#somehow I get the impression that it won't but I can dream

[cheriafreya]

man this part of the game was wildd

[gay-dorito-dust]

Can I please request Bill thinking he finally found a human who won't betray him, someone he really enjoyed the company of (but would never admit to that because Bill) only to find them trying to destroy the portal?

This is long as shit, be warned and I tried to keep bill in character as much as possible but he might be ooc at some points.

Your first meeting with Bill was one he didn’t expect. When faced with something you know isn’t normal, the response Bill was expecting was you running away until you were out of sight, talking off the ears of anyone who’d head your warning but you instead smiled at him.

‘Nice bow tie and top hat sentient triangle.’ You said.

‘The names Bill Cipher, so you can stop calling me that name, I find it rather insulting, and thanks! I dress to impress but most people just run away or scream bloody murder to appreciate my effort to look presentable’ he replies, finding himself a new human pet to play with after swearing to himself that Sixer would be the last, Bill was a liar and he knew it, messing with humans and destroying their physique was the most genuine fun he’s had in a long, long while.

This was merely the begging of yours and Bills weird friendship and it was only going to get weirder from this point onwards.

Being friends with a sentient triangle dream demon was…a experience indeed as you’d often wake to him floating above you, drinking something through a silly straw and wearing a hat unlike the usual slim black top hat he wore, only to find out that he had somehow snuck several chicken into your room that had scaly dragon legs and could breath fire.

That took a while for you to get ride of them with a wooden broom and not have it set on fire when the chickens retaliate with fire.

‘How did you find such things?’ You’d ask Bill when sitting down to eat breakfast.

He shrugs. ‘You search for a realm that swaps certain anatomy of animals and play a demented game of mix and match to see what monstrosities to humanity could be made and bingo! Infinite possibilities of scaring or scaring people for the rest of their lives! ha ha!’

‘And chickens with dragon feet and could breath fire is your go to choice, wasn’t there anything else you could’ve chosen from?’ You inquired as you took a bite of your breakfast and immediately grimacing when you felt something was off.

‘Oh sure there was and- oh you’ve found where I put my mealworms from last week.’ Bill casually told you as he plays with his silly straw while you spat your breakfast out into a nearby bin, wiped your mouth before pushing the plate away from you as your appetite was ruined.

'glad to be of help. buddy.' you replied as you decided that it would be best to wait for bill to disappear before attempting to eat and or drink again.

As the weeks progress Bill found himself enjoying your company more than he originally suspected, sure you were fun to mess with and play impractical pranks on from time to time. However -and he’ll never admit this ever- he had come to actually enjoy spending time with you and getting to know you outside of his personal human plaything.

Bill begrudgingly remembered your least favourite family member and why, your favourite colour, your first pets name and so much more that he would deem unimportant; to things that were deep and personal to you such as your fear of being alone or not taken seriously enough. To which he offered some -albeit questionable- advice.

‘Listen if everyone takes themselves seriously or someone wants everyone else to take them seriously, then who’s going to laugh at kids when they fall over, or at people who make an fool of themselves as they fall upon their own sword of hubris.’ Bill tells you once as you both sat on the roof of your home, star gazing.

‘And what am I meant to take away from all that ?’ You asked, not understanding what he was getting with this.

‘Don’t take yourself too seriously or expect others to either when you know that version of yourself will be someone you’ll sooner regret wishing for.’ Bill responded.

‘Do you miss home?’ You then asked him out of the blue and Bill couldn’t help but be a little taken aback by it.

‘Home..’ bill trailed off as he took his hat off, reached a hand inside and pulled out a glowing atom, the remains of his home. ‘This is what remains of my home.’ He tells you rather sombrely, remembering the last time he told a human of his origins, only for him to dedicate himself into destroying him.

‘I’m..I’m so sorry I didn’t-‘ you’d tried to apologise but bill held up a hand as he returned the remains of his home back into his top hat before putting it back on his head.

‘It’s fine. I was bound to tell you about that sooner or later.’ He waves his hand but you could tell you struck a nerve.

‘Sooo…what happened to your home, only if you don’t mind me asking.’ - you

‘It was destroyed by a monster.’ Bill answered with a distant look in his eye.

‘As stupid as this will probably sound to you but you’ll always have a home with me, I hope you know that.’ You told him with the most genuine smile across your face and Bill couldn’t help but feel…touched by your words. He’s thrown and done everything to push you to the brink and all you’ve done was withstand him and his shenanigans all the while standing your ground.

‘You’re a strange human and your sentimentality makes me physically sick but…I guess I appreciate the thought.’ Bill had to force himself to say, he might as well have swallowed down stones with how hard it seemed for him to say anything remotely considerate. You were quite possibly the only human that showed him kindness and compassion and that made the dream demon feel weird and out of his depth.

Now that Bill was thinking about it not once had you ever given him a reason to distrust you, sure he was suspicious of you at first, but overtime you have proven yourself to be the most trustworthy person in his long, long life. You had made him feel unlike anything he’s felt before and that made him on edge, just in the case that he was being lured into a false sense of security later down the line, but nope you didn’t do such a thing and stayed open and honest him no matter what.

It almost made bill feel bad about the shit he put you through but soon he’d come to regret saying these words, for not even a week later and Bill caught you red handed destroying his portal after searching the house for you when you didn’t greet him like usual.

‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!’ He screamed, his body burning brightly at the betrayal you’ve just committed, was everything you said a lie? Were you just as good at pulling people along as he was? How long have you been waiting for this exact moment to get back at him?

‘What does it look like, I’m destroying the portal.’ Your reply was stone cold as you continued to dismantle the portal piece by piece while Bill shouted profanities at you.

‘YOU LIED TO ME!’ - bill

‘That’s cute coming from someone who takes sick enjoyment in breaking every human he comes across, pushing them into utter madness with no remorse!’ You chuckled humourlessly as you looked at the dream demon who looked about ready to either cry or combust.

‘YOU LIED TO ME!’ Bill repeated as his anger only grew stronger the more he began to think back on all of your heart to heart moments and wonder whether they were fake too? Did you not mean it when you said that he had a home with you?

‘I didn’t lie, I just didn’t tell you the whole truth.’ You retorted. ‘Now are you going to shut up and kill me or keep ranting on how I somehow betrayed you because either way I don’t care.’ You added as you watched the triangular demon closely.

‘Kill you? Oh no sweetie, you’ve just earned a fate WORSE THEN DEATH! Eternal torture until you speak the truth and then torture you so more because I find your pathetic humans pain funny!’ Bill laughed maniacally. ‘And to think I was starting to like you, you just had to go and stab me in the back!’

You shrug, trying to hide how scared you were in this moment, knowing that even if you did scream for help it would be far too late by the time Ford, Stan or either dipper or Mabel to save you and you were okay with that. ‘First time for everything right?’ You asked with a smile. ‘I’m sure you’ll get use to it sooner or later.’

Bill’s eye was wide and looking maniacal in the moment as his voice was oddly and unnervingly calm that it froze your blood. ‘You humans might act brave in the face of danger, but what I’m capable will have you wishing you never picked up that wrench or tried playing the hero. For playtime is over.’

[mirrors-are-green]

How to make Tim & Damian friends? Through animals. Obviously. Also Damian should've gotten a horse waaaaay before there was a cow. He's a 10 year old aristocratic child. Which likes animals. OF. COURSE. HE. IS. GETTING. A. HORSE.

Damian is a horse girl. No, I will not elaborate.

(It's a sport. Dignified. With animals. Which you get to train. Actually the better you train them, the more successful you are. OF COURSE he would be into it. Come on.)

(horse riding training in Mongolia was actually used as a reward/present for him from Thalia. Still training. Technically. But you all know how it went.)

(bonus points if he gets to bond with a stable man)

What if Tim got a horse from his parents for a late random-rich-folks present? Like a car, but he was too young so... He names her Queenie Buttercup.

What would Tim do with a horse? Well, he researches. Alright. His parents bought him a place in the best stable in the city, but it's so obviously corrupt. Also incompetent. Tim' s gotta take care of that. Obviously. Also some horses are horribly mistreated by their owners. Or sold to the slaughterhouse. He manipulates, blackmails, bribes these people off. And.... he somehow ended up with a full stable some day, without even realizing it or planning it one bit???.

Also he lets all the poor kids in (he hired some people to supervise dw) to the horsies. Obviously. They help around. Get to ride? There is one pair of twins from Crime Alley (most of the kids are from there...) taking care of this one old horse in particular. They're making him the most beautiful looking food, braid his mane, decorate him with frills...

There is a quiet red haired boy, with black eyeliner, heavily tattooed. He always helps the younger kids and is the best at shushing any spooked horse.

There is a great competition who can decorate their saddle the prettiest. Some adults even try to cheat...

There's also one reeeealy ambitious kid. He wants to compete for real. He showed up, determined, fists balled up, at Tim's front door one day. He said that he discovered some of Janet & Jack artifacts were in fact very convincing fakes like this one tile, from example. Supposedly from Hadrian's grave. But it was identified on the basis of three papers, all of which cite in a critical junction a paper which, under closer examination, is clearly just pretending to answer the question of the origin, in fact it was written with the specific person in mind from the very beginning, isn't it strange that....... etc etc. But he won't tell anybody, no siree. He'll spare Tims' family the embarrassment. But only if he gets to ride Queenie Buttercup. And if he's good, get the chance to compete.

