#rook: i could but if there is someone better suited then you should go with them ^^

[rook-hunt-chasseur-damour]

Can you teach me how to get a better aim? I was playing basketball earlier and sucked so bad 😭

Ah, I can help you with aim, but basketball is not my speciality ^^

Hmmm, perhaps Monsieur Kills for Thrills would be a better teacher for you (@floydleechrp)

[rederiswrites]

Gonna expand on my thoughts wrt the Fade 'prison', because there was some good discussion in the replies and I've had more time to think about it.

So right from the start, they said, "This is a prison built for a god" and "locked by regret" and both of those had me perking up my ears. Because the implicit assumption--from both the gods that built it and the god that got you stuck there--is that a prison built for a god would surely hold a mortal forever. But my first thought, and the one intended by the writers, was that a prison built for a god might well be poorly suited to hold a mortal. Imagine a mouse in a bear cage!

To be clear, though I haven't finished the game entirely yet, I'm assuming that whether I stayed trapped was of far less importance to Solas than whether he got out. From his point of view, it was the sensible and even necessary decision. He is a MUCH better opponent for Elgarnan than Rook ever could be. Even as Rook, I think I'd be like...yeah okay he's got me there. As usual, Solas' mistake is not in his intentions, or even really in his plans!

No, the mistake--and this is also implicit in this sequence--is that despite his protestations, he is acting and thinking like a god. Which he is, by most criteria, so, again! Not really a glaring fault!

He tried to mold Rook to be held by this prison. He tried to give them regrets. And it worked about well enough that in that exact moment, when the walls were thin and Rook was at their lowest, he got out and they fit in. But with any time to consider it, a reasonably well-balanced Rook wouldn't be caught.

In my version, Davrin died and I was a fellow Warden. I assume that if you choose Harding to lead the other group, she takes the shot and dies. I actually think that would've been MUCH harder for me, but even so the conclusion is the same. With Davrin, it was sad and hard (and COMPLETELY BULLSHIT THAT ASSAN WENT WITH HIM) but we were Wardens. About the closest thing to a regret my Rook would have was that his wounds were so severe that he probably didn't live the extra twenty seconds to realize that he helped kill a Blighted god. Like, what higher aspiration could a Warden have? What more epic death?! Wardens are meant to die, and this is the most legendary death he could ask for. And Warden Rook understands that. Absolutely No Ragrets. But even if it was Lace, she's a grownup and she knows the stakes.

Ultimately, all of them--they're there because they understand the stakes and the stakes are everything, forever. They're not doing it for Rook, they're doing it because it needs to be done, and there's no sacrifice too great to prevent that. As a normal little mortal among normal little mortals, that's relatively easy for Rook to grasp! All Rook is is someone who's earned their trust to take point. Failing wouldn't mean Rook was responsible for what happened after. Failing would just mean that they were working against almost impossible odds and they didn't win.

But Solas! Solas has With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility wedged sideways in his throat like a bone. Solas has power beyond mortal comprehension, and so Solas thinks he should be able to Make Things Right. He is Wisdom and Pride at once, absolutely confident that his plan is The plan. He also understands the stakes, and realizes that no sacrifice is too great to stop Elgarnan. I don't doubt he'd sacrifice himself if he was sure that was the solution. It's not self-serving. And so since he has such great power, and since he is convinced that he should be able to make it right, he cannot let go of those regrets. He should have found another way, he thinks. A better way.

(He's steeled himself to sacrifice people, but he made those choices for them, because he didn't trust anyone else to see things as clearly as him. Rook's team made their own, fully informed, choices. This is another entire subject.)

The regrets of a god are far stronger locks than the sorrows of a mortal, one who experiences loss as a routine part of being mortal, and so he was trapped-- by things he'd already done and couldn't let go of.

Yeah, every time Solas is directly involved, the writing gets like 400 times better. It's so blatant.

[offorestsongs]

aa hi hi!! that ask game looks so fun i'd love to see 💘 for thornqueen? :0

AHH HII 💜 this is way longer than a snippet but i love fake dating so i went a little bit insane LMAO

💘 FAKE RELATIONSHIP / MUTUAL PINING

“This is stupid even for your standards,” Vil says, crossing his arms.

Rosienne makes his best pleading face, eyes wide and sad like he's a shelter dog. “I knooow. But my dad was so happy when I told him I have someone! I can't just show up alone now, can I?”

“Yes, you very much can. You should, in fact. Maybe that will teach you to not run your mouth.”

Rosienne doesn't falter. Vil is stubborn, sure, but so is he. With enough puppy eyes and groveling he can win this.

“Yes, yes, I’m stupid, I know! But it's really important to me and you're the only person I can ask. Well, I thought about asking Rook, but then I thought about it some more and well… You know.” He's rambling now, he knows it, but maybe if he talks long enough, Vil will agree just to shut him up.

“You can just say you've broken up.”

“And make my dad sad? No way. Would you want to make your father sad?”

Ah, there it is. Rosienne can see that Vil’s resolve is slowly starting to melt away.

“And listen. I know I’m not exactly boyfriend material, alright? But you're an actor. Surely you can pretend, even if it's me.”

At least that part was true — Rosienne wouldn't wish his own company on anyone. The mere fact that he and Vil were friends was a miracle enough. Would be enough, maybe, if Rosienne didn't so desperately want the taste of the real thing.

Even if it's all pretend, it would be nice, for one evening, to feel what it would be like, being the type of person somebody like Vil Schoenheit could fall in love with.

Vil pulls out his phone. There's a determined look on his face that Rosienne knows well but he's not sure where it came from this time. “When's the date?” he asks, casually.

So casually, in fact, it takes Rosienne a second to catch up. “What?”

“When's the date?” Vil repeats, slowly as if speaking to a toddler. “For your family dinner.”

“Oh! Are you- Are you really going to do it?”

“I don't just throw my words around. You should know this by now.”

Rosienne smiles. It feels like a victory and friends or not, he always likes winning against Vil. “Oh, thank you, thank you! You're my best friend, you know that, right?”

“Yes, I am aware.” Vil smiles, too. “You won't find anyone better, I’m afraid.”

***

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but the nerves are eating Rosienne alive now. He's not sure why. It's just the Minuit family dinner; he's been there many times, he knows what he can expect, and he knows for sure his father will love Vil. The trembling hands and twisting in his gut is just his body being annoying.

“Come here. You look like a mess.”

Rosienne looks up at Vil. They're still getting ready, but he's already looking splendid. He's wearing a suit, a classy black three-piece that clings to his frame in all the right places — Rosienne was definitely not ready for Vil in a suit. He can't look at Vil without many, many very stupid thoughts running through his brain.

He's not sure how he will survive the evening.

He walks up to Vil, feeling just a little bit lightheaded.

He lets Vil handle him; straighten his tie, try and tame his curls. The smell of Vil's perfumes is overwhelming. The shimmer of his eyeshadow is the only thing Rosienne can look at.

“You know, we never discussed what being your boyfriend entails,” Vil says with a smile that makes Rosienne feel like he missed a step on the staircase.

One of Vil's hand is still in Rosienne's hair, the other slides effortlessly on Rosienne's chest.

It feels like Rosienne had walked right into a trap.

“Oh, you know. The usual… boyfriend… stuff…” he manages to say, even though his mind is racing too hard to come up with any coherent sentences.

Vil raises an eyebrow. “No, I don't think I know. Use your words, darling.”

Rosienne's can feel himself blush so hard, he's surprised he hadn't yet went straight up in flames. He would prefer that, actually. He has no idea what to deal with… whatever is going on right now.

What is even going on right now?

“Oh, you know,” he repeats, stupidly, and sees Vil's smile turn downright mocking. “Don't look at me like that! You probably know more than me! It's not like I ever had a boyfriend… Or- or anyone, really. You always wanted to play the love interest, right? Be creative, figure it out! Isn't that your job? Or- or something, I don't know…”

He lets his emotions carry him for a second before faltering.

Vil doesn't say anything. Instead, he does something worse. He gently raises Rosienne's chin. Leans down. The smell of his perfumes is the only thing in Rosienne's world now.

Before Rosienne can react, Vil's lips are on his, somehow gentle and firm at the same.

Nothing about this feels real, not the fact that Vil is kissing him, that he's gently cradling the back or Rosienne's head and certainly not the fact that Rosienne, driven more by instincts than by reason, lets himself wrap his arms around Vil's waist.

Vil kisses like he's claiming what's rightfully his, like he's certain beyond a doubt that Rosienne would never say no. He's right, of course, but he shouldn't know it. It's the type of confidence that would make Rosienne's blood boil in anger before, but now he just lets himself melt under the boy.

“What- What was that?” he asks when they finally part. It feels like Vil had kissed life out of him. It feels like the whole world is spinning.

“I'm just getting into the role,” Vil replies, straightening up. There's no blush on his face, not a hair out of place. “You're my director for tonight. I tend to listen to those.”

[serotonincemetery]

Evie Frye x Reader

You were just walking down the streets of Westminister, trying to find something for your girlfriend, Evie, when you are suddenly attacked by someone, everything happened so quickly that they only thing you noticed was a red jacket. You immediately know who it is. A Blighter. You refused to let him hurt or fondle you, the moment he attacked you, you pulled a small knife, about palm size and you stab his arm and try to make a run for it.

It didn't work, He quickly grabbed you by your hair and pulled you back and threw you to the ground and quickly hit you over the head and made your vision and mind fogged. You felt him pick you up and then you felt nothing. You were being thrown. He threw you into a crate and it broke upon impact.

Your back hurt. You could see the blighter's bulky figure approach you and once your vision cleared you could see his scowl. You sighed and tried to get up but to no avail, your body wouldn't let you get up, not even move. You looked at him and squinted. "Now if you just give me yer money, we won't have a problem. Plus being one of the Frye Twins' little lady, you must have some pocket cash due to them winning fights and takin' our cash." He rambled.

"Now, if you even had a single brain cell then you should run off because being a gang lord's lover has it's perks. Like I never go anywhere alone" You say as you give him a sweet smile and as he turns you get helped up and people in green jackets show up in front of the man. The Rook that helped you up was one of Jacob's best. Both of them were like brothers to you.

You pat him on the back and he smiled. He quickly went over to join the other rooks and they eventually took out the blighter and walked back over to you. "Is there anything else you need, Ma'am?" A Rook asked. You shook your head no.

"No, but thank you all." You smiled. "All of you, go take a break, go to the pub, fight club, or take out more blighters. Whatever suits your fancy." You said with a smile as they all nodded and turned and walked away. You smiled. You had just gotten an Idea. You quickly went to the florist and got a bunch of flowers. White carnations, White Jasmines, classic Red Roses, some pink roses, and a bit of baby's breath around and spread out within the bouquet.

You smiled to yourself and paid for them and walked out. You made your way back to the train and put them in Evie's room on her bed. You smiled even more and went to your car and picked up a book and read for a while.

It was late and you had just closed your book and got up to put it away when you were hugged from behind. You flinched and looked at who it was. Evie. You smiled and turned stood up properly and hugged her back. She was about a few inches taller than you. It upset you a bit. But you moved passed that. "You're home" You mumbled into her shoulder with a smile.

Evie chuckled and kissed your forehead and pulled away and looked at you. "Yes I am. But not for too long." She frowned. "Also thank you for the flowers" She mumbled into your hair.

You hated when she left for long periods of time. "Why?" You asked, semi ignoring her response to the flowers. She sighed and shook her head.

"Because we are so close to finding the Piece Of Eden. And me and Jacob, along with a few rooks, are going to scope a place out, its where we're thinking Starrick is hiding out this week." She explained. You frowned.

"That's ok." You smiled. "I understand, but you better come back to me in one piece." You said sternly. She chuckled.

"I will." She started. "But tonight I'm spending every moment with you." She said with a smile as you gave her a quick kiss before she led you out of your car and off the train once it stopped. You followed her along. She brought you to the Big Ben. You looked at her curiously as she grabbed your waist and held onto you tightly. "Hang on tight." She said. You now understood what she was doing and wrapped your arms around her tightly.

She raised her arm up with the gauntlet on and fired something out of it. Once it latched, both of you went up quickly. Your stomach was twisting and churning as both of you went up. You both were flung onto the top. Both of you stumbled and fell over. You both were laughing as you fell and you landed on her.

You let her up and you both spent the night on the top rim of Big Ben and both told stories and you remember falling asleep on her shoulder.

When you woke up, you were in your own bed and no one was beside you.

A week had passed and only when you were getting ready for bed. Your door slid open. You quickly pulled your night shirt down and looked. It was Evie. You smiled but that was gone the moment you saw what shape she was in. You panicked and quickly went over and helped her to the bed. You ran out and got some medical supplies and came back in and started to get her clothes off to look at her wounds.

Her wounds were bad. You worked as quickly and efficiently as possible. In the end she was extremely tired and your nightclothes were ruined by her blood. You sighed and started to put things away but kept a few things out and glanced back at her.

Her expression, pained. You frowned and set all the supplies down and walked over and crawled in beside her and gently cuddled her. She smiled and slowly wrapped an arm around you and both of you fell asleep. But not before both of you whispering "I love you."

[kimbap-r0ll]

Hello, is it ok to ask for Pomefiore + Riddle and Silver with an mc whos very beautiful but doesnt really know and it's actually insecure about their appearence bc for them is just average, ty!

Hello, thank you for the ask! Sorry this is super late, I was super busy but now I should be able to have more writing time. This goes out to anyone who reads this btw, you are beautiful and handsome! I don't know how else to put it, but it's really important to love yourself. With that, I hope you enjoy the writing!

Pomefiore, Riddle, Silver x gn!reader who is insecure about their appearance

Vil

In your eyes, he was the definition of beauty. He literally sparkled! But to him, he always saw you as the most beautiful person he had ever seen. The way you smiled melted his heart, and he could feel himself blushing whenever you two met each others' gazes.

Yet, he would hear some of the comments you made about yourself. Whenever the two of you were doing skincare together or trying on different outfits, you would always pinch at yourself or shy away from the mirror. You would say "I don't look good" or "I wish I changed." It was a blur of those kinds of comments and actions that made his heart hurt. Could you not see how much you awed people around you?

"Y/n, darling," he took your attention away from the mirror that you were frowning in front of. You looked up at him, at his beautiful eyes. It almost made you question why you two were dating, were you just an inconvenience to him because you were just, well, average?

"What is it that upsets you? You'll only gain stress from that, and I don't want to see your beautiful face so sad," took your chin so you could look at him. "Is it your appearance you are worried about?" Ah, so he knew. "It seems that I didn't do enough to tell you how beautiful you are, there is no equal to it. I love you, for your kindness, your personality, your amazing looks, everything."

His words mean a lot to you, but it will take time for you to gain confidence in your looks. He understands this, and will help in any way he can. Even if it takes a long time, he's always at your side to help, reminding you how much you mean to him and how beautiful you are.

Rook

He was always someone looking for beauty. You knew this as well, he was famous (notorious?) for following people around and commenting in long poems about their positive qualities. So it came to you as a surprise that he confessed his love to you.

You never felt like you deserved it, you weren't beautiful in your eyes. There were far better people in the school and in the whole of Twisted Wonderland that would suit the beauty-pursuer Rook Hunt. You felt tears prick at your eyes when you looked at yourself in the mirror. There was more than twenty things you wanted to change about yourself, but what you didn't notice was Rook sitting by at your dorm room window (when was he there?!).

He knocked on the glass to get your attention. Brushing your tears away, you look over and laugh lightly to yourself. Your boyfriend was a curious fellow. But the moment you opened the windows so he come in, he hugged you. It came to you as a surprise. "W-what's up?" you patted on his back.

"Mon amour, my sweet nymph, what caused your beautiful eyes to shed tears? Is something the matter?" he was so poetic. You looked down at your feet, telling him that you're sorry for how "average" you were. "I don't think I have any right to be with someone looking for beauty since I, well, I'm not-" "Non! You're wrong about that!" he stops you, not letting go of you. "Do you not see how radiant you are? As someone who pursues beauty, I can say for sure that you are the most admirable person I have met, in more ways than just your beautiful figure."

You hear his love sonnets more often. It's a bit embarrassing sometimes, but you can't help loving them. You may have to take more time to accept his words as true, but Rook will stand by your side. He's always going to be there to make sure you know how beautiful you are.

Epel

He loved you because you understood him. You two would often go apple carving together, but whenever you two were together, you couldn't help but admire at his beauty. You knew he didn't like being called "cute" and such, but you would be lying if you said that he wasn't pretty.

One day, he noticed how you looked sad. He asked you what was wrong, and you weren't sure how to respond to him. Should you be honest, no he would be upset that you thought he was cute, but you didn't want to lie either. You just blurted out a blur of words but Epel stopped you. "What do you mean 'you look average?'"

Suddenly, he stood up from the grassy field that the two of you were sitting in right outside of where flight lessons were. "BULLSHIT!" you jolt at his words. Sometimes, you forget that he has rougher words than his looks. He takes you by the shoulders, looking at you dead in the eyes.

"You are literally the most beautiful person I have e'er seen, ya hear?! Who told you ya ain't, I'll beat 'em up!" "No Epel, it's fine, I just think that way about myself," you explain before he tries to hurl his fists at someone. "Y/n," he looks at you, then he suddenly hugs you. "I, I know I ain't the best with words, but I think that you truly are beautiful, inside and out. I want you to know that."

The two of you often spend time not talking about appearances, it helps in a way since it gets your mind off of those negative thoughts. But Epel will always be there to help you love yourself more, and if anyone tries to say something about the way you look, they better prepare themselves for a beating!

Riddle

He was the definition of perfection. He had no flaws at all, in academics and in looks. Sure, he complained about his height on some occasions, but he was still handsome. So you were shocked when he came up to you and confessed his love for you. Sure he was super awkward about it, but it was super cute!

You loved him, but you wondered if he loved you back. You were, well, average in your eyes. You sometimes felt yourself tear up when you looked at yourself in the mirror. You noticed all of your flaws too well, and you were sure someone as meticulous as Riddle saw them too.

