#scent of the week

[lovesickeros]

zhongli and neuvillette fighting over their reader 🤭🤭

scary dog privilege wherever you go, draconic courting gestures that would scare any regular person, they send each other deadly glares the moment you turn away,

stealing your clothes to just get a whiff of your scent, marking their territory all over your house - making it a battlefield basically, neuvillette (in my hc) is cooler and zhongli is warm so the cuddles are always so comfy ☺️😍,

they give you anything you want - you don't even have to lift a finger, they make you travel between the nations a lot though 😒 sooo clingyyy, extra gentle in their dragon forms as to not squish you, don't even get me started on the size difference 😍😍

just a little thought 🤭☺️

- 🐈‍⬛

Neuvi being colder is so real and canon. I see him as being colder + a lot more lithe, kinda lanky with smaller but sharper canines versus Zhongli who's warmer and a bit shorter then Neuvi + bulkier with bigger but not as sharp canines.

They've also got very different habits – Zhongli is very prideful not just of himself but his nation. He'll personally give your a tour and purposely drag it out as long as he can. Complimenting Liyue is basically complimenting him, checkmate Neuvi. Especially if he convinces you to try on some local Liyue fashion. Harmless and just a nice gift to anyone else but Neuvi sees it for what it is (since your wearing something from Liyue, technically wearing something of his. He loves his technicalities when it comes to staking a claim over you). Adds salt to the wound by touching you in totally innocent ways like to adjust you towards something he wants to show you or accidently brushing against you when he takes the bags of spoils he's practically drowning you in but really he's just making sure his scent sticks. He's just a sweet, nice gentleman with absolutely no ulterior motives trust.

Neuvillette does love Fontaine, but his habits are more about himself then the nation. He'll take you around if you ask or if the idea strikes him, but you'll probably stay around the making city area or the opera house specifically. He enjoys more personal time with just you and him then anything else. He values the immaterial to the material. Zhongli spoils you with gifts, but Neuvi tries to offer quality time irregardless of physical gifts (though he still gives them just not to the extent of Zhongli). He'll take you to see different operas if that's to your fancy, or leverage a bit of his authority to maybe see a few films since those seem to be hitting off in Fontaine recently. Bet that creaky old archon doesn't have those huh. He feels awkward if you want to watch a trial, but he'll reluctantly agree because. well. it's you. just don't wave or anything he's trying to work and he just Really wants to see you smile at him like that again and it makes him lose his train of thought. gets custom clothes designed by Chiori to replace your clothes from Liyue because they smell of Zhongli and it makes him sulky + he likes to match.

G-d forbid these two are in the same room as you because it's a war of attrition at that point. Constant accidental brush of the hand against your shoulder or elbow but it's just them trying to get rid of the others scent. they are side eyeing each other behind your back while being all smiles whenever your looking. If it's hot and you lean into Neuvi more he's practically GLOWING. not even smug he's just absolutely smitten and happy to be of service. immediately takes off his gloves and presses his hands to your face asking if your okay and if you want to go back with him. if it's cold out and you seek out Zhongli more hes smug as hell beneath the calm veneer. Offers you his coat and stay as physically close to you as he can under the pretense of being worried you'll catch a cold if he doesn't warm you up.

don't even get me started on your house either because you probably have tons of gifts from both of them accumulated everywhere. if Neuvi sees you use a tea set from Zhongli suddenly he had a fantastic gift idea he thought you'd like. he even got some tea included with it so why don't you let him make you some? Zhongli sees you using a goblet Neuvi gave you (totally a coincidence it's similar to his) and suddenly you have 27 square cups in your cabinets that you have no idea where they came from. if the goblet is mysteriously missing oh well. who knows :]

[willowser]

another thing about the assistant angle is like. being there when bakugou reaches the hero top 40 and branches off with kirishima and sero and denki for their own agency. it's a bit of a mess bc they're barely twenty years old but—you're his only employee. he can barely afford to pay you and he doesn't even really know what you're supposed to do besides answer the phone and he's so emotionally unavailable but you're there, every single day. friendly with his friends. sometimes you bring lunch in for all of them and it's out of your own paycheck and it's not the best but you do it, for them. he lets you make the schedule for two weeks and you fuck it up so bad, but eventually you get it right and you try to be so fair—and that's hard to do, in the pro-hero world. there's nothing fair about a twenty year old man with trauma up to his ears risking his life every night because he doesn't know how to live with just himself, as just a man and not a hero, but goddamn it if you don't try to keep it fair, for every single one of them. you're one of his emergency contacts. you pick them up in the middle of the night when they're all the way across town, in another district police department bc that's where they caught the guy and where they have to turn him in. sometimes you bring their clothes or costumes home and wash them bc they don't get the chance. like it's everything.