(He has a mother who supports him very much. And a stepfather who loves him. And two no no-nonsense older sisters (one is veterinarian, Tim hires her immediately. Pays her VERY handsomely. She always sees through his bullshit and doesn't care about his money or power or status, her brother and animals come first. Damian is Very Impressed and demands to be made aware every time she does something so he can watch or even assist.) who do whatever they can to help him realize his dream. Actually his whole block loves him. When he competes the whole Crime Alley keeps their fingers crossed for him to win. He gets a big celebration when he comes home after winning his first big trophy.)

There's also a girl from Tim's class really into horses. She's overly formal and does karate in her free time. Tim never noticed her before, but now they're besties. They trade statistics and have regular fights about what's the most likely breed to do XYZ.

Damian of course wants the piece of that fairytale dream stable as soon as he finds out (so maybe the stables are not on the manor grounds idk). Also after realizing how many animals Tim has rescued he starts to respect him.

How he found out?

Tim obviously doesn't advertise that he's got a whole stable and is literally changing lives of a bunch of kids. No one cares about his stuff, obviously. He would bore them to tears when talking about it, just like with any other of his hobbies. Also it's normal and totally what anyone would do. Besides, doesn't every upper class family have stables? It's, like, a requirement when you're filthy rich. Like having a yacht.

Also that could make Tim, who always wants to do everything by himself, the most experienced in terms of normal farm adjacent/ manual labor. Like, the Bats are city boys through and through. Jason maybe did idk some construction work when he needed money, but he wouldn't get the chance to actually muck about with horse manure probably ever. So it would be HILARIOUS. He could casually bring it up? His casual knowledge of this kind of work. Everyone would think it was a joke and something he researched, so in poor taste even to pretend to actually have experience with this hardship and act all knowledgeable. Jason would scoff at the silver spoon Tim has been fed with since birth, so what can he possibly know. And he just goes...

"Oh yeah, I run a stable actually. Yes I do the clean ups with everyone. Obviously. So that's why I know about that. Anyway so what are we watching?" And they're just SHOCKED.

Or alternatively

Tim is of course the owner of like, 6 cats. Actually there was just one stable cat at the beginning but she had kittens so... yeah it's 6 now. Yeah we take care of them. They're cute. And he just casually brings it up to Damian?

Tim: "I totally get making so many pictures of your pet. I have, like, five thousand pictures of my cats. I sometimes stalk them, even. To get better shots. And they look so adorable in each of them!"

Damian: "You. Have cats. As in. Multiple."

Tim: "Oh I've never told you, sorry, completely forgot haha. Do you wanna see the pi- *grabs his phone*?

Damian: "That. Was. The. Stupidest. Question. I've. Ever. Heard. OF COURSE I WANT TO SEE. SHOW ME NOW OR PERISH.

Damian, some time later: And just as I was looking at Ismat Hasna...

Tim: Woohoo stop. I don't know what you're talking about. None of my horses are named like that?

Damian, completely seriously: Well obviously. If she was originally named like that, it would mean you have some common sense and I wouldn't have to rename her. But, alas. You named the most majestic horse on this plane of existence QUEENIE. BUTTERCUP. So. She needed an intervention from someone more sensible than you. Obviously.

Tim:

Damian: You're welcome, by the way. I already corrected her paperwork.

And they just bond and start being friendly towards each other and Dick is soooo proud, Bruce has no idea what/how (he suspects blackmail or witchcraft), Jason and Tim team up to support Crime Alley kiddos in pursuit of their hobbies. Jason got literal tears in his eyes when he saw, in real time, some harmless contact with animals and getting a chance to take care of something slowly, slowly breaks the circle of violence these kids were stuck in.

His next charity project is some martial arts centre, an indoor basketball court, paying some good trainers to just believe in those kids. It works wonders.

Idk just some thoughts I would be very glad if someone made it into a proper story or even help me develop the concept fuller... just tag me!!

[yan-lorkai]

Só lembrei da minha ideia agora, perdão mandar tarde assim

Você conseguiria escrever yandere! Azul, malleus e vil com uma Yuu que simplesmente não fica presa?

Não é como se ela quisesse fugir ou estivesse muito desconfortável, pelo contrário, elaate gosta deles, ela simplesmente so não fica presa

Tipo, o malleus prende ela em um quarto e meia hora depois ela tá andando pela diasomnia como se ela não tivesse feito a coisa mais impressionante do mundo, e quando perguntam pra ela "como vc escapou?" Ela só fala tipo "ah mano, o cadeado quebrou" como se não fosse nada

Muito obrigada, e time muito cuidado consigo mesma

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Translation: Can I have Azul, Malleus and Vil with a reader that always escape somehow? Like, she's super lucky and things tend to work for her. But it's not that she wants to run away or don't like them, it's just somehow she always escape.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ A/N: Gonna reply in english, Sweetie! But omg have I told you already that I loved this? This is all so silly and they're so dramatic, help---. I was imagining so many scenes when I was writing those hcs that I sincerely thought for a whole second to write a oneshot instead. Glad I didn't because it would be lengthy as hell, not that I won't do it in the future 👀. Well I hope you enjoy, darling! <33

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Warnings: Yandere content, kidnapping (on malmal's part), Azul's insecurity + him guilty tripping reader, reader loves the yandere, technically fem!reader but no pronouns / gendered terms were used so everyone can read!

Malleus is a powerful wizard and he knows it. He could move mountains with the blink of an eye or make the seas stir, in fact, he would be more than happy to demonstrate everything he can do in front of you. He almost looks like a bird trying to impress its partner. So silly.

The problem is that Malleus is possessive, he wants you by his side all the time. He wants you to be the blood that runs through his veins, wants you to be the air he breathes and the water that touches his lips, that's why, after a few months of just being your friend, he takes the first step and asks you to be his lover. And he's a good boyfriend, a little clumsy and confused, of course, it's his first time in a romantic relationship, but he always tries to be better for you. He is almost perfect.

But not even that can tame the inner dragon that roars and breathes fire inside, far from it, having you so close makes Malleus more greedy. He just wants more and as usual he simply takes what he wants. Your moving into his room as he likes to call it happens at night, after you sleep so peacefully without knowing what is happening, his fingers gently groping over your skin, his lips connecting with your cheeks and forehead as he watches over your dreams. He can get used to it.

When you wake up and the first thing you see is your boyfriend and hear him say all those absurd things and feelings that have been building up in his chest, of course you don't react well. You're scared, confused but there's still love for him in your heart as you slowly turn away and hide yourself on his blankets, pondering.

But there's nothing you can do, not at that moment and controlling yourself as much as you can, you pretend that kidnapping people because you love them so much is considered normal - for someone who has lived a long time like him, Malleus certainly doesn't understand sarcasm, since he's overjoyed, kissing you and being content in watching you do completely mundane things.

By the way, even if you wanted to run away, appealing to Silver's good heart or Sebek's sense of justice is in vain. If their prince decided to do what he did then they won't stop him, instead they will talk to you, explain to you that things will be better if you just accept it. And Lilia will endorse this thought.

Now, after some time passed and you realized that you didn't care, it's not as if you're trying to escape per say. But as you were trying to open the doors to go outside for something, you applied a little more force and it opened. The same happened when you tried to open the windows, removing the padlocks from them with ease since they weren't even closed, letting the sun's rays illuminate Malleus's room. If Malleus was trying to keep you in his room he was failing horribly.

Your supposed plans to escape improving with each new attempt, but no matter how many times you "escaped" Malleus always seems to be two steps ahead, a smug smile on his lips.

He always knows that you will try to run away, just as he knows that after that you will come running into his arms as if nothing had happened, wanting the comfort that only he can offer. While your escape attempts are funny to watch, he asks you why you always escape and how, and your answer makes him laugh loudly. So you're not trying to escape, you just don't like to spend everyday in his room and away from him? Granted, he now takes you on walks in Diasomnia's gardens and through some ruins he has found. He also allows you to spend time with his brothers and father.

Now that he knows you're not trying to escape, Malleus will let you walk peacefully through Diasomnia and the campus but you know that somehow he is always watching you. At the end of the day you will return to his side.

⠀

Vil knows who he is and what he is capable of doing, what he is capable of achieving if he stays focused and persists in whatever is on his mind. And at the moment what occupies his mind is you, his sweet schatz. Loving you is the best thing that has happened to him, so soft and sublime, just like the books and movies suggested it would be.

And it's out of love that Vil brings you to live at Pomefiore after talking to you and knowing your opinion, he knows very well that his feelings of possession are unhealthy but in a world of villains, you learn to ignore that. It doesn't mean he doesn't first try to get your opinion on moving before he becomes a villain who stole your freedom in your eyes. And seriously, life in Pomefiore is better than in Ramshackle where you had to hope the roof didn't fly off and be careful with the stairs and the leaks and the hard mattress that made your back hurt.

You notice that Vil reveals his true colors slowly, switching this and that in your schedule to match his. Or doing your skin care himself because he likes the control and taking care of you, and well, you don't really care about that. Not even with the big changes he makes, as long as he still loves you, you follow him without complaining. And Vil realizes this, which is why he never imagined you would try to escape from him. If you can call this an escape attempt, that is.

You were creating potions in Vil's personal laboratory. Why? Because you wanted to show him what you had learned today, but the potion was so potent that it almost put him to sleep as soon as he smelled it. Needless to say, he wasn't happy about it, a little disoriented and with a growing migraine on the way, he thought that you were trying to put him to sleep to run away. But he was strangely happy to notice that you were feeling guilty and explaining what were your intentions as you make sure that everything's was alright with him. As an actor he knows how to recognize a liar, but you spoke the truth. So he decided to let it go.

