#spiky-thief

[monmuses]

🌷+ 🍫

→ BE MY VALENTINE!

prompts to celebrate valentine’s day, with options for romantic or platonic. even the enemies can have some valentine’s fun. ‘my muse’ meaning receiver’s muse! can also reverse if you’d like. 

🌷 to kiss my muse

🍫 to give my muse a box of chocolates

Perking over, Rivor had entered into her bar with gifts for Valentine's Day, and for once, her face lightened up with a soft smile. He brought her some chocolates, and while she opened them up, she received a kiss from him. In return, he gently placed one on his nose, patting his head.

"Thanks for the Valentine's Day gift, hon," she smiled, hugging him with one arm. "I didn't think I'd get anything. I can count on you for makin' me happy, darlin'."

[cerulean-volcano]

When Avel finished up one of her shifts, she'd find Rivor in the shop ready and waiting for her with a big grin on his face. " Hey, hon ~ Glad to see you back. We're spending the night together, just you and me. " He sounded assertive. Not commanding, just confident. His ego must be flaring up..

The Flygon would smile at the sight of seeing Rivor at the end of her shift. She would manage to smile wider at his mention of the two of them spending the night together "Well, how can I say no to something like that? Especially when you sound so determined to have me spend the night with you."

"I can see you two are keeping steady. Already you've got Avel spending the night with you Rivor." Karie would comment, chuckling a bit. He couldn't help it, Avel was getting more confident thanks to him.

[butterymangowrites]

ten years in the making

paring: bakugou katsuki x fem reader

warnings: smut, non-con/dub-con, no-quirks au, high school love confession, unrequited love turned very requited, almost non-con threesome, feels like cheating (but technically not), no cheating though, fuck boi bakugou, pining reader, obsessive/possessive bakugou, running away, biting, marking, creampie, breeding kink, angst, toxic relationship

word count: 6.2k

You still had the love letter you handed to him when you were both in high school. His spiky blonde hair was pretty under the spring sun, red eyes examining the envelope in your hands with a disgusted look on his face. 

On the rooftop of the school building, the wind blew extra hard. The chill of winter that lingered in the breeze made your face cold, but it was the rejection from Katsuki that numbed your whole body. 

“Take that shit away,” he sneered. “Be lame somewhere else. I don’t like you.” 

It was pathetic how you fixated on him because he helped you once from a petty thief who tried to steal your wallet. You shouldn’t have liked him that much, not when he was so clear in his stance on how he felt about you. But you were also just a girl, and girls had crushes on Bakugou Katsuki—you were just one of many, but no doubt the most pathetic one. 

Cause while others grew out of their crushes eventually, you did not. And Katsuki, being the spawn of the devil that he was, started to see you as some sort of entertainment. 

You followed him through university, enrolling in the same one. You begged your mom to stay at a dorm near campus, the same dorm Katsuki told you he would stay in. He lied. You knew on the moving day because he texted you photos of his new place from the front of the building to the room with an obviously different layout. 

The text said, ‘lol you really thought u got me huh?’ 

That sentence needed commas, and you… needed to get a grip. Yet, you did not. 

Still trying to be close to him, you went to every party he went to, even if it meant you had to see him with a different woman each time. He never stuck with one, telling you he was easily bored and that was why you and him would never happen. Because you were a soppy, hopeless romantic who would wait for him like a dog waiting for its owner to come home—his words. 

“When will it get through your thick skull, dog?” Katsuki rapped on your forehead with his knuckles. “You’re not my type.” 

Well, his type exited the room just now, leaving only you and a very naked Katsuki in it. He loomed over you menacingly close, trying once again to talk some sense into you, albeit in a very mean fashion. Tonight, he was particularly cruel. After texting you to buy him a box of condoms—stating a specific brand, flavor, and size—he made you sit and watch until the very end. 

You pretended to pay attention, but what you really looked at was the wall behind the scene playing in front of you. 

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow at ten.” You changed the subject, ignoring his hot breath that fanned over your face.

“Yeah, mom misses you like hell,” he jeered. “How did you do it, inserting yourself into my family?” 

It was simple, actually, just offering to drive him home for a monthly family visit with a gift for his mom and dad every time, without fail, even though he got his own car. His mom, Mitsuki, never trusted his driving skills anyway, saying he was too reckless. So she was grateful for you, to the point of inviting you over for dinner as thanks whenever you dropped her son home, and you accepted the kindness. 

Katsuki would roll his eyes, but he let it all happen, cause why would he say no to a personal chauffeur? All he had to do was sit prettily and blast his one-hour playlist until the car was parked in front of his childhood abode. And after eating and helping with the dishes, you would be gone, back to your own family house a couple of streets away—convenient. 

You knew you were just a tool to Katsuki, his lackey, but you were also as stubborn as a mule. 

And as dumb as a clown… 

After many years hounding for Katsuki’s attention, you finally got it when you were both twenty five. The first time he kissed you, he was drunk in your apartment. He was frustrated with a colleague who screwed up an important meeting with a potential client and decided to come rant your ears off with two packs of beer—one for him, one for you. 

You never thought the night would end up with him pinning you to the floor, his mouth devouring yours and his hands popping the buttons of your work shirt until your bra-clad tits showed. 

“Thought you would follow me anywhere,” said Katsuki, red eyes locked onto you from where he was, face nestled between the soft mounds of your breasts. “But you chose a different company, live far away from me, texting seven times in seven months. Traitor.” 

“You’re heavy.” Your words struggled to come out. From when he used to be lanky and the same height as you, he was none of that now. The growth spurt hit him like a freight train. In the blink of an eye, he grew into a giant of a man, tall and filled with muscles, even more so now that he was in his salaryman era. You wondered how he still found time to work out as often as he did when you barely caught any sleep. 

After graduation, you both landed jobs in different companies. And if you were being honest with yourself, you would say the reason you accepted the offer was partly because running after Katsuki and answering his every beck and call started to… tire you. Forced by duty and responsibility, it helped you distance yourself away from him. Cause Lord, you doubted you could have done it on your own.

Getting his text today saying he would come visit, you were dumbfounded, even thinking it was a joke til you got another text an hour later saying he arrived.

You shouldn’t have let him in, shouldn’t have reconnected. You were almost off the noose before he came and adjusted the knot, tightening it. After that night, he came visit once a week on Friday. Kisses slowly evolved into soft touches, then heavy petting, and finally—sex. 

Fucking your brain out, that was what he did most of the times, leaving your ass red and face wet from crying. On rare occasions, it was slow, deep, like he wanted to mold you into the shape of his cock. But all was intense, asking for eye contact and name-saying, and it was Katsuki who did the asking, which surprised you to no end. 

“You wanna come home? Mom and dad miss you,” mumbled Katsuki one autumn night. It had been three months since that first drunken kiss. “They got a new dog. But old people are always lonely, hell knows why.”

With that, not only him, but the monthly visit returned, too. 

Their dog was a loudmouthed chihuahua named Katsumi. It barked at you non-stop from the moment you got out of the car, louder when Mitsuki raced out the front door to hug you. After dinner, it found you and Katsuki in the laundry room with its master’s teeth nibbling down your neck and barked snappily, making Katsuki jump.

When you let out a roar of laughter, his eyes widened with a look of what seemed like wonder. His pupils dilated when he leaned down to take your lips in a fierce kiss. For a moment, everything was perfect. 

Had you mentioned being dumb? 

A month later, there was a knock on your door. Katsuki hips slowed down mid-pounding before he stepped back from you and the bed, leaving you empty. 

“Keep your ass up. Don’t fucking move.”

You only let out a soft hum as a response, not understanding why or who would be here at this hour. Were you too loud? Maybe someone was here to complain. You pondered, face still down against the soft mattress with your rear up as instructed. Katsuki would handle them, whoever they were. 

“Well, I see why you never call anymore, Katsuki-kun.” 

The voice was close, too close—its owner was in the bedroom with you. When the realization hit, you bolted, shooting out of your position and scooting back, all the while pulling the duvet up to shield your nakedness from the newcomer’s eyes.

She was a woman about your age and height, standing at the foot of the bed in a skimpy dress. 

“Do me a favor. Shut the fuck up,” said Katsuki, confirming they really did know each other. 

It was like your brain stopped functioning. You saw Katsuki walking towards you but was too slow to think what your next move should be. So you let him pull you to him by the duvet because you wouldn’t let go of it. When he sat you on his lap, you felt something wet gliding down your cheeks.

“Hush now, princess.” He wiped the dripping drops with both of his thumbs. “You seriously thought our relationship was exclusive? You thought you fixed me?” 

Another set of fat tears cascaded down when he kissed you, seasoning the kiss salty. 

“Seven months, seven texts, no calls,” he said. “Who do you think you fucking are, leaving me like that?”

You knew, you knew it was too good to be true. And when he turned to the other side to kiss the woman who was now naked and sitting on the bed—your bed–beside him, you also knew it was time to let go. The silly crush, the well-kept love letter, the admiration that you should have weaned off long ago—they all needed to go. 

Getting up from his lap while he was distracted, you gathered your clothes off the floor and left the bedroom without turning back. You got dressed in the living room and closed the front door silently when you left the apartment. You didn’t want him to hear, not wanting to cause a scene, not wanting to see him anymore. 

You were sitting in the car in the apartment parking lot, trying to find a hotel to crash at when you got a text from Katsuki.

‘you thought you got me huh?’ 

You blocked him. 

There was only a month left on your apartment’s lease; you would give a notice to your landlord tomorrow that you would move. Everything would be alright, you told yourself. Katsuki might never bother you anymore since he had got what he wanted—your absolute humiliation.

It was different from that one time he told you to stay and watch him rail the life out of that girl when you were in college. At that time, you knew you were nothing to him, knew he did that to hurt you. This time, you thought you were something to him. And it hurt, a thousand times worse to realize that you weren’t, and that he still wanted to hurt you. 

—

Shit, shit, shit, shit. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. 

Those were the only words spinning around in his head since you were gone, really gone. You walked out of that door so fucking demurely. Even when he stopped kissing his ex-booty call to listen, he didn’t hear you wail or see you come crawling back. 

So he texted, leaving the girl he called here to demean you to quickly type on his phone. When the message was marked ‘read’ but got no response, he cursed, “Fuck!” 

“Come on, Katsuki-kun. Let’s have some fun,” the girl whined. 

“Sh!” He shushed her, still tapping the screen.  

She probably looked at him like he was possessed by an evil spirit, but he couldn’t care less. 

‘Who did you think you were? My gf? Lol.’

He was so in a hurry he forgot to type in lowercase. 

‘Lovesick foll’

‘*fool’

‘Where u going’

‘Dont wanna watch’

‘?’

You didn’t read at all except for the first text. That made him get off the bed and get dressed, running out of the apartment to punch the elevator down to the first floor. When he exited the building, your sedan was already on the street; he saw the taillights, remembered the plate. It got farther in each second that passed, and there was not a darn thing he could do about it. 

Fuck, shit, fuck, shit, fuck shit, fucking fuck. 

For some reason he knew, this time, you were gone for good. Not an absence the next day at school after he told you he lost his virginity to some girl in another class, not the seven months with a few texts to check in with him. This time, it was for good. 

Like hell he was gonna let that happen. 

—

You ended up staying at the hotel for a week, scared Katsuki might still be lurking around. While you knew he got his biggest fill of breaking you this time, you wanted to be sure. Then, as soon as you found a new place, you moved out. 

At work, you asked your boss, Aizawa, for a transfer to another branch, telling him it was for personal reasons. You swore you saw him squint his weary eyes, but after asking you a couple more questions, he agreed nonetheless.

“If it were stress, it’d be no different in another branch. Hope you know that,” Aizawa drawled. 

“I do, sir,” you replied, tired from the poor quality of sleep your situation and the hotel bed gave you. 

“And as soon as possible, you say?”

“Yes, sir,” you affirmed. “Please.” 

The transfer was done in one week, all thanks to your boss. 

Restarting your mundane life, it took two months for you to regain some sort of peace found in everyday’s routine—waking up, going to work, coming home, sleeping, waking up again. There was no contact from Katsuki, only the ghost of his taunts that came hand in hand with the memories of his caresses you could not dispel remained, making guilt creep up your spine every time you touched yourself to climax imagining it was his hand. 