Riddle is meticulous, and because of this he noticed you looking down when the two of you were sharing tea together in the Rose garden. He set down his teacup and looked at you. "Is something the matter, love? You look upset," he snapped you out of your thoughts. "Ah, it's nothing," you try to hide your face from him. But he sees right through. "I just, well, I just think I'm not good for you, since I'm average and your so, well, perfect."

The air was stiff and he was silent. He stood up and walked over to where you were sitting, he looked a bit upset himself. He took your hand and knelt down, almost like he was proposing. "Y/n, I'm not perfect, and you are definitely not average. There's more than a thousand things I love about you, and the way you look is one of them. Your smile, the way your hair is styled, everything about you is beautiful. You always put me in awe, I want you to know that. Please don't think of yourself in a negative way, I love you."

He knows it's hard to accept oneself. He has a hard time accepting himself too, especially with the way he was raised. But he doesn't want you to have the same toxic mindset he is trying to fight off within him, so he tries to do everything he can to get you out of it. He's thinks your beautiful, no matter what.

Silver

The two of you fell for each other at the same time. It was really funny for Lilia since he saw how the two of you were awkward with each other and one of you would always blush. He ended up being the one to clue you in on Silver having a crush on you, so Silver had to confess his feelings to you in the end after you asked him about it. As the two of you spent more time together, you noticed each day how beautiful he was.

His hair was perfect, his skin was flawless. Yet, you would look at your reflection and see what was to you a total opposite. You would look at yourself and pinch at certain parts, wanting to disappear or transform. You weren't sure if Silver would notice these flaws, but to you they seemed so big.

Silver and you were walking together in the nearby forest on a stroll. He was going to recommend taking a nap when the two of you returned back on campus, but he noticed how lost in thought you were. "Is everything alright, y/n?" he asked, snapping you out of your thoughts. "Well, I just think that I'm not fit to be with someone so handsome. I'm so, well, average," you sighed, curling into yourself and avoiding his gaze.

He stopped in his tracks. "Who told you that?" he asked. "No one, I just think that way," you respond. "Y/n," he stepped closer, gently cupping your face. "There's no one I would want to spend my time with than you. That smile, that voice, you are beautiful in every way. When I first saw you, I thought that you were a fae because you seemed so, well, amazing. Just know that you aren't average at all, you are much more."

Silver then takes you to go napping with him. Once the two of you are lying down together, he wraps his arms around you tightly, kissing you gently on your head and drifting off to sleep right after. He wants to always remind you how beautiful you are, and he will make sure you know that you are! He's going to always be beside you.

[floral-poisons]

Ahhh, first timer heremm , is it ok if i ask for headcanons of the boys with an s/o who loves their voice and would gladly sleep to it??

hi!! i'm so sorry this took so long! i decided to go on a break to rejuvenate myself. but welcome to floral poisons!! i hope my page is welcoming for you!!

DIASOMNIA

malleus draconia

“child of man, i must preface that i’m not the best singer.” you only laugh and tell him he’s just being humble. you’ve heard his voice. it’s beautiful. “well, you’re my significant other. of course you would like it.” his cheeks become pink.

lilia vanrouge

“awww. of course i can! i used to sing malleus to sleep you know. he really liked lullabies. couldn’t sleep without them~” he laughs as he recalls the memories. “come. lay on my lap.”

silver

“i’ve had my fair share of singing to animals. which i guess makes sense as to why i can sing.” you have definitely overheard him. “i must repay the favor for you keeping me company while i sleep.”

sebek zigvolt

“singing isn’t my forte (y/n). i can’t guarantee it’ll be good. you’re better off asking lilia-san.” his cheeks were pink as you pulled him closer to you. “but i can give it a try.”

HEARTSLABYUL

riddle rosehearts

“you’ll be surprised that my mother never allowed me to sing. or take lessons.” his cheeks go red. you laugh. he was a bit tone deaf and it was funny. “but i can try. i won’t promise that your ears won’t hurt.”

trey clover

“singing huh? my voice isn’t suited for singing. but here.” he pats the spot next to him on the couch. “you deserve a nap. you’ve been up studying for crewel’s exam.”

cater diamond

“tee hee. my voice is perfect for a lullaby right? let’s take a selfie first.” he poses and the camera snaps. “perfect. #singing #afternoonnap #amazinglullaby.”

ace trappola

“usually i’m the one who gets the lullaby sung to.” he pouts. you say it’s just because he’s the youngest. “well you’re my partner. so i will! or i will try. my brother says i’m tone deaf.” and you soon realize his brother is very right,

deuce spade

“lullabies? i don’t know many…” he ponders for a second. “oh! my mother used to sing me this lullaby about the spade guards for the queen of hearts. i can do that!”

POMEFIORE

vil schoenheit

“my, my, (y/n). couldn’t get enough of my voice during the show?” he laughs before his hand gently stroked your cheek. “but of course my love. do you have a preference for what i could sing to you? you know i will do anything for you.”

rook hunt

“oh trickster. did you overhear me earlier in the yard?” he questions, cocking his head a bit to the side. “why of course. do you have any preference for a melody?”

epel felmier

“i have to admit, my voice isn’t that great.” epel mutters. “i’m surprised you like it.” his cheeks were dusted with a light pink. “but i will sing for you. no problem.”

SAVANACLAW

leona kingscholar

“herbivore, i don’t sing.” he grumbles, shifting his body as he buries his face in the pillow. but you wouldn’t leave him alone. you gently shook his shoulder. “fine, fine. if it will get you to leave me alone.” leona sits up, letting out a yawn. “sometimes you’re just as annoying as cheka.”

ruggie bucchi

“sing eh? singing isn’t my go to activity to help fall asleep. but i guess it won’t cost you anything.” he pulls the blanket up and moves closer to you. “my grandmother used to sing me to sleep. so here’s the song she shared with me.”

jack howl

“you didn’t try running?” you shook your head. “you did? well…” jack crosses his arms. “i can’t guarantee it’ll be any good. but i’ll try my best.”

OCTAVINELLE

azul ashengrotto

“singing? i’m not exactly a singer. i can’t even sing happy birthday.” he looked through the papers. “well i guess i could go borrow someone’s voice. give me a second and i’ll be back okay?”

jade leech

“well i can sing for you. if you don’t mind something a little lower in pitch. singing isn’t exactly my forte.” he smiles reassuringly. “i should ask jamil for tips.”

floyd leech

“oh shrimpy. i’ll only sing if i want to.” he scoffs. he does everything on a whim. “but tonight i’m feeling generous for ya. so i will sing you to sleep. now lay down.”

SCARABIA

kalim al-asim

“good thing i’m a classically trained singer!” he exclaims. you responded with a you are? “yeah of course! it was necessary for my schooling. it helps to entertain the guests. here, lay down next to me and i’ll sing you a song jamil sings to me all the time!”

jamil viper

“hm? really? funny enough i just put kalim to bed.” jamil leans back against a pillow. “do you find my singing hypnotizing? well i know you’ve been having trouble sleeping. so let me.” he smiles reassuringly.

IGNIHYDE

idia shroud

“i’m pretty sure the characters from my game can provide a better singing voice than i can. but since you are my significant other...i’m willing.” his eyes were hiding behind his hair with his cheeks red. “guess that means i should download that singing app then.”

[otomes-world]

Exasperation

Should I rename this blog as Rook Hunt simp? Anyway, it`s another au with him. I didn't expect things to go so fast. Rook has too much influence on me.. Tag @starshiningsirius as promised!

Many had asked why you chose such an unusual job, in which one mistake could cost you your life. You couldn't have answered that question yourself. It just happened. Like someone saw themself in the future as a doctor, someone as a teacher, and someones suddenly and unexpectedly became a bounty hunters. During work, you often had to get your hands dirty. Well, it would be weird if they were clean after everything you'd been through. However, you didn't complain. In the end, you yourself deliberately went for this.

You didn't need money. More precisely, not like others who had chosen this profession. You didn't feel disgust or anything that normal people, whose lives never were in danger, usually felt. For you, it was an ordinary job, although not the most attractive at first glance.

You were relatively new in this area, more than three months, but less than year. It was a huge blessing that you were hired by one of the companies that were approached by people who were not usually talked about in the light of day and on TV with radio. Not in a good way, at least. Most organizations preferred to handle things on their own rather than pushing problems beyond their own scope, but sometimes they hired special individuals who could do the dirty work for them.

You'd never been assigned a really important task. Usually these were people who accidentally crossed the road to those who should not have. Although you might say that about almost all ordered personalities. They were those who went in the wrong place at the wrong time. Getting rid of unnecessary witnesses was also part of your job. You'd never been in a line of direct fire.

Until a certain moment.

It was not uncommon for several different companies to order the same person from different hitmen. Therefore, you were not particularly surprised to see that the one you needed was already lying with a bullet in his head, bleeding and long gone to the best world. Something completely different caught your eye. Exactly the same killer as you, stood near the man and sent you a charming smile.

"Out of bullets, beautiful stranger?" His expression clearly contrasted with the atmosphere. A battered walls, a strong metallic smell of blood and gunpowder smoke hung in the air that would have made you sick if you hadn't gotten used to it in months. "Because I do."

The man pointedly shook his gun, showing the sincerity of his words, but you knew better than to lower your guard. He was tall, blond hair dirty with dust, gathered in a careless ponytail - apparently, the battle turned out to be difficult - the expensive suit was tattered, like gloves on his hands. However, you noticed that other than that, there was not a scratch on him.

Despite the image screaming about imaginary safety, you felt that if you slowed down even for a second, you could say goodbye to life. The stranger, standing half sideways, calmly allowed you to examine him, doing the same in return. As if he knew that you would not tell about what you saw, or you could not do.

The game of staring could drag on, but you, having estimated your strength, decided that retreat would be the best solution. With a sharp jerk to the side, you ran, noticing out of the corner of your eye how a stranger rushed after you. Turning around, you fired a couple of shots, knowing full well that you didn't have a lot of bullets left and that the advantage wouldn't stay on your side for long.

The blonde easily dodged the pieces of metal flying at him, approaching you closer and closer. Finally, when the distance between you was reduced enough and he reached out to grab your wrist, you used the other to strike him with the revolver. You could have sworn the blow was painful. This was evidenced by drops of blood that cut through the air and flowed down the back of his head. However, the stranger did not loosen his grip, on the contrary, he took advantage of the chance and with one strong blow threw you to the ground, knocking the air out of your lungs. You felt your ribs crack uncomfortably, but then again, you knew better than to look away from your enemy. Therefore, you, clenching your teeth and trying to ignore the pain, met the eyes of the blond hanging over you, from whose face the smile never disappeared.

"It was amazing! I haven't seen such an elegant fight for a long time, you can be proud, ma cherie!" His voice rang uncomfortably in the previously quiet room as you tried to figure out what language he was speaking. Was it French or... "I'd applaud you if my hands weren't busy," holding yours, you guessed. However, you wouldn't risk moving in any way, considering he took your gun and pointed it at you. "What is your name?"

At the next question, you could not restrain yourself and sent him an irritated, uncomprehending look. Why did he need your name? What exactly did he want to achieve? Was it possible that he was trying to find out what organization you were from so that he could report to his superiors?

Probably all your thoughts reflected on your face as the person spoke up again, drawing attention to itself that you didn't dare to divert from him anyway.

"We misunderstood each other, ma dame," he let go of your wrist and reached for his jacket, from which he took out his phone; the other hand continued to hold you at gunpoint. "I'm a fairly well-known person in certain circles, and thugs have been sent after my head more than once, but ones as beautiful as you are undoubtedly rare. I would like to get to know you better," a flash blinded you for a moment; he took a photo, as you understand. "When fate gives such a unique chance in life, it would be foolish to refuse it. So, what is your name?"

You didn't answer, trying to digest the new information. Was he flirting with you right now? Sitting on you, holding you at gunpoint, while behind him you could clearly see the corpse of the man you were sent for? What kind of perverted, twisted thinking was in person who patiently waited for you to answer his question, you did not know. However, if it would help you save your life, you were willing to take the risk.

You opened your mouth and...

Since then, things had gotten better, much better. You managed to complete tasks that not every experienced killer dared to take on. However, few people knew that in fact you did not lift a finger to get rid of those who had long tickled the nerves of the strongest of this world.

As now, sitting at the table during the next meeting, you felt the phone vibrate in your pocket. Unbeknownst to others, you took it out and looked at the message. One glance at the contents was enough for you to barely contain a sigh of annoyance. After asking for time off, you left the conference room and headed to the farthest corner. As if sensing that you had reached your goal, your phone vibrated again, but it was a call. Taking a deep breath and wearily rubbing the bridge of your nose, you accepted it and brought the device to your ear.

"Good morning, ma cherie! Not hearing your voice for more than an hour is an unbearable torment to which you doom me time after time".

From intonation, you suggested that he, Rook, pressed his hand to his forehead. During time with him, you managed to notice his love for theatrical gestures, as well as for love `from fairy tales`. Pretty ironic considering what he was doing.

"Get to the point, I'm in a meeting," you weren't going to give in to him. You were fed up with his antics. Sudden messages, calls - how did he get your number was another question - meetings, gifts.

"Didn't I deserve some gratitude for my actions?" His voice dropped sharply, making you cringe, but the next moment it again took on a friendly demonstrative style. "You are so cold, but the higher the walls of the fortress, the more valuable the treasure they hide. I am ready to risk everything to take possession of what lies behind the defense of your heart. However, you are right, more to the point.. have you seen my new gift? Do you need him? Pretty strong target, I think it would be problematic for such a fragile creature to cope with it alone"

You rolled your eyes. How Hunt liked to remind you that without his help you would never have dreamed of a new position and promotion. However, his `love` for you did not mean that he helped you for free.

"Your price?"

"Your desire to turn everything into a bargain, a quid pro quo, hurts my heart and breaks it into hundreds of pieces," you heard the grin in his voice. From the fact that he did not refuse your offer, in turn you wanted to laugh bitterly. "How about... a date this weekend? And that poor soul will be yours."

You didn`t answer. Such meetings never end well. No, he did not let his hands wander, but this did not mean that Rook did not take everything he could reach, knowing full well that you cannot refuse him. After all, he was right at least about one thing. A fortune was promised for his head. So what will happen to a single individual who had worked so closely with the main headache of the whole world?

You certainly wouldn't want to know this from personal experience. Rook assured you of this more than once.

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Vil Schoenheit Dorm Uniform Personal Story: Part 2

"Even the margins of a monochromatic page."

(Part 1) Part 2 (Part 3)

[Pomefiore Dorm – Ballroom]

Vil: You there! Straighten your back! You must always watch your posture while walking!

Pomefiore Student A: Y-Yes, sir!

Vil: You over there, your hem is frayed.

Vil: Make sure to pay full attention to the finest details of your attire as well. Outfit maintenance is also a part of fashion.

Pomefiore Student B: Thank you very much for the advice!

Vil: And… then there's your hair. Is that supposed to be fashionable?

Vil: You've so preoccupied yourself with the current trends, that you have neglected to determine if it even looks good on you.

Vil: First, know thyself. Only then can you ride the wave of fashion.

Pomefiore Student C: M-My apologies!

[Pomefiore Dorm]

Epel: Man, Vil-san is in perfect form today, too… I can hear his voice all the way here.

Epel: When this first started, I thought it'd be far better to be stuck cleaning than having to deal with him saying all sorts of stuff with my appearance…

[wind blows]

Epel: BUT I DEFINITELY GOT THE WORSE END OF IT!

Epel: I can't believe I gotta clean the outsides of all the windows of the huge castle-like Pomefiore dormitory!

Epel: And without a scaffold, all the way to the highest windows!

Epel: Just how many meters is it down to the ground…?

Epel: What'll happen if I slip…?

Vil: Epel!

Epel: Ack!? A voice from inside the building…? Vil-san!?

Vil: Will you be able to finish wiping down all the windows before the day is out?

Epel: Y-Yes, I will!

Epel: So please don't talk to me right now! If I let go of the windowsill, that'll be the end of my story!

Vil: Fufufu, what focus. Keep up the good work.

[Pomefiore Dorm – Hallway]

Pomefiore Student A: Siigh… Vil-ryōchō's curriculum is way harder than I thought it'd be…

Pomefiore Student B: What he's saying might be right and all, but it'd be great if he could be a little nicer…

Pomefiore Student A: I keep feeling like the Dorm Leader is always watching us, so there's no space to even take a breather.

Epel: I'm completely wiped out from wiping down every single window.

Epel: Maybe he was only targeting us to deal with all this exhaustive stuff...

Pomefiore Student A: No way! I don't believe that our Dorm Leader would do such a thing like that!

Pomefiore Student B: ...However, the Dorm Leader is just shooting out commands, while himself doing nothing but observing from his lofty throne.

Pomefiore Student A: Well, that's because he's on a completely different level from the rest of us. So essentially… He doesn't have to do anything.

Pomefiore Student B: Even so, it doesn't sit well with me. Why do we have to be the only ones who're dealing with all these hardships…?

Pomefiore Student A: Let's drop it. If this continues, we'll just be speaking ill behind his back. That sort of thing isn't beautiful, right?

Pomefiore Student B: …You're right. My body is completely exhausted, so I should sleep now to prepare for tomorrow.

Epel: That's for the best, probably. I think we're the only students still awake… Huh?

Epel: Looks like the lounge lights are still on.

Pomefiore Student A: I can hear a conversation… Is someone there?

Pomefiore Student B: I'm kind of curious now…

[Pomefiore Dorm – Lounge]

Rook: …Vil. You had an early morning meeting for the commercial shoot again today, didn't you?

Rook: I think you should let your fair skin rest sometime soon.

Vil: I'd like to, but my duties are still not through, so I'm afraid it's not possible.

Vil: I must organize all of these memos.

Rook: What's written on them?

Vil: A list of the dorm students' height and weight, as well as notes on their posture and walking style. Also, the list of herbs that would suit their constitutions.

Rook: You are simply merveilleux for keeping an eye on each student's status like this.

Rook: Even though I don't think any of them have noticed the extent of your efforts...

Vil: I have no need for them to notice. After all, I'm not doing this because I wish to be liked by them.

Vil: Students chosen for Pomefiore should be strong and beautiful.

Vil: As the Dorm Leader of Pomefiore, I have a duty to mentor those more inexperienced students.

Vil: …Oh my, is it that late already?