[starmocha]

Babe, do you want me to wear your coat??? 😭

[puppetmaster13u]

Been talkin on my discord server with some friends about a DC A/B/O au. But like, Gotham just says fuck gender.

Like they just straight up are mixtures of dynamics or change, depending on their mood, because there's so much chemicals everywhere along with so many curses in Gotham. Like they are straight up messed up down to a biological state. There is a reason that no one wants to go to Gotham and why they leave them alone for the most part. Like people even moving there eventually start to lose their dynamic or starts shifting as well, and it freaks people out.

Not to mention that Gotham horrifies those that believe they should still follow 'traditional' norms. Omegas are often far more violent and larger than the alphas, bettas egg on others instead of calming them. Or at least that's what Outsiders always see.

[ainosgarden]

[dorizard-art]

markers are fun!

[spectral-snippets-and-drabbles]

YOU GUYS STINK!

(Danny 0.3 seconds away before smelling the Heroes he just met.)

So I've been pondering about how ghost have the ability to sense one another out when close enough, but now I've been thinking of something for the living. Fanon has something like this in a few fics, making it how Danny can tell who the Leaguers are in/out of costume by calling it Death Touched.

I offer: The Stench of Death.

When a person comes close to a deadly encounter, the event becomes a smell is akin to the near experience. Say if someone survived a fire? The smell would be close to burning the materials being burnt and the smoke for example.

Think like food and how you can smell all the things that go into the dish.

The more you get into deadly situations, the more smells you can pick up on as well as getting stronger. Ghosts can sense the Touch of Death on the living, but not the Stench. Danny, who is a Half alive, can. If he focuses hard enough, he can pick up the scent and sniff people out like a bloodhound.

Now take the Justice League and all their branches/allies, organizations who fight to stop bag guys and world-ending events every couple of months...their smell is prominent enough for Danny to easily pick it up.

Now enter one Daniel Nightingale who has left Amity for [reason] and in [Hero's City], trying to keep a low profile because heroes exist now, he's retired now after sorting out the business between the ghostly and living worlds, and wants to have as close to a normal life as he possibly can before taking the throne.

But one day, he stops a known rouge that would've caused some serious harm to the populace if someone didn't stop them, gaining their attention. They try to get information on Danny, but there's nothing out of the ordinary on his file, so they decided to do the next best thing; watch him.

The young man is very guarded and observing his surroundings often, so the idea of him being a new meta struggling to handle his newly awakened powers or a new alien on Earth are possible theories.

The only problem is that, when they get they close, he tends to leave the area and head home. It's like this for a while until they realize they haven't seen him in some time now and find out he packed up his things and moved to another town...a different city a Leaguer call their hometurf, so they notify that hero of Danny's presence and the cycle repeats itself a few times before Danny is getting tracked by multiple Leauge members.

The latest Leaguer is trying to keep an eye on Danny without spooking him until Danny gets the jump on them and calls them by their civilian name while peltong them with hygiene products.

[yukipri]

The First Visual Contact

Cats tag: #YukiPriASLKittens

[shima-draws]

All I did was light my candle and I'm already in like, a 10x better mood than I was 5 minutes ago. Fall is so magical 🍂

[sapphireshorelines]

quieter movies

pather panchali (1955), bengali

valerie and her week of wonders (1960), czech

where is the friend's house (1987), persian

the scent of green papaya (1993), vietnamese

in the mood for love (2000), cantonese

uncle boonmee who can recall his past lives (2010), thai

ida (2013), polish

paterson (2016), english

roma (2018), spanish

portrait of a lady on fire (2019), french

[gojoest]

do you ever think about the last night you spend together with satoru holding you in his arms before he goes off to fight sukuna and then never comes back

[taibhsearachd]

My wife, watching AirUp ads: I don’t know, I just don’t think it would work as well as they say.

