#so does legend. he just won’t admit it

[mothfables]

Violets and Rabbits

Legend and Ravio reunite after months apart.

It had been a long, long few months. The Chain had had little time for rest and they’d been nowhere close to finding reprieve with any friendly faces in any of the eras they’d been dumped in. Everyone was tired, sore, and more than a little grumpy as they pushed themselves through yet another portal. They kept their weapons at the ready; being dropped in the middle of a monster camp or hostile situation one too many times had made them more than a little wary.

It was thus an unexpected surprise to step out into an empty clearing, the surrounding woods quiet except for the echo of birdsong. No one relaxed just yet, though- they’d been caught off-guard enough in similar situations that a moment of peace was suspicious. After a few tense minutes passed without something happening, however, weapons began to lower as the Chain cautiously allowed themselves to relax.

“Anyone have an idea for whose Hyrule we’re in?” Time called after a quick headcount. Everyone except Four and Hyrule seemed to be doing fine, and even those two were recovering quickly. One less thing to worry about, then. The Chain took that time to look around and see if they recognized anything in their immediate surroundings.

“...It’s mine,” Legend confirmed after about a minute. He went to take a step only to stagger and have to brace himself on a nearby tree. He swore under his breath, waving off a concerned Warriors. “Jus’ my stupid joints. The constant portals made ‘em worse than usual. Gimme a minute, I’ll be fine.” The admission didn’t stop Wars’ hovering but he did at least try to stop being too obvious about it, knowing the Vet hated being coddled.

Eventually they started moving, Legend taking the lead with Warriors right behind him. It didn’t take long before they found themselves leaving the cover of the trees to step onto a firm dirt road. Legend took a moment to look around before setting off down it, his expression settling into badly-hidden hopeful excitement. The rest of them hurried to keep up, Twilight and Warriors exchanging grins. That expression could only mean one thing.

Sure enough, within minutes a cozy little cottage came into view, smoke puffing merrily from the chimney. A large sign decorated with purple lettering sat on the thatched roof, and plants flowed over the walls and along the path. As they drew nearer, the door opened to reveal a person in a hooded purple robe, and Legend’s breath caught.

The figure looked up and gasped. “Link!” The Chain exclaimed in surprise as Legend broke into a sprint. The hooded figure did the same, running up the path to meet Legend halfway.

They collided, wrapping their arms around each other with relieved sounds. They stayed like that for a moment before Legend pulled back, taking Ravio’s face in his hands and looking over him worriedly.

“No one tried anything, did they? The knights-?” Ravio shook his head.

“No, no, I’m okay. What about you?”

Legend gave a short, bitter laugh. “Who cares?!”

“I do!” Ravio leaned forward and kissed away the tears that had gathered in his partner’s eyes. Then he gave a surprised laugh as Legend grabbed his waist and lifted him up to spin them both around.

The Chain watched in surprise as the two of them spun, laughing in delight. They slowed after a few moments, Legend putting Ravio down but not letting go. Ravio wrapped his arms around him again as they leaned into each other. He pressed a kiss to Legend’s hair, humming contentedly. There was a moment of peace before Twilight whooped and Wind let out a piercing whistle, making them jump.

Legend grumbled, burying his face in Ravio’s shoulder. “Your family is easily amused, Mr. Hero,” his partner chuckled. “Aren’t you going to invite them in? It would be rude to just leave them out here, you know.”

The Veteran just growled. “If I don’t look at them, they’re not there.”

Ravio burst out laughing. He pressed one last kiss to Legend’s temple before pulling away and waving to the eight heroes standing further up the path. They quickly made their way towards them, laughing and jeering good-naturedly. Legend just scowled, though he brightened when Ravio took his hand, which only elicited more teasing. The Veteran ignored them and started walking, tugging the merchant back towards the house.

“Feel free to make yourselves at home! I won’t even charge for room and board!” Ravio called over his shoulder as they passed through the door. The heroes gladly took the invitation, filing after the couple and settling in with the knowledge of at least one night of safety and comfort. Packs and weapons were leaned against the wall and shoes piled in the hallway at Ravio’s insistence.

As for their hosts, the two of them put themselves to setting up the house for their guests, passing between the hall closet and the living room where most of the Chain was gathered. They rarely strayed far from each other’s side, keeping some form of contact at all times: from a hand on a shoulder or waist, to linked arms, to a gentle headbump once or twice when their hands were too full.

The gathered heroes couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Their prickly brother rarely allowed himself to be so soft or physically affectionate, so it was a rare treat when he did.

By now, Legend and Ravio had moved to the kitchen - shooing Wild out from where they’d attempted to start dinner - and from the sound of it had started their own preparations. A few moments later soft humming drifted through the house, interspersed with muffled laughter and chatter.

Warriors leaned back in his chair as he listened to the sounds of his brother’s happiness, closing his eyes with a soft smile. Already he could feel himself unwinding, the stress from the road melting away in the warm, homey atmosphere that enveloped the house. He could only imagine how it felt for Legend. It was clear how much he loved Ravio, and try as they might their brothers couldn’t compare to the feeling of coming home to a loved one. The Veteran had been away from home longer than the rest of them, and looking back it was easy to see the distance and separation taking its toll.

His musing was interrupted by the subject of his thoughts reentering the room, followed by a fragrant cloud of what smelled like fresh bread.

“Dinner’ll be ready in about an hour,” Legend announced, moving to sit on one of the plush chairs by the fire and sinking into it with a relieved sigh. By the looks of it he didn’t plan to move anytime soon; Wars couldn’t blame him. Between the numerous fights and constant walking, the Veteran’s joints must be making their displeasure known with a vengeance. He was sure someone - at the very least Ravio or Hyrule - would make sure Legend took something to ease the pain before bed. Nobody liked seeing one of their own hurting.

Speaking of Ravio, he appeared from the kitchen to sweep through the living room with a swish of purple robes to Legend’s chair, waiting for his partner to lift his arms before sitting on his lap and cuddling close. Legend wrapped his arms around him with a soft smile.

“So, Link tells me you had an exciting few weeks,” Ravio mentioned. Wind immediately groaned, taking a deep breath to complain extensively about their recent travels. The rest of them chuckled, settling in for a night of good food, comfortable beds, and more-or-less pleasant chatter. Warriors glanced at the couple across the fire and caught Legend’s eye, giving him a smile. His chest warmed when it was returned, and he sat back to enjoy the evening surrounded by his family.

[axelsagewrites]

Where Am I?*Part Three

Pairing: modern!f!reader x (to be determined...) Ubbe, Ivar, Sigurd, Hviserks, Bjorn

Word count: 1482

Series Summary: After falling head first the reader wakes up face to face with a group of strangely dressed men who look eerily like the vikings she studies

Part one Part two

Masterlist Here

You weren’t too sure what to expect when Ragnar said they would show you hospitality, but this was definitely something alright. You’d been given a dress that fit into the time period a bit better and made you stick out less than you had before. well, that was if you ignored the fact your hair was completely different from everyone else and everyone, but the Ragnarsson’s took at least three steps back whenever you approached.

When his brothers realised Ivar had been sneaking in to talk to you their protests began, “That’s not fair!”

“Why didn’t you tell us she could understand us?”

“Why did she talk to you and not us?”

You didn’t even feel the need to mention he’d bribed you with food. Ivar was good enough at arguing for himself. meanwhile as they bickered at the dinner table Bjorn sat at the other end staring at you the whole time. it defiantly wasn’t completely unsettling. Ragnar meanwhile was asking you a million questions you didn’t know how to answer.

“So how does a lighter work?”

“A spark happens when you press down and lights the gas,” you tried to explain while you ate your stew.

Ragnar nodded as he thought it over, “I think I understand. But what is a gas?”

“Uh…”  you said but Bjorn cut you off, effectively silencing everyone at the same time.

“How do we know you’re not a witch?” he said making Ivar roll his eyes and for once Ubbe and Ivar seemed to agree with something.

“If she was a witch surely, she would’ve escaped by now?” Ubbe sighed.

“Besides,” Hvitserk said, cheeks pink from his fourth glass of mead, “She’s far too pretty to be a witch,” he said, throwing a wink your way making your own cheeks heat up. The way Ivar glared at Hvitserk though put you on edge.

It was Sigurd turn to roll his eyes at his brother, “You’re a pig. And besides she hasn’t done anything. How do I know you won’t kill me in my sleep?”

“If anyone is going to do that it will be Ivar,” Ubbe said so nonchalantly you felt your jaw drop.

Especially when Ivar chimed in, “This is true,”

You could see the growing annoyance on Bjorn’s face as his younger brothers had their petty fights, something you would soon have to get used to. Clearly Aslaug was used to it however as she sank more into her wine. You had to admit the wine at least was nice. “I don’t know how I can earn your trust Bjorn, but I swear on my life I didn’t come to hurt anyone,”

You half expected him to laugh or roll his eyes at you but instead he cocked his head to the side, “Who told you, my name?”

You watched as everyone paused what they were doing to turn to look at you. “How did you know any of our names?” Sigurd asked.

You debated lying, saying Ivar told you but you didn’t feel like that was a good hole to dig. Instead, you swallowed hard, “Well everyone knows your name. you’re Bjorn ironside. Son of Ragnar. The Ragnarssons are famous,” you tried to say it nonchalantly while being very aware each one of them had a knife or axe.

However, flattery seemed to work, “And me as well?” Ragnar asked, a spark behind his eyes, “After all I am Ragnar Lodbrok,” he said making his sons all roll their eyes.

“Well of course. there are legends about you. they write tv shows about your lives,”

They all seemed so proud of themselves, even Aslaug had a smile behind her cup. You felt satisfied with your excuse until Bjorn asked, “What is a tv show?”

“Uh…”

-

Later that night Ivar showed you to a room that looked far less like a prison than the one you’d been in before. “We’ve got your-whatever these are,” Ubbe said as he and Sigurd walked into the room with a bag each and Hvitserk came in behind them with a flagon of wine.

“They’re just bags,” you said as you took them and moved to sit on the makeshift bed they had.

Privacy clearly wasn’t a thing here as all four boys sat down and began passing the wine around, “What’s in that one?” Sigurd asked, pointing to your guitar case.

You opened it and pulled it out, “Is it some kind of lute?” Hvitserk asked but you could see Sigurd was the keenest.

“I guess?” you said, placing it on your lap and gently strumming the strings, “It’s called a guitar,”

“Play us something?” Ubbe asked before taking a swig out the wine.

You sighed as you looked at the strings and tried to think of a song before your fingers found the strings and you began to strum.

“I’m like the water when your ship rolled in that night,

Rough on the surface, but you cut through like a knife,” you began to sing Taylor swift softly as you played Willow. All four boys seemed mesmerised as you sang and even Ivar stayed quiet until the last night, “I’m begging for you to take my hand,

Wreck my plans, that’s my man,” you finished, placing your hand over the strings and looking up to finally meet their eyes.

“That was beautiful,” Sigurd said, “Did you write that?”

“Yes,” you said without thinking. After all a little white lie never hurt? Besides its not like Taylor would know or anyone could prove you wrong, “Yes I did,”

“You’re very talented,” Ubbe said, passing you the wine.

You looked at it sceptically before finally taking a drink. It’s not like they’d need to poison you anyway. You were already screwed. You all began to drink and laugh the night away as you played a few more songs on the guitar, even letting the boys try have a shot. What you didn’t see however was Bjorn standing beside the door to your room, smiling softly whenever you sang.

