#that’s fated to be my downfall I guess

[feefal]

These comments about me sexualizing stuff sound wild, because I don’t really view things from a sexy perspective. I’m chronically unhorny actually😭

[tf-boi]

Game Over

(Here's a story from one of the polls I made a while back. I hope you enjoy ;) The premise is me and my boyfriend keeps getting cock blocked by his little brother but tonight I get my revenge.)

"Mmmmm mmmmm" moaned Raymond making out with his boyfriend Sean. As they undress eachother their cocks became erect and rubbed against eachother.

Sean pulled off Raymonds underwear and released his musk into the room. With much anticipation he moves in on his meal. Suddenly a scream is heard.

"GODDAMMIT!!" Shouted Tony, Sean's brother, from across the hall. Raymond and Sean paused, kocked back into reality. They grinned and resummed. But as Sean began sucking Raymond off another scream echo'd. "MOTHER FUCKER!!"

Tony has been on a losing streak on his online game and nightly his loud screams would interupt Raymond and Sean's fun. The pair took another look at eachother when suddenly another scream was heard. "You guys suck!"

"Forget it! Moods killed . . ." Sean said tossing his hands in the air.

Raymond rolled his eyes "He's been like this NIGHTLY for a whole month. I'm gonna. . ."

Before Raymond could finish his thought Sean put his finger on his mouth. "Its okay Ray Ray, he'll probably fall asleep soon. . . We'll try again then."

"Uggghhhhh. . . But I'm already turned off by his screams."

"Damn. . . Guess we'll try again tomorrow. . ."

Raymond lied in bed annoyed. He wanted to get back at Tony for cock blocking him these passed few weeks. As Sean got up to go into the shower, Raymond saw that Sean was taking his phone with him. He then hatched a scheme knowing that his boyfriend is gonna be in there for at least an hour, when Sean takes his phone in he spends most of the time watching videos and laughing at memes so he had plenty of time.

As soon as Sean closed the door Raymond quietly got up and walked into the hallway in the nude. He approached Tony's room with a spare key they had incase of emergencies and unlocked his door. Raymobd peeked in and saw Tony shouting at his screen with his noise-canceling headphones on. "Perfect he can't hear me. . .little brat" he thought as he approached his prey. As he got behind Tony he realized he was playing naked, his computer and several screens heating up the room causing him to be too hot and stripped down. Raymond almost drooled as he grabs Tony all of a sudden. Tony's focus on his game was his downfall as Raymond rippes him from his chair and bent him over his bed.

"What the fu-" Tony tried to scream however Raymond covered Tony's mouth with his hands. Raymond pulls out Tony's 'lucky' butt plug from his ass and shoves his cock in. Tony tried to scream put Raymond put his hand over gis throat turning them hollow. Tony was confused as his body began to warm up with a lustful sensation. He stopped struggling as he fell to his bed almost succumbing to his fate, drooling as his mind goes blank. Raymond began focusing on the shape he wanted as Tony's limbs began to shrink and sink into him. His neck expanding as what looked like forskin surrounds his head. His body going from a flat human body to a thick round shaft. Raymond grabbed a pair of Tony's underwear and sniffed it as his victim slowly shrinks. Veins appearing as he throbbed. Soon Tony took his final shape as a thick juicy cock, Raymonds normal pubic hair changing to the light purple color of Tony's hair.

"Thats what you get for cock blocking bitch!" Raymond exclaimed in joy. He rubbed his new cock admiring his work. "Oh looks like you added a whole 6 inches! Thanks a lot bro!" Raymond began to jack off moaning in joy having to hold in his load nightly. Days of having to fuck various coworkers and clients in the office bathroom are now coming to an end. His jerking off was cut short as he heard an annoyed voice. "Ahem . . . What do we have here?" An annoyed Sean came into Tony's room. "B-babe?! You're done fast!" Raymond stuttered.

"I was out of shampoo so I just rinsed my body off" Sean said tapping his foot "I said not to do anything. What the hell man".

"Well. . . I was mad and couldn't think straight. Besides his mind is blanked out for at least another hour. So we can finally fuck in peace."

Sean raised an eyebrow.

Raymond got on Tony's bed and spread his legs, Tony's dick body presented in all its glory. "You know you want us . . ." Raymond said full of lust.

Sean rolled his eyes. "Sure but as punishment I'm gonna do all the work. . . You have to stay still".

"Fine. . ." Raymond sighed. He wasn't opposed to having Sean do all the work but now he can't go all out like he wanted.

"Now lie perfectly still love" Sean said suggestively.

Raymond lied down with Tony fully erect, his partially conscious mind throbbing at the sight of his older brother. Sean opened his mouth and stuffed his face with Raymond's giant cock. "MMmmm MMmmmm" Sean moaned as he envelope's his former brother with his mouth. "God he tastes so good~!" Sean thought. He sensed Raymond's legs trying to wrap around him, but he raised his finger and wagged it side to side, telling him, 'No you are just my sex slave today, no moving'. Sean continued to deep throat the massive rocket before him as he also gave Raymond a hand job. "Slurp slurp, gulp" Sean moaned as he sucked in all of Raymond's precum. "Uhhh uhhhh . . ." Raymond felt his tip being licked so that Sean can taste his new cock, even feeling the tip enter his shaft a bit. Raymond gripped the bed as Sean continued to go down on him. Sean's lips tighten around Raymond's dick as he moved his head back and forth, until he slid Tony's cock body out of his mouth.

Sean enjoyed his boyfriend's new cock in his mouth long enough. He turned around and shoved Raymond's dick into his ass and started riding him reverse cowgirl style. Raymond gripped Tony's bed and curled his toes as his boyfriend pounds his new dick full force with his plump bottom ass. "F-faster faster!" Raymond shouted as Sean tightened his ass cheeks and bounced up and down his former brother like a thick dildo. As Sean kept riding he felt himself fall over all of a sudden as Raymond couldn't hold back any longer. He got up and started fucking his boyfriend like a wild beast. "Uhhh uhhhh .. . no fair!" Sean moaned into the bed "But keep going!!!" He screamed as his ass gets destroyed by his boyfriend's new cock, underestimating how much length and girth his brother's body added to it when Raymond absorbed him. Raymond pounded Sean's ass faster and harder as the pair moaned. In the corner of Raymond's eyes he saw a pile of clothes Tony took off when he striped down. Raymond grabbed a sock and stuffed into Sean's mouth. Sean moaned as his ass gets destroyed with his brother's sock in him. The taste fill his mouth as the salty sweet feeling fills his mouth, with a hot mess filling his ass. Raymond grabbed Tony's underwear and gave it a big whiff as he fucked Sean. Sean cums multiple times, soaking Tony's bed with his seamen, however Raymond didn't care that his boyfriend finished, he kept fucking him until Raymond came 3 more times. After pounding his boyfriend for what felt like an hour, Raymond bent over his boyfriend and grabbed him as he released his load into Sean's ass. Gallons of cum fills his boyfriend's ass and expands his stomach. The pair kept cumming until they fall over and embrace. The two kiss and Sean looks at Raymond's now limp cock, cum still dripping out. "Looks like my little bro made a mess in me~" Sean said rubbing his stomach. The amount of cum in him made him look pregnant. "Yeah, I'm glad he was cock blocking us for so long, that release was amazing!" Raymond said stroking his cock.

All of a sudden Raymond's dick started moving a bit on his own.

"Uh oh, looks like Tony woke up babe!" Raymond snickered.

Sean bent over and gave Tony a little kiss on the tip. "Sorry little bro, your new body is amazing so you are gonna stay like that! At least until you made up for all the times you cock blocked us!"

Sean and Raymond snickered as they prepare for round two.

Tony stayed as Raymond's dick for several weeks where the pair fucked several times a day.