You would find someone else. You and Katsuki, it was ten years in the making. You were fifteen years old on that rooftop, confessing to a boy you thought was the most beautiful person in the world, having no clue how your action would play out. It would not be possible to banish those ten years in two months, no matter how despicable he was to you. And that was a shame. 

It took one phone call from Mitsuki to disrupt your normalcy. 

“I just wanted to know how you were doing, honey.” said Katsuki’s mom, sounding worried. “It’s just—you’re gone again, like those months. And Katsuki won’t tell me what’s going on, which means something must have happened. I need to—I—”

She was trying to find words, and you didn’t want to interrupt. 

“I need to know you’re okay.” She finally let it out. “Just come visit, honey. You don’t have to bring my son.”

“We miss you.” 

It was those words that brought you to the Bakugou house the following weekend. 

“Oh, honey.” Misuki stopped before you, eyeing you from head to toe. Katsumi barked incessantly, all the while trying to sniff the bag of fresh-baked cookies you bought for the family. When the woman beckoned you to come close and enfolded you in her arms, you teared up a bit. 

“That airhead of a son,” the older woman grumbled. 

Getting in the house thwarted all the cold delightfully. You put your coat on the couch next to where you sat, waiting for the tea Mitsuki said she was going to get. You always liked the Bakugou house, asking Katsuki to walk him home every day just to see it from the outside. He never let you in. Ironically enough, it was never him who invited you in, it was his mom. 

Where was Mitsuki now? You looked around for the matriarch, but instead, you saw Katsuki. 

“About time you showed up.” 

There was so much fighting, so much push and pull, and trying to run away, and crying for help; yet, no one came. Katsuki had to carry you on his shoulder to go upstairs because you resisted profusely and refused to walk on your own. 

Door closed, lock clicked. A second later, you were dropped on his bed unceremoniously. You had never been in his room before and didn’t want to now. But since there was no choice, you took the opportunity to look around, taking everything in. 

His room was so… boy. A drum set in one corner, an expensive-looking gaming PC in another with a shelf filled with mangas and action figures next to it, posters of his favorite anime character plastering all over the walls. 

You remembered he liked All Might, the blonde-haired hero from a shonen manga you didn’t read but knew every detail from Katsuki’s ceaseless babble. You even broke into your savings buying a dozen raffle tickets till you won the big prize—a large figure he said he was saving up for—and gave it to him as a birthday present. 

He probably didn’t keep it. 

“Don’t be mad at mom, okay? I was on my knees begging her for help. That was on me,” Katsuki spoke softly, as if he was trying not to spook you. “Old hag hit me so hard dad had to intervene. But I’m her son. You understand, right? She would never abandon me.”

It was him between you and the door; you just needed to get past him, unlock the door and run. Slowly, you got out of the bed to stand on your own feet. The moment they touched the floor, however, was brief. Because Katsuki leaped from where he stood, taking him only two strides before he got you again. 

Back on the bed, you fought him tooth and nail, punching, kicking, biting, while he tried to sedate you with a soothing voice. But there was nothing soothing or gentle about this man—a monster. You saw through him. 

His grip on your wrists was immovable, anchoring you to the bed with one hand. He caged your body with his, examining you like a predator sizing up its prey, his presence all domineering, demanding obedience. 

“Shhh, settle down. I’m not gonna hurt you,” he coaxed. 

“Let me go!” 

All you could move now was your legs, which you did to your best ability, but to no avail. Katsuki waited it out, allowing you to try however you want to get away without saying anything. Eventually, you stilled, so exhausted you couldn't move anymore. 

“There, there. That’s my good princess,” he murmured, his usual harsh features softening. 

Frustration brought tears to your eyes. It took less than you thought, easier than expected, to suck it all up and spill everything that occupied your mind. 

“What do you want? What do you want from me, Katsuki? I'm sorry I confessed to you that day. It was pathetic. I was pathetic. But please—please.” Your voice got hoarse and lost at the second please. You had to cough to get it back. “I have learned my lesson. You and me, it will never happen—will never work out. I know that now. I get it, believe me, I do,” you choked through your tears, pleading. “I won't like you anymore, Katsuki, so please—let me go.” 

“Like me?” he reiterated. “I thought you loved me.”

“What?” 

He sighed, his free hand searching for something in one of his sweatpants’ pockets. When he pulled his hand out, you saw a letter—the one you gave it to him and got rejected. All these years, it had been kept with you, safely in your trinket box. Now, it was in his hand, opened. He finally accepted it, but at what cost? 

“I need you to read it to me,” he commanded, “out loud.” 

“Please, don’t make me do this.” 

“Listen,” he said. “I’m going to let go of your wrists and give you this letter that you wrote for me, and you’re going to read it—word—for—word.” He used the envelope to brush down the bridge of your nose. “If you tear it up—if you do, princess—I’m going to make you rewrite it. And it better be as good, if not better, than this one.”

He let go of your wrists and gave you the letter. 

“Oh, and if you run,” he added. “I’ll catch you, and we start over. Clear?” 

You nodded and took the envelope, hands shaking noticeably when you took the letter out. Everything was under Katsuki’s observation. He sat astride your thighs without putting all his weight on you, waiting patiently. 

“To Katsuki, if you are reading this, that means you accepted my letter, thank you!” You wiped tears out of your eyes to see better. “I know you get a lot of letters like this. It must be a bit of a hassle reading love confessions everyday, right? But please bear with me, I will try to keep this—” 

Interrupted, you looked past the letter and saw Katsuki lifting the hem of your sweater up and leaning down to place a kiss on your exposed stomach.

“Go on,” he prompted. “Don’t mind me. Don’t stop.” 

“I will try to keep this short,” you continued, completing the last sentence, trying to ignore the fact that your jeans were being unbuttoned and pulled down. “You know, girls in our class often say they love your hair, your eyes, but a lot of them are scared of your personality.” You felt his breath through your panties, hot. “I disagree. I think you are nice, brave, and kind. And don’t get me wrong, I love your hair and eyes too.”

“You’re cute, baby,” said Katsuki as he pried your legs open. Without taking off the underwear, he licked your pussy through it. 

“Katsuki!” 

Dragging his tongue up, he mumbled, “Keep reading.”

“And I love you.” You read on and saw his eyes roll back at that specific sentence. 

Suddenly, he switched from licking to sucking, making the crotch all wet with his saliva. You were preparing to read the next part when he made it all the more difficult by moving aside the damp fabric and rubbing his face into your naked cunt. His nose, lips, chin, all soaked in your embarrassing glossy juice. You cursed yourself for giving in, for getting wet. 

“Did I tell you to stop?” 

You let out a sob, raising the letter in your hands up again to read. 

“I know we don’t know each other well, and this feeling is not reciprocated—”

Why did he have to slurp the juice like that? He made it hard, so hard for you. 

“I’m—just a classmate after—all. But what I said, I said it with—a sincere—heart. So even if—you don’t love me back, please—let me keep—this feeling, I promise I—will treasure it.”

Panting sharply, you stopped before the next paragraph when you felt his tongue massaging your clit. Grasping his hair with both of your hands, you forgot you still held the letter. There was an audible scrunch when it was crumpled up in one of your fists.

Katsuki stopped dead in his tracks, glaring up from below; his red orbs seemed redder all of a sudden. “Did you just crumple the letter?” 

You pulled your hands back quickly when you realized, strengthening out the paper as best as you could. The creases weren’t that bad. You showed it to him, ensuring that it was still intact. 

He relaxed. You released a held breath. 

Back to concentrating on the handwritten texts, this time, you vowed to not look at him anymore and would just just read through everything as fast as you could—getting it done. Nevertheless, when he was back on eating your pussy and pride out, it did not get easier, Katsuki still managed to make you writhe like your life depended on it. 

“One more thing, I don’t know if you remember, but thank you for—saving me that day in front of the mini mart.” You tried to recall the event, the beginning of everything. “The thief would have—hurt me, and I would have lost—my wallet.” 

And it was just that, just you trying to yank your wallet back from the thief's hands, the popsicle you just bought lying on the ground, melting. The store staff was on the phone with the police—you heard it—but they didn’t come out. Katsuki did. 

When the thief was about to lay his hand on you, the blonde haired boy whom you recognized as your classmate kicked him in the shin. Moving fast, Katsuki then slammed his school backpack on the thief’s head, once, twice, thrice, on and on until he knocked him out. 

“You were my hero.” You read the last sentence, finishing the letter as he finished you.

You set the paper down on your side, finally freed from the evidence of your teenage self’s stupidity. Feeling weightless from the orgasm, all you could do was stare at the ceiling. After what felt like forever, Katsuki appeared in your field of vision, hovering over you, now shirtless… and pantless. You weren’t aware when he took them off, too lost in your own world. 

“You can't just stop loving me,” he said before bending down to kiss your cheek, then whispered, “Take responsibility. Be true to your words, dumbass.” 

“Katsuki, you’re being selfish.” You turned your face away, fleeing him.  

His red eyes sharpened. “After all this time you have showered me with love and attention, and you want to—take it away?” 

“There will be others who love you and give you all the attention you need,” you argued. “I’m not that person.”  

“No! Fucking no! Shut up!” he barked, turning your face back to him and silencing you with a kiss. 

Even with the heater warming up the room, the cold air that seeped through the walls and windows still reached your naked form. After being rid of your sweater, bra, and drenched panties, the only warmth you could find was from Katsuki’s body. And he made sure to share it with you so generously. 

Pain after pain, bite after bite. Katsuki would not stop no matter how desperately you begged him to. Your skin was his canvas, not only your neck, but your cheeks, breasts, belly, arms, thighs, calves; they were tender and hurt to touch. You would have to refrain yourself from looking into the mirror for too long, maybe. Luckily it was winter, this way, nobody would bat an eye if you covered yourself up like it was minus twenty celsius. 

“I’m gonna fuck you raw, okay? Haven’t fucked anyone since you left. You gotta take care of me, princess.” 

“Don’t bullshit me,” you returned. “You fucked that girl.” 

And it still hurt just thinking about it.

“Did not.”

Even so, had he gone mad? He sounded like it. Wearing condoms was the strictest rule of his when it came to sex. As far as you knew, he never broke it once, not for anyone, not for you. But you could be wrong—you didn’t want to—because now, he actually looked eager to go through with it, fucking you bareback.

Too risky, too intimate. 

“You’ll regret it. Please just—think before you act.” 

Trying to reason with Katsuki, you also attempted to move away. Big mistake. Catching you by your thighs, he forced himself closer and wrapped your legs around his waist. Then, he placed his unshielded cock on your folds and pushed it down a bit for the head to slither in, just the tip, nothing more. 

“Katsuki, no!” 

“Katsuki, yes,” he said, mockingly, and shoved it all in.  

—

The bed shook and squeaked annoyingly from how hard he rammed into your tight weeping hole, but the moans you were trying, but not so successfully, to suppress were so adorable he was able to overlook it and focus on you instead. He never knew his bed did this, never brought anyone home to fuck before. 

He almost spilled in the first five minutes, having to slow down to prolong the feeling of being wrapped and rubbed by a pussy, skin to skin. And you—lying there with your brows frowned and tits bouncing—did not help shit. Trying feebly to push him away when he swooped down for a kiss only stirred up his excitement, making him go rougher until you gasped and gave in.

What a soft and tempting little lamb you were. He wanted to brand you with his cum and give you his fucking name, knocking you up with a couple of brats for you and him to take to school and hear a teacher address you as Mrs. Bakugou with his own ears.

Since the day you handed him that letter, you had never been anyone else’s but his. Must have been fate, he didn’t know, didn’t care about a what-if either. His only regret was that he could have had a taste of you sooner, but he would call it a story arc and leave it at that—he had you now anyway. 

“Say my name, princess,” he demanded.

“Kat—suki.”

“Again.”

“Katsuki!”

This was worth it. The tirade of rebuke his mom delivered to his ears and the smacks on the head while saying she never taught him to be like this when he came clean about what he did to you—all was worth it. 

“I’ll get her back, mom,” Katsuki convinced. “We’ll get her back.” 

“You better.” 