Me, drinking out of a pickle jar for the last week so my giant dog won’t steal my water, the pickle lid retains the smell no matter how many times you wash it: I believe.

[axeofsuns]

Long distance relationship tip(?)

Ask what they smell like (perfume, bodywash whatever) buy candles. Profit i guess

[astrobei]

one thing about me is there is nothing in this entire world i love more than the feeling of being right. sweet sweet vindication 🩷

[the-red-thread-that-strangles]

Intermission: Petty Thieves

1.5

Rei doesn't strangle Akai the next time they meet.

He does, however, almost shoot him.

That's Akai's fault entirely for sneaking up on his mark just as Rei's about to pull the trigger. It's an unfortunate necessity; the target has seen his face. He mustn't be allowed to make his getaway from the helipad above. But the hallway is too exposed to approach and try a takedown.

For him, at least.

There's a blur of movement from the emergency staircase. Rei would pride himself on rather decent situational awareness, so when his gut instinct screams at him that something's wrong, Rei listens. Swerves down and right, instead of going for the headshot he was lining up.

The bullet hits his target in the arm - while he's expertly flipped and thrown onto the ground, using his own weight to bring him down. He heaves and splutters and screams while Okiya Subaru twists his uninjured arm, knee pressed into his back to get him to stay put.

When the dust settles, Akai's sharp green eyes assess him from behind Okiya's facade; the only part of his true self shining through. His neat beige jacket has been crumpled and splattered with blood.

(Claimed by his namesake, once again.)

For someone who just slugged around roughly two times his body weight, he's annoyingly composed, kneeling in front of Rei. Or maybe his mask is just good at hiding his exertion.

(In a different life, perhaps they could have exchanged tips and tricks about disguises.)

Akai rips him from his thoughts.

"I presume you brought handcuffs?"

The voice is softer, a little higher than it should be. The timbre has always seemed off, before, when Okiya got serious on a case and Rei could just about see Akai behind the facade. But now that Rei knows for certain it's him, it's full-on out of place. And irritating as all hell, as is part of the course with Akai.

"Obviously." Rei slaps them on the guy's wrists. Watches from the corner of his eye as Akai-as-Okiya gets up.

His movements seem smooth enough, and just like that, Rei lets go of any possible concern or guilt. He's not going to ask whether Akai got injured by his shot - if he has a problem with Rei's tactics, he can take it to the higher-ups.

(Besides, maybe that'll teach the sniper to act in the interest of self-preservation, for once. While Akai has an impressive track record of defying the laws of probability, one of these days they'll catch up to him. If he keeps running into the line of fire, he'll get shot eventually. It's as simple as that.)

"What are you doing here?" Rei doesn't bother to sugar-coat his words, straight to the point.

Sure, the situation was slipping out of control, but Rei had it handled. He doesn't need Akai fucking Shuuichi of all people swanning in and saving the day.

"Good evening to you, too."

He rolls his eyes as they deal with the target. Akai can run around as oh so well-mannered Okiya as much as he wants, but coming from him, pleasantries won't ever sound sincere.

(Rye never bothered with them, unless it was to get on Bourbon's nerves, a skill he quickly became proficient in.)

Rei doesn't offer a greeting of his own. There's nothing 'good' about meeting the FBI agent.

Working in tandem to secure the target, at least, is as efficient as ever. Through wordless agreement, Rei wraps up the bullet wound, while Akai gags the man.

Before entering the emergency stairwell, Rei finds himself seeking Akai's eyes for confirmation, asking for safe passage.

(Hates himself for trusting the sniper's assessment implicitly.)

They half-drag, half-carry the target down, past evidence of the FBI agent's ascent. If he looks carefully, Rei can spot signs of a struggle - skid marks, drying droplets of blood, superficially cleaned.

For the first time in twenty minutes, things are blessedly quiet, besides the muffled grunts of pain from their captive.