[littlefireball]

ᴊʜ|ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ɢᴀᴍᴇ (ᴍ)

ᴍᴀꜰɪᴀ ʙᴏꜱꜱ ᴊᴏɴɢʜᴏ x ᴍᴀꜰɪᴀ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇꜱꜱ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ: ꜱᴍᴜᴛ|ᴜɴᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ꜱᴇx|ɢᴀᴍʙʟᴇ|ᴄʀᴇᴀᴍᴘɪᴇ|ꜰɪɴɢᴇʀɪɴɢ|ʀᴏᴜɢʜ ꜱᴇx|ᴅᴏᴍ & ꜱᴜʙ|ᴇʏᴇꜱ ꜰᴜᴄᴋɪɴɢ

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 3ᴋ

Summary: As your gang was suppressed by your enemies, you decided to seek help from Choi Jongho, one of the strongest mafia bosses. It’s just a little gamble at first. But you didn’t expect it to turn out to be a bet. And you were the reward.

"You're not belong here, bunny." The man before you wore a sneer that twisted his lips into a mocking smile, a façade of charm laced with contempt. He reclined in his chair, fingers dancing over the cards as if they were mere toys, feigning an air of superiority. His gaze swept over you, lingering from your head to your toes, as if he were cataloging every detail. Deep down, he couldn't deny your stunning looks, a stark contrast to the casino's usual crowd, igniting a flicker of desire within him.

You brushed aside his taunts and the jeers of those around you, confidently striding to the seat across from him. With a deliberate motion, you crossed your arms, pushing your chest forward to draw his attention, challenging him to look away.

"What makes you think I don't belong here, Mr Choi?" You propped yourself against the table, holding your chin. "Sometimes a bunny can kill a bear. Don't you know?"

"Is it? Are you that bunny?" "You guess?" Jongho's sneer twisted further as he leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "You're not one of us, girl. You're a rabbit trying to play in the big leagues. Just go back to your father, doll."

His words made everyone laugh but you remained unfazed, your eyes meeting him with a steady gaze. "Then let's see if you can prove me wrong, Mr.Choi." You tossed your hair back and a smug smile curled on your lips. "How about we play a little game? If you end up losing, you'll have to sign the contract and join my crew."

"Sounds good to me," Jongho replied with a nod. "But what happens if you lose? That doesn't seem fair since you're the only one with something to gain."

"What do you want then?"

"I'm not a fan of leaving everything to just one game; I prefer a few rounds." Jongho leaned back in his chair, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "How about this: if you lose once, you take off an item of clothing. Lose ten times, and you're down to nothing. Of course, if you win ten times, I will sign the contract."

The crowd awed and your heart skipped a beat as his words lingered in the air. You didn't expect he would have such advice. But you had no choice. Yet, you found yourself with no alternatives. Your father was unwell, leaving you to manage nearly all the mafia stuff. It wasn't the worst, but rival gangs were seizing the opportunity, launching relentless attacks on your crew—economic blockades, suppressing your allies—everything aimed at your downfall. The only path to rescue your gang lay in securing the backing of Jongho, one of the strongest mafia bosses in the city, a man no one dared to bother.

"Deal." you replied, making the crowd shock again. But you didn't care. Jongho studied you for a moment, he never expected you would say yes instead of running away, but then he chuckled. "Alright, bunny, let's see what you're made of." He signaled to the dealer to shuffle and deal the cards.

The game began, and the tension in the air grew thicker with each pass of the cards. The crowd watched in anticipation, their breaths held as they waited for the outcome.

You focused on the game, using all the skills and knowledge you had garnered to fight against him. You knew that every move you made would determine the fate of your crew and your father's legacy.

You had no way but to win.

Jongho, however, was much more difficult to defeat than you can imagine. He was a seasoned gambler, with a keen eye for strategy and a cool head under pressure. It was clear that he was enjoying the challenge of facing off against you.

The first few rounds were evenly matched, with neither of you gaining a significant advantage. But as the game progressed, you began to notice a pattern in Jongho's play. He seemed to have a sixth sense for predicting your moves, and he always seemed to have the right card at the right time.

It was clear that he was playing to win, and you were beginning to feel the pressure. You took a deep breath, trying to calm your racing thoughts and focus on the game at hand.

But it was just your hope. Despite your best efforts, Jongho always seemed to have the upper hand. By the fifth round, you had lost four times and you had taken off your earrings and shoes.

As the rounds went on, you managed to turn the tide of the game, using a move that caught Jongho off guard. He realized that he could no longer afford to relax his vigilance and focused intently. It was astonishing to recognize that you possess a greater intelligence than he ever imagined, and you were far more resilient than the delicate blooms sheltered within a greenhouse. Despite the immense pressure, you managed to triumph in several games.

Yet, Choi Jongho is Choi Jongho. He was adept at reading the subtle cues of your abilities. It didn't take long for him to pinpoint your weaknesses, dismantling them piece by piece, as he removed your adornments one by one. First came the necklaces, then the bracelets, followed by the rings, and even the hairpins that adorned your hair… Now, you stand completely bereft of jewelry.

Sometimes you really hate why you didn't wear more jewelry.

"You're not as good as you think, bunny." Jongho taunted, his smirk grew wider as he watched you struggle. "Give up now and save yourself the embarrassment."

"It's not over, sir." You refused to back down. "Let's continue. Don't you want to play a few more rounds?"

"But you have no jewels left."

"Maybe I'll win in several rounds."

"Is it? Then let's see, bunny."

Perhaps the divine wishes to witness your journey from hope to despair. Just when you won in one round, another slipped through your fingers. Now, Jongho stood on the brink of victory, needing just one more win, and soon you'll find yourself naked before him, not even securing a contract.

"Willing to admit defeat, doll." Jongho's voice resonated with a sultry undertone, sending a thrill through the air. "Remove one more piece," he commanded, his deep timbre igniting a spark of anticipation within you. A shiver danced along your spine, and your hand trembled slightly, but you masked it with determination.

With a swift motion, you reached for the slit of your dress, grasping the waistband of your panties and pulling it down in a single, decisive action. Jongho's eyes widened in surprise as he caught sight of your black lace panties dangling from your finger, his heart pounding as vivid images of your bare form flooded his mind.

It must be beautiful.

"One more round, and you'll be completely bare, my dear," Jongho murmured, leaning closer, a playful smirk gracing his lips. "It's perfectly fine to feel regret now. I won't hold it against you."

"No," you replied, forcing a smile even as your heart raced with anxiety. "I won't stop until I get what I want."

"Up to you, lady." Jongho waved his hand, taking a sip from his drink. "Just don't cry if you lose."

To be honest, you have to face the truth: victory seems out of reach. Yet, you haven't squandered every opportunity to push back. Imagine if you managed to win in the final moments! Of course, the thought of surrendering crossed your mind, and you considered alternative solutions. But were there any real paths? No. The answer is clear.

The game had reached its climax, and the tension in the air was palpable. You could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on you as Jongho revealed his final card.

"Any last words?" You raised your eyebrow, then your heart sank as you realized what he meant. "You lose, bunny." Jongho's cold voice sent shivers down your spine, making you freeze as he showed his card in front of the crowd─its number is higher than yours. You couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment and regret. You had come so far, and now it seemed like all your efforts had been for naught.

"Remember the promise?" He inquired, tilting his head slightly while gesturing for the others to exit. Rising from his chair, he approached you with deliberate steps, each one making your heart race as the sound echoed in your mind. "Or do you want me to help you?" he murmured, leaning closer until his warm breath brushed against your ear.

"No." You said, your voice firm despite your nervousness. "I-I'll do it myself." As your hand reached the top of your zipper, he stopped you. His fingers brushed against your bare back, the mix of cold and itchy sensation stirring a fire within you.

"But I love you wearing this dress." He shifted away from your spine, rummaging through your bag until he unearthed a contract.

"Here's the contract?" He opened the file, settling into a chair as he began to peruse its contents. Your eyes were glued to him as he crossed his legs, flipping through the pages and nodding occasionally.

"Ye-Yes. That's the contract."

"You drafted this?"

"Yes, sir."

"It looks fine."

"Th…Thanks." You two fell in silence as you had no idea what to do but only clenching your fist, waiting for his response.

"What about we make another bet?" He suddenly broke the stillness, pulling you back from your thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Give me the pen." You immediately found a pen and handed it to him, not considering what he was going to say.

"If I sign…" He said while signing the paper. "You do whatever I say." He made a dot on the paper once he finished his words, raising up to meet your widened eyes.

"Understand what I said?I already signed it."

"But I…"

"You hand me the pen." Wrapping his arm around your waist, he suddenly pulled you into his embrace, making you staddle on him. "Do you want to cheat?" Before you could utter any words, his fingers found their way to your lower core, slipping inside to caress your sensitive clit.