-

 The next day Ubbe offered to give you a tour of Kattegat so you could get to know the place. “This is the market,” he said as a little girl ran away from you to her mother making you bite back a laugh, “Sorry about that. They’ll be less frightened of you soon,”

You chuckled at his words making a smile stretch on his face, “Its ironic. Out of everyone here I’m the least frightening one,”

“I don’t know so much,” he said. You narrowed your eyes at him with a curious smile making him chuckle, “Weve never met anyone like you. you are so…” he paused searching for the right word,” rare,”

“That’s the nicest thing I think someone has ever said to me,” you said.

Ubbe gave you a soft smile as he led you around the stalls. You tried to refuse it, but he did buy you a knife, promising to show you how to use it just encase. Even the way he insisted made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

As you were walking around the market you did bump into someone. “Bjorn!” Ubbe called to his brother who wore an uncomfortably stoic look as he walked over. “I was just showing her round Kattegat,”

Bjorn nodded, his eyes scanning your frame, “Good. Can’t have you getting lost now, can we? Think my father might have a fit if we lost you,” something about the way his eyes studied you had a heat creeping up the back of your neck.

“I hope all his questions don’t bother you,” Ubbe said, giving you a sorry smile.

It was true that every conversation with Ragnar was like an interrogation. He wanted to know everything you could tell him about the future and honestly you didn’t know how to explain how a television worked. “I don’t mind. Its sweet,” you said making them both chuckle, “What?”

“Most people would not describe my father as sweet,” Bjorn said, a smile finally cracked onto his lips.

“She’s also friends with Ivar so she may not be fully right in the head,” Ubbe teased.

“Ivars not that bad,” you rolled your eyes, but both their eyes seemed to bulge out their skulls, “He’s a lot nicer when people aren’t constantly picking on him,” you half joked though you did hate how they teased him. especially Sigurd who whenever Ivar wasn’t around was kind but whenever he walked into the room you could cut the air with a knife.

Ubbe just tutted at you, “Oh you have much to learn sweet, foolish, girl. It’s a good thing we found you when we did,” You did your best to roll your eyes and blow him off but for the rest of the day you found your mind wandering. What would it be like to date a Viking?

Part four here

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[librarygarten]

#3 Chain x Isekai! Reader - You Play Their Games

Part 3 includes Twilight, Sky, and Warriors Part 1 ✿ Part 2 ✿ Part 3 (you are here)

When you first met the chain, it had quickly come to everyone’s attention that you already knew them. At first, they thought perhaps you had somehow heard tales of them, passed down through the generations. But you knew things about their adventures they hadn’t told anyone. You knew the names of people and places that surely wouldn’t have survived the thousands of years the stories would have taken to reach you.

You tried your best to explain to them how you knew what you did. Thankfully, you had your Switch, which made explaining what a video game was to them a bit easier.

Twilight

(Pretend his game is on the Switch. I think I heard it’s coming soon? At least people think it is)

He very quickly goes from slightly interested in your explanation to extremely worried. You know about his adventure. You know he can change into a wolf. He does not want the chain to find out about the wolf. He winds up so worried about you telling his secret (because you don’t really know it’s a secret) that he doesn’t really process the rest of what you’re saying. He’ll be concerned about his entire reality potentially being nothing but a children’s plaything later.

He takes you aside from the group the first chance he gets and basically begs you not to tell the others about his transformation into Wolfie. He’s grateful when you agree without question.

Because you can’t play Twilight Princess around the others without revealing his secret, Twilight never really gets a chance to watch you play his game. He doesn’t know how you view his adventure, so he can only go off of how you treat the chain now. He can see how much you care for each of them, so he never goes through the “are we merely playthings to them?” angst some of the others do.

Eventually, not being able to play your favorite LoZ game gets to you, and you sneak away from the group. You don’t think your presence will be missed terribly. It will only be for a few hours, there aren’t any monsters nearby, and the group has more or less settled down to camp for the night.

✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧

“What are you doing out here!?” You whip your head around to find a very out of breath Twilight behind you. You had found a nice, secluded spot of forest to play on your Switch in, figuring an hour or two alone while you played Twilight Princess would be a nice break from the normal camp shenanigans.

“Uhhh… playing a game?” You smile sheepishly, turning your Switch so that he could see the screen.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone where you were going!?” Twilight doesn’t look at the screen, instead focused on you.

“Because then someone would have asked to see the game, and we can’t have that.” You shrug. “Why? Is Time or Wars looking for me?”

“No, we just didn’t know where you had gone.” He flops down next to you, finally focusing on your game. “Did you come all the way out here just to play my game?”

“...Maybe.” He doesn’t miss the way your cheeks flush as you admit it. He tilts his head, confused.

“...Why?”

“It’s my favorite game.” You state matter-of-factly, turning your attention back to the puzzle you were trying to solve. On the screen, Wolfie and Midna moved around, jumping from platform to platform. “It kinda sucks I can’t play it around the others, though.”

Now, it’s Twilight’s turn to blush.

“Sorry… Thanks. For keeping the Wolf thing a secret.” He scratches the back of his neck, embarrassed.

“Why does it need to be a secret?” You raise an eyebrow. “I don’t like keeping secrets, especially when it means I can basically never play Twilight Princess.”

“It’s… complicated.” He frowns, remembering how Wild had freaked out upon learning about his transformation. And Legend’s… dislike for the “dark” magic that allowed his wolf form. “The others probably won’t react very well.”

“That’s dumb.” You roll your eyes, still focused on the game. “You’re dumb.”

Twilight smiles at your jab. He remembers this feeling. He looks out at the trees, the setting sun peeking through the leaves. He always did find this time of day beautiful, even before it became his namesake. She would have told him the same thing you did, wouldn’t she? And of course, he would respond in kind.

“Your mother.”

“Real mature, Twi.”

Sky

You know what? Not the weirdest thing he’s seen this week. Very little reaction. He killed a god. You think this would phase him?

He just assumes the people who made the games in your world had powers to see the past and/or future and created games based on their adventures. Some of the details don’t quite line up. Some of the things they went through don’t appear at all in your games. Sometimes, things are added to the games that never happened in real life. (He remembers Wind howling with laughter as he watched you use a giant Cucco to mow down enemy soldiers in Warrior’s game.)

That being said, he doesn’t really see a reason to watch you play. He already knows what happened. He lived through it. It’s rather flattering that you seem to like his game so much, though. He gets a bit flustered when you mention off-handedly that it’s your favorite.

✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧

“What… are you doing?” Sky asked from behind you. You paused, your arm mid-swing. You had been playing Skyward Sword using motion controls and the sight must have been incredibly entertaining if it was enough to get Sky to comment on. Your face flushed as you tried to answer him.

“Oh, you know! Just… playing a game.” You smile, motioning to the screen. He raised an eyebrow.

“What’s with the flailing?” He steps closer, inspecting the screen.

“I am not… flailing.” You grit your teeth. You loved Skyward Sword. You really did. But the motion controls made you look like a complete idiot most of the time. You’re just glad Sky wasn’t there to see the time you were playing at home and broke a vase during one of the Ghirahim fights.

“This game uses motion controls.” You explain, and swing your arm. The Link on the screen swings at the same time.

“Your form is… a bit off.” Sky snickers.

“Fine. You try it then.” You huff, putting the controller in his hand.

“Sure. Prepare to be amazed.” He moves his arm, as if he were really holding a sword and not a small controller. The Link on screen completely misses the enemy. Sky scowls and swings again. Another miss. He keeps swinging, eventually his expert swordsmanship form devolving into what some people would consider wild flailing.

“What is wrong with this thing?” He finally exclaims, stopping his movements to instead inspect the device in his hand. He turns towards you, looking perhaps for answers to this conundrum.

He instead sees Wild, Sheikah Slate aimed directly at him. You have a similar, though slightly smaller slate. Both of you are smirking. Sky groans.

“How many pictures did you take?” Wild asks you, completely ignoring Sky.

“Oh, I took a video of the whole thing.” Your grin widens as you turn to look at Sky. “Your form is a bit off.”

“I hate you both.”

Warriors

He’s getting flashbacks. He lived through a freaking WAR and you’re telling him it’s a kids game?????? Noooooo thank u. He’s concerned that it’s considered appropriate material for children. Is your world so numb to the idea of war and bloodshed that children treat the War of the Eras as a game? What is wrong with you???

(Don’t tell him about the World Wars or the Vietnam War. Trench warfare, agent orange, etc. will only traumatize him further. Also maybe don’t mention the French Revolution because uh. He kind of likes the monarchy where he’s from. Just don’t tell him about warfare in general.)

He understands that you don’t view them as playthings now. He can see how much you care for each of them. You scold Wild for being too reckless, keep Wind entertained to distract him from homesickness, among so many other things. In short, you’ve proven to be a valued member of the team. But you still play his game. At night, when getting settled into bed. On long hikes, when the trail is wide and you don’t need to watch your footing. Any time Wind asks.

Warriors can’t bear the thought of seeing you reenact the war through the game. He still feels tremendously guilty for being the reason Cia began opening the portals. He still remembers the names of the soldiers that didn’t make it.

✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧

Warriors finds you hunched over your Switch, a notebook open in your lap, muttering to yourself. Leaning over your shoulder, he can see his Hyrule on your screen. He grimaces.

“Are you just going to stand over me or are you going to sit down?” You ask. He blinks. How did you manage to hear him sneak up on you? He was being quiet!

“What are you up to? This looks a bit more involved than a simple night relaxing and playing video games.” He motions to the notebook and the furious scribbles of letters he doesn’t recognize. He does not acknowledge your invitation to sit. He does not watch your screen.

“Going over fighting stuff.” You cross something out on the page, then return your attention to your game. “I figured since I had this game, I could at least put it to good use, even if you hate it.”

“I don’t hate it.” He lies, mentally kicking himself for apparently being so obvious in his dislike of your hobby.  “It’s just weird watching the war again.”

“Uh huh.” You’re not convinced.

“What do you mean by ‘fighting stuff’?” Warriors quickly redirects, hoping to avoid an awkward conversation.

“I’m taking notes of enemy weaknesses and the best way to go about taking them down.” You chew on your thumb nail as a character on screen strikes an enemy. “If that lizard thing can shapeshift into anything, we need to be ready for anything.”

“That’s… actually quite a good idea. Thank you.” He’s surprised at how focused you seem. Isn’t the game just that to you? A game? It’s incredibly strategic to study it.

“Don’t thank me yet. I still have to present to the group.” You flip the page of your notebook, revealing a sketch of a monster Warriors had never seen before.

“Present?”

“Yeah, like, catch you guys up to speed on EVERY monster and their weaknesses. The few thousand years between ya’ll REALLY changes them.” You flip a few pages in your notebook and hand it to Warriors. “For instance, this is a Pols Voice. Sometimes, sound can stun them, sometimes, a couple arrows take them out, and sometimes, playing a musical instrument makes them straight up explode.”

“What.” He looked at the sketches of the monster. A weird blob with large ears and whiskers. It looked harmless, save for the rows of razor sharp teeth it apparently had under it.

“Yeah. They’re only in Legend’s and Wind’s adventures, though.” You shrug.

“How long have you been working on this?” He flips through the pages of the notebook. He can’t understand the words, but there are many sketches of various monsters. Some he recognizes. Most he doesn’t.

“Uhhh, like a week after I got here? You all fight different things, and if we get dropped in an unfamiliar Hyrule, it would be useful to know all the ways the others have dealt with any monsters we find, especially if we get separated.” You smile and motion to your Switch. “Like I said, figured I’d put this thing to use.”

Warriors can’t help but smile as you take back the notebook from his hands.