Of course Akai needs to interrupt their fragile calm.

"You requested reinforcements. I was close-by."

(The part of Rei that's used to analysing Akai's words and movements wonders what he was up to, in a business district. Probably something illegal. He doesn't ask, can't, in front of their mark.)

It's true that Rei reported his mission partner's blown cover. He just hadn't expected mission control to actually send him back-up at all, much less in a timely manner. If he's honest, he had been fully prepared to complete the job on his own.

Some three weeks ago, it would have been unthinkable to bring in the FBI, but times are changing quickly. He's given to understand that while mutual aid might be in the terms and conditions of their tentative cooperation, the strength of it must be tested under fire.

Rei hates being the guinea pig for this little project, but in this instance the FBI is being useful, at least.

(And there's a certain satisfaction in watching Akai getting his hands dirty, again.)

Considering the mess his PSB associate has made of himself in the bar downstairs, foreign support might be for the best, too. Loathe as Rei is to admit it, at least Akai's decently competent when he's on the job.

But if he's expecting a thank-you, he won't be getting it from Rei.

"I had the situation under control", huffs Rei, struggling under the weight of the target.

Akai simply glances at the target's arm, bleeding slowly through the makeshift bandaging, then shifts his gaze to Rei's face.

Furuya can feel the hot sting of a punch he'd been a little slow to deflect on his cheek - no doubt purpling nicely, undermining his argument's validity.

When Akai meets his eyes at last, it's with the same cold amusement that made Rei instantly despise Rye.

"Of course."

Rei purposefully drags his feet so Akai will have to do more of the heavy lifting.

.

Akai checks to make sure the path is clear before they bring out the target into the garage, dumping him in the backseat of Rei's getaway car. Tinted foil on the Toyota's rear windows makes sure barely more than his silhouette is visible.

The ride is not Rei's style, but it will have to do.

"As much as it has been lovely to see you" - it wasn't - "this is where we part ways."

It might be petty, but it's a little fun to use pleasantries of his own to cut down Akai.

Sadly, the other doesn't seem too affected by being told, in essence, to kindly fuck off.

Rei's not about to share his car with Akai unless he's threatened by capital punishment or some similarly drastic measure. The sniper came here without him, and he'll be fine retreating on his own, surely.

"Understood."

Akai's languid stance shifts and straightens into Okiya. Despite his breath clouding between them in the cold night air, he shakes off his jacket, moves to... toss it in the bin?

"Stop."

Akai turns to look at him, Okiya's mild smile already stuck to his face.

"What are you doing?"

The deadpan look as he flips the jacket over to reveal the drying blood is decidedly Akai.

(Rei wonders how he could ever believe that Okiya wasn't him.)

"Getting rid of evidence", he says, as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

Figures that, as a sniper with a penchant for wearing all black, he's never learned how to deal with bloodstains. Still, that suit is of good quality, and it hurts somewhere deep in Rei's soul that Akai wants to throw it away just because it's a little dirty. Isn't even trying to salvage it.

"Give me that."

Sure, it's not the immediate crime scene, but if the police are doing their job - assuming they even get called, for a mobster's disappearance - they'll do a sweep of all trash cans in the area and find it.

They can't afford that, and Akai really should know better.

Rei catches the balled-up jacket when Akai tosses it at him, shoves it in his trunk. Glances back at Akai-as-Okiya, rigid and defensive. His cigarette a lonely source of warmth in the night. Pitiful.

"Really? You brought a gun, but forgot a change of clothes?" Idiot. Rei can see the outline of it tucked into the back of his waistband, barely concealed by the turtleneck's fabric.

(Wonders if sometimes Akai forgets his hair doesn't cover his hips anymore, that he can't get away with that sort of flimsy concealment any longer. Wonders when he cut it, if there's a reason.)

"I happened to be in the area. There was no time to pick up field gear."

Rei sighs, and tosses a pale blue monstrosity at Akai. He's had to learn to plan for cold weather himself, since the last time they were working together.

The other agent catches the sweater, a little off-kilter, with just one hand - avoiding to burn it with his cigarette. Good. It might be one of Rei's least favourite sweaters - the damn thing tends to leave threads everywhere - but it should still be treated with respect. And hey, at least it's warm.