Rook: Are you finally ready to sleep?

Vil: Not at all. It's time for me to work out.

Rook: My goodness, you truly do fill me with awe.

Epel: …Did you hear that?

Pomefiore Student A: Yeah…

Pomefiore Student A: Thinking that Vil-ryōchō didn't have to do anything because he's already beautiful enough… There should be a limit to our foolishness.

Pomefiore Student B: Right. And moreover, for us to complain about someone who works even harder than we have…

Pomefiore Student B: How could we have been thinking something so stupid!?

Pomefiore Student A: No matter how strict the curriculum is, let's trust in Vil-ryōchō and do our very best.

Pomefiore Student B: You're right!

Epel: Yeah. I'm going to do what Vil-san told me and continue to clean the windows, too.

(Part 1) Part 2 (Part 3)

[mydisenchantedeulogy]

Zombies in the Sun [Chapter One] Treacherous Sunset [Vaas Montenegro]

A/n: I’m back again with another Vaas story. Woot! I was going to wait to post the first chapter to this, but I’m far too excited to do so. This one is going to be a zombie soulmate AU because I’ve been stuck on this idea for a while. Please pay attention to the warnings and enjoy. Also, I used the same MC from ‘Where the Tainted Kiss’. I’m attached to her.

Summary: Olivia McKenna is on vacation with her close friend, Liza Snow and a group of strangers. As a treat, she agrees to go skydiving over the Rook Islands, but when they land Liv, and her new friends are cast into a nightmare filled with pirates and the walking dead. How will they survive? And what will Liv do when she catches the attention of the pirate lord Vaas Montenegro after involuntarily saving his life?

Warning(s): Zombies (humans and animals), soulmates, tattoos, relationship issues, alternate universe, blood and gore, death. 

No Minors Allowed!!

The beat of the music reverberated in her ears as Die Antwoord played across the speakers in a nightclub somewhere in Thailand – the name she could not remember or pronounce. Liv sat at the bar and waited for her bitch drink, as Riley called it; a Sex on the Beach; one of her favorites. Her attention remained on the strange compass tattoo on her inner wrist illuminated by hues of dark lilac and magenta from the ambient light dancing across the floor. It was doing something that she had never seen before. It lost its way; the needle spun wildly.

Seeing it move was not something uncommon. A lot of people had compass tattoos that changed directions. It was a mark of sorts; a brand that signified out there somewhere was someone whose compass was leading back. The coined term was 'soulmate', but some theorists called it the Era of Fate, a rare phenomenon that had been around as early as the 15th century. There was no record of how it started, only that around a person's 16th birthday a compass would appear and point the way to the person who they were ideally suited for.

Liv never really sought out her soulmate or had an interest in them; her career meant more to her than some strange person she may or may not even like. Frankly, she didn't know much about it other than what she heard or read about online. It all sounded ridiculous to her. And thus, she ignored her compass for going on 10 years. Until tonight.

Rubbing her finger over the tattoo in hopes to smug it away, she groaned as the needle continued to spin. What did this mean? Was hers broken?

What does it matter? You never cared before.

Yet the more she watched it, the more drawn to it she was. She never realized how hypnotizing the tattoo was, turning and turning like a pinwheel; it strangely made her crave to be home, yet the warmness of her city apartment didn't appeal to her at the moment.

Perhaps she should look up the meaning. Curiosity got the better of her. Liv took out her phone and unlocked it, but a hand on her shoulder made her avert her attention and lurch in fear. She glanced over her arm and sighed as she recognized the brown-haired woman who had grabbed her.

"You scared me," she stated.

Liza leaned in, pointing at her ear to show that she could not hear her over the sound of the music.

"I said you scared me," Liv repeated.

"Sorry about that," she stated with a laugh. Her alcohol-scented breath fanned out across the woman's cheek. "I honestly tried to call your name, but it looks like you're nose-deep in your phone. I hope it's not business."

Liv snorted.

"I was just looking at something, but it's not too important."

She was lying of course. Putting away her phone she watched Liza turn her green eyes to the dance floor in annoyance. Liv raised a curious brow. Something was wrong with her; she worked with the aspiring actress long enough to know what was an act and what wasn't.

"Are you OK?" She asked as she leaned in.

Liza took an uneasy breath.

"Trouble in paradise."

"Because of the unnecessary fight Jason was in earlier?" Liv asked. Though to be honest, she assumed there were other reasons besides this, but was not her place to ask.

The brown-haired woman snorted in annoyance.

He was the reason the group of nine moved to the nightclub from the previous bar, or rather fled, though it wasn't just him. Keith, an investment banker, and Jason's youngest brother, Riley were just as responsible. For some reason they instigated a fight with a group of Thai patrons; most likely because they were drunk – typical frat boy behavior.

It was understandable to Liv as to why Liza was pissed solely at Jason however; the two were soulmates; had met in college before she and the actress met.

"It's more than that. He's... immature. All he does is party and he has no real goal in mind. Not to–– No. I shouldn't unload this on you, or Daisy. I'm sorry," Liza mentioned.

Liv frowned and reached up to touch her arm in reassurance.

"I don't mind. We're friends, no?"

"Why couldn't we be soulmates?" Liza asked with a smile. "We're perfect for one another. I complain and you listen. Not to mention we have goals that we're both working toward."

Liv snorted.

"I'm on the market."

"I couldn't leave Jason even if I wanted to. We're tethered... and you wouldn't believe how amazing the sex is," Liza mentioned, grinning at the last part.

So Liv heard. She leaned her elbow against the bar and stared at her friend for a moment. The woman was doomed.

Those who find their soulmates are said to be forever tethered to them by some unseen emotional bond. They feel what the other does and they can't escape if the relationship goes sour; it was a nightmare wrapped in candy-colored paper. A tattoo, much like the compass appears on their person when they first meet, bonding them forever.

"I can have great sex without being tethered to someone," Liv mentioned.

A tap on her arm brought her attention to the bar where the bartender was standing with her drink. She smiled at her and took the glass. The sweet and sour taste of orange juice and vodka assaulted her tastebuds bringing goosebumps to her arms. Perfect.

"Not to be a nag, but I heard Vincent has eyes for you," Liza brought up, nudging the dark-haired woman's arm. Her drink sloshed out onto her hand and Liza grimaced in response.

Liv snorted and licked the mixture from her salty skin.

"I've noticed."

He was a nice guy; a year younger than her, and according to Jason, he was studying engineering at Cal Tech. But Liv wasn't looking for a relationship at the moment; her last one ended on bad terms and she wanted to enjoy her vacation away from the hassle of the material world for a few days. Besides, she'd feel like a shit friend if she took one of Jason's friends to her room when this week was about Riley and his accomplishments.

"I see what you're doing," Liza mentioned.

Liv raised a brow.

"What am I doing? Pray tell."

"You're holding out in hopes to find your soulmate. But Liv, you're never gonna find them if you don't attempt to look for them," she argued.

Liv turned up her eyes. She knew, but she wasn't holding back or looking for her soulmate. Honestly, she could go her entire life never meeting them and be happy. Her career was important to her.

"You got me all figured out, huh?"

"If I'm wrong, then there is no reason you can't make nice with Vincent," Liza stated.

She was a persistent one.

Eyeing the beanie-wearing mechanic in the crowd, Liv watched him in amusement as he attempted to dance with Daisy Lee, the pretty blonde that Jason's older brother Grant was dating – was Grant the jealous type?

"I'll leave it at a maybe," she told her friend.

Liza grinned, pleased to hear this.

At least she wasn't going to nag her more about it, or so Liv had hoped. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Jason standing at the side of the dancefloor talking to a man with brown hair; a man she had never seen before.

"Who is that with Jason?"

Liza turned her attention and hummed.

"That's Doug the DJ. Jason heard there was a great place around here to skydive and he wanted to surprise Riley."

Skydive? Liv shivered at the idea.

Sipping at her drink, she watched the two converse until Jason was seemingly through. He shook his head, then turned his eyes towards the bar at Liza and walked toward her with a hopeful smile. Leaning forward, he gave her a brief kiss on the cheek, but Liza didn't seem too forgiving. Liv didn't blame her.

Don't take any shit.

"Doug says there is an island nearby where we can do anything; party with the natives, explore the temples; you name it! He can take us there tomorrow and we can celebrate without anyone bothering us."

"That fight was on you, Jason! When are you gonna grow up?" Liza asked. Her tone was laced with annoyance.

Liv averted her eyes to the dance floor, ignoring them, but the silver and blue lights could only keep her attention so much considering the fact both were shouting over Lady Gaga. She could hear their entire conversation.

"I wasn't–– Look, I'm sorry, but this can be good for us! We can take a four-wheeler out and picnic away from the others!" Jason shouted.

"We need to talk about us! We can't keep ignoring it!" Liza stated.

An air of awkwardness enveloped the 3rd wheel.

Being single might be lonely but sometimes it's better.

"We will! I promise!" Jason retorted.

Liza agreed with a sigh and accepted another kiss from him, watching him walk away to rejoin the others. Cries of excitement rang out as Jason told them the news.

"I guess we're going skydiving tomorrow!"

"I heard! Is it too late to say that I'm not a fan of heights?" Liv asked, turning her eyes to the woman; the latter grinned in response and shook her head.

It was as she feared; it was far too late.

The whoosh of the wind tousled her short black hair and snapped in her ears like a whip as she stared at the island below. It was beautiful at this height. Liv craved to snap a picture but her Olympus was in her backpack and honestly, she was too scared to move. What the fuck was she doing? Did she want to die today?

"It's our turn," Vincent pointed out. His warm breath fanned out across her cold cheek as he spoke. "Are you ready?"

Liv shook her head in disagreement, but the mechanic laughed and pressed his body against hers, forcing them both from the side of the plane as it soared over Rook Island. Why did she have to be strapped to him for this? No, she had never gone skydiving before but if she was going to be forced to do it, she wanted to go at her own pace. This was too much. Her heart pounded in her chest as they fell quickly from the cloud-covered sky down to the ground below.

Fuck, fuck, fuck! This was so stupid. Fuck Jason. I'll haunt his skinny ass if I die.

The others were having the time of their lives with no care how dangerous this was, even Vincent was laughing and whooping in her ear. As they passed the brown-haired douche who was filming the entire experience, Liv flipped him the bird, then clutched onto the straps of her harness; her one-piece suit flapped in the wind, the only noise besides her constant thoughts that she heard.

Further down, she heard the sound of the parachute release. The sudden jerk sent her heart to her stomach as the momentum lessened and they began to float toward the ground. Liv was still uneasy; she wouldn't feel safe until they stood with their feet in the sand.

"See, not so bad," Vincent stated in her ear.

"Every damn one of you is insane," she protested.

This earned her a laugh.

Liv was relieved when her shoes touched the sand. The parachute descended behind them, but she paid it no mind as she struggled to unclasp the safety harnesses. She wanted to be away from the damn thing as soon as possible.

"I got you," Vincent stated, releasing her.

"Never again," Liv mentioned.

She pressed her unruly hair down into place and sat down on the white sand. It was a miracle none of them had died. People were not meant to freefall from the fucking sky.

One by one the others landed. Riley immediately undid his harness and rushed further down the beach, disappearing around a corner where the dense jungle met the sand. Liza approached Liv and leaned down beside her, grinning.

"Any regrets?"

"Too many," Liv stated. "But the biggest was not having my camera out. That sight was picture worthy."

Liza snorted in response. She stood up and unclasped her harnesses, then took off her suit. A tattoo of a turtle dove peeked out from beneath the band of her jeans on her hip as she did.

"Did you at least have fun though?" She asked.

"Not at all. But the island is beautiful, so I'm pleased to be here," Liv retorted in honesty. "Thank you for inviting me, Liza."

The said woman grinned and helped her to stand.

"We're friends, no? And besides, we both needed a vacation."

That was true. Liv was worn out from her previous freelance job. She was hired by a small town company to help with a local commercial. It wasn't much, but it gave her enough to pay rent and for her trip. She was looking into setting up a contract for her next gig when she got back, something she was eager to do.

Removing the harness from her body, she unzipped her suit and took it off. She wore a red cold shoulder top and jeans with a white one-piece swimsuit beneath, in case she decided to get in the water. A beach table and chairs caught her attention and she walked over to it, setting her gear into one of the chairs. Did Doug set this up? Perhaps he had someone do this for them. Liv didn't question it.

"Do you smell that?" Oliver asked as he sat his backpack down. His eyes were bloodshot and red from the joint he smoked before the plane ride.

She raised a brow and smelled the air. It had a peculiar scent, almost like someone was grilling meat. Her stomach clenched up in hunger.

"There might be other tourists here. I'm sure we aren't the only ones Doug the DJ told about this place."

Oliver agreed and took a bottle with clear liquid from the back.

"Who wants a shot?!"

Liv grimaced. Her stomach was still in knots. She turned her attention to her backpack and dug out her camera, humming in contentment as she tinkered with it.

"Come on Liv. Take a shot with us," Keith ordered. "It'll put hair on your balls."

"Gross man," Vincent uttered.

Liv snorted and placed the camera strap around her neck. She'd most likely regret it later, but she might as well. Walking over to the group, she took a tiki shot glass from Oliver. It was rather cute.

"Raise your glasses," Grant – a stout army-trained stud – ordered.

The group did so.

"Uh, to my brother Riley for getting his pilot's license! Where the hell is that motherfucker?" Grant asked.

That was a good question. Today was meant to be about him. The last Liv saw of him, he was running down the beach in child-like excitement. Oh well. She tossed back her shot and nearly choked on the foul-tasting alcohol.

"God, I haven't done sambuca since I was twenty years old," Grant mentioned with a grunt.

No wonder. It was intense. The taste of licorice lingered on her tongue even after Liv spat the taste from her mouth. She turned down another shot and turned on her camera, taking pictures of the group as they carried on in laughter, drinking, and shouting.

"I want copies after we get home," Liza mentioned to her.

"And me. Please," Daisy Lee piped in.

Liv agreed with a nod and continued to snap some pictures. She sauntered away from the group for a few minutes to take some of the clear water and the jungle when she heard a voice shout out. From around the arch, Riley came, rushing toward the table.

"There he is! Take a––"

"We need to get the fuck out of here!" Riley shouted, interrupting Oliver.

Liv raised a brow in question. He seemed frightened by something.

"We just got here, man. What's up with you?" Vincent asked in concern.

Riley took a deep and uneasy breath.

"I can't fucking explain it. There are... people tied to fucking poles down the beach. Someone burned them alive.

Was he drunk?

"Dude that's not funny," Keith mentioned.

"I'm not trying to be funny," Riley argued. He groaned in annoyance and waved his hand. "Look for yourself."

Jason snorted and sat down his shot glass, following his younger brother; Grant went too. And as much as she didn't want to, Liv walked around the bend with them. She was surprised that Liza decided to come, grasping her arm as the small party walked down the beach. The scent from earlier permeated the air, much stronger than before; it almost smelled putrid.

Just around the corner, Liv saw what Riley was trying to warn them about. Her eyes widened in horror. Three long poles stuck out of the sand and bound to them each was a person. Their bodies had been badly burned; the probable cause of their death, though at least one of them had a knife wedged in their chest. She couldn't even tell what they used to look like, only that they were human. Her stomach churned and her mouth filled with saliva as she nearly vomited. What the fuck was going on?

"Jason," Liza called in fear.

The said man turned to her with wide eyes.

"Go back to the others. You two don't need to see this."

"You need to call that guy and have him come pick us the fuck up!" Riley shouted.

He was right. Liv wanted to be off this island as soon as possible.

"He said he'd be back for us later, that we needed to stay on the beach," Jason mentioned. "I don't have a way to contact him."

"We can't just ignore this," Liza pointed out motioning toward the poles.

Riley snorted in disbelief.

"And do what exactly? We are on a fucking island!"

"Calm down," Grant ordered. He was more together than the others. "She's right though. We need to let someone know what happened here, but we also need to return to the others and wait until Doug picks us up. We can't do much until then."

Liv was already hating this idea. She knew he was right, but fuck.

"T-take some pictures of this," Riley ordered, turning his attention to her.

For fuck's sake.

Raising her camera, Liv took a quick shot of the three bodies, not caring whether the image was good or not. She just wanted to hurry and leave the area. As she raised the camera a final time she heard a noise from the jungle; it sounded like rushed footsteps.

"Do you guys––"

Before she could finish the question, a snarling man ran from the foliage and slammed into her, knocking her onto the ground. Liv lost her breath for a moment as his weight pressed against her chest. He smelled putrid like rotten meat and feces.

What the--

The question was lost to her as she stared into his cloudy lifeless eyes. Her own widened in horror as she noticed that his mouth from the cheekbones down was ripped into bloody uneven pieces, enough so that his lips were completely gone exposing his raw gums and stained teeth. A mix of blood and saliva leaked from his open mouth onto her cheek as he hovered over her. Liv was chilled to the bone.

Then with a scream, one that sounded shrill and inhuman, he bared his teeth and lunged at her. Grant came between them before he sank his teeth into her, wrapping his arm around the feral man's neck, but in the process, he was bitten. He shouted in pain and yanked him to his feet.

"Jason, h-help him," Liza ordered.

The said man rushed to his brother's aid and grabbed the man, pulling him away. However, a large bloody chunk of Grant's arm was removed in the process. Jason recoiled in disgust and watched him chew on the torn flesh. Seizing the moment, Grant yanked the knife from the pole and shoved the blade into the man's head with a wet 'slit'. He fell motionless in the sand.

"What the fuck is that!?" Riley asked in a panic.

Liza rushed to Liv and leaned down beside her.

"Are you OK?"

"I... I don't know. He tried to bite me," Liv retorted in shock.

What sort of fucked up Romero shit was going on? Her eyes widened in horror as she remembered that Grant had been bitten. The said man was clutching his bleeding arm in pain.

"We need to get back to the others," he mentioned.

"Are you gonna be OK?" Jason asked.

His brother shook his head in agreement, but he didn't look too sure. Turning, he led the group back down the beach and around the bend. Daisy Lee noticed them first and covered her mouth in shock, rushing to Grant's side.

"What the fuck happened? Keith asked.

