters are better and their arcs are better developed

the writing itself it's better

or maybe i'm just biased because i love soc so much but i think she definetly improved

INEJ IS TRYING TO GIVE HIM SPACE EVEN WHEN SHE'S TRAPPED AND LOCKED ON THE WAGON

I JUST - THEY KNOW EACH OTHER SO MUCH

Though he'd trusted her with his life countless times, it felt much more frightening to trust her with his shame.

Inej had once offered to teach him how to fall. "The trick is not getting knocked down," he'd told her with a laugh. "No, Kaz," she's said, "the trick is in getting back up"

inej is smart af

Kaz was usually unshakeable during a job, but now he was on edge, and Jesper didn't know why. Part of him wanted to ask, though he knew that was the stupid part, the hopeful farmboy who picked the worst possible person to care about, who searched for signs in things that he knew deep down meant nothing - when kaz chose him for a job, when Kaz played along with one of his jokes. He could have kicked himself. He's finally seen the infamous Kaz Brekker without a stich of clothing, and he'd been too worried about ending up on a pike to pay proper attention.

ok i got a couple of things to say about this part

first of all it makes me so sad that jes cares so much for someone who dosn't deserve him. because no hate to kaz but they would never work as a couple and kaz already treats him like shit most of the time

i think this part shows who a lot about who jesper really is. a boy that grew up having to hide parts of himself, who thinks he's worth nothing but it's smart and capable, who's loyal and brave and caring but doesn't even know it himself. he's someone who feels he doesn't deserve good things and thinks he's not good enough, and that's why he unds up in all the wrong places with the wrong people. he left uni bc he fell in with the gangs, because he didn't think he was smart enough or even prepared to be in studying in the university. jesper is constantly hiding behind a mask or running from things because he's scared of not being enough

an kaz is everything jes in a way wishes he could be. kaz is secure in himself (at least on the outside), he's stable, he's smart, he's "unshakeable". and most of all, he doesn't care about others (we know that's not true but that's how he presents himself)

and that's the thing that causes jesper all his problems. because he's insecure because he thinks he's not good enough for the poeple or things he cares about. and he's always trying to do what's best for his loved ones: he went to the ice court to pay his debt for his father, he follows kaz everywhere beacause he cares about him, he offered to read to wylan (knowing it wouldn't be easy for him to be still that long).

and yeah it often doesn't work out becuase he's messy and he has problems but he tries. and he hates that. he hates that he cares so much about people because at the end of the day, that's what makes him feel like he's not good enough

one more thing and i'm done i promise

unpopular opinion but i love that leigh made jesper have a crush on kaz. 1 beacuse it's refreshing to see someone not get otgether with his first crush. and 2 because i love that it shows that we sometimes get attached to people that are not good for us, but that we can learn to move on. jesper ended with wylan who respects him and values him, unlike kaz

ok i'm sorry that was probably all bs

oo one more thing, jesper definetly has rsd (rejection sensitive disphoria), which is something most poeple with adhd have

"My father used to take me everywhere with him"

this is so sad. bc they probably had a good relationship when he was little. and then they figured he coudln't read and now his father treats him like shit

it's even worse than if he haf been horrible from the beginning because wylan knows he can be a good father. and so he thinks it's his fault and he deserves to be treated like that. i hate van eck

"You're cuter when you're smart"

(...)

"Definitely cuter when you're smart"

wesper yesssss

i love them so much

ok but why do people think jesper is stupid. like the boy just made a bunch of criminals pass out by mixing some chemicals

and he was going to the university at like 15

AAAAND NOW THEY KNOW HE'S A FABRIKATOR

amazing plot twist

also:

Wylan coughed. Flirting with him might actually be more fun that annoying him, but it was a close call.

oooo come on jesper we all know you just love getitng him to blush

and you love him

who said that? definitely not me, nope

awwww jesper misses being around animals that's cute

imagine him coming home to wylan one day with a puppy because he just couldn't resist

cute

Better terrible truths than kind lies

just leaving here more of inej's wisdom

ok this may be a reach but jesper has adhd part ???

Yellow Protocol? Red Protocol? He couldn't remember which was which. (...)

"The alarm was Yellow Protocol, a sector disturbance."

Jesper pushed at his temples. "I don't remember what that means"

a bad working memory? sounds familiar

kaz loves puzzles

it's canon

"I love puzzles. Trickery is just my native tongue."

this part where wylan and jesper see the banner made with grisha's kefta kills me every time

I would have worn purple, Jesper thought, if I'd joined the Second Army. (...) He'd beenwilling, even eager to risk capture and execution as a thief and hired gun. Why was it worse to think about being hunted as a Grisha?

this makes me want to cry so much

another thing super sad: the fact that since his father is Kaelish and had some supersititons towards grisha, jesper grew up wondering if his own father was scared of him. he had to hide his powers and he was almost taught to be afraid of them

"Is it safe to leave them, you know-"

"Alive? I'm not big on killing unconscious men."

"We could wake them up"

WYLAN

NO

damn the boy needs therapy

it's amazing how nothing went like they planned

not a single thing

PEOPLE GET READY

ARE YOU READY?

NEITHER AM I BUT WHO CARES

"What do you like?"

"Music. Numbers. Equations. They are not like words. They...they don't get mixed up."

ok dude the clues are right there he's basically saying it

"If only you could talk to girls in equations."

There was a long silence, and then, eyes trained on the notch they'd created in the link, Wylan said, "Just girls?"

Jesper restrained a grin. "No. Not just girls." It really was a shame they were all probably going to die tonight.

wylan really said a straight man?? couldn't be me

this is the definition of bi panic "jesper restrained a grin" bitch we saw that

btw i love the slow burn

like they hint something here but they don't actually start liking each other until much later and they don't get together until almost the end of ck

i also love that the fact that they both like guys is like out in the open now. bc i'm not a fan of when queer characters have a crush and there's the whole thing of "are they queer too or not?"

like they both know htey are queer. but they don't get together right away bc they have to start liking each other before. they don't get together bc they are the only queer mlm characters

matthias fake betrayal killed me

i tought it was real

I have been made to protect you. Only in death will I be kept fom this oath.

this is just-

also foreshadowing?

YAYY KUWEI HI

There was no part of him that was not broken, that had not healed wrong, and there was no part of him that was not stronger for having been broken.

She's laughed, and if he could have bottled the sound and got drunk on it every night, he would have. It terrified him.

if i ever have a s/o and they don't tell me this at least once i don't want it

He needed to tell her... what? That she was lovely and brave and better than anything he deserved. That he was twisted, crooked, wrong, but not so broken that he couldn't pull himslef together into some smeblance of a man for her

THIS

THIS IS LOVE RIGHT THERE

they are the only straight couple that matters

everyone else go home

Wylan had scratches all over his cheeks and neck. He was beaming. Inej grabbed his hands and sqeezed.

so cute omg

"You can explain why our illustrious Shu scientist looks like one of Wylan's school pals along the way"

KAZ

i mean it's true but you didn't have to say it

KAZ IS SMILING OMG

EVERYONE FREAK OUT WITH ME

HE'S "grinning like and idiot" STOP I LOVE HIM

"We are all someone's mosnter, Nina"

"I will have you without armour, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all"

this part breaks my heart and i love it

"Stay," she oanted. Tears leaked from her eyes. "Stay till the end"

"And after," he said. "And always."

i just- helnik is perfect

AWWW JESPER MISSES WYLAN

my daily dosis of wesper :)

ok but in like 2 pages jesper tought of wylan like 10 times bc he's sad wy isn't with him

Jesper scanned the empty deck. He's assumed Wylan would come up to see them off. (...)

Jesper knew he was being selfish and stupid, but some petty part of him wondered if Wylan had deliberately kept away from him on the journey back. Maybe now that the job was complete and he was on his way to his share of the haul, Wylan was done slumming with criminals.

*charles boyle's insinuating voice* and why do you care so much???

btw YOU ARE WRONG. HE'S LITERALLY GOING OUT OF HIS WAY TO BE WITH YOU EVEN THOUGH HE CAN'T SPEAK

this scene where we find out the truth about wylan hurts so much but it's one of my favourites idk why

I LOVE THAT EVERYONE IS AS MAD AS I AM ABOUT THE LETTERS NOW

"Your're a fool," Jesper snarled. "He smarter than most of us put together, and he deserves a better father than you."

YES TELL HIM

the fact that wylan just heard him say that omg

"Deserved" amended Van Eck. He blew the whislte twice.

SOMEONE BETTER GRAB ME BEFORE I KILL HIM MYSLEF

THAT IDIOT

I HATE HIM SO MUCH

I'M GONNA CRY CAN SOMEONE KILL HIM FOR ME

Jesper screamed in rage and raised his guns.

YES EXACLTY WHAT I MEANT

JUST KILL HIM RIGHT NOW

"I'm not big on bludding, am I Inej?"

"Not as a rule"

Van Eck's lip curled. "And why is that?"

"Because he'd rather cheat," said the boy who was not Kuwei Yul-Bo in perfect, unaccented Kerch.

THIS WAS PERFECT

THE BEST WAY TO REVEAL THAT

(...), and Jesper flinched

baby he recognized wylan's voice

The Shu boy held out a hand. "Pay up, Kaz"

BITCH THIS IS AMAZING

THIS BOY MADE A BET WITH A CRIMINAL THAT HIS OWN FATHER WAS GOING TO TRY TO KILL HIM

AND HE WON THE BET

A nearly perfect replica of Kuwei Yul-Bo stood before them, but he had Wylan's voice, his mannerisms, and - though Kaz could see the fear and hurt in his golden eyes - Wylan's surprising courage, too.

i love it when they compliment him

my boy deserves all the compliments ever

AND KAZ IS PROUD OF HIS SON WE ALL KNOW THIS

Wylan cuold draw a perfectt elevation. He's made a drill that could cut throu Grisha glass from parts of a gate and scavenged bits of jewellery. So what if he couldn't read

this is taking me to some real places

i may cry you've been warned

WYLAN DIDN'T CARE THAT HE MAY BE STUCKED LOOKING LIKE KUWEI

this is making me cry

"A fool would have been waiting to be smashed to bits on that ship. And as for "traitor", you've called me worse in the last few minutes alone."

EXACTLY

YOU TELL HIM WYLAN

Instead, in that moment of threat, when he should have thought only of the fight, he looked at Inej.

BABY

i would've done the same tho she's pretty

amita is sooo pretty i'm gonna die when the show comes out

Jesper was staring at Wylan, his eyes roving over the black hair, the golden eyes. "Why?" he said at last. "Why would you do this?"

nothing to say here except: wesper

You... how many times was it you standing beside me on the deck at night when I tought it was Kuwei?"

"Every time."

i want to cry so bad

"Why does it matter?"

"I don't know!" Jesper said angrily. "Maybe I liked your stupid face."

a very staright and platonic thing to say of course

i know jes we all liked his stupid face

"Jesper made a mistake," said Wylan. "A stupid mistake, but he didn't set out to betray anyone."

YES WYLAN DEFEND YOUR BOYFRIEND

And maybe he'd kept him in the dark about Wyllan because he wanted to punish him a little

even kaz know they like each other come on

Jesper sat with elbows on knees, head in hands. Wylan deside him wearing th face of a stranger.

wylan give him a hug fro me please

he needs it

"Scheming face," murmured Jesper.

"Definitely," agreed Wylan.

i miss inej already

And I'm going to get my girl. Inej could never be his, not really, but he would find a way to give her the freedom he´d promised her so long ago.

i'm ugly crying and so what?

and now we're done....

i want to read this book again omg this is unhealthy

[angelhalo]

Smut Alphabet - Barbatos

A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

Already has the towels and blankets on standby to clean and wrap you up. If you’re especially needy, he’ll on the rare occasion spoon you (you’re the little spoon ofc, doesn’t matter if you’re physically bigger) with lots of words of affirmation and whispering sweet nothings in your ear. But usually, he’s quiet. Can’t help but offer a compliment about something you did or how you look; it’s part of his etiquette.

B = Body part (Their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

His favorite body part of his is his hands; they get a lot done, not just for his butler duties, but during his alone time with you. Absolutely weak for his partner’s back - he loves the way it arches - he finds its unique shape beautiful.

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person)

This man does not like making messes, but this is the exception. He doesn’t mind cumming inside you, but he prefers cumming on your body, whether it’s your face, back, stomach, etc. Facials may or may not be his favorite! 

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Maybe not so secret to MC after their first few sexcapades, but Barbatos is quite the voyeur (you can’t blame him, all that time yearning for MC as they lived with seven demon bros, only able to sneak glances at them...)

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

He’s a fast learner (in thanks to serving prince of the Devildom) and adept at finding out what his partner likes, so despite his lack of previous partners he has no qualms pleasing them. It’s only apparent, his lack of experience, when you try to take the lead and he doesn’t know what to do when he’s not in control in the bedroom. 

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying.)

Barbatos will never admit it, but missionary. It’s so intimate and he loves being so close to his partner; he likes watching their facial expressions.  

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

Can go either way. But by default, he’s a pretty serious person. He loosens up more with you as time goes on, but during giggly sex you’re doing most of the laughing.

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

Just like the rest of his appearance, he keeps things tidy and on a semi-regularly basis trims his hair. I don’t think manscaping is the proper term to use, he sees no problem with body hair and isn’t uncomfortable with it, he just dislikes when things get unruly.

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…) 

Not very talkative unless you’re nervous and he wants to make you feel relaxed, then he’ll be sure to whisper lots of compliments and leave soft kisses on your neck and chest. Lots of lingering touches and eye contact. The foreplay begins way before you’re in the bedroom, whether it’s a cliché candlelit dinner or back massage or drawing you a bath filled with rose petals, he will treat you. He is a secret romantic. 

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon) 

This man has so much self control he rarely feels the need to actually relieve himself in private. Granted, it was a lot easier before he met you. He will not jack off to you until you’ve been in a committed relationship for awhile, because otherwise he’d think he’s being vulgar. The few times he actually does get off though he prolongs the act, edging himself until he tires himself out, either by cumming or becoming disinterested (and soft), and falling asleep. Despite his personality, he never feels guilty about masturbating. 

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks) 

Bondage/shibari - he loves tying his partner up, but when they’re hanging midair that’s his favorite 

Voyeurism - bonus points if MC is into exhibitionism and encourages him to watch 

Breathplay - his hands around your neck and he’s still wearing his white gloves, try choking him see what happens <3 

Sadism and Discipline, for the following his partner is on the receiving end - degradation, impact play (esp flogging w/whips and spanking w/ paddles or his hands), gagging, begging 

Breeding (or simulating it through roleplay) - this is the riskiest one and one he’s hesitant to bring it up, if it’s not your thing it’s not an issue but if it is well you’re lucky to say the least 

L = Location (Favourite places to do the do) 

One of the many unused rooms in Diavolo’s palace, or his bedroom. He’s not so adventurous about the where so much as the how 

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going) 

MC teasing him throughout the day with playful texts and sending suggestive pics, MC purposely acting bratty and insisting they be punished, MC flirting with him in the open esp around the brothers (but NOT around Diavolo). Sit on his lap and rub yourself against his thigh and beg a little, he'll pay attention to you eventually 

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs) 

Basically anything with bodily fluids, with the exception of blood. And public sex is a no, he wouldn’t risk being caught. Would be turned off if MC suggested a threesome, but could be persuaded depending on with who. 

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc) 

He likes both, but prefers giving. THE best service top when giving oral, ask him anything he’ll do it. Knows he’s rough when receiving so doesn’t ask for it much, but if you like being face fucked it’s a win-win 

P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.) 

Barbatos has a lot of pent up stress and feelings, he’s rough. But he’s also not in a rush for his time with you to be over, and so he’ll draw it out with a slow pace if time permits, until you’re begging him to go faster. He will. He can be soft too, and when you’re both feeling more lax the sex is gentler and quieter. He still makes sure you cum. 

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.) 

Sadly, sex with Barbatos is usually in the form of a quickie. He has like no free time so get used to it. 

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.) 

He’s a butler yes, but he’s also a demon. He’s willing to entertain most of MC’s fantasies/suggestions as long as there is no real risk of being caught in the act. Funny enough, riskiest thing they’ve done together was fuck while MC was on the phone with one of the demon bros, at Barbatos’ request. 

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…) 

When Barbatos says he can last all night, he means it. Won’t cum until you’ve orgasmed at least once. Lasts longer in doggy style because he can’t see your face and get turned on by your expressions. If you tire easily it’s okay, he’ll hold you up and keep up the pace <3 

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?) 

Ends up acquiring lots of toys to use on his partner, experimenting is the best way to have the best sex he reasons. He’s particularly fond of using vibrators on you, and keeping them in you after you leave his room; you know those vibrators that can be controlled by remote or phone, yah you can bet he’ll randomly up the intensity. 

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease) 

If you’ll let him, he’ll tease you till you’re crying. He knows how to make you beg, beg for more, beg for less. He’ll make fun of you for whining, but it drives him to tease you longer. King of orgasm denial and edging, be careful. 

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make) 

He’s quiet by nature, but his shallow breaths are so pretty, and the unexpected grunts when you push back against him in doggy style in between him fucking you are everything. If you somehow convince him to bottom or get pegged, he’ll whimper for you and bite his lips trying to stifle his moans. 

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice) 

This man has a forked tail please pay special attention to it (aka shove it down your throat), you’ll be rewarded! 

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words) 

Just girthy and long enough to give you that nice full feeling that takes time to adjust before he can start pounding into you. Will almost always finger you beforehand to prep you for his size, since demon dicks are quite dissimilar to humans’ and are on the larger side. His size came as a welcome surprise the first time you saw it because it seemed unexpected from someone so modest 

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?) 

Oh he yearns for you, your body, to touch you, but he’ll never beg for sex. In fact, it’s MC that finally brings it up and initiates it. Could honestly probably go without it, but why would he now that he has the most wonderful partner!? 