It was convenient that his mom already liked you as if you were the one who popped out of her vagina and not him. Well, they were the same in that aspect. Who would have thought it would come to this day, the day he wanted to trap you in his home, when just a decade earlier, he would never have had the slightest idea of granting you the permission to step past the front gate. 

“She’s a good kid,” his mom commented. “The same girl who walked you home and bought you that All Might figure, no?” 

“Yeah.” Katsuki rolled his eyes. 

“Aha.” 

“Will you help me or not?” he asked, irritated. He had been kneeling at her feet for like fifteen minutes. 

“Watch your tone, boy.” Mitsuki’s voice hardened. His dad’s hand over her shoulder rubbed gently to calm her quick temper down. 

“Tch!” 

The tiny mutt chose that moment to strut into the living room, stealing his mom’s attention. She leaned down to pick it up and put it on her lap. It looked down at him, tongue lolling out of its mouth. Conceited little fucker. 

“You know why I named her Katsumi, Katsuki?” 

“Oh, don’t give me that shit.” 

“Katsuki,” his dad said in a reprimanding tone. 

“She reminds me of you, angry for no reason, always bark, bark, bark. It gets lonely around here, so why not.” Mitsuki smiled, scratching her new child’s head. “And you—remind me of her.”

Katsuki squinted his eyes, kinda knew where this was going. 

“A dog, waiting for its owner to come home.” 

She was not wrong. 

“Yes, I will help you, son.” 

A series of bangs on the door broke through the memory and his euphoria. He just came, hard, pouring his pent-up, ripe seeds far up your cunt, and someone wanted to butt in now? Katsuki huffed, but refused to get up and find out who wanted what, dead set on keeping you plugged up. 

Another rapping on the door, then a voice followed. “That’s enough, Katsuki. Let the poor thing out.” 

Of course, it had to be his mom. 

“Go away, hag.” 

“Bakugou Katsuki!” 

“We’ll be out!” 

Just not now. He omitted, and it worked. Mitsuki carried a string of grumbles and footsteps with her, leaving nothing behind. Katsuki turned to you, still under him, in time to see you avert your gaze away. Cute. 

“Can I go now?” you asked. 

“No.” He changed positions, turning over onto his back and getting you on top of him, cock still snug inside your walls. He hoped he didn’t spill a single drop.

“Katsuki, I don’t want to fight anymore.” 

“Then don’t, baby.” 

“I can’t live like this. Please”—you pleaded with your eyes—“don't hurt me anymore.” 

He couldn’t help but feel a pang in his heart at your frail tone. Looking at you, he saw a woman with dark rings under her eyes, beautiful, but she looked like she had seen better days—a stark contrast to the girl who held out a letter towards him on that spring day, wind in her hair, kindness abundant enough to share. 

Before he knew it, words were out of his mouth. “I wish I had hurt you less.” 

It would not have been possible for him to not hurt you at all. He knew himself well enough to believe otherwise. He also knew, for certain, how he would like the story to go. 

“Do you still love me? Like you wrote in that letter.” he whispered. “Am I still your hero, princess?”

“You don’t”—you gritted your teeth—“have the right to ask me those questions.” 

“I’ll be yours. I want to.” And fuck, he really did, just thinking about it woke his flaccid cock up, rigid again inside of you. Putting his hands on both of your asscheeks, he grinded you up and down. “Do you still love me?”

You kept quiet, unyielding, only small, faint gasps could be heard. 

“Guess that’s not important.” Katsuki decided. “I’ll keep you first—fuck the answer out of you later.”

Panic flashed upon your expression at his declaration, and gasps turned into lustful whimpers when he started slamming your hips up and down his erect shaft.

“How long are you gonna make me wait? A year? A decade? As revenge, maybe?” He took your sweet mouth, hand pressing down the nape of your neck to keep it still. “House will be full of brats by then, but take your time, princess.”

“This will never work out. It won’t. It won’t,” you cried, shutting your eyes tight. “I can’t share you.”

Katsuki didn’t know why, but you not wanting to share him was sexy as shit. The mere thought of sharing you, however, made him want to put something on fire. Was this jealousy people were talking about? It burnt like a bitch. 

“Who said anything about sharing?” he grunted, slapping your jouncing ass, making you squeal. “And this goes both ways, princess. Don’t think I would let anyone touch you.” 

He was pissed just imagining it, which was nowhere near healthy, but who wanted that. He just wanted you, in any way he possibly could. 

“I’m—I’m gonna come,” you spluttered, convulsing around him. 

“That’s it. Come on my cock, baby. Make your man proud.” 

Your velvety walls tightened, constricting his cock and milking it when ropes of cum shot out. 

Sucked dry and spent, Katsuki closed his eyes and tried to rein in his breath. When he reopened them, it was to check if you were still with him—you were, resting on his chest with one cheek against it. Out of cuteness aggression, he pinched the other side.

You let out a short screech. “That hurt!”

The thought of marking you reared its head, biting where it hadn’t been bitten yet, hurting you a little more. But he stifled it, saving it for later. 

Steering himself to another matter, he said, “You never texted me back.”

“I blocked you.” 

“Figured.” Katsuki nodded. 

“Deserved.”

“Unblock me.”

You sighed.

—

The messages wouldn’t go through even if you unblocked him. That was how the application worked, which was fine with him. Scrolling through the one-sided chat, he could sense urgency and desperation through each letter, and some messages actually sounded mental. It would be for the best if you didn’t see them. 

‘Answer’ 

‘i didn’t fuck her, she left. Now fucking answer’ 

‘come back, i wont be mad. where u at.’ 

‘I am still at your apartment, u. didn’t come back. where r u’ 

‘i fucking found your letter. i’ll find u too’ 

“You—kept my present?” 

Katsuki looked up from his phone to your towel-swathed form, fresh out of the shower. Following your line of sight, he was directed to the bottom of the bookshelf where an All Might figure was set—his seventeenth birthday present from you. It was one of his top favorites, but he would never tell you that.

“I’m not stupid enough to throw things I like away, I’ll have you know.” He scowled and went back to scrolling on his phone. 

‘so u moved away huh?’ 

‘need you. don’t wanna fuck my hand anymore :(’ 

‘never mind, bitch’ 

‘u love me huh?’ 

‘Pathetic’ 

‘didnt mean that’ 

‘need u’ 

‘i'm an attention seeking whore who abuses your love to get the validation i want.’

‘sorry’ 

‘there i said it.’ 

‘now come back’ 

Yeah, you didn’t have to know any of that.

[sugarlywhispers]

Thinking about Pro Hero!Dynamight and Pro Hero!Lavagirl!Reader's children.

Both heroes are desperately hurrying their way towards a scene after receiving a call that their children, Bakugou Saori, their girl of 7 years old, and Bakugou Kei, their little boy of 5 years old, are being held hostage by a villain.

The scumbag recognized them on their school visit to an aquarium with their respective classes, and took the chance.

It was inevitable that people would recognize them. They are the children of two of the most powerful heroes of this generation.

The villain thought it would be easy to capture them and hold them until he got what he wanted from their parents; they are children, it's a piece of cake!

However, he didn't count on the possibility that these kids… these fucking kids already developed their Quirks!

The little girl turns out to be a pain in the villain's ass, as she keeps exploding lava rocks in her little hands and throws them at the villain's face, burning him. And well, the little boy isn't a saint either as he keeps spraying some kind of water from his little hands towards the villain, but with a little clap the fucking “water” turned into lava.

The villain feels in literal agony with these two troublesome kids. But it is until he manages a slap hard on the little girl's face that makes them both finally cooperate.

Saori, of course, resembles a lot of characteristics of her father. Her hair is blonde, almond-shaped eyes that give her a piercing kind of stare, like her dad –if she wasn't a toddler, that stare would make more than one person piss their pants. Little Kei, on the other hand, is all you. Big round and curious eyes that look excited at everything, and your same hair color.

But where Saori looks a lot like her dad, she has details that resemble her mother, you. While Saori's hair is blonde, it cascades down her small back smoothly and beautifully like her mother's. While her eyes are the same shape her father's are, they are not red. They are a beautiful mix of yours and Katsuki's. Where little Kei's hair is the same color as yours, it is an exact copy of his father's spiky style. And while his eyes are round and big as yours, they are as deep red as his dad's.

When it comes to personality, well… Saori is clearly Katsuki's child. Yet toned down a bit thanks to your influence as a mom. She is a good girl, a daddy's girl. And of course she plays –a bit roughly in your opinion– with her dad, involving Katsuki holding her upside down by one foot and her laughing her little lungs out, enjoying it. But when she gets very angry, it's clearly Katsuki's heated blood in there (you always send Katsuki to deal with the little demon when she gets like that). Little Kei, on the contrary, is all you. Kind, chill, mommy's boy, a saint-like little boy who loves to follow butterflies around holding your hand as you follow him too (and a shameless thief –because yes, he has stolen you from Katsuki at times).

It's Saori's personality that has her yelling at the villain, “My dad will kick your ass hard!!”, tears running down her cheeks, one of them clearly bright red from the slap, while hugging her little brother in protection.

And even though little Kei is crying too, he also yells, "Yeah!! And it's going to hurt!"

They warned the villain. And they were entirely right.

The moment Pro Hero Dynamight and Pro Hero Y/H/N arrived at the scene, it's chaos.

The only thing in this set of parents' minds is to get back their kids. No fucking matter how. To have them in their arms, safe and sound. Dynamight doesn't fucking care if his explosion goes a bit harder than it should. And Y/H/N doesn't fucking care if your lava burns the villain's skin alive, when you directed a whip towards him, circling his arm and pulling him back from trying to avoid Dynamight's fire.

It all happens strenuously fast.

You feel the air finally enter your lungs once you hold both of your kids in your arms. Both kids crying, “Mommy!!” while their little arms surround your neck.

“It's okay, my loves, you're okay,” you hold back your own cry, but your eyes are clearly filled with tears, “Mom and Dad are here.”

You immediately feel Katsuki's big arms surround you three in a hug from the other side. He kisses each kid over their heads, closing his eyes and breathing their scent deep. They are fine. They are finally safe. All of you are in his arms, safe.

The children turn around and also hug their dad crying. Katsuki doesn’t say anything, he simply holds them, knowing fully well they need to feel protected. He turns his face a bit and lovingly pecks Kei's chubby and wet from his tears cheek. But when he turns to do the same to Saori, she yelps at the contact and that's when he notices her little cheek red, turning purple-ish.

Bakugou Katsuki sees red.

He kisses the little girl's forehead, before grunting, “Take the kids away, Y/N.”

You know that tone in his voice. You don't wait a second before picking up both kids and sliding away with your lava. Away from the grotesque scene you know your husband is about to create thanks to the hard and bloody beating Katsuki is going to give to that villain.

You hope the signal you gave Izuku is enough to make him understand that they will need to hold Katsuki back. Because if they don't, he's soooo going to kill the villain.

a.n; a head is going to roll on the ground lol🤭

[thefreakandthehair]

@steddiemas day 1: deck the halls | wc: 1.2k | rated: m

Robin Buckley loves Christmas.

Like, really loves Christmas. If she could convince Steve to put the tree up in their little shitbox apartment the day after Halloween, she would. In fact, she'd tried last year but Steve reminded her that a live tree would be a needleless fire hazard by Christmas Day and she refuses to entertain the idea of a fake tree.

Absolutely not. Live tree or bust.

And this is how Steve ends up at the Christmas Tree Farm the day after Thanksgiving, dragged around with a fond if not tired smile as she checks tree after tree, pulling their branches, checking their strength and health.

"It has to be a Blue Spruce to hold those heavy ornaments from my parents, and none of these are Blue Spruces!" She bemoans, whipping her head around to glare at Steve. "Are you even helping?"

He rolls his eyes and sips the hot chocolate that warms him from the inside. "I'm here as moral support and to cut the thing down when you find it." Steve wiggles the little saw he'd been handed and nods her on.

Robin scoffs and marches back towards him. "I think there are some Blue Spruces in the lot towards the back."

Without a question, he turns on his heel and follows her. This isn't their first Christmas Tree Hunt so he knows the drill. No matter how much he actually hates Blue Spruces because the needles are sharp and stick him when they hang the lights, he'll never say a word. Not when it makes his best friend this happy.

Eventually, they make the trek through muddy grass and Robin does, in fact, find a Blue Spruce that makes her eyes light up in the hidden away lot.