It was just a single, terrible mistake, right?

Such incidents continued to occur. Sometimes even Rook had difficulty following you around campus, having to use his Unique Magic to be able to keep his eyes on you. Lady Lucky seemed to favor your above everyone else, helping you in your little escapades. You did a little bit of everything, you even managed to create a shrinking potion, staying tiny for a whole day and, instead of looking for Vil to fix this problem, you went out there into the world wanting to experience the spontaneity of the moment. One of these days you'll leave him gray with worry.

Despite the frustration bubbling within him, Vil sits you down at his dressing table to work on your hair and asks you about all these incidents, wondering if they were just tests to see how far you could push him to his limit before actually trying to escape. But when you explain your intentions to him, knowing that you're not trying to get away from him takes a weight off his shoulders. The whole situation becomes comical, here he was worried and with countless thoughts running through his head, a particularly potent potion hidden in his pocket and here you are, completely unaware of the effects you have on him.

He thinks it's ridiculous that he considered that you would run away when he stops to think about how you adore his affection, drink in his every word and savor his every gesture. You're a troublemaker but are still so dependent on him. Maybe he was a little hasty and now he can finally relax. This little quality of yours though both confounded and captivated him.

⠀⠀

Azul is above all a strategist. He plans everything from the way you will meet for the first time to the way he will steal something from you. Maybe a talent, maybe a skill, but something will become his to satisfy that strange feeling he has in his chest every time he sees you. Weeks of plans are thrown out the window as soon as one day you sit in his office chair, wanting to make a contract with him. And that is the unique chance he has been waiting for, regardless of what your heart desires, he is able to achieve it and in return have you.

If only it were that simple... It's only after his whole overblot fiasco that you finally start to get closer, you still staying by his side to help him rebuild Mostro Lounge. And months later, friendship became a relationship due to Azul's calculations and assumptions. In the end you had your wish fulfilled and so did he, having you as his partner was like a dream come true. Yet, sometimes he wonders what you see in him.

He doesn't let that thought stay on his mind much, preferring to spend time with you, thinking about you, heavens he's so clingy he can't even keep his hands off you, that is, when you're alone of course. You're so sweet to him, bringing him coins for his collection and asking him how his day was, it's nice to have someone who cares. But it's terrible to imagine the ways that anyone who has a beef with him would hurt you for his actions, so Azul proposes another contract with the intention of protecting you from possible threats.

The contract in theory is simple: to remain under the twins' watch and protection. Though, your friends and other people tend to avoid you because of this, because Jade and Floyd are too intimidating. You particularly find them funny with their very different mannerisms, hovering over your shoulders like two shadows, Floyd pestering you while Jade supposedly tries to control him. Azul thinks this is a good contract, whether you think so or not - he can be convinced otherwise through persuasion.

Something that Azul didn't foresee, however, was that the twins would get bored of playing babysitter and would drag you somewhere. Jade wanted to show you his terrariums while Floyd wanted to take you to see their house, neither of them answering any of Azul's messages or calls, not even you but that's because you were trying to get the twins not to fight each other. So your escapades happen because of them, because of that Azul knows that you're not trying to leave him and he recognizes that, but due to his insecurity, every time you return to him Azul seems about to start crying while he wrap himself all over you.

If you tried to run away he could at least do this and that to prevent it, instead he tries to make you feel guilty for making him worry so much. He was about to cut off his own tentacles and eat them if you took one more second to walk through that door, is that what you wanted? It must be, otherwise you wouldn't have run away without saying anything to him >:(

Cuddle him now. Or else, he'll gonna be cranky and fussy. He just loves you so much and he knows you love as well, so why do you do this? Just let him love you completely and wholly.

[mrinafria]

Is Seon Jae corny?

One of the biggest charms of Lovely Runner for me is how it portrays a romance that is youthful, goofy, foolish and yet touches your heart in the most sensible and mature way possible. It doesn't forget it's a romcom at heart and serves us just that, so going into the show expecting a different genre is just unfair to the show (and yourself because you are the one setting yourself up for disappointment imo).

I'm not a big fan of immature childish romance devoid of any substance but that is not what we see here, despite Seon Jae being 19yo (or 20 or 34 yo). There's youthful anticipation, excitement and emotions but somehow Seon Jae's character (and Im Sol's character too, although she's always been 34yo in the main narrative) manages to transcend the notion of age and time with what he feels for Im Sol, the extent of it and the way he acts when it comes to her. Romance today is calculative and is often done in moderation, which is not necessarily a bad thing, because it is essential to learn to love ourselves too as we love someone special, but for both Im Sol and Seon Jae, loving themselves is also intrinsically connected to loving each other. Im Sol learns to appreciate life through loving Seon Jae, Seon Jae loves Im Sol because he appreciates what life has to offer.

This scene, for instance. I've rambled about this in the past too. It always warms my heart to see how, in all the timelines, he never gives up on life itself due to Im Sol not reciprocating his feelings/not remembering him. The guilt/heartbreak, longing and lovesickness are palpable in all versions of Seon Jae across all timelines but every time, he chooses to move forward in life (despite his heart being stuck in time with his Sol-ah), embracing everything life has to offer him. One of the things that becomes evident pretty early on in Lovely Runner is Seon Jae loves life. He may struggle sometimes but he doesn't think of it as a chore or burden to live on. He has things he cherishes, people he hangs out with, his dreams, aspirations, pain and struggle outside of Im Sol. He is not a pushover, he has stuff going on, he has a life. And he's not someone who'll casually say things like "I'll die for you" to anyone just to impress and get them to date him. Such grand statements don't usually make much of an impact on me as a viewer either but here, it somehow just works? Perhaps because we know he loves his life and wouldn't give it up no matter how hard things get, except for when he, his first and only love, part of his soul, is in crisis--tested by fate and time and death--and he is adamant about not letting it mess with his happiness, just like he wasn't ready to give up swimming despite Im Sol's warnings and his existing injury. That is the only time he'd make an exception: choose to live a short, worthwhile life, than live a long one devoid of any happy memories or love. It is not his childishness. In fact, he is doing what many of us can never, ever do. And perhaps that's why it doesn't sit well with some of the viewers; he complicates how we define love, happiness, fulfillment these days.

And come to think of it, he doesn't really say he'll die for her. He says Even if I die trying to save you, it's okay: it's a sad thing, Sol-ah. it's painful, yes, but it's okay. I might be worried for the remaining 14 years of my life, but that's because I'll have very little time to love you, to be in this feeling, to cherish the moments I make with you. I'll be sad that I won't see my first grey hair with you or be with you in so many of your big milestones in life, but it's okay. I'll try to make the most of whatever we get, now and tomorrow.

His sadness and heartbreak comes not from not being able to live his life to the fullest, but not being able to live his life with her. That exact same sentiment is conveyed by the final 2023 Seon Jae too, who doesn't even remember Im Sol or any of his old timeline versions and yet says the same thing.

The 2009 Seon Jae doesn't say 'I WILL die trying to save you'; he says 'if', there is a conditional. Even when he's aware of the impending doom, he doesn't give up on his life, on the 'if'. The guy with that face that has accepted a death that is yet to come, with eyes brimming with tears, with a heart determined to live hoping for an 'if' until then… when this guy makes such cheesy claims about his love and death, it's no longer an empty exaggerated promise. It hits a lot harder and leaves me momentarily breathless. That claim, stemming from the inherent human instinct to just want to be happy, and that non-calculative, selfless, pure kind of love, is exactly the thing I signed up for. That proclamation—simple, corny—is pain wrapped in momentary happiness, and my heart sinks, thinking just how fast he had to grow up in that short span of moments.

Ryu Seon Jae is like a North Star—he may not shine the brightest, but he shines bright enough in the same way, consistently, in every timeline we see him in. He is the star you could identify even in the sea of a million stars. Because that's how distinct his persona is. He may be corny and a loser, but he is corny and a loser exclusively for Im Sol, not in his life. That's the best kind of corny and loser one could find.

[lxdymoon0357]

Hey hey aurelia 🥰

May i request a yandere Chamberlain siblings and Irene with a fem knight reader? Where reader is a knight of claudia from childhood but got killed by the males leads because they thought that reader is really close to claudia?

U can ignore it if you want!^^

Have a great day ☺️

(Hey Yev! Thanks for requesting this! Trigger warning: murder, hanging, etc. Yandere content also written with female reader in mind, but it is gn)

Yan! Chamberlain siblings X Knight! Reader X Yan! Irene (platonic)

☢ Irene read about you and how you were a middle class noble's daughter, your parents supported everything you do even when you asked to be a knight to your darling friend Claudia, you trained with Felix and soon you became a knight due to your hard-work and became Claudia's right-hand (wo)man!!!

☢ But you were unfortunately killed brutally by the three male leads, which made Irene very MAD obviously, you were her favourite, and then when she turned into Irene, she was destined to make sure you were safe. She didn't care what happened, you were going to be happy and her ship is going to sail!!!!

☢ You, Irene and Claudia are the most amazing trio, both Claudia and Irene ready to throw hands for you, a knight very much strong enough to kill three bears if they attacked at the same time, yeah, it is the trope of a big gentle and two small angry gremlins, it's fine, you like your two very pretty gremlins!!! You're very chaotic to be around, ngl....

☢ Felix often helps you train and Lerase is also there, he is impressed by your strength and finds you nice and entertaining and often leaves you alone when he is in control of Felix, he doesn't like to hurt, not only because he likes you a bit but also because Claudia and Irene will not leave him if he does so, does not matter if he is in Felix's body or in the demon realm...