Liv shook her head and sat down at the table, wrapping her arms around herself. She just wanted to go home. This entire day was one big nightmare.

"Guys, come on. What is––"

The sound of a siren interrupted Oliver, echoing around the beach. It sounded close, but Liv wasn't certain. Then from the corner of her eye, she noticed something emerge from the jungle down the beach from them. It was an animal; a large dog. But something was not right about the canine. Its dark fur was missing in patches like it was sick and its face was gruesomely decomposed; bloody muscle and bone were showing. Liv stood up from the chair and almost backed into Keith.

This can't be happening. I'm dreaming; I have to be.

But the fear was real. The adrenalin coursing through her body and the voice in her head telling her to get the hell out of dodge; it was all real too.

"W-we need to run," she mentioned lowly.

Keith raised a brow and turned his blue eyes toward the dog.

"What the fuck is wrong with it?"

With a guttural bark, it suddenly sprinted at them, quickly closing the distance.

"Fuck! Run!" Someone shouted, probably Riley; Liv didn't stand around to find out.

She clutched her bag in her hands and dashed into the jungle, aware that the others were close behind. She could hear their labored breaths and the guttural growl of the dog as it chased after them. Tears poured down her face as she tried to navigate the bush, but she had no idea where she was going. Her only beacon of hope was the siren.

But why does it sound like it's moving away from us?

Running from the tree line out on a dirt road, she saw two large vehicles driving toward her. Raising her arms, Liv shouted over the siren in hopes to catch the driver's attention, but to her horror, both drove past her.

"No, no, no. PLEASE STOP!"

She knew she'd never catch them, but Liv chased after them regardless, pleading with them to come back. She knew that at any second the dog was going to run her down and maul her to pieces; her friends were sadly the last thing on her mind. She just wanted to survive. On the last vehicle, she noticed a turret mounted on the top. Someone peeked out toward her, and to her relief, the vehicle came to a stop; the other soon followed suit.

"Get down!" A man wearing a red bandana shouted.

Liv raised a brow. Why did––

Suddenly the man started shooting the turret toward her. Liv screamed in protest but someone knocked her to the ground and covered her. She felt her hands burn as the road tore into her; the sound of screams echoed in her ears, so loud she almost didn't hear the gunfire cease. The person on top of her got up and Liv took a peek, seeing Vincent next to her. Did he save her? No. The man with the bandana wasn't shooting at them, or else she and Vincent would have been dead. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed that the others were alive too. The rabid dog however was in pieces, lying mere inches away from Oliver. Bullet holes riddled its diseased carcass.

They saved us.

"Fuck, that was close," Vincent mentioned.

Liv wasn't sure if he meant the dog or the turret. She sat up and groaned as her raw hands burned.

"Liv," Vincent called gaining her attention. He motioned towards the vehicles where a stout dark-skinned man approached them.

"Americanos (Americans)?" He asked.

Liv shook her head in agreement.

The man grinned.

"You are afortunado (fortunate) we came by. Or else you'd be almuerzo (lunch)."

What was he trying to say?

"Thank you for stopping," Liv mentioned.

"Don't think me yet," the man retorted.

He turned his eyes toward the others and counted them, then yanked a walkie from his belt.

"Jefe (boss), we found them. Nine little americanos (Americans)."

The line cracked for a moment, then a voice answered.

"Well? You waiting for an invitation motherfucker? Bring them here."

An air of uncertainly consumed Liv. Did he admit that he was looking for them? Perhaps they knew Doug. So many factors didn't add up. She glanced over at Vincent for answers, but he was seeing to Oliver who had scraped his leg somehow.

"Four of you come with me," the man ordered. "And the rest of you get in the other vehicle."

"Where are you taking us?" Jason asked.

Liv was curious too, but she was more concerned about the monsters that attacked them. She refused to call them anything else; there was no telling what they were.

"¡Apurarse (hurry)! Or do you want to wind up someone's lunch?" The man asked, motioning them on.

There were more of them?

Liv had so many questions, but she put her trust in the unnamed man and followed him to the vehicle. How bad could a man who just saved their life be?

If only she knew.

[lovee-infected]

hi! could i see your insights about ace? i saw a anon say from another blog that kinda has unrealistic expectations in a relationship and it kinda stuck with me. i mean in his ghost marriage he already knows the things he wants in a partner but he didn't show guilt about dumping his girlfriend, even. i think if you date him because he sees these quality in you and as the relationship last, he'll dump you if you get boring to him lol

I never thought that I'd say this but, wow, I'm impressed. I've been really curious about Ace since I get to see a variety of different content with different representations of his personality, so I decided to stick with his canon stories and lines. This analysis was so much fun to write and I'd assure you all that not only Ace but rather all of the first year characters are WAY more than they seem to be! Many just decide to ignore them and pass away, calling them good boys or precious stupid beanies at first.

Speaking of Ace, we've all seen how trending he's been recently. Many theories, thoughts and new arguments exist through the fandom as many want to get to know this boy better.

Theories like "Ace's betrayal theory" as well have been mentioned a lot lately, some agree and some disagree. While we aren't going to talk about that theory or any other theories in this analysis, I'd like to take time to talk about the reasons why those theories might seem appealing and accurate. In other words, we're going to talk about where they are coming from!

1) Ace is incredibly smart and brave

It's true that characters like Jade or Azul's remarkable genius often stands out as it's clearly visible through their presence in the game, from iconic decisions to stunning strategies. But what we need to realize is how characters like Ace can be just as inspiring while their true intelligence is often shallowed by extras and giving them much of a dumb picture in the game.

To begin with, let us note that Ace's brother himself was one of the considerably strong magicians in Heartslabyul's history and even his presence through the magicshift is still remarkable even though years has passed. As the second child of the family, Ace's change to achieve success is even higher than his brother's as he already has a role model he really looks up to, so in that point Ace isn't one to underestimate. But, let me point that his relationship with his brother also contains lots of jealousy and sometimes negativity. His brother was one to always trick Ace and he continues to do so even nowadays! Ace on the other hand doesn't enjoy being pissed off over and over even as he's used to it. Well, we can say that it's another reason for him to train his hardest and become a greater magician than his brother therefore he won't be the bully material of the Trappola household anymore.

Regardless of how effective his brother might've been on him, Ace himself has shown plenty of strong hints that reveal not only his high IQ but also EQ:

He can solve math problems in second, which is a rather important feature to note because the way you deal with math can directly effect the way you deal with life. Not saying that one has to be great at math to be great at something else but it's rather about the perspective and ability of logical thinking that it gives to one. I'd say that this effect is quite visible if you take a look at the way he speaks in serious situations; he's got much of an analytical brain. Let's not forget that Cater as well confirmed that he's much of a skill stealer, is pretty good at remembering things and is a quick thinker! These are go on to show how much of an underestimated genius he is.

Whenever something goes wrong, Ace would be the first one to notice it even if it's a silly matter. And it always begins with a seemingly childish argument, but ends incrucial matters that not a single soul had noticed before! Just take a look at chapter one, what would've happened if Ace hadn't spoken up? He was just one of the hundreds of students having to be severely punished under Riddle's strict rules and he surely wasn't the first one to go through this. Him taking the urge to fight Riddle sounded stupid and naïve at first, many even told him off because he was just acting like a pissed off child. But as he continued to argue and oppose toward Riddle's way as a leader, even Trey realized how he's been keeping his eye shut on all this problems for so long. The way Ace stood against Trey was iconic, he confidently defended his point not by his personal demands and feelings but with facts and logical comments on why Trey's way of threatening Riddle is wrong. He did the same thing again at he ghost marriage, just think of it! Not a single soul ever cared to tell the bride about true love but Ace was there, and he was the one and only to do this after more than 500 years of the bride's existence! This Ace, this serious and mature face of Ace is something that can surely fascinate anyone. His bravery, the way he puts all that strength through words, hisextremely logical point of view and his enthusiasm to solve the problems no matter how unimportant they seem to be is indeed appreciatble. Seriously though, what would've happened to Riddle is Ace wasn't there? When Ace firstly begun to oppose to him, everyone thought that is was just a childish argument. They had no idea how severe and destructive Riddle's temper issues were and how harmful they were down inside.

2) He's one of the dumbest characters in the whole game

You know what? He is dumb. Yes he's incredibly smart but this isn't going to change the fact that he is dumb as hell, so I'm never going to argue when someone's nagging on how much of an idiot he is. But most importantly, we need to know what's making him so dumb:

His presence through the stories has proved that Ace is eventually pretty good at detecting the main source of problems both on the mental and physical side. He was the first to realize Riddle's issues, Trey's huge mistake with Riddle, Ghost bride's unawareness and Epel's gloomy and sad aura in chapter 4. Ace's also one to easily tell whether what someone is doing is wrong or not, he can see through people and bring their mistakes to their attention. The problem is... he can't be quite the same with himself. That's what makes him awfully dumb.

Back in chapter one, he did have a point about Riddle's way of leadership being so unfair and messed up, but when he decided to challenge Riddle and even take his place as the dorm leader he was a total idiot who didn't how weak and unpractical his own magic was, he was being too dramatic. When he talked about his ex girlfriend, he just talked about how she held him back from doing what he wanted and was too uncool to spend time with, but he didn't mention a single thing about himself doing anything wrong in that relationship. He often fails to realize that he's got his own incompleteness and lacks just like anyone else, or prefers to put an blind eye to them most of the time (not all of the time)

Ace sets the perfect goals, but chooses the wrong path to achieve them. He needs to realize that just like everyone else, he can be sometimes wrong. He should take his time to get to know himself better; his abilities, his attitude, his faults and his mistakes and learn to be more patient and logical in order to achieve his goals. He's still young an inexperienced, by learning to put that brilliance of him into the perfect use he'd be able to become the great magician he wishes to be, and I'd say that in case that he continues to grow stronger and smarter, he'll have a high chance of being hesrtslabyul's next dorm leader!

3) He legit wants to be the "Ace"

This part's more of an attempt to do a name analyis and see how much it's been effective on Ace's personality. It actually makes a lot of snese since the word "Ace" itself has several meanings, and he used these different terms quite a few times in his personal stories. This point would also be explained in part (4) so for now, let's take a look at direct name definitions:

First of, remember what what an Ace is in a card game? "A playing card with a simple spot on it, ranked as the highest card in its suit" This goes on to tell us a lot, it's telling us what an Ace is. A loner yet the most powerful one of its own, just like how Ace wants to be.

Wanting to be an actuall Ace is definitely one of the things that sometimes makes Ace sound so jerky and he's aware of it! If you give it a closer look, you'll see that Ace doesn't really treat his friends like friends, especially with Deuce and Grim. He's often insulting or challenging them, and even during his birthday SSR when MC asked him about what he thinks of each of other first years (Who are basically his closest friends) he mainly criticized them and all, not a single word was said about things he likes about them and he didn't even call any of them his friend!

Well that's much of a jerky attitude to have toward people whom you spend almost all of your time with, especially your best of time.

He to play the role of the bad guy, the type to hang out with everyone without feeling any attached to them as even friends. Seems like our boy is trying to be a loner, a true Ace of cards and hearts. And he doesn't mind his friends calling him a bastard or jerk because of this. It's even confirmed that he's more of the popular guy type therefore he's mainly used to having people around!

On the other hand, he's trying his best to achieve success no matter what the obstacles are. It's true that he often messes up and fails, but we cannot say that he isn't trying. He almost lost his head for real during his SSR story where Riddle's favorite hedgehogs were lost because of Ace's impatience, but at last with the help of monsieur Rook and his own ability to imitate Rook's mole language skills Ace saved his neck one more time, and ended his story with a dramatic "Of course, I always Ace it!"

4) Ace does care, but pretends that he does not

In contrast to the fact that he wants to sound tricky,manipulative and mean, or how he's denying his friends' true worth to him like stated in part (3), Ace is probably one of the most caring and supportive characters in the game. Not saying that he's just as bright as someone like Kalim, but his way of seeing through people and wishing them to be better, wealthier and happier than they already are is surely something. This fact is often ignored because, well...everyone's too busy calling him either dumb or sus/ jk!

Just imagine having a friend or at least, a classmate you know like Ace. How's he supposed to be? He'd realize it when someone's bullying/bothering/ or intentionally harming you, and he isn't going to be silent about it. If you see that you're permanently sad, angry, rude or loud then again he'd speak up, he isn't going to just pull up with anyone's unhealthy habit like nothing's happened. He's got much of a big brain as well so you should expect him to say a bunch of helpful and meaningful stuff when he's using that brain, mainly in serious situations. He may not be a permanently mutual to have around, but when the troubles arrive, know that having Ace around is always an advantage.

To top it off, he's even shown sympathy toward people whom he seemed to like the least at first like Riddle; he wishes Riddle to be happier, to smile more, to be more open about his emotions with other students. At some point he even admits that he looks up to him, he used to overestimate his powers and challenged Riddle, but during the ghost marriage he said that he knows how powerful and strong Riddle is, therefore he should work his hardest to study and train to become strong just like him! He already seems to be more cheerful and bright when MC is talking to him, but when it comes to Grim and Deuce...it gets quite complicated. What we see the most is often Ace insulting them or saying that he's going to kick their asses, but they're also his closest friends all though he refuses to admit to it.

Just wait for Deuce or Grim to get in a serious danger or pain, and see how much of a protective one Ace can be! He isn't going to remain silent when one is in danger, but he's surely going to deny all that effort and affection he gave into action afterwards. When Ace can feel this cautious and understanding toward Riddle, someone who isn't even a friend of his then imagine how supportive and caring he would be toward his close friends like Deuce, MC and Grim!

In his ghost marriage as well, his words and the way he spoke of the meaning of true love left everyone, even Crowley, impressed (Crowley even said that he's fallen in love with this side of Ace's personality), but refused to admit that he was speaking of his true feelings after the ceremony. Someone like Grim is too bold to recognize how much of a different person Ace can be inside, so he claimed that Ace was just rambling nonsense without thinking of what he was saying back then, and Ace agreed with him! This is a continuation to part (3) where we talked about how he wants to be a loner, he doesn't want anyone to see how caring and sometimes, emotional he can be inside! Poor boy is quite shy showing his true feelings we can tell~

5) Ace can be quite tricky and manipulative

This part will also explain some of the main reasons behind famous theories like "Ace's betrayal theory", and I wanted to have a certain part to talk about this point specifically because it's been quite trending through the whole fandom, and many are wondering why theorizers are considering his betrayal a possibility, so here we go!

As said, one of the main factors the makes Ace seem suspicious would be his incredible intelligence. The fact that he can actually be that smart all the time but isn't openly showing his talents and abilities can be quite questionable, more details regarding his intelligence and most likely high IQ and EQ were discussed in part (1)!

Enough with intelligence, let's focus on his personality! This is mainly what this part is talking about, his trickiness. Just like his father and older brother, Ace is pretty good with magic tricks. Small and fun tricks are a convenient yet easy ways to inspire others and Ace doesn't mind showing the crowd what he's got up in sleeve when possible. But the thing is...this isn't just about fancy tricks.

This ability can be expanded into any other field such as mental terms and enable him to indirectly control and play with one's mind. That's more of a possibility though! He hasn't yet shown any signs of being any manipulative but, well, we can't say that it's beyond his abilities. Ace himself can be quite sarcastic and mean at the time, he doesn't seem to mind slightly tricking his friends either. Nothing about him seems to be serious, but the possibilities remain still.

The way he learnt those tricks as well is mentionable; no one ever teached himm any of those tricks, he learnt them through being repeatedly tricked, and learning to copy and redo what he saw. Both Rook and Cater so far have confirmed that Ace's ability to learn so quickly and learn and redo techniques just by watching them is fantastic.

His genius and ability to learn and memorize everything that he needs to learn pretty fast, along side his tricky and sometimes personality can make Ace quite dangerous. If someone like him decides to choose such a remarkable talent for evil purposes, that's surely going to be bad news. That's much and less of what makes Ace's betrayal theory make sense although there're still fans who find it quite questionable. I'm not a supporter of this theory myself as I hadn't seen any signs of Ace having any bad intentions so far, but I do get where the theorizers are coming from and that makes sense. Ace has been trying to put on much of a mean and lowkey evil face on through the story and no one can really say what's exactly going on in that brain. We'll that about this uncertainty in part (7)!

6) His past relationship was...uh

For now, Ace is the only character who is confirmed to have experience in love and relationships, and this was a rather effective factor since many have been talking about Ace's past relationship afterwards. The thing is...Ace did talk about how his girlfriend held him back from having fun and living the life he wanted to live. Well there's actually a lot we should say about this one so I'm not gonna rush to the end, let's think about all of the aspects of this situation logically:

First of, the relationship itself. I'd say that it was a wrong attempt for them to date each other in the first place because obviously, Ace and his girlfriend weren't made for each other. They were total opposites in interests and they couldn't even have fun together. If Ace chose to go on a wild roller coater ride, the girl would've freaked out and when she chose a small, childish ride that she liked Ace instead didn't enjoy it at all. It's surely an issue when you and your partner can't even watch a movie which both of you can enjoy together since their tastes were totally different, just jow was this relationship going to last? Ace wasn't happy, and if he was going to do what made him happy the girl in return would've been sad. They were two different people of two different points, dating at this point was nothing but a mistake.

On the other hand, Ace as well is guilty. First off, she shouldn't have dated the girl in the first place if he was aware of how different her tastes were. Second, from what he said he never showed any signs of dissatisfaction when he had to give up on what he liked to listen to what the girl friend liked. The girl friend obviously told him that she was scared of a horror movie, but Ace just kept his mouth shut and felt awfully annoyed as he watched a romance movie with her while he didn't like it at all. If he'd at least told her girlfriend about this, she wouldn't have felt as injured and cheated when Ace broke up with her. Ace shouldn't have bottled it up, he deserved to enjoy the relationship just as much as the girl did. He shouldn't have expected things to get any better if he wasn't going to solve anything about it in the first place. If he'd talked about his personal desires and favorites as well, and had his uncomfortableness with most of the girl's choices discussed before hand, there could've been a chance of them coming into a conclusion and even not breaking up! The girl could've tried to be braver for him, and Ace could've agreed to be softer because of her. There would've been a HUGE difference if they'd talked about it logically.