"Oh fuck…!" You found yourself instinctively pressing your face into his neck, overwhelmed by the intensity of his every movement. He palmed your fold, brushing along its curve with his fingertips. With a firm grip on his shoulder, you clenched your fist into the fabric, sensing him accelerate, oblivious to the tremors beginning to ripple through your legs. A small whimper left your lips, as if a beautiful melody rings in Jongho's ears. He let out a playful smirk, making his way to your soaked cunt.

"Try to relax, dear." His long fingers inserted smoothly after aiming at your entrance. With a graceful arch of your back, you pressed your thighs firmly against Jongho's waist. Your walls clenched around his finger, drawing a gasp from him as he reveled in the heat and tightness you offered. The thought of him being deep within you must be a good sensation. His move was gentle and slow at first, finding your sweet spot as he exploded inside. He pushed deeper each time he withdrew a bit and slid back, curling the tip when he reached the deepest. You encircled his shoulders with your arms, eyes closed, surrendering to the waves of pleasure he brought you, allowing desire to engulf you completely. Perhaps the promise you never made had slipped your mind, but the thought of stopping never crossed your mind either. Everything felt just right; a perfect balance of intensity and tenderness.

You just fell for this.

Suddenly, he found your whole body trembling when he touched one spot. "Oh, here?" Hit it, again. "Ahh…shit…" You murmured softly, barley above a whisper, feeling a rush of pleasure flood your mind. A playful grin wore on Jongho's lips as he looked at your expression, colliding with the same place at a great force.

"Jong…jongho…" "It's not my name, dear. It's sir." He tucked your hair at your nape, whispering against your ear as he battered the sweet spot over and over again. A long throaty moan and curse flew from your mouth, your thighs and wall squeezed harder against him, pulling him deeper to give you a harsh push. His face landed on your neck, inhaling your lovely scent while licking and leaving a broken kiss on that, as if tasting you like a dessert. "Smell so good, darling." His dirty words made you somehow excited, a knot forming in your stomach that urged release. He knew you were at the edge and he finger-fucked you faster and harder until you saw stars. "Cum, honey. I know you want to come so badly." "Fuck!" His words were just like triggers, making you break through all the barriers that stop you climax. You released it all with a curse, catching your breath as you collapsed on him.

"Already tired?" Jongho pulled back his fingers, sucking them and producing a pop sound when he left. "So sweet, dear." The way he licked away your juices turned you on harder, you subconsciously swayed your hips against him, hoping he would fill you full once more.

"Good girl." He pressed his lips gently against your cheek, then lowered his hands to unfasten his belt and slide down the zipper of his pants. The sight of his arched crotch sent your heart into a frenzy, warmth flooding your cheeks. Watching your lustful eyes, he couldn't help but chuckle. You were not as innocent as he thought. Maybe he needed to spend more time to understand you. But that's okay as he will have a long, long time.

"Want more?" Jongho held your chin, squeezing your cheeks so that you could look at him. "Words, bunny."

"Yes, sir. Please."

"Now," His strong arm wrapped around your waist, drawing you close to his chest. "We need to get the work finished." With ease, he lifted you, causing a surprised gasp to escape your lips as he set you down on the table. "You'll enjoy it, trust me, sweetheart." He clasped your wrists together, tying it with his belt, tightening it as he pulled it. Gripping the middle, he pushed your wrist above your head, pressing them down to the table. "Don't put them without my permission. Understand?" "Yes, sir." A smile played on his lips as he pulled out his fat cock from his panties, pulling away the hem of your dress before tapping your clit. "Want it?" You raised your head a little to look at his cock, then gazed back to his lustful eyes. "Ye…yes, please sir." Before you finished your words, he made his way to push his cock inside your warmth. Your mouth formed an 'O' shape as you arched your back, feeling literally full.

That was totally different between his cock and fingers; the former was much bigger and thicker. His hands settled on your waist firmly, withdrawing a bit before shoving your sweet spot at a quick motion. "Fuckk!!" The legs you wrapped around his waist tightened, drawing his cock meet your spot fully. "Sucking me in, huh? What a slut?" He then repeated the hard thrusting without feeling tired. There was nothing left but only your moan and skin slapping sound bounced off the wall, making your head spin in pleasure. He clutched the belt, hovering you as he kept rolling his hips into you. His cock rubbed against your wet, tight wall deliciously, hitting your sweet spot dead on. "You feel too good, bunny. I should claim you as mine earlier. Oh fuck~" His cock twitched so bad each time you sucked him in, your juices made him easy to reach your depth. Listening to your moan was his favourite, he loved how you naturally losing control when he fucked you hard.

Everything about you drove him crazy. You were so stunning, so beautiful and different from the girls he met before─clever and bold. Oh, maybe you were made for him, his own perfect paradise.

Your toes curled tightly, and every muscle in your body felt like a coiled spring. Each time he pressed in deeper, you found yourself instinctively holding your breath. Your thoughts spiraled into a chaotic frenzy, caught in a tempest of desire. Getting laid with a mafia boss? Well, it's not like you haven't thought about it, just didn't expect that it would be Choi Jongho.

Thrusting after thrusting, you both lost count on time. Climaxes were approaching; his trusting lost its rhythm and pace, became more sloppy and harder. "Oh babe, I'm cumming. Cum with me, show me what you've got." He ripped off the fabric on your collarbone, the sudden cold sensation made you gasp as your hardened nipples exposed in the air. His head divided into your chest, sucking hard while his tongue licked along the curve of your nipple.

"Gosh, fuck!! Sir, too…too much…!" "Good for me, bunny. Cumming mess on my cock!" "Ah!Fuck!" Your back arched, both your chest pressing together as he pulled you up, fucking you at a new angle. A sudden change made you reach the limit, creaming his cock with your hot juices. As the warmth wrapped around his cock, he shoved into the deepest, releasing all to fill you fully. You collapsed on him, not wanting to leave his embrace as you held him tight. He caressed your bare back, soothing you with a gentle pat.

"I haven't promised you…"

"What?I signed the contract and do you want to cancel it?"

"No!I…fine. Just forget it."

"Bunny," He said gently as he nudged you back, meeting your gaze. "You'd get what you want. That's my promise" He left a peck on your lips before you could utter a word. Gazing into his eyes revealed a mix of desire and, more significantly, a perilous ambition that sent chills down your spine. His smile was disarming, yet it stirred an unsettling feeling within you, making you question if you’ve crossed a line. You mustered a smile and said, "I'm glad to hear that, Mr. Choi."

This is how the game of pulling starts between you two.

[valerie-is-in-the-cupboard]

HEELLOOO!! Firstly,How are you? I hope you are doing good(sorry for my bad english its not my first language😭)

I absolutely loved the way you wrote hazbin hotel characters ESPECIALLY angel dust.I was wondering if you could write what would Angel Dust be like if its fallen angel!reader's first time? Reader is also insecure about their body since their wings and some parts of their body(not their face) burned when they fell and they are trying to get used to their new appereance(if you are comfortable with writing it ofc).Thank you so much!!🩷🩷

To make sweet love - Angel Dust x fallen angel!fem!reader

MATURE CONTENT AHEAD! MINORS DNI! Hey there, hun! I'm doing well, thank you! Hope you're doing great too 💕 And don't worry about the English, haha! It's not my first language either, so I totally get it. But honestly, your English is really good, so no need to stress! 💕 I absolutely loved your request, and I apologize if it took a bit longer to get to you. I usually try to get things done ahead of time because there are days I'm not home, so I like to have things in the queue to make sure I don't forget to post. So, sometimes new requests might come after the ones already lined up. Anyway, I had such a great time working on this—it was so sweet. You have no idea how much I adore Angie, and I really wanted to make sure he's showered with extra love💕I wasn't sure if he and the reader would be in an official relationship, so I wrote them in a more casual, really close, and comfortable dynamic—kind of like dating, but not quite officially dating, if that makes sense (but i guess you can consider them together by the end of it? It's up to you really). Hope you enjoy it! 💕

Words: ~3800 TW: corruption kink, cursing, first time sex, fingering, vaginal sex, oral (female receiving)

It wasn't easy to adjust to a whole different world. After refusing to participate in the Extermination Day anymore, you were exiled into the realm of nightmares. You found yourself alone, your body bruised and torn after the flames engulfed it in your downfall. Your wings were no longer the ones of a divine saviour, worn with pride and confidence. They were burnt to ashes, only a few feathers managing to offer you a pang of comfort as you would gently wrap them around you.