"This is it," she beams. "This is the one."

"Perfect, here, hold this--" Steve hands her his mug and starts to lean down, only for the tree to start shaking.

A man in ripped jeans and Reeboks lies beneath the tree, his own saw just beginning to make its mark in the stump of the spiky, healthy Spruce.

"Hey! Hey, what are you doing? This is our tree." Robin says, reaching through branches to hold it steady. "We were just about to cut it down, back off."

Steve sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. It's not that he won't defend Robin's honor and get into a fight in a Christmas Tree Farm for her, he'd just really rather not.

The mystery man pokes his head out from under the tree with furrowed brows and two needles sticking out from the top of his head, dirt on his denim jacket that protects what looks like a red and black flannel. Steve's definitely been watching way too many Hallmark movies with Robin lately because holy shit, he's cute.

"Listen, my best friend wants this tree, and I don't even wanna be under here but if she doesn't get this Blue Whatever-The-Fuck, someone's halls are getting decked and it'll probably be mine. So, sorry." He shrugs and returns to his place under the tree. 

Robin looks at Steve, bewildered and frazzled simultaneously. Do something, she mouths. 

Like what? He mouths back, scrunching his face and contorting his mouth. 

She widens her eyes and jerks her head to the side, desperate. 

He should’ve known Robin would be responsible for his demise. 

“C’mon, man, we’ve been here for two hours looking for a tree.” Steve gets no response, just a few grunts that shouldn’t go straight to his crotch but what can he say? It’s been awhile.

He steps forward and lies down beneath the tree with the Tree Thief. “Is she here with you? Your best friend who seems as fucking rabid as mine is here about these trees?” 

Steve watches as the man focuses on the tree stump, rhythmic back and forth motions of the saw moving his torso along the ground with his tongue poking out between his lips. “Maybe I can talk to her? Or send Robin? She’s… convincing?” 

“Chrissy wants this one, dude. Hate to break it to you.” 

“Ah, okay. Robin and Chrissy. Well, I’m Steve, and you’re…?” 

The sawing stops as he catches his breath. “Eddie. I’m Eddie. And unless you’re gonna help under here, you might wanna move. I don’t wanna drop this on you.” 

Steve pulls his bottom lip between his teeth and takes a chance. Reaching out, he places one hand on top of Eddie’s. “Can I make you a deal?” 

Eddie startles, eyes flickering back and forth from the space where their hands touch on the rough bark of the tree up to Steve’s gaze. 

“Depends on the deal, I suppose.” Maybe Steve imagines the flush to his cheeks and the playful grin that blossoms across his lips. All he knows about Eddie is that his best friend’s name is Chrissy and that he has the most beautiful brown eyes Steve’s maybe ever seen. 

Not maybe. Definitely. 

“Uh,” he shakes his head, trying to pull himself out of whatever Christmas romcom he thinks he’s living in. “What if we help you and Chrissy find another tree and I help you cut it down? I’ll even carry it to the car for you.” 

“What are you, some sort of lumberjack?”

“Nope,” he lowers his voice conspiratorially, joking as he leans closer, like an idiot. “Just desperate not to get my halls decked.” It earns him a genuine smile and surprised laugh punched from Eddie’s lungs. 

“Alright,” he taps the saw on the trunk and smirks over at Steve, mere inches apart beneath a Christmas tree. Close enough for the faint scent of Eddie’s cigarettes and Old Spice cologne to permeate the strength of the resinous spruce. “You help us find another tree, lug it to the car, and then meet me for coffee after? Seems like the least you can do, all things considered.” 

Trading numbers with the guy he met while bargaining for Robin’s dream Christmas tree isn’t the weirdest moment of his life, but it’s certainly on the shortlist. As is plucking rogue needles out of his hair when they come up from beneath the tree.

He ends up lugging two Blue Spruces to the parking lot an hour later in two trips— Robin chatting with Chrissy in front of them and Eddie at his side, gravitating closer and closer until their arms nearly touch. 

“You know, you didn’t actually have to do this,” Eddie says, moving away from Steve and to the other side of Chrissy's sedan to help tie the tree to the roof. “You’re not like, actually obligated or whatever.” 

Steve finishes tying his end of the knot and looks across at Eddie, finding him standing with hopeful eyes and a piece of hair drawn in front of his face. 

“Oh, I know.” He smiles and shrugs. “But I want to. Especially the coffee-with-you-after part.” 

“Not until we get this thing up and decked, Munson!” Chrissy pops up next to Eddie at the same time Robin appears next to Steve, both of them practically bouncing on their heels and grinning ear to ear. 

Robin nudges Steve in the side and he looks down to see her phone held out, Chrissy’s number typed into her contacts with a tiny pink heart to it. He gives her a subtle, excited thumbs up from below Eddie and Chrissy’s view beneath the car. 

Eddie slings an arm across Chrissy’s shoulders and ruffles her hair before she fixes her ponytail, indignant. 

“Alright, alright,” Steve laughs. “I’ll uh, I’ll text you?” 

Eddie nods and turns himself and Chrissy towards the front of the car. As he gets in the passenger seat, he looks back at Steve with a mischievous wink most likely emboldened by Steve’s brash flirtation. 

“The sooner, the better.”

[shiny-kaibernyte]

Ooo ooo!! What about Champion Lance?

In Lance we trust. One Lance Headcannon ramble COMING UP! Lance is surprisingly hard to write for but i think i got something plausible.

No warnings unless mentioning a punch is one?

Lance | General Headcannons

Lance will be straightforward and honest with everyone. You want the truth, ask Lance and he will spell it out to you in the most brutally honest way. 

He is sharp minded and incredibly strong-willed. This man can bounce back from anything thrown at him, and can silence anyone with a single comment if he wants. He has made challengers feel as if they are an ant compared to him, if they’re getting too cocky with him that is.

If he finds someone mistreating their Pokemon, he reacts in one of two ways. Depending on what's happening. If the trainer is new and is simply overworking their Pokemon without actually realising: Lance will berate them for this and then teach them carefully on how to actually care for they’re Pokemon.

Lance is a surprisingly good teacher.

However, if what they're doing is physical and genuinely meaningful in how they are hammering their pokemon, he will not back away from using violence. He Hyper beamed a petty thief! Lance will throw a punch in himself if need be.

A LOG when sleeping. And I don't mean he's a sound sleeper, a lot can wake him up. I mean literally a log, stiff as a board. A statue if you will. 

Clair once thought he was unconscious, he was so still, resulting in her pouring ice cold water on him, followed by Lance jumping up so far you honestly thought he could cling to the ceiling. One of the few times he let his guard down and now he's cold and needs new clothes.

Yes, Clair got it all on camera. And yes all of the Elite and gym leaders have the video saved.

Lance is an incredibly serious person, and will not tolerate any form of disrespect from anyone. Although sometimes he can be a bit too serious. Laughter is so rare from this guy that even a simple chuckle gets people staring at him.

It takes him an hour to get his hair like that. Lance’s naturally hair is spiky don’t get me wrong but to get those perfect spikes takes time darlings.

Private person. Period

Lance cares way too much about other people and they’re pokemon than he reasonably should. I repeat he has Hyper beamed a thief for stealing a random woman's pokeball.  This tends to get him in situations he can’t get himself out of. Whilst he doesn’t like asking for help, he will if he knows it's the only option left.

Before he became champion, he would constantly be going around the other Elite members and testing they’re strength making sure they are alway at their best. When he became champion he did this a lot less, instead focusing on his own pokemon and the might of the gym leaders. 

He can’t swim all that well. Lance spends so much time in the air that swimming is almost foreign to him. Although he can swim, it's not too graceful and you would mistake his wild flailing for drowning.

For this reason, he definitely has a Pokemon that knows Surf he doesn’t use on his main team. 

Man has a soft spot for food. Wanna get on his good side? Give him anything to do with Spicy food and he is all ears. The other elite members used to carry Spicy curry pots on them whenever they needed Lance to do something he would normally say no to.

Quite the artist and also has decent music talent. He once tried Pottery, he made a somewhat functional bowl on his first attempt. Charcoal is his specialty, he has a hidden sketchbook full of pokemon he has seen over his travels.

Hates travelling overseas for tournaments and HAS turned them down before. It has to be a massive oversea event for him to willingly go instead of Red or Falkner dragging him there.

Lance has a soft spot for kids. He is much more protective over them than the adults watching them. Always helping any kid without a second thought, the adult in his mind comes second. 

He throws a vicious right hook. Lance has knocked a team rocket grunt out and once put a hole in a wall. It’s no Raihan punch, that man bent a Cement wall. But he will put you on your ass. 

This man has a secret stash of hair dye in his house. If his hair starts greying he will be READY! And yes that is not his natural hair colour.

Does NOT like his shoulders touched. I think it's the cloak, but if someone touches him on the shoulder, he will death glare at them. Hands, arms, back all fine. Shoulders, no. Same thing with his legs. Falkner once tapped him on the leg when he was napping and it resulted in Falkner getting a kick to the face. He was fine but now he warns people not to touch Lance when he sleeps.

Speaking of Falkner, these two definitely roomed together for a while. Falkner is the only person Lance trusts enough to handle his pokemon. If for Any reason Lance has to part with Dragonite, Falkner is who he turns to. Even the pokemon centre can’t handle his precious pokemon. Arceus forbade him to let Clair handle them.

He loves and respects Clair so much don’t get him wrong. But when they were younger, Clair was quite the trouble maker and accidentally hurt Lance’s Dratini. He never fully trusted her again with his pokemon. No ill will between them though, They have dinner together at least once a week. 

Though in Clair's defence, Lance did provoke her first. He got that spit fire personality somewhere.

Won’t eat any kind of fish or Tail food. Sushi is his enemy. Not team rocket, not Team Galactic, not even team Magma. Nope. Sushi. 

Remember the curry thing from earlier? If that doesn’t work to persuade him somehow, just tie some sushi to a stick and follow him around, he’ll give in eventually. Don’t let his Dragonite eat it though because it will try and it is funny to watch.

[imsobadatnicknames2]

This section of a blog post describing the author's playthrough of Thief II: The Metal Age is one of my favorite pieces of videogame analysis of all time.

I was replaying a bit of Thief II last week and First City Bank & Trust is not only my favorite mission of the game but honestly probably one of the best levels in the history of videogames. The way such a simple mechanic as "the loudness of your footsteps depends on what material you're walking on" makes certain spaces feel immediately hostile and threatening simply through their material in a way that plays so elegantly into the game's themes is legitimately one of the greatest achievements in game design I can think of.

[Transcript:

The building itself is baroque and extravagant where the public can see it, drab and utilitarian where they can’t. It’s both bureaucracy and the service industry incarnate. All gilt and smiles on the surface, all rote paper pushing and veiled condescension underneath. It’s the perfect example of the connection between materiality and wealth. Marble, tile, and carpet create extreme of tension and release in the public spaces, while stone and wood make the private spaces muted and unremarkable. So much of this level – of this game – only works because of the way sound is handled. Tile floors are not threatening until you make it so they are painfully loud to walk on. Wealthy materials therefore make for more hostile environments, it’s almost comically elegant. I love many levels from the Dishonored series, but even they were never able to evoke so much with just simple texturing. Tile floors with a carpet in the middle, immediate feelings of wealth, opulence. Also hostility, challenge. But there’s safety there too, if you reach the carpet you have some degree of freedom, but it’s constrained by the physical size of the carpet. The more wealthy the location the more it makes use of tile and carpet, the more spiky your feelings of threat and safety, of tension and release, become. And that’s without adding anything beyond materials.

This is a rare area where The Dark Project missteps. By casting the forces of the natural world as the antagonists it undercut this materiality. The materials of nature are grass, and stone, and wood. But these are not naturally hostile to Garrett, they read as safe. The variation throughout The Dark Project means you don’t have enough time to solidify the association between natural materials and safety. You understand it but it’s not ingrained, so when it’s altered it’s not as powerful a shift as it could be. This is easy for me to say years later. It’s also only after playing The Metal Age that I really get that sense of nature as refuge. Which in itself is an impressively on theme sensation. Nature is leaving the City just as I need it to be around. The very materiality of this new City is hostile to Garrett, the one force that could help him is dying and he helped bring that about.]