☢ The moment, Claudia, Felix or Irene see any of the male leads even in a 100 meter radius, they are ready to rip someone to shreds, especially them who cheated you and killed you after betraying you, yes they gave you a love potion and then killed you in cold blood just like with Irene right before kidnapping Claudia...

☢ You also taught Claudia and Irene some sword fighting and self defense to protect themselves in case you aren't there, but it wasn't much of use cause you're always near them and always there to protect them and help them

☢ Claudia and Felix are very much in love with you, the siblings always fight on who will spend more time with you and Irene always win in that matter, cause she is your elder sister, does not matter if you're 100 and she is 12, she will be your ELDER SISTER!!!! She approves of the Chamberlain siblings and would allow you to date them on one condition, they keep you away from the three male leads, Lerase is also not one to back down as well....goodluck to you!

☢ Anyways, Felix and Claudia constantly flirting with you, Lerase also flirting with you late at nights, but dirty flirting with you which makes you blush and heat up and Lerase chuckles and smiles at you, for the first time in a million years, you don't know what these feelings are and oh! If you ever see them kill anyone, just walk away, pretty person~

☢ Also, Claudia, Irene and Felix killed the three male leads, if you're wondering how, Claudia flirted with them or they asked you to meet somewhere but they got the letter and then BOOM! Murdered!!!! They got their head crushed, stabbed, hanged and other things I won't mention as it is too graphic, but not like they care!!

☢ Okay, now father Chamberlain does not mind his child to be dating you, in fact he will get you married to the two underground where same sex marriage and poly marriages are allowed, so anyways, you got married to the two....Somehow, turns out it wasn't a dream....you get Irene and father and mother Chamberlain's blessings and prays, they love you!!!

☢ okay, now that you're married to Claudia and Felix, them sharing you, one thing that is frequent is, both of them will have you to themselves separately for a whole day, they're siblings and so they know how to share things well, they do get jealous at times though... It's fine, they have you on their lap, your head on your lap or them on your lap, cause they don't care and equality!!!

☢ Oh, please train in front of them in a tank top or something like that, they love your figure, does not matter if you're chubby or skinny or anything else, they find you attractive for you and your body and your great beauty was just a plus point!!

[meinkatzchen]

Mate I'm just seriously loving your take on ren, it's impressed so much so far too!

Also could I patch up your y/n? Poor gal looks scared out her wits.. Gonna pull that fox's tail if it happens again [[Still fab art, keep it up hon!!]]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! ���💕💕 I have a cold right now, so I hope my thoughts won't come across as jumbled. I still really like to see Ren not as such a harmless fluffy ball of shyness, as Gato showed him in the original BTD (although he is quite cute there, but still…I don't see any interest in developing relationships with MC, whom Strade decided to keep, if they initially get along with Ren x) ). As for the remake, I am building my own image of the fox-boy based on the available screenshots from Gato's Patreon and it seemed to me, no, I had a strong thought in my head that he could be hostile at the beginning if: MC is beastkin, and Strade keep them alive (I already wrote why in post), MC is trying to escape from the basement, and he does not want to help them, or if MC attacked him first. And he will be dangerous, I mean, he has claws and fangs! And, it seems, strong arms. And also, a strong fear of Strade and deep submission to him. But in general…Fights with MC and those nasty/painful actions that Strade can force two to do together are just the tip of the iceberg in this house, which can affect the emotional background of two. Ren can frame MC at home and manipulate them if they are cold and hostile to him. But if they treat him friendly, respectful and affectionate, then he will definitely reciprocate! And I think that the two of them can cooperate to take care of each other's mental and physical condition. I have too many headcanons for the relationship between the fox-boy and my cat-girl and I hope that I can gradually show them somehow. In general, I advise you and everyone to dream and come up with your own heads, it's fun!

AWWWWWWW!!! Btw, my cat (her name is Mist) will be fine 💕 I'm coloring this picture now and I understand that, judging by the fresh wounds on Ren, she scratched him pretty badly, so, temporarily, she is not his friend, but his sparring partner…….but Mist is cunning, if she caused you sympathy and a desire to treat her wounds and drag Ren away, then she did everything right ;)

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

Too hot to be true

Written for the @steddieholidaydrabbles, day 16

Prompt: Modern AU

Rated: T

CW: none

Tags: Modern AU; Podcaster!Eddie; Steve and Dustin are brothers; sexual tension

Eddie almost snorts his morning cereal through his nose when he checks his messages, because - yeah, right.

Eddie pls answer me, the message starts. 

If that wasn’t enough, it is decorated with a veritable explosion of red exclamation marks. 

As if that wasn't enough, the guy in the profile picture looks like he walked right out of a wet dream. Big, hazel eyes and a beaming smile under a shock of wet, windswept hair. He's leaning on a surfboard, tanned chest sprinkled with shiny droplets of water. Eddie absolutely wouldn't mind pushing him down into the sand, tracing those glorious pecs with sun-warmed lips - if he were real, that is.

"Nice try, big boy," he mumbles and hits the block button. "Can you believe how persistent these scammers are getting? I dunno what they think you earn making podcasts and vlogs for video game nerds, but- … sorry, did you say something?" 

Chrissy scowls at him for a second longer, but then she shakes her head and sets down her coffee. 

"Just asked when that kid will be here." 

Eddie checks his phone. "Any minute now, the flight arrived an hour ago." 

She picks up her bag and they walk into the hallway together. 

"You really think it's a good idea? Him staying here?" 

Eddie shrugs. "It's only for the con. And Dustin’s a cool kid. Way smarter than his age, and his podcast slaps. Maybe we can record an episode or two together, that would- … what?" 

Chrissy still has this unhappy look on her face. 

"Eds," she says. "He's a fifteen-year-old you met online. I'm surprised his parents allowed this." 

Eddie laughs and holds out her coat. "Don't worry about it. His brother is chaperoning him, so it'll all be perfectly prudent. Dustin said he'd reach out, but somehow- oh, that'll be them." 

If Chrissy was going to say anything else, it's lost under the sound of the doorbell. Eddie opens and is promptly tackled by a curly-haired blur in a baseball cap. 

"Eddie!" Dustin cheers, "So cool to finally meet you in person, you won't believe what happened on the flight. That one guy…" 

But Eddie doesn't hear what the guy on the flight did, hardly processes how Chrissy pushes past them, mumbling something about needing to catch her bus. He's too busy gaping at the guy standing in the apartment door. Because he saw him just a few minutes ago. 

Granted, he's carrying a bulging suitcase instead of a surfboard, and he's wearing decidedly more clothes, but Eddie is pretty damn sure he'd know that ridiculously handsome face anywhere. Even though those pretty eyes are narrowed in an impressive deathglare now, and instead of a smile, those plush lips are twisted in a vicious scowl. 

"Oh," Dustin says offhandedly, shouldering past Eddie and into the apartment as if he owns the place. "This is my brother Steve. I don't think you’ve talked?" 

"No," the guy drawls, spearing Eddie with his gaze. "We haven't." 

If Dustin notices the tension hanging in the air, he masterfully ignores it. 

"Cool," he chirps. "Where do we sleep? I promised Mom I'd call once we're here."

"Chrissy's room," Eddie mumbles. The collar of his flannel is feeling too tight all of a sudden and when the fuck did it get so warm in here? "She's staying with her girlfriend over the weekend."

Dustin doesn't even wait for him to finish the sentence, just bustles down the hall and into Chrissy’s room. Eddie is left alone with the brother. 

The very hot, very mad brother who's still leaning in the open doorway, looking at him as though he just kicked a kitten. 

Well, shit. 

"Sooo," Eddie tries. "Steve, is it? Would you like to come in?" 

"Oh?" Steve’s eyebrows climb all the way up to the roots of his hair - neither wet nor windswept, but so absurdly floofy Eddie wants to bury his fingers in it and yank. "Can I? You're not gonna, like… block me on sight?" 

Eddie winces, even as his stupid, smart-ass mouth answers. "Don't think that's how it works in real life, dude." 

Steve's scowl deepens. Eddie wants to simultaneously cringe away and throw himself at him. It's a very weird feeling, to say the least.

"I dunno. I've been trying to contact you through every available platform for days, and you've been doing a pretty impressive job of it." 

"Yeah, sorry about that," Eddie blurts. "In my defense, I thought you were a scammer." 

The annoyance on Steve’s face is joined by confusion. He cocks his head. It makes him look like an upset puppy. 

"A scammer?" 

Eddie nods, brain-to-mouth filter rapidly eroding. "Or a pornbot. Real users usually aren't that hot." 

Steve opens his mouth. Lets out a strangled sort of croak. Shuts it again. A blush is rapidly creeping out of his shirt collar, pink and pretty.

"Told you," Dustin hollers from stage left. "Not a good profile pic." 

"Shut up, dipshit," Steve retaliates and finally pushes into the apartment. Eddie's grin drops off his face as the suitcase is pressed into his hands and he sags under the weight. 

"C'mon." 

Steve, already half on his way to the kitchen, turns, and Eddie is treated to a smile. It's just a ghost of the one from the profile picture - which is probably just as well, because if Steve unleashed the real thing on him here and now, he might as well go blind. 

"I got up in the middle of the night to catch that flight. You can fix me a coffee, and then you're gonna unblock me. If you're nice, I'll maybe let you follow me back." 