Also, keep this in mind that the girl had no idea about Ace's uncomfortableness which was low key naïve of her (It's not cool when you don't even realize that your boyfriend doesn't like something) but this also made him awfully unprepared for a break up! Ace should've st least talked about his feelings and how he was unable to continue that relationship with her instead of just dropping her out of nowhere. That would've also decreased the chance of having to deal with the girl's friends after wards!

Finally, let's say that this relationship was wrong in too many aspects. They weren't each other's type, and we can't really blame Ace for dropping someone whom he couldn't be happy with. The main of being in a relationship is spending time with someone whom you can enjoy your time with. He as well was guilty because he can't just drop the girl like he just didn't care and had gotten tired of her while he had his own reasons for dropping her, he should've let the girl know that it wasn't necessarily her fault, it was about Ace not being able to relate to her tastes and habits.

Also, let's be honest. Not much is expected when a 15 year old is dating. Being in a relationship is an awfully sensitive and important choice and someone like Ace hasn't reached that level of maturity to be ready to date someone, let alone doing it at his 15s! Honestly... they should've learnt a lot before dating each other because it isn't a silly thing. Dating like this is nothing but playing around for a while for fun, it's a childish game of spending some time together until they break up.

For now, Ace is finds love quite silly and meaningless so we can clearly see that his past relationship has pissed him off. Well Ace needs to realize that his relationship with his ex wasn't a serious one, so it's normal for it to seem unimportant and silly. He needs to learn a lot without dating someone again, such as knowing how crucial it is to make sure that his hobbies would match his partners, to make sure tjat they get along, and simply, he needs to find his own type! Not all people are made for each other, and he isn't supposed to fall for anyone with any possible personality that pops up on his way.

Also, I'd say that he still needs to focus on studying instead of dating. He needs to reach the required level of maturity to be ready to start a healthy and successful relationship again. Also, he might end up being totally different from what we've seen about him being in a relationship do far when he grows up! Idealistics do change a lot olin teenagehood.

7) We need to talk about our first years a lot more!!!

This point isn't just about him, but rather all of the first years! If I were to rate the most ignored and shallowed personalities of twst, the first years should've gone on the top of this list. Even when we're speaking of the mischaracterized characters of the game, many consider Ace and Deuce to be the least mischaracterized while they happen to be the most mischaracterized as no one evencares to see through them and feel like we aren't mischaracterizing them just because we're ignoring them! Come on guys, Ace's design and personality is a lot more complicated and harder to read than characters like Vil and even Leona!

Out of all first years Sebek was the only one to get some proper shout outs so far but why isn't anyone talking about Ace and Deuce the way they deserve to be talked about? Their presence through the game is even more important than the dorm leaders as they are the closest characters to MC, and their personality design is just incredible, no just because of how perfectly detailed it is, but also because of giving them this unpredictability and incompleteness which totally matches their age!

Studies have shown that judging one's personality based on how they're doing at the age of 16 or younger is prettyhard and impossible, and it's a totally serious fact. At the age of 16, human's personality is under severe effects and changes until reaching it's final-developed shape. That's accurate toward almost all of the first years except Jack since he seems to have more of a mature personality.

NRC's first years are really complicated, especially a character like Ace. That why I said that we can't yet tell if he's a good guy or not, because at this level of life he can choose to be anything. He can be good, he can be bad, he can be neutral. That's why he's showing too much of opposite actions at the moment. One second he's being the biggest idiot in the whole world, the other second he's planning like a 50 year old genius. One second he's being protective over his friends, the other second he sighs and tells MC how annoying they are.

That's why Ace is hard to read, we can't tell what his true feelings are until he reaches the required mental stability to be judged as a mature and complete personality. 18 year olds like Vil have already reached that level of maturity and completeness, finding their unique magics as well is another sign of it. But our first years still need to learn and experience until they find their real selves, to see who they are.

This is one of the most adorable facts about their design because they really gave him this young and wild and incomplete nature to show that they're still young! This is quite incredible how careful Yana was to remember that they all needed some this childishness in their design, their designs are just as accurate and realistic as a real 16 year old's! They still need to learn, and that's why they're the closest ones to MC.

MC needs to learn and get to see more and more of this world, and so do the first years! They're just as unexperienced and new to this world, and they can relate to MC better than anyone else can!

So please, from now on, let's remember to talk about not only Ace, but also all of the first years more often. Ace and Deuce's designs especially are the most detailed and beautiful ones if you take time to know them better. Remember that after the 7 dorm leaders, Ace and Deuce's roles as the protagonist's closest allies are the most crucial in the game, so let's not just decide to ignore all these creative features and pass by them without thinking how much they can mean.

Woah, this one was quite harder to write than I'd expected! There are way too many things to say about him which made me have to summarize this into just this 7 parts for now. Ace is surely and odd yet interesting one to study, even more interesting than usually famous characters like Leona and Azul, which is partly because of how unpredictable he is!

[astringofmadhousefloozies]

The Birthday Fic

Several months in the making. Started around Ruggie’s birthday (Which is why he’s the opener) completed long past my own birthday.

Content warning for coarse language, sexuality, mentions of illness and the medication needed for managing it, and getting wildly horny to a point that even I was impressed with myself.

As always, there’s more in my Twisted Wonderland Fanfiction tag, send me a message if you liked it! (I know what the birthday gifts were from most everyone, even if not mentioned in-fic.)

~*~*~*~

"I'm sorry dude, what did you say? You ears started going and I just tuned the fuck out."

"I said, 'when's it your turn to have the school-run birthday party?' It's got it be soon." Ruggie's intentionally twitching his damn ears, has to be, and you had to physically shield your eyes to be able to answer properly.

"I don't fucking know, man, I need to have a birthday for that."

"Everyone has a birthday."

"Yeah, but I don't know when mine is."

"Can't Crowley tell you? He's got all kind of magic."

You sighed. "He tried that, so I could remember my proper name. He can't even get a year fix."

"That fucking sucks, Yuu." Ruggie passed you a pop can before cracking open one himself. "You should get one of these, too."

"Ah, maybe Riddle will take pity and dedicate me a specific Unbirthday party." What was this, melon? Not bad.

"That's not the same because you won't get loot."

"Yeah, you wanna go through fifty boxes of chocolates to get rid of all the ones with potion-of-suck-your-dick? I'm good."

He scrunched his nose in disgust. "People still trying love spells on you?"

"Not as much, but I still get Mal to check them over for me. He's good about that."

"He just doesn't want to share."

"Shush."

"It's true!" He stopped for a moment. "Does he know you don't have a birthday?"

"He hasn't realized yet and you're not going to tell him."

~*~*~*~

"Yuu?"

"Trey?" You blinked up at him. You didn't talk as much as you'd like to, mostly because every time he showed up your mouth rapidly filled with whatever treat he'd just made.

"What do you like best for cake?"

"I will literally eat anything that you put in front of me if you make it, even if it's full of shit I hate."

He raised an eyebrow. "Okay, new angle. What don't you like?"

Oh boy, he better prepare himself. "Fondant tastes gross, modeling chocolate is white chocolate so I hate it, a cake should be cake and not mostly fucking icing and rice crispy treats, most icing's too heavy for me if it's not whipped cream- why are you writing this down."

He looked up from his notebook, blinking at you with his pleasing yellow eyes. "Because you always give thoughtful feedback to my baking and I want to make you something as a thank you."

"Oh. If that's it, I'd rather have cheesecake."

~*~*~*~

"Mon Trickster~"

"Rook, I'm trying to re-" You yelped as he squeezed your waist, and you swatted at him. "Fuck's gotten into you?"

"What, I cannot play with my sweet friend?" He'd dragged you from your seat in the library, and was now doing his damndest to twirl you around without ramming you through the tables.

"Not right now! I expect this shit from Floyd, not you." He's going to get you both kicked out of the library if he doesn't smarten up.

"Our dearest Malfeasant is playing with the Rose King right now. Besides, he lacks my talents." He stretched your arms out straight before twirling you around, your back pressed to his front.

"Is that getting away with being a shithead?" you ask as you pap the side of his face, too little force to be a slap but with a similar message of 'stop'.

"Amongst much else, my dear!" He managed to dip you low, bracing one of your legs in the air, and you wiggled out of his grasp with a thump to the floor.

"Ah, what an invitation, ma belle! But alas, I cannot. It could never be. I'll see you at lunch." And he left you there, baffled, on the floor.

You wound up getting kicked out of the library after you started shrieking in rage and kicking like a damned toddler. What the fuck was that about?

~*~*~*~

"People are being weird."

"Everyone's weird around you." If Idia's combo kept, this would be a perfect match. "You encourage it in people with your presence. It's a passive AOE. No fighting against it."

"More than normal."

"It's the curse of spring. If you aren't sneezing, you see pretty girls and get stupid." He got his perfect match, and went back to the lobby. "Even I'm not immune to simp fever and spring flowers."

"You sure? You only go outside so you don't die of Vitamin D deficiency."

He pouted at you. "Girlfriends are supposed to be nice to you, you know."

"If I stopped, you'd wonder what's wrong. Anyway, then you couldn't brag to your followers about a tsundere girlfriend."

"You're not even a tsundere! You genuinely like me even when you're mean." He leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "You're maybe sadodere."

"What's that one?"

"Sadistic yet affectionate."

You opened your mouth but genuinely couldn't argue. He was too fucking cute not to be mean to! What can you say? That pwease-no-buwwy aura he got when distressed was just too much.

"Yeah." He paused, a small smile creeping across his face. "Yuu."

"Yeah?"

"You really like stripes, don't you?"

You looked down, at his blue striped shirt you were wearing. It honestly fit you better than it did him. Further down was pinstriped socks, and if you remembered, the underwear had stripes too.

"What do you think."

~*~*~*~

"Mal?" "Yes?" "Why do you have all this even if you don't wear any of it?" "I do wear earrings now, thanks to you." He dropped another oversized ring onto your finger. "The rest, I simply don't bother with unless I must appear in an official capacity."

"So I'm a special occasion?"

He smiled at you, sweet and genuine. "Always."

"Then why am I your jewelry rack today?" So many necklaces. So many rings. There'd be a crown on your head, too, if the crowns for Draconias weren't essentially elabourate chains hanging off the horns.

"Perhaps I enjoy seeing you wearing my things. You wear Shroud's all the time." He was slowly going through a box of rings, trading them on and off your fingers after puzzling over them.

"Your clothes are tailored, and I'm too big around." You thought for a moment. "So, Mal."

"Yes?"

"Are you planning on something you aren't telling me?"

He blanched and immediately went shift eyed. "Of course not."

You took a breath. "I'm gonna say no."

"Yuu-"

"I'm pretty sure your grandmother would eat me alive if I said yes."

"No!" He made a shushing guesture. "I... am planning something. But not a proposal, my goodness, that would be too much pressure for you and would splinter the kingdom." He sighed. "Even if I would like it."

"I know you would. What are you planning."

"No."

"Yes, tell me."

"It's a surprise. You'll get it at some point in the future."

You thought back to some of the stranger events of the past few weeks. "... is it a birthday party, Malleus."

"Nnnnnnoooooooooooooo?" His face was a desperate, wide-eyed mask of please-believe-me.

"Yes it is."

"I didn't say that."

"You might as well have!"

"It's not." He wasn't even facing you anymore, knowing his face would betray him.

You took a deep breath. 

"I can keep pretending I don't know. I mean, if you want to throw a surprise party, I can't really stop you. And anyway," you added, "If I don't have a set birthday, there's no way I can know exactly when it's coming."

He relaxed, slightly.

"Don't get me a ring, though."

He chuckled. "That does have implications, doesn't it."

"Don't it, though?"

"I was checking what colours were most flattering for you." He finally turned around, all warm smiles. "I should have known. They all look lovely, because you're the one wearing them."

"Stop." You could feel you cheeks reddening. "If it helps, gold doesn't make my ears act up."

~*~*~*~

When you walked to your dorm one warm day, after school, you simply could not see the building for the brambles grown up since you left this morning.

"Yuu?"

"Grim?"

He squinted at you, unimpressed. "Your prince boyfriend has lost his fucking mind. Why'd he do this?"

"I think I know." You looked in amongst the branches, which held no roses, but something better. You plucked off a blackberry and held it to your little shoulder monster.

"Ew, no. I want tuna."

"Suit yourself." There was a path, and if you got on tiptoes, a tent half-hidden behind the briar. "You ready for a party, Grim?"

"What? What party?"

You shifted him from your shoulder to your hip as you walked along, careful of your sore arm. "They decided I needed a surprise party because I don't have an actual birthday. Figured it out like two... three? weeks ago."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He stopped, looked away, and bristled. "Why didn't they tell me?!?"

"Because you can't keep a fucking secret?"

He yelled and scrambled to the ground. "Hey assholes why didn't you tell me I better be getting presents too-" He's already out of sight, and you can't stop laughing at him. It's better like this, when he's himself.

~*~*~*~

Why is Everyone here. There's a huge stack of presents, there's a buffet table, there's chairs, there's - 

"Shrimpie's here!" And then everyone converged with enough words that it was just a wall of sound; mystery hands leading you to a chair, someone was trying to stick a hat on you -

"Wait!"

People only stepped off and quieted because your voice cracked. Idia, hiding in a corner, managed to raise sympathetic eyebrows before whispering something into Azul's ear.

"I gotta go inside for like, five minutes, I'll be right back." And off you went.

~*~*~*~

"You don't seem the type to do drugs."

You looked up and laughed. "Well, Vil, I gotta get through the day somehow." You shook out two pills and poured a glass of water.

"What are they for?" He leaned against the doorway, as though it wouldn't cover his clothes with splinters and dust.

"These," you said as you pointed to the two in your hands "are anti-nausea. They're new."

"How many of those do you take?" He nodded towards the other bottles on the counter. “I didn’t see them during training.”

"Well," you said, as you started to number them off on your fingers. "I started the first ones after Eliza, to help stabilize my organs, the second ones were immunity-boosting after my pneumonia, I started taking vitamins after that as well, I got sleeping pills for nightmares after Jamil blotted - they don't always work, but hey - and, well." You shook your current bottle. "Your curse vapours are pretty good, it turns out."

He blanched, and you backpedaled. "You weren't yourself, and I only have to take these before meals now. I had to get IVs in the morning for a few days, I couldn't keep... wait, wait, shit, no, I'm sorry, don't make that face -"

Vil crossed the distance, putting his face very close to yours. "You should have told me."

"Why make you feel even worse, man?"

"Because I could have formulated something better for the damage." He flicked your nose, more exasperation than malice. "Cures and poison go hand in hand. I can't fix what was done if I don't know."

"Taking care of my medical woes is not your job, Vil."

"You don't get to tell me what is and isn't my job." He squeezed you close with one arm. "You're just an exhausting little potato."

"I'm a delicious little sweet potato that you can't resist."

He sighed, exhausted. "Yes you are. Now take your pills and stop with secrets."

~*~*~*~

"What kept you?"

"Had to make sure there's room in the fridge for all your food, Trey." He hadn't chosen one cheesecake - he had at least two dozen varieties of bite sized miniatures, labeled by flavour and potential allergens. "You were busy."

"Well, I felt like experimenting. I hope you don't mind."

"You're the one doing me a favour." You looked around, everyone chatting idly with one another. "Where's Mal."

"..."

"I swear to fucking god if he didn't get an invitation to the party he helped organize-"

~*~*~*~

It turns out he'd left to fetch an obnoxiously large bouquet of flowers, the scent so overpowering you thought your chair might tip from the force of it.

"You do enjoy them?" Mal was so cute when unsure.

"Yes, dear." As long as people didn't crowd in again. Lately, you can only take so much sensation before your brain shorts out and you start yelling. "Set them on the table, I'll have to start on them later." Hairspray and an arid room would have those dried within the week.

"Which part of the celebration will we start with first?"

"I don't know. It's my party but you're the ones throwing it. Where's Grim?"

He pointed over to one of the set up tables, where Grim sat in a pile of wrapping paper, furiously kick-scratching at a wriggling toy fish as big as he was, while Cater filmed. "We realized a few days ago he'd be unhappy if he didn't get his own presents."

"Aww. Is there catnip in that?"

He leaned in conspiratorially. "We're not supposed to have any on campus because Kingscholar is susceptible to it."

You went right past normal laughter straight to wheezing.

~*~*~*~

So far, the highlights were: A mycological photobook from Jade big enough to crush someone's head with (that he cheerfully wrote as such on the inside flap), an enormous multipack of slipper socks from Ruggie (with a note saying it was a return on the doughnut-patterened ones you'd given him for his own birthday) and a parure set from Floyd, crafted from thousands of woven seed pearls with carved coral feature beads that was frankly obscene in the amount of money it must have cost. (He, of course, said it was worth it as long as you wore it for him, and simply laughed when you quipped that he meant with clothing right?)

The rest was fantastic, still - various books and movies, a pretty glass vase from Ace stuffed with wildflowers, fine silk dresses from Kalim and a simple belled bracelet tucked in, from Jamil. Currently, you were opening a basket from Vil.

"Oh, wow," you meant with sincerety as you pulled out a light, fragrant soap. "You make this yourself?"

"Yes. There's soaps, shampoo, conditioner, perfumes, lotions..."

You smiled at him sweetly. "You saying I stink, Shoenheit?"

He mirrored your smile right back at you. "Be sure to use them."

"... I'm going to kill you," you said, laughing, as you lobbed the wrapping paper at his face.

~*~*~*~

"Az?"

"Mm?" He was watching with amusement as you looked the jacket over, a lovingly tailored frock coat in periwinkle wool and shell toggles.

"Are you sure this'll fit?"

"Of course." He guestured down the table to Rook, who waved. "He checked your measurements."

"When did-" Ohhhhhh. Oh. Alright. "I'm surprised he couldn't tell by just looking."

"I could, mon ange! But that was more fun!"

~*~*~*~

Malleus barely hid his pout when sliding his box over to you, and it didn't take you long to guess why. "Floyd's jewels really show yours up, huh."

"Perhaps," he said, pointedly not looking at the boy currently playing with Grim.

"Yours are more special because they're from you." When unwrapped, the box was stunning; carved walnut with shell inlaid curlicues. "My god, how old is this?"