[wearethekat]

Favorite Obscure Reads of 2024

The books that didn't make the overall best books of the year, but are hidden gems that deserve more attention.

Hold Me, Courtney Milan. A funny and extremely geeky m/f romance featuring a trans woman.

Letters to Half Moon Street, Sarah Wallace. Charming gay romance set in an alt-Regency with queernormativity and magic.

The Wings Upon Her Back, Samantha Mills. A winged soldier betrayed by her leader and suffering from chronic pain.

The Witchstone, Henry Neff. Adult debut about a family's demonic bargain from one of my childhood favorite authors.

Midnight Rooms, Donyae Coles. A disturbing gothic novel about a biracial girl who marries into a haunted, decomposing house.

The House of the Red Balconies, AJ Demas. Demas' latest charming and gentle queer romance set in an alt-Mediterranean world, about an engineer and a courtesan.

Activation Degradation, Marina J Lostetter. SF about a robot sent to attack a spaceship, but instead gets captured and discovers its humanity.

Bang Bang Bodhisattva, Aubrey Wood. Dystopian cyberpunk about a trans girl hacker.

Moorewood Family Rules, Helenkay Dimon. A woman gets revenge, Leverage-style, on her family, who had her take the fall for her and go to prison.

The Tenfold Tenants, EV Belknap. A charming and spiky novel about a guy who's resigned to running a boarding house for magical beings due to the economic slump.

Shoestring Theory, Mariana Costa. Second chance time travel romance, in which a wizard court jester confronts his evil king ex.

Sorcery and Small Magics, Maiga Doocy. Two academic rivals go on a quest after one of them accidentally (and illegally) curses the other.

Mazes of Power, Juliette Wade. A twisty political SF book about the fight to be the heir in an underground eugenicist cave society.

Dark Woods, Deep Water, Jelena Dunato. A lovely dark fantasy novel about three people whose paths lead them to be trapped in a cursed castle.

The Uses of Illicit Art, Wendy Palmer. An absolute souffle of a romance novel set at a breakneck pace about a guy with magical thief powers and the bounty hunter desperately trying to capture him.

[crossover-enthusiast]

Something I always find fascinating when people draw the thieves without their masks is that Thin Thief usually has a constant look to him: spiky black hair that stops at his shoulders/neck, maybe some stubble or a goatee for extra design pizazz

Meanwhile it seems like nobody can agree on what Fat Thief looks like. I've seen him blond, brunette, with black hair, poofy, shaved, spiky, hell one time someone even drew him ginger!

It's just really cool to me idk

[writingtraumaforever]

Uncontrolled Chaos: Chapter 6

Notes: Ya’ll. This election is gonna have me up all night. So I went ahead and typed another one. ANYWAY! Anyone else think Rouge and Sonic would be super flirty with one another simply because they’re both just naturally teasing little shits??? c: They’d be such a handful as a duo.

Summary: Rouge goes to Sonic for help.

Chapter Select!

Support me on Ao3!

Start:

Sonic turns out to be in the oddest of places.

At home.

Well. Sonic doesn’t have a home. That’s why it’s so odd.

He has a quaint hut he built back when he first took Tails in, knowing he couldn’t just keep sleeping in trees or caves with a kid depending on him. Along with this hut came a shed for Sonic’s plane that grew into a large workshop over the years as Tails’ potential in mechanics advanced.

Even still, Sonic rarely was there. It was thought more as Tails’ home than Sonic’s— which was what it was built for in the first place, really. To give the young fox some shelter and stability.

Sonic may have been a kid too at the time, but he wasn’t stupid.

Sonic could only be found there when he was actively working with Tails on something in his workshop, collaborating with his Team for some sort of adventure, or- on very rare occasions- was sleeping there for the night.

So Rouge hadn’t really thought to go there.

Especially since Team Sonic is currently disbanded and doing their own things individually.

Standing outside the home, she places a hand on her hip and knocks with the other one, “Hello???”

She’d usually let herself in being an expert thief and all, but she’s trying to get in Sonic’s good graces currently considering she needs his help.

There’s no answer for a long moment, Rouge frowning as she switches her weight from her left foot to her right and knocks again, “Sonic??? I know you’re there—“

She’s interrupted by a loud rumbling sort of sound, metal being folded up as the garage door of the workshop is slid up from the ground and open.

A spiky, blue head peeks out from the bottom.

“Rouge??”

Rouge looks at the blue blur with a little smirk, tilting her head sideways to lean more into his view, “Hiya~,” she gives a little flirty wave.

Sonic’s smile upturns at this, seeming far too ecstatic to see her than he typically is. He walks out from the shop with a pep in his step, some sort of oil littered on his quills and fur making Rouge’s nose scrunch a bit in disgust.

“Hey! Long time no see,” he winks, stopping a few feet in front of her as he rubs his dirtied gloves on his chest to wipe them off some, “Sorry I didn’t hear ya. I was working on the Tornado. Took it out for a flight and ran into some trouble. Turns out I’m rusty with flying the thing..,” he chuckles and rubs the back of his neck.

Rouge offers a little quirk of her brow, “The kid didn’t take it with him??”

“Ah- he took the X,” he explains with a smirk, “the original stayed with me.”

“Ah,” Rouge smiles a bit, nodding as she looks him over a moment.

He looks like he’s doing well enough. Knuckles had said he went through quite a lot on those Starfall Islands, but right now? He looks no different than normal other than how filthy he is. Then again, Rouge doesn’t really know him well enough to tell much of a difference even if he was off.

“Did you need somethin’??” Sonic asks with a raised brow, “Something happen?? There trouble??”

Rouge tries to ignore how he sounds hopeful rather than worried.

“Not quite,” she answers, one of her wings stretching out to wrap around her as she grooms the wingtips a bit anxiously, “There’s been an incident.”

“Incident??” the hero questions, a curious glint in his eyes. If Rouge didn’t know any better, she’d say he was wanting something to be wrong.

Was he really that bored???

“Shadow,” she says simply, watching Sonic’s curiosity peak at that, “He was running an op for GUN and got knocked out.”

“Is he—“

“He’s fine,” she quickly answers before he can think the worst, “No real damage, just a solid hit to the back. But he’s healing fine since he heals quicker than most.”

Sonic nods at this, his face now becoming a bit unreadable rather than open and childish, “Then what’s the problem??”

“Well..,” Rouge sighs, her eyes averting as she plays with the tips of her hair at the nape her her neck now, her wing folding back up behind her back, “He’s not… himself.”

Sonic’s brows furrow a bit at that, a frown curling on his muzzle, “Whatdo’ya mean??”

“He’s acting strangely,” not sure how else to put it, “It’s like his memories are out of whack.”

“Well that’s nothing new,” Sonic snorts with a smirk, though he immediately goes back to being serious when this only earns him a glare from Rouge.

“He doesn’t have any head trauma,” the agent continues, looking a bit distressed now as she crosses her arms over her chest and looks down in thought, “Nothing showed up on any scans. There’s no reason for him to be acting like this..”

“How exactly is he acting??” Sonic questions, his own hand resting on his hip while the other dangles free at his side, “I mean— he’s kinda an asshole most days—“

“That’s just it. He’s not being an asshole, he’s being..,” she hesitates, looking at Sonic again, “scared..?”

Sonic’s eyes widen a bit at that, obviously shocked by this information. There hasn’t been many times Sonic has seen Shadow scared, but the few times he has??? It’s usually for a damn good reason.

And if Shadow is scared, they probably all should be..

“He doesn’t look at me like he knows me,” Rouge adds, trying to provide context, “And any time I try and talk to him about what happened, he shuts down and asks for-..”

Sonic leans in a bit, nodding for her to finish.

“…you.”

“Me??” Sonic barks, surprised at first but then laughing, “That’s a good one. Shadow, my rival, the Ultimate Buzzkill, asking to see me?? As if I’d talk to that—“

“I’m serious, Sonic,” Rouge reaches out, grabbing Sonic’s wrist and immediately shutting Sonic up as he looks at her a bit off-put by how worried she is.

Rouge isn’t one to show vulnerability like this..

And even if Sonic doesn’t know her and Shadow’s dynamic super well, he knows they’re likely the closest thing to family the other has..

He’s dealt with losing his family enough lately to know she’s not messing around..

And he shouldn’t be either.

“Just— come talk to him,” she pleads, though she tries to make it sound like an order, “See what you can get out of him. I don’t know what’s going on with him, but I don’t like seeing him like this..”

Sonic looks at her a long moment, lips parted as he searches her eyes for any sign of deception or dishonesty..

He just finds worry.

And some desperation.

He shuts his mouth, his own face reflecting his seriousness as he gives her a nod.

“Yeah. I’ll come see him.”

Rouge sighs at this, releasing his arm as she steps back from him, “Good. Thank you.”

He smirks a bit at this, trying to lighten the mood some, “No problemo.”

“Would’ve had to taken you hostage if you had said no,” Rouge smirks, her hand back on her hip and returning to her smug and flirty persona.

“Woulda had to catch me first, doll,” Sonic winks, matching her energy.

Rouge hums at that, tilting her head up at him with an appreciative smile before then scrunching her nose up in disgust, “But you have to shower first. I’m not going anywhere with all that stink.”

Sonic raises an arm to smell under his pit, a furrow in his brows, “It ain’t that bad.”

“It’s disgusting. Go make yourself presentable. I’ll meet you at GUN HQ.”

Sonic gives her a wink and thumbs up, “On it.” Then he’s dashing off inside the house, leaving a blue streak and a gust of wind behind.

Rouge sighs a bit as she turns to leave, spreading her wings to take off.

Sonic is already in the shower, thinking about everything he’s been told..

Shadow.

Shadow hurt.

Shadow scared.

Shadow asking for him???

None of it sounds right. And Sonic finds himself more worried than he’d care to admit..

Starfall Island was a shitty experience, but it taught him a lot. And while Shadow may be his rival, he doesn’t wanna see the guy in distress or pain..

He would’ve done the same thing he did for Knuckles, Tails and Amy for Shadow.

He cares about the guy.

Ya’know. In a ‘dude’ sort of way, of course.

But for Shadow to be asking for Sonic’s help??

It can’t be good.

And Sonic has a feeling this is the start of something bigger..

His toes curl involuntarily at that thought.

He finds a slow smile curling onto his lips, slight relief flooding him at this realization.

“Finally..”

[ancientgoldboundspirit]

@thief-of-shadows replied to your post “@thief-of-shadows asked: Meeeeeeeee? Recommend...”:

"Aww! Sweet kitty." Gold may not have fluffy ears, but Thief can scratch behind his spiky tufts of hair.

"I'm not--" Yeah, can't even finish that sentence. No fighting the allegations, not with how he's bunting his head against Thief's hand.

[cerulean-volcano]

Avel gets a deep kiss from Rivor himself, a smirk wide on his face. " Friday kisses for my girl ~ "

Avel gives a deep blush as she is suddenly kissed deeply by Rivor. Closing her eyes to savor it as she leans into the kiss a bit, looking away once the kiss is broken “Friday kisses are the best kisses~ Or any day kisses I guess.”

[camiefromstatefarm]

We're back with some more 'Upper Moon Demons' headcanons!!! Today, we're focusing on my personal favorite. Slight NSFW warning.

Upper Moon 4

Hantengu/Hanito Jigoku (Part 1)

- Born in 1611, in a less populated town near Kyōto City.

Koki Jigoku, his father, was an extremely handsome and charismatic ladies' man. Parenthood was unexpected, but his heart melted when he saw his newborn son, who bore a striking resemblance to him. Despite his love for his wife, Koki struggled to abandon his womanizing ways..

Otsuru Jigoku (née Aisaki), his mother, was a strikingly attractive young woman with a caring personality. She had sun-kissed skin, a slender yet dramatic lean body, reminiscent of Devon Aoki, a heart-shaped face, warm brown hair, and silver to orchid eyes always filled with energy. Otsuru loved her husband intensely, but her love often turned deranged, driving her to murderous jealousy towards his frequent infidelities. She came from a wealthy family.

- Even as a young boy, Hanito was a stunningly handsome child with a sturdy athletic build and tanned skin. His spiky black hair messy and full, framing his brooding heart-shaped face and accentuating his piercing onyx eyes. His eyebrows were thick and expressive, often laced with a dramatic display of emotions. His features were sharp and chiseled, with high cheekbones and a straight high-bridged nose. He also bore a mischievous devilish grin.