But one day, gentle hands lifted you up from the ground. You were too tired to fight back, too hopeless to even care about your fate anymore. You closed your eyes and waited for the sweet death that would ease your pain, wondering what other tortures you'd have to endure at the hands of the ones you considered to be monsters. But you didn't die that day. Instead, you found yourself surrounded by the ones who were about to become your family.

Angel Dust was your saviour. You found it quite amusing when he told you his name because, for you, that's what he was - someone who saved you, who listened to your endless prayers and saved your life when you least expected.

Despite everyone's kindness, you found yourself growing more warm towards him and he seemed to enjoy being around you as well. He'd ask you to come to his room where you'd spend hours just talking. He'd ask endless questions about your life in Heaven, and you could sense that part of him wondered if things might have turned out differently for him under other circumstances.

But one day, after overhearing a conversation among sinners, your curiosity got the better of you, as you became quite curious about a topic that was a bit taboo among angels - fornication. You knew that for many people this simple thing led to their damnation, but you couldn't help but wonder - was it really that good?

Being an exorcist made you only focus on your job, not really having time to think about stuff like these. But now that you were here and had nothing else to do, you couldn't help your mind from wandering off at times.

You knew what Angel Dust did for a living and you also knew how much he actually hated it, so you tried not to ask about stuff like these too much around him, trying to take his mind off the horrible things he had to endure. But as you lay next to him, watching him scroll numerous messages from Valentino, you couldn't help it.

"Angel...?" you whispered, a dark blush on your face while you fiddled with your fingers.

"Yeah, hun? What is it?" Angel Dust said in a casual and lazy tone as he continued to scroll through his phone, reading the messages from his boss, rolling his eyes as usual as he read through them one by one.

"How... does it feel?"

Angel Dust raised an eyebrow and shifted his focus from his phone to you. "How does what feel, exactly?"

"You know..." you said, your face getting redder as seconds went by. "Fornication?"

Angel Dust chuckled and put his phone down, gently resting his arm behind his head, a look of subtle surprise spreading across his face as he looked at you. "You want me to describe sex to you, darling?"

"Yes... Is it really that good?" you calmed down a bit when he seemed comfortable with your question. After all, it wasn't really something he was ashamed to share.

"Oh, baby doll..." Angel Dust said with a smile and a laugh, clearly amused by your question. "Yeah, it's pretty damn good. Of course, it's a lot better if you actually love the person you're doing it with, but even just casual hookups feel pretty good, too."

"But... why do you hate to do it sometimes then?"

Angel Dust's expression became a bit more serious, and he sighed as he looked away from you for a moment before speaking again. "There's a big difference between doing it by choice with someone you like, and doing it because you 'have to' in order to pay the bills. Valentino makes me do it way too much and with... less desirable people."

You nuzzled against his neck, as his arms wrapped around you, the warmth of your body against his always managing to make him feel a little fuzzy. "Do you think anyone would want to do it with me?"

Angel laughed and gently ruffled your hair as he held you close, his hand wandering across your body, tracing the curves of your figure. "Oh, sweetheart, you're adorable if you think you'd have a hard time finding someone to do it with you. Any guy would be damn lucky to have you in his bed. Or gal. Either works."

You chuckled, but a hint of sadness could still be noticeable in your eyes. "I don't know... I feel like people would be... repulsed by the way my body looks..."

Angel rolled his eyes, an amused expression on his face. "And what do you mean by that, darling? Your body looks gorgeous as all hell."

"But these scars..." you said, slightly lifting up your sleeve to reveal a part of those dark memories.

His expression softened, and he gently touched the scars, tracing them with his fingers. "Darling, these scars just make you look more badass. Anyone who judges you by them isn't worth spending time on. Believe me, sweetheart, you look absolutely gorgeous."

You smiled softly at his compliments. He always lifted you up when you felt bad about your appearance. "And like... does it hurt when you do it... the first time, I mean?"

"That depends on a couple of things, darling..." He said in a slightly more playful tone, gently tracing his fingers across your skin. "If the person you're with is careful and takes their time, probably not. If they're too rough and hasty, it could hurt like hell."

"They're supposed to be someone... you trust then, right?"

Angel Dust nodded and gently moved his hand to caress your cheek. "Yeah, it's supposed to be someone you trust. Someone who cares about you, who'll be gentle and take good care of you, y'know?"

"Angel... Would you want to..." you began, your face burning as words came out of your mouth. "... you know..."

Angel Dust's expression changed to surprise as he looked at you. He wasn't expecting you to ask such a thing, not from you. He gave you a sly smile as he began to gently move his hand down your body. "Are you serious, darling?"

Your eyes widened as you moved away from him. "I... I'm sorry... I didn't want to make it weird..."

Hi's expression softened and he gently pulled you back towards him, wrapping his arms around you. "No, no, you didn't make it weird, darling. I'm just... I'm surprised, that's all." He let out a little laugh and looked at you with a smile. "Are you sure you want this, hun?"

"Well... you said it has to be with someone I trust... And I trust you, Angel." you caressed his hand, gently tracing your fingers against his. He let out a long sigh and looked at you, his eyes travelling down your figure. He was torn; on one hand, a part of him always wanted to do it with you. You made him feel safe and he couldn't help but want to make you feel good, but he never told you anything for fear of making you feel pressured. On the other hand, he was afraid he might destroy this sweet little thing that you two had. It was so innocent and nice and only the thought of him messing things up and you not wanting to talk to him anymore was too big of a risk for him.

He gently pressed his forehead against yours, looking you in the eyes as he spoke. "We can do it, darling. On one condition." You watched him with big eyes, curious of what he was about to say. "If at any point you want to stop, you tell me, ok?"

You smiled, placing a small kiss on his lips. "You too, Angel."

He chuckled and returned the kiss, gently caressing your skin with his fingers. He slowly moved against you and pinned you down on the bed, hovering over you with a small smirk on his face.

"I'll be fine, beautiful..." he said in a playful tone, his hand gently tracing down your body down to your hips. "Now, there's something else I need to ask you, darling. How much experience do you have, exactly? Like... I get that you never had sex, but you must've done things, right?"

"No... not really."

Angel Dust's eyebrows rose, but he didn't lose the smile on his face. "So you've never found any freaky angel up there, huh? Not even had fun by yourself?" You shook your head, feeling a bit embarrassed by your lack of experience.

He chuckled and gently brushed a few hairs out of your face. "Darling, you're way too innocent for your own good, you know that?" he leaned down, placing soft kisses on your neck that sent tingles down your spine. "You know... I'd lie if I said I didn't... fantasize about this moment from time to time..."

"R-Really?" you asked, as his lips softly caressed the skin.

"Mhm..." Angel Dust hummed as he started gently nipping your neck, leaving a trail of kisses along your collarbone. "The thought of seeing someone so pure like you do such things... Kinky."

His fingers intertwined with yours, gently squeezing your hands as his other two caressed your body. His hand slipped underneath your shirt, the warm touch making you tremble in excitement. His fingers quickly found your nipple.

"No bra today, sweetheart?" It pleased him how much you trusted him and allowed him to touch your body like this, and the feeling of your chest, completely naked under your shirt, gave him a certain... satisfaction.

"Ah~ fu- Angel!" you gasped when he grabbed your hardened nipple, gently playing with it.

Angel Dust let out a little laugh, watching your every reaction as he touched you. The way you gasped and squirmed, your body hot against his, it all made his chest fill with excitement. "You're so sensitive, darling... I can't wait to see how you'll react to everything that's coming~"

He pulled away from your body, gently raising your shirt as his eyes looked for any sign that you wanted to stop. You looked away as he revealed your boobs. You two were close, yes, but you always hid your body, so the fact that he's seeing it for the first time made you a bit self-aware.

"Don't look away, darling... You're beautiful," he said, his eyes admiring your body. "I want to see every part of you." He leaned down, his lips crashing into yours, as his hold on you grew tighter, his tongue gently sliding into your mouth.