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards) 

He’s used to long nights at work (aka helping Diavolo carry out another dumb prank on some poor soul, filing paperwork, or something more morbid) so he won’t immediately fall asleep even though he’s tired. He falls asleep only after you have. He likes to watch you slowly drift off, and it’s these moments he knows he’s in deep. He’s actually fallen for a human. On these nights he dreams.  

[g--r-e--e-n]

The best of cures.

Anime expo: MAX. I may be late because I fell asleep :'C

Pairing: Beelzebub x GN! MC x Belphegor, not necessarily romantic but maybe kind of. May write a more lovey-dovey fluffy piece as a second part if anyone happens to enjoy this humble piece of writing.

Warnings: Mention of a vague sort of unwell feeling, probably because of Solomon's cooking. Spoilers for the whole Belphegor thingy, around lesson 16, I believe. Not too nicely written but I really do try.

A/N: This has been harder than it seemed! Maybe it's just because I didn't sleep nicely, but I wanted to participate in this.

English is not my first language, and this is my first fanfic, so it can feel weird and the characters might be slightly OOC (is that how you young people say it???). I also struggle quite a bit with Internet slang and overall usage of this platform so please, tell me if I did something wrong!

Asphyxiating. Utterly, deeply asphyxiating, which, coming from someone who once died being choked, is not to be overlooked.

Bodies pile against each other, pushing, brushing, bumping. The air seems to get heavier and heavier with every breathing pair of lungs, every beating heart.

Someone's singing on stage something you can't really understand, and it's way to damn loud, almost enough to drown the constant noise produced by a hundred little machines all over the place.

Levi was long gone, too invested into getting new merch to even think twice about the crowd. After all, this was a place were he got to be himself, where people wouldn't judge.

Mammon was, unsurprisingly, spreading chaos all over the place, followed by a very stressed and very tired Lucifer and Satan, who was having too much of a good time seeing his oldest brother struggle against the mass of people while trying not to get Mammon arrested, or probably directly murdered. Sure, he was a powerful demon, but he was also Lucifer's favorite and, under the excuse of "not allowing him to gain us all a bad name", he kept his adorable little brother out of danger, at least this time.

Of course, Asmo, on the other hand, was too busy flirting with cosplayers and praising their skills to even pay attention to your very mortal, very stressed and probably not at its best little head.

But it was fine, because, after all, you had the twins.

More or less. Maybe it was them who had you. Maybe it was Beel who somehow had both of you.

You softly grabbed Belphegor's shirt, who at the same time grabbed his twin's sleeve, forming a very awkard, but oddly comforting little train that ran at unholy speed towards every food booth you can find, as many times in as little time as it's physically possible without leaving you behind. After all, as much as Beel loves his food, you know he loves his family more, and, at this point, it seemed that you somehow are a part of it.

And that feeling must be there for young little Belphie, for when he noticed your pale face he slightly pulled Beel's sleeve, just enough to stop him from continuing ruining more business, perhaps even saving them.

"MC, you don't look too well" Softly said the youngest of all brothers, his soft fingers slowly tracing your cheek, letting go of his twin. His hand slowly and almost lovingly climbed to your forehead, worry clear in his face untill a relieved sigh leaves his lips, before a soft, almost lazy smile is born. "Well, at least it's not fever... Do you need a nap? I'd be happy to help."

You try your best to brush it off with a smile too, not wanting to disturb anyone, but before any words could leave your lips, you felt the world begin to spin around. It's not like you fell, but you did struggle a little, at least enough to get Beelzebub to lay his large hands on your shoulders at a clumsy attempt to help you. He knows for sure he's big and heavy, and now that you, a fragile human, seem to be sick, he seems afraid he could just break you.

"Maybe... Fresh air?" you do your best to speak, slowly coming back to your senses, feeling your guts move around a little too much for your liking. Both Beel and Belphie look at you with clear concern, two identical pairs of eyes fixed not within you, but within your soul.

You do not reek of the heavy, overwhelming and intoxicating sloth, nor of the acute, corrosive and flaming hunger. If a human is well fed and well rested, only sickness could be the answer, right?

They both share a concerned look. Soon, Beel, who does not have as much of a reflexive nature as his brother, is soon leading you two outside, shielding you as much as he can from the crowd, holding you close just in case you feel a bit too weak. Maybe you would complain if his warmth wasn't as alluring, his presence as comforting.

Belphie, on the other hand, lingered back a bit. Seeing you struggling and not being able to help made him feel so uneasy, soon reminded of your human nature, your own volatility. How his dream is just that, a dream. A foolish one.

You barely turn your head back in time for catching a glimpse of the Avatar of Sloth himself rushing (he may not be running, but please still note the huge effort) towards you, who are just crossing the door. Like hell was he giving up just now. He doesn't care what Diavolo says. He doesn't care what God says. He will fall again if it means he can get a happy future with Beel and you. I mean, at some point, you'll have to die. All he has to do is make sure you get here, with him, and to this day tempting you to nap with him had been rather easy.

The breeze is soft but fresh, trees softly dancing with it. Some people come and go, but there's at least a chance for you to actually breathe and sit on the nearest bench, head spinning a tad too much to mourn the loss of Beel's embrace.

"Are you feeling better?" It's Beelzebub who asks this time, kneeling before the bench to look into your eyes, with the face of a sad little puppy trying to cheer its owner. "Maybe you could use some food. What if it's your sugar level? Humans need lots of sugar, right?"

You tried your best to say no, you really did, but he was just too cute to simply refuse him. Poor boy wants to help, so you might as well give him a chance. He could be right, for all that you know. Not like he already made you eat much more than you had planned.

"Well, if y-"

"Food and rest." Belphie slowly nodded, sitting next to you and throwing his arm over your shoulder, a little smile on his lips once again, your voice too weak for him to even notice his interruption. He wasn't usually like this, but not that you could ever know. After all, this smiley Belphie is born every time you are around. "Beel, go get them some sweets. We'll be here."

The young orange-haired demon seemed pretty convinced, a sparkle of concern still alive behind his iris, nodding without a single question to be uttered. Belphegor does know a lot about humans, after all. And he's glad he gets to help.

As soon as his twin is gone, Belphie's eyes carelessly lie upon you, his arm shifting you to rest on his shoulder.

"He's one adorable dork." he softly says, as if he didn't want the trees to know how much he cared for Beelzebub. How much he cared about you. "So you better stay healthy. He already lost you once."

You hesitated a bit. You could be real mean and ask him whose fault it was, but something about the bitterness in his voice told you not to. It's not like you felt strong enough to fight anyone right there and then.

"Don't underestimate me, cowboy.'

You widely smile, letting a half laugh and half sigh go, closing your eyes and softly snuggling up a bit. The action is sweet, yes, but it means more than it might seem to.

For days after the "incident" you could barely let Belphie touch you. You did try your best, mainly because you would rather die again than see Beel sad, but your inner rejection to hid touch was too obvious for Belphie not to notice. It's how any human would've reacted anyway.

But there you were, weak, fragile, ever so much he could kill you with a mere snap of his fingers. Your hear on his shoulder, your hair tickling his nose, your own neck exposed for him to grab once more.

It was a foolish kind of trust that made something inside Belphie want to laugh, yes, but also incredibly warm, enough to openly hug you tight, something strictly reserved for either Beel or his dear pillow.

His hand, somehow a weird, corpse-like sort of cold, lingered softly on your neck, barely touching it at all, caressing slightly your skin and sending shivers down your spine. You seem to find certain relief in his soft touch, for soon you place your hand over his, slightly moving your head almost unconsciously, like a young kitten seeking for love.

"You are a weird human, you know?" A little laugh follows his words. Were your insides not feeling melt already, you sure would've felt it. Belphegor has one of the prettiest of smiles in the whole Devildom and, when you see him laugh, you felt paradoxically enough, in heaven. "I'm glad you're here. Not because of Lilith, not because of anything really, not other than because of you."

You didn't really know if he means those words, seeing how his beheaviour quickly changed, but you decided not to overthink it. Your position was comfortable, Belphegor's heartbeat slowly lulling you... Yet there's something else left.

At times something can be home, back in the human realm. Friends that you left behind.

Others, something can be a demon try as a tree hidden behind a mountain of snacks that barely allowed his bright smile to show behind the almost as bright wrappers.

"Beel, come here..." Belphie's voice sounds almost gravy, barely imprinted in a yawn, as he softly pats the empty space in the bench, his hand leaving your neck tingling softly, a whine almost running away from your mouth. "Don't be too noisy, alright? And try not to get heartburn."

As whiny and bratty as Belphie could sound to any stranger, Beel must find it extremely funny, judging from the way that he softly chuckled and obeyed, quickly handing you a package of your favorite candy that you do your best to hold.

"Here. There's a bunch, so don't worry, alright? Even here, we can try those booths food, so just focus in getting better! Everything else is just perfect." His smile was brighter than the soon, and the way he manged to cuddle both his brother and you while not getting poor Belphie drowning in crumbs seems oddly mesmerizing.

"Just you wait!"

As soon as your words had left you, you were pulled closer by Belpie as his way to hush you and tell you to just eat and nap, which, weirdly enough, helped a little bit.

You woke up pretty late, still cuddling a beautifully asleep Belphie and his twin, very awake, very hungry and very afraid to move. It was his stomach's roar that had brought you to life, and you couldn't help but laugh. Beel, even if confused and distressed, ended up joining, glad to see your strength slowly recovering itself.

When the laugh slowly died, you two were left there, starring fondly at each other, both hunger and illness suddenly yet temporarily forgotten.

It was awkard, yes, but the kind you happened to enjoy. Puppy love kind of awkard. Giggles and scaping gazes. Soft smiles and a warm embrace.

You carefully leaned towards him, careful not to lose your balance, and softly kissed his forehead, staying there, ever so close, for a few seconds before shifting again, Belphie moving in his deep slumber just enough to let you know he misses your warmth, and that, as always, he had some sort of alarm shoved up that made him wake up the moment you decided to get affectionate with anyone.

"Thank you" you whispered softly, eyes slowly shutting so to feel Belphegor's breathing, focusing on the way it mixed with your own, your fingers tracing butterflies over his chest, knowing Beel's attention still lies on you, and finding certain comfort in it. "This is truly being one hell of a year."

Beel's eyes were oozing love as he stated at both, his adored little brother and the lovely human who had stepped in to protect him. Brave, unique. Not that you could tell, of course.

"We're glad" A big smile in his lips and hunger completely banished, he soon went back to cuddling quietly, his comforting warmth soon reaching you, who curled a bit, feeling bumblebees waltzing in your stomach.

Around half an hour later, you were found by Lucifer, who stared at the tangled mess of limbs and empty envelopes with a raised eyebrow. Being fair, he wasn't the first one to be rather surprised by the view, but nobody else had such a tender smirk to their faces. It had been a while since he last saw his beloved little brothers having such a good time.

[7demonhoes]

The demon boys during a night out drinking with you

This turned out a little longer than expected, whoops. Hope you like it!!

Warnings: alcohol mention, swearing

Gender neutral MC

Mammon:

Ya’ll know the avatar of greed doesn’t know when to stop when he’s having a good time

So when the two of you decide to go bar hopping, he goes a bit crazy with his liquor

He’s taking shots of rum and tequila like the Four Horsemen are going to ride through the Devildom the next morning

Even with that devilish tolerance of his, he feels those shots eventually and is staggering by the time you two decide to go home 

"MC hold my hand" "MC carry me" 

If you hold his hand, he swings your arms back and forth like a giddy little kid 

He loses that tsundere personality when drunk, instead using every excuse to touch you-- an arm around your shoulder, curling a finger around your hair, teasingly poking you in the side 

"MC I have a secret but I can't tell you what it is shhhh" *mushes his finger against your lips* 

While you walk home, if some demon even tries to LOOK your way he's shrugging himself off you to go fight the poor bastard 

"You lookin' at MY human? I got dibs on that one, ya hear?" 

If you don't snuggle with him for at least half an hour once you get back home he'll be pouty for the rest of the week.

Satan: 

One day you wake up with the best idea: sneak drinks into an escape room and try to get out together while absolutely plastered 

*Cue detective Satan* 

"MC I've connected the dots. I know who locked us in here." 

"Satan that's not the point of this at all." 

"It was the man who was pretending to be helpful by showing us around the building. He locked us in here." 

"Satan that's literally his job" 

Once he finally remembers what you're actually doing there, he solves the riddle in minutes. 

You spend the rest of the night wandering the shops of the Devildom, occasionally wandering into a restaurant or bar to get some more drinks. 

Satan gets the drinks with the coolest names or the beers with the most aesthetically pleasing bottles/cans 

You guys decide to head back a little early but once you pass a park on the way home Satan dashes into the trees 

"What the FUCK are you doing??"

"MC shush I heard meowing!" 

Aaaannnd now you two are hiding a cat in the HoL. Satan is glad to raise a child with you.

Asmodeus: 

Bitch you're going CLUBBIN

You guys coordinated your outfits and are looking fine af

Asmo is all about class: Martinis, cosmos, pretty much anything in a fancy looking glass 

Drinks just as much as Mammon but mostly because you two are dancing so hard he barely feels it 

"Honey you're looking fine but that outfit would look much better around your ankles" 

When the two of you have to pee, you become best friends with every other drunk person in the bathroom 

Compliments and flirts with everyone he sees 

His dancing is very…. Sensual. Yumm 

Once you guys decide to walk your sore feet home, he has his arms wrapped around your waist the entire time 

"Oooh we have to do this again! I had the greatest time with you!" 

If you're feeling like having some fun with him, you know that the night is far from over

All of the other brothers are jealous the next morning because you and Asmo are giggling at your new inside jokes during breakfast

Beel: 

The bars you want to go to have snacks? He's in. 

He's just happy to spend time with you 

He drinks for the taste-- he likes beer, especially stouts 

It's a pretty chill night, honestly-- the two of you sit and talk in dimly lit, quiet bars 

You hit one last bar, thinking that it'll be a short stop but you end up staying there until close because of the wonderful conversations you're having 

You stand up to leave and the world swivels around you. Holy crap did you actually drink that much??? 

Beel's obviously feeling it too, but he's more focused on keeping you from stumbling than his own lack of sobriety

He ends up getting too worried that you'll fall so he just sweeps you off your feet and decides to carry you bridal style 

His chest is a very nice pillow cuz, you know, tiddies

He's super affectionate while drunk. He nuzzles his cheek on the top of your head while carrying you, humming quietly as he does 

"You can go to sleep MC, I don't mind, even if you do snore" 

Once you get back home, he carries you up to your room and gets you ready for bed-- he even goes so far to do your skincare routine for you. 

He decides to lie down with you (just for a bit!) but accidentally falls asleep with you curled in his arms. He greets you the next morning with a huge, warm smile 

Levi: 

By some miracle, you convinced him to leave the house 

He complains a bit about not being surrounded by his 2-D friends until you find an arcade that also serves drinks 

The two of you compete in Every. Game. Loser has to drink. 

You're sloshed pretty quickly. You think you could beat a nerd who's constantly playing games in his room? Sucker. 

Levi likes fruity drinks. He's not ashamed of it, but he never really drinks in front of his brothers because they tease him for it

"You're different, though. I mean, whatever! It's not like I care what you think! I mean don't get me wrong, I like you a lot but-- GAH!" 

When he's drunk he's actually hilarious. Everything he keeps to himself is just blurted out of his mouth and damn that boy is funny 

"Business idea: Fuckin…. Light Up Heelies. If I wore those babies to RAD I'd be drowning in bitches" 

On your way back home, he decides to tell you all of his secrets. Nothing is embarrassing when you're drunk. He will later regret this. 

"MC you could punch me in the face and I think I'd say thank you. No really. Just punch me. I've been thinking about asking you for weeks" 

The two of you stay up late watching stupid vines/tik toks and laughing so hard that you wake everyone else up

Belphie: 

It's really hard to get him drunk because after a few drinks he gets even sleepier 

You jokingly suggested that you just hook him up to an IV filled with vodka and he said yes. You think it's a horrible idea but now he wants to try it 

You compromise by taking five shots back to back 

You realize that was a mistake pretty quickly but Belphie feels awake enough to go out 

You guys go to lively clubs and bars, but Belphie's version of dancing his bobbing his head while sitting down 

Trying to keep up with demons is hard. How are you this drunk. Belphie's barely even tipsy and he's had more drinks than you 

Homeboy likes to order the grossest kinds of alcohol on the menu "What? It's cheap" 

"MC want to see something fucked up" *does it without waiting for your answer* 

He tries to convince you to give him a piggyback ride on the way home

The kind of drunk that calls you names the entire night like "loser" "crackhead" "my dumb human" 

Tries to run into ongoing traffic like seven times 

Tells you he wants to play games and chat when you get back home but he just passes out against your doorway 

Lucifer: 

This man is all about dimly lit, classy establishments that serve overpriced cocktails with cool names and ingredients

Definitely a whisky/bourbon/wine guy 

There's a piano at the lounge. You tell him to go play it, and he flat out refuses

*Four drinks later* "And here's a song I wrote for you during the lonely hours of the night" 

He slowly becomes more and more affectionate-- placing his hand on top of yours, touching the small of your back whenever you walk anywhere together, resting his palm against your thigh 

Compliments your outfit all the time 

He slowly lets his guard down and he starts fondly talking about all of his brothers and tells you his favorite stories 

You thought Mammon was an attention-seeking drunk? He's nothing compared to the touch starved, caffeine deprived Lucifer 

"MC let's slow dance" "MC I'm so happy you're here" "MC I wish you could stay with us forever" 

He keeps you close on the way home, his arm around your waist. He occasionally digs your face into the crook of your neck and his hot breath triggers goosebumps to tingle along your flesh

"Sometimes I dream about you, me, and Diavolo traveling to some distant country and living together without ever thinking of the world's problems" 

Cooks for you when you get back and uses every excuse to stay up just a little bit longer with you

[kirishwima]

Sorry I sent you the same ask earlier but I'd rather it be anon! How about RFA + Saeran headcanons with a professional dancer MC? Like dancing that's a bit more "close" like tango. How do they feel about her career and do they ever get jealous? Or do they just see it as her job? How do they feel about her dancing partner? (Assuming her dance partner is just a really cool standup guy who respects his partner's relationship)

so, quick funny story: i signed up for a dance class last semester as an EC, thinking it’d be fun workout dances like zumba...turns out no,  me and my other 3 friends signed up for a classical dance class where each girl had signed up with her boyfriend, so people just assumed we were 2 lesbian couples for the whole semester lmaoanyway that’s just to say-i got u covered with this headcanon lmao

YOOSUNG:

* When MC told him about their profession he was really excited! He immediatly went to youtube to watch some of MC’s competition videos, ready to whole-heartedly support her work

* Even though MC told him she focused more on latin and classical dances, and that she had a dance partner, Yoosung didn’t really put two and two together until he clicked on a video of her performing a waltz with her dance partner

* Seeing her so close to him, his leg nearly slipping between her thighs as he held her close by the waist and whirled her around the stage...Yoosung couldn’t help the jealousy churning in his gut, but more than that, he couldn’t help but compare himself to MC’s dance partner-imagining how different it’d be if he were the one dancing with her, his guilty jealousy mixing with his insecurities into a sticky concoction that made his chest heavy.