"You will return this to me dry-cleaned, or your suit will not be the only thing stained with blood."

Akai stares at the sweater in his hands, then at Rei, with an unfamiliar expression. If he's paying attention to the litany of cleaning instructions Rei rattles off, he doesn't show it.

"Got that?"

Akai nods, and that's really enough time Rei has wasted on this idiot.

He gets in the car, slams the door shut, drives away.

And doesn't look back.

2.5

Rei also doesn't strangle Akai, though he really should, for breaking into his flat.

He knows it was Akai's handiwork because the fluffy monstrosity he let the sniper borrow sits neatly folded on the living room table, complete with a card from a local dry-cleaner, detailing the cleaning conditions. All matching Rei's specifications; at least his memory hasn't failed Akai yet.

The sniper having been the one to perform this heist is further obvious by the lack of other immediate evidence of his transgression.

Unfortunately, as this is a civilian apartment, Rei can't afford to run the security measures he'd like to, opting instead for two discrete cameras in the hallway. Entirely unsurprisingly, both have encountered technical difficulties at twelve minutes past three in the afternoon. Of course, Akai's nowhere to be seen on either of them.

Great.

Rei takes with him what few valuables he has whenever he goes out (besides Hiro's guitar, which is, unfortunately, too large to carry around on a regular basis), leaving the flat basically sterile, so he's not too worried Akai could steal anything sensitive. Just to be safe, though, he'll have to sweep the apartment.

Who knows what Akai was up to?

Tiny claws tear into the fabric of his pants, accompanied by enthusiastic little barks, as Haro jumps up his leg. He looks up at Rei with the most adorable, wide-eyed expression known to man, panting in excitement. The picture of innocence.

(Rei wants to be mad at him, but it's a rather futile pretence.)

He kneels down, scratches the soft fur under his dog's chin, relishing in the warmth. Shakes his head.

"I thought you hated Akai. Why did you let him in?"

His dog just huffs at him, licks his hand. It smells suspiciously smoky - ah, beef jerky.

Sure enough, when Rei checks the garbage, there's an empty bag of dog treats inside. At least Akai's cleaning up after himself.

(Maybe some of Scotch and his own teachings did stick around in that dense skull of Rye's, after all.)

"The way to your heart is through your stomach, huh? Little traitor, we'll need to do some further training."

Still, he takes Haro for a walk before he starts sweeping the apartment.

.

There's nothing out of place.

No hidden cameras, no microphones, the kitchen has been left untouched as far as he can tell.

(The bed, too, with Akai's cream sweater, primly folded and set down next to the pillow, though it has long lost his scent, is undisturbed.)

There's just one thing missing: Okiya's jacket- cleaned, and as good as new.

Rei would love to claim he was the one who did it, but he merely dropped it off with the PSB's expert, a retired agent's partner. Kazami brought it back a couple of days ago for a briefing, presuming it to be his superior's.

(Rei didn't bother to correct him. Doesn't want to explain why he has a dead man's clothes, of all things.)

In a way, this is good - he doesn't know when he would've met Akai to give back the jacket, and whether the FBI dog would've managed to bring his sweater is up in the air.

However, when he flips the cleaner's card, there's a note in Akai's blocky handwriting, suggesting he 'consider looking for a better guard dog.'

Haro is perfect as he is, thank you very much - just as long as the enemy doesn't use dirty tricks.

This slight requires payback in kind.

.

3.5

"Hello, agent Furuya. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Rei freezes.

Where the hell did Akai just materialize from?

He's sure he saw Okiya leave, has double and triple checked the Kudos are out for the day to star in some sort of variety entertainment show, and Conan was still at Poirot eating lunch with the gaggle of children he likes to hang around when Amuro's shift ended.

No one was meant to be home. Rei was supposed to slip in and out in five minutes.

(Do any of the laws of the universe still apply to Akai Shuuichi, or is he able to teleport, now?)

Rei has been caught elbow-deep in Akai's wardrobe. He has maybe two more seconds to salvage the situation, so he grabs onto the first decently fluffy thing he can get his hands on. Pulls it out, and demonstratively holds it out for Akai to see.