"Older than I am," he said with a smile.

"How old is that, Mal."

He just kept smiling, and you rolled your eyes and opened the box to reveal a piece far, far different than the frothy confection Floyd gave you. A single, sizable brooch of gilt and enamel, a tiny faerie woman staring up at you with imperious emerald eyes, she was so lovingly crafted you could see the tension of her muscles and the hair between her legs.

"This piece is only a hundred and fifty years old," he said mildly. "The artist lives in the Valley of Thorns, and created it in the image of her lover." His smile was fond, and sweet. "They're still together to this day. Even if we may not last so long, I hope that it can be as strong."

The sentiment was enough to make you tear up.

~*~*~*~

Several tissues and a bat-shaped blanket from Lilia later, Idia pulled out a large box. And another, and another.

"Uh, Idia."

He just turned red as he stacked another box.

"Dude, holy fuck. What did you do?"

"Looked at your wishlist on your shopping websites." He's flickering pink at the tips of his hair. "Couldn't decide."

"I told him to just get them all!" Ortho looked wildly proud of himself. "Some of them are from me."

You blinked several times. "I thought the sites broke." You started feeling faint. "Idia."

"Yes?" He finally brought out one last box, easily two thirds your height, and set it in front of you.

"Some of those dolls were... so much madol."

He was shifty-eyed. "Yeah."

"Some of the outfits were themselves more than some of the dolls on those wishlists."

Despite the redness, his face was still. "Yeah."

"Oh my god." You're already sitting down, but you need to lie down. "That's too much money."

"It's nothing, don't worry about it."

"Why do you have so much money one of those sites alone was at least a million madol's worth of-"

"Please just open the boxes," he said in a strained voice. "I don't want them all staring."

You take your shaking hands to start unwrapping, mentally trying to figure out which rooms in the building were sound enough to hold obscene amounts of porcelain, resin and plastic. By the time you were done, there were over forty of varying shapes and sizes with complete wardrobes for each; the last not even on any list - that was an art piece near as tall as you, a fine bone china girl with golden curls and knowing eyes from an artist whose work did not go for less than five million madol even firsthand. Your vision greyed at the sight of her, and when you came to your senses, everyone breathed a sigh of relief before spending the rest of the evening treating you as something at least as delicate and precious as her.

~*~*~*~

It's just past sunset, and guests are still milling about. You're not really looking at them, though - you're losing your little friend.

Grim's only himself in daylight, now. Once the night hits, he goes back to the strange, feral thing that laid your wrist open to eat a chunk of solid ink. He's gone twitchy, wordless, pacing with his now headless robot fish in his mouth, before finally tearing through the brambles to god-knows-where.

"... I don't know what to do about it. He doesn't come back at night anymore. What if he doesn't come back at all one night?"

"I won't let that happen." Idia was draped over the back of your chair, idly playing with the wrapping on your wrist. You couldn't see his face, but a curious tension was clear in his voice. "How many of those crystals has he eaten?"

"All of them, as far as I know." There may have been one on the camping trip that you were mercifully excluded from; thankfully your restraining order against Vargas meant that Grimm had been allowed to attend by himself. Good thing, too, your period had arrived weeks early. "Do you think it's like mercury poisoning? The effects get worse as more collects in his body?"

"Maybe. It's something to look into."

You snorted, lightly. "What do you know about it?"

"... Less than I'd like." Before you could ask, he leaned down to your ear to whisper, "I'd rather know you."

"What, now?" You looked around at the tables. "There's still people here-"

You barely stifled a cry when he nipped at your earlobe. "I put on something nice for you~" You could hear the smirk in his voice as he played every trick in his book to goad you. "Unwrap me and see~"

It took every ounce of self control in you to not throw him down on the table and take him right there, in front of God and every student in the school.

~*~*~*~

"I'm too late, I see."

"Close that damned door before everyone hears."

Malleus obediently shut the door to the balcony before setting his slotted pillow on the dresser. "They couldn't even if they had their ear to the door, I soundproofed all our rooms months ago."

"Aren't you clever. Did they buy the excuse?"

"I think that they would have believed that you were going to bed if you did not say it as soon as Shroud went inside looking very proud of himself."

You flopped back onto your pillows, eliciting a sleepy grunt from Idia. "Shit."

"And if you didn't trip on the stairs in your haste."

"Now you're making fun of me."

"Perhaps," he smiled, sitting at the foot of your bed and idly stroking your leg.

"So, why didn't you tail up after us?"

"I am, if I try very hard, capable of some discretion, even when it comes to you," he huffed. "And anyway, someone had to see everyone off, get everything put away, and bring the gifts inside."

Your face fell. "I'm sorry-"

He crept up to put a finger to your lips. "It was very simple. Now," he pressed himself against you and turned to look at Idia's drowsing form, "what is this?"

You snickered lightly to yourself. "I think he found my browsing history." All you'd left on him was a fine pair of silk stockings, with delicate stripes from thigh to toe. You'd never thought he'd even consider wearing something like that, but your pretty blue boy was so full of surprises.

Malleus hummed to himself as he reached out a hand, dragging a finger along one bruised hip. Idia only sighed and fluttered his lashes, and Mal let out a stuttering gasp.

"Do you think," he whispered, voice hoarse, "that if I took these off with my teeth, that he would still stay asleep?"

You felt faint at the thought. "I don't know, but let me watch you try."

~*~*~*~

You awoke, later, to Idia sitting with the blankets pooled around his waist, five of his blue screens open. You couldn't make much sense of them, too sleepy to make out the letters on their obnoxious brightness, so you reached out both hands to squeeze his waist.

He yelped and scowled at you. "Go to sleep."

"No, you." The screens weren't making any more sense, but there was, briefly, a picture of Grim. "What are you working on?"

"I'm almost done," he said, which was not an answer but you were too tired to notice, so you reached up his back to wind a few locks of hair around your hand - and pulled, which lead to another annoyed yelp as he quickly saved and closed his work. "Just say you're weak to light attacks instead of doing that."

"You know I am." When he finally laid back down beside you, you put your face to his chest, as much to block out the light from his hair as for warmth and comfort. No wonder he slept so poorly, he literally gave off blue light every hour of the day, that only dimmed once he was already asleep. "Tell me about it later, okay?"

"Later," he said, and you drifted off between your two boys, which was almost as nice as sleeping with Grim in your bed, but this would have to do until he got better.

[crystal-moon-101]

Managed to do another redesign with rewrite notes, this time my second favourite character in Ben 10, Azmuth The First Thinker. And just like Ben, he's canon self is such a mess that I wish to fix in my own way. The other Galvans in this picture are his family, with his father from the movie "Destroy All Aliens", his nephews mentioned by DJW, and their mother who is Azmuth's twin sister. So let me get into the notes and rewrite ideas of mine!

-Retaliator-

Yes, I am aware that this is most likely not his name, but I could not be bothered to make up my own at this point, and I also find it funny to have a Galvan dad called this, so I'm sticking with it. So Retaliator is the father of both Azmuth and Divi, a very humble and calm old galvan, who has seen a lot through his years, now retired and mostly just trying to keep the family together through small things.

Retaliator has the rare gene of having aqua/turquoise eyes, a recessive trait in galvans, similar to human with the red hair gene.

Retaliator looks younger than he should be, and that's because he is, in a way. You see, right before Azmuth vanished to start working on the watch, Retaliator fell ill to an disease with no known cure, and this caused the family to...kind of break down. A lot had happen up to this point (Things that will be noted throughout this), and none of them wanted things to end like this. So Azmuth did something he know he shouldn't have, as such a thing takes so much time and resource, and generally frowned upon, and ended up creating a new young clone body for his father's brains to be transferred too. By the time Retaliator woke up from surgery, his son was already gone, off in hiding. It this was event that really made Retaliator realize he may not have been the best father for a long time...

While he is retired now, Retaliator use to do work based around energy stuff.

Since he's family's back together, he likes to host game or movie nights, or even little dinners and get togethers.

He adores his grandsons, and loves to share stories from his past to them, and he's one of the few people they calm down around.

He will admit that he did...go a bit wild when he thought Azmuth died, fighting Ben in the Galvanic Mechamorph suit, but him and Ben have since made up, and the old galvan likes talking to the young lad often.

He has most defiantly embarrassed both of his kids by showing off baby photos of them.

He met his wife through work, like most galvans, with her being a much higher up worker. Surprisingly, despite their statuses, it was his wife who asked him out first, having found him very charming.

Retaliator can never thank Ben enough for convincing his son to come home, and despite their bickering, he enjoys seeing Azmuth's bond with Ben, as the two have a way of balancing each other out.

While he may be in a younger body, his mind is certainly still that of an old galvan, and can often act like his body is older than it really is due to the mental age of his brain.

-Azmuth-

Ahhhh, dear old Azmuth, how I love your character concept, and yet get so frustrated with your actual canon self...There is a lot I have changed in terms of his placement and behavior on the show, and while I can't note all of them down there, the major theme behind them is that he is not a complete jerk in them. Don't get me wrong, Azmuth would still have flaws and issues with his off-standing nature, but he would act in a way that feels more natural, showing his growth and change while mentoring Ben. He genuinely wants to help and is a good person, it's just...he still has a lot to work through. In terms of his slight redesign, I'll like to mention that if you look closely, his outfit is a mixture of his first original outside, crossed with his UAF outfit.

I did mention that I couldn't note all changes of him in series plots, since most boil down to be him being nicer and more realistic, but I will note one change because it's big enough to mention. For the Diagon/Forever Knight Arc, Azmuth did not create Ascalon, because I while I get he's smart and created things like the Omnitrix, I don't think he should be such a big source of dangerous artifacts in the series so often, especially ones that cause trouble. So instead, Ascalon was a weapon crafted in Ledgerdomain, to help fight Diagon who orientated there, and at the time had been trying to conquer earth, and Zenith leaving Azmuth happened because of miscommunication and issues between them instead.

That being said, Azmuth does get involved in the Ultimate Alien Diagon arc when Ben himself calls Azmuth over, needing his help knowing he can better understand Ascalon, and eventually entrusted Azmuth and the Galvans to keep it and the trapped Diagon safe.

Azmuth and his sister had a very rebellious phase as teenagers/young adults, this being the age that Azmuth said he was a lot like Ben, though admittedly, Azmuth was slightly more of an ass than Ben ever was. They were going through a tough time, and Azmuth reacted negatively too it all. Funnily enough, the one thing that seems to make him doo a 180 degrees in personality was his massive swooning crush over Zenith.

He won't ever admit out loud, but he does find Ben's trait of nicknaming his aliens kind of funny...

He shares a mentoring role towards Ben with Grandpa Max and Tetrax, with Max handling the more emotional and human side of Ben's problems, Tetrax handling the physical training and teachings, and Azmuth handling the more logical steps and hard truth Ben needs to hear. He's one of the few people to give Ben the smack of reality he needs from time to time.

That being said, Ben is also one of the few people able to handle Azmuth right back, and give him needed talkings to when the man is losing himself to a bad habit.

Mostly due to the fact that Tennysons seem to have a habit of making people very close to them like family, E.g with Ben seeing Kevin and Rook like brother figures at times, there seems to be subtle hints between Azmuth and Ben that there might be parent and child like moments between them, though both would deny it if brought up.

It doesn't help that Azmuth ends up taking it upon himself on making sure Ben is healthy and happy, based on scans from the Omnitrix he reads daily. Of course, he'll just say he doesn't want the boy he entrusted his watch with to die in a stupid way, but people close to either of them know that Azmuth really does care deep down.

He has said both "I'm too old for this" and "I'm too young for this" many times.

Azmuth has admitted that he's nervous around the Omnitrix, and doesn't like putting it on. He's not good at handling the idea of becoming something he's not...

The Malware arc for Azmuth was...a lot more complicated than canon. Azmuth really did try to fix Malware, but for some reason he couldn't, and it scared him that one, this might be the first problem he can't find a solution too, and second, he just came back from hiding and had been wanting to make changes in his life, so to fail and hurt someone already? He didn't know what to think. It didn't help when Malware started refusing his help and ended up endangering the lives of others, including galvans and Azmuth's own family. And despite it all, Azmuth kept trying over and over again to let him help Malware, but the villain always refused, until Azmuth eventually had to accept that he couldn't do anything. When Malware was finally killed, Azmuth went quiet for a good while, and needed time to recover from his mistake.

Due to some past issues, Azmuth mostly refers to his father by his real name, and only calls him dad or father during emotional or quiet moments.

Whenever they're hanging out, Ben likes to bring him and Azmuth cricket smoothies to drink together.

Despite how they seem to bicker often, Myaxx and him play off each other rather well, able to dry wit each other every day.

Azmuth and Albedo's relationship is also very complicated. Before Azmuth returned, Albedo was an outstanding Galvan and protégé, being praised every single day. This, unfortunately, made Albedo develop a prideful nature and his close minded views on the galaxy, as he rarely was ever put down or critiqued. His ego also got a bit of a boost when the great Azmuth took notice of him, and made him his assistant, and while he loved it at first, some issues started to arise when Azmuth wasn't like the other Galvans who praised Albedo to no end. That isn't to say Azmuth never complimented him and liked his work, but he was an honest man who knew no one was perfect, and especially wasn't going to worship someone, knowing what kind of ego that could make in someone. It doesn't help that Albedo just can't understand what Azmuth sees in Ben, and how the two bond, despite Ben's young careless nature, and being human. It ends up making Albedo want a lot more from Azmuth, the man he looks up too, and when he's denied that he eventually turns his back on the First Thinker. Azmuth can only hope that being able to turn into other aliens, and being stuck as human, will teach Albedo that Galvans, including himself, aren't what make the galaxy function.

Azmuth is typically one of the must unfazed people you'll ever meet.

Given most Galvans have an issue of seeing themselves as the top race, Azmuth is kind of fond of Blukic and Driba for being very open and helpful to outsiders, and was even the one to suggest them to join the Plumbers.

Zenith and Azmuth too meet up again eventually, and while they don't get back together, they do make amends.

Azmuth was fairly small for a Galvan for a long time, until he finally hit his growth spurt late into his teen years, something his sister use to tease him over.

Greymatter's DNA mostly comes from Azmuth, meaning Ben actually looks like a Azmuth when he was young, his family having made comments about Ben being his "Clone".

-Divi-

Here we have the twin sister of Azmuth, Divi. A dry wit, no nonsense, sarcastic and feisty single mother of her three chaotic sons. Unlike Azmuth's father and nephews, she was something I had to completely make up from the spot, since Azmuth was said to have nephews, that meant he had to have a sibling, so it was fun to create someone with an interesting dynamic with Azmuth. She is, after all, one of the few people to exhibit some of those petty family squabbles out of him. So I hope you enjoy her and her sons.

As mentioned before, Azmuth and her went through rebellious phases after some downfall in their family life, with Divi jumping around jobs and never settling for one, and even dating another Galvan that neither Azmuth or Retaliator approved off. When Azmuth first left Galvan Prime to go into hiding, Divi and her boyfriend had still been dating. However, when he finally came home, he found the boyfriend to be gone, and Divi now a single mother to three sons. Azmuth never got a clear story what happened to the boyfriend, but he knows that the break up was nasty, and that the boyfriend isn't on Galvan Prime anymore.

Sometime after Divi had her children, she eventually settled for a job in the nursery/incubation centre on Galvan Prime, looking after eggs and newly hatched tadpoles before they go home with their parents.

Divi is quite a blunt and honest woman, who has no time for dragging things on, and while she may sound harsh, she ends up just wanting the best for people. In fact her open nature of speech is how she gets people to listen and see reason.

Her and Azmuth had a...bit of a dysfunctional relationship growing up. Azmuth was actually a slow learning when he was young, and Divi had a habit of picking on him. They did eventually mallow out, until tragedy struck their family and they entered their rebel phases, and the bickering and arguing come from both sides. They have made up since Azmuth returned, but the two have their squabbles here and there, but they're mostly just playful banter or family habits.

Her and Myaxx get along quite well, and the two like hanging out with each other.

She's also fond of Ben since meeting him, and the two like chatting whenever he plays with her sons, he's even babysat for her a few times.

She has no interest in dating again anytime soon, and is proud to be a single mother.

She's the one who points out Azmuth and Ben's family like roles to each other often, mostly due to the fact that she understands what a paternal feeling is like, and because she's blunt about it.

She got her wisdom feet first out of her and Azmuth growing up.

While Azmuth was off in hiding, Divi reconnected with his father when looking after to him after surgery. So, unlike Azmuth, she mostly just calls him father and dad.

-Trapez, Cieven & Aegls-

The three mischievous nephews, sons and grandsons of the family. Left to right, Trapez, Cieven & Aegls, who are the triplets of Divi. The three are like glue, and are often playing or up to little tricks, creating chaos around Galvan Prime. While they mostly look the same and are all tricksters, they do have personality differences. Trapez is the best when it comes to emotions and the phycology behind it, something most Galvans struggle with, and can come across as the kindest of the three. Cieven has a lot of traits from Divi and Azmuth, being fairly intelligent and wanting to be a lot like his uncle someday, though does have some of their sarcastic nature as well. Aegls is the most energetic of the three, hype up often and quick with crafting and thinking of ideas. When you combine all three together, you get a force of endless chaos.

Their mother has been honest to them about who their father is, and why he isn't around, but the three have grown up fine without him, and will forever be grateful for the work their mother put into caring for them.

They were born while Azmuth was away, and so have been building up hype about their missing uncle for most of their lives, enough so that when Azmuth did come back, they all tackled hugged him while he was still understanding the idea that he was now in fact an uncle.

They love Ben and the Omnitrix, roping Ben into some of their pranks and shenanigans, and while Ben mostly tries to stare them into the right direction, he can't help himself half the time and joins in on the chaos, much to Azmuth and Divi's dismay.

They do become a part of my Ben 10 Next Gen Series, given Galvans take forever to age, and will finally be young tweens when the Next Gen takes place.

The three each have different dream jobs for the future. Trapez wants to be a psychiatrist or doctor, Cieven wants to be an inventor, and Aegls was to deal with energy based matters like his grandfather once did.

Never give these kids sugar or coffee, it will end badly.