Eddie gulps as he trails after him into the apartment. It's gonna be an awkward weekend.

All my holiday drabbles

[codenamesazanka]

it's quite masterful how we get the 'Deku's a murderer and Society has learned no lesson' out of the way in the first half so the lasting impression is that Spinner is a hypocritical fanatical criminal. Well, I guess he always has been! That's true. But it's also true that Society is crap here too - the man saying he's glad Shigaraki has been 'exterminated', THE OLD LADY, and Heroes already looking for the next threat. It's the framing that's key, then.

We go from Spinner saying Shigaraki laughed about destruction -> the horizon at Deika -> Shigaraki was his spokesperson -> Shigaraki gave him a dream and purpose -> Shigaraki was his Hero -> Shigaraki was a gamer -> Shigaraki was his first friend.

Starting off with Shigaraki the Villain, and turning into Shigaraki the Hero, then Shigaraki the Person. Plus we have Spinner's crying peaking at the 'friend' bit, so both he and Shigaraki are humanized as the outside world via TV documentary resolutely decides to deny Shigaraki this.

But then Deku comes to reaffirm that friendship - And here is where things starts to shift. Shigaraki also thought of Spinner as a friend... so why couldn't Spinner have done something to save him? If they were friends, Spinner should've helped. Why didn't Spinner act? And thus the blame is part Spinner's for being an unthinking coward, for not being strong enough to resist the momentum.

(There is truth to this too, but I have to wonder - what could he have done? He's in a cave with AFO, getting his own feelings taken advantage of, utterly confused by the changes Shigaraki's going through; while Heroes have shown they're not an option of help - how could they, when they killed Twice and wants to kill Shigaraki, and at the moment is building something called SKY COFFIN DEATH ARENA. Here is Spinner with such limited options, but he should've, could've saved Shigaraki, somehow.)

While Spinner is stewing in this guilt, the TV document gives its last line: "Right now, a second or third Shigaraki Tomura or AFO could be holding their breath/waiting to strike. We must turn our attention to the next threat." We're talking threats again, we talking being on guard for the next big Villain, we're talking as if Shigaraki Tomura and AFO just happens - there's no idea of prevention, the Villain already has it in their mind to attack and is just waiting, like a predator stalking a prey... Setting the tone for Spinner's next scene: he'll be writing a book that will immortalize Shigaraki and the League, and it'll be about how they lived to destroy.

(Like, this makes sense. Of course Spinner's book will be about that destruction, because that destruction is an important element to the friendship: Shigaraki was the first person to become Spinner's friend, to reach through the miasma of oppression and hopelessness, to offer to destroy injustice and give him a purpose and a dream. But the very thing that rightfully endeared Shigaraki to Spinner is what the outside world is currently condemning, and uncaring to understand the reason. This book will only feed into the world's current perceptions. It will not help at all.)

So after reaching that emotional peak, we then descend: Spinner thinks he couldn't save his Hero → documentary line about watching out for the next threat -> Spinner saying he'll write a book that will remind the world Shigaraki and the League lived to destroy -> Spinner reacting angrily at Deku's simple suggestion of making the book a comic (can't he see it's actually encouragement? can't he see it's lighthearted?) -> Spinner's last line being him hypocritically calling the Hero kid who defeated him an anti-heteromorph insult.

And meanwhile, if you can even still remember Deku not denying he's a murderer, Deku's last line here is that he won't forget Shigaraki for the rest of his life. Compassionate. Determined. Noble. (That he showed the world the killing of Shigaraki Tomura so that people can say "I’m so glad he was exterminated!"? That's distant from him, literally - that was the first page, and this is the 11th page.)

This flow is utterly fascinating. It's really is.

[eldritch-nightmare]

hi hi !! i was wondering if you could make any creepypastas of your choice (but if you can please include toby) with a final girl reader? you know that cliche of slasher movies, thank you <3

a/n: fun fact abt me my favorite final girls r carly from house of wax and princess from laid to rest. and arkin from the collector. he is everything to me. honestly wasn't all too sure who i wanted to put in this so i just sorta chose at random?? idk maybe in the future i can use this premise for some of the others if u guys want that. this is really short nd kinda bad tho and i apologize for that. i'm trying to ease myself back into writing so tht might b why tbh

warnings: not proofread. pre-relationship?? the romance isn't really there for the most part but the obsession is, attempted murder, gn reader, reader has a younger brother in lj's part, laughing jack is probably actually his own warning i think he's kinda. kinda fucked up in this. many mentions of attempted harm to a child.

includes: ticci toby, jeff the killer, and laughing jack.

TICCI TOBY

He had been tasked to kill you. He doesn't know the reason, nor does he really care. Maybe you knew too much, or maybe Slender had other reasons. Whatever they were, you had to die.

And Toby rarely ever messed up an assignment. He never had any issues killing anyone. Sure, they typically fought back, but he'd always get them in the end. He didn't think you'd be any different.

He was rather... surprised, to put it simply, when you proved to be a challenge.

You didn't want to die, so you fought back. Hard. Honestly, it was impressive how determined you were to live. He's never really met someone like you before.

This is one of those very rare times where he's a bit glad he can't feel pain, because if he could feel the pain he gained from you fighting back, he probably would've blacked out from it.

The only reason you get away the first time is because you had stabbed him one too many times and he didn't really want to bleed out and die, thank you very much.

He still had a job to finish though, so you fighting back meant nothing to him. He was told to kill you, and that's what he planned on doing.

It didn't matter how long it took. Though, as time went on, Toby couldn't help but find himself wondering what he would do with himself when he actually killed you.

He's never found any joy in hunting someone down, but he finds himself strangely excited when it comes to you. It's the first time he's ever felt this way for someone he was meant to murder.

He doesn't really want to let that excitement go just yet, and maybe he's delusional but it almost seemed as if you were having fun with these little life-or-death chases you two had.

Maybe he lets you get away a few times. You would've been dead a long time ago if he hadn't found you interesting.

And who knows... maybe he can convince Slender that you're a worthy candidate to be a proxy... that way, he won't have to kill you.

JEFF THE KILLER

Absolutely thrilled at the idea.

Jeff is a big fan of horror movies, and he's always dreamed of having some final girl type of person that he could never kill.

Key word. He dreamed of it. He's not a big fan of it when it actually finally happens, not at first.

You were annoying, always somehow dodging his knife and managing to fight back against him long enough to make your escape.

Now, normally, Jeff would've just dropped you and gone on with his killing spree. He didn't have to kill you, and it's not like he's scared of you going to the police. He's already on the FBI's most wanted, trust me, he couldn't care less.

But there was a thrill that went through him whenever he got close to killing you. Each time he's able to cut you, he feels his heart pound in his chest.

It reminds him of when he first started killing, and that feeling was becoming addictive.

He didn't even realize how obsessed he had become with killing you until he actually got the chance to kill you. He had you cornered, and there was nowhere for you to go.

He could've ended it right then and there, but he hesitated. Jeff the fucking killer hesitated to actually kill someone. What the fuck? That made no sense.

The hesitation was enough that it gave you a chance to get away, leaving Jeff alone to ponder why he had hesitated.

And during that time, he left you alone.

But trust me, once he finally figures out why he hesitated, he'll be back. You can't escape him.

LAUGHING JACK

Hates it and hates you. Your little brother was supposed to be an easy kill. He had been so desperate for a friend, neglected by his parents, that he was eager to let Jack into his life.

But then you had to come home for the holidays, and suddenly it was hard to get the brat alone without you being around. The only time he could torment your brother was when everyone else in the house was asleep.

When your little brother went to you crying about how his friend Jack was being mean, telling him horrible things, you weren't supposed to fucking believe the kid. You were supposed to be like the others, brushing off the kid's concerns and sending him back to bed.

But you didn't. You believed your brother, and now you can fucking see him, and he hated it. Oh, he wanted to kill your little brother so badly, but he wanted to kill you more for ruining all the fun.

All of the torment on your little brother stops, and instead he starts tormenting you instead. His ultimate goal was to get you to kill your little brother. It would be a satisfying thing for him to see. And maybe even poetic. You're trying so hard to protect him, and you end up being the one to kill him... that would be nice.

But you don't make it easy for him.

Seeing your fear was entertaining, especially when he was able to strike at your insecurities. At some point, he found that he didn't mind how long this little plan of his would take. He just wanted to see what made you cry. What scared you? What had you reeling away in disgust? What made you laugh?

Okay, that last one confuses him and he does not at all want to know what makes you laugh. No. No he does not.

Sometimes, he doesn't even torment you. He just silently watches you, which you find to be arguably worse than him actually trying to cause you harm.

It felt like he was studying you whenever he did that, and you hated it.

And Jack finds himself struggling to hate you the longer this takes. You've become interesting. He finds himself looking forward to seeing you, and he finds himself admiring you whenever you end up smiling when he's around.

Though, that's not something he's quite ready to admit yet.

[mari-lair]

Hello and good day! I'm sorry if this has already been asked before and you can totally just ignore this if you want, but I'm curious: can you imagine a world where somehow, Aoi likes someone else and not Akane? Cause I think that while the canon version of her is cute, I have recently read a what-if fanfic in her pov where she absolutely hates Akane the same way she does her other admirers and now I am hyperfixating on that. What habits would have been different compared to canon Aoi? Would Akane have grown more deperate since he (presumably) would know that Aoi genuinely does not like him in this scenario? What if he began noticing Aoi starting to like her dream boy in class? The possibilities are killing meeeeee!