- Hanito's life of crime began at just seven years old, not out of necessity, but sheer desire and bad influences. He ran with a trio of urchin boys, forming a band of young thieves who stole whatever they could to fill their pockets. Surprisingly, his parents, Koki and Otsuru, didn't reprimand him for his delinquent behavior. Instead, they adopted a lenient approach, telling him that as long as he avoided getting caught, he wouldn't face trouble at home. This unconventional parenting allowed Hanito to hone his thieving skills, shaping him into a skilled young thief.

- Stealing meant buying whatever they wanted, but for free. Hanito-kun rarely strayed from his tight-knit group, seeking the safety net of their protection. Hanito had a knack for evading capture, thanks to three key factors: his incredible speed, his skillful lying and manipulation, which convinced people he was just an innocent child, and his loyal clique of local fangirls who often helped him out of sticky situations.

Emiko-chan, gasps: Girls! Here comes Hanito-kun, act natural!

(Hanito passes by and smiles slightly before leaving)

Sakura-chan, giggles: You see that? He smiled at me!

Yumi-chan, cooing: No, I'm pretty sure he had his eyes on me!

Emiko-chan, huffing: Nuh uh! He was definitely checking out my hair!

(None of them realizing their missing hairpins)

Hanito, gripping all 3 hair pins: Too easy.

- The manifestations of Hantengu's emotions take on physical forms that reflect the age where he experienced those emotions most intensely.

Zohakuten 👹

Year 1623; a store clerk by the name of Mr. Yamada was fed up with the troublesome child's lies.

Hanito, defiantly: Let me go you big bully! There really was a wolf!

(He struggles trying to free his ear from the store clerk's harsh grip)

Mr. Yamada, angrily opens the door: Otsuru, your brat is at it againー

Horrifying. There knelt Otsuru ominously, in a tattered old kimono ー stained with blood spatter, one she kept specifically for these occasions ー with an ecstatic expression. Before her lay the lifeless body of a curvaceous young woman, a ravishing beauty with a face like a porcelain doll and dark sea-green hair. Her thighs impaled by two knives and her pale mint eyes froze in perpetual horror, surrounded by beads of sweat.

Otsuru, glances behind her: Ah, welcome Yamada-sama! Do come in, we're having a family reunion of sorts...

Hanito swiftly averted his gaze, closing his eyes to shield himself from the uncomfortable graphics. His reaction betrayed a familiarity with his mother's brutal outbursts, a hint that he had witnessed her madness before. In contrast, Mr. Yamada stood frozen, his voice caught in his throat as shock and terror rendered him speechless.

(Otsuru rose, her movements graceful like a cat)

Otsuru, curls her lips: And you, dear friend, are just in time for dinner. I do hope you have an... appetite for the macabre.

(She walks closer making Mr. Yamada free his grasp on Hanito's ear, slowly retreating)

Mr. Yamada, sweating: No... no! What have you done to that poor woman!

Otsuru, pats her son's head: Hush now, everything is fine... I'm bound to tidy the house after this.

Hanito, crying: How much more that nasty stuff is going to happen here?

Otsuru, gently and soothing: Darling, you know I don't have other options...

Mr. Yamada, pointing: You... what are you teaching that poor child, youー you crazy bitch!

Otsuru's eyes blazed with a dark intensity, her gaze flashing like a stormy sky. The air seemed to thicken, heavy with malevolence, as the unhinged madness gave way to a sinister wrath. Her long hair whipped around her face like a flail, as if the wind itself was fueling her fury. Her stained kimono fluttering behind her like a dark cloud.

Otsuru, in an ominous voice: Forgive me, good sir... but I'm afraid you've dug your own grave!

(A knife slid out of her sleeve and she launched at him. However, Mr. Yamada was quicker and dodged her attack)

Mr. Yamada, cornering her from behind: So reckless...

Hanito, yelling: Momma!

(Basically what happened was Mr. Yamada managed to grab Otsuru's wrist, twisting it, forcing her to drop the knife, and knocked the woman out.)

Mr. Yamada, grumbles: I'd be damned if I wasn't a former martial artist. I'm sorry to say it, kid, but your mother's actions have earned her a reckoning. She'll face trial and judgment for her wrongdoings.

Hanito's tear-stained face twisted into a furious scowl, his large bushy eyebrows furrowing in anger. His piercing eyes narrowed, flashing with intense animosity, his glare so heavy that it almost crushed the store clerk. It was unnerving to see how this boy could be both seriously handsome and intimidatingly fierce at the same time.

Hanito, darkly: You evil son of prick! Leave my momma alone or... or I'll kill you!

(He charges at Mr. Yamada attempting to punch the latter, but was triped over by Yamada's sliding kick)

Mr. Yamada, lifts Otsuru up: Don't try to fight me, Hanito, I'm three times your size.

Hanito, grabbing onto Yamada's ankle: No!!! I won't let a scumbag like you give me orders!!!

(Hanito twists Yamada's ankle causing the latter to wince and kick him back)

Mr. Yamada, scoffs: Blasted child. You're lucky I respect your father enough to let you off the hook.

The 12-year-old's rage thickened, his glare twice as spiteful as he rose from his position, gracefully like the fall was nothing. He balled both hands fist, ready to spring into action when two people showed up. A samurai and a middle-aged woman with the same green hair as the victim.

Samurai, analyzing the situation: So if I'm correct, this was the lady who your daughter was last seen with.

(The middle-aged woman just nodded)

Mr. Yamada: I fear to inform you... that your daughter is dead...

(The middle-aged woman weaped)

Mr. Yamada, frowning: I was just taking her son, Hanito, back home. That kid has been in a lot of hot water lately, I wanted to have a word with Otsuru about this...

Hanito, looks down bitterly: I was telling the truth...

Mr. Yamada, shouts: There was no wolf and never one to begin with!

Samurai, tapping chin: Note the freshness of the blood suggests the incident occurred within the past 30 minutes.

Mr. Yamada, still disturbed: The girl is inside. Poor thing was bleeding head to toe.

This was a night no one forgotten, especially Zohakuten who held onto that memory like an ideology.

Basically after that fiasco, Otsuru was convinced of 13 accounts of homicide and sentenced to death by hanging. Nobody wanted to inform Hanito what happened to his mother, believing it'd be too hard on him.

- To cope with the void left by his mother's absence, Hanito's fragile mind conjured a distorted narrative, convincing himself that she was a monster who had abandoned him, rather than confront the painful truth of her fate.

- After his mother's departure, Hanito spent his remaining teenage years by his father's side. Seeking a new beginning, they relocated to Gion, a prestigious district in Kyōto renowned for its vibrant entertainment and traditional geisha culture.

- Hanito only grew more handsome by the day. His voice deepened, and he became taller & stronger. His spiky hair had grown longer, reaching his shoulders. His heart-shaped face still brooded with intensity, but his features had matured, sharpening his cheekbones and nose. His piercing onyx eyes smoldering and framed by thick eyebrows that gave him a debonair look. At thirteen, he was already the most attractive guy in Gion.

- He idolized his womanizer father, emulating his ways but with a more sinister edge.

Hanito, exclaiming: Father, teach me how to charm the ladies!

Koki, smiling: Ah, my son, it's all about confidence and charm. Watch and learn!

- As young Hanito honed his skills, his reputation grew, and so did his ego. He began to see himself as a legend, a master of charm and deception. And his father, well, he was the one who had taught him everything he knew.

- He employed his charms to lure unsuspecting girls into his trap, only to rob them blind. Unlike his father, Koki, who had treated his mistresses with kindness and sincerity, Hanito's intentions were far more dark. He delighted in leaving a trail of broken hearts in his wake, his beauty and charisma mere tools for exploitation. With each conquest, Hanito's confidence grew, as did his reputation as a heartless Casanova.

His father, Koki, looked on with a mix of pride and concern, aware of the darkness brewing within his son. Yet, he remained silent, allowing Hanito's destructive path to continue unchecked.

- At 14, Hanito experienced his first kiss under the soft glow of a lantern on a bench, in a secluded area of the Gion District. Maiya, his girlfriend, rested her head on his shoulder, her gentle eyes sparkling in the dim light. With his arm wrapped around her, Hanito felt a sense of vulnerability he'd never known before. As their lips touched, he tasted the sweetness of innocence, leaving him breathless. Maiya may not have been as pretty as the ryotei girls who often fawned over him, but to Hanito, she was cute in her own right. Her gentle soul and kind eyes captivated him. In that moment, Hanito felt like a different kind of man.

- Unfortunately, their relationship wouldn't last very long. Hanito's temper and insensitivity brought Maiya distress. Because of that, their relationship ended on bad terms that would leave the spiky-haired boy with his guard up.

- On his 16th birthday, Hanito's life took a reckless turn. He lost his virginity in a wild encounter with three bad bitches in one room, quite tumultuous but worth it.

Rorerei: a former geisha that kind of resembles a young Meisa Kuroki.

Kyoka: the daughter of the second wealthiest man in town & somewhat resembles young Fukada Kyoko.

Nozomi: a waitress who looked a bit like a young Nozomi Sasaki.

- They'd do it again the next night in the same Ryokan. Hanito enjoyed every minute of it. A cute girl named Mika ー cousin of Maiya ー would walk in on them while trying to find her room. This would fluster the young man greatly. However, Mika was... chilled with it and even joined in the fun.

When Maiya found out about what happened, she gave her cousin a 48 hour long lecture.

✅️

Aizetsu 😿

- At 18, Hanito's world was shattered when his father, Koki, died under mysterious circumstances. The discovery of Koki's lifeless body at dawn, drained of blood and beyond salvation, left Hanito reeling. Consumed by grief and abandonment, he plummeted into a dark depression, desperately seeking solace from the anguish. In his darkest moments, Hanito attempted to escape the pain through self-destructive means, but the void left by his father's absence only seemed to grow.

Aizetsu is the second physically youngest of Hantengu's clones. Since Hanito would no longer wore his hair spiky after turning 19.

- This led him craving solitude in the most somber area of Nishijin, where he could escape the world for a while. His only companion was a Japanese Bobtail cat he found injured by the roadside. He took her in, nursing her back to health by bandaging her paw and feeding her. He named her Usui, inspired by the rain that fell on the day they met.

- This was the second time Hanito displayed compassion towards another being. Together, he and Usui weathered the rainy days, a somber but comforting duo in the midst of Kyoto's bustling streets.

- In moments of introspection, Hanito would often hear his father's gentle voice whispering in his mind, urging him to stay strong and press on. The memory of Koki's words, though faint, remained a comforting presence, echoing through Hanito's thoughts like a soft breeze on a summer night.

- Eleven months later, Usui would find her siblings again. Although Hanito didn't want her to go, he did as he knew what it was like to be separated from family. But not before Usui rubbed against her close companion's leg and purred contentedly.

This version of Hanito became the base/blueprint for Aizetsu's creation. Each clone gain power using a series of events in Hanito's 87 years everytime he'd experience that emotion.

✅️

✅️

Karaku 💚

Year 1630; was when Hanito finally decided to move again and start over.

- Having grown into a stunningly gorgeous young man, his hair grew moderately past shoulder-length and wavy in a very sexy, satisfying, and stylish sense. His charm and good looks intensified, making him a magnet and true Casanova Killer. With his narrow piercing gaze, captivating smile, thick eyebrows, lean muscular build, nimble fingers, and glowing tawny skin, he was extremely irresistible to many. His voice fully deepened, and he grew taller, exuding confidence and allure.

- New year, new him. Hanito moved to Shimabara, a fascinating red-light district in Kyōto where life was an endless party.

- Hanito got to try liquor for the first time. A quarter cup of shochu mixed with ¾ cup of yuzu was enough to satisfy his taste buds. By the way, when he says the ladies at Shimabara were fine, he means it. During his time in Shimabara, he found himself hooking up with every woman who flirted with him. And that's saying a lot because Hanito was the talk of all town, a head-turner. Husbands would told onto their wives more closely at the charmer's presence, bachelors envied Hanito and wanted to be him and some were even mesmerized, many maidens found themselves falling for his charms and brooding persona, and the top most gorgeous women would even spend the night with him. As a result, Hanito acted overly cocky and prideful in many situations.