The three...had a bad encounter with Malware during his rampage, and for a while were scared around Galvanic Mechamorphs...They get over it eventually, but Malware does haunt them for a long while.

They once picked up some colourful language from Azmuth and Myaxx when overhearing them once. You can imagine how Divi took that.

-The First Thinker Family-

The traumatic event that struck the family was in fact the death of Azmuth and Divi's mother, who was killed by someone who was after Galvan Tech. The family fell apart after that, with Retaliator falling into a deep depression and being distant from his kids, and Azmuth and Divi going wild in their teen/young adult years to distract themselves from the grief. They've all come together now and have been taking the proper sets to honor her memory, and become a family again.

While no one has outright said it, Ben has kind of become part of this little family in a few ways, and after a while Azmuth stops being survived when the boy shows up for family dinners or game nights.

They all live on Galvan Prime, though Retaliator is known to take trips here and there around the galaxy, wanting to see more of it during his retirement.

On the outside, many Galvans treat the family as there wise people, who have sage advice. And while that isn't wrong, once you get to know them they're a very chaotic family...

[ice-cream-writes-stuff]

¤°~Ghost Marriage: Lovely Bride To Be?! Part 3°~¤

Previously... 

"STOP YOUR STEP!!"

At the end of the hall, Senior Vanrouge and Sebek were conversing with the ghosts knights. "They became angery just because of a mere joke I made about them. Such a bunch of narrow minded ghosts." Lilia jests with ignorance in his tone.

"Ugh, the guys from Diasomnia! Why did you bring these ghosts here?!" Ace yells out in fear. "You naive ghosts who dare to snarl at Lilia. I'll get rid of you guys!" Sebek said with very little amusement.

Present Time..

After the fight with the ghosts. The student's and Headmaster go to the field so ghosts won't bother them. Students who were also kicked out the school stayed at the field. "Ha...haaa. Ugh the sides of my stomach hurt so much." Ace tries to say as he and Deuce groan and grumble in pain.

"Ace, Deuce." A familiar voice spoke. "Ah, Prefect Roseheart!" The two huff out as they nod. Azul and Kalim stood next to Riddle, but Azul looks at the two with confusion. "Where is Prefect (Y/N)? Shouldn't you two be with her?" The prefect of Octavinelle points out.

The A-Deuce combo only shrug. "I think she got mixed up the crowed." Deuce says as he looks at the growing crowd of students. "How did you guys get put here?" Ace asks the three dorm leaders.

"We had gotten chased out by some ghosts that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Even though it was valuable time for the three of us to study together." Kalim responded, while Azul shot him tired glance. "Kalim. Shouldn't it be "valuable time where we teach you about studying."?" Riddle could only sigh and cross his arms. "We almost got Kalim to understand the question..!"

"When we stayed in class, a bunch of ghosts appeared. They chased us out while saying, "this will be the brides fitting room!"" Grim watched as more students came up to them. Telling the same tale. "Everyone who was kicked out from campus has already gathered around..!"

"It seems like the whole campus has been taken away by those ghosts." Deuce said rather calmly. Ace on the other hand was more shocked than calm. "Oi! Principal, what's going on!?"

Before Mr. Crowley could respond, Ortho decided to explain. "I'll be the one to explain. You see, yesterday..." Once the young Shroud told everyone of the events that occurred. Everyone went silent. The only person who spoke after Ortho, was Riddle.

"The ghost groom has been searching for his ideal princess. Then had chosen (Y/N) as his ideal bride... That's the idea, correct?" Riddle revised as his expression was oddly calm. "WHAT!!!!" The group of NRC boys all screamed in anger and fear, a lot of other expression as well.

"We need to save her!!" Ace says immediately after the video was shown. "What will happen to (Y/N) if she does marry the Ghost Groom?!" Deuce asks the principal with fret. Mr. Crowley casted his eyes downward, with a somber voice he said.

"If (Y/N) marries the ghost prince, that is the same meaning of signing a contract. Which will mean, once the wedding is over.. SHE WILL FOLLOW HER SOON-TO-BE-HUSBAND TO THE UNDERWORLD!!!" "EEEEHHH!!!" Everyone yelled out in shock.

Mr. Crowley continues: "I put my guard down because I never would of expected someone who meets the conditions of the prince and his ideal Princess would exist in this world." Headmaster Crowley said with dread in every word he spoke.

"(Y/N)... Is going to be a ghost..!?" Epel gasps out with fear. "We can't let that happen!" Jack gruffs out as he bared his fangs. Many others agreed at helping the female student from her impending doom.

"We need to come up with a plan then!" Ortho tells the group of fired-up teens. "How about we start talking with them? We can throw a party! I bet that the ghosts will definitely let (Y/N) go if we just explain the situation."

The young Al-Asim heir suggested to his fellow peers. Rook nods, agreeing with his classmates. "A truly splendid idea, Roi d'or." A slim smile crepts on Rooks lips, "though..." The huntsman drawls out, his eyes turn a bit narrow.

"Do you think you'll be able to persuade a groom who has been searching for his bride for so long?" Rook crossed his arms over his chest as he continues on. His voice hinting with amusement. "If I was in his place, I'd never let my beloved go."

Leona growls, "so our only option is to just beat those ghost into submission." Vil scoffed at Leona and his idea. "Have you forgotten that we all ran all the way out here because we couldn't do just that." The male model said sassily with a frown gracing his painted lips. "No matter what we did, we couldn't defeat all those ghosts."

The headmaster starts to speak, "they are truly a infuriating opponent to take on. We should avoid confrontation as much as possible." Lilia starts to ponder as Crowley squawked about. "Lord Sam is well versed in the ways of ghosts and things of a spiritual nature. Shall we go see what he has to say on the matter?"

"Lord Sam... Do you mean Sam from the student store?" Deuce questioned the old fae. Lilia hums, "I was acquainted with his great grandfather." Cater starts to laugh dryly. "I still can't tell when you're joking or when your being serious... Lilia."

"Then we must make haste to the student store!" The headmaster yells as he and the others rush to Sam's shop. As soon as the shop door closed, Sam greets them. "Yo, headmaster and little demons. Whay could you be looking for that brought you all here?"

Sam chuckles and shakes his head. "Kidding! I know you're looking for something to deal with that ghost groom, right?" Sam told the group of teens and headmaster. Riddle is perplexed by Sam and his words. "This speeds things up but it sounds like you knew we would end up here."

Sam starts to laugh once more. "My friends on the other side bring me all kinds of info." Soon Sam's voice quickly turns less cheerful. "But things are getting really dicey. Ghost are tied to this world by a really powerful "lingering attachment".

Sam explained more in depth on what he meant. How they still come back because of the "attachment". "And as long is it remains, they'll keep comin' back." Grim felt realization struck him like lightning. "That's why the ghost of Ramshackle keep coming back!"

"Bingo! Precisely. That's why ghosts are so hard to handle." Ortho asked how they can save (Y/N), saying there was no such item like that to get rid of the ghost permanently. Sam grins and says, "IN STOCK NOW!" Azul looks at Sam selection while Leona tsks.

"Groom and brides are especially quick to meet tragedy. So they turn into ghosts all the time." Sam then holds up a item, "to get rid of a ghost groom. You need the "ring of severance." Slide this ring onto the host's left finger while saying "I shall love you till death do us part." And it will forcibly send him to the other side."

"How could (Y/N) give this to him? She's not even here!" Vil said as he picks up the small ring. Crowley gasped as he remembers something about the ghost groom. "Hold on a moment, the ghost groom was a boy who loved a challenge."

"So if one of you asked for (Y/N)'s hand. He'll see it as a duel for her hand in marriage, you don't have to win. But you must be able to give her the ring and tell her what to say." Lilia giggles at the crows plan. "It'll be fun to watch the drama unfold by stealing someone's bride."

"We shall call this plan... "Operation, Lovely Bride To Never Be!"" The headmaster said confidently, "it's a bit long for a name." Ace mutters under his breath. "Now I must decide on who the grooms will be for his plan." Crowley exclaimed as the male students to crowd and shout. "I'll do it!" "Let me do it!" "As if!"

The headmaster started to sweat with nervousness stirring in him. The gleaming eyes of the students were scaring him! It was almost as if each student was ready to take a role as a groom by ANY means necessary. Which it seemed like the students were readying themselves for.

"Alright alright! Will do a vote! I will write down all of your names and put them in my hat. I'll choose four grooms for this operation. So that means four names will be drawn." Mr. Crowley says with a exasperated look on his face.

_________________________________________________________

(Y/N) sat in the far corner of the "fitting room." She held a blank expression as she looks at herself. She wore a beautiful wedding (gown/suit/ect) as her hair was spruced up and was placed into a (loose/ponytail/ect). A (white/gold/silver) tiara with a veil attached to it was on her head. (Y/N) wanted to rip the thing off her, but then the ghost would force the item back onto her head again.

Sighing and cursing under her breath. (Y/N) felt queasy, or maybe it was because she hadn't ate anything yet. This was all happening so fast! (Y/N) did not want to be married to this ghost groom. She hoped that her friends would find a way to get too her before the wedding started.

"Bleh..." The female utters as she looks at her bare feet. A knock was heard on the door as a soft "coming in" was heard. A slim ghost that wore a white suite appears in front of her. He was the nanny of the ghost groom.

"Come, my dear lady. Your fiance is waiting, he needs your help with decorations and would like your words on it." (Y/N) felt herself become stiff, but agrees. Playing along was her better chance of escaping her "wedding". "Of course," (Y/N) said politely as she walks with nanny ghost.

The two reach the cafeteria, now transformed with pretty decorations and tombstones. Along with dark blue flowers and white sheets cover each table. The nanny smiles at his prince with nostalgia. "It seems like only yesterday you were a small child. Trying to find follow your dream and find your dear princess. A dream you lost long ago with your life as well. What a cruel twist of fate." The nanny said as his voice started to crack.

"If only I had arrived at your room faster, I could of helped you escape..." The sweet prince smiles at his caretaker. "It is alright now, know need to bring up the past. Don't let all that stuff bring you down."

The young princes smile never faltered. "Besides, going through all that pain and sadness is what allowed me to meet (Y/N)!" His caretaker could feel his spirits lift at the princes words. "Oh prince Elias, you are always so courageous and strong."

(Y/N) could feel her heart cry at what she heard. She didn't know that... Breathing in a gulp of air, she slowly walks closer to the two. 'It's gonna be okay..' "You did a great job Elias." (Y/N) said as she gives him a small smile.

The ghost groom returns her smile tenfold as he looks at his bride. "My goodness, (Y/N)! You look just as beautiful as a.. Well beautiful than an' undead flower!" Elias said happily, (Y/N) giggles at his childish wording.

"Thanks." The caretaker gives the two a tender look. "You both are just perfect for one another. Prince Elias, we must get you ready before nightfall. You have to look your best for your princess."

The caretaker jests as he pushes the prince out of the cafeteria. "Wha- but I wanted to-!" "No sir, you must get ready. *Sigh* your still a stubborn little boy too." Elias waves at (Y/N), "I shall see you soon, my love!"

Once the two were gone, the ghost soldiers take (Y/N) back to the dressing room. Before the door closed, (Y/N) asks them something. "Can I please have something to eat? I haven't ate in a few hours."

To be continued...

(Okay, part three was supposed to be the end of the series. But that didn't happen, so I'll do my best to make sure part four is the last installment. I really wanna get to work for the Halloween event for Twst and a bunch of other stories I wanna put on this account! But I have to wait until I finish part four. Thanks for reading!)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

A large box materialized in the corner of the room, decorated gaudily with purple wrapping paper, a bright red bow, and raw macaroni glued over practically every visible inch of the box. If you listened closely, you could make out the occasional giddy giggle coming from the inside of the box whenever it wiggled, demanding the attention of the beautiful birthday boy.

“Vil’s gonna love this!” Mac gushed to themself from the inside of the box, dressed up in thick clown makeup and an equally excessive clown outfit. “He’ll open the box up, and I’ll pop out to greet him and tell him that I’ll be his birthday present and his personal footstool, if he wants…”

Within the darkness of the box, they flushed a bright red, fanning their face like the lovestruck fool they were. Whenever they could make out the sound of his heels clacking on the attic floor, Mac shivered excitedly at the thought of his feet slamming down on their back and keeping their face shoved against the floor for them to drool onto.

The beautiful Queen needs a loyal court, and was there anyone better than to play the role of the court fool than the head empty pasta fanatic? Mac thought not.

*pokes Mac with a stick*

Come get your dinner.

At long last, evening had set in, and the last of Vil’s fan club had been sated and sent off for the day. The once brilliant blue sky had darkened to a deep violet--nearly black--and the stars, one by one, awoke from their daytime slumber to play amid the moonlight. Night Raven College, touched in silver, was a new world entirely.

Vil ran a hand along the nape of his neck and sighed.

“Excellent work, Roi du Poison!” Rook sang, patting his dorm leader on the back. “You’ve survived the onslaught--though you appear to be a little worse for wear from it.”

“I am not in need of your insightful commentary at this time, Rook,” Vil warned, his tone pointed.

The huntsman did not flinch--not a single beat missed. He removed his hat and held it close to his chest as he dipped into a bow. “Oui.”

A moment elapsed before Rook lifted his head, eyes creased teasingly. “... Though I would still advise you, mon roi, to retire early for the evening. All this stress may lead to a breako--”

“I am in need of some fresh air,” Vil declared sharply. “If you have need of me, I will be outside.”

“... Bien sûr.”

The birthday boy turned and swept out of the stuffy attic. Down the staircase he descended, and out into the bitter night air--or rather, he would have, were it not for ramming his foot into an oddly placed box, covered in bright purple and red, and raw macaroni pieces.

Vil hissed and drew his foot back--but to his alarm, the box began... wiggling intensely and... giggling?

“What in the name of the Great Seven is this doing here?” he wondered out loud, but no response came.

Out of curiosity, Vil cautiously prodded the box with his foot again. The touch immediately elicited another loud giggle.

Something... No, someone is in there. Vil brought a hand to his forehead, heaving another sigh (what number was it now?).

His manager had warned him about accepting suspicious packages--particularly crazed or rowdy fans would sometimes send nasty pranks or parcels with dangerous goods inside. He wasn’t about to risk his health and safety for a shady package. Vil would go fetch Rook to open it for him--

Bu then it happened.

The box flew open, and out erupted...

A clown.

Quintessential--face painted a stark white, garishly colorful lips, eyes, and cheeks, a bulbous and round nose, a fluffy rainbow wig... Even the outfit was clownish, the fabric baggy but bright, with a frilly collar, gloves, and massive shoes that squeaked with even the slightest movement.

The clown let out a whoop of excitement, leapt out of the box, and eagerly honked their nose. It squeaked loudly, like a dog’s chew toy or a kazoo.

Vil stumbled back a few steps in complete and utter astonishment. He squinted through the thick clown makeup and gaudy clothing, his mind slowly piecing together the familiar facial features.

The cheesy potato.

“Mac... Is that you?”

“Heehoo,” Mac honked their nose again. They wore the widest, goofiest grin Vil had ever witnessed, even by the standards of his most lovestruck of followers. “Happy, happy birthday, Vil!!”

He ignored the greeting and cut to a question. “... Dare I ask why it is that you are dressed in such an outlandish getup?”

“Hehehe... Actually! It’s cuz... I’m your birthday present!!” Mac declared, splaying their arms out.

“You... what?”

“I’m your birthday present!!” They repeated, practically vibrating with zeal. “Cuz every queen needs a loyal court jester...!!”

“I am in no need of such--”

“Please please please please PLEASE let me serve you!!” Mac wailed desperately, flinging themselves at Vil’s feet. “I’ll tell the dumbest jokes, and I can be your personal human footstool--you can step on me whenever you want!! I’ll make you the tastiest, cheesiest pasta, and maybe we can get closer and then move in someplace together and live a nice domestic life, and have lots of kids--I’ve already got their names picked out--and and and...”

“Stop. You’re drooling,” Vil said coldly. His cruel, frigid tone sent a shiver down Mac’s spine, filling them with a sense of ecstasy that only he could deliver.

“Heheheh...” They wiped saliva from the corner of their mouth with the back of their hand. “Sorry, I just get so excited when I talk about you.”

“I know,” Vil groaned, cradling his forehead in a hand. “... I know.”

“Are you... angry with me? I-If you are, please take out your rage by stomping all over my back and snapping me like a glowstick!! PLEASE USE ME, SCHOENHEIT!!”

“You never seem to stop spouting nonsensical logic.”

“I don’t need logic...!! Because I have something way better than logic: LOVE!!”

Vil glanced away.

A deathly silence fell over the foyer.

For one horrible, dreadful moment, Mac thought they had done something wrong. It wasn’t like Vil--confident, beautiful Vil--to be at such a loss for words. Was he so terribly cross that he couldn’t even bring himself to spit out any insults at them? Did he hate them so much that he didn’t even deem them worthy to receive his vitriol?  

“H-Hey, Vil... Did I.. Did I go too far?”

“... Pfft.”

“Huh?”

Laughing.

Vil was laughing.

Well, not a full-on deep, rumbling belly laugh. It was more like a faint chuckle, soft and delicate, like wind chimes blowing in the spring breeze.

“You never cease to amuse,” Vil remarked, his perfectly groomed brows pinching together, and his lips forming a mocking smile. “Lifting my mood after a long and arduous day certainly takes talent. Perhaps you are more suited to playing the role of court clown after all.”

“Ah, I... I am?” Mac perked up. “I am!! See, see? I can make myself ultra useful to you, Vil--so please accept me as your birthday present!!”

“Hmm. We shall see about that. For now, though...” Vil bent down to meet you at eye level and, extending a hand, he pulled you up from your miserable heap back onto two feet. “We should return to the party.”

“W-We?!” Mac’s heart fluttered.

“... Do your ears work? Yes, I said we. I won’t have you sitting here cold and alone, like some sad, limp noodle that was never properly cleaned up. You will join the birthday festivities, the same as any of my other guests. Is that clear?”

“Yessir!! Whatever you want, Vil!!”

“Good. Now let us away.”

And so, hand in hand, the queen and his clown headed off to their gala.

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

HASO, “Secret Weapon.”

Hello everyone!