Oh man, I'm the wrong person to ask this cause I genuinely can't imagine this scenario being possible without obliterating Akane's characterization.

Do you remember why Akane fell in love with Aoi? Because Aoi loved him so much that she broke her "cold and indifferent, hate dealing with people" mask for him. She TRIED so hard to hate him but still ended up crying cause she cared so much.

If the mask was real and she truly didn't care about him, I don't think Akane would fall for her.

If he did fall for her later on anyways, I can't see him trying to pursue her after being rejected/met with her discomfort/annoyance. Even in the timeline where she does like him and comes up with the silliest of excuses to keep him around without straight up accepting his confessions, he had admitted that he would keep keeping her safe while keeping a distance in case she doesn't want him.

He only pursues her so much cause she actively flirts and encourages him to.

The idea Aoi would encourage him if she didn't like him does make Akane pestering her believable but at the cost of Aoi's own character being obliterated. I don't think I'm being harsh when I say Aoi would be a bitch if she went "hehe try harder <3 Impress me Akane-kun!" consistently enough for him to buy it that she could date him while thinking "Tch, hate this guy, he keeps harassing me".

That would means she doesn't even consider him a friend, she doesn't care AT ALL about his feelings, which is nothing like the Aoi who tries to pretend the people she dislikes don't bother her/don't exist and loves her friends dearly, putting them above her.

The most I can picture is Aoi falling for someone else and Akane either not getting a crush on her and supporting her fully, or slowly putting some barrier between them cause he can see Aoi doesn't like him and being in pain, the classic 'i want her to be happy' and 'she won't be with me' conflict where he has a crisis but eventually learn to let her go, reach the point he can be comfortable by her side even when she is with someone else.

Or Aoi realizing Akane likes her romantically and being anxious that she has to reject a friend, whom she deeply values, but her growing unease and lack of encouragement wouldn't be able to fool Akane for long. Their whole thing is that they know each other well after all and Akane consistently asks 'are you okay?' when he senses anything may be wrong with Aoi.

Maybe it would take some months for Akane to understand without Aoi giving him a straight-up rejection, especially if they are small when he gets the crush, but Akane pays so much attention to her, he would pick up the signs she is uncomfortable, especially if it reaches a point of Aoi staring to resent him for it more than being scared of losing him. He either drop it silently or straight up confront her about it, probably.

[madwomansapologist]

forever in this twilight

Meet Kind!Druid!Tav | More TiefHusbands | AO3

synopsis: Peace is nothing but a concept for the unlucky tieflings refugees, a sweet dream they can never quite reach. Don't matter how much they run, fight, try: the world wasn't build for them. But somehow, in all this mess, you are the most steady thing on their lives.

warnings: zevlor, rolan x druid!tav. backgroung (arabella, kagha, alfira, volo, astarion). is it too obvious that one of my favorite books is "what we owe to each other"? that my life philosophy is "it's our duty as human beings to care for others"? my tav is a menace. she isn't even a durge. yes, she licked the dead spider. yes, she did it twice. she's just like that. is it too obvious i am the eldest daughter?

Elturel was left far behind, forever in their memories but never again able to reach their bodies, but its fires anticipated their every movements.

It made foes out of strangers, turned welcoming druids into a threatening force, transmuted safe paths until they were nothing but darkness and fear. The world turned its back against those who only asked for help, as if even the blood running through their veins was cursed.

If they were threatening, they could've understand it. If they were warriors, bandits using brute force to subdue and terrorize others. But that's so far away from the truth. There are kids. Cattle. Aspiring bards, studious wizards, naive lovers.

They have souls, goddsammit. Even when some assume they don't. They look different, are different. Does it matter? From where they are or who's blood started their lineage? Where it matters tieflings are just the same. They feel rage, happiness, pain. Have hunger, desires, needs. When a tiefling bleeds, isn't it just the same as any other being?

They shouldn't see you treating kids as kids, instead of beasts as some seemed to agree, and get impressed. Or be surprised that you would ever decide to help them on the way. Druids are supossed to understand that all living beings are just another facet of nature, yet they can only remind that you're the first in a long time to act like it.

It's maddening that you're one of the few exceptions on their path. They shouldn't feel lucky for you being nice. People are supossed to care for others. They are supossed to be nice just for the sake of it. Kindness was supossed to be a convention, not a surprise.

The world is supossed to be a lot of things, the reality is often disappointing.

It can be tiring, exhausting even, to always fight. Constantly surviving, never enjoying peace. Earning a place to exist, but never the happiness it should've bring. Zevlor won't stop trying, but he won't last forever.

He's tired. How long has it been since he started feeling like that? Gods knows it was way before Elturel fell. Leading his people, the last thing Zevlor could do was to stop. There's no one going to save them, so he better act.

Except, there was you.

Eating from the corners, you made a difference in their lifes. At the gates, protecting Arabella, saving Mirkon. You convinced Rolan to stay at camp, discovered Kagha's plans, inspired Alfira.

Your influence over their plans and fears felt too close to hope. Like that brief moment at dawn, when sunlight warms the world and yet stars keep on shining. That moment before the world start and cacophony become norm.

The way you talked like you knew they would make to Baldur's Gate, like they had no option but suceding. As if you already knew their fate.

You were everywhere. When Zevlor sees Umi running around, when Alfira writes another song, when he has time. He saw you in the repentance glowing in Kagha's eyes, on the attacks to the gates getting less usual, on his people.

Crossing Shadowlands, at the very first moment, Zevlor asked himself what you would do in his place. He followed you, even now that you were long gone. Until the moment he started to question if you were everywhere, or just on his eyes.

Were people always talking about you, or did he only paid attention when they did so?

Lost in the dark, your voice came to him. With his eyes closed, Zevlor allowed himself to wonder about the last good moment he had on his journey. His people celebrating, their heroes being salute, good wine on his cup. And you, beside Zevlor, shining on him.

"And did he," Zevlor gazed at Volo. That man didn't look like a doctor. Or someone sane enough to be allowed near sharp objects. "Got the tadpole out of you?"

"Nah. Just my eye." You took a sip from the bad wine. Astarion warned you about it. "It hurted like hell, but I must say that this new one he gave me is way better."

"You let a bard experiment with your eye?" Zevlor was still in shock about this. "A bard?"

You shrughed it off. "I got curious."

He never laughed so hard. His belly ached, his cheeks were about to fall apart, no air made to his lungs. What a wonderful thing you are. How could you made him forget about all the things going on and just laugh? A real, deep laugh.

A beacon surrounded by darkness, that's what you were.

Your presence was a antidote for some, and for others it was worse than poison. It was a reminder of what happened and what could've. A neon sign of their mistakes and regrets. Of what they could've be and what they should've.

Rolan hated that you continued to smile. That you said you were sorry when he treated you like shit. That you didn't fought him back. That you didn't tried to embarrass or humilliate him.

Or maybe he hated how you had hound dogs following you around all the time. The fact people seemed to enjoy your presence. Don't they see you were the reason why they're here? That you were the one trying to change everyone's mind? That his brothers might die and it is all your fault?

And there was also your talent to hate. The fact nature gave in to your commands. That you could control it, even when darkness seemed to want nothing but kill everyone there. That you were taught, properly.

Or how it would be so much easier if you didn't continue trying to look like someone good. If you didn't opposed the Absolute, if you haven't promised to find his siblings, if everyone else around him didn't seem to idolatred you.

Or maybe Rolan just hated that, doesn't matter how much he tried, he couldn't just hate you.

It wasn't really your fault. He knows that. Shadowland was here, and it would've affect his plans of running away faster just as easily.

But damn, he wants to hate you. It would be so much easier if he did. He wants to have something to direct his anger. Someone that he could see hurt. Someone to blame for the rest of his life.

If they die, if that ever happens, what will be of him? The death of parents is expected, a lover can be forgotten or replaced, even a child lost would hurt him less. Who could ever grown him new siblings? Who could ever replace his mirrors and opposites? They are one and the same.

Would he even be able to call himself a brother? Who lost a husband becomes a widow, who lost a parent becomes an orphan, but what do you call someone that lost a sibling?

Rolan acted as if you hadn't just sat beside him at the bar. Maybe that would make you go away. If you're denied of attention, you probably will look for someone willing to lick your boots to prove their gratitude.

Of course he was wrong.

He just didn't expect to you to not say a single thing. You didn't even looked at him. You just stayed there, drinking something that smelled horribly, until the bar closed. When it did it, you headed back to camp.

And you kept on doing this. You sat there with a drink your hands. Rolan kept on being quiet, only moving to get something else to fill his cup. Days passed, and no words were exchanged between you both.

He was the first to break the untold law shared by you. "What are trying to do, oh hero?"

You finished your beer, then looked at him. Sarcarm, wow.

"Why?" He tried again, this time less inquiring. If it was even possible.

"You look lonely," you answered. "And I need silence."

Rolan tried to think of something else to say, but no words made to his mind. "Why?"

It took you another glass to answer him. "I don't think I will make it out of here. This place is... hungry. I feel like being a bug inside a monster's belly. Nothing I do is enough."

Rolan reached for a drink on the higher shelf. Even its bottle looked like it would be enough to kill someone of drunkenness. He filled your empty glass. "Don't be stupid."

Damned be you. Now Rolan needs to find someone else to hate.

if you enjoyed, please reblog! i promise it makes a difference ♡

BALDUR’SGATE3TAGLIST: @citrusbunnies

@ madwomansapologist.tumblr.

[octuscle]

Hey, could you help me ? I've had the weirdest thing happen to me, and I don't know who to turn to...