He took your hands, placing them around his body, your fingers brushing against his soft fur, tugging it slightly. A soft moan slipped from Angel's mouth against yours as he felt your touch, sending waves of pleasure through him. He pulled you closer to him, his body pressing against yours, and you felt him getting excited against your skin.

He pulled away from your mouth and went lower, placing kisses along the path. He gently licked one of your nipples, a soft gasp escaping you. He was enjoying every reaction you gave, the way you squirmed and trembled, it made him want to keep going, to keep teasing you and make you want more. He harshly started to suck on your nipple, as his other hand played with the other. You arched your back into his touch, feeling yourself getting hotter with every moment.

"Angel... Please... I want more!" you pleaded as you felt yourself getting wetter with every moment. You were desperate to feel some pressure. You needed this.

"Patience, darling... You'll get what you want, just wait a little longer~" he said in a teasing tone, enjoying how you were at his mercy. You let out a desperate scoff and you moved your leg slightly, touching his clothed hard cock. He let out a soft gasp, his eyes snapping back to you, his expression a mix of surprise and excitement. "Mmm... now that's a good girl. Getting impatient, are we?" he smirked, his expression growing more sly as he spoke. "Alrighty then. I guess we can skip a few steps," he said and traced the waistband of your pants. "You alright, babe?"

"Yes, Angel. Please! I want this!"

Angel Dust smiled, his heart fluttering slightly as you begged him for it, your voice pleading and desperate. "Okay then, darling..." he said, gently starting to undo the buttons of your pants. "I'll give you what you want, don't worry." He slowly caressed your legs, looking at you with a mischievous smirk on his face. "You ready, sweetheart?" he said, his eyes full of excitement. You nodded, your heart beating like crazy. "Alright. You tell me if you want me to stop." Gently, he took down your panties, his eyes fixed on your pussy, your juices shining in the dim light of the room.

He placed your legs on his shoulders, lowering himself, his breath hot against your skin. You gasped when his mouth attached to your heat, his tongue making a mess of you. Your back was arched, as your hands tightly grabbed at his hair, his arms strongly keeping you in place.

"Oh, shit! Angel- Fuck, yes!"

Angel Dust smirked against you as he heard you swear, your curses making his heart pound as he continued to use his tongue. "Mmm, honey... you taste so good, no wonder I have a sweet tooth~"

His tongue moved in circles on your clit, as you lost yourself in pleasure. The sensation was electrifying in your body, sending waves of pleasure that left you shaken. You felt his finger slowly entering you.

"Ah, fuck…" you breathed, your body gradually adjusting to being spread, even though it wasn't much.

"Does it hurt?" Angel asked, his movements measured and careful.

"No. Don’t stop, please…" you whispered, and he began to move just a bit faster, his tongue and finger working together in perfect rhythm. The sensation was intense, and as you felt another finger trying to enter, there was a slight discomfort. But with how wet and needy you were, it only made you more eager.

"Jeez, are you already close?" he murmured, noticing how your body reacted, tightening around his fingers as they slid in and out, your juices making everything slick.

You couldn't find the words to answer, too focused on the way his fingers moved inside you, each drag against your sensitive walls sending shivers through you. He kept going, the knot in your stomach winding tighter with every passing second. Just as you were about to unravel, he pulled back, sensing how close you were.

"Woah! Slow down, honey," he said with a soft chuckle, pulling away and leaving you with a whimper of frustration.

"Why'd you stop?" you asked, feeling your orgasm fading slowly as you tried to regulate your breathing. He came closer, placing a kiss on your forehead.

"Listen, toots. If you want me to keep going, I need you to be just as horny as you are right now. Finishing now can make you a bit... sensitive and it might hurt more." he explained, running a hand through your hair. "But if you're not ready for this, we can finish this up and then grab a snack and watch something." You let out a sigh, looking at him and you could tell he was concerned, not wanting to push you too far too quickly. "It's your call, baby! Just tell me."

You cupped his face, kissing him softly. "I want you, Angel... So, do as you know it's best." Angel Dust smiled against your lips, feeling your body still shiver slightly in his grip. He let out a soft chuckle and looked down at you.

"Alright, darling... just relax. I'll take good care of you, I promise. Just let me know if it gets too much, alright?" You nodded and he kissed your forehead again, getting up to undress.

You watched as the clothes gracefully fell off his body. You always admired the way he looked as he never missed a chance to show you as much as he could. But this time it felt different. It felt intimate. It felt right.

He noticed the way your eyes locked on the tent in his boxers, a bit taken aback by how big it was. He approached you, gently cupping your face. "Hey, I know it might seem scary to... see a dick for the first time." he chuckled. "You don't have to continue if you don't feel like it."

"I do! It's just... I'm a bit nervous, that's all." you smiled, caressing back his hands.

"It's okay to be nervous, darling. You have nothing to worry about, alright? I'll be gentle... Just trust me." He kissed your lips as you both leaned back on the bed, his arms gently propping himself up above you. His hands caressed your body, running down your sides, feeling the softness of your skin as you lay beneath him.

He lowered his hand down to your core, his fingers coating themselves in your wetness. You moaned in his mouth as his long finger entered you once again, the motion a bit faster than earlier. His lips brushed against yours, his thumb drawing circles on your clit as you felt yourself getting close again.

Feeling you getting tighter, he pulled back, taking off his boxers. Before you could realise what was happening, he crashed his lips against yours again, as you felt something brush against your entrance.

"You ok, honey?" he asked, drenching the tip of his penis in your juices.

"Yes. I want it, Angel! Trust me!" you said, feeling a bit nervous, but not regretting any moment of it.

"I do, baby," he said and pressed his tip inside of you, slowly. With slow movements, he gradually entered, pulling out from time to time and entering a bit more after. You hissed at the stinging sensation but felt a bit more calm when you realised it was not as bad as you thought it would be. You kept a hand on his chest, slowly pressing when the stinging sensation became too much, and he would immediately pull back.

With one hand he started rubbing your clit, his movements less painful as the pleasure made you relax more. He kissed you as soft whimpers filled the room. "It's almost in, baby. You're taking me so well." His praise sent a tingle in your stomach, as his dick came in and out of you.

The sensation of fullness combined with the way his fingers teased your clit was surprisingly arousing. Your body responded eagerly, your juices flowing freely around him, as he bottomed out inside you

You looked at each other, desire visible in your eyes. There was something so special about this, so erotic, but pure at the same time. Angel's heart was beating loudly, as his hands roamed through your hair. It felt like he didn't only stop to give you time to adjust, but as if he wanted to spend some more time like this, in this moment.

His thrusts were slow and deliberate, allowing you to feel every inch of him. You moaned in unison with each movement, his pace on your clit quickening.

Without realizing it, his thrusts deepened, sending waves of pleasure through your body. He froze, concern flashing in his eyes, but you wrapped your legs around his waist, urging him to continue.

"Angel, please, don't stop!" you said as his pace fastened, the knot in your stomach getting tighter with every move.

"Shit, toots... You're a freaky one, ya knew that?" he said in between grunts, his breath tickling the skin of your neck. The feeling of his cock brushing against that sweet spot over and over again shot a strong, electrifying wave of pleasure through you, a moan escaping his mouth as you got painfully tight around him, your body trembling at the sudden feeling.

With a few deep thrusts, he finished inside of you with a guttural growl, his body collapsing on top of yours as he breathed deeply. He looked down at you, a lazy smile on his face. "You okay, darling? I didn't hurt you, right?" he asked softly, his breathing slowly steadying.

You hugged him tightly. "I love you, Anthony..." you whispered, hiding your face in his fur. Angel Dust's heart practically melted at your words, the way you said his real name always made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you closer against him, his face nuzzling in your hair.

"I love you too, sweetheart. So, so damn much," he replied, his voice a soft whisper against your ear.

"So... can we do it again?" you asked, as you rested your head on Angel's chest, his breathing still heavy.

"Toots... it's been the fifth round already... Aren't you tired?" he said, a soft, exhausted smile on his face.

"Nope," you said, making a pop sound at the end. "Cherri told me about a sex position and I want to try it."