“Do you need help? This seems like a very worthwhile side project.” He asks. You pat the ground next to you, reminding him of your previous invitation. And this time, he takes it.

[teacasket]

omg

genre: fluff au: gamer au, streamer au warnings: none word count: 0.6k   pairing: gn!reader x lee felix song: omg by new jeans

THEY KEEP ON ASKING ME, “WHO IS HE?”

Chat won’t stop asking, despite how many times you try to steer the topic at hand to something else. Their opinions on your current Animal Crossing build? Ignored. If you should crochet a cardigan or bucket hat for your cat? Little to no responses. Lavender latte or milk tea for Drink of the Day? Lavender latte wins, but Chat immediately goes back to your hidden boyfriend.

This is what you get for forgetting to mute your mic. You had a whole phone call about dinner before realizing your mistake, and now everyone knows that wholesome, cozy Twitch streamer lightberry swears like a sailor when discussing pork katsu and calls a special someone “baby.” It’s been clipped already, you just know. At least you didn’t put him on speaker.

“‘100 subs if you tell us his name?’” you read. You'll indulge them because indulging Chat makes for good content. “I’ll tell you literally anything else.”

If you told them his name, you would end up trending on Twitter.

“‘Is he also a gamer?’ Yeah. Mostly League, Genshin, Apex. He’s been trying to get into Valorant. Now, 100 subs, please.”

Felix, otherwise known as LixInABox, is a gamer and streaming personality who has nearly a million subs on Twitch. He has a partner, an elusive figure exclusively referred to as “My Partner.” There are rumors that My Partner (MP) doesn’t actually exist and that they’re a cover for his singleness.

“‘20 subs if you tell us his rank?’ Sure. He's pretty high in everything. I can’t ever duo with him, except in Genshin.”

When he started streaming, he was primarily known for his League of Legends skills. Low Masters on a good day, Diamond 3 on the bad ones.

“‘Show us a picture.’ You know what, I’ll do that for free.”

Chat is not happy when you pull up a photo of Marshal from Animal Crossing. To be fair, he does resemble Felix a little.

While they continue to pester you about his identity, you continue terraforming your butterfly-shaped lake. When Marshal walks by with a sandwich, you make sure to point him out.

“There’s my boyfriend,” you say as you glance at the chat, which is scrolling by so quickly, your eyes can barely keep up.

IT’S LIX

MP MP MP MP

LIXBERRY

You’ve got a ship name already? How did they figure it out? Did Felix reach a million subs? He joked that he would reveal who MP was once he hit a million, and you sort of gave him the green light, but surely he would tell you beforehand? You sit motionless at your chair and try to come up with a solution that doesn’t involve straight up lying.

LIXBERRY LIXBERRY

MP IS REAL

HE’S LIVE

It doesn’t matter what you do. By doing nothing, you’ve confirmed it, so you go back to how it all started—you call Felix, live on stream. You leave your mic unmuted intentionally this time.

“Hey, what did you do?” are your first words. You have his stream up as well, so you see the blush on his face. “You’re live on mine, by the way.”

“I didn’t do anything! They figured it out! I mentioned that I was gonna have pork katsu for dinner, and like five minutes later, they connected it back to you. What did you do?”

“I forgot to mute during our call,” you admit. “And I also gave them hints in exchange for subs, but I didn’t think they were anything obvious.”

He looks at his chat and laughs. “You basically told them what I’m famous for. And a picture of Marshal? No wonder.”

“My bad. See you at dinner?”

He smiles, and you can’t help but do the same. “Yeah. Love you.”

“Love you, too, baby.”

Chat explodes. You and Felix will never live this down, but it feels better than you thought. And you really don’t want to admit it, but lixberry is really, really cute.

HE’S THE ONE THAT’S LIVING IN MY SYSTEM, BABY.

[babyfoxflower]

Halloween with Alastor HCs

Happy Halloween, my dears!! In honor of my favorite holiday, here’s some headcanons about spending Halloween with Alastor!

Warnings: Brief mention of cannibalism

* Now depending how much of a scaredy-cat you are, you will either have the best time with Alastor on Halloween or the worst.

* Alastor is a trickster and loves playing pranks especially on Halloween. He will make an effort to jump scare you whenever he can. The sounds of your screams are music to his ears.

* “Ah, you always have such a lovely voice, my dear. And your screams are no exception,” he would tease while he’d put a hand on his chest in a dramatic fashion, cackling loudly.

* Yes, Halloween is when Al’s sadistic side comes to shine.

* However since you are his girlfriend, he won’t go too far. And of course, if you beg pretty enough, he will stop.

* Besides he can scare you in other ways, like by telling you ghost stories and scary urban legends.

* He’s been around for quite awhile, and has garnered many spooky tales over the years.

* “Do you believe in vampires, Darling?”

* “No, but I didn’t use to believe in demons either. So, I guess I’m open to it.”

* “That’s the spirit! You know, there’s an urban legend from my childhood about a man by the name of Jacques St. Germain, who moved to New Orleans in 1902. Apparently he was ageless and charming. Legend goes that blood stained clothes from different centuries and bottles of human blood were found in his home.”

* “That’s a creepy story. Haha. Of course, urban legends are just that, legends.”

* “Well, they have to come from somewhere now, don’t they?”

* “I have to change into my costume, are you still going to wear yours?”

* “My dear, you’re shaking. Are you scared?”

* “Maybe a little.”

* “Aw, come here.” He would take you into his arms, “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you, my love. The only person who’s allowed to drink your blood is me.”

* “Alastor!” You would playfully smack his shoulder.

* If you’re into horror movies, then he’ll gladly have a scary movie marathon with you.

* Of course, he does not get scared and treats them more as comedies.

* Especially, slasher flicks. There just something so hilarious about a disemboweled teenager.

* “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! What is this picture show called again?”

* “Scream. I have to admit that it was pretty funny when she got stuck in the cat door. Hahaha!”

* “And then her head got squashed! Hahahaha! I haven’t been this entertained since the stock market crash of 1929!”

* He’ll also dress up with you, though for some reason his default costume is Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer.

* “Why do you always go as Rudolf?”

* “Why do you always go as a witch?”

* “Touché.”

* However, if you come up with some creepy couple’s costume ideas, he’s more than willing to give it a shot.

* One year, you went as Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd.

* The best part was your pies were made out of real human flesh and the two of you got to enjoy them at the end of the night.

[skyward-floored]

Dawn part 4 analysis, here we go! At it again with my ramblings.

Starting off with THE GLORIOUS RETURN OF THE MAILMAN! The moment I saw the flag I was like :O HE’S BACK!!!

(I also got the blue’s clues mail song stuck in my head)

Hey look, it’s Warriors’ money! And the inkeeper who’s happily admiring the ridiculous amount of rupees Warriors now does not own!

Rip Warriors’ money. It will be dearly missed.

Also no vacancy?? I mean, it’s possible there’s other people staying there, or it’s just a small inn, but... it kinda looks like Warriors literally bought every available room there was. Mad lad.

I (like everybody else lol) took a crack at figuring out who’s signature was who’s, based on their respective game’s Hylian texts/scripts, order of when they got there, and the OG tags on the comic. So here’s my best guesses—

1. Time is first, which makes sense based on him being the one to take Twilight to the inn

2. Hyrule appears to be next— his games don’t have a written script, but the hylian here is close to Legend’s, so I’m assuming it’s his, based on the fact that he was part of the next group to get to the inn.

3. Four is who I’m least sure about I’ll admit, but seeing as how he came with Hyrule, (and he’s the only Link left I couldn’t identify at all), I’m assuming it’s his.

4. Warriors we know for sure, since the tags say this signature is his. He gets a shout out for being the only Link who can actually write in the lines.

5. Wind seems to be next, as his hylian is very close to what’s here (his signature partially obscures Warriors’ XD)

6. Legend is who I’m going with for this one, but I’ll admit it could be Wild’s since their script is pretty darn close. But once again, based on when they all got to the inn, Legend would make the most sense to be here.

7. Sky is definitely here. His hylian is very unique compared to the others (I think it’s my favorite)

8. Wild is probably next, but same case as Legend, they could be swapped. But once again, probably not, since Wild was the last to get inside.

9. Twilight bringing up the rear! His hylian is unmistakable, and it makes sense that he’d mark his name last. I don’t think he could handle it until he woke up that morning, though I do wonder which arm he wrote it with...

(Rip Mr. Mailman in trying to figure all this out)

Moving on!

It’s gotta be close to mid-morning by now based on the light, but Sky obviously does not handle waking up at dawn well. It’ll be interesting to see if he stays sleepy during the rest of this arc, or if he'll wake up a bit.

(Side note, Sky looks so soft and fluffy here, I want to hug him)

Sky is so relatable in this update, he’s got some serious “I have no idea what’s going on” vibes. That first one he's got such a deer in the headlights look XD

The mailman is just like “you! I’ve been looking for you! Great to see you!” and Sky’s just “I have never met this man in my life” (probably forgot he actually did see him once (because he’s sleepy))

Four letters, all different languages and dialects... I’m guessing at least one Zelda based on the seal on that blue letter (it seems fancier to me), but I don’t know about the rest. I would guess Malon for one, and maybe another Zelda? Warriors or Wild or Four’s Zelda maybe? Maybe Twilight got a letter from someone in Ordon, or the Resistance!

Only thing I do know is that there’s probably not one for Sky, since he wasn’t immediately like “letter for me! :D”

Four trying to do something nice and fix Wild’s sword and this guy just laughs at him, rude 😤 At least he didn’t make a short joke, which was honestly what I was expecting. I mean I get knowing that your equipment won’t be enough for the job, but sheesh.

(Also the blacksmith’s goggles look a bit like Gondo’s in skyward sword’s, plus the ones the rescue knights wear, thought that was interesting).

(Cool pose mode: engaged)

I love this panel!! They all decided to follow Four and help him out just like they did last time, fix the sword and get Wild a good, reliable weapon.

I’ve also never noticed how similar these guy’s hair looks before, especially Warriors and Hyrule’s— if Rulie’s hair was a little shorter and blonde, it would be pretty near identical. Very interesting...

(Plus Wind has the funniest expression, he's so cute)

We interrupt this rambly analysis to bring you a brief moment of me yelling about Warriors' smile ABHDGFSFKHSBBG LOOK AT HIM that stupid cocky grin and the way he's rolling up his sleeve I'm *swoon*

Four absolutely losing it over Warriors’ jab about teamwork is SO funny, Captain you have no idea how good your joke was. (also Four, bud, you good? Little hysterical there pal)

Also he looks so happy!!! Compare that to any of the faces he was making the night before, he's doing so much better. I’m so glad he’s happy and smiling now, even if it was just at a dumb joke :)

I don’t even have anything to say about this panel. Just look at it. Glorious.

And one last thing...

MULTILINGUAL WARRIORS HOLY CROW that's such a cool trait to give him, I am in love with it now that's awesome.

An amazing update as always, it was fantastic all around <3

[selenacosmic]

Since Halloween is close, I was thinking how do you think the warlords would react to an MC/reader who is really into spooky stuff? Like ghosts, cryptids, legends, haunted houses, likes graveyards, likes exploring abandoned buildings, etc

Since it’s almost Halloween, this is a great idea! Thank you for the request.

MC is into spooky things.

Oda forces.

Nobunaga Oda.

He wouldn’t be scared of your stories, things that are supernatural aren’t more scary than the living, but he is curious and entertained by the tales you know. Nobunaga finds it interesting that you are so fearless over the unknown, which gives him more reason to take you to battle with him.