* He wouldn’t upright tell MC he was angry or jealous-but MC’s no fool. If she came home to Yoosung giving her the cold shoulder, she’d understand where that’s coming from and sit down with him to talk.

* Honestly, all Yoosung needs to hear is that she and her dance partner are simply good friends and colleagues, and that she’s in love with Yoosung, no one else.

* Having Yoosung meet her dance partner would also help-and whilst Yoosung’s jealousy may never fully go away, it’ll mellow out, and he’ll simply be glad to see MC enjoying her work, and you can be dang sure he’ll be there for her 100%, supporting her in each competition and recital.

ZEN:

* Whilst he’s a very, VERY jealous guy, he’s also a professional, so he’s actually quite calm when MC explains her profession and how she has a dance partner.

* Zen would insist on meeting this guy, wanting to be certain he has no ulterior motives dancing with MC-he’d never be rude to the guy, but he’d be a little stiff at first.

* Once he understands that he’s a standup guy that simply views MC as a friend and colleague, Zen will be more than satisfied. After all it’d be ironic for him to make a fuss when MC never fusses over him having romantic scenes with other actors, now wouldn’t it?

* He’s very supportive, and actually helps MC practice some dance moves whilst at home!

* He doesn’t really know much about classical dances, but he’s had some lessons before so he knows the basics at least, and if it comes to alternative dances or latin ones, he’s definitely good at them

* Besides...he’ll never pass up on an opprotunity to hold MC close to him, sliding his hands onto her hips as they sway together along to the music *wink wonk* 

* Just a supportive boyfriend really, plus, he’d totally gush about his fantastic dancer girlfriend on his social media lol~

JAEHEE:

* She’s honestly probably the only one to not be jealous...at all

* She finds MC’s profession wonderful, and is super supportive-as much as she is with Zen’s carreer!! Will never miss a competition or show if she can help it, and will even help MC practice at home as much as she can-even though when MC gets super close to her to practice some moves she’ll get really flustered about it lol

* The only thing that might bother her is that MC seems so graceful thanks to her years of dance training, that Jaehee wonders if MC feels that she’s too ungraceful. When she brings that up to MC though and MC furiously denies it, saying she loves Jaehee as she is and that she’s wonderful, then even that worry completely disissipates, and all that’s left is genuine excitement and support.

* She does want to meet MC’s dance partner eventually, if only to also congratulate him on their successful career; and if she finds out he’s a nice and kind guy she’ll be happy he’s MC’s friends (and hopefully hers too!)

* Honestly though...just imagine a lazy afternoon with Jaehee, the sun’s lower in the sky but still peeking through the curtains, illumianting dust particles in the air, Jaehee’s brewing coffee as MC chooses a dance track to play on her phone connected to a speaker, and as the music starts she sneakily comes up behind Jaehee, wrapping her hands around Jaehee’s waist, swaying them both to the beat. Jaehee laughs, her cheeks red as she turns around to kiss the corner of MC’s lips, when MC finds the opprotunity to take Jaehee by the waist and swirl her around, dancing with her in the living room, only instead of proper dance steps they just sway each other around, giggling every time they step over one another.

* im sORRY im a useless bisexual that dreams of having a girlfriend to do this with ok, let me live T-T

JUMIN:

* He’s actually a very posessive guy, and has been fully trained in classical dances, so when MC tells him about her profession and her dance partner, he sits there with his arms crossed over his chest, a frown on his lips.

* “And this dance partner of yours...how did you meet him? How long do you know each other? Is he in a romantic relationship? Has he ever expressed interest in you that goes beyond friendship?”

* It’ll take a while for MC to calm him down and will require yet another discussion about boundaries and posessiveness-while it can be cute to be jealous sometimes, obsessing over the other person isn’t, and Jumin never wants MC to feel that he’s pressuring her or being over-protective; so he’ll apologize, but ask to meet this dance partner, if only to ease his worries.

* Turns out the guy is not only a really respectful dude, but he also has no romantic interest in MC, and clearly says so to Jumin-mainly bc the poor guy’s terrified of the cold stare Jumin pins him with lmao

* Other than that, Jumin is fully supportive, and will never miss a show MC puts up for anything in the world-though sometimes he’ll bring Elizabeth the 3d with him so she too can experience the grace of dance lol

* He’ll oftentimes ask MC to dance with him, be it in buisness parties or simply during lazy mornings at home, happy for any excuse that lets him hold MC this close to him. 

* He’s actually an amazing dance partner, and MC will ask him to help her practice new steps from time to time when he’s at home

SEVEN/SAEYOUNG/LUCIEL:

* Of course he already knew about her profession since he did a background check and all, and he knew about her dance partner too-he even did a background check on him, back when he was trying to figure out who the hacker is, in case he might be the guy they’re looking for.

* He finds MC to be so, so graceful, and seiing her dance up close is a blessing; he really thinks she looks weightless in those moments, even more beautiful than usual as she seems to genially enjoy her time dancing

* He’s not of much help, but he loves grabbing MC and twirling her around when music plays, and even with no music playing, he’ll hum a tune himself, relishing in MC’s giggles as he holds her close to him

* They’re that adorable silly couple that dances around in their pyjamas whilst making breakfast, ending the little dance session with a kiss and the sound of laughter echoing across the house. 

* He can’t always make it to MC’s shows due to his job, but he’ll hack into the cameras of the theatre later on to make a DVD out of her preformance to watch at home later on-sometimes MC will join him in watching so she can take note of things she’d like to change or improve.

* When it comes to jelaousy, it’s true that Saeyoung does feel a pang of it when he sees the chemistry she and her dance partner have when they dance; but it’s not hard to notice when Saeyoung feels this way, and a kiss to his cheek followed by an ‘I love you’ can melt the negative feeling straight off of his body.

V/JIHYUN:

* He too finds MC being a dancer amazing, and is absoloutely supportive-he honestly not once even felt a tange of jealousy at her closeness to her dance partner, he was simply and whole-heartedly supportive and excited for her carreer. 

* He’d shyly ask if he could observe some of her practices to draw some sketches-it’s the best chance to study things like the line of action, and how a motion sketch can then be transferred into a full proper painting.

* Even though he’s pretty much given up on photography and switched to painting instead, he’d love to sneak some photographs of MC when she’s practicing her steps around the house; if MC notices him and asks him to join her in dancing he’ll turn bright red, insisting he can’t possibly match her, a professional dancer, when it came to dancing

* And yet he’d be yet again underestimating himself; he’s had dance lessons ever since he was a kid up until his late teens, so sure, he’s not a professional or anything, but he’s no novice either, and with some effort he can absoloutely keep up with MC

* This leads to frequent impromptu dance sessions around the house-Jihyun hates silence so there’s always music playing across the house, and MC will never waste an opprotunity to take a hold of Jihyun’s hands, prodding him to move forward and dance with her; she’ll have to guide his hands to her hips as he’d be too shy to do it himself at first, but once she gets him into it he’ll let himself relax, holding her close as they move to the beat, smiling as he leans his head to the crook of her neck.

* Just picture this: It’s early morning, Jihyun’s wearing his hair in a low ponytail as he’s setting down cups of coffee on the kitchen table, when a song MC loves comes up on the radio. He turns to her with a sheepish smile, knowing exactly what she’ll do-still in their pyjamas, MC runs around the table to Jihyun with an excited grin, grabbing his wrists as he lets her take the lead, letting her pace their first steps before he gets the hang of it and starts leading the dance instead; his movements are smooth and effortless, and he even dips MC down at the end, his hand on the small of her back, his one leg between her thighs as he supports her weight with one hand. He’ll smile, big and toothy and so unlike the usual poised Jihyun, giving MC a quick kiss before laughing and getting back up to give her her mug of coffee, taking a long sip from his to hide his blush in the bitter flavor.

* I have Big V Feels I’m Sorry :’)

SAERAN/RAY/UNKNOWN:

* He too knew all about MC and her profession from his background check before he brought her to Mint Eye; he didn’t think much of her dance partner at first, but as he started to develop feelings for her this jealousy grew and grew in him.

* While at Mint Eye he’d constantly ask MC questions about her dance partner, if they were close, if she liked him e.t.c.

* But everytime MC told him she likes Ray/Saeran, the jealousy would melt away, replaced by a deep infatuation instead

* After the whole Mint Eye ordeal and during his recovery, he’d love to watch videos of MC’s past competitions, and would never miss the chance to watch her dance up close; he’d never ask himself, but if she invited him to come to any of her practices he’d be more than thrilled, quietly observing her movements with an excited interest.

* It’d take a LOT of courage from him, but he’d eventually come up to MC, his cheeks red as he looked down and away from her. “I um-I’ve never-I never learnt to dance. And seeing you look so graceful I-”

* “Of course I’ll teach you Saeran!” she’d giddily agree before he could continue, and he’d be so shocked but happy-he genially wants to learn!

* She’d teach him some of the basics at first, but then during off season she’d bring him with her to practices so that her dance partner can teach her some things too since the steps are different for men and women in classical dances.

* He’d furiously blush everytime he danced with MC, biting his lip when she’d tell him to move closer to her.

* “Saeran you chest has to be as close to mine as possible-no, closer than this. Closer!” she instructed as she held his hands in hers, her chest flush to his as he slowly backed away embarassed.

* As he got bolder though....

* “Saeran, come closer than this.” 

* Well MC, if you insist...he took a hold of her hands, tugging her forward to him-before she could tumble over he slid a leg between hers, letting her head fall onto his chest, and before she could look up and speak, he’d lean down to kiss her.

* “Is this close enough?” he asks with a smirk and at that moment MC knew. She knew she’s created a Monster

* But she wouldn’t have it any other way ;)

-send me mystic messenger headcanons for character reactions!-

-masterpost-

[blazerina]

Rain - Mal x MC

Rain - Mal x MC

Word Count: 3202 

A/N – I meant to post this on Wednesday in place of our absent BOLAS chapter, but it took me a while to get this out. I’m pleased to debut this Mal story. Hope you all enjoy!!

--

“That’s not all I can do…”

A voluptuous woman approached Mal, but her face was indistinct.  Seductively she advanced towards him, swaying from side to side, ready to straddle him as he fell back against a comfortable, plush, lavishly decorated bed.  

“By all means, show me more…”

And just as their bodies were about to intwine –

“Mal!” Threep perched right beside his ear, hissing into it with a whisper.

“Are you kidding me?!” Mal sat up quickly, infuriated and confused.  

As he quickly remembered the rest of the group was sleeping nearby, he glared at Threep and shrugged.

“Gods, was that necessary? I was in the middle of an awesome dream.  I don’t have any food for you, you mongrel.”

Threep purred deeply and used his tail to point towards the entrance to their make-shift camp. A small fire was glowing in the distance. Scratching his head, trying to figure out what Threep was motioning towards, Mal looked around and realized someone was missing from the group.

With a heavy sigh, Mal got up. “All right, all right. I’ll go get her.”

“Tread lightly. I sense she is deeply troubled.” Threep cautioned, following at Mal’s heels.

“Also, please see if she has any snacks with her because I’m fami-“

“Do you mind?!” Tyril sat up sharply. “Some of us are trying to sleep. Take your little party elsewhere – far away from me.”

“If you all could please be a tiny bit quieter, I’m still trying to rest.” Nia chimed in. She didn’t sit up but made her request from where she was laying.

“All of you are going to end up tossed over the nearest cliff if you don’t shut up right this minute.” Imtura bellowed with a roar.

“Hey, hey, hey! You all need to relax…I’m handling it okay, everyone?”

“Handle it, WITHOUT MAKING NOISE.” Tyril rolled over onto his side with a huff as Mal dramatically tip-toed out of the area, leaving Threep behind.

--

Raine was sitting next to the small fire she made, knowing there was no need to be keeping watch. This was her turn to sleep; time for her to be resting and getting ready for the next adventure that awaited her new group of friends.  She found a large stick and began picking it apart, breaking it into little pieces and tossing it, piece by piece into the flames in front of her.

She had been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately. The further and further she went along this journey the harder and harder it was to quiet her mind.  She felt her chest tighten and her heart flutter a lot more lately, but she wasn’t sure if that was a direct correlation to the situations she was finding herself in, or due to her growing infatuation with Mal.

A loud crack and then a snap in the distance made Raine flinch. Instinctively, she jumped up, ready to pull an arrow at a moment’s notice. She spun around and immediately felt her heart do that fluttery thing again.

Seeing his face increased the heart palpitations she was feeling. Even if his face was contorted at the moment, as he tried to wipe away a large spider web from his hands and arms.

“Get – this – darn – ugh – there – no – off – away! Ugh. Hey there, kit.” He smirked, wiping his hands on his pants.

“Didn’t mean to scare you…”

Raine didn’t even realize she was frozen in position, aiming her bow directly at his chest. She dropped it almost immediately and smiled at him, grateful for his presence.

“I’m a bit jumpy these days. Glad it’s just you.”

“Just me? Since when has it ever been just me?” He raised an eyebrow, questioning her, holding his heart as if he was personally hurt and attacked by her comment.

Raine shrugged, returning to her position by the fire. She was in a daze and too focused to be taken in by his charm this evening. She wanted to be, but tonight, something else had her full attention.

--

“I’ve…uh...” Mal stuttered. He didn’t know what to say.  He scratched the back of his head, looking for the right words.

He could tell something was going on in that mind of hers. From the moment he laid eyes on her out here, all alone, in front of a fire, he just knew she wasn’t herself.

Mal was instantly attracted to her from the moment she ran into him back in Riverbend. It was something he had never felt before. The look in her eyes, the way she challenged him not knowing anything about who he was or what he was after – it intrigued him.

Sure, he told everyone he was used to being in peril. The group had heard story after story by now about countess after countess. They didn’t have to know that none of it was true. He built his reputation on being an adventurer, a seducer, someone who always got whatever it was he wanted, using his charm and deception.

Whenever he told his stories he was always being chased, always being taken in by some poor fool who felt bad for him and ended up being his saving grace. But this time? He felt like she was the one he was chasing. It wasn’t treasure, riches or fame he was after anymore. It was her heart.

Mal had been with her long enough to crave being near her when she was gone.  He eyed her in moments when she was all alone, watching her gentle movements. The way she cared for animals and others, the decisiveness with which she led their merry band of misfits, it was all so…genuine. None of it was a show. None of it was done with any kind of ulterior motive. She wanted to save her brother and that was that.

He made up his mind a long time ago to do whatever it takes to see this adventure through to the end. Not just because he cared enough about Raine to help her, but because he wanted her to be happy. He wanted her to get whatever it was she wanted most in this world. He wanted to be some small part of the reason she was successful in her mission.

He swallowed hard, all of these thoughts racing to his mind at once. Realizing how fast he had fallen for her scared him. Would she be able to see through him? What would she think of him when she realized he really was a fraud? He wasn’t all he said he was. He wasn’t as debonair and suave as he pretended to be.

Would the charm eventually wear off? Was it wearing off now? Was the one and only night they innocently spent in each other’s arms, all he was ever going to get with her?

“I’m okay, Mal.”

Thankfully, Raine’s comment interrupted his thoughts.  He sighed mentally, grateful for the break.

“Thanks for coming to check on me, but I think…”

She trailed off and Mal noticed she bit her lip. It was a tell he’d picked up from her pretty early on.

Whenever she had something more she wanted to say but stopped herself…she bit her lip.  

If she had to think really hard about what she was going to say because she was lying and didn’t want to give away a secret…she bit her lip.

Sometimes when she was joking around or teasing someone, trying to be funny and pull off a prank, she got a twinkle in her eye…and bit her lip.

Mal decided not to press. He stayed quiet and made himself a little place to lie down near the fire. He dragged a few logs over to prop his feet up onto and laid down with both hands behind his head, looking up at the sky.

Don’t mess this up, pal. He told himself, closing his eyes as he exhaled.

“Mal?” Raine called out quietly, after a few moments.

There it is…he smirked, keeping his eyes closed, thankful she couldn’t see his face at the moment.

Still got it. He told himself, ready to reply.

“Yes?”

“I know you’re…you’re used to this sort of thing…but do you ever…” Raine sighed, clearly having a hard time communicating her thoughts.

“Do you ever miss your life before all this?”

“Well…” Mal rolled over, facing her and propping himself up on his elbow.

“You forget, this is my life.  One might say this adventuring stuff is kind of, oh I don’t know, my thing.”  

He stopped and thought for a moment before adding, “Honestly, I didn’t have much of a life before this so there’s not much to miss.”

“You’re lucky.” Raine made eye contact with him and Mal noted how beautiful she looked with the flames reflecting off her face, in her eyes.