Let's just say, the ladies at Shimabara were like Makio/Mitsuri/Daki-level badness. Effortlessly pretty faces, voluptuous figures, stylish sense of fashion, sexy, and hot personalities.

- Let's just say, Hanito almost encountered the dreaded Kukushisen (Syphilis) this one fateful night. Nana, the chick he was with was really hot and was very experienced, luckily she brought mika (paper condoms) with her and they had a blast.

- Hanito actually first met Muzan at a party....

Hantengu's name holds a dual meaning, translating to both "Braggart" and "Half Tengu". The former suggests that The Demon King encountered him in a state of boastful pride, while the latter reveals a connection to the mythical Tengu creatures from Japanese folklore. Tengu are known for their striking appearance, featuring wings, beaks, and formidable magical abilities, as well as their mischievous and powerful nature. This namesake is fitting, as Hantengu's Blood Demon Art allows him to split his body in half, unleashing Tengu-like clones that embody the same quick and cunning spirit as their mythical counterparts.

- Unfortunately, they never got the chance to interact as the party got raided by a bunch of drunken thugs. However, despite being initially annoyed by Hanito's ego and two-faced nature, Muzan was intrigued by his soon-to-be-UM4's ability to charm and pickpocket people.

- Hanito's journey would take an interesting turn as he developed sadomasochistic tendencies. This transformation began with a chance encounter, where he found himself engaged in a captivating conversation with an alluring older woman... whose name remains a mystery. Deciding to step outside for some alone time, she pretty much... just dined in, left an indelible mark on his sensitive place. The sensation made him wince, but somehow he was enjoying it.

- Giving and receiving pain was more than just a fetish. He found himself really enjoying the suffering of people who wronged him. Heartbreak no longer hurt anymore, he was addicted to agony it brought him. Pain was pleasure.

- At 21, Hanito visited his boyhood town, only to discover his old home gone. In its place stood an Inari Shrine, alongside a garden where 13 graves lay next to cherry blossom trees in silent remembrance. He thought this view was rather satisfying and pleasing.

After Otsuru's heinous crimes came to light, the authorities embarked on a meticulous investigation, meticulously dismantling the house piece by piece to uncover the gruesome secrets within. Their grim task was to retrieve the remains of the 13 unfortunate women who had fallen victim to her brutality, whose bodies had been hidden or buried in various clandestine locations throughout the dwelling.

✅️

✅️

✅️

Urogi 🕊

Years 1623-1632, the town's population and commercial activities would slowly increase throughout the years.

The trio of urchins Hanito used to hang out with years ago were now successful yashi/yamichi (peddlers) ー by the way; their names were Bakuto, Omaru, and Kaito respectively: smooth-talking salesmen who may not be the honest people when it came selling things (Scam Artist Douma-san from the Academy AU should really hire these guys)

You may or may not have remembered the three girls who were obsessed with Hanito from the beginning. Emiko embraced her distinctive hair color - a pale silver with a soft baby blue undertone - rejecting the pressure to conform by dyeing it black. Meanwhile, Sakura harbored subtle affections for Yumi, but ultimately chose duty over desire and married a lord. In contrast, Yumi found true happiness with Omaru, her heart full of joy in their union.

Sakura, curiously: Who is that tall, dark, strong, and handsome brute over there?

Yumi, blushing: You're telling me. He's a snack.

Sakura, in a teasing voice: But, Yumi-chan. What about Omaru?

Yumi, nervous giggles: Oh, yeah... I forgot.

Emiko, looks up from sweeping: Girls? The porch isn't gunna clean itself.

Sakura, without looking away: Just a minute Emiko. We're too busy swooning over this hot new boy.

Emiko, raises a brow: Who?

(She walks over, trying to get a peak)

Emiko, surprised: H-Hanito-sama?

Well, they were both surprised to see each other. Emiko has now grown into the most beautiful woman Hanito has ever see. With her fierce meadow green eyes, flowy white hair, adorable smile, delicate frame, femininity, and great personality; she became the first woman he ever truly loved.

And Emiko; she always had a thing for that boy. Even after realizing he swiftly swiped her hair pin when they were little. She was absolutely smitten upon seeing this man again. He made her heart sing like no other person has.

- The time Hanito spent with Emiko were the best 2 months of his life. They shared an instant connection, discovering a deep affinity for each other's interests and values. Hanito, attuned to the subtleties of human emotions, realized his feelings for Emiko went beyond friendship after just three weeks of togetherness - he had fallen deeply in love.

- They got married on the first day of July, in the same Inari Shrine built where Hanito's childhood home used to be. He was overjoyed by this event, believing he might have a chance to a normal life.

- After bidding farewell to the town, they escaped to a serene foothill of Mt. Hiei, where they built a secluded haven near the charming town of Sakamoto.

"We are in love in love, haven't you heard. How we rock each other's world!"

(- Avril Lavigne)

Well that was fun to write! Considering Hantengu's backstory wasn't as detailed or shown like some of the other characters, and due the fact that he lived a relatively long human life... It made room for plenty of creativity.

[a-book-of-creatures]

Griffins frogging rock. I like griffins in children’s Greek mythology books. I like spiky griffins that live in heraldry and denote that you are Crapnugget the horse thief. I like griffins that are worshipped as wind gods because griffins Frogging Rock !

Agreed!

[unar-mage-ddon]

focus group test q&a (and the stuff before it)

i decided to sit down and translate all of 蒼's tweets about the focus group test to have them all in one spot, since i haven't seen them all anywhere. i've also copypasted their exact words in jp so that if anyone who knows more than me wants to double check the wording, you can do that easily (also there's one specific answer that i just don't understand. i got a friend to help me but i left a note on it just in case)!

also excuse the formatting, it's awful but tumblr won't let me do anything on shift-enter'd lines

under a readmore because it's super long:

Lead Planner: Shirokami (白神さん) Character Designer: Yamashita (山下さん) Brand Manager: Aida (間さん) And of course: Nomura (野村さん)

But first, the stuff before the Q&A:

—About Remus: designed by Yamashita; "he's a guy who helps pull Player along, so he's a reliable older brother type" (タレ目 just means drooping eyes) —レムスは山下さんがデザイン。山下さん「プレイヤーを引っ張ってくれるお兄さんなので、頼れるタレ目のお兄さんに」

—The designers check in with Nomura when deciding on characters —野村さんと相談しながらキャラクターを決めていく。

—There are plenty of other characters outside of who's shown in the closed beta, along with other Societies —CBTで出てる以外のキャラもいっぱいいる。結社も他にいっぱいある。

—Aside from Nomura, there are three other character designers —キャラデザのデザイナーは野村さん他3人、みんなでやってる。

—Freya was designed with the image of a cat in mind because she does navigation, and her hair is also designed with that in mind; OP's comment says "so basically Chirithy!" (メッシュ means hair highlights i think??) —フレイヤはある猫ちゃんをイメージ。ナビゲーションしてくれるから。メッシュもその子の柄を意識している。（チ○シィじゃん！）

—About avatar outfit coordination: "The person who designs weapons also designs the outfits" -Nomura —野村さん「武器職人が衣装職人やってる」武器のデザインやってた人がコーデデザイン

—There are a bunch of outfits modeled after different jobs, like Fighter, Hunter, Wizard, Healer, variations of Soldiers, Hunter(again), Black Mage, and White Mage —いくつかジョブをモチーフにしている衣装がある。ファイター、ハンター、ウィザード、ヒーラーは、それぞれ戦士、狩人、黒魔道士、白魔道士をイメージ

—There are also outfits designed to look like Scala civilian wear, like the ones working at the reception desk or the Top Hat outfit. "The order called for 'People from Scala'" -Yamashita —スカラの街の人っぽいデザインも。受付の人やシルクハットのコーデ。山下さん「オーダーが『スカラの街の人』だった」雑、と（笑）

—There's also one that looks like a flower shop owner —お花屋さんっぽいコーデも『スカラの街の人』っぽいデザイン。

—Other job motif outfits that haven't been shown; a Thief design that's predominantly black and green, includes goggles; a Dark Knight that has a sword accessory —ジョブモチーフ衣装、まだ出ていないものも！シーフは黒と緑の衣装、ゴーグルつけてる。暗黒騎士は使えない飾りの剣もついている

—The Red Mage outfit is predominantly black and red, with a cape on left shoulder; "To me it doesn't really look that red, just black" -Nomura —赤魔道士は黒と赤の衣装、左肩のみ肩マントつけてる。野村さん「俺から見ると赤くない、黒い」

—The Dragon Knight outfit is very spiky. The design for the hat is having trouble coming together so just that part is under revision —竜騎士はトゲトゲな衣装。帽子がまだしっくり来ていなくて帽子だけ監修中。

—The designers all have their opinions so there'll be a lot of different clothes —色んなデザイナーが関わっているから色んな服が出る。

——About the Guide Moogle: —Yamashita: They got their own new clothes, too —Nomura: (about the clothes) I was asked if the Guide Moogle could wear those outfits early in development, so that's why you see them in these outfits. Then I was asked if there could be one in each Society, which had to be turned down.* —山下さん「モグちゃんにも新しいお洋服を」 —野村さん「（ガイドモーグリの服について）開発から着せていいですか、って言われたから。結社一つモーグリでもいいですか？って言うから、それはダメだよ、って言った」 *(take this with a huge grain of salt. these two sentences are the most confusing lines i've ever read in my life. i have no idea who's saying what to who. help me)

—There are other Moogle designs too, such as flower shop and cafe employee outfits, and others can wear crowns and top hats; they mostly wear different hats and aprons —モーグリのデザイン、他にもあり！お花屋さん、カフェ店員さん…王冠かぶっていたり、シルクハットかぶっているのも！ほとんど帽子をかぶりエプロンをつけている。めっちゃかわいい。

—Outfit revealed for a character who can't be shown yet, outfit is mostly dark colors; "I can't say if they're an enemy or an ally yet. A name has been decided on, but I can't say that either. They aren't the only one" -Nomura —まだ出しちゃいけないキャラの服も公開！黒い衣装。野村さん「敵か味方かも言えない。名前は決まっているが言えない。…一人じゃない」

—There are subspecies of Behemoths, and one kinda looks a little like leopard print; "The closed beta testers are seeing them more often than their parents' faces" -Nomura, when looking at the Behemoth —亜種もあり。ちょっとヒョウ柄っぽい。 野村さん「（ベヒーモスを見て）CBTやっている人は親の顔より見てる」

—Scala was designed after the image of a main street at night; "It turned into the view of my childhood home…" -Nomura —スカラの街のイメージ資料。大通り（夜）。野村さん「実家と化した…」

——About the Dive Station: —Nomura: It went through a lot of name changes —Nomura: After the first time we showed it on Twitter, people thought maybe it was under construction, but like it was mentioned in the closed beta prologue, it's a place that's no longer in use —Nomura: Something that happened back when the cranes were still in use… You'll understand once the live service starts —野村さん「名前何回か変わった」 —野村さん「（ダイヴステーションについて）Twitterで初めて画像上げた後、建設中かなーと言われたけど、今回のCBTのプロローグでも言っていたように、今はもう使われなくなった場所」 —野村さん「クレーンを使っていた頃の何がしかは…正式サービス開始時にわかる」

—About the scenery of Scala: Since the design is the basis, it's been drawn with care by the same person who did the background scenery for Union Cross; "Everyone is living here now" -Nomura —スカラの全景。デザイン画なのでしっかり描かれている。このデザイン画はUχの背景を描いていた人が描いている。野村さん「皆さんはここに住んでいます」

Now to the actual Q&A section (where Nomura says, "You guys wrote way too many questions"):

—Q: Will Guilds or Friendlists be added? (a lot of this same question) —A: If possible. Stay tuned. —やれたら。お察しください。ご期待ください。

—Q: Is there compatibility with the Apple Watch, like being able to use it in hands-free mode? —A: With the step counter, yes. We'll see what we can do with the hands-free mode. —歩数で連動しています。ハンズフリーは善処します。

—Q: Will other raid bosses like the Guard Armor be added? —A: I can't say for all of them, but yes, there will be more. —全部とは言えないけど、出ます。今後増えます。