Sometimes he just likes listening to you ramble about legends and unsolved mysteries just because of how you tell them.

Hideyoshi Toyotomi.

He is partially concerned with your interest, believing some of your likings are too dangerous, like wanting to explore abandoned buildings. He isn’t one to believe that ghosts are actually real, but hideyoshi does feel uneasy about supernatural things.

He won’t admit it, but when you try telling scary stories, he does feel a bit scared of them.

Mitsuhide Akechi.

How brave of you, liking things like that and remaining fearless. Though, mitsuhide would love to tease you by spooking you, he also likes how engaged you are with these things. He is a mystery enjoyer, partially, himself, so he shares your excitement over them, though not in the same way.

He still tries spooking you by making up a scary story or legend, but always gets you excited about it instead. He finds it cute though.

Mitsunari Ishida.

Mitsunari takes enjoyment in solving mysteries, but mostly the more logical ones, he is still very happy to listen to you talking about the more scary and unsolved ones (though he can’t understand how someone can enjoy mysteries that haven’t been solved or are unable to be solved). He isn’t really that adventurous to explore abandoned buildings or haunted places, but he would tag along to ensure you would be safe.

Ieyasu Tokugawa.

Ieyasu doesn’t like the fact that he can be a bit scared of some things, like haunted places, but he would rather fight it than cower in fear, he believes it’s what makes him stronger. Of course, you babble about a lot of things that are unfamiliar to him, so he just lets you talk rather than pay attention.

He still tells you that it’s stupid to try and explore abandoned places by yourself, as a form of scolding, since an animal or dangerous person could be hiding there. But you always go there anyways, so he might as well tag along to keep you safe.

Masamune Date.

Masamune likes that adventurous side of yours, and how curious you can be, he gets even more excited when it involves scary things. He isn’t one to like legends that much, but he feels entertained whenever you tell him the ones you know, and scary stories that keeps people alerted. Rather than scared, he gets really excited about it.

Just for the fun of it, he would take you to haunted places that most people avoid like abandoned castles just to explore it.

Ranmaru Mori.

Ranmaru always feels scared of stuff like that, so he pouts and complains to you that you shouldn’t scare him like that with your stories and unsolved mysteries, he sometimes runs away if you chose to tease him about it.

In other situations, he might grab your arm for comfort whenever you tell spooky stories. He isn’t THAT scared, actually, but it is an opportunity to act cute to you.

Keiji.

Hah. He doesn’t get scared of your stories, and Keiji doesn’t fear abandoned places at all. But he does find entertainment when you tell spooky stories. Keiji believes that you are brave to the point of ignorance, since you have no sense of danger when exploring abandoned places or graveyards.

Uesugi-Takeda alliance.

Kenshin Uesugi.

Kenshin isn’t someone who gets scared, at least not by being spooked. He only feels fear when he feels like he might loose someone important to him. He doesn’t care much about mysteries, but will listen to you talking about it for hours on end as if he is listening to war tales.

He also doesn’t care much about exploring potential haunted houses, but the idea of being able to fight a ghost makes him excited enough to tag along.

Shingen Takeda.

Shingen enjoys seeing you getting excited about unsolved mysteries, solving cryptics and talking about scary legends. He can’t help but find it all endearing, a sweet thing like you enjoying such scary things? He is fascinated.

But he doesn’t like your habit of going to explore places that could be dangerous, as he does believe in the supernatural to some extent, he would rather you stay close to him.

Yukimura Sanada.

Yukimura does get scared, and he is terrible at hiding it, which makes it even more fun to tease him about it. The fact that you like all that creepy stuff only makes him think that you are a witch even more. He still tries to act tough so that he doesn’t let his weakness show.

He would agree to go with you explore a haunted castle, all of it to prove that he doesn’t get scared easily.

Yoshimoto Imagawa.

He isn’t a fan, mostly because he gets annoyed that scary stories do have an effect on him. He doesn’t do well with creepy things since he finds it unpleasant and that it ruins his mood. So he usually prefers to stay out when you want to tell another scary story of yours.

He doesn’t mind, however, when you talk about mysteries, mostly because it intrigues him.

Sasuke.

Being from the future, he shares your enjoyment for spooky things, Halloween and unsolved mysteries. He might be the best person to talk about those things since he will know exactly what you are talking about, and you can talk freely about stories that involve the future.

Exploring abandoned buildings is fascinating to him as well, since he enjoys learning about its history.

Kanetsugu.

Kanetsugu, scared? That is impossible. He is always cool headed, stoic and more prone to scare others with his fierce gaze than to get scared. He tends to scold you if you plan on exploring abandoned places or haunted buildings as it could be dangerous and that you shouldn’t be reckless.

He isn’t one to be affected by scary stories, nor does he take true interest in mysteries, but he does listen to you talking about them, even if he doesn’t really believe it.

[lemonxdaisybby]

How about the Legends and Ichigang fellas taking shower by themselves and with their s/o? Just anything that comes up

Hello! Thank you for your request! 💕 Some mild NSFW hcs, hope that’s okay x

I’ve just done Ichigang guys for now because I am v dumb and wasn’t entirely sure who the Legends consisted of. I’m not sure if you mean Kiryu, Majima, Saejima, etc, but also didn’t wanna make any assumptions incase I got it wrong 😭 I’m so sorry, please free to send another request in if you wanna add more characters for this hc 💕

Ichiban:

When showering on his own, Ichi would be a fan of cold showers. He has one each morning, and he finds the cool water tends to wake him up properly, and makes him more alert. He only really has warm showers if he’s feeling ill, or if it’s especially cold out…or if he’s showering with you.

He would be so shy the first time you shower together, as he wouldn’t really know what to do with himself, or where to look. He wouldn’t want to come across as a creep so would actively try to avoid looking at you at first, until you laugh at him and tell him to chill out. Then he’s gonna relax and realise he’s been overthinking the whole thing.

Sometimes, showering with Ichi would end in sex, and other times it would just be completely innocent, with the two of you washing each others hair. There would be no expectations.

You two would probably be a lil goofy in the shower, styling each others hair to make it stick up at odd angles, or creating bubble beards with the shower wash. Very cute and sweet.

Nanba:

Man is frugal, and very conscious of his water/household bills. Showers are gonna be quick, speedy and efficient. He probably would be eager to shower with you because firstly, saves on water and bills, and secondly, he gets to see you naked. There is no down-side.

Likely uses the most basic of shower products. He doesn’t really have a preference for shampoos, soaps or shower gels/washes, and tends to just get whatever is on sale.

Showering together would never really get sexual. Nanba can’t see very well without his glasses, so likely would be a little clumsy when showering, and is definitely not up for attempting to fuck you in there. However, once you two are out the shower, well, that’s another story.

Honestly, showering together would just be quick and no nonsense. There wouldn’t really be any goofing around. He’s there for a purpose, to get clean. No shenanigans.

Adachi:

Hums and sings in the shower. Also, he just really enjoys showers in general? He is so happy when showering, and will always have a lil content smile on his face. Adachi has super hot showers too, the heat relaxes his poor old muscles.

He likely prefers baths, to be honest. As he can just lay back and close his eyes, and maybe even have a beer whilst he bathes.

He has a yellow rubber ducky just sitting on the side of the bath. He bought it because he thought it looked cute and funny. He won’t admit it to anyone, but sometimes after a hard day, when having a bath to de-stress, he finds himself absentmindedly telling the ducky about his problems. He wouldn’t necessarily talk to it, but he’d kinda lean back and just begin venting, glancing at the duck every now and again and telling it how lucky it is, not having to deal with everyday shit.

When showering together, if it’s in one of those shower cubicles, it would be a bit squishy, as he’s so huge and takes up a lot of space. If it’s a shower-head over a bathtub, it’s less squishy but you two will definitely end up fighting about who gets to stand under the shower head.

Horny man, so he probably adores showering with you, and often it does end up with sex. He’d lift you up and have your back pressed against the wall, with your legs wrapped around his hips as he slowly thrusts in to you at a relaxed pace.

Joon-Gi:

Joon-Gi takes hygiene and beauty regimes very seriously. He likely uses the most luxurious shower washes and shampoos ever, and has a careful shower routine to follow. He showers every morning and night.

Showering with Joon-Gi wouldn’t happen often. Showering is like his chill time. He likes to relax, unwind, and allow his mind to go blank. He takes it as an opportunity to pamper himself too.

However, on the occasions where you do shower together, he would help you wash your hair and body. He would not allow you to wash him or his hair though. He’s very particular and likes to do it himself.

He would have been pretty bashful the first time the two of you showered together, not quite knowing what to do with himself, or where to look.

On rare occasions, showering together can result in shower sex, but most of the time, it’s pretty innocent and he’s more focused on getting clean.

Zhao:

Zhao showers every morning, and is likely still half asleep when showering. There has been the odd occasion where he’s almost dozed off whilst standing under the shower head, the feeling of the hot water cascading down his back almost sending him to sleep.

Definitely smooths his hair back under the water like one of those fancy shampoo adverts.

He does jerk off in the shower when showering alone. The hot water has him relaxed, and also it’s easy to clean up after.

When showering together, it’s always going to end up with sex, with only one exception - when you’re ill. If you’re feeling pretty sick and weak, to the point where you’re struggling to walk or carry out daily tasks, he will shower with you. It would be so soft and wholesome. He’d wash your hair and body for you, and then help you dry afterwards. He’d be pretty good at taking care of you when you’re sick.

Any other time you shower together, you’re gonna end up with your front pressed against the cool shower tiles or glass, as he thrusts in to you from behind.

[thatoneyanderewriter]

Love or Obsession?

pairing(s): young!yandere!nick goode x shadysider!reader, platonic!ziggy berman x reader.

summary: after seeing you with tommy, nick’s not sure what he feels for you is love or obsession. but one thing’s for sure, you’re his.

warnings: toxicity, gore, blood, murder(?), manipulation, obsession, yandere, tommy becomes possessed lol, possession, mentions of sacrificing, mature language.

i wasn’t sure if I should add a spoiler warning considering the three movies have been out for some time now so I didn’t add one. sorry! but enjoy. and don’t really worry it doesn’t go by the plot of the movies anyway(mostly).

You were a camper. And he was a counselor. Okay, you weren’t that young. Only two years younger than he was. You wouldn’t deny having a small attraction for Nick Goode, Sheriff Goode’s son and the king of Sunnyvale.

Though he didn’t have a huge ego like you had expected. In fact, he was down to earth and kind, and kind of introverted. You shared similar hobbies. But you were a shadysider and sunnyvalers didn’t particularly get along with Shadysiders.

It was an normal day, well, a normal Sunny day. You definitely liked nature, but was worn out from the hiking and activities.

“Worn out? Tommy teased. “Kind of yeah, you chuckle. He wasn’t that much older than you yet a counselor. You didn’t even plan on becoming one anyway.

Yeah, you liked helping out with children but wanted a better job and focus on studies at the same time. “Hey, it’s fine, he assured you.”some of these kids never run out of energy.”

“I know right? You chuckle. Neither of you noticed that Nick had been glaring daggers right into Tommy’s skull. He was pissed. More so jealous. That you were the one Tommy was interested in. Everyone knew that.

Including him. And he needed to do something about it. He felt something for you, that he knew for sure. But wasn’t sure on what. Love or Obsession? Could it be both.

It had been passed down from family to family. Sacrifices. Possessions. And it was Nick’s turn. He already had a name in mind. At that moment, he decided Tommy would be the perfect candidate for possession. And kill all. Then you wouldn’t be so interested in him now would you?