He cleared his throat and nodded in her direction, urging her to go on.

“Before this whole thing started, I took so much for granted.” She explained.

“I find myself thinking about Riverbend all the time. Going down to the tavern, spending time with Kade, not having a care in the world. It’s kind of funny now, I guess. I used to want out so badly…now I’d give anything to go back…”

Raine intensely stared into the fire, throwing piece after piece of another stick in with ferocity. She seemed mad, almost angry and agitated.

Threep was right. Mal told himself. Better be careful.

“I think, uh…I mean, I think it’s okay to miss stuff, sometimes.  Just because I don’t doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. It’s nice that you have somewhere and someone to miss, you know? That’s probably what it feels like to have a home.”

Raine looked up at him, pulling her gaze away from the fire for a second.

“Mal, I’m sorry. I’m being so insensitive -- to be bringing this up now and burdening you with my ridiculous problems. I know how absurd all of this sounds.”

“Raine. Stop.”

He slowly sat up and went to sit beside her. He questioned whether to take her hand. He decided against it but encouraged her to continue.

“I want to hear what’s bothering you. If it matters to you, it…” he paused, why was he so afraid?

“It sounds nice. It helps me to get my mind off things too. This whole life of adventuring, fighting off evil villains, plundering for gold and succumbing to wild vixens’ charms, is sometimes insufferable, you know?”

He knocked his shoulder into hers as she chuckled, looking at her feet. Mal made a mental note of how good it made him feel to know he was the reason for her smile or laugh.

“I’m curious.” He looked at her sideways. “What do you miss the most?”

Rain smiled slightly but tightened her jaw at the same time. She bit her lip before answering.

“No – I can’t tell you. You’ll never let me live it down. I know you too well.”

This, of course, was intriguing to Mal. He now saw a challenge. He would stop at nothing to get her to tell him her secret.

  “Is it the smell of mead right out of the barrel?” He asked, knowing there was no way that could be true.

Raine smiled and shook her head no.

“Hmm, how about shoveling the stables when you needed some extra coin?” He bumped into her again, trying to get her to open up.

“That would be crazy.” She feigned annoyance with him, enjoying his attention and company.

“Last guess…you miss days upon days of utter boredom, staring out your window wondering when adventure would find you.”

“It’s true – I did do that…and now that I have it, here I am. Running away in the middle of the night to wonder and worry about what’s to come. Some adventurer I’ve turned out to be.”

Raine sighed ruefully and returned her stare to the fire.

A loud boom of thunder rolled over the forest and hillside area where the group had settled for the evening, making both Mal and Raine jump.

“That was unexpect—” Mal was cut off by another loud clap of thunder and a lightning strike in the distance that was bright enough to illuminate most of the kingdom.

Impulsively, Raine leaned into Mal and he wrapped his arms around her tight, yelling out a loud “Yoooo!” When the lightening hit.

No rain was falling yet but clearly some was moving in. The smell was now heavy in the air and the wind was picking up quickly.

“Dancing.” Raine said, out of nowhere. “I miss dancing.”

Sheepishly, she looked up at him from under her long, thick lashes. He was holding her now and he could see the light brown freckles that danced across her face, under her eyes and over her nose. The small specks of dark brown in her hazel eyes were practically glowing.

“Raine…” He whispered her name, mesmerized by her.  

Soft tendrils of hair danced around her face as he tried to build up the courage to share with her what he was actually thinking and feeling.

“I have one memory, it seems so silly now but it keeps coming to my mind as I think about Kade. We had been paid to take care of some pigs…just for a few days…and they were horrible little things. They would not stay in the pen no matter what we did! And there were so may of them. They just kept appearing. It was like they were multiplying right before our eyes…”

Mal relaxed his grip on her but kept one arm around her as she told her story. It was engaging to see her physically light up, regaling him with a tale this time instead of it being the other way around.  

“We finally got them all back in the pen together and it started pouring. Coming down in buckets! It was horrible and so muddy. One piglet escaped again, then another and another. Kade and I were slipping and sliding around in the mud and got so incredibly dirty and we smelled SO bad!”

Raine was laughing now, remembering it and how it must have looked.

“It wasn’t funny at the time but thinking about it now – we were so happy when the whole ordeal was over that we literally danced IN the rain, all the way home.  It wasn’t a horrible storm or anything, but we soaked up all that water to wash away the dirt and grime from that horrible pig farm.  We sang and danced and danced and sang; silly songs, just bouncing along, huge smiles on our faces.  We were just so happy, then.”

Mal held onto her more tightly now, feeling the sadness creep back into her body as she tensed up.

“At that time, we had no idea what…what was to come…”

She let out a long, deep sigh and leaned into Mal as he stroked his hand up and down her arm.

��Thinking about home and, now this storm coming in, it brings it all back like it was yesterday.”

“I don’t think it’s any accident your name is Raine.” Mal stated, timidly.

The voice in his head once again announced itself - Now is not the time to be a coward. You can do this.

She looked at him quizzically but let him continue. He spoke in hushed tones, voice just above a whisper as light drops fell from the sky, almost a mist, they were so faint.

“You’re so similar to this…” He gestured to the sky as it began.  

“I’ve seen you be like that lightning and thunder we witnessed. When you’re going after something you want you can be a bit violent…” he chuckled, “winds and rain so heavy you can’t see – it’s blinding the passion and love you have for your family and friends.”

“Other times you’re barely there, so sweet and soft, falling like this right now…all around, leaving an impact on everything you touch even if it’s a small one…” he held his hand out watching the moisture collect upon it.

“In the time that I’ve known you, you’re always steady, doing your job to replenish all that is around you – rain when rain falls it creates this rhythm, a pattern, constant and predictable. You’re there no matter what. You do what you can to make the people you care about feel better.”

Mal hugged her and pulled her in close, resting his chin on her head as she settled into the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent.

“Storms like the one rolling in sometimes sit in one place and stay for a long time, hovering over an area for days; or they clear out quickly but still leave traces behind…puddles in the street, streaks on windows, that kind of thing…”

“Mal…” Raine looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes.

You have to finish this.

“Shh…” he held a gentle finger up to her lips, asking her to not to interrupt him without using words.

“You told me tonight that sometimes you miss your old life and sometimes you don’t – you live for the adventure but long to be at home and that’s like those crazy days where it’s raining in one place, all hot and humid in the other, but still dry as a bone. Two places so close together experiencing such different things…it’s just like you, hot and cold sometimes. You know?”

Raine wiped a few tears off her cheeks, remaining silent. Waiting to see if Mal was done.  

“Just like the actual rain, you always have a purpose and you never leave without having achieved your goals…remember that, Raine. It’s one of the reasons I admire you so much…”

Tears still streaming down her face, Raine reached up and kissed Mal, tenderly, sweetly and longingly. Hoping to convey to him how much his little soliloquy meant to her, just now.

“Oh good.” He breathed a sigh of relief after the kiss.  “I was afraid I said too much and made you mad…” Mal smiled, blushing slightly.

Rain was actually falling more heavily now, the wind was really picking up and the temperature was dropping.

“No one has ever…” Raine bit her lip, quickly but then carried on, “…said anything so kind and sincere and beautiful to me or about me before, I…”

Mal interrupted her, taking her hand and standing up.  

“If you miss dancing, then let’s dance.”

He circled his arms around her waist while she let hers drape around his neck.

“In the rain?” She laughed, looking up at the sky, letting the water fall on her face.  

“In the rain.” Mal repeated, smiling and laughing while watching her.

They danced slowly, circling around as the rain continued to fall. Every so often thunder would roll through again, but the lightning had subsided.

“I’m still just speechless, Mal.  I had no idea there was so much more to you than you’re showing or letting on…”

Mal winked at her as he pulled her in closer to him, looking down at her. With a smirk, he responded, “Ah very good, very good.  That’s just the way I like it, kit.”

[amarabliss]

Safe - 3 (Nobunaga Oda/Military MC)

I know not what I normally write for but i’m feeling way out of it, so enjoy if you like Ikemen Sengoku!

EDIT: YOU  GUYS! you inspired me to do more! <3 YAY for capable MC!

You were an active member of the military for many years and now you were in war torn Japan 500 years in the past. The lord protecting you dismissed your claims to understand what he was going through, but when you happen to peek at the war table you see many things that needed correcting…

Part 1 Part 2*

*Song played

Ieyasu took in a deep breath before letting out a sigh as he re-bandaged the wound, “Dummy…”

“…I have heard…” His eyes widened as you spoke, “you call me dummy at least 3 times…today…which is better than yesterday. So, I must be doing better.”

You opened your eyes looked at him as he looked away scowling, “If you would actually know your place you wouldn’t have been hurt to begin with and I wouldn’t have to be fussing over you.”

You started to sit up and heard his protests, so you stopped, “How long have I been out?”

“Two days…the first was a struggle, you were fighting delusions and fever…the second day, I sedated you to help you heal better…” He looked at you again curiously, as if he wanted to ask you something.

You stared at him before letting out a sigh knowing full well he’d seen more of you then any of the other warlords, “…it was a bomb…”

His eyes widened a little as you went on putting a hand to your face as you remembered the incident, “…on a patrol with my unit…it went off and I took shrapnel to my back. Lucky I can still walk, but it left a nasty scar. That was just my first tour…”

“Hmph…” He looked away again, “I don’t understand half of what you just said…you must still be delirious.”

“I’m sure.” You smiled a little as he looked back to you, “When am I allowed to resume normal activity?”

He rolled his eyes, “When you can learn to behave and be normal…”

“Sure…” You finally sat up, “So now.”

“Stop.” He hissed at you shaking his head.

“Ieyasu…I feel a little tired…a little sore…” You tilted your head at him, “but otherwise fine. How is everyone else? Nobunaga…”

“He’s fine.” Ieyasu stood up sighing as he shook his head, “Maybe a little more irritable then normal…”

“I imagine being almost assassinated in your home would do that.” Ieyasu gave you a dumbfounded look, “What?”

He scowled and looked away, “Nothing…I recommend resting more. Nothing overexerting for a few more days.”

You watched him turn away walking for your door, “Thank you…I know you’re not my greatest fan, but without you I’m certain I’d be dead…so thank you.”

“Tch…” He shook his head before opening the door, “Whatever…”

Nobunaga sat in his tenshu eyes closed trying to settle his mind. Every time he got close his mind would flash back to you on the bridge to the towers. The way you moved holding a weapon. It was clear you were never lying to him when you spoke of being in battle.

And the look in your eyes. The darkness of going in for a kill. It was…desirable.

He clenched his hand letting out a breath of frustration before he stood up. Nothing would help to get you from his mind. When you collapsed into his arms it was the most vulnerable he’d seen you and it…

His eyes widened at the realization…It frightened him.

He didn’t know you… not like his men… and yet you threw yourself into danger for him. Hideyoshi had explained everything to him. How you went from a guest to a warrior in a matter of seconds. Then Masamune…he said the same thing. From helpless and defeated to a war goddess.

And he saw you fall from your pedestal…dying in his arms…for him.

“Set her down.” Ieyasu instructed him before telling a maid what to gather.

Nobunaga set you down on the mat of you room. Your breathing was labored and skin paling, “Ieyasu…”

“You need to leave.” His eyes flashed up to the blond as rage began to fill him. Ieyasu remained calm, “My lord…you are not her kin…or her husband, you have to leave.”

“You will report me as soon as you are finished.” He stood looking down to you one last time before he left.

That was the last he saw of you two days ago. He sighed as he walked through the halls deep in thought. Everyone was busy carrying out orders he’d given them after the attack, so for once he was left mostly to his own thoughts.

He was brought out from them when he heard your laugh. It was a distinct sound, loud for someone so much smaller then himself. He stopped looking across the way as he placed a hand on the nearby pole. You were sitting on the edge of the deck enjoying the fresh air. The maid was fussing over you and you must’ve made some remark because it put her in a tizzy, which made you laugh even more.

He liked the way your eyes shut, and your smile got big. It was the look he hoped everyone would have once he attained his dream. Carefree and unburdened.

He hopped off the deck and walked over to you as you brought a cup of tea to your lips, “You’re awake…”

You looked up to him surprised. Your eyes still looked so tired but they brightened when you smiled a little, “I am, thanks to Ieyasu and his perky bedside manner.”

He let out a huff as you teased the poor cynical lord, “He let you out then?”

“I didn’t give him much of a choice.” You told him before waving over to the other side of the tea set, “Would you like some? Hideyoshi sent it over.”

Nobunaga looked around as you waited for his answer, “I suppose a cup would be nice.”

As he took a seat as you reached over to the pot pouring him a cup, “I never thought I’d like this stuff, but Hideyoshi knows how to prepare a nice brew.”

“He does and what do you mean you never thought you’d like tea?”  He looked at you as you handed a cup to him.

“We…” You made a face as you tilted your head, “we only really have two kinds of tea back home and they…kinda taste like dirt to me. Dirt and sweet dirt…oh I should also mention we drink it cold.”

You laughed when he nearly choked on the tea, “Cold? I mean…there are some that I don’t mind when they cool off, I guess but…truly?”

“Yeah.” You nodded a little smiling as he looked disgusted, “I’m almost thankful for your assassin, so I didn’t have to tell Hideyoshi that bit…he interrupted us on the way back. I’m certain I would have gotten a lecture otherwise.”

Nobunaga hung his head a little, “About that…”

“It’s beautiful out here.” You interrupted him as you looked out at everything, “It’s so calm. It’s a nice place to reflect, I bet.”

He stared at you holding the tea in his hand, “It can be…especially in autumn. The colors in sky make it quite serene.”

You made a satisfied noise, “It would be nice to see that.”

You looked at him and there was a knowing in your eye. You didn’t thank a soldier for doing their duty. They did it because it was their purpose…their job…and he related to that immensely. He didn’t expect anyone to thank him for unifying Japan once it was done. He just expected everyone to live.

He sat in the comfortable silence with you. Both sipping on the tea. When he finished, he stood up feeling your eyes following him, “When you’re feeling up to it…I’d like your opinion on some movements."

"I’d be happy to do it now.” You began to stand up.

“No.” He turned to you taking a step toward you shaking his head, “No, you still need your rest. It’s clear to see.”

You stared up into his eyes thoughtfully, “That’s funny…I could say the same thing about you…but I suppose I won’t.”

“What does that mean?” He watched you carefully put the cups back on the tray before you stepped on to the deck, “Y/N…”

“It means…” You looked at him after you picked up the tea set giving him a sad smile, “I too have nightmares…I’ll see you tomorrow?”

You were so casual about everything. What a place you must be from to easily admit you were struggling? He opened his mouth to question you about it but was interrupted as a vassal appeared running to him, “My lord, we have news…”

He sighed turning to them, “Speak…”

He became engrossed in the information being given to him and it gave you the perfect opportunity to slip away. You moved quietly watching his face become serious. Something must’ve finally turned up about that mysterious second party that was not only messing with the Oda but the Echigo forces as well.

You sighed when you had to turn down the hall to the kitchen to return the tea set. The staff fussed over you for a good moment before sending you back out. You slowly walked down the hall letting your thoughts drift back and forth between your situation and a certain warlord who recently seemed a bit more interested in you.  

“My, my…” You looked up seeing Mitsuhide observing you like he so often did, “up and about already, little mouse?”

You rolled your eyes smirking a bit, “I think I’ve proven that I’m at least a cat now.”

He chuckled his smile curving upward more, “I suppose you’re right. One that pounces so quickly to our lord’s aide.”

You eyed him carefully, you’d spent enough time with him to know that he was always thinking three or four steps ahead of everyone, “I feel like you here for more than just a check in, Mitsuhide.”

“Hm…you are cleverer than I give you credit for.” His smile faded a little, “Will you walk with me? I would like to see what you saw that day of the attack. It’s imperative that we all prepare ourselves and take note of what you saw while no one else did.”

“Yes, of course.” You nodded as he offered his arm to you. You took it appreciative of the support. You wouldn’t tell anyone, but your wound was a bit deeper than you originally thought and it was quite tender.

You walked back through the private courtyard with him. You were surprised to see Nobunaga still standing there. Hideyoshi had joined him now, but despite being engaged in a discussion his eyes managed to meet yours.

Carnelian eyes found yours and you found you couldn’t look away for a moment. There was something  hidden away in his…What was it you were seeing right now? You didn’t have enough time to figure it out as Mitsuhide pulled you away.

His gaze seemed to haunt you the rest of the afternoon, even while you explained everything to Mitushide. He looked at you curiously, “My dear, you seem terribly far away.”

“What?” You looked at him raising your eyebrows, “No…sorry…I’m just…trying figure out a puzzle. Not sure I will.”

“Hm…is this puzzle a tall, handsome, ruthless warlord?” He teased you as you both began walking back.

“Gee…you only described…all of you.” You poked back at him getting him to stop. You laughed at his wide-eyed look, “My, did I make you speechless? I didn’t mean to surprise you that much.”

“You didn’t deny my question, that is what surprised me.” You looked away from pulling your arms around yourself, “You’re wise to guard yourself. He’s not an easy man to care for.”

“Mitsuhide…” You let out a breath shaking your head, “…it doesn’t matter…I’m going home in two months…”

“I think you’re much easier to care for then you think you are…” He stepped in front of you raising your face with a slender finger smiling at you, “You shouldn’t doubt that so much.”

“I hate how you’re so good at that.” You swatted his hand away smiling before looking away again, “And you’re not wrong.”

He tilted his head looking down at you as you went on, “It’s not that I doubt how easy it is …I just don’t want to be a burden. You all have so much more to worry about with the war. I chose to go after the assassin…and I got hurt. It’s not your problem that I’m hurt, and it shouldn’t slow you down.”

“You would have rather we let you die…” Mitsuhide smirked.

“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.” You half smiled at him, “He doesn’t need stranger to hold him back…I’ll only serve to slow him down.”