See, yesterday, after going to bed a bit early since I was tired, I didn't wake up in my bed... but rather on a rather fancy couch in, you know, one of those modern cubic manors the other side of town... Worse still, there was visible traces of alcohol, and even other people sleeping in the living room I was in, all of them young popular-looking guys and girls... It looked like the aftermath of a party, yet I don't drink alcohol, I'm not sociable at all, I'm not fashionable and I hate parties !

Although I was able to leave without being noticed, I'm still unsure of how in hell I ended up over there. So, could you help me understand what happened ?

The next morning is even stranger. You're lying naked on silken sheets in a huge bed. Your body nestled close to a young man with the body of a Roman god. Your hard-on is downright painful! Until you realize that this is not a dream. You slide off the bed, gather up your clothes and tiptoe out of the room and out of the house. Shit, traces of a party everywhere… This is what you imagine a modern version of the great Gatsby to look like. You get dressed on the lawn in front of the house. The expensive Hanro underwear isn't really yours. And although you can unlock it with your face, the brand new iPhone isn't really yours either. Something strange, something very strange is going on here!

During the day, you receive a whole series of messages from people you don't know, but whose contact details all seem to be saved in your address book. I wonder if you're meeting for an aperitif before the party today. What you are going to wear. Whether they should give you a lift or whether you should take a cab. You're sitting at your desk, processing claims and wondering what's going on. Should you answer? Should you ignore things? You decide to ignore it. At some point you call it a day. On the way home, you grab something from the Vietnamese restaurant. And eat it in front of the TV.

This time you wake up on a lounger by an impressive pool. At least you're not naked this time. You're wearing a golden thong. And you have no idea where your clothes are. Only your cell phone is lying on the floor next to you. So what? There are plenty of clothes lying around. From different people. None of it is yours or even your style. But you can't walk around naked. So you're waiting for a cab in a satin suit and sandals and you feel incredibly ridiculous. Until you find your wallet in the inside pocket of your jacket. Well, at least a wallet with your ID and driver's license. It's from someone who looks different from you, but who has your name on it. What the hell is going on here?

After a shower, you stand in front of the mirror in your apartment. Your skin looks darker somehow. You somehow look fitter. You just look different. Your phone reports that people are liking and commenting on your latest Instagram posts. You don't even have an Instagram account. You're late for work. You have to turn your phone off because it won't stop vibrating with incoming messages. Your head keeps vibrating. You get a migraine. You call in sick. You have to go to bed.

Damn, that was the best party in a long time! Shit, you've blacked out, you've overdone it again. Thank God it's only a few meters to your house. You can only hope that you don't have any appointments tomorrow morning that you've overlooked. And if you do, your manager will have to take care of that. You need to throw up now and then get some sleep. And tomorrow the party will be at your house. You have a reputation to lose as a host and as a party animal. Give it your all!

[mins-fins]

missa solemnis

&&. it's not everyday that you waltz with the prince that wants to rip out your tongue, but life is just full of surprises.

pairing: lee donghyuck x m!reader

genre: fairly random really, royalty au, enemies(?) to lovers

warnings: explicit language, reader and hyuck threaten each other the whole time, reader and hyuck both suck so bad but they both want each other so bad

word count: 1k

notes: this whole thing is just one scene from a bigger thing i wrote during the christmas break that i scrapped because i didn't think people would read it.. also because i'm not very good when it comes to writing people as enemies, also it was HORRIBLE i almost throw up every time i even glance at that mess 😞 anyway to celebrate nct dream reincarnation royal au i decided to just take this chunk and edit it so now at least it makes a little more sense 😭?? not my best writing truly but prince hyuck has not left my mind, i need to start writing more royal aus

"if i didn't know better, i'd think you wanted to kiss me right now".

there's a taunting tone in your voice that makes donghyuck glare, but he still doesn't get distracted, keeping up the same momentum he's had since you two began dancing no more than a few minutes ago.

there's a few good reasons you assumed he wanted to kiss you, mainly the direct contact he was making with your lips, he looked like he was about to move forward and connect his lips with yours with absolutely no shame, no regard for his reputation, his soon-to-be-wife, or his supposed "hatred" of you.

"you are an absolute moron".

"aren't i correct?"

donghyuck's poker face doesn't falter, no matter how much you tried to get a smile out of him with idiotic comments or jokes. "nope, wrong as always".

you hum at the princes response, somehow able to stay focused on waltzing as the two of you made your way around in a circle. donghyuck will never understand your way of easily multitasking, how you were somehow able to focus on annoying the absolute shit out of him as well as focus on not stepping on his foot at all.

he has to give it to you (begrudgingly though), it's impressive.

"so what is it then, your highness? you were just staring at my lips because you were bored? lost in your head?"

donghyuck's grip on your hand tightens at the sound of you using his title in such a mocking manner, oh he hates you, he hates you so much that if he had to choose, he'd rather kill you himself then have someone else do it.

you piss him off so much, your words piss him off so much, he wants to punch you, he wants to set you on fire and watch you burn, he wants to so badly stomp you into the ground and watch you suffer—

but holy shit you are absolutely gorgeous.

donghyuck can't even deny it, even with how much denial courses through his veins about topics such as this, anyone with two functioning eyes could see that you are just such a work of art. donghyuck can't even blame all the women that flock to the gates of your palace, hoping to score just one date with you.

"i was too busy thinking about the several torture methods that i could put you through".

"ah i am so hurt, you don't love me sweetheart?"

donghyuck has to use every single bit of patience remaining in his body to not step on your foot and leave you in pain on the dance floor.

the only reason he was dancing with you in the first place was because of a promise he made to his mother, his fiancée was off doing something else, gossiping with the servants, he assumes, she did always enjoy that, a favorite activity of hers that he's learned about from observing.

a dance like this should truly only be preserved for lovers, people who can stand each other, a pair who, with all things considered, won't bicker whilst they were supposed to be focusing on the music.

you two, with all things considered, are an example of everything opposite of that, you can't stand each other, you bicker all the time, and you are truly the furthest thing from lovers.

"call me that again and next time your head won't be attached to your body".

"i like to think you threaten me because you love me".

donghyuck snorts, finally, and you felt a surge of pride in your chest, you'd gotten a smile out of him. "your mind must be the messiest place ever.." he resorts to muttering, not knowing what other specific threats he could tell you. "an idiotic one too, do you ever think clearly? logically?"

you hum, displaying a lack of offense at the words. instead, you just lean closer, the distance between you two minimizing. "i only think about you, sweetheart".

a scoff leaves the prince's lips, he's absolutely done with you, but there's still a good minute left to the song, meaning there's still a good minute of you two waltzing in this ballroom left.

"i just cannot wait for this to be over.."

"you don't say!"

your enthusiasm pisses off donghyuck, but he doesn't step on your foot like he wanted, instead pulling you forward harshly, causing for a yelp of surprise to escape your lips. his arm remains around your waist, ensuring that you won't fall, but you two do bump foreheads.

"jesus! are you crazy!?"

there is absolutely no reason for you two to be pressed this close, your fingers still very much intertwined, just one trip up and your lips would touch.

you wonder in your head if donghyuck is slowly regretting his brash decision.

"what? you don't know how to waltz anymore?"

you always find a way to jab at him, comment on something he did, joke about a little things that you knew got under his skin.

oh lee donghyuck absolutely despises you.

that doesn't explain why he still clearly wants to kiss you, though.

"you're just—" he pauses in the middle of his sentence, suddenly very interested in your facial features, features that he could now clearly see up close. "a moron, an idiot".

"as you've said before".

donghyuck doesn't respond anymore after that, the song isn't even done, a good 25 seconds left before it's ending, but donghyuck was clearly done, as he pushed you away, taking in a breath.

"that's enough of you, have a good night your highness".

the words leave his tongue bitterly, his glare is less of a genuine one and more full of mixed emotions, but he doesn't give you any more time to stare at him, just turns around and walks in the direction of his fiancée.

you watch him walk away, and he doesn't make an effort to even save you one final glance.

the song isn't even over yet.

but he's done, very done.

[juztscrollingthrough]

Seven by Taylor Swift

I always interpreted this song as someone looking back at their childhood nostalgic memories and remembering that one troubled friend who left a deep mark in their psyche but for whatever circumstances they lost touch with one another.  This edit kind of depicts the time during the “between years" where they thought of one another but never reached out. This one’s especially from Ian’s POV and all those flashback of memories that compelled him to finally reach out and arrange the meet up with Anthony after a nudge from Dianne.  Ian wonders if Anthony still thinks of him, if he still reminisces about their past as fondly as Ian does. 

Below are the lyrics with explanation/interpretation in Ian and Anthony's context:

[POV IAN] :

Please picture me In the trees I hit my peak at seven feet In the swing Over the creek I was too scared to jump in

Ian wants his friend to remember him by the fun escapades they shared together. He reminisces about their first 6th grade science project, all their sleepovers, the trips, their first experience with alcohol near the riverside in Sacramento. In their big group of friends how these two became closer due to the fact that he didn’t know how to drive and Anthony was the one who drove him home after school, how after graduation when everyone left for college, these two remained in the suburbs, unsure about their future.

But I, I was high in the sky With Pennsylvania under me Are there still beautiful things?