Shadyside wasn’t a shithole for no reason. And as everyone suspected, it was a curse. Placed by Solomon Goode all those years ago back in 1666.

You suddenly trip, but Tommy caught you before you fell. You laughed. "You're a life saver. I swear." He blushed. "It's no big deal, Y/n."

You smile. "Well, I mean, i think so. You're so sweet. You know, helping everyone." "That's what a counselor does... He smiles, before rushing over to help with the next activity.

You didn't know then, that would be the final time you would see Tommy before hell broke loose. You grew tired so eventually you fell asleep quite early. Normally, You were up and ready.

When suddenly, You hear screams. You leave your cabin quick. "Y/N! Ziggy yells. "Ziggy! What's happening? You exclaim. "The witch... she possessed Tommy... Ziggy said.

"No... You frown."Not him. Why him?" Ziggy replies,”I don’t know we just have to go! I don’t want you to die!”

“I won’t, just promise me you won’t, and you’ll live, You say, standing close by your best friend. “I promise, she replies.

You both ran for your lives. You always believed that witch shit even though you shouldn’t. Because last summer, you found something you shouldn’t.

Back then you were a skeptical of the Sarah Fier Legend. A curse on Shadyside, Really? You knew the town had bad luck but a curse was out of reach.

Then you found a ritual. someone who worshipped satan or whatever had a place to go for that. And look what you found. The names of each shadyside killer carved into rocks no human could’ve done with their bare hands.

And it seemed quite obvious that Sarah fier was behind it. After all, she wanted revenge. But that was before Tommy’s name had been put into it. Which explained why Nurse Lane attacked him.

You didn’t want to admit it but she should’ve. It would’ve prevented a huge massacre. But you adored tommy. Though oblivious to his obvious feelings for you.

You two ran for a while until you screamed,”Tommy!” He was right in front of you and was about to strike but turned his attention to Ziggy.

“No! You yell and as he was about to you move her out of the way, both of you unharmed. “Y/N, you could’ve died! I can’t lose you! She said.

“Look, we’re both okay? And it was odd, he didn’t even… try to kill me, You say. “I know, maybe his feelings for you were why, ziggy blurted.

“What? You say. “Oh, She said. "You didn’t know? It was so obvious he was in love with you.” “I thought he was into Cindy… You say. “No, she’s into Alice and everyone also knows that, Ziggy said.

"Whatever, we need to hide! He killed Jeremy, Jesse, Stacey and More kids! You yell, sobbing but tried not to. Ziggy nods. You grew up with her, if you lost her, you wouldn't know how to live.

You run with her, her hand in yours, you didn't want to let go. "Hey look! I found somewhere we could hide... Ziggy begins."Fuck, Cindy! Where is she?"

"Where did you see her last? You asked. "I-I don’t remember, we just should find her, Ziggy said. "Also, I locked Sheila in the bathroom." "Good one, You said. "But she could be killed. Plus, I heard something about Cindy and Alice going somewhere involving Sarah Fier."

"Okay, come on! Ziggy said, you run to the bathroom but now you were growing exhausted. "Sheila? You say. "Fucking Shadysider Bitch! Sheila replied. "Did you lock me in here?"

"Y/n didn't, I did... But come on, Ziggy entering the bathroom before Sheila began attacking her. You pulled her off of Ziggy. ”Calm down. there’s a killer and you have to leave or-“

“Of course it’s always a shadysider huh? Sheila said. "I mean, you’re the reason this shit is happening.” “Shut the fuck up, you don’t know what’s going on first of all, You say, laced with venom in your voice. "Second, I think we can all agree none of us want to die so-“

“Hello! Cindy said, and you could hear her voice. "Can anybody hear us?” Ziggy realized like you that it was Cindy and follows the voice. Only to see them under the bathroom.

“What are you guys doing there? You say. “Oh thank fucking god, Alice said. “It’s a long story but… can you help us out? Cindy said.

“Yeah of course, You reply. Ziggy come help me.” “No hesitation, Ziggy said, relief that her sister was okay. You help them up. Apparently Tommy was possessed first there. He killed Alice's stoner friend, Arnie.

"Wow, You said, hearing everything. "I mean, i knew of the whole ritual stuff. But-" "You knew he would be possessed? Ziggy asked. You shook your head."No, But i knew then this witch shit was real."

"Oh."

"In order to stop this, we need to reunite her hand with her body, Cindy said. You nodded. You noticed how she held onto Alice's hand. You hadn't seen Nick, Will, Joan or Kurt in a while. Which made you wonder if they were murdered too.

Nick was acting kind of lately, you didn't know why. But either way, you had to find out. "Well, where is her body? I don't think she had been buried anywhere near here, You point out.

"Y/n's right, Ziggy agreed. "Look, she is, Alice said, moving the book in front of you. You read and looked it over. "Holy shit she is, You exclaimed.

"Fuck, Ziggy said. "Which is why we could bury her hand with her body, we know where her hand is too, Cindy explained. You nodded. "Then what are we waiting for? We could end this curse now."

"Okay, Cindy said. "Come on." Sarah Fier's hand was in the front on fhe table. It soon made sense why she had been buried under the tree where she had been hung. But when you accidentally touched her skeletal hand, you saw everything. You wiped your bloody nose. "I saw the witch. She was pissed. So we we should hurry up."

You grabbed any weapons you could. Even if you didn't know if you could kill or hurt anybody. But before Alice could even kill, Tommy killed her. Cindy angrily lunged at him, and so did you.

Your eyes were filled with tears but you didn't let them fall. "Alice, don't die on us, You said softly. "Please." However, she took her last breath and became another victim. But everyone couldn't mourn for long.

Everyone heard someone singing. "Ruby Lane, You said. "Come on, we have to go." Cindy was naturally reluctant but agreed. Somehow, you got lost from Cindy and Ziggy, who you figured were digging.

As you walked, hoping you could find your way back, you bumped into Nick. "Nick! You're okay! You said, sighing of relief. "Y/N, where were you.. He said, his voice filled with concern. "I... think we could end this curse, You said."

"Y/n, come on, this witch stuff isn't real, he just went crazy, Nick said. "No, Nick, I saw her, She's pissed, I saw the fucking witch! You exclaim. Tommy, the sweet guy you knew, didn't just go crazy. Neither did Nurse Lane. She was right. Of course she had been.

"Hey, this will all be over, Nick assures you, suddenly hugging you, pulling you close while you cried on his shoulder, not seeing the smirk on his face.

Everything was going according to plan.

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

hey! hc questions for Astarion & ace! Tav (sorry if some of those have already been answered):

- Who picks flowers for the other?

- Who has a hobby only the other knows about?

- How do they hype each other up?

- How do they express their feelings?

- Who's more protective?

- Who gets jealous easier?

thank you for your work! I always get excited when I see you have posted something new about this ship ^^

Who picks flowers for the other?

Tav does it for Astarion. I know there is some dialogue about him not liking flowers, but it’s different when they’re a gift from his love.

Tav never buy them. They just collect a small bundle as their walking. They then arrange them in a vase or spare cup, accompanied by a story; some local legend or tale about the flowers or just something they make up on the spot, Astarion can never be sure. Still he listens attentively as the story is just as much part of the gift as the flowers themselves.

Who has a hobby only the other knows about?

Tav knows about Astarion’s many tries at different hobbies.

Post game Astarion finally has the time to figure out what exactly he likes to do. Yes, there’s reading, but he figures out he genuinely enjoys embroidering and sewing. Making something with his own two hands and having something tangible at the end is extremely satisfying. Plus, it helps him clear his mind of anything besides the task in front of him. He’s since expanded this to jewelry making and knitting. Although he’ll die before he admits the knitting part.

How do they hype each other up?

Compliments. Compliments all around.

Astarion specifically goes on and on about Tav’s immense musical talent. Tav is already fairly secure in their abilities, but having somebody in the audience they know truly loves their work is heartening.

As for Tav, they know Astarion has his vanity and is willing to indulge him, complimenting him on his looks and choice of clothing. And if they throw an “I love you” at the end of it, he won’t say no.

How do they express their feelings?

I’m going to just assume you mean their feelings toward each other since if I went through all the emotions we’d be here all day.

Tav is actually a very physically affectionate person who has been denied it for years. Once they get permission to show their love that way, they don’t stop. Hugs for certain, leaning against him, hand kisses, cuddling, they’re all in. Quality time is next on the list. They don’t care what they’re doing so long as they’re doing it together.

Astarion is more verbal in his affections. He’ll just tell Tav how beautiful, talented, and amazing he finds them. He teases and tries to make them laugh. He can be quite the poet when he puts his mind to it. I’ll also add physical affection to the list. It takes him time, but once he understands he’s safe, he doesn’t want to loses the feeling of having them close.

Who’s more protective?

Astarion.

Not to say Tav isn’t, because they are, but it’s less visceral than Astarion. He spent so much of his life afraid that even when he does get together with Tav, it doesn’t lessen his fear. If anything his more afraid because he has somebody to lose for the first time in centuries. He considers ascending not just to keep himself safe, but to ensure he can protect Tav, forever. He’s never felt this way before about anyone. There’s no telling what he’d be willing to do for them.

Who gets jealous easier?

Hard to say. They both have their moments. I’d say Astarion is more vocal while Tav let’s it build up over time.

If somebody is flirting with Tav at a tavern, he’s by their side the next second with an arm around their waist and a smile that’s all fangs. He can also get real petty if he feels like they’re giving other people too much attention over him.

If somebody flirts with Astarion, Tav doesn’t say anything because they don’t want Astarion thinking he’s trying to control him or “too much”. But it hurts and if it happens too many times they’ll crack and ask if Astarion is getting bored of them. It would’ve be the first time. It’d take a lot for Tav to admit they’re jealous, but once they do, Astarion would have a field day.

They’re both working on getting better about it. It’s not a pretty thing.

[kiatheinsomniac]

𓏲𝄢 ˚ : · Hello! Dunno if youre comfortable with anon asks since it wasnt stated in your requests thingy, but I was wondering if you could do Undertaker (Black butler) with F! Reader who used to work with him when he was still a grim reaper (shes still a grim reaper) and the only times they meet again is trough coffee dates 😭 where they talk about things theyre doing now and sometimes reminisce about their time together back then. So sorry if its too sappy 🥲 –anon ✧ ˚ 　· 　　    .

──── 𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐄 ˊˎ - ☾ ⋆ ﾟ𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 / 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒: 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: Undertaker | Adrian Crevan x Reader 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 1k 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: none

You sit down opposite your old friend, in all black as usual. The two of you still occasionally meet up for tea or coffee and cake despite him having abandoned the profession in which you met many years ago. As of late, he’s still caused quite a stir amongst your colleagues though and you’ve been itching to meet with him in secret again like this. 

“How is it you’ve been gone all these years and yet your name is on everyone’s lips as of late, hm?~” You ask with a smile as you sit in the little corner of the café where you two like to meet regularly, earning a delighted chuckle from him in response. He looks different now from when you first met him: he’s more mindful to keep a low profile, his hair hides his eyes that otherwise pierce with an almost radium-like glow to them. Humans may not recognise it but any reaper like you would know his true nature in an instant. It reminds you to push your own glasses up your nose a little. 

“Perhaps they’re all just reluctant to outright admit that they miss the humour I brought to the job.” He suggests with a sly smile on his lips that seem to ever be upturned in a grin or open with laughter. 