Angel Dust let out a laugh and let his head drop onto the pillow, his eyes locked with yours. "Oh my god, you are unbelievable. How much stamina do you have, darling?" he said, slightly shaking his head.

"I'm an angel so... a lot."

Angel Dust chuckled at your reply and rolled his eyes playfully. "Of course... of course you are." He let out a sigh and looked at you for a moment, trying to think. "Alright, tell me about this position."

Your smile grew wider as you started to explain this new idea, but he wasn't fully listening. He got lost as his eyes adoringly looked at you. Yes, you became a little sex gremlin since your body got used to it, but it was the kind of sex he always craved - it was loving, safe, and warm. It made him feel special, wanted for more than his body.

Someone like him, who had nothing to live for anymore, finally found a reason. A reason to fight through the miserable life that he was cursed to have for eternity. And he wasn't willing to lose it.

Tags: @ratsematary @littlebluefishtail

[makuzume]

A Duel of Lovers

Cyno x gn! reader

🔅content: After repeatedly losing in Genius Invokation to the master of TCG himself, you eventually started to put less effort into your recent battles, already knowing your inevitable defeats. But your behaviors didn't go unnoticed by Cyno... what effects will this have on his enthusiasm?

🔅a/n: Based this off of anon's storytime :) Got so inspired I suddenly started writing Genshin fics again (finally)

🔅Word Count: 2.8k

[Genshin Impact Masterlist]

...

"y/n..., it's your turn."

“Huh...? Oh, right.”

Snapping back to reality, you tore your gaze away from the window, the scenery outside melting away as your attention refocused on the table in front of you.

There- an Oceanid card, freshly placed, gleamed ominously on the center of the battlefield, threatening the.... somewhat thoughtlessly arranged lineup you made.

As you were momentariraly lost in your own thoughts, you were now re-reminded that you were currently in the middle of an 'intense' battle of skill and strength against none other than the lord of TCG himself.

Or... that's how it was supposed to be.

For an average-skilled player such as yourself, going against Cyno was practically set to end with defeat no matter how many times you would have tried.

When you first started playing the game, you had the genuine interest to learn how to be better at the game (while using this as an opportunity to spend some time with your dear lover and his favorite hobby), but overtime, the constant defeat after defeat began to weigh on you. Each loss chipping away at your enthusiasm- and the thrill of the game eventuallg fading into a hollow routine to simply indulge on his hobbies.

Maybe you had a part to play on the downfall of your losing streak. Afterall, Cyno did offer to mentor you all his tade secrets, but you insisted to learn the tricks yourself for a more 'authentic victory' by observing him rather than having him teach you how to beat him. And you always showed frustration if ever he would start taking you lightly during your game.

“Um... I guess I’ll place this healing card for my team,” you muttered, more to yourself than your opponent.

"And.... I think I'll drop this... Fatui card."

You listlessly slid the card onto the table along with only half of your attention, your fingers brushing over its glossy surfs e and placing it on the center of the table, not even thinking about what kind of damage it will do to the opposing team.

'I'll probably do +2 dmg again anyway'

As you reached for a replacement from the deck, your mind already began to drift again:

Tonight’s chores... that nice bag you saw on sale this morning... tomorrow’s lunch....

The most mundane thoughts tugged at the corners of your focus, but despite the lack attention you paid to the game, you were met with a surprising fate....

"...Congratulations. You won." Cyno said, his tone calm and plain.

Your breath paused, mind processing the words he just spoke.

Shock and disbelief filled your mind, eyes widen and immediately scanning the scene before you: 3 of your opponent's cards- all depleted of their health, pulled to the edge of the table, indicating it's defeat.

Your eyes hover over to your side of the board: only 1 card was defeated- A sight which clearly displayed the true victor of this battle.

"W-wait, what...? Huh....?"

You blink rapidly, heavily inspecting each card that was placed on the table, looking for any incorrect moves Cyno might've missed during the game.

'Surely... he made a misunderstanding somewhere during the game... right? There has to be some sort of mistake.'

But no matter how closely you examined the board, it became painfully clear—every move was correct, every card exactly where it should be, and no turns were skipped.

There were no errors, no false calculations- only the undeniable proof of a flawless achievement.

You won.

"But... wait... when did I...?" You continued to search for any potential mistakes, still in complete denial of the result of this battle.

"Did you miss a few turns or something...?"

Cyno, with an expression devoid of any sort of emotion, spoke in a stoic manner. "I had all my turns. You won fair and square. Perhaps you just started becoming a master at this."

Silence was all you could respond with, shock and a bit of confusion loomed over you.

'...But... that's impossible...? I wasn't even paying attention...'

Of course, you wouldn't want to admit that you weren't actually focusing on the game, but still, the victory you reached went rather a little too smoothly... and it boggled your mind to unlimited confusion.

"You won... it was as simple as that."

As you remained frozen in place, staring into the far end of the wall, dumbfounded, Cyno carefully packed up his deck, cleaned up the board, and slowly began walking towards the door.

Cyno, whom spoke in a tone as hollow as shell, said with a monotone voice "It seems like you've already reached a level of mastery comparable to mine... I guess you don't need me to play with you anymore. It was a fun battle, y/n. I'll be heading back to work now, I'll see you tomorrow."

You rapidly blinked a few times more assessing the situation before finally taking notice in Cyno's reaction.

"W-wait...!" you stammered, your voice barely escaping your lips. But before you could even think of calling him back, he was already gone.

'Oh no...' You started to think

'...He seemed... rather dejected..'

'Did he purposefully throw away the game...?'

'Did he just started to not care about playing the game anymore because... did he notice that I wasn't paying any attention?'

As the questions came flooding in your mind, each one slowly began getting heavier and heavier than the last until a sharp pang of guilt settled in your chest.

You felt bad.

You suddenly felt bad for not taking the game as seriously as Cyno would have wanted- you knew it was a hobby he was truly passionate about, and you knew how much it made him happy whenever you'd show interest in partaking in a duel with him, but recently, you lessened the amount of effort you've been putting into your most recent battles, and you couldn't help but wonder if he started to notice it.

"Argh... what have I done...?" A short frustrated sigh escapes your lips.

"Did I... upset him..?" With a worried expression, you vocalized to yourself, realizing what you have done.

You took a deep breath, closed your eyes, and slowly exhaled, trying to regain your composure as you summon the determination within you to resolve this situation.

"...Tomorrow... I... I should make it up to him."

----

'Another day another duel' is what they all say.

Or at least... that's what TCG enthusists like Cyno would be claiming.

The following day arrived and you took it upon yourself to drop by his office during his lunch break to challenge him in snother duel.

This time, you came prepared- very carefully rearranging your deck with the latest and strongest cards you could get your hands on, and thoughtfully strategizing the best team compositions that worked best for your deck.

You spent all night working on your set of cards while also reading on a few articles on the latest and most updated tactics on the TCG community to better improve your own skills during battles.

Hopefully, this should be enough to make him feel like you've brought in enough effort to play with him this time.

Approaching his door in the Mahamatra's office building, you lightly clutched the Totem to your chest and gently knock on the hard wooden door.

'I hope he's here...' you think to yourself.

"It's open. Come in."

Relief washed over you as you heard his voice. As you took a deep breath, you held onto the doorknob and slowly opened the door, carefully peeking in to see if you were interupting anything.

There, you found Cyno sitting peacefully behind his desk, seeming like he was just reading a couple of reports ik his hands.

"y/n... it's you." he said, a bit surprised with your unexpected visit.

He sits up straight with a mildly concerned expression as he scanned you. "What are you doing here? ...Did you need help with something?"

You lightly wave your hands in front of you with a small and hesitant smile "Ah... no no, don't worry... I just had some free time and thought I'd drop by during your lunch break.... Is... now a bad time?"

Cyno's shoulders relax, his tension getting relieved from his body. "I see. Well, we can have lunch together in a bit. I just need to wait for one of the soldiers to come pick up this report." He calmly said. "You can have a seat on the couch over there while we wait. He should be here soon."

Following his instructions, you head over to the sofa across his desk and carefully took your seat, watching him finish up his work.

After observing him for a bit, you took notice on some of his behaviors.

He didn't seem upset like you were worried about... but he seemed... just not as chatty, like usual.