Ian once said "I'm not exactly the poster child for following your dreams, because I never had any”. He never had exact dreams about career or whatever the future had in store for him. Smosh became a place where Ian and Anthony expressed themselves, an outlet to make each other laugh and with smosh blowing up he finally found his dream: to keep making fun stuff with his best friend which for some reason random strangers over the internet connected with. They were riding the high that came with smosh’s success unaware of the fact that this newfound business relationship would tower over their years of close friendship.

Sweet tea in the summer Cross your heart, won't tell no other And though I can't recall your face I still got love for you Your braids like a pattern Love you to the moon and to Saturn Passed down like folk songs The love lasts so long

Their genuine love and adoration for one another, how they shared every secret with each other, how Ian lied to Anthony about his first kiss in hopes to impress his new friend in 7th grade and in later years opening up about the lie as he finally got his actual first kiss…. in his friend’s bedroom. Slowly these tender moments fizzled out as they grew up, as their channel grew, and so did their stress and workload. Though, they aren't the people they once were, but their mutual love and respect for each other remained deeply ingrained in their hearts.

And I've been meaning to tell you I think your house is haunted Your dad is always mad and that must be why And I think you should come live with Me and we can be pirates Then you won't have to cry Or hide in the closet And just like a folk song Our love will be passed on

Ian knew that Anthony came from a broken home, and how he lost an authoritative figure, his step dad, who abandoned Anthony’s mother and his step-brothers when he was merely a 12 year old, and due to his tumultuous situation at home, Anthony got this heavy responsibility on his shoulders of his family. Anthony feared that his mothers agoraphobia would somehow find a way towards him too and he would stay stuck in this haunted situation which he desperately wanted to break away from. When Anthony fell sick due to his autoimmune disease, Ian’s mom urged his son to visit his friend. The get well soon card he got signed by everyone in their class and gave to Anthony. After their graduation Ian’s parents invited Anthony for a trip to Hawaii and that was the first time when Anthony got to experience something away from his haunted house back in Sacramento. He got to experience what a complete family felt like vicariously through Ian. 

Passed down like folk songs Our love lasts so long

No matter how many obstacles there were, the power of friendship conquered it all. They not only got their company back but also rekindled their friendship. They said everything had to happen the way it happened for them to eventually reunite. They might be complete opposites but there is this red string of fate that lingers between them. Their creative partnership is too strong and in the end they proved that “Friendship always wins”.

[petitelepus]

Through Water And Fire, Part 1

Summary: Somehow you manage not to make only Kyojuro fall for you but Giyu also! Congratulations, only, they are Yandere for you...?

Warnings: YANDERE, MANIPULATION, EVENTUAL NAUGHTY STUFF IN FUTURE CHAPTERS

A/N: Fem!Reader, Kyojuro Rengoku, Giyu Tomioka

PART 1 - PART 2 - PART 3

EXTRA: This was requested in AO3, no worries, I'm working hard to get all the requests answered as soon as I just can!

You were a new highly potential Demon Slayer. During your Final Selection, you made quite an impression on certain people, including the Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku… And Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka? How did you manage to do that?

Only… Their interest in you couldn't have been called pure. You haunted their thoughts, making both of them think about you at the worst places possible, such as in the middle of hunting or when they tried to sleep you would appear in their dreams.

Then, whenever one of them or both would see you talk with someone they were filled with jealousy and these possessive feelings that haunted them all the way from day, to in the middle of the night as they slayed Demons, both wondering where you were and what you were doing.

Silently, the two of them started to stalk, no, follow you around since stalking was such an ugly word. The two Hashiras weren't aware that they shared feelings toward you until they ran into each other one night while they were observing you.

"Hm, Tomioka?"

"Ah, Rengoku…?"

After that encounter, the two of them met each other in the daytime in a local restaurant, so they could speak and explain to each other why exactly they were following you.

The two of them realized that despite being two completely different people, one loud and hot and the other quiet and cool, they shared two things, the passion to slay Demons and their feelings towards you.

"Her hair looks so shiny… I wonder if it feels as silky as it looks…" Giyu wondered quietly and Kyojuro nodded happily, "She has good hips! Perfect for bearing a child!"

"A child…"

Both Hashiras' minds started to wander and they both imagined you there, living in their mansion, happy and so full, carrying their child in your round stomach.

It shouldn't have, but both men couldn't deny the spike of arousal that ran through their bodies when they imagined you so.

"Hm! I can tell that we both share feelings towards young lady!" Kyojuro exclaimed and Giyu nodded, "I think so too… Does that make us rivals now?"

"Hm, instead of fighting each other, why won't we join our forces and try to win her over?" The Flame Hashira suggested and Giyu hummed, "That sounds better…"

"Of course!" The bright man laughed, "If we work together, I have no doubt we can win her over!"

"You sound like you have a plan already?"

"I do!" And so Kyojuro explained his plan to Giyu who nodded every now and then and finally, he agreed on his companion's plan.

That night, you were hunting and quite successfully also. The Demon you had been sent to hunt was no small fry so it took you a moment to decapitate the evil being. You got some cuts and bruises but nothing life-threatening.

After you were certain your mission was a success, you put your sword away and headed toward the small town with a nice little inn where you could rest before you would have to head to wherever your crow would next take you.

Only you heard something, a voice in the close distance and you immediately tensed, thinking that maybe the Demon you had slayed wasn't alone.

"Who goes there!?" You shouted as you pulled out your sword and pointed it at the rustling bushes, "Show yourself!"

"My my, there was someone actually here?"

"You're too loud…"

Your eyes widened as you saw a man with hair as bright as fire and a man with hair as dark as night, but what really alerted you were the different unique Haoris they were wearing!

"Y- You're Hashiras!" You gasped as you quickly sheathed your sword and bowed in respect, "P- Please forgive me for my rudeness!"

"It's quite alright!" Kyojuro smiled, "We did come out of nowhere after all!"

"W- what are you doing here in the middle of the night?" You asked as you straightened your back, "Are you hunting also?"

"We heard that there might be a Demon here…" Giyu nodded as he looked at you and then your sword, "It looks like the threat has already been eliminated…"

"Yes, sir!" You saluted him and smiled proudly, "The Demon won't harm anyone anymore!"

"You took it down yourself?" Kyojuro asked and you nodded, "Yes, sir!"

"Looks like it wasn't that easy…" Giyu said quietly as he took in your messy appearance.

"No, the Demon did provide me with some challenge!" You smiled, "But I managed to take it out!"

"Either way, you did well!" Kyojuro nodded as he clapped Giyu's back and smiled, "It's obvious we aren't needed here! Let's head back to the-!"

"P- Please wait!" You called out, reaching towards the two men with your hand but you quickly pulled your hand back as if you had burned yourself.

"I- I know this may come out of nowhere…" You swallowed as you collected all your courage and shouted, "B- But can you make me your Tsuguko?!"

When you didn't notice, both men stilled and shared small smiles. The two of them knew that more than anything you wanted to become a Hashira and that you were eager to prove yourself to those above your meek ranking.

But did you have what it took to become their Tsuguko?

"I highly doubt you would make it," The Water Hashira said, "If you struggled with a Demon this weak then you can't possibly go against a Lower Rank, let alone an Upper Rank."

"I can be useful to you! I know I can!" You cried out desperately.

"There is nothing you can do for us." Giyu roughly stated, but you were having none of that, "I may not be the strongest Slayer out there, but I have passion!"

"Passion doesn't replace talent." The man said, but Kyojuro didn't completely agree with his fellow Slayer.

"Now now, Tomioka! Let's not be hasty!" The Flame Hashira thought out loud and then looked at you, "Are you serious about this, little one?"

"Yes!" You exclaimed, "I've never been this sure about anything!"

"Hm! A fine answer!" Kyojuro nodded as he grabbed his sword, "Come on young one, and show us what you got!"

You were absolutely beaming in excitement, eager to show your skills to these two amazing Slayers… But to your confusion, the Flame Hashira didn't unsheath his sword from its sheath.

"Are we gonna spar?" You asked and Kyojuro nodded with a huge smile, "We are!"

"But…?" Now you were confused, "Your sword?"

"Hm? Oh!" Kyojuro smiled, "I apologize, but I don't believe I'm going to need to unsheath my sword this time!"

You blinked and then you gasped as you realized that he didn't think of you as a threat of any kind!

"I'm warning you, sir, I will come with you with all I got!" You warned him as you drew your sword and Kyojuro smiled, "Good! Show me that passion of yours!"

And you did, you went all out on the Flame Hashira… Only to have each attack of yours blocked, repelled, or twisted against you. Finally, you fell on the ground, tired and sore, and humiliated. Kyojuro hadn't even broken a sweat while you were exhausted.

"Is that all?" Kyojuro asked and you knew he didn't most likely mean it, but he just added salt to your humiliation.

"I- I can still go on!" You grounded through your teeth as you grabbed your sword, but when you tried to get up you realized that your legs wouldn't do as you wanted, you were that exhausted.

"Your skills are subpar at best. How are you even a Slayer? Go home." Giyu coldly stated as he turned around to leave, an act that took all his willpower, but you weren't having any of that.

"I'm not stopping here!" You yelled as you scrambled to get up, but failed to do even so.

"Little one-!" Kyojuro was saying, but to both Hashiras' surprise, you dropped to your knees and bowed your head all the way down to the ground.

"Please!" You cried out as you pressed your forehead so hard against the ground that you could feel small stones dig into your skin, "Teach me how to become a Hashira like you!"

Giyu's eyes widened as your actions reminded him of this certain young man who once groveled before the Water Hashira…

Kyojuro glanced at his companion and they both nodded as they grinned secretly. The plan was going exactly the way they wanted.