“I don’t know about Will and Ronald but I certainly miss you.” Your reply is fond but tinged with a note of sadness. Despite the chaos he’s stirred in his retirement, he’s still a legend amongst your kind, but before he was a legend, he’s always been your best friend. He was there to put a smile on your face when your longing for death was cruelly returned with an immortal life of bringing death but never receiving it. It was a long time ago and you’ve since grown used to your new lifestyle but you know adjusting would have been far more difficult if not for his company. 

“You know my door is always open to you, y/n.” He replies as he picks up a biscuit which he dips into his tea. As tempting as the offer is, you shake your head. Living forever is difficult, and living forever without a set purpose even moreso; you’re not yet prepared to risk losing what you already have when you’ve lost so much to begin with. 

“Perhaps one day but that day won’t come soon, I’m afraid.” A waiter comes and sets a plate down in front of you which Undertaker had ordered for you ahead of your arrival. It’s your favourite dessert to order from here and that only makes you smile happily to yourself. You pick up the fork to take a bite. He shrugs and leans back in his seat. 

“Very well. I have forever to wait after all.” You can’t help but laugh softly at his words, at how he’ll always be there for you – it’s kind and sweet, so unlike how everyone at work is currently describing him, like a part of him only you seem to know. 

“Besides, I’m doing what I can for you from my side, you know? They’re all looking for you, Grell in particular seems quite upset. Something about her face?” You shake your head. She’s a vain one but all reapers seem to have their quirks, yourself included. Maybe death just does that to you. “Either way, I’ve been doing my best to keep them off your trail.” The Undertaker laughs at the thought of Grell having a vendetta against him for injuring her in a fight. 

“Well you have my thanks.” He replies, taking your hand across the table. His skin is as cold as yours when his thumb brushes over your knuckles. 

“So what’s your grand plan with these dolls of yours anyway?” You quiz as you take another bite of your dessert. “And how do you plan on keeping that brat and his demon off your back? I’ve heard he’s quite tenacious despite his young age.” 

“Well it would ruin the fun if I told you everything. Ciel might have cut my experiment short but it was a success nonetheless. And his demon shouldn’t be too much hassle so long as he’s concerned about the safety of his master.” The Undertaker replies. “But enough about that, how’s Ronald been handling all that extra paperwork?” He laughs at the thought of the defeated reaper having to document and clean up the mess he made upon the Campania. You roll your eyes.

“He’s not moving quick enough for Will’s liking and so Will is making it everyone else’s problem. You’re lucky we’re friends or else I’d hand you in myself if only to put an end to the papers on my desk that are giving me a headache.” You huff, a hint of playfulness to your voice, “Even reaping souls isn’t as exciting without you by my side, you know?” The two of you used to work so closely, examining reels and sharing queries about how they worked, observing the lives that faded at the blades of your death scythes. 

“All the more reason to come join me, dear~” He chimes. You sigh. It’s not that you don’t want to, just that it’s not the right time.

“Perhaps once things have settled down and we have a plan in place. If I leave, there;s be no one left to cover for us as I’m doing for you.” The fact he’s brought it up a second time makes you wonder if he misses you more than he’s letting on. You know he’s a man who lives his immortal life for curiosity and laughter, not one to be caught too deeply in sadness – not openly at least. 

“Well, until that time comes-” He lifts his cup to you in a sort of toast, “-we have an eternity of these days ahead of us while we wait.” You smile softly and raise your own cup too. You miss him dearly, your immortality no longer the same without his company.

One day you’ll work side by side again. 

☾ ⋆ ﾟlike my work? why not: ∘ buy me a coffee? ∘ comms. ∘ taglist ∘ follow/reblog

🏷️@writing-noah  @singleteapot @asianbutnotjapanese @kingheinrey @danielle-marie @yourfamilyfriendsatan @firagirl @weasleytwins-41 @the-fandoms-georgie @lunaluvvie @ghxul-x @sarah22447 @midgetdemon17

[theangelwithawand]

So, as much as I love charming, swaggering Han Solo, the guy is kind of awkward.

At first I thought it was an issue with his characterization in ROTJ where they made him a little too buffoonish for lack of a better word, and in Solo where they leaned a little bit too hard into Han being inexperienced and naive.

Don’t get me wrong, when it matters, the man is suave and dangerous and charismatic, and I love it.

But I was rewatching ANH the other day and I realized that at least when it comes to his personal relationships (except for Chewie) Han is kind of insecure and inept at forming meaningful relationships. To be fair, it makes sense given his backstory (in both Legends and Canon) and seedy profession. But legendary scoundrel Han is not at all slick when it comes to genuine interaction.

His initial introduction in the cantina as a ruthless survivor and his cocky dealings with Jabba tend to be the bulk of what people remember about his character, and for good reason. But there’s also captivating glimpses into a Han Solo who is more human than he probably wants anyone to see.

When Ben trains Luke, Han won’t stop insulting them both, but underneath all of the posturing, he does genuinely try to offer up real advice (that a good blaster is more reliable than an antiquated weapon). Then later, before abandoning Yavin, he doesn’t want to part on bad terms with Luke so, he chokes out a parting phrase that means something to Luke, tamping down his discomfort which is visible to the point that it’s kind of funny.

The first movie largely neglects his lack of social skills in regards to Leia (they do snap at each other, but that’s more to do with their clashing personalities than anything). He winks at her at the end, but Han is good at surface level flirting.

But then we get to Empire…strap in folks.

So, their first interaction takes place in the command center on Hoth, and Han is threatened to leave. And boy oh boy does Han really want/need Leia (and Leia in particular) to say she wants/needs him.

She has her own (very understandable) issues with opening up, so the closest she can get to admitting her own feelings is saying that the Alliance needs him. Leia may see herself as an extension of the Alliance, but that’s a different conversation and not enough for Han who needs to be sure of her feelings before making his own known. (Leia seems to have the same problem. They kinda suck at communicating sometimes.)

He asks her, very subtly pleads with her to open up, to reciprocate the bit of vulnerability he’s showing. She understandably doesn’t (again she has an unfathomable amount of her own trauma), cueing a fight at and Han goes back to the Falcon to be Totally-Not-Sad. Despite the fight though, he risks his life to make sure Leia gets out during the evacuation. (Gotta love how well he knows her.)

Then we get the big kiss scene. This time, Han has decided to acknowledge Leia’s insecurities because he wants to be with her. He specifically asks her “What are you afraid of?” Yeah, he’s kind of teasing her, but he knows Leia freakin Organa is not afraid of getting her hands dirty. It’s such a lame excuse, so he calls her out on it.

Then, all of the sudden, they’re finally together and Leia is just all in (see my post about Leia’s physically affectionate nature). And…Han adjusts. By the time they arrive on Bespin, he’s the one initiating hand holding, giving forehead kisses.

It’s a way more intimate than he would afford a casual hook-up. His scrapped intro in ANH (which was incorporated into the novelization by Alexandra Bracken), literally had him forget the name of the girl on his lap.

He’s still insecure when Lando starts flirting, but above all he’s in a relationship that is so casually affectionate. It��s a part of him we’ve never seen, but it suits him well.

Then we get to the big “I love you/ I know”.

In the original script, Han was supposed to say “I love you too.” Everyone thought it was a very out of character thing for him to say. The now iconic response was created during the shooting of that scene. I agree…to a point.

Now, I love the line. It’s iconic and great and very Han Solo. Yes it’s a smooth response…but it’s also…a really weird response…

Yeah, there’s a lot of people and to be fair, he just told Chewie to take care of Leia (which is very sweet), and once again probably still has some issues expressing vulnerability.

But…he also might die, so it’s weird that he wouldn’t tell her while he still can.

The pattern continues in ROTJ. Han is a bit out of character in this one, however I do like the moment where he’s referred to as a general. It’s usually read as him proving his commitment, and I agree. But I still think it’s funny that he decided to make it a surprise. It’s so cute and weird and very Han Solo.

He’s protective when Leia goes missing after the bike chase, and when they’re reunited picks her up and spins her adorably.

He’s still not super sure how to provide comfort all of the time (there’s a few times where Leia seeks his embrace, and he seems visibly unsure of what he’s doing). During the battle he’s always reaching out to shield her, hide her when she’s injured. Then he just holds her after the battle. The way she asked him to earlier, with a small but very genuine smile.

Finally, we arrive at “The Princess and the Scoundrel” where Han Solo does the GFFA equivalent of proposing on the first date. (For real, this book is one my favorite things. It canonized so many of my head canons like a very casual proposal). It’s perfect for its balance of being both weird and romantic.

Anyway, I like Han’s soft side and I don’t see it discussed enough.

[loveoaths]

Anakin is not racist

oh, man, that was fast!

listen. i’m gonna assume you’re an anakin fan — great! so am i! — but anakin is objectively an awful person and a canonical space-racist. that’s apparent even if you’re new to Star Wars like i am.

from Legends:

when asked about his view of the tuskens, anakin’s immediate response is “i have no use for tuskens.” i mean, i don’t know what there is to explain about that, because it’s right there. a whole race of people he doesn’t care for because they aren’t “useful,” as if that’s all people are meant to be to him. his issue with them is apparent but he won’t name it.

a’sharad hett directly names anakin’s issue: he is prejudiced. and anakin does not deny this. he “apologizes” but does not specify for what, because he knows he’s supposed to. you don’t just admit you’re a racist, especially not to a Master Jedi. which is exactly what irl racists do, lmfao.

when push comes to shove, anakin outright SAYS it.

“I know what you are — filthy, sneaking, Tusken! Animals! Hiding behind your masks! Your kind tortured and killed my mother and I’m glad I killed them all!” (Emphasis mine)

like, listen. this is racist as hell. the racist dog whistle is now a racist klaxon, alright. he sees the tuskens as subhuman, as inherently untrustworthy because of their appearance and their culture, and he is not only not bothered by killing them, but he’s happy he did it. you could argue anakin is shielding himself from his guilt with self-righteousness, which i might buy with any other character, but anakin is down right unrepentant.

it wasn’t enough for him to kill the tuskens responsible, which even a’sharad notes would have been acceptable in Tusken culture; anakin wanted them all dead, because they’re all guilty to him solely by virtue of being Tusken. this anger and hatred and bigotry pushes anakin to even lash out against a’sharad, a tusken jedi, fully dropping any pretense that he is okay with a’sharad despite him being half-tusken and a jedi. because you know what anakin is following? the ONE DROP RULE! even a drop of Tusken blood is too much tusken.

and still the wrong lessons are learned. for some godforsaken reason a’sharad learns he needs to be seen as a Jedi first and not a Tusken, which is not only antithetical to the Jedi way, but totally opposite to the point of this encounter, which is that we are all many things all at once, and pretending otherwise leads to destruction. anakin is a jedi and a murderer and a racist and the chosen one. ignoring the unsavory and cruel parts of him, never exposing him to the jedi council, and hoping his “better nature” would win out over time ensured that it never would. a’sharad is a Tusken and a jedi and many other things, but his wrongful assumption that pushing aside his heritage will gain him favor eventually causes more problems for him.

the only reason anakin and a’sharad stop fighting is because a’sharad removes his mask, revealing, tada, a hot human face! now anakin is capable of an insincere apology. but he still assumes the markings on a’sharad were forced on him, because he still believes tuskens are a barbaric and cruel people. then the moment is moved past so they can escape.

and despite this shit-ass “heart to heart,” anakin walks away with zero appreciation for a’sharad or the Tusken culture. he fails a’sharad’s lesson: it’s not that he can’t see a’sharad as human, as a person, as a jedi, it’s that he won’t, because he is attached to his view of the tuskens as lesser than, because it excuses his behavior, because it makes him righteous, because it makes him feel better, because it solidifies his entitled view of the world. which is exactly how irl racism and whiteness work.