The room felt rather much emptier and quieter than usual, ut was a strange feelinf you've never felt before around him.

Something just felt a bit different about Cyno, but there wasn't any hint of sadness which you could detect...

Was it because he was still working...? Or maybe because he's feeling a bit tired...? Still, you didn't like even the sligihtest idea of Cyno being even just being a little upset.

Suddenly, something clicks in your mind 'oh.'

Usually, in these quiet dead air moments where none of you are talking, he would be offering to play around of TCG with you by now.

But strangely, even after minutes had already passed, the offer for a duel never came.

Looking down on the Totem you held in your hands, you mustered up the courage to be the first one to approach him.

You stood up and approached him on his desk.

Cyno lowered his papers and looked up at you.

"y/n...?" Seeing your furrowed brows and determined expression, he couldn't help but feel a little confused.

"Cyno... are you busy right now...?"

He pauses for a moment, trying to scan your expression to get ang sort of hint as to what you could possibly be about to say.

"I'm not busy... did you need anything?"

You took a deep breath and swallowed your pride, bracing yourself for what was about to come.

Gently slamming the Totem box onto his desk, you pointed a finger at him and spoke with a determined, but hesitant, voice, closing your eyes as you spoke.

"...T-the time for a duel is nigh... my dear companion... A challenge presents itself to you... a fiercesome battle of s-skill, intelligence..., and power is in front of you."

Cyno, falling silent once more, stares at you and spoke in a slightly confused tone. "...You... want to play TCG with me?"

You paused for a moment, trying to remember similar phrases Cyno had once used before when he challenged you to a duel.

"I thought...-"

"Ha...! What other great battle would I be talking about...!" You cut off his sentence, proceeding to announce your invite.

"It is none other than the duel of champions, Genius Invokation!...B-B...behold...! I have come prepared with the strongest, most strategic deck you will ever feast your eyes on, s-so bring out your best cards and face me... Lord of TCG, Cyno..., d-do you accept my h-honorable invite...?"

Silence filled the air momentariraly.

You slowly opened one eye towards Cyno to view his reaction, but you regret ever even looking in the first place.

Cyno fell silent, mouth slightly opened, brows furrowed- a visible reaction of confusion evident on his face.

You firmly shut your eyes closed once more, a finger still pointing outward towards him, not daring to even move an inch until you get a response.

Embarassment overwhelms you, your cheeks flushing a light shade of red over it, but you already got yourself roped up in this scenario, so you were forced tosee this through the end.

The air felt tense, time felt longer than usual.

'Please... just say something... this is really embarassing if you're this quiet...'

Finally, you heard him respond.

"Hmph..." a low and mildly animated chuckle escapes from his lips. You slowly looked over to him, finally mustering up the courage to look him in the eyes.

Cyno, with one hand placed lightly on his chin and closed eyes, tugged his lips to form a small smirk on the side of his face.

"Your words truly capture the spirit of a formidable opponent..." He lightly caressed the bottom of his chin with his thumb, dramatically acting as if he were heavily contemplating your offer.

"Very well, brave challenger. I shall accept your invite to an honnorable battle of wits. Prepare yourself, for I, too, have also brought with me my rare, and most prized, limited edition cards." His tone was well in character and had a strong sense of determination.

Cyno stood up, raising his hand towards you, also pointing out a finger in your direction. "The battle is set. There shall be no turning back on your own words." He said with relaxed eyes and a small smile.

His expression seemed rather exagerated and honestly a bit dorky... but it was the kind of response you've been hoping for... the kind of behavior you realized you missed so much.

For some reason, the room didn't feel as tense and suffocating as it once used to be. Now, the atmosphere felt relaxing and light, one which would be perfect to have a few rounds of TCG in.

You crossed your arms, appearing to look determined. "I-I have way better deck than I did yesterday... so be ready, I will definitely crush you."

Cyno matched your energy, crossing his arms as well, but keeping the smile on his face still present.

He sighed softly while his gaze on you lightly softened, just a little bit more. "Hm. I have some new tricks up my sleeve as well, it's about time you finally started to get serious."

You looked over at him, pointing a finger at him. "Aha! I knew you just let me win yesterday."

He only shrugged his shoulders, his tone slightly sarcastic as his eyes remained its entire focus on you. "I have no such recollection." Cyno smirked. "Shouldn't you have been happy that you won against me?"

"Not like that I won't...!" You whined lightly, Cyno could only chuckle at your adorable behavior.

After a moment of silence, you remembered that there was something else you wanted to say.

"...I have to admit... I haven't been as... focused lately during our duels... but...! I remembered how much fun it is last night when I was coming up with better tactics and a new line up... so..."

Your mind suddenly began having flashbacks to when you first started playing Genius Invokation.

You remembered how much adrenaline you would get whenever you were able to make a high damage combo against his line up;

You remembered all the laughs you had after seeing Cyno get so in character for each time he would unleash his finishing move, regardless of it eneded up ending all of your remaining cards;

You remembered how pumped up and amazed you would get while observing the kinds of tactics Cyno would be deploying against you and trying your best to recreate them;

But most importantly, you remembered the softness of his smile when he sees you make the effort to spend your time partaking in a hobby he loves so much, even though he tells you that you are not obligated to play with him.

"N-not saying that I will... but... if ever I lose... would you mind teaching me... how to get better...?"

Cyno paused, looking at you with an endearing expression, later on turning his gentle smile into a small smirk and closing his eyes, placing both his hands on his hips and tilting his all head high and mighty.

"Very well, my future apprentice. You may learn the secrets of battling a champion such as myself- that is, if you are prepared to show me first your capabilities in a round of TCG."

You smile softly, also beginning to get into an animated character role. "A battle against the champion of champions would be an honor."

"Then duel with me like your life depends on it." He said with a firm and enthusiastic tone.

You and Cyno began arranging the board and shuffling your deck, preparing for a few rounds of what you expect to be the most intense battles you'll have since forever.

"I will definitely crush you with my most powerful card that I just got, just you wait" You said with a bit of excitement and competetiveness.

As you were finishing up on arranging your row of characters, Cyno watched you delicately, his lip pursed to the side and his eyes focused on you, a gentle look plastered on his face before he closed his eyes and chuckled softly.

"...Let the duel of lovers begin."

...

[Genshin Masterlist] [JJK Masterlist]

a/n: Actually made this in between breaks while I was doing my finals and making a whole ahh website and working on 3D modeling lmaooo; I might make some light edits in the future bc I didn't read through it enough times as usual bc I'm way off my sched to be writing a 3k word fic :) but it's overall done and I actually really missed writing Genshin stuff <3

Thank you for reading!! Pls consider leaving some engagements for me they give me the will to live and strength to live fr fr ;)

[lamoobsessions]

Fortune for the Fools

Hazel Callahan x FemReader

Synopsis: After an underwhelming proverb from an underwhelming fortune teller at the county fair, you have an unexpected run-in with Hazel. When time passes and feelings prosper, you finally begin to believe that maybe that fortune was right after all.

A/N: Enjoy this prologue to a fic i'm working on, while I slowly hoist myself out of this writing slump. Each chapter will have a lyric from a song by a queer artist, so I hope you enjoy :)

Prologue: "My heart's out. My guard's down." - Body and Mind, Girl in Red

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To you, everything about the ‘End of Summer Carnival’ was enchanting. The pop-up canopies glowing in the night like lamps. The game booths sounding obnoxious buzzers as the kids played them for cheap toys. The tall, flashing lights welcoming onlookers to their sketchy rides, which, to your dislike, capriciously shook as they sat in the dirt -They weren’t safe, anyone with half of a mind knew that, but anyone with a sliver of fun would ride them anyway. Even the smell of the event was kind of charming. Sure, there’s the frequent whiffs of vomit and B.O., but usually those smells drown in the overwhelming scent of funnel cake and sugar. All in all, there was a lot to love about the carnival. 

Like every year, you attend with Sylvie, whom you’ve known since… forever you think. You and her clicked. Maybe it was your reserved demeanor and her gregarious attitude that made things so easy. Many people found it shocking when they found out how close the two of you are, simply because you’re polar opposites. Either way, the two of you made quite the pair. 

However, at the moment you stand alone among the carnival’s rapture.