“…mm…perhaps not a stranger…” Mitsuhide turned from you and began walking back, “but a fellow warrior to share council with. Anyone would cherish that…”

“Mitsuhide…” You shook your head catching up to him, “What does it matter, if I’m leaving…”

“That’s in two months…” He smirked, “a lot can change by that point.”

He looked over to one of his vassals approaching carrying your guitar case, “I believe this belongs to you. It was not easy to find amongst the rubble…”

“You-you found her!” Your felt yourself get excited seeing it. It was the only thing you couldn’t find after helping Nobunaga out of the burning building. You had been very upset that first week and finally resigned yourself to the loss.

“I fear it may be damaged by the fire, but you would know best.” He watched you set it down on the ground pulling out the guitar.

“Nah…she’s been through worse. Warzones and cross country moves…” You told him resting it against yourself as you started to pluck at the six strings. Satisfied it was alright you put it away looking up at him, “Thank you…this is one of the few things at helps me find some peace.”

“It seems you have another talent besides tactics.” He smiled at you and for once you felt it was genuine, “Next you tell me sing with it…”

“Well…I’m nothing special…but I can carry a tune.” You shrugged as you stood up wincing a little.

“A triple threat my, my…” He reached over taking the case from you. You could tell from the glint in his eyes that he knew you were hurting, but he wouldn’t say anything, “Nobunaga will be most pleased.”

“And why is that?” You asked him as you both walked back into the castle.

“He won’t admit and I’ll kill you if you tell him…” Mitsuhide glanced at you seeing you roll your eyes, “He has trouble sleeping…usually when he’s run himself down he’ll take someone just to hold for the night…but he too has a love for music and it helps. So, when he tasked me to find such a trivial trinket of yours…I didn’t hesitate in sending my men out for it. He has a talent for noticing when something is valuable.”

“Ah…I see…” You stopped as you entered the halls with him holding out your hand for the case, “If you think it will help him…”

“Oh! Certainly not tonight!” He shook his head before patting the top of yours, “You’re hurt still and need to get some rest.”

Mitsuhide escorted you back to your room for the evening. He set everything down bidding you goodnight. You retired for a while getting some rest, but sometime during that night you woke up seeing your guitar resting in the corner of the room and something stirred you to get up.

**Picking it up walking out to that inner courtyard looking up at the tenshu seeing the light flicker against the screens. So he was still up, you sighed taking a seat on the edge of the deck pulling out the guitar. After tuning it a little and placing the capo where you needed it, you began to play, plucking the strings finding a piece of home within their vibrations.

You smiled a little as you began to play. No singing this time… you didn’t want to accidently wake everyone up and have them hunting you down.  You glanced up again seeing that the light had disappeared. Maybe this had been a bad idea…

You sighed as you started winding the song down. You damn near jumped when you heard Nobunaga behind you, “Don’t stop…”

You looked up at him feeling a butterflies enter your stomach. You nodded slowly picking back up slowly. You glanced up at him as he moved relaxing against the pole. He seemed like he was truly letting the tension leave his body as you came to close.

You smiled a little before you spoke softly as he took a seat, “…I hope I didn’t wake you…”

“I was up…” He spoke just as softly, “You play beautifully…I’ve never heard an instrument like this before…it’s sounds similar to a shamisen…”

“It is…” You looked at him before you lifted it up, holding it out to him.

His eyes widened before he shook his head, “No…I don’t know how to play it.”

“It’s okay…You won’t break it.” You moved a little closer to him placing it in his hands, “I’ll teach you…”

He looked at you as you adjusted it on his lap before getting up and moving behind him taking his hand in yours grabbing the neck. You were so bold to just make him do something. He listened as you placed his fingers on the strings while reaching around him strumming the strings.

“See…” You spoke, your breath fell against his neck in a pleasant way, “All it takes is a little pressure to make something beautiful…”

He watched as you moved back sit next to him, “…perhaps…one day I’ll have the time learn properly.”

“I hope you do. I have a feeling you’d make an excellent musician.” Your eyes twinkled as you said.

“Oh really?” He gently held it back out to you, “What makes you say that?”

“Just…” You smirked a little looking at him, “A little fox told me you liked music…”

“Tch…” He looked away scowling, “Mistuhide…”

You laughed putting your hand on his shoulder, “In his defense…I think he’s worried about you…He just wants you find some peace, and you have wonderful hands.”

“Do I?” He looked down at his hands seeing scars shin in the moonlight.

“Yes…strong…secure…” You held your hand out next to his as if comparing them, “Well tempered to apply the right pressure to mold what you want out of anything…I doubt there’s anything you can’t do.”

You hopped off the deck placing your guitar back in its case as he shook his head, “How do you do that?”

“Do what?” You looked at him as he rose up to his feet.

“Find the beauty in something so ugly?” He looked down to his hands, “I know I must do to see my dream come true…it’s dirty…bloody…these hands are stained and will never come clean…”

You tilted your head frowning before you spoke, “Because I hated myself…and…I hated what I did…but I had to do it…it was…well that part doesn’t matter, but what does is I had to learn to love myself again. So, I try to make something beautiful…however brief it might be at times…I can still say I did it. Doesn’t stop the nightmares, and it doesn’t change reality, but it can it ease the pain.”

“And it works? Truly?” He stepped toward you, eyes dancing over your face looking for the other shoe to drop.

“Not always…” You looked down for a moment taking a deep breath in, “But that’s life…you can’t always be happy…but you can’t just let yourself stay sad all the time. Even a blind man can taste something sweet, though his world is dark. A deaf man can see the beauty of a sunrise even though he’ll never hear the songs people sing…life is choices. I choose to see greatness…if I can.”

His eyes widened as you reached out taking his hand in yours. He watched as you took it tracing over the scars. No one had ever been so daring to do such a thing before, “What do you see?”

“…” They weren’t pretty, he knew it, and your silence was confirming that each second it past. Then just as quickly you pushed it all away with one word, “Hope.”

You smiled before leaning down kissing his palm, “Goodnight, Nobunaga.”

“Goodnight…” He stood there feeling his palm burn from where your lips touched him. He waited until you disappeared down the hall before looking at his hand, “Choose to see greatness…”

Resting comfortably in a tower a sly fox chuckled to himself, “Oh if only you’d let you guard down a little more, my lord…you do both yourselves a favor…”

[pixie88]

Summer Love

Chapter 2 - TNA - After the Wedding.

A/N: I’m editing all my fanfiction and tidy up my tumblr account. Correcting mistakes and shorting chapters down. Sorry if you have already read this. Let me know if you would like to be tagged!

Find previous chapters HERE under The Nanny Affair - After the Wedding.

Word count: 3489 Sorry that was the shortened down version too. The OG was 5000!

WARNINGS: ⚠️ Some adult language ans sexual content.

Disclaimer: Characters are property of Pixelberry.

Pairings: M!Sam x MC - Olive.

Enjoy 😘

10 years ago

"Jenny, do you have to go? Who am I going to hang out with all summer?" "Olive, You have loads of friends not just me. Plus, you will be busy with your summer job! Promise me one thing make sure Jace turns up on time, please" I sigh, "OK, I will but it won't be the same without you!" I hug her as we stood outside her mom's car.

"I will be back before you know it" Jenny, mom beeps the horn. Jen smiles at me "Right, I have to go see you in a few weeks! Love you" "Have fun! Say Hi to your Nan for me. See you soon! Love ya Jen!" She gets into the car and waves as her mom drives off.

I hear Jenny's front door close and footsteps coming down the stairs, " "Hey, I'm off to meet some mates. Laters" I grab his arm, and he turns to me "Olive, what are you doing?" "Have you forgotten? We are both due to start work in 20 minutes" "Olive, you didn't really think I was going to stick to my mom's deal and go to that job did you?" "Poor Jace, your mom spoke to me last night, and she asked me to tell her if you don't turn up" I smiled at him.

"So! What is she going to do if I don't? Ground me?!" he laughs. "No, nothing like that she's just hidden your car keys so you can't use it for that concert you want to go to at the end of summer" he looks surprised. "What?! No, she hasn't! She can't do that!" "She has! We are going to be late," he sighs, "Fine, let's go!" We take the subway to my Uncle Pete's bar and restaurant as we get there. We walk round the back to let ourselves in.

Uncle Pete is waiting for us "Olive! Jace always a pleasure to see you. Right you two your Tallulah's t-shirts are there in the box in the corner. Get change in the toilet's. I'll probably start you both off with taking out meals until the washing up starts piling up. We both heads over to pick up a shirt" "Hey Pete, Do you have a large?" Jace asks, "No, sorry not at the moment I need to order some more." We go to get changed, once I'm done I head to the kitchen Jace isn't far behind me, when he enters the kitchen I nearly fall to the floor laughing.

"OK, it's not funny, Olive" "Really because I think it's hilarious! You look like you might Hulk out of it!" "OK, Olive have you finished?" "Sorry, I'm just getting started Jace" Uncle Pete comes into the kitchen and takes one look at Jace and tries to hide a laugh.

"Great, you managed to squeeze into it" I head off to the stock room and grab what we and take them back to the kitchen.

Jace has rolled out the pizza base and spinning it around his hand above his head "OK, no one likes a show off Jace" "Aww, Olive are you jealous you can't do th..." he's cut off by the dough landed flat on his face. I howl laughing "Wow, I'm so jealous" "Jace you have to get a new ball of dough now" Uncle Pete tells him.

Once we are finished, we take the meals out to the table we make a start on the washing up Jace washes and I dry up. By the end of our shift we are both drained "Argh, My feet are going to fall off!" "Well, if they do, I'm not carrying you home" I playfully slap him "Thanks! Such a gentleman!" We both laugh and get our stuff to head home.

2 Week's later I'm getting ready for work when my mom call's up to me "Bubble, Jace is here for you" "OK, Mom I will be down in a minute. A lot has changed in the last two weeks, the first few days I had to keep knocking for Jace to make sure he turned up work, then by the end of the week he started calling for me. He has actually been really sweet we've been chatting outside work too.

I've spoken to Jenny a few times, she's having fun with her Nan in Wilmington, North Carolina. I head downstairs to meet Jace "Hey, are you ready to go?" He asks me "Yep, Bye Mom! I'll see you later!" "See you later Bubble!" she shouts back as we head out.

We make our way to work via the subway, as soon as we get there we have a table of 30 so, We start on the washing up "Olive, can you turn on the tap I need more water." I reach for the tap and turn it on as I do a plate is in the way and the water splashes all over Jace.

He is soaked. I can't help laughing at him, "So, you think it's funny do you Olive?" Crap I have no where to run I'm trapped and Jace is blocking my only way out. He swipes the water in the sink at me, I try to cover myself, but it's no use I'm drenched, Jace is laughing, so I get him back swiping water at him.

We are both soaked "Give up, Olive!" both of us still splashing water at each other "No, not till you do," I'm not completely sure how it happened but Jace's lips are on mine at first I'm shocked. His hands move to my hips to lift the bottom of my shirt up when the kitchen door opens we spring apart it's Sarah.

"Sorry guys more washing up" "Thanks Sarah. Is it still busy out there?" I ask, "It is quieting down now, thank god! I have a few more plates to bring in, so I'll be back in a minute." she's left the kitchen Jace has continued washing up not looking at me this is how the rest of our shift together went in silence.

"Walk home together?" he asked. "Yeah OK!" "I think we need to talk about earlier!" We leave "So, about earlier. What was that?" He asks, "I don't know, I have no idea what happened. One minute we were messing about the next we were kissing." "How do you feel about kissing me?" "It was nice. What about you?" "Me? I've wanted to kiss you for ages." He smiles.

"No, I'm not I'm being serious. I figured you didn't see me as anything other than your best friend's brother. So I gave up trying!" "So, what if we start again?" He smiles at me as we reach my house "So if I was to ask you on a date tomorrow night you would say...?" "I would say pick me up at 7pm" "OK, see you tomorrow at 7!" He smirks at me as I head into the house.

The next evening I'm getting ready to go on my date with Jace when I hear a knock at the door, "Come on lets go!" I say pulling Jace along with me.

We take the subway to the bowling alley and change our shoe once we get there. "Lovely foot wear, very on trend!" "You can make fun of me all you want, but at least I don't look like I have clown feet." I laugh. He turns to me "You know what they say about big feet." He winks at me "Yeah, I do, they have massive heads!" "HEY!" he says with a giggle. "Let's play. By the way I play to win!" "Is there any other way?" we start playing Jace gets a strike on his first go.

We leave the bowling alley we start to walk home when we come across a street performer playing a guitar as I'm about to walk passed him, Jace grabs my hand and starts dancing with me. "Jace!" He spins me out then back towards him, I laugh! "I love your laugh, Olive." I look up at him as I snake my arms around the back of his neck, his eyes meet mine, then flit down to my lips. His lips crash against and he deepens the kiss, his tongue dances around mine.

He pulls away and smirks at me, "Come on lets get you home before your parents send out a search party!" He drops me back home as soon as I get in I head to bed when I hear my phone.

PING

*1 New Message From Jace*

[Night beautiful! I've had the best night, can't wait to do it again! Jace x]

[Aww! Jace, I had an amazing time too. Definitely doing it again. ;) Sweet dreams xx]

A few week later one Saturday, it's dad's birthday, he's having a BBQ with family and friends coming over even Jace and his parents are coming. I'm helping mom with the salad when I hear him "Hi Olive, you look nice today!" I turn to him "Thank you," he smiles at me and looks over to my mom who has her back towards us then plants a quick kiss on my lips.

I blush as he pulls away.

"Do you need any help Mrs. Schuyler?" He asks not taking his eyes away from mine, "Oh, thanks Jace, but we are all done now!" Mum tells him as she takes the salad out to the garden.

Jace wrapped his arms around me "I've missed you," he tells me, "You only saw me last night!" I say before he plants another kiss on my lips. We hear someone heading in, so we spring apart as dad comes into the kitchen, "Hey, Jace" "Happy birthday Mr. Schuyler! "Thanks, you guys coming outside?" "Yeah, we were just heading out there." We both join everyone in the garden.

Later dad and uncle Pete are deep in conversation I look over to Jace, who is already looking over to me and nod towards the house. We sneak inside, and I grab his hand, and lead him to my bedroom, but he stops me on the stairs "Olive, I don't think this is a good idea! Your dad will do his nut if he catches us!" "He's busy! Pete will keep him busy for ages. Plus, all I wanted to do was show you Jenny's birthday present I've been working on!".

He hesitates, but follows me as he comes into my bedroom, I close my door, and he looks around "I've not been in here since I was 8" I laugh, "yeah, dad kinda doesn't let me have boys in here!" He looks worried "Don't worry he won't catch you in here! Come on sit while I get out her present." he sits at the end of my bed while I find Jenny's present, I sit next to him. "So what is it?" I pull the photo album out of the bag.

"It's a photo album with pictures from when we were kids right up to recent ones we've taken" we flick through the album. "Olive, she's going to love this! Such a lovely idea!" He smiles at me "I'm clever, aren't I?" I wink at him before I can react, he starts tickling me and I collapse backwards and start moving up the bed to get away, but it's no good! "Jace" I laugh then he stops as he is hovering above me looks at my lips "You are so beautiful, Olive."

I loop my hands around his neck and pull him in for a kiss. He deepens the kiss, then his hands slide up the side of my leg and under my top to my breast. He pulls away a little "Is this OK?" I nod as I pull him back to me and slide my hand under his shirt feeling his abs, and he smiles against my lips.

I move my hands to his back, and he presses against me more as I bite his lip he groans, he moves his lips to my neck "Jace!" I moan, and he continues kissing down to my collarbone. I pull him back up to my lips, then lift his shirt to take it off he looks at me as I pull it over his head "Olive, we should stop!" "I don't want to!"  his lips smash against mine his tongue plays with mine.

He pulls up again "Olive, I've never...you know! I've done stuff just not that" I cup his face "Jace, Me neither!" "Are you sure?" I nod, it's like something breaks in him because he doesn't hold back or fight it anymore.

He starts to undress me until we are both down to our underwear. He pulls back to look at me "Wow, you look absolutely stunning! Olive" "Stop looking at me and show me how stunning you think I am!". He collapses against me, his hand slides down my body and stop between my legs before he slips into my underwear.

He starts stoking me"ohhh...Jace!" he whispers against my ear "Olive, you're going to have to be quiet unless you want your dad to kill me!" I smirk as he nips my ear lobe. "Also tell me if it's uncomfortable," he says,"Oh, believe it's anything but!" This spurs him on more as he runs his teeth gently against my neck before pulling my bra out of the way to suck my nipple.

Every touch makes me tingle "Jace, I need more!" I bring his lips back to mine to hide my moans. He starts to kiss down my body "Jace, where are you going?" He looks up at me "Just lay back," he says before planting a kiss inside my thigh then his tongue brushes against me "Jace....oh! That feels..." his tongue slide inside me and I struggle not to scream with pleasure.

I pull him up to me,"My turn!" I tell him as I push him against the bed and start kissing his neck and down his body as I reach his boxers, he shudders as I pull them down. He's hard, I take him in my hand as I lick the tip he lets out a small groan, I smirk as I take him into my mouth, his hips buck upwards as I slide my tongue around him.

He grabs the bed sheets, clenching his fist as he bites his lip, trying hard not to moan aloud. He places his hand behind my head, guiding me "Olive....." moving me faster along him and it's not long before he pulls me up pushing me against the bed.

"Olive, are you sure about this? I won't regret this, but I don't want you to either," I smile at him "I'm sure! Condoms top draw, on your left" He leans over, opens the draw pulls out the condom packet, and places one on himself before hovering above me again "If it becomes uncomfortable, tell me, and we'll stop! OK?" "I will," I smile at him.

He positions himself at my entrance as he kisses my lips just before he enters me. I wrap my arms around him. He pulls his lips away to look at me keeping, his eye on mine as he starts off slow,"Jace more," he starts to speed up, each thrust more powerful than the last.

His gaze finally leaves mine as he leans in to kiss my neck, he groans against it "Olive.....ohhhhh!" I smirk "Shhh!" His lips come to meet mine to muffle out our moans, I dig my nails into his back, and he bites my lip.