Sorry I have not posted anything in like a weak. I have plenty of excuses number one being that the fourth book in my favorite book series (the Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson came out) and I needed to finish reading it for my own sanity

number two being that I am currently working on a new novel and am trying to write 2000 words a day on that

plus I am trying to get into graduate school

also I have a job

And am experiencing a tiny bit f burnout :)

Either way I am sorry that It has been a while, and I hope you like the story today.

“Is he alright?”

“Not this again.”

“Someone should go talk to him.”

“I thought we were past this.”

Dr. Krill, Sunny, Dr Katie, Ramirez, and Maverick huddled outside the door to the observation platform looking inward to where the man stood in front of the window illuminated by a field of stars. His posture was eerily similar to how they had seen him once before, not long before a near breakdown had led him to take leave. Leave they weren’t entirely sure he would come back from.

They hoped this wouldn’t be like that, but this picture seemed all too familiar.

“Someone should go talk to him.” 

Four heads turned to face Sunny who turned the corners of her mouth down in the approximation of a frown, “Why me.”

“Well aren't you like…. His girlfriend.”

“Ex.”

Ramirez raised an eyebrow, “You guys have been pretty cuddly recently for exes.”

Sunny huffed, “The relationship has yet to be defined, but that's beside the point. Ramirez you’re his BFF or whatever you humans call it.”

Ramirez shook his head, “Me, no I think Maverick has this one. She’s all spiritual and what not, so she is like supposed to talk to people about their problems.”

Maverick snorted, “I’m a chaplain not a therapist. Talk to doctor Adric if you need that.” She turned to look to doctor Krill, “If anyone should be talking to him it’s you. You’ve been his friend the second longest and you are the most logical.”

Dr Krill waved a hand, “I am not equipped to handle your human issues.”

“That is such a cop-out answer.”

The squabble continued for a few minutes, until finally Sunny raised her voice, “Fne, fine, I will go talk to him. You all wait here.”

They quieted down clustering around the door as they watched Sunny move forward into the room. She took a deep breath and slowly approached coming up to stand beside him. She turned her head fearing what kind of expression she might find on his face, and was both surprised, relieved, and concerned to find he had an expression of puzzled concentration on his face, brows knit together, mouth turned down in a frown.

She reached up and rested a hand on his shoulder, “Hey, you alright.”

He turned his head to look up at her, “Hmmm, oh yeah…. Fine as I can be I suppose.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

His mouth turned up in a tight smile, “Only if you tell the others to stop loitering in the door and come help me out.” He raised his voice so that the others could hear and, in abashment, they headed into the room. Surprisingly Conn drifted in from the other side of the room where he had been spying from the other door.

They clustered together on one of the tables taking a seat as he turned to face them. He was smiling pleasantly, and the group glanced between each other in concern. It seemed like he was doing fine, but who were they to judge, they had been wrong before.

“Worried about me again I see.”

“I mean, you’ll forgive us. You have been…. Questionably erratic in the past.”

His smile continued,” I know, and I thank you, all for your concern about me. It is nice to know I have friends who I can count on.” He turned to look at Conn, “Go on, tell them.”

Conn floated off to the side ribbons undulating in his simulated zero gravity field, “He is stressed but not overly so.”

They nodded relieved.

He turned, putting his hands behind his back and began to pace. Hisback was straight and the way he walked was like a general examining his troops on the battlefield. “I admit that I have been distant, and I admit that in the past something like this would have overwhelmed me. I still FEEL overwhelmed though not in a drowning sort of way.” He turned the other direction, “I feel like I have been caught in an intergalactic game of chess where I am the king facing down a queen and her rooks.”

Sunny didn’t understand the metaphor but Krill certainly seemed to.

“I don’t have enough experience to play the game and so my movements are limited. But the chairwoman…. She’s a Rundi, and has trained for politics all her life in one way or another.” he turned back in the opposite direction. “And just like a king in chess I find myself the most important piece of a game that I cannot directly influence.”

They watched him pacing back and forth. They had never seen him like this, though it was better than the other options.

“I think you underestimate your position.” 

Admiral vir lifted his head, “And how is that?”

Dr Kate idly played with the ends of her hair as she thought, “Well, you know what she is planning. And she doesn't know that you know, which, I feel, gives you a leg up.”

He nodded, ‘And you are right, for sure, butI find the problem being that I’m not…. Smart enough to know how to use it.” He turned in the other direction, “I had my IQ tested at the academy you know…. Above average but nowhere close to genius, which I would need to be in order to play this sort of game.” He turned to eye krill, ���We have a certified genius aboard the ship, but something tells me that politics wouldn’t be your strong suit.”

Krill shrugged rather abashedly. That was true enough.

“If only I had some sort of secret weapon.” 

***

Eris had never been off-world.

Noctopolis had been her home for as long as she could remember though the early days of her life had been spent inside a cage. She was Eunique, the only one of her kind, half human and half starborn, and sometimes, it felt, completely alone.

Despite her maturity, she was less than three years old, and had been grown at an enhanced rate inside a simulated womb using adapted DNA to configure her parts. She was completely unnatural, a freak of nature that had nothing to  do with nature. She was an unnatural abomination. And since they had been rescued, she had spend her days living and working for other people. The hybrids had needed a stable home,somewhere they could learn and grow and feel loved.

She had created that place, and provided that for a time, but she was growing exhausted.

Others had stepped in to help and volunteer. People from all over the galaxy had really shown their compassion in coming to her and either adopting the hybrids or offering to help and work athr foundation. A sweet LFIL couple (Tesraki and Human pair) had offered to take over for her as she was struggling to run what what essentially a business in some ways, though it was more a boarding house for the hybrids.

In the end there were only a few left who needed watching, and her burnout had been obvious to others.

She needed to get away.

To find her own path, but….. What was that?

Eris couldn’t survive in space like a starborn, that was well established, her bones and organ structures were like that of a human. The internal structures of a hybrid always had to be one way or another to avoid horrific malfunctions, so in most ways she was human.

Accept for her skin, and eyes of course which were starborn. She was as pale as alabaster and her eyes were wide and dark. This made her a freak to humans, so she kept her dark hair very long inorder to hide her face, which she grew more and more ashamed of by the day.

It didn’t help that she had the ability to read the thoughts of others, and knew better than anyone what people thought about her.

She wore a gravity belt sometimes since she found it felt better on her joints, but she had stopped when she left the foundation and struck out on her own. Today she wore a hoodie -- with the UNSC logo on it -- and very dark sunglasses. 

Final boarding call for flight 1427 to earth, Final boarding call.

Eris followed behind the tide of other humans pulling her luggage along behind her. She was tired, and her knees ached a little, but she supposed she was ok. Due to the nature of her eyes, she didn’t see very well as humans did, but reading the minds of others as a constant background in her head she was able to navigate better than anyone there as she knew when they were going to move on when they were going to stop. She maneuvered the tide of human bodies like no human could.

Again, Eris was mostly human. She didn’t hear though, and relied on others to do that for her, and she couldn't taste or smell either, but that was also something she could borrow.

Her senses lacked only what the people around her could and could not see.

She follow the boarding call with the other passengers and offered her ticket to the flight attendant.

The woman squinted under her hood rather suspiciously, but didn’t say anything. These space ports were well guarded, and Eris had already had to deal with other people staring at her when she went through security.

She followed the other humans onto the shuttle and took a seat. The floor glowed blue throbbi in time with the engine as she locked herself into her seat. Out the window she could see the surface of mars, Hazy grey in the distance with rough red plateau’s rising up in the distance.

It was strange to be in the human system, the genesis of half her ancestral line. SHe didn't know about her starborn half as she had never met one. She knew who her DNA donor had been in theory, though he had likely had his DNA stolen.

Eris doubted that he knew about her.

And then there was her human donor, Admiral Vir, the most famous human in the galaxy.

Eris Vir

She kind of liked that, though she never really used it, feeling he might see it as a breach of privacy. The man had been nothing but good to her the few times she had met him, and the one time he had saved her. She admired him a lot and wished she had a better relationship with him, though his job took him far away. She wasn’t the only one, most all of her hybrid brothers and sisters, who were part human,had been grown off his stolen DNA.

She was the only one, however, that seemed to care.

Eris Vir.

She sighed and leaned her head against the window.

What was she doing?

Below her the ground sped away as the automated safety system continued to give instructions.

“Preparing for warp.”

She held onto the seat feeling her insides churn as the warp sequence engaged. She jerked once against her seatbelt as te warp stopped, and below her she could see the glittering vista of the human homeworld.

Earth.

She pressed her face up to the window and gasped in awe.

It was beautiful blue and green swirled with delicate white clouds in churning spirals.

Herheart raced inside her chest.

This was it…. This is where it all began.

Preparing to dock on lunar 1 please remain in your seats until the seatbelt sign is off.

She waited patiently and stopped off with the others, walking out into the fifth spaceport of her trip, her suitcase rattling behind her.

She followed the sins to the proper docking station and waited for another shuttle that would take her to earth. It would be at least an hour for the next one to Mid-Mericanda, so she would have to wait.

She slumped in her seat and listened to the music of the girl next to hre. The music was ood, it had a nice beat.

When her boarding was called, she stood and followed onto another shuttle, which took her down through the atmosphere rattling and bouncing in her seat. She did her best to keep her hood covering her face as she stared out the window at the wondrous view below her. It was so bright!.

Noctopolis had no sunlight, but this was beautiful and colorful, and it looked so warm.

She didn’t see why everyone thought earth was so dangerous.

They touched down outside an Airport where she could see planes fuling for in-atmosphere flights, and stepped out onto the tarmac with wide eyes. Wides eyes under the radiation of the sun. Glorious, glorious heat, it warmed her through her sweatshirts and into her body making her drowsy and happy and warm. Her entire body felt energized, and even her knees seemed as if they were aching just a little less. She stood in the sun probably longer than she should have.

“Been a while since you’ve seen the sun huh?”

She jumped a little in surprise, which was unusual for her and turned to look at the human baggage attendant standing on the other side of the gate, “Oh yes…. A very…. Very long time.”

The smiling human tipped his hat at her, “Well enjoy your stay ma’am.”

She couldn’t help but smiling back thinking about how pleasant he was. His memories were warm, filled with sunny days spent with his family. It made her chest ache just to think of it as she turned and headed towards the baggage claim.

She picked up her bags just fine and then walked to stand just outside.

Suddenly very lost.

She looked up at the sky which  was a beautiful blue color she had never seen before and she breathed in the air of earth, Air thousands of years old, breath in by countless humans that had come before.

Eris frowned at herself. She needed to stop thinking of them as being so different from her. She was half human after all, even though her eyes and skin were a little strange. Still, it that moment she had never felt so alien, unsure of where to go or how to proceed.

“Need a lift. Lady.” 

She turned on the spot coming fact to face with a man leaning back against the hood of his strange yellow machine…. A taxi it seemed.

She searched or his intentions and heard nothing but his desire to work.

She walked over nervously and held up a small piece of paper, “I am looking for this address, do you know how I can get there.” He scanned the address with a chip implanted in his hand and then tilted his head to look down at his wrist as a map appeared. 

He chewed slowly on a wad of gum and blew a bubble, “Yeah I can get you there, can you pay.”

“Do you take credits?”

“Take anything as long as you meet the exchange value for dollars.”

She nodded, “I would like to be taken there then, please.”

The man nodded and touched his forehead helping her ut her suitcase in the back before opening the door for her. She climbed in, and h slid into the front seat pulling away and into traffic. Looking around she could see most of the vehicles didn’t touch the ground, though a few rolled on wheels. The high speeds at which they drove made her nervous and she clutched the harness holding her in place.

Below her she could see the city unfolding in a great sprawling vista. She stared, the architecture was so strange with sharp geometric lines mostly of steel and glass rising hundreds of feet into the air. They dropped lower into the city and eventually out to where lines and lines of similarly cut houses stood in sharp rows.

She had seen this in the memories of humans before but never thought shed see it.

They drove for a little longer until the houses gave way to sprawling fields and little tons until they pulled into a small place in comparison to the city, past a school and some other amenities before pulling in to another one of the subdivisions.

She recognized the house even though she had never seen it in person, and the Driver pulled to a stop.

She paid the man and stepped out of the car thanking him as he got her bag for her and then just drove off.

Eris was left standing alone on the quiet suburban  street under an earth sun. Though she was alone her mind was full of strange images, seen through the eyes of unusual creatures. It made her disoriented for a moment, but she quietly walked forward up the sidewalk and to the front door of the house.

She paused.

She could feel people inside, and knew that she was at the right palace, but she was nervous, how would they react to her. Would they even accept her existence?

What was she doing here?

It’s not like she was part of thor family, not by choice anyway.

She almost turned around but stopped and then raised a hand knocking softly on the door.

Eris held her breath and waited, footsteps approached the door, a man approaching thinking nothing more than one of his neighbors come to ask a question.

The door opened and Jim Vir looked down at her.

He was a tall intimidating man, one who had work hard all his life.

He tilted his head in that curious fashion humans had, “Can I help you?”

Nervously, Eris pushed back her hood and pulled off her sunglasses letting her long black hair roll down next to her face. The man’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, but the thought in his head was a little less than what she expected.

Another one

He frowned, “You’re…. Not a starborn ar you?”

Hedidn’t seem to think so recalling that Adam’s friend Conn couldn’t survive without a 0 gravity field.

She shuffled nervously, “No…. well yes…. I’m half starborn and half human.” 

Yep, another one.

To her surprise he smiled and opened the door, “You must be Eris then.”

She blinked, “You know about me/”

Dumb question as she could see Adam had told his parents about her. They even had a picture of the two of them together.

Despite hos scary he looked his thoughts and demeanor were pleasant as he opened the door to invite her in, “Guess this makes you my granddaughter in a way doesn’t it?”

“In the technical sense.” She said quietly smiling 

“Well Family is always welcome here.”

Isn’t that nice she thought.

She hoped it was going to work out

[twistedtranslations]

Kalim Al-Asim - Lacking vigor

You can unlock this story by getting Kalim’s R Scary Dress

Translation under the cut

Courtyard

Kalim: Even though it's just the surface of the well, I can see my reflection pretty well. Okay, let's see how this looks… Ahem…! Rawr!… Hm, I have to raise my arms more. Rawr!… No, I have to put more power into it. And… Awhoo! Are these the right vibes? This is difficult…

Rook: Hello, Roi d'Or! How do you do!

Kalim: Aaah?! Rook?! Where the heck did you come from?!

Rook: Oops, I'm sorry for surprising you. I thought I heard a lovely puppy howl. Whilst I was watching from the tree’s shadow , I saw your troubled face and decided to have a talk.

Kalim: When did you approach me…? I totally didn't notice you.… But I sound like a puppy… That's no good… Argh…

Rook: Judging by your clothes… were you practicing your costume performance?

Kalim: Yes. Our dorm is supposed to look like werewolves.

Rook: I see. Those wonderful clothes totally suit you. Très bien!

Kalim: Thanks! But I feel like the costume itself is lacking vigor. You know there will be many people from outside the college that will visit on Halloween, right? I want all the visitors to enjoy a proper scary Halloween. But I don't really know how to summon the intensity of a werewolf~

Rook: You have such a praiseworthy spirit... It's beauté! I want to lend you my strength. Would you allow me to help you?

Kalim: You sure? Thanks, you saved me!

Rook: No need to thank me. So, I have one suggestion, but why don't you try imitating a real wolf? I used to play a lot with the wolves from the Afterglow's Savannah, so I'm familiar with their behaviour. I can teach you. If you were to imitate those sublime beings, you surely will draw upon a dreadful strength!

Kalim: Yes, that's a nice idea! Please teach me!

Rook: Oui. Let's start with mimicking their expression. Your feelings and spirit should shine through it. If you get better at the expression, you will naturally get better at its behaviour.

Kalim: Gotcha. What kind of face should I specifically make?

Rook: First, furrow your eyebrows. Then squint your eyes. Pretend you are staring daggers at your prey.

Kalim: *stares* Like this?

Rook: Yes, not bad. Now you close your mouth, show your gums and clench your teeth.

Kalim: Grrr�� Like this?

Rook: Great! You look much more intimidating. Let's match your posture.

Kalim: Okay! I'll imitate the movement of a wolf. My upper body should be lower than my lower body, as if I'm ready to jump out anytime at my prey. Putting all the energy in my thighs… Ggh, maintaining this kind of posture is kind of tiresome…

Rook: Endure a bit longer. Lastly, we'll work on your attack. A beast stalks its prey closely until it's the appropriate time to catch it off guard. Jump at me as if I were your prey.

Kalim: Understood. Here I go… GRAAAWR! … Whaddya think? Did I look like a wolf?

Rook: Marvelous! It was fantastic! If you were to approach a prey with that speed, they would stand no chance! But… you still have to become more wolflike! Next is…

/

Kalim: Awhoo!… Rook! Hey, this howl was pretty cool, wasn't it?

Rook: Ah! That spirit wouldn't lose to those of the wolves of the Afterglow's Savannah. I almost wanted to draw my bow at you.

Kalim: Hahaha, go easy on me. I don't think I could escape if you were my enemy.

Rook: Fufu… it would be fun to see if you could, but let's save that for another time. Now the last thing is to test it out in the field.

Kalim: In the field? Dunno what you mean, but I'll do my best!

/

Jack: I got all the materials for the decorations… okay. Now that’s finished. I should go back to the dorm. Hm? What's that?

Kalim: GRAAAAWR!

Jack: ?!?!?!

Rook: Beauté! Kalim, this was the most wonderful of them all! A beautiful performance!

Kalim: Yes! That resulted from my special training! Thanks, Rook!

Jack: Kalim?! And Rook… What was up with that?

Kalim: Haha, sorry for surprising you! In order to scare people for Halloween, we had to round off the practice by scaring someone. What do you think? Did I resemble an actual wolf?

Jack:… Y-Yeah. I think it was pretty good…

Rook: Oh, Jack. Your tail is wagging between your legs. You look like a frightened dog.

Jack: W-Who looks like a frightened dog! I wasn't scared!

Kalim: Wow, to scare you who can turn into a wolf with your unique magic… it means that my power frightened even the real thing. I did it! Awhooooo!

Jack: I said I wasn't scared!