—Q: Will we be able to obtain more Keyblades such as Kingdom Key? —A: There will be more Keyblades, but I'm not sure about adding Kingdom Key. —キーブレードの種類は増えます。キングダムチェーンが出るかどうかはわからない。

—Q: Will Pieces have voices or BGM (like some medals did in KHUX)? —A: We're discussing it with Disney since the game is Global. Please be understanding. —ディズニーと相談中。お察しください。グローバルなので。

—Q: Is it possible to rollback a material you've already used? —A: That'd be difficult because of the Strengthening Record. —強化レコードの関係上難しい。

—Q: Will there be more clothing options and/or Pieces? —A: For clothing options, like we revealed earlier, there are ones that haven't been added and ones that we still can't show. They will be added gradually. The rest depends on our effort. —アバターはさっきお見せしたようにまだ出していないもの、そしてまだお見せしていないものもある。順次増える。他は頑張り次第。

—Q: The music is beautiful, so I was wondering if there would be an album release? —A: We still don't have many songs, so that will depend on if service continues. —まだ数曲しかないので、サービスが続けば。

—Q: What are Glow Pieces? —A: Special pieces that shine. Please wait for live service. (laughed at that one ngl) —光ってる特別なピース。正式サービス開始をお待ちください。

—Q: Do you recommend any specific Pieces or skills for battles? —A: (Shirokami) "The King. He can sweep the map in one shot." / (Nomura) "For me, it's Gothel. Though I feel a little bad when everything on the field gets Slow'd." *(edit: i just realized i misread this and it doesn't say "slow," it's "through," but i genuinely have no idea what that even means in the gameplay sense nor have i seen someone use gothel. maybe it takes aggro off of you??) —白神さん「王様。一発で一掃できる」野村さん「俺はゴーテル。みんなフィールドでスルーするからかわいそうだなって」

—Q: Will there be an easier way to save specific colors on clothes when you want to change them to something else temporarily? —A: That's under consideration. —やりやすくするよう改善を検討中です。

—Q: Since you can share raid boss URLs, are there any plans to create an official community? —A: If Disney's alright with it… —ディズニーがよければ…

—Q: If the game can be played at home, then is there a reason for it to be a mobile app? Wouldn't it be better to just make it a console game at that point? —A: (Nomura) "Staff have told me that mobile games nowadays can be made with the same quality as console games, so I thought it'd be worth a try to bring the normal KH experience to mobile. I wanted to use the hardware features that can only be accomplished on a smartphone, so I went with a location-based concept. Console games can accomplish different things. And, well, if we did make a console game that would be a separate thing, while this is its own thing." —A: (Shirokami) "With Party creation, for example, it's more interesting because you're interacting with the people around you and showing them this fun new thing and getting to play it together, which makes it a bit easier for you to expand outside of already existing communities." —A: (Nomura) "Keep joining more and more raids." —野村さん「今のスマホは家庭用のクオリティでできるとスタッフから言われて、じゃあスマホで据え置き並のKHやってみよっかと。ハードの機能を使いたいから位置ゲーに」 —野村さん「家庭用は家庭用で別にやる。まあ、今後家庭用で出してもそれはそれ、これはこれ」 —白神さん「パーティー機能など、リアルの近場の人だからこそ、これ面白いよ、やってみようよ、と既存のコミュニティから飛び出していく内容」 —野村さん「どんどんマルチ入れて」

—Q: What's something that you had the most trouble with during development, but actually ended up working out pretty well? —A: (Shirokami) "Getting the Pad function and the GPS function to coexist. It's hard to set up servers for that." / (Nomura) "Getting the vertical and horizontal orientations to coexist. It's ridiculous. Doing checks on it was even worse." —白神さん「パッド機能とGPS機能の両立。サーバー置いたり大変」 野村さん「縦画面と横画面両立。正気じゃない、狂気。チェックも倍」 縦横画面の両立でメニューなどコントローラーのこと追いついていない。

—Q: If someone disconnects and reconnects during a raid, are they able to continue? —A: Since it's in real-time, they can't continue. —リアルタイムなので継続はできない。

—Q: The miasma is so dark that I can't find the Area Enemy within it. It wasn't that strong during the prototype test. —A: I agree with that, and we tried to fix it after the closed beta started but it wouldn't work. It'll be fixed in the final release. —確かに濃すぎてCBT中に直したかったけど直せなかった。正式リリースでは直します。

—Q: Will there be costumes of characters such as Sora and Riku like there were during KHUX? —A: That kind of thing usually happens because the main producer brings it up… so if they do, then we'll do it. —野村さん「そういうのやるときはプロデューサーが話を持ってきたときだから…プロデューサーがそういう話持ってきたらやる」

—Q: Is there anything specific that you really like and want other people to pay attention to? —A: (Shirokami) "The Lock mode uses a seventh of the battery, so it's great to use to defeat enemies while in the car or on the train." —A: (Yamashita) "The scenery is pretty so please take a look at it. I'd like if you could climb the walls and look down every nook and cranny." —A: (Aida) "GPS games usually have some regional disparity, but this doesn't." —A: (Nomura) "There's a big reason why I wanted to use GPS, but I can't say. People have been speculating about it, right? On social media and whatnot." —白神さん「ロックモードはバッテリー消費7分の1になる。ロックモードは車や電車でも敵を倒せる」 —山下さん「背景が綺麗なので見てほしい。壁を登って隅から隅まで見てほしい」 —間さん「GPSゲーは地方格差あるけどこれはない」 —野村さん「GPSを取り入れようとした大きな理由があるけど、言えない。みんな書きますよね？SNSで」

—Q: I wish it was easier to collect jewels all in one place outside of checking the mail. —A: That will be addressed accordingly. There will be other ways to receive your items besides checking the mail from the Astral Plane. (Nomura: I find it annoying too) —順次対応します。メールがアストラル界以外でも受け取れるようにします。野村さん「僕もこれめんどくさい」

—Q: Will the Pieces be made into figures? —A: (Matsushita, present and in charge of merch) I wanna make them! I'll see what I can do! —イベントに立ち会ったグッズの松下さん「作りたいです！善処します！」

—Q: Can you make parties with the story characters? —A: There will be opportunities in the story to be joined by other characters, like Remus in the prologue. However, there are currently no plans to create parties freely with them. —ストーリー内では今回のレムスのように機会があります。自由に、というのは今のところ考えていない。

—Q: What Disney worlds will be in the game? —A: That's a secret. —秘密。 - They're shown anyway at the end of the Q&A: the player is seeing running through a forest, in a cave, on a shoal, near a beach, and finally Olympus (the only one OP was able to identify) - Disney worlds will work like they always have; they're places you can visit, have their own stories, and you can meet the inhabitants. There's one other thing, but OP can't say what it is - Other descriptions: A large lake? The ocean? Mountains, a moon in the night sky… A townscape from afar that you can see the lights from, and a boat on the wharf (Nomura: The colors were adjusted to get them as close to the original as possible)

—Q: Will there be a way to rewatch cutscenes within the game? —A: We're thinking of a theatre mode. (Nomura: There are people who skip cutscenes because they don't have time to watch them, so to make sure they don't miss out, it'll be added.) —シアターは考えている。野村さん「やってて今見てる時間なくてって飛ばしたい人もいるので、飛ばしたらもう見られないってならないよう、入れてもらいます」

—Q: Will there be time-limited events? —A: Meetings about events have already been arranged, but we can't say anything about the details. —イベントはもう打ち合わせ済み。内容はまだお答えできない。

—Q: How much of the story will be available when service starts? —A: Since there are so many characters, the modelers can't keep up, and aside from that, it's voiced with animated cutscenes. While we're trying to fix up the structure, we don't intend of making it more compact. It'll be about the same as a traditional Kingdom Hearts game. —新キャラばっかりでモデルが追いつかない。声もついてるしムービーも出る。構成見直し中だがコンパクトにする気はない。従来のKHと同じくらい。

About the pacing of story releases: (Nomura) "How many months did it take for KHUX? Nowadays that pacing is unacceptable."

—Q: Will Scala get any bigger? —A: Yes. —広がっていく。

—Q: Who are the staff's favorite characters? —A: Since there have only been two new characters shown so far, this is about Pieces instead. (Nomura: Gothel) —キャラは2人しか出ていないから、ピースを。野村さん「ゴーテル」

—Q: Will cutscenes look like the prologue instead of the text-based cutscenes that KHUX had? —A: If all the cutscenes were on the same level as the prologue, they would take a year to come out, so not all of them will. They'll be more lightweight than the prologue, but they will be voiced. All the cutscenes for the live service release have already been shot. There are very little to no cutscenes that are text-based like the KHUX ones are. —すべてを今回のプロローグレベルにすると出るの一年後になるので、すべてがそうではない。プロローグより軽量になることはあるけど、ボイスは入る。正式リリース時のカットシーン分は撮り終えてる。Uχみたいなテキスト送りイベントになることはよっぽどない。

—Q: Since Freya wears a skirt, are there any outfits that are gender-restricted? —A: (Yamashita) "Outfits are unisex. There's no restriction against what you can wear. Just like how the player can freely change bottoms, this is simply how Freya decided to coordinate her outfit." —山下さん「コーデは男女兼用。男性用、女性用と区別はなく、どちらも着られる。プレイヤーがボトムを変えられるように、フレイヤがそういうコーディネートをしているだけ」

—Q: Are Navigators different from Keyblade wielders? Are there others across the different Societies? —A: They are Keyblade wielders, but they just don't use them. Navigators don't exist in other Societies; Freya is the only one. By the way, you can't select a Society to join like you could with Unions in KHUX, the choice is fixed." —野村さん「キーブレード使い。使わないだけで。ナビゲーターは各結社にそれぞれはいない。フレイヤだけ。ちなみにUχみたいに好きな結社選ぶとかなく、プレイヤーが入る結社は固定」

(scenes in the closed beta are very cut, like with freya suddenly being friends with the player. the conversation with freya as seen in the closed beta is a discarded cut. that conversation will be in the final release, but the cut is different. / CBTのイベントはかなりカットしてる。フレイヤと突然仲間になってる。フレイヤの会話シーンはCBTのみの捨てカット。リリースであの会話はあるが、カットは違う。)

—Q: Is the Guide Moogle part of a Society? —A: We said earlier that they weren't, but maybe just that one is. —先程モーグリ結社はないと言ったが、このモーグリだけはどこか所属するかも。

[bug-oc]

Bug Fables OC Tournament Round 2

Zabava & Roseline (she/her for both) from @mouse-drawings

Roseline is a traveling merchant and a silkworm shepherd. She mainly sells moth silk and products made from it, but she also offers some other silk-making-related goods and services.

Now, what is a traveling merchant without her trusty mercenary? Zabava is here to make sure that nothing happens to Roseline or her goods. Though her main weapon, a spiky yo-yo, might look silly at the first glance, it hitting you in a face has quite the impact. Not to mention the force of a grasshopper’s kick…

They’ve been together for many moons now, traveling all across Bugaria and beyond. They think fondly of each other. The fondness is far more than what two business partners would feel for each other.

They are two parties in a contract. They are two travel buddies. They are two comrades. They are good friends. They are…

“Oh. But she doesn’t feel the same, does she?”

So, vote for Zabava and Roseline to promote a small business! And to hopefully set them up on a nice date. All proceeds will go towards raising larvae in Roseline’s herd.

Maria (She/They) from @thatlifebloodvessel

Maria is a shopkeeper, one with a sort of ‘scandalous’ reputation among other bugs.

Maria leads a double life as a notorious thief, stealing various items from explorers and even other shopkeepers to stock her shop, where she will sell said items, for what she would consider a 'moderate’ price, to unsuspecting bugs.

When push comes to shove, Maria can be an adept assassin, capable of swiftly vanquishing a foe with her arm blade, not to mention whatever tricks she may have up her sleeve… er, poncho.

After seeing a flyer for a tournament, (and a potential berry prize,) the mantis was quick to sign up for the competition, a bit too quick, but she wasn’t one to listen to rules regardless. So what if she happens to miss a couple details?

Maria is a character I made mainly for this event, and I hopefully plan to draw her more in the future! I hope Maria will be be able to steal your hearts (and votes) for the competition!