"The PSB is requisitioning this article of clothing."

Akai raises an eyebrow, eyes sharp and bright with amusement. This time, it's all him, none of the strangely mollified creature that is Okiya. It suits him much better, even if Rei has the dreadful feeling Akai's looking right through his flimsy attempt at defending himself. He's managing to keep down the embarrassment through stress alone.

"Are they sending you to go undercover at a gathering of Sherlock fans? I'd like to volunteer as your plus one."

The smile freezes on Rei's face. He carefully doesn't look down, just sneaks a peek from the corner of his eyes. He's holding, to his chagrin, a 'Purrlock Holmes' sweater, complete with an appropriately styled cat.

(Why does Akai even have such a thing?)

"Apologies, but the position is already filled."

Akai tilts his head to the side, as if to ask 'oh? who would want to go with you?', and somehow that's only mildly more insulting than the rest of this charade. But if Akai's playing along, Rei won't be the one to break it.

"Ah, what a shame." Akai doesn't actually appear bothered at all, for being shot down immediately.

In fact, there's the ghost of a smile playing at his lips.

(Paying attention to Akai's microexpressions is much too easy when it's just the two of them. Rei has, after all, been honing the skill for years now - since back when Scotch and himself were still wondering if there was a way to turn the sniper. Utterly ridiculous, in hindsight.)

"Too bad you didn't call ahead. I'm pretty sure the Kudos have the full get-up lying around, deerstalker, mantle, pipe and all. I would have prepared it for you."

"That won't be necessary", he says, and, because it's an opening to defend himself: "Besides, I couldn't have. We've never exchanged contact information."

Akai's brows furrow.

"I've had yours for weeks now, did your agency not share -" He pauses, recognition dawning in his eyes. "Oh, right. I'm supposed to be dead."

He takes out a small notebook, scribbles a string of numbers on it, and rips the page out. Puts it back, all neat and professional. Rei hates it.

He also doesn't like the actual smile starting to form on Akai's face.

(Even if it does look nice on him.)

"You know, I don't think we ever did proper introductions."

The sniper offers a hand for Rei to shake -

"FBI special agent Akai Shuuichi, currently deceased, at your service."

- who ignores it in favour of snatching the paper from his hand.

"Furuya Rei, NPA, senior agent. But you knew that already."

Akai actually smiling in response is strange. Even more so considering it's directed at, or at least in the presence of, Rei himself.

"I see you're still not nearly as prim and proper as you like to pretend."

Something hardens protectively in his chest. This is too far. Sure, Rei's agreed to work with him, but that's the extent of his generosity. Akai doesn't get to banter, not anymore. Can't know Rei like that, and certainly doesn't get to call him out. They aren't friends. Akai better remember his damn place.

Rei makes sure to step in close, looking straight into Akai's jade eyes. Laces his reply with as much sweet venom as he can muster. Shows him Bourbon's smile, all needle-point teeth.

Ah. It's like the good old days.

(Antipathy is one of the easier feelings to untangle, for Akai.)

"You, however, are precisely the arrogant bastard I've hated ever since you first opened your pretty little mouth."

The amusement in Akai's eyes dies. He takes a step away from Rei, as if burnt, and assumes a more guarded stance.

Rei might not be able to beat Akai in a fair fight, but he can still get back at him, every once in a while. He's not above playing dirty, when it so clearly works.

(Even if he the room feels several degrees colder as a result.)

"Now, if you'll excuse me, unlike you, I have several jobs to maintain. Your recompense is over there."

A pastel pink sweater sits on Akai's work desk. It will clash horribly with Okiya's wig.

"I don't need-"

But Rei's blocking out what he's saying, brushing by Akai breezily, before all but running down the stairs.

(He's not fleeing. He's just done, here.)

Since Akai knows he's here, he might as well leave by the front door.

.

Things didn't go as planned.

He's made a fool of himself, in front of Akai, but at least he managed to get back at him, where it counts.

The mission might not have been a success, but it's certainly not a loss, either.

(He holds onto the piece of paper with Akai's number, tightly.)