My hands move to his bum, pushing him down to deepen his thrusts he gets the hint and goes harder "Ohh...god...that's deep!" "Jace I...I want to be on top!" he flips us over until I'm straddling him.

I start riding him "Fuck me, Olive! Shit....I'm going to come!" I start to ride him harder bringing myself to the edge, and we both fall over it together! I collapse next to him panting, I turn to him, he's smiling at me "Olive, that was..." "Amazing, incredible or unbelievable?" He plants a kiss on my lips "all three!" He says.

Just then there a knock at the door both of us look at each other in shock, Jace gets up grabbing his clothes scrambling to put them on as the door open I wrap the blanket around me and mom walks in she catches Jace in just his pants.

"WHOA!!" Mom screams as she closed the door again, averting her eyes, she closes it enough to not see anything but also enough to talk to me "Olive, I just came up to tell your Uncle has booked a weekend away for me and your dad for his birthday we leave in a bit and won't be back till Monday. I was going to ask if you are ok to leave you on your own or if you wanted a friend to stay, but I guess you can ask Jace if you want? As long as you are being safe?"

"Oh mom, that's cool. Safe?" "Yes, Olive safe as in using protection!" "MOM!!" We weren't doing anything I was just changing and....and...." "Bubble you don't need to explain, you are 17 nearly 18 years old. But don't tell your dad, I've said it's OK for him to stay!" No point trying to deny it, there isn't one excuse I could use that to cover this up!

"OK, mom just don't tell dad about what just happened." "I have no idea what you are talking about, but I'd advise you to get dressed and come down to say bye to your dad before he comes up!" "OK". I start getting dressed as I hear mom heading back downstairs.

Jace comes over to me "So a weekend with a free house? What ever will we do?" Jace winks at me. I smirk at him "Hopefully more of that, but right now you need to play hide and seek and hope to god my dad doesn't catch you!" "OK, I'll text my mom tell her I went to a mates and I'm staying there tonight." "Right, I shouldn't be long see you in a bit!" I tell him before going to say bye to my parents.

"Bye bubble, make sure he wraps up!" She whispers as she pulls away I blush. I wave them off as they leave, mom has done all the clearing up from the BBQ. I head back to my bedroom as I open the door, I call out for Jace and before I can react he tackles me onto the bed.

Over the next 24 hours we only leave my bed for food or the bathroom. It's now Monday lunch time my mom and dad will be back tonight. We are laying in bed kissing when my phone rings "Crap, it's Jenny!" Jace smirks.

I answer the phone "Hey, Jenny! How have you been?" I ask her thinking Jace will stop as I start talking to his sister, but he doesn't, he continues kissing along my jaw, "Olive, I'm great thanks only 1 more week till I'm back! Have you missed me? Do you have any juicy gossip?" She asks me as Jace starts to nibble my ear lobe then moves to neck before "Erm.....no...no gossip sorry. Yeah, I've missed you too! How is your Nan?".

He moves further down my body "Aww Olive! BFF should never be apart this long. Next time Jace can be the one that...." I don't hear the rest of the sentence because his mouth is pressed against my centre "Ohhhhhhh....." I cry out before hearing Jenny again "Olive, are you OK? Did you hear what I said?" Jace looks up at me and presses his finger against his lip to shh me before he's spreading my legs wider to give him better access.

I try to focus "Yeah, yeah, Jen, I'm OK, I just stubbed my toe." "Ouch I bet that's painful! So, what do you think?" She asks. I want to ask what she is on about, but I can't focus "Yeah, it's a great idea! Jenny, can I call you back? I've got to clean up before my parents come back tonight".

"Ohhh...yes!" I say as Jace doubles his efforts "Great, I can't wait! Yeah, of course! Olive, are you sure you are OK?" "Yeah, I just found $50 in my jean pocket" lame excuse, but it's all I could think of. "OK, we'll speak soon!" She says, "Soon, bye!" I say before hanging up.

Jace comes up "Couldn't keep quiet could you?" He smirks against my lips. I pull him tighter to me before he pins my hands about my head as he takes me again.

A week later Jenny is back, and we were going tell her about us, but with Jace off to university and me still in high school neither of us could see how it would work. Sadly, we call it a day and never mention it again.

Continue reading this story here - Chapter 3.

@lem-20​

[jokertrap-ran]

(未定事件簿) EVENT! 「消失的黄金」 [Tears of Themis] EVENT: The Lost Gold Translations (Mo Yi Chapter 2-02: Forest Camp)

“Who are you, to bring up ‘Professional Ethics’ with me? ”

*Tears of Themis Masterlist is under construction. *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *(y/n) is your name when in direct referral; otherwise referred to as MC. *Can someone shoot me to sleep bc its 6am rn

Location: Forest Camp

Just like Mo Yi had deduced, Wang Xian appeared shortly after we reached the Forest Camp.

Wang Xian: What a coincidence, Doctor Mo. We meet again.

Wang Xian: I had explicitly thought that the next time we saw each other again, ever since the exchange we had on the Ship, would be back in Stellis City.

Mo Yi: Looks like you really don't want to see me here, Doctor Wang.

Wang Xian: I came here for a holiday, so it feels a little off-putting to be bumping into my Psychiatrist, of all people.

Wang Xian: But I suppose this is fated, in a way. How about we share our Treasure Clues that we found on the way here?

He pretended to open his backpack, as if to take out the items he collected during the Event.

Mo Yi: You're actually playing the game seriously; that's beyond my expectation.

Mo Yi: But if that's the case, why aren't you working together with that assistant of yours?

Wang Xian: I'm his boss, so he should consider himself lucky that I even brought him here to Nosta Island for a Vacation; but to be together with him for the entire duration of the trip is a little…

Wang Xian: I'm afraid that would be alone to torture, for him.

Wang Xian: Besides, the Event Organizer did say that anything found will belong to the finder.

Mo Yi: Wang Xian, I am your Psychiatrist. Don't you think you're trying too hard to act generous and considerate in front of me?

Wang Xian: What are you trying to say, Dr. Mo?

Mo Yi: Have you forgotten about your nickname among the Prisoners, "Black-handed Wang"?

Wang Xian: Mo Yi, you—!

MC: "Black-handed Wang"? What does that mean?

Mo Yi: He's someone who often goes in and out of Prison. And he'll always help the Prisoners by bringing in some Contrabands, like Cigarettes, for example.

Mo Yi: The rate he asks from the Prisoners is oftentimes twice or thrice the time of the goods' original value. That's why he's known as "Black-handed Wang"

Mo Yi relentlessly exposed Wang Xian's own can of worms.

Judging from this, he had absolutely no intentions to play nice with Wang Xian right from the start.

Wang Xian: Dr. Mo, isn't this considered leaking your Patient's Privacy? What poor Professional Ethics you have.

Mo Yi: You're a Lawbreaker right now, not my Patient.

Mo Yi: Also, who are you, to bring up "Professional Ethics" with me?

Mo Yi: Why don't you first tell me what your assistant, pseudonym Cao Zhong, Real name Dong Hechuan, has gone off to do?

Wang Xian: Who's Dong Hechuan? ...I don't know him!

MC: You're only recently applied for Dong Hechuan's Commutation, and you say you don't know who he is?

Wang Xian's panic was blatantly obvious, now that Dong Hechuan's identity had been exposed.

Mo Yi: The reason why Dong Hechuan's commutation was approved was because he made important contributions to your Academic Papers, published in A-level journals.

Mo Yi: If you can even forget about someone like him, then I suggest you go to the Neurological Department and get that brain of yours checked.

Wang Xian: I really can't put anything past you, Dr. Mo.

Wang Xian: I'd heard before that you were regarded as a genius in the world of Psychology, but I didn't think that you'd be just as good at Criminal Investigations.

Wang Xian: Actually, I was coerced to both reduce his sentence and bring him to this Island.

MC: You were coerced?

MC: Then let's talk about how he coerced you.

≫Inquiry Start≪

⊳ Choice: Intimidation Grounds

MC: How did Wang Xian coerce you to reduce his sentence?

Wang Xian: With evidence that I was helping the Prisoners carry in Contrabands.

Wang Xian: Dong Hechuan has a record of Contraband Transactions.

Wang Xian: It contains a list of items I brought in for them along with the amount, date and time.

Wang Xian: He threatened me, saying that he'd hand these records over to the Prison's Administration if I refused to help him reduce his sentence.

Mo Yi: It's not like you've been helping the Prisoners for only a day or two. Dong Hechuan, capable of threatening you with just a single record? Whose leg are you trying to pull?

Wang Xian: The records include the testimony and signature of each relevant prisoner. Even I don't know how he got his hands on such a thing…

Wang Xian: But, if he really reports me, not only will my reputation be ruined, but I'll also have to go to Court for it.

⊳ Choice: Dong Hechuan's motive in coming here

MC: What is Dong Hechuan's purpose in coming here? Why is he participating in the Treasure Hunt?

Wang Xian: Since you know of Dong Hechuan, I suppose you're also aware of the Gold Robbery that happened ten years ago.

Wang Xian: He came here to look for the remaining gold from that year.

MC: He was given a lighter sentence at the time because he took the initiative to confess about the whereabouts of the gold.

MC: You could have always threatened him with the fact that he purposely concealed the true location of the gold, countering the upper hand he has against you.

MC: Why did you help him get onto this Island? Moreover, I'm guessing that you were the one who sabotaged the Terminals back in the Cruise Ship.

Wang Xian: I was the one who did it, but I…

Mo Yi: Not conventional for you to say? Then, allow me to speak for you.

Mo Yi: He promised to share the gold with you, am I right?

Mo Yi: You're already risking the hair on your eyebrows by carrying Cigarettes in for the Prisoners. So how, could you ever resist the temptation of gold?

Wang Xian: That's right. It was a moment's greed that had overtook me, but I didn't destroy the Terminals single-handedly.

MC: Did you do it with Dong Hechuan?

Wang Xian: He's not the only one involved. We did destroy the Terminals together, but when we went to the Monitoring Room go replace the Security Footage…

Wang Xian: We realized that the footage of our entry had already long since been replaced.

Wang Xian: Someone else had helped us cover up the destruction of the Terminals, but we don't know who.

MC: There's actually a third person involved?

Just who was able to silently sneak into the Surveillance Room and replace the footage?

Mo Yi: "We" don't know who the third person is? Ha ha, very funny.

⊳ Choice: Details of the deal

MC: You just said that you brought Dong Hechuan to this Island because of a moment's greed.

MC: But have you thought about how he's very likely to kill you once he finds the gold?

MC: Are you even sure that you'll still be alive to enjoy the wealth you gained?

Wang Xian: Of course I've also taken pre-measures against him.

Wang Xian: Dong Hechuan told me that the remaining gold left on Nosta Island weighs more than a hundred kilograms, and he, alone, can never take it out of here.

Wang Xian: His brothers-in-arms from back then are all dead, he has no other acquaintances and has absolutely no way to transport all that gold either.

Wang Xian: So, I arranged for an ocean-going fishing boat to pick us up on the other side of the Island. Everyone on that boat is loyal to me.

Wang Xian: I will be safe so long as I manage to get onto the boat. And I won't have to worry about him making off with the gold alone either.

Mo Yi: Oh? How interesting, indeed.

Mo Yi: All the people on that boat are your men; So, of course you're not afraid. But then, what about Dong Hechuan? Isn't he afraid?

Mo Yi: You have gold aplenty and people to spare. Isn't he afraid that you'll permanently silence him on the boat?

Wang Xian: Of course not.

Wang Xian: He said that the scheduled email he had set up beforehand would send the records he's holding against me to the Police Station, should he be unable to return back to Stellis City alive.

Wang Xian: Besides, I only want to get rich. I don't have the guts to be killing people.

Wang Xian: And Dong Hechuan doesn't have any other partners out there other than me, whom he trusts.

⊳ Choice: Acting separately

Mo Yi: If the both of you are here with the gold in mind, then why aren't you acting together?

Wang Xian: That had been the initial plan, but Dong Hechuan has an illness. Therefore, he had to leave first to get it treated.

MC: What illness?

Wang Xian: PTSD; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Wang Xian: The gang of robbers had an internal fallout on this Island back then, and everyone except him had died.

Wang Xian: He has witnessed the deaths of too many of his brothers and now suffers from a serious Psychological Disorder.

Wang Xian: Dong Hechuan suffers from insomnia and has been plagued by nightmares for many years, always dreaming about the tragedy that befell on this very Island.

Wang Xian: Back on the Ship, he said that he'd be heading down to the part of the Island where his good brothers were killed first, once we landed on the Island.

Mo Yi: So he went to pay his respects to the dead. Then, where does this road you're walking lead to?

Wang Xian: He gave me the clues as to where to gold was buried and asked me to go on ahead and find it first.

MC: Clues? You mean, he doesn't know where the gold really is?

Otherwise, why wouldn't he tell Wang Xian the exact location of the gold?

Wang Xian: According to him, the biggest amount of gold had been hidden by the second boss of the gang back then.

Wang Xian: That person was very literary and artistically inclined. So, after burying the gold, he wove his clues about where it was buried, into a poetry.

Wang Xian: Therefore, no one except the second boss can find said gold, unless they solve the hidden riddle to his poetry.

⊳ Choice: Records of entering the Island

Mo Yi: Last question, Wang Xian. Is this your first time on Nosta Island?

Wang Xian: I…

He lowered his head, hesitating for a moment before letting out a long, drawn-out sigh.

Wang Xian: Mo Yi, you must have found my records of my entry and exit, if you're asking me such a question.

Wang Xian: You really do possess some remarkable abilities.

Wang Xian: I guess I can only come clean, now that you've already guessed it; there's no point in hiding it anymore.

Wang Xian: I've been here once, before. Only to make arrangements regarding the ocean-bound fishing boat.

Mo Yi: Is that so…

≫Inquiry End≪

☆⋅⋆…⋅─────────── ⋆⋅✾⋅⋆ ───────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Wang Xian: I've already told you everything there is to be said, Dr. Mo. There's no competition or any bones to pick between us two, so just spare me.

Mo Yi: Spare you? Sure, I can do that; on one condition.

Wang Xian: What is it?

Mo Yi: Fork over the clue that leads to the gold.

☆⋅⋆…⋅─────────── ⋆⋅✾⋅⋆ ───────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Previous Part: (Mo Yi 2-01: Forest Zone) | Next Part: (Mo Yi 2-03: Deep within the Forest)

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on TRR Book 3 Chapter 20

• Note: Screenshots for Hana are from @kennaxval , HIMEME YouTube Channel for Drake and Vika Avey YouTube Channel for Maxwell. Alright. Looks like this book will take another two chapters, fam!

• I feel like one will be for the final showdown between Liam and Anton, and the eventual aftermath, and the last one will be an epilogue of sorts, where the MC either has her coronation or is honoured in a special ceremony for her bravery. But I could be wrong, so don't take me altogether on my word.

• Wanna know how to be friendzoned by your spouse at your own wedding reception? Be Hana.

• I'm serious. Even if she's fucking married to you she's still expected to play the part of Professional Best Friend™. She acts more the bridesmaid than the actual bride.

• Title: A Warm Reception. Well that reception is about to get scalding hot by the end of this chapter!

• The chapter begins with a lovely sweet scene with your husband/wife (it's so nice to finally say it!!) and what they're looking forward to at the reception. In the options you get to hint at the main course you picked (if you paid the diamonds) or the cake (if you paid the diamonds) + the toast (for which you will now pay diamonds).

• We meet Ana de Luca at the boutique and she shows us a dress that...still looks like it would be more suitable for a wedding instead.

Okay maybe a little risque for a wedding...but still. I guess I'm more used to the bride changing into a different colour for the reception (for us Malayali Christians, we usually change into saris of whatever colour - but mostly red - after the wedding and the mass is over).

Well of course I'm choosing this. The other option is the dreaded LBD (alright not that dreaded. It's a lot better than Bluebelle, after all).

• Madeleine is extra snippy and snarky compared to her usual, and is determined to change her job description from Press Sec to Professional ClamJammer/Cockblocker™.

• Look, you lucky sods who did the fling option. My MC has had no sex since Valtoria and SHE. IS. THIRSTY.

• So we enter the hall, congratulated and complimented like any regular wedded couple, our friends surrounding us with joy and promises of a good time. Court members like Kiara and Penelope confess to crying over your vows (I'm guessing this crops up only if you chose the vow diamond option in Chapter 18).

• Boy they really are laying it in thick with Liam's heartbreak if he's not marrying you aren't they. Like they HAVE to drill it in you that THIS MAN STILL LOVES YOU AND IS IN PAIIIIIN before this entire betrayal fiasco occurs. They're like a few lines short of literally writing it on the poor man's forehead.

• In each playthrough, once you're done getting felicitations from everyone, you then get to meet the rest of the groom/bride's families.

In Liam's playthrough Regina and Leo tell Liam how proud they are of him, and Leo is impressed at his wedding taking place in Bossina Cathedral (hinting at the fact that if you married him in RoE, he was one of the few royals who did not get married there). In Drake's playthrough, the MC meets Bianca, and we find out more about both her and Jackson (Jackson wasn't a big fan of big events with lots of people, and Bianca can't wrap her head around the gazillion spoons and their purpose on the dinner table. Don't let your future son-in-law Bertrand catch you saying that, Bianca!). In Hana's playthrough, Xinghai and Lorelai sound nostalgic, and Lorelai tells Hana that she wishes Hana had let her braid her hair. Hana tenses up at the comment, but given the speech Lorelai gives later on, it seems more like a sentimental moment she wanted to share with Hana before the wedding. In Maxwell's playthrough, the family members are Bertrand, Savannah and Bartie, and Savannah uses her time with the newlyweds to...make pointed remarks about "how hard it is to take the leap" and give Bertrand shade for taking their relationship further yet. Um. Okay Savannah.