and the final word on the subject is this. when all is said and done and anakin is asked if he would kill the tuskens again, knowing what he knows about them now, his answer is a cold, unmoved, “Yes.”

now, i know the Legends comics are not officially canon; the new canon is whatever Disney chooses to use and whatever appears in the movies. however, even if we just look at the clone wars, which are now canon to the Disney SWU, there are several instances in TCW where anakin makes disparaging comments about another species’ appearance, intelligence, and capability. i don’t have those on hand because i am not trawling through 7 seasons for quotes for you, but you can find them if you want to look.

my final thought here is this: i am not disparaging anakin fans (fanakins, if you will); like i said earlier, i am fascinated by his character, and enjoy him as a concept. what i am doing here is asking you (especially if you’re white) to consider the lengths to which fandom goes to ignore the very obvious signs that anakin is not just genocidal but racist. like him all you want but don’t ignore that part because that makes you uncomfortable. he kills kids. that’s not any better than being racist.

understanding the role of racism in his depiction, and his turn to fascism, only aids your storytelling and view of him, because it’s true to life. society is willing to ignore massive red flags if someone is white (and in Star Wars universe, we’ll add “human” to the list), male, and conventionally attractive. obi-wan is willing to ignore these things because he is the same, and because anakin does not treat HIM this way, obi-wan can blindly believe anakin would never treat anyone like this — which is, again, a phenomenon people of color call out often, where white people will say “X can’t be racist because he’s never said anything racist around me!” well yeah. because why would he? nevermind the fact that obi-wan and ahsoka witness anakin treating non-human suspects with extreme prejudice, abusing his power and authority as a jedi to get what he wants, and worse. anakin is and always has been a shitty racist cop on a power trip, but because he worked with “good cops” and knew better than to say anything out loud, he got away with it until he killed them all too.

this all feeds into the concept that while anakin’s fall is tragic, it is by no means unexpected. the only reason the main characters of the prequels are surprised is because they willingly looked away from the warning signs. the characters who didn’t — the Council, Mace, even Ahsoka at some points — are vilified by anakin, and because the main characters love anakin and have an attachment to him being the chosen one, they believe anakin over those who are suspicious of him and ignore or downplay the warnings until it’s all too late. the tragedy of anakin isn’t a tragedy of not being loved enough, or having people fail you; it’s the tragedy of refusing to get help, of refusing to let go of things even when they hurt you, it’s the tragedy of the bitter man drinking poison to kill someone ekse, and it’s the tragedy of the bystander: of what happens when we all stand by and watch people we love do terrible things without stopping them, because we’re as afraid of them not loving us anymore as we are of confronting what it means that we still want to love and be loved by cruelty.

tl;dr: anakin skywalker is racist and prejudiced. you can still like him as a character; this is not a moral judgment. but maybe you should prod at your like at him a little, and investigate the ways in which both anakin as a character and the fandom’s dismissive view of his many faults is indicative of the insidious way racism and whiteness works irl. especially if you’re white.

[blarefordaglare]

Fan Joy July day 9

This one’s by @theegh0st

Link: https://www.tumblr.com/theegh0st/754145854541250560/shenanigans?source=share

OH MY GOODNESS those two would most def play cards together! I also love how you emphasize Wind slapping down his card, it’s a beautiful detail that really adds character! Overall the way that the characters poses are fluid is really pleasing to see, and gives personality! I hope you enjoy this fic! 

Also this game reminds me of the game “War” I would play when I was younger (split deck in half, whoever gets all cards wins, there’s more rules on google or smth) so that’s what they’re playing! Also they both cheat, except wind has mischievous cheating legend is more of a card counter type cheating, but obviously you can’t count cards in this game but statistics wise- 

___

“Please Legend!” The youthful, whiney tone of the sailor echoed softly against the damp leaves and the dark, grand, trees, “It’s more fun when you play! I promise I’ll go easy on you!” Wind tugged on the seasoned hero’s calloused hand, yet his feet remained put on the muddy ground. 

Legend inhaled sharply, trying desperately to keep his patience, which was quickly evaporating into the atmosphere, “That’s what I’m worried about,” he fidgeted with the hem of his tunic, the thread coming out and a light rip slowly growing into a hole-he would have to sew that later, “your ‘easy’ is just a glorified cheating.” 

Wind continued to pull, not letting go easily, “Fine! One game-please! It will be fair I promise!” He was borderline desperate at this point, anything to tame the storm of boredom within his mind, “Please! You can’t cheat at war! I promise I won’t switch the cards-you can shuffle!” 

At that point Legend wanted to run, he wanted to yank his arm away and sprint away from that boy as fast as possible, but he was already too far deep, and he could show off his shuffling skills, “…Fine. Ace is high, and no looking at your own cards either. We shuffle after one of us finishes our deck.” 

“Sounds good!” 

Legend split the deck evenly, making sure to include two aces on each side-sure that wasn’t mandatory, but it made things easier for him to keep track of the sailor. He knew he would cheat, after all he did cheat many times before (Legend would never admit it, but he does miss his full wallet.). After successfully splitting the remaining 48 cards, along with shuffling the two decks, the game was ready to commence.

The first round started off smoothly, as the adventurer expected. However, as the game continued, he couldn’t help but notice the grin on Wind’s smile becoming wider and wider, and his pile growing closer and closer to a full deck. 

It was only until Legend and Wind both drew aces at the same time. Currently, Legend knew he had three aces in his deck from previous winnings. He also knew that the three were on the top, so he would be guaranteed a win. It was cheating, he wasn’t supposed to look at his cards, but you can’t trust the adventurer when a game he doesn’t even enjoy gets too intense. Yet, as the two yelled ‘duel’ and slapped down their cards, he was left with the sailor somehow having a second ace. There were only supposed to be four aces in the entire deck, but with Wind having another one, it added up to five.

“Sailor?” Legend’s voice was stern yet inquisitive as he spoke.

“Yes?” 

He tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn’t help but burst out in laughter, “You’re-“ he took a moment to collect himself, “You’re cheating.” 

Wind gasped in mock surprise, “Am not!” The wavering in his voice exposed the feigned innocence, “I promised I wouldn’t!” 

Legend took the two aces from the sailor, then exposing his own three, “The numbers don’t lie, Wind.” With a look of pure mischief, he grabbed a large handful of dirt from the ground, “And you know what happens to cheaters?” 

“No!” Wind shrieked, trying to scramble away as the dark earth was rubbed into his pale blonde hair, “Stop! No! Help! My hair is being murdered!” 

“Then maybe next time don’t cheat.” the adventurer got up, admiring his revenge, “Now excuse me, but I have a tunic to mend.” 

[drones-of-innocence]

One Step Closer

O~o~O

“Well, I won’t keep ya any longer. The countdown is about to start. Let me just say, Mr. Mario, it was a real pleasure to meet you!”

Mario grinned and shook his head. “Please, Felix. Just Mario.” he couldn’t help the nervous laugh that bubbled up. Tension from the whole night trying to fizz up inside him like the spritz in everyone’s champagne flutes. “The pleasure is mine. I would love to get to know you better.”

Felix’s bright eyes shone with wonder under the sweeping, colorful lights. Such a look of pure admiration. Mario was admittedly alarmed by the amount of people who looked at him in such a way that night. Seizing his shoulder, Felix shook his head. “You’re not 'just' anything, Mario. Believe me. You’re one spectacular fella.” he beamed. Then, seeing Mario’s eyes flicker over his shoulder to glance at Sergeant Calhoun laughing over her drink with Princess Peach, he leaned a little closer with a conspiratorial look. “You know, I can see the way you look at her.”

The music began to die down in preparation for the countdown. Mario swallowed hard and blinked at Felix. “Look at who like what?” he choked, heat rising in his face.

With a kind smile, Felix shrugged with one shoulder. The answer was obvious. “She gives ya the honeyglow, don’t she?” he patted Mario’s arm in a brotherly way. Offering his solidarity as he tilted his head in the direction of Sergeant Calhoun. “I felt it myself for my dynamite gal. Still do. It sets you alight, huh?” he asked warmly.

Mario’s throat went dry. Was it really so easy to see right through him? Felix had just met him! The icy grip of panic shot through his veins. Could the Princess see right through him? Oh no. He didn’t have the nerve to try to deny it. With all the dresses and suits floating by, chatting over their drinks, all the eyes stacked up on his back like the precariously balanced hors d’oeuvres carried around on silver platters. “Some—something like that.” he agreed, forcing a big smile when the Princess caught his gaze and waved at him. He managed to wave back, and Felix chuckled. 

“You’re a legend, Mario. Wherever you go, the spotlight follows. It’s a real privilege to know someone like you.” Felix’s more earnest look reminded him to take a deep breath. “I’ll let you be. Happy New Year, my friend.”

His hand left Mario’s shoulder, and he winked before he went to return to his lady. Sergeant Tamora Calhoun, the terrifyingly stylish war hero, who welcomed the embrace of her beloved with a pleased smile. Mario blinked. The pair somehow fit together like two pieces of a completely different puzzle that formed a new and more perfect image together. He let out a sigh. “Happy New Year, Felix.” he said to himself. More couples began to come together throughout the grand hall, headed toward the central attraction.

“Look at you, Superstar!” he jolted at the sudden weight on his arm, and turned to blink up at Princess Peach with wide eyes. “Both of them are just so lovely, aren’t they? He wants your autograph. I think everyone in this room does. How are you handling the spotlight?”

Faced with her sweet smile, Mario couldn’t maintain his own. A small group nearby pointed and squealed at him. “Ahi,” he let out, almost going to rub the back of his head before he remembered the painstaking time he’d put into styling his hair. “It’s…Different,” he admitted.

It never felt any less surprising. He had a reputation. Notoriety. People paid attention to his name. When he’d received the invitation to the New Year’s ball that year alongside Princess Peach, it was determined by a short session of the main Mushroom Kingdom council that it would be best for the pair to attend together, as dates. Much to his surprise. In that case, he and the Princess were to match. The royal tailor drew up several potential options for what he might wear. Luckily, they offered him some agency. They actually quite appreciated his suggestion for a salmon-colored suit, with maroon accents that the Princess could easily correspond with additional accessories to. The sparkles were a little showy, but it suited the occasion well. In the end, the process was fun, and Mario did sincerely enjoy escorting the Princess around the room and meeting so many new people. Her strapless dress really stole the show, even if she insisted that he was the one under the limelight.

She had said he looked “dashing.” That lingering thought hadn’t left his mind, making his chest feel warmer and more tingly than a sip of his martini.

But this wasn’t a proper date, not exactly. This was all a stage, a political display, and nothing more. While that thought injected a cold sting into the occasion, Mario wouldn’t let it waste the night. It was such a privilege to be seen with her, to match, to laugh and make new inside jokes together. And the way she clung to his arm, hardly leaving his side at all despite both of them being pulled away by old friends or fans, made his heart skip a beat.

“Big breath. Raise your glass and act like you’re giving a toast to that group.” she murmured, prompting him gently as she had done all night. She knew how to handle fame and attention. He did as she said, taking in a deep breath and bringing up his glass just as another group waved at them. “Good. Now, imagine I’ve said something mildly amusing to your delicate sensibilities. Like how that man over there looks rather like a grumpy Cheep Cheep.”

Mario had to stop himself from spitting out his drink. “What?” he asked, blinking up at her with wide eyes and trying frantically to hide his grin behind his glass.