• We then move on to the main course. Now if you didn't buy the group scene at the festival in Castelserraillian, you do have a main course - they just don't specify what it is. If you do, however, the main course you chose will unlock a scene with the LI that recommended it. The chicken tagine unlocks some playful dialogue between Liam and Leo about how much Liam disliked this dish and how much his tastes have changed since then. The ash-e reshteh unlocks a cute scene between Hana and her parents about their experience in Iran during the Persian New Year, including a sweet story about how Lorelei had lost her bag and ended up walking around in a t-shirt instead. The feijoada stew doesn't give us any extra stories, but it does unlock a funny scene where Bertrand looks suspiciously at the stew ("It smells like...Drake". Bertrand Bertrand Bertrand. If only you knew how much grovelling you'd have to do in front of Drake later), Drake encourages him to try it, and Bertrand is bowled over by the taste. I guess that's to be expected, considering Drake only specified that he liked the taste of the stew rather than assign any personal connection to it. Overall...nice touch having the food item connected to the LI that suggested it to you, and it makes me a little sadder about the fact that they didn't assign one to Maxwell at all.

• The LI you married gives their speech for free, each in their own unique style, each giving us an insight into their individual stories:

In their individual ways, each LI stresses on how their love story wasn't expected to work out, but did despite all the odds. Both Maxwell and Drake are self-deprecating: one speaks of how he - even now - cannot imagine that this beautiful feisty woman would choose a 'cynical bastard' like him, while the other highlights how fairytale-like her journey was expected to be and how he was the court jester who shouldn't have been getting the girl, but did. (Lol I also noticed that the married Drake now calls his spouse "Walker" 😄 Edit: Looks like this is by option. @i-dream-so-i-write tells me that in the carriage scene post the wedding, you get to choose what he should call you, which I missed. Nice touch!). Hana speaks of how her feelings towards the MC gradually developed over time, becoming stronger and more difficult to ignore even though she knew they were both supposed to be here on the same purpose (ie. vying for Liam's hand). Liam's highlights his constant fears that their relationship would be brought to an abrupt end several times, but above all, he speaks of her as Cordonia's Queen, reminds his subjects that she has proved her worth as a leader time and again. This is important, because it's a reminder that Liam will always belong to two: to his country, and to the woman who marries him.

• You then get a diamond option to hear the toasts of all your friends (the remaining LIs + Olivia) + a family member of that particular LI. In each playthrough, there are discrepancies: ones that seemed odd and confusing to me at first but that clearly show a pattern. Each LI will have just one fellow LI who will speak about them as well, rather than just the MC, and a family member who will reflect on that person's growth. Out of all of them, Olivia addresses only one directly with substantial attention to the LI: and that is Liam (she has a line directed to Drake that is doubtless funny but actually doesn't add anything and could have been done without really). Each one ends with a final toast from Bertrand. So here's what the breakdown of the toasts in each playthrough:

Liam: Toasts given by Drake, Olivia, Maxwell, Hana and Bertrand. Family member: Leo.

Leo's speech is primarily about bringing us back to the roots of the TRR story (his abdication and the aftermath of it all is how this story begins, after all), and reminding us of how it all began. He acknowledges the toll his decision must have taken on Liam, but also makes it clear that the MC has helped Liam find the balance between his duties and his needs that he so clearly needed.

The LI who focuses on Liam is Drake. This is but natural, given their deep bond and personal history. He speaks of Liam's "heart of gold" that matches the literal gold he's got around, and considers him his brother.

Maxwell and Hana focus on the MC, and only cursorily mention Liam (Maxwell does cute finger guns though lol).

Olivia's toast is special to the MC because it's where she makes clear her respect for her, and confesses that though she hated her in the beginning it turned into respect. Liam is perhaps the only LI Olivia properly acknowledges:

In the rest of the playthroughs, Olivia may end up being Liam's eventual Queen, but in this one - she is affirming that whether he belongs to her or not, he remains her inspiration and she will always care for him. Kinda like a fitting goodbye to that dream I guess? Comparatively, she ignores the other LIs, except for Drake whom she baits and then declines to make a toast for.

Bertrand speaks of his personal journey with the MC, but does not make more than a cursory mention of Liam and the fact that the MC is now Queen.

Drake: Toasts given by Liam, Hana, Maxwell, Olivia and Bertrand. Family member: Savannah.

Savannah's toast is more centered around the MC than it is Drake, and possibly gives the MC more credit than is wise. Like yes, if the MC chooses she can convince Drake to actually reach out and talk to his sister, but she wasn't the one who - in Savannah's words - "found" Savannah. That was all on Drake. Drake was the one who found the address. He was the one who took initiative to check it out and see who stayed there. All the MC does is maybe give him the required push to stay, and even that is optional. In any case...when Savannah does talk about Drake it is to reaffirm his deep denial that there was anything between them up until he was able to get engaged to the MC.

The LI who focuses on Drake is Liam. He speaks of their long-standing friendship, how Drake deserves happiness, and hints at how much he has sacrificed for Cordonia without taking anything in return.

Again, Maxwell and Hana do not mention Drake except in passing, and their toasts are mostly dedicated to their friendship with the MC.

Olivia's toast is basically added here just because Olivia-roasting-Drake is popular, and I think it falls a little flat really.

Bertrand, being Drake's future brother-in-law, speaks briefly of his affection for the Walker family and therefore affirms his respect for Drake based on what he has heard of him from Savannah.

Hana: Toasts by Maxwell, Liam, Drake, Olivia and Bertrand. Family member: Lorelai.

Lorelai's toast ties in with what she tells Hana at the beginning of the reception. She brings up the way she used to braid Hana's hair as a reference point to her childhood, speaking at length of how close they were even if the relationship was a strained one. She speaks of how afraid she was of losing Hana, and how she is now coming to terms with the fact that by setting her free she is actually becoming closer to Hana than she ever imagined. Which is nice...but as with most things Hana related...it's a whitewashed pretty picture that really doesn't delve properly into this relationship as it has been depicted before.

The LI that focuses on Hana is Maxwell. It's clear that there is a tiny element of hero-worship there ("when I grow up I want to be like Hana Lee"). He acknowledges her particular manner of caring for people, her amazing dance skills and her kindness. It's quite sweet, even though frustrating because I've seen more of the LIs laud Hana's perfections in lieu of proper characterization. But that aside. It's sweet.

In this case, it is Liam and Drake who do not focus on Hana, instead stopping at their toast to the MC. Olivia does not directly address Hana either.

Bertrand, as with Liam's playthrough, doesn't have much to say about Hana the way he does about Drake and (understandably) Maxwell.

Maxwell: Maxwell's has only four options - the remaining LIs and Olivia. This is because Bertrand, Maxwell's brother and only surviving family, is also the MC's sponsor and speaks in that capacity as well. In the case of Maxwell's playthrough, he represents both the bride and the groom.

Bertrand's toast here is pretty much an extension of his toast in the other playthroughs, with him exploring his history with his brother. He recognizes Maxwell's gifts, acknowledges the childlike quality that is a part of him, confesses there is so much about Maxwell that he doesn't and may never really understand, and apologizes for making him feel like he deserves less than to know his brother is proud of him. It reflects on the journey the Beaumont brothers have taken, and how he finally realizes Maxwell's worth.

The LI that focuses on Maxwell is Hana. Like Maxwell she speaks of his excellent dancing skills, but then again she also speaks of his zest for life, his sense of humour, his playful spirit.

Liam and Drake focus on the MC instead of Maxwell, which feels a bit odd since they've known him for long enough as well, but I can appreciate that Liam and Drake are closer to each other than to anyone else in the group, and so are Hana and Maxwell.

Again, Olivia does not say anything about Maxwell either.

It looks like they decided to center the toasts around the MC for the most part, with a few insights on the LI from those closest to them. They spread that out by including a family member and an LI close to to them, and additionally in Liam's case, Olivia.

• Seeing Hakim try to say "WOO" and then ask if he's doing it right if you ask everyone to say make some noise, has to be the cutest thing about this chapter xD

•

Yes Esther. He picked the song. From the HSS soundtrack.

• Each LI then speaks about/alludes to their previous dances with you. Liam recalls the first dance at the Masquerade, Hana alludes to the many dances they have done over the course of the story (mostly because dancing with her is optional), Drake speaks about wanting to get things right especially on their special day and Maxwell speaks about having the right mood and music depending on the situation. Quite sweet.

• Once the wedding dance is done, the LIs dance in a group together. Liam twirls Hana, Hana performs ballet, Maxwell challenges Drake to do spin kicks, Drake does some killer spin kicks, crediting self-defense with teaching him those moves. Penelope (and Kiara, very cautiously once she realizes Maxwell is volunteering to coach because she clearly wants all her bones intact by the end of the night) is so impressed she asks to be coached. Maxwell does the coaching.

• Olivia is not here, and Maxwell assumes she's gone to check out the hors d'ouvres. Hmm. Hmm.

• Cake cutting time! Now technically, if you didn't buy this option, it still happens - you just don't get to see what they're cutting. Choosing your cake allows you to see it and (more importantly in my opinion) gives you some lovely food descriptions. You also get gag options for cake cutting and for either feeding the cake to your spouse or smearing it all over their faces.

• If you're getting married to Liam and bought the gastrodiplomacy scene in Castelserraillian, you get an extra chocolate souffle. I wasn't sure they would remember this one post hiatus, but looks like they did. Now if only they'd remember Hana was an actual character deserving of a good arc with that much accuracy...

• If you bought the cake scene, you also get to surprise your spouse with an extra dessert. Liam is willing to share his baklava with you after being outed by his brother as being a Joey (I DON'T SHARE FOOD), Hana loves the hot chocolate and wants to refine her recipe based on it, Maxwell calls it the "second best cake" he's had (the first being their wedding cake). Drake's is the s'mores, but the playthrough I saw shows him enjoying the Cordonian Ruby pie (which honestly looks more like its been filled with berries than apples) and speaking of how nice it is to have one down-to-earth dessert. I'm guessing he must have either a similar reaction to the s'mores, or there's some reminiscing of the time he prepared it for her back in Book 2.

• The scene now shifts to BertVannah, who are having an argument. Savannah looks pissed off about Bertrand not calling and informing her about the attack in the boutique (gee, I wonder how that conversation would've gone. "Hey honey. At the brink of death here. Toodles!"). But her real ire is because she wants to take things to the next level but is getting mixed signals from Bertrand. She tells him she will probably be joining her mother in Texas instead. The timing of all this is supposed to be terrible, because Bertrand was planning to propose. With that ruby ring from LoveHacks.

• What ensues is a diamond scene to help Bertrand give Savannah her fairytale proposal, one last exercise in teaching Bertrand words and this couple to hold hands. Whether you choose it or not, Bertrand proposes, Savannah says yes and we find out her middle name is Jane.

• The diamond scene itself is quite sweet. It begins with Bertrand buttering up to Drake to get his approval, the highlight of which is him imitating a chicken to prove to Drake that he would do anything for Savannah. It then moves ahead to the Cordonian barbershop quartet (Liam, Drake, Maxwell, Bertrand) agreeing to get together after their last appearance in Book 2 to help him with the proposal, which will be sung to Savannah during the bridal bouquet toss.

• Somehow, no matter what, the TRR writing team have to remind us that they don't consider Hana a bride at her own wedding:

They somehow forget that Hana is a bride in this part of the Hana playthrough, have her round up the bridesmaids when that should be done by someone else (Madeleine or Kiara or literally any other woman), and make her stand in her fucking wedding gown in the line with the other bridesmaids. It's bad enough that she remains the "professional best friend" even after you're engaged, has to wear black at her own bachelorette and a glitch in the game during the ceremony directly affects her fans more than anyone else. Like if I were Hana I would circle the photo album of this day and mark it WORST WEDDING EVER. Yes. In red 😠

The MC is really out there treating her bride like a wedding planner on their wedding day. So much for making this wedding Hana's dream wedding, MC. Such love much wow.

• Proposal done, it's now time to give the LIs their gifts. Very nice, very emotional, they all love what you got them and they're all adorable.

You get the usual with the remaining LIs, and some extra kissing with your spouses. Overall, quite nice.

That's a lie Hana and you know it.

• So Olivia is completely MIA post the toast, Gladys is walking around looking poker faced, Bastien is taking Mara's place while (I'm guessing) she recovers...and Madeleine is still being a colossal cockblocker/clam jam.

• You get a few last minute conversations with Kiara and Penelope, including a default acknowledgement of how much Kiara sacrificed to be here and how tough it was for her (nice try, PB, but I'm not forgiving you for Lythikos).

•

We get a lovely call-back to the first chapter of Book 1, by having Not Henney be part of our wedding.

• Regina then comes up to talk to you, admitting that she was wrong in thinking that the MC would be "dangerous for Cordonia", and is now happy you're here.

• Gladys then comes and asks us to accompany her because someone is "impatient" to be with us.

• Uh huh, uh huh, I thought. Time for a diamond sex scene?

• But nope. It's free. (Waiiiiitaminute. Something is not quite right about this. We can't be boinking with our fiancé/es for free. What's going on!)

• ...oh. OH.

• Shame on you Gladys!

• When I asked you to call me Lamb Shawarma I didn't mean for you to turn me into one!

General Thoughts:

• If you're marrying Hana, Drake or Maxwell, they are lured into the maze first, and used as bait to catch hold of the MC. If you're marrying Liam, however, you're the bait.

• Prior to this, Olivia is missing as well, possibly for Anton to establish his "rightful" claim over his wife (good luck with that, buddy. I'd love for this to end with one of her knives on your throat) in the next chapter.

• Which is probably why Liam having feelings for the MC keeps coming up so much in the final few chapters. It propells him into anger either way, and seeing Olivia in a danger as well allows Liam to finally wake up to his possible feelings for her in the other playthroughs (I hope?)

• I think there will be a duel. I think it will be a parallel to the Costume Gala duel between Drake and Neville, except here the stakes are much much higher. Which is why Neville is shown in the chapter, after a long time of not being shown at all even though it's clear he's still part of the tour. He's probably there as a way to foreshadow what is to come. Also, it works as a bit of an inverse.

In the Costume Gala duel, Drake was clearly the underdog, and Neville clearly the noble who needed to be taught a lesson. Drake has spoken about agreeing to the duel to prove that as a commoner he has his worth and dignity, and it doesn't need to be trampled on.

In this duel, Anton appears to be the underdog fighting valiantly against the king of a "tyrannical" dynasty, and this is a rhetoric that at least some people take seriously, as we saw in the riot in Chapter 17, and in a little of what Gladys says before the betrayal.

But here...the tables are turned. Anton is the power-hungry candidate for the throne who is willing to destroy the livelihood of Cordonia's farmers and throw the economy of the country into shambles (ironically, since his father was part of the Sons of Earth), to get access to the throne. Liam has been established over and over as someone who genuinely cares for his people and wants them to prosper with him, not have himself prosper at their expense. So in this case, the non-noble here is established as the one who would be absolutely wrong for the country, and Liam as the monarch Cordonia needs and deserves.

• I wonder how much of this chapter will the actual duel take. I'm guessing half of it, with the LI, Liam, Olivia and the MC then going through the aftermath, and then eventually moving into the Coronation/honouring ceremony of the finale in another chapter.

• There will (hopefully) be some focus on Liam's emotional state? That man has been through way too much shit minus any space to actually talk about what he's been through. It's high time he gets his space to really open up about his trauma and actually get to heal, because this book has been keeping his state of mind in limbo for way longer than it should. It's been poorly worked on and poorly built, his overall crisis arc, but I'm hoping this coming chapter will make up for that.

• I deserve TWO sex scenes for the kind of crap I have to put up with at my own fucking wedding. An attack the day before! An attack before I dress! An attack at my reception! What BRIDE goes through this shit!

I'd better get great lingerie and explosive sex for the kind of stress getting married in Cordonia takes out of me.

• So technically Gladys is supposed to be our surprise element this chapter, and I guess it makes sense, since she is a recently introduced character and you can push her forward as shady without making it very obvious because she only enters the story when the book is close to being done.

• One thing I did find interesting is that if you choose to thank her while she leads you to the hedge maze, she looks sad and speaks of how "the nobles are usually too busy thinking of themselves on a night like tonight", leading the MC to feel sorry she's had such a bad experience. Which kinda gives us a hint why she might be in cahoots with Anton in the first place. Anton is not a nobleman (though he is married into a noble family), and seems to be preying on commoner emotions to get support for overthrowing Liam's government. I'm sorry Gladys, but I think you've been fooled.

• That's it for this chapter, guys. On to Chapter 21!

[darling-dooju]

Hi there folks! I just watched NCT’s 2018 VLIVE broadcast and my brain had all these thoughts floating around about it so I figured I might as well share them. Feel free to scroll past this if you’d rather not read, that’s totally cool with me!

With that being said, let’s go! 

🎈 First off, that grey filter that VAPP keeps using for their videos?? HATE IT. It makes people not look like human beings that have pores, it’s awful.

🎈 I’m so glad to see that Yukhei, Kun, and Jongwoo are debuting! I was worried SM might keep them in the dungeon forever until they’d make the choice to leave like Hansol. It’s a bittersweet happiness though because after all, they’re still stuck in SM. But at least they get to hang out with all the friends they’ve made training!

🎈 The members didn’t offer much as to what their comeback is actually going to look and sound like but judging by the NCTmentary episode 1 video and the fact that there’s going to be 6 MVs in total makes me think we’re gonna get a Deep Thinking Concept™. Will it actually be interesting and explore the minds of the members to reveal how they feel or will it be a confusing mishmash of vague ideas constructed by SM? My guess is the latter. If it were up to me I’d give them a brass band dancey pop concept similar to Ailee’s song, "U&I". I think the members have very intense singing and rapping voices that would contrast well with the fun instrumentals. But what do I know, I genuinely enjoyed NCT Dream’s “Chewing Gum”. Oh and just so we’re clear SM, please at least try to give other members more lines. Come on, I know you can do it. I know you have it in you. Make it fucking happen. 