Peach beamed. “There’s your winning smile,” she teased, reaching up to touch his face for just a moment. “Now, let’s go or we’ll miss the countdown!”

Oh, right. The object of the occasion. Mario collected himself, still trying not to laugh. And frantically trying to ignore the new heat in his face where she had touched him. He offered his arm to her. Giggling in her sweet manner, Peach accepted his lead. He might as well have been on fire. 

She really did set him alight. Mario searched the growing crowd, but he couldn’t find Felix.

All the glowing colors, the buzz of the room grew with anticipation until it was nearly electric. Still, Mario couldn’t really focus on much besides the Princess who held his arm with such relaxed familiarity. He couldn’t see the countdown; everyone else seemed to tower over him. But it must be getting close. He could hear excited murmurs, secretive whispers, hushed questions. Eyes flickering toward him.

The lights went dark. The crowd was fixed on the center of the room, and then the next moment they were all fixed on himself and the Princess. Mario blinked at everyone’s smiles suddenly facing them. His empty glass was taken by a waiter who disappeared just as fast. Peach pressed in closer, sensing the pressure. “Oh,” she hummed, surprised.

20…

Mario swallowed hard. He could hear pieces of their conversations. “...Kiss? Do you think they will? Isn’t it exciting? I wonder if they’ll kiss?” his eyes widened. 

He looked up at Peach. She looked down at him, equal alarm in her eyes.

15…

The murmured numbers gained volume as more people began to chant the countdown. Mario gulped and went stiff when he realized he could hear the word “kiss!” being softly suggested along with the numbers. 

Everyone was staring at them. Everyone was expecting them to bring in the new year with a kiss. Didn’t they know that he was just her guard? He wasn’t really her date, not like that! Surely, everyone knew. He had thought it was obvious; a plumber like him clearly didn’t belong next to someone like the Princess. Something stuck in his throat. This must be so humiliating for her. He didn’t want to dare to look back up. The heat crawled up his face, the attention coming down on him like blistering sunlight. A bead of sweat formed on his temple.

Peach stood closer still, reaching for his other arm so that they stood together under the attention. Mario didn’t even realize he’d rested his hands on her waist until she got his attention with a gentle squeeze to his shoulder.

10…

He whipped his head up to look into her eyes, ready to jump away from her. However, the Princess had a strangely placid, mysterious regard for him.

It wasn’t distaste, or disgust like he feared. He couldn’t read her at all.

9…

“It’s been a long year, hasn’t it?” she asked him.

Mario blinked. “...What?” he answered, intelligently. “Ehm. Yes.”

8…

She gave a soft smile, but it was the smile that hurt his heart because it somehow looked slightly sad.

7…

“I’m very grateful for you. I want you to know that you’re always the highlight of my day.” Peach smiled and averted her eyes.

6…

Mario’s eyes widened. 

5…! 

He could have sworn he saw her cheeks flush. “You’re so special to me, and to the Kingdom.”

4…!

Her eyes seemed to shimmer under the low lights, bringing him under her trance. “I couldn’t ask for a better guard to have at my side.”

3…!

“So I guess what I’m trying to say is…” Her hands came up to touch his face.

2…!

She leaned down. “Happy New Year, Mario.” she whispered.

1…!

Fireworks. Peach pressed her lips to his. A soft, lingering kiss. The hall erupted with color and life. Deafening cheers. Mario couldn’t hear them. He couldn’t hear anything. Her floral perfume washed over his senses. All he saw were fireworks behind his eyes, like bright flaming bursts in the sky. His heart pounding like explosions. 

He could have sworn he felt her smile into him.

She pulled away, and he had to blink himself out of the night show in his head. Flashing lights. Cameras. Thrilled cheers. Clinking glasses and couples kissing all around. Mario’s face must have been as red as his suit. Peach’s cheeks were about as pink as her dress. 

They stared at one another. Mario couldn’t look away. Colored lights washed over her, the smooth curve of her shoulders and the elegant stretch of her neck. Banners drew up as confetti fell. The music returned, lively and energetic, as the room around began to dance. And they stood so still in the middle of the chaos, as if they were the eye of the storm.

Though, Mario felt like anything but. She kissed him. She kissed him! And it wasn’t like the friendly peck on the cheek she’d usually offer after rescuing her. No, there was intent behind this kiss. He realized he hadn’t let go of her waist.

Her hands were still on his face. Her thumb traced his cheek. Her piercing blue eyes fell away from his. “I’m sorry if I overstepped.” she spoke in a low voice, only for him to hear.

He had to will himself out of his stiffened state. “N—no. It’s okay.”

There was no way he would be able to explain that he’d never had a New Year’s kiss before. Or that he was so deeply in love with her that her kiss had ignited a wildfire inside of him that he wasn’t sure could ever be quelled. He wasn’t sure if it was pleasant, or if it hurt. 

The attention still fell on them. Both of them had forced, plastered smiles.

Of course. It was for the crowd. That was all.

They were there to entertain, and nothing more. “Would you like to dance?” he asked, hoping he didn’t sound like he was in pain. 

Peach nodded. “I would love to,” she agreed quickly.

He drew up her arm to rest on his shoulder, and adjusted his hand that rested delicately on her waist. They interlaced their fingers with the same shy grasp. He held her close and they swayed in time with the sprightly music. He didn’t want to look into her eyes; he was afraid of what he might find if he stared too long. They had practiced the steps so many times that he didn’t even have to think about it. He missed those sessions. Her laughter and smile were never strained. 

They moved so naturally together. He wondered if she could feel it, too, or if she was ruminating in her head. 

Through the buzz of the crowd, the attention having finally shed off their backs, he spotted Felix and Calhoun again. Lost in one another. A private conversation. Felix was pressing Calhoun’s hand against his cheek, and he turned his face to kiss her palm. 

His eyes flickered up and caught Mario’s. He grinned, and made a motion with an invisible glass for a toast. Calhoun shot him a knowing grin.

A blazing impulse welled up within him. Perhaps it was the liquid courage, or just his own intrepid venture. Mario thoughtfully turned Peach’s dainty hand over in his own, observing the way they fit together. His gloved hand was so much larger than hers. The way she clasped him felt intrinsic. He wondered if one day, they could be like that reformed puzzle that Felix and Calhoun were. Two mismatched pieces finding a home in one another. He ran his thumb over her knuckles, before bringing her hand close to his face.

He glanced up at her, daring to look into her eyes. “Happy New Year, my Princess.” he murmured, and pressed her knuckles to his lips. A tiny kiss.

Peach parted her lips and took a sharp breath in, staring with wide eyes. Her cheeks flushed a lovely rosy shade. And she smiled, more radiant than any fireworks or flashing lights. When he pulled away, she was the one to renew her grip on his hand. 

They shifted one step closer. She didn’t let go of him for the rest of the night.

O~o~O

The Mario household lay in a quiet stillness at 3:27am, only briefly interrupted by some clattering before all fell silent again.

Clean dishes stacked in the kitchen. A blanket thrown haphazardly over the couch. Luigi came out of his room, rubbing his eyes, and discovered a glittery suit jacket across the arms of a chair, and, upon further inspection, his brother laying on the floor. 

Bowtie loosened. Dress shirt untucked. A hand running through his already disheveled hair. An anxious habit of his.

Wordlessly, Luigi came to sit beside his fallen brother, hugging his robe around himself. 

Mario shook his head, muttering to himself without opening his eyes. He let out a long, heavy sigh. While this was typical behavior for his buzzed brother, who’d probably had his share of martinis as his drink of choice, Luigi raised his eyebrows when he noticed a distinctive swatch of pink across his brother’s lips.

He bit back a smile. “Un bacio?” he asked. A kiss?

Mario groaned and dragged his palms down his face. “I don’t know.” he mumbled, muffled into his hands.

Ah. Luigi nodded sympathetically, seeing the crease Mario’s brow. He patted Mario’s chest. “A heart that hurts is a heart that beats,” he reminded him softly. Something their mother used to say.

Watching the Princess and his brother dance around their feelings could be painful. But if Mario was really overthinking a direct kiss like that, he imagined it would be okay, eventually. But in the meantime, his brother would be hurting. No matter what he did, in his goofy head, he would never be good enough for Peach. But Luigi saw the way she looked at him, too. If only their feelings weren’t such a mystery to each other.

At least it seemed they were one step closer to knowing.

O~o~O

Inspired by @elitadream's gorgeous New Year's post! I also had One Step Closer by U2 playing on repeat while I wrote this 😆

Here's to the new year 🥂 Whether this is a moment of resolved change for you, a step toward growth or greater happiness, or even just another evening, I wish you all the best! 💖✨

[rhondafromhr]

Headcanon that Grace’s love language is media. She obviously has a lot of hangups about physical touch and I feel like she wouldn’t be the best at using words to comfort people (love her but she’d probably accidentally say something that made them feel even worse lol), so if one of her friends is distressed she’ll put something on (movie, show, video game, etc) that she either knows is their favorite or thinks they’ll like. She’s weirdly good at guessing, too, and she’s helped them all discover new favorites.

With Steph, whenever her dad says something that really stings (even if Steph will never admit it and will say she’s just annoyed that he won’t get off her case), they watch so much trash reality TV together. Grace insists that it’s sinful filth and she’s only tolerating it for Steph’s sake, but she gets super invested to the point of actually yelling at the TV and it never fails to get Stephanie to crack a smile. Stephanie’s actually gotten into Twitter beefs with a couple cast members from previous seasons of Love Island (they just HAD to defend that problematic dog) and Grace thinks that’s the coolest thing ever.

With Pete, it’s old school video games. He has every retro console imaginable and especially likes the older Legend of Zelda games. Whenever he’s feeling down, Grace just has to get him rambling about the lore and showing her all the hacks and Easter eggs in the games and soon he forgets whatever was bothering him.

With Richie, it’s the Danganronpa games. Whenever they figure out who did it, she has endless thoughts on why the culprit’s plan was stupid and what they should have done differently to not get caught and Richie finds it both amusing and mildly concerning. They also watch a lot of anime in general (obviously, it’s Richie after all) and he’s endlessly fascinated by Grace’s deep analysis of the religious symbolism he didn’t catch on his previous watches.

With Ruth, it’s classic movie musicals. Ruth has a lot to say about them and the influence they’ve had on musicals today and at first, whenever she catches herself rambling about it she apologizes for being annoying and gets super flustered and embarrassed, but Grace encourages her to keep going because at least Ruth isn’t crying anymore. Grace actually really enjoys the music and the pretty costumes and larger than life choreography. She also appreciated that there was no sex/vulgarity in them until Ruth ruined it by explaining that there totally is, they just had to rely on more subtle innuendo. As a wise man once said, a song is a dick in sheep’s clothing. They also watch newer musicals sometimes, although they’re limited to ones that have pro shots or movie versions available because Grace refuses to watch bootlegs. Once Ruth’s really comfortable with her, she points out all the characters that are dream roles of hers and how she’d portray them.

With Max (assuming a Max lives/gets redeemed AU), it’s cartoons. He’s reluctant to admit to liking them because he’s worried it’ll make people think he’s stupid and childish, but one day he came to her house looking like he’d been crying after his dad really went in on him for failing a test and she put on Gravity Falls at random. She doesn’t approve of the satanic magic it promotes, but he seemed to like it and she would have done anything to get that devastated look off of his face and make him stop putting himself down. They also regularly watch Veggie Tales together after they discover they both grew up watching it.

She also makes them a cup of hot water to sip on because that’s what her mom always does for her when she’s sad. They all think it’s weird, but they still drink it because they appreciate the gesture and over time it sort of grows on them.