🎈 I see Taeyong’s bashfulness when being complimented is still alive and well, I can’t believe this shy bean is as charismatic and serious as he is on stage.

🎈 Taeil appears to be better about being on camera, not fully comfortable but when a member messes with him his face doesn’t look like he just heard alarm bells like it used to.

🎈 Jaemin is back! Yay! His herniated disc seems to have been treated and he’s looking happy and healthy which is good. I missed him.

🎈 Yuta was actually not that flirty in this broadcast, shocking I know. Sure he pulled a couple seductive faces but he didn’t wink or kiss the camera once! As someone who is Yuta biased, I don’t know whether to be relieved or annoyed. Also, I know everyone jokes about how much Yuta adores Sicheng and don’t get me wrong, he does undoubtedly love Sicheng but I’ve noticed that Yuta silently watches over Mark too. He gives him subtle shoulder pats when Mark seems unsure or if he thinks he’s done a good job at something and it’s really sweet.

🎈 The yawning bit the members did was very funny, especially Johnny’s. NCTzens are probably going to gif the heck out of that segment (as if they haven’t already).

🎈 Chenle saying how he wants to take care of Yukhei, Kun, and Jongwoo, who are all older than him, was so!! Precious!!! He’s such a kind boy, I love him.

🎈 Mark has graduated from high school, congrats to him! With me currently trying to get my GED and Mark graduating, it seems as though we’re both in the same boat in terms of trying to adult properly. Good luck dude, may your luck be better than mine. *fist bumps* 

🎈 Yukhei’s Justin Bieber impression was hilarious, he may have been a little nervous because it was his first time but I foresee him being a big jokester like Johnny, Doyoung, Ten, Donghyuck, Jisung, Chenle, and Yuta. The Peanut Gallery Squad is getting rather large. Also am I the only one who is surprised that Johnny didn’t do his classic parrot impression? Perhaps he didn’t want to because he was made MC.

🎈 Good lord poor NCT became such a mess when Leeteuk asked them to give extra oomph to their introduction. I wonder what they’re going to decide to do as their new official intro, and if they’ll be able to do it in sync this time.

🎈 One of these days I want to see Donghyuck and Lee Chan from Seventeen do their Michael Jackson impressions together. Actually, can we just have Seventeen and NCT collab for something? If you put them all in a room together it’d be like a goddamn choir. Who would be the loudest amongst them all, Seokmin or Chenle? A question for the ages.

🎈 Still don’t know much about the newly debuted members yet but Kun doing magic tricks was super cool, he’ll do great on Weekly Idol. Can’t wait to see how that gentle, higher pitched singing voice of his meshes with the other members in their new music.

🎈 Ten’s greyish blue hair looks awesome! It’s a nice color for him. Still waiting for the day they finally give Taeil or Yuta a fun hair color. 

🎈 I cannot believe it’s been 2 years since NCT has debuted. I feel like 7th Sense happened 3 months ago or something not 2 whole years. They’ve all grown quite a bit and achieved a lot in such a short time span, I’m proud of them. Here’s to another 2 years!

And that’s about it for what I wanted to talk about. Till’ next time! Expect some graphic edits and a bullet point fic in the near future. Hope you all have a lovely day/night. 😊

[honmakurara]

About JAM Tour (Nagoya/Tokyo venues) ~ All is Well * Nostalgia

I was there thanks to my a.w.e.s.o.m.e. eighter friends I'll always always always always always always always feel indebted to♥ Yeah I can't help it. It was my first time ever, a longtime dream already, so if you’re interested, this is an attempt to try and write down a few (?) notes about the Con, even though my feels are still completely messed up even when time has already passed, I'm sorry XD 

[long post ahead, you're warned]

About the stage: The inner layout of each dome has been modeled to form the shape of a strawberry! My seat was upper high but quite central so I noticed. The cart path also followed a few waves and curves that didn't make sense at all (to me) until I saw it was due to the "strawberry shape" LOL. The special effects (fire during Noroshi and fake fireworks during Junjou Koi Hanabi) were impressive, but the lights were even better... I don't know, I was dazzled and astonished most of the times. During one song (can't remember which one) of the band session there were these violet/blueish rays opening up like a fan from various angles that looked absolutely amazing. I was hooked while listening to the boys playing♥ And the waves of the penlights moving like one all around the domes, really make people feel like one with Eito and their instruments or inciting. It's so beautiful to see. To be one of those little sparkling dots.

About the album: At first I thought the new album songs were 'weak' despite the big names behind the lyrics and arrangements. It didn't feel 'K8-like' at all, apart from maybe the silly rap in Egetsunai. But when I got to see Eito sing and play them all, it felt exactly like Takahashi Yuu once said, about "becoming eito flavoured songs, no matter what." Well it's true, and in the end I got the impression this live tour is pretty strong instead (at least to me). About the band: The last thing I expected (yet the one I craved most in my dreams) was Eito playing band songs for ONE HOUR or so. I mean... ONE HOUR... almost half a concert. 11 awesome songs. Given that both Tokyoholic, Zou and Uchuu ni itta Raion had been recently performed (at tour and Metrock), I could not hope for them to be in the setlist again. But luckily they were, instead, and I was so happy çOç 01. High spirits: awwwwwwwww, how to better start a Con?? I'm fond of both this and Your Wurlitzer. And last year they performed Your Wurlitzer (somehow re-arranged) at the Recital♥ 02. Katte ni shiyagare: singing (er, shouting?) this one together with Eito is simply priceless. 03. Uchuu ni itta Lion: the one performed in the Jukebox Tour is one of the live performances I periodically feel the need to re-watch, one of my faves ever. And now... I could see it live for real♥ This songs keeps being so.damn.great. and eito keep playing it awesomely. 04. Zou: my poor feels registered the vision of a (blonde) Tacchon drumming with all his might the intro of this song. I might have died right then, but luckily I love every little bit of this song and I can clearly remember Subaru and Yasu's parts (I love them♥) Yoko's lines, Tacchon's bridge and the power this songs brings with itself. It's so strong, so powerful and beautiful OMG. 05. Traffic: God bless Nishikido Ryo always. This left me agape and speechless from amazement the first time I listened to the mp3, but somehow I couldn't make it resound naturally in my head. But it's sooooooo good, so damn good, and once you hear it live, you're hooked, like, forever. Aww Ryochan's voice ♥ (and the short lines with TORN voices) 06. Ikiro: At first, at home I couldn't catch up with Ikiro, Jam Lady nor Traffic. But they're honestly and simply powerful when performed live on stage. Ikiro is strikingly awesome. We could say that most eighters could not sing (or remember by heart) the lyrics of the new songs, given that the album was out only a month and a half ago. But during Ikiro, things were different, we were all singing it heartedly. Aw. And one day, you suddenly realize you're humming Ikiro while walking on your own and you don't know how that happened XD 07. Samurai Song: I cried watching this in the Genki Tour, when Ohkura was not there but the boys sang it so beautifully, and quite teary themselves. I loved the drama, the PV and everything, I simply love this song. I don't know why Ryo chose to fumble with this song exactly (maybe he's particularly fond with is also♥), but he's the cuteness brought on Planet Earth. I loved seeing him so shy yet he looked almost relaxed, at ease with himself, with where he was, surrounded by eito and eighters, and my heart basically melted/exploded I wanted to hug him so tight and tell him he's going to be fine always, if only I could. It did not help that Tacchon decided to put his 'yasashii no kimochi' (gentle feels) basically everytime he closed up the Samurai melody with his drums. So cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute. Darn. In Tokyo, Ryo started playing itta janaika instead of Samurai Song XD And all eighters followed him for the whole intro, before he resumed the samurai uta XD I heard that the following day he played BJ (OMG♥) and Tacchon only followed him with his drums, waahhhhhhh♥ 08. Yume e no kaerimichi: In Nagoya, Ryo messed up even Yume e no kaerimichi TWICE after fumbling with the Samurai Song... we thought the concert would have never ended that night if they kept going on like that XD Subaru was at a loss because other eito followed Ryo's randomness during kaerimichi and they sang each line hardly repressing a laugh or some joke. When Subaru sang his own line, he had to put an arm over his eyes in order not to see the mess around him, for what was supposed to be a romantic ballad became a funny and cute song instead. At the third attempt, they managed to go past the first lines XD 09. Tokyoholic. Aw. This. THIS. I love you Ryochan. I LOVE YOU!! And, well, this year also the weather in Tokyo proved to be quite nasty with me, but it's just like Ryochan said: I can't hate you Tokyo. And that's all. 10. S.E.V.E.N. korobi E.I.G.H.T. oki: just like Katte ni Shiyagare, this is perfect and priceless to share with eighters and eito. The Yokohina screaming at each other from different side screens were worth the song alone XD 11. NOROSHI: The Tokyo Dome was so much on fire during this and Tokyoholic that my eyes started sparkling out of nowhere!

12. Kiseki no hito: I'm not fond of this song, yet it's cute watching eito "cuddle" their Ryochan on this. And yes, it's another one you'll find yourself humming repeatedly without even knowing why. 13. JAM LADY. Er. THIS. This. Remember I said I couldn't grasp this song? Well... that was before I saw what they DID during this song. So there are our boys appearing on stage from above, I mean, meters high on the main stage and coming down slowly while thick (yeah: thick) fountains of waters sprung up before them. They were wearing shiny outfits and rocking hips and someone should tell Tacchon he should not touch his groin like he did and like we were all shown thanks to the giants side screen. I mean. My poor feels and eyes çOç Basically the performance of this song is even more audacious than one can perceive from the lyrics alone. So let's say Jam Lady is basically Eito porn. 14. Tsumi to natsu: say AMORE! AMORE! Eito moved from the main stage to the central stage under a cascade of water tunnel springs! 15. DO NA I: Awww I loved this!! I cannot remember exactly the dance but it was lovely and sexy to see and the song is powerful♥ the stage was in the meantime lifted up and shifted towards the second stage (the one opposite the main one, the "tip" of the strawberry we could say) 16. King of otoko! Tacchon once tumbled down during this, and so did Hina the following day XD After the first part, eito moved around the paths and Subaru and Ryo nearly kissed (or smacked their heads if you prefer XD) during their joined hands part XD 17. Nagurigaki BEAT: During one of the MC in Nagoya, eito asked Yasu why he wore his shoes loose without shoelaces. He said it was more confy (he also had unpaired socks if I remember well), easier to remove. Well right then, during this song, while walking he lost a shoe, it simply didn't follow his foot lifted up from the floor... we saw the shoe standing perfectly on the floor without his owner, that was silly XD I noticed that in Tokyo, all eito wore purple outfits during this part, while up until Nagoya there were 4 (or 3?) guys wearing orange suits and the other wearing purple suits. Also, apparently there were cameras filming this dance part only. Maybe they recorded them all for some multi-angle or multi-venue footage? Dunno really. About the Juniors: half of the papapics taken from the Eito Jam Tour were about them, I swear XD (eito are becoming too ossans for their fans ahahahahahha) 18. Answer: beautiful. The Sanbaka danced on the main stage only, but the visual effects were captivating and the song was a pleasure to hear (and nor Yoko nor Hina made mistakes as far as I remember). 19. Nostalgia. THIS. I could write an essay on this one only, ugh. My poor feels. I loved this at first listening, but the live dance was something strikingly beautiful and unforgettable. Just like I wrote HERE, the dance of the 4nin from the 4 angles of the stages is elegant and flawless, and Tacchon's smooth velvet voice is impressive here. He started out the song at least twice with his green hood over his blond hair (ugh♥) and I had the sheer luck to see him perform his part quite nice when my stand seat faced right the stage where he was (well not exactly near but not far either). So beautiful. So perfect. Then the boys joined on the central stage to dance together until the very end. When you'll get instant Nostalgia. I swear. 20. Sorry Sorry Love: with the very same green outfit, all eito perform this, and I'd have never said that one day we would have seen Sorry Sorry Love and Wasabi one beside the other *___* 21. WASABI 22. egetsunai. THIS XD Probably my only fave song prior to coming to the Cons, it proved to be the craziest, silliest and funniest song ever. The dance is stupid and SILLY, and the rap challenge duets are AWESOME and brilliant. I think Eito changed the lyrics almost everytime LOL. Tacchon VS Yasu were my favourites, but Subaru and Yoko were also way too funny to see and poor Maru scared by Ryo is unforgettable XDIn the meanwhile, the other eito member cheered for the duets going on XD 23. Never Say Never: this began with a VTR where eito (wearing suits) had to throw themselves on a fluffy straight slide. Behind a paper wall (or something like that), one of them would have been thrown into a pool of slimy something concrete-coloured like (sorry, if they explained what it was, I didn't get it). As far as I could see, Maru was targeted the most, but I also saw Tacchon fall into the trap XD 24. Nantoka naru sa: Eito appeared wearing red, blue and white clothes. This song is so energetic! Tacchon once came back from backstage with his (short) hair tied up and eighters screamed aloud :p 25. Maemuki Scream! it was so funny mimicking eito's dance with the penlights *O* 26. Ima: I didn't like this song at all, at first. I particularly disliked the dance and the PV part in which they're in the city. But then... I don't know, something changed. I watched the PV, and the natural setting with the volkswagen thing (similar to Uppers') is simply fantastic, so eito-like *__* I think the live dance is slightly different from the one we got to see at Music Station, but it's nice to see. Very very energetic! Also, things to remember: Tacchon's lines (always cut when on TV), Ryo's bridge and Subaru's part. I love it. [ ENCORE ] 27. Junjou koi hanabi: how can I describe what this song means to me... I fell in love at first listening (I love Omoidama as a single), then I cried helplessly watching Jussai, so perfect and so beautiful with the yukatas and fireworks and everything. How can I say how I felt this time when eito came from backstage wearing gorgeous yukatas çOç??? In Nagoya Ryo only made the 'muscle pose', while in Tokyo basically all members started doing 'otokorashii' poses by raising their yukata sleeve over their faces or so. I can remember Hina being the first and probably the coolest, but I had a hard time not screaming at Ryo and Tacchon OMG. The song itself is perfection. I LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT UTTERLY. And it's pure perfection and I'm happy I could cry over this once again. Live. And Eito wearing yukatas is the sexiest thing ever. Ever. 28. Panorama: do I have to mention TORN posing? Don't ask me who the other pair/trio were because I had eyes only for my OTP and couldn't look elsewhere, I'm sorry XD 29. Zukkoke otokomichi: eito going around on two carts! Another song it's so nice to "perform" following Yoko's inciting ♥ I kinda, er, screamed when TORN suddenly went near one another during this, but I was too far and too high to see them properly çOç 30. Seishun no subete. Just like Ima, I didn't like this song at first, but seen live... it's totally different. It made me go emotional to the verge of tears, I had a lump in my throat and it was so beautiful. A perfect way to finish a wonderful concert. About Eito members: I feel so proud of them. I have no past experiences as for what live Cons are concerned so I cannot make comparisons, but I liked very much how eito and the people from the staff organised this tour, the setlist with the impressive band session and the other half of the concert with eito swtiching to their usual weirdo/idol mode.I would have never thought eito would have had enough energy to make it all till the very end, but they did, and in the end, they didn't even seem too fatigued or strained (to me, maybe I'm wrong, I don't know).They all looked happy and proud. The best thing ever. They made me laugh and cry and shout so loud and... well, cry and feel proud again. I feel like I got to fall in love with each of them once more, which is terribly bad of me. One day while I was on the Shinkansen I saw a scarecrow and thought at Ryo's scarecrow solo and how much he grew, musically and lyricist speaking, ever since. And then...Traffic. I mean çOç (I generally love all of Ryo's solos so I'm not saying Scarecrow is poor XD) And the thanked all the people who came to the con despite the heavy rain hitting Tokyo. I mean. I love him. Yasu looked like a freak with afro hair, tattoes and glasses, and apparently loved showing his middle finger around! but I love him anyway XD We saw a male Shingo-fan wearing a T-shirt carrying the mention "MuraKami" written with the kanji for 'kami = GOD'... he won it all!! Shingo complained that only otoko no eighters greeted him lol. But it's true there were A LOT. I don't know whether they're increasing by number as time passes by, but I do hope that eito could gain more male fans after Metrock (there was at least 1 half-ossan who had Metrock t-shirt and eito recital towel XD). While I was coming back in metro after the concert, there were a few young guys wearing school suits beside me who were talking about Nishikido and Ohkura and a few songs of the con, lol. I felt so stupidly proud of eito for reaching so many different kind of fans. Tacchon looked SO cool and  SO hot. SO DAMN HOT. And so blonde♥ I love him with blonde hair and didn't expect to see him like this at all ♥He said bye last during one of the Tokyo venues saying aishiteru *diva mode on*, I guess I shouldn't ask for more from the whole world♥I feared for his health (well he gave us reasons, that idiot) but he looked fine and I'm glad he did also look like he (thankfully) gained weight back ever since his stage play, at least judging from his cheeks and arms♥We saw Yasuba "mating" with Yasu assaulting Subaru from behind during Donai (I think) and right after that Tacchon 'imitated' Yasu attacking Yasu as well (I can bet he did it on purpose, the evil bitch).Subaru gave the audience some dirty, sexy looks of his I don't think I'll easily forget.

Maru did an assolo with his bass within the band session that made the whole dome go mute to listen to him. That was freakingly impressive, given that for the rest of the time, he was back to being the Maru that "paaaaannned" with the eighters basically everywhere and we're all glad to him for that♥ There's thick emotion whenever Yoko calls out for the final hands joining. I felt... so grateful to them, to the eighters, to my beloved friends I held hands with. I felt lucky and happy and teary, because I could be there, and I was actually there with all of them. I couldn't ask for more, really.I've been floating for days after that day, I reckon. That's what they do to me and to my poor feels. I'm blessed♥ To all who could read this wall of text till the very end... thanks a lot. It was very personal and biased, I know.Sorry... apparently I got carried away as usual but... my poor feels♥