All is well though, you have a routine for this sort of thing. You start out with the games, then the rides, then get food, and finish the night off with a ride on the Ferris wheel. It’s a perfect system you discovered a couple of years ago, and it hasn’t failed you yet. The only downfall of this plan is that Sylvie isn’t big on the carnival games, so you’re often left on your own for the first half. Which, you don’t mind, it’s less competition for the prizes anyway. 

That’s how you’ve found yourself here, standing in front of an old vintage fortune-teller named ‘ZOLTAR.’

To your understanding, this is the first year the local carnival has had a fortune teller machine. The thing doesn’t even ask for one of your tickets, it only asks for a dollar. So, thinking it must be fate, you decide to try out your luck.

Inserting the money into the slot, a suspiciously long moment passes, a moment long enough for you to begin to think the thing must be broken, and you dollar just went to a waste. Yet, just as you were about to shake some life into the machine, a whimsical harp plays from the speaker, “Cheer up my friend, and listen to the proverb from Zoltar.”

The sudden, and unreasonably loud, audio makes you flinch.

“From small beginnings come great things.” The machine suggests. “Ah yes, and lucky for you the great Zoltar sees much happiness for you in the future. Go out and find it, but don’t run off too quickly, Zoltar has more to say for you.” 

A shuttering emanates from the ticket dispenser, as it pushes out a small yellow ticket. Pulling it from the slot you read the back of the card. 

It's all the same mumbo jumbo you'd expect from a fortune. 'Things are going to change soon… blah, blah, blah… Be brave in your choices… yadda, yadda, yadda.'

You huff a laugh looking down at the card. “great…” you mutter.

It’s truly is the same fortune-teller crap most people get, but you can’t help but to hope it’s true. What’s the harm in hoping, right?

However, after a few carnival games, this hope started to feel like bullshit. Firstly, your favorite game that’s here every year is gone, then you lose half your tickets gambling them away on some guessing game, then, at the time your supposed to meet Sylvie by the Ferris wheel, she’s a no show.  

‘Great happiness in your future, my ass’ you thought. 

At least you had enough cash left in your pocket to buy back the tickets you lost. But first, there was a fried Oreo stand practically calling your name with it's infectiously sweet aroma. 

Deciding to ditch Sylvie's meeting spot, you make your way to the concession stand and join the endless line.

Minutes pass and you’re finally close to the front, with the delicious smells of chocolate and sugar getting stronger and stronger with each step. Although, another minute passes, then another, then another, and the line has yet to move. Peering to the front, you see a girl fumbling in her wallet, a look of panic evident of her face. 

Even from a short distance, you’re sure you know who it is. Though, curious to see what’s going on, you listen in closer. 

“Ma’am you can’t pay with tickets, we only accept cash.” The woman behind the counter argues. 

“I know, I know, I’m so sorry. It’s just that I promised some friends-”

“If you don’t have any cash, I’m going to have to ask you to leave the line.”

Looking into your wallet for extra cash, you notice you only have cash for your own fried Oreo and some more tickets. If you were to buy more from the concession stand, you'd have to give up on the possibility of buying extra tickets later.

But, being that it's the last night of the summer and your 'lucky fortune' can't seem to come true, you at least have the chance to bring happiness to someone else's future.

“Excuse me!” 

Both the woman behind the counter and Hazel turn to you. 

“I have extra cash if you…” you suggest. 

“Oh no, it’s…” Hazel dismisses, “You don’t have to do that.”

“It’s no problem, really. What were you going to get?” You ask, taking the money from your wallet, while making your way to the counter. 

Hazel stares at you, dumbfounded, seemingly unsure if she should accept the offer.

“She was getting two churros and a stick of cotton candy.” The cashier speaks up.

You nod and count the cash before handing it to her. “Can you add a fried Oreo to that order?”

The woman bobs her head while counting the cash and shoves it into the register. “We’ll have that right out for you.”

“Thanks,” You smile and make your way to the pick-up bar for the food. Hazel follows you hesitantly, presumably taken back by the interaction. 

“You didn’t have to do that,” she comments.

“Yeah, but I wanted to.”

As embarrassing as it may be to admit, there was always this fondness with her, an insatiable desire to be her friend. But, making friends wasn’t always your strong suit. You mostly kept to yourself, sat in the back of the class with your nose in a book. Sylvie’s told you countless times how unapproachable you look, but you never got around to fixing that detail. 

Hazel wears a confused expression, as if she couldn't quite piece together something in her head. 

“I’m y/n, by the way.” You begin, figuring she's probably trying to pin a name to your face. “Hazel, right?”

“Um- yeah. You know my name?”

“Yeah I mean, we’ve been going to the same school since like freshman year. Of course I know who you are.”

Truthfully, it wasn’t normal to know random people’s names in your school. It’s a big school, filled with a lot of people. Many students graduate not knowing half of their class. But, you knew Hazel’s name because, like anyone you find interesting, you learned it.

“Oh yeah, right.” She laughs awkwardly. “I knew your name too, by the way.”

You smile, letting out an amused huff at her insistence before looking to the Ferris wheel, where Sylvie has yet to show up. You'd be worried if it weren't Sylvie being her usual self. She either got caught in some atrociously long line, or is currently talking some poor souls head off somewhere. 

“I-um,” Hazel begins. “I don’t think I ever thanked you for the food, so… thanks.”

“Yeah, of course. Don't mention it." You chirp. 

“No really, I owe you one. Usually they accept tickets at these things, but I guess they don’t do that anymore.”

“Yeah, they stopped doing that last year after some kid, like, figured out how to forge the concession tickets or something.”

Suddenly, her expression turns into one of clarity. “I was wondering why they didn’t offer concession tickets this year.” She pauses, then lowering her voice to a near whisper. “How did they find out about the fakes though?”

“Wait- was that you?” 

Suddenly, she lights up, as if she'd been waiting her whole life for someone to ask. “Yeah, I just bought some customizable raffle tickets online and printed all the same stuff on them. It was pretty easy, considering most tickets, like the one for the rides, have special codes on them so they can’t be replicated, but not the concession ones. There wasn’t anything fancy like that on them.” 

After seconds of staring in complete bafflement, you can’t help but to laugh. She was the last person you’d expect to pull such thing off, but maybe that’s because you didn’t know her as much as you wish you did.  “That’s honestly genius. I mean,  it’s a shame you got caught.”

“I don’t even know how they found out! I was super inconspicuous about it.”

At this, you only laugh harder. It wasn’t even that funny of a situation but for some reason, maybe because it was her, you felt lighter. 

“Two churros, a cotton candy, and a fried Oreo!” The woman calls from the counter. 

The two of you turn your attention towards the tray of food under the pick-up window. Hazel grabs her share of food, though not before handing you your portion. 

“Well,” you begin, while unwrapping the treat in your hands. “Maybe next time you can learn to forge actual money.”

“That would be so cool,” She beams, evidently not catching your sarcasm. 

“Cool, but also a federal crime.”

“It’s only a crime if you get caught.”

“Thats a terrible philosophy.” you remark. Glancing at the ferris wheel, Sylvie had finally showed. She waited patiently under beaming lights. “Oh, I gotta go. I’ll see you at school, I guess?”

Something flashes in hazel’s demeanor, something you couldn't quite identify before it was gone and replaced by a smile “Yeah -uh, I’ll see you then.” She waves. “Thanks again.”

“no problem,” you wave off, before taking off towards Sylvie, who quickly spots you walking over, and begins to wave frantically, as if you couldn’t already see her under the blinding light. 

“Y/n!” She calls, “You’ll never guess what I saw!” 

You smile, rolling your eyes playfully. “It better be the reason you were a whole thirty minutes late to meeting me.”

“Uh-huh,” She answers quickly. “I saw someone get hit by a car.”

A pit of shock and concern fills you. “Oh my god are they okay? Are- Are you okay? How the hell did-”

“No it’s fine, it was just Jeff.”

Immediately that pit of shock dissolves, and your mind begins to wonder how the whole town hasn’t already erupted into a riot simply because it was Jeff.  “Okay, so…is he okay?”

“Well, you know, of course he’s taking it way too far and acting like the car hit him at ninety miles per hour, when in reality it was probably one, but yeah, he’s fine.” 

That part was believable. For football players who are the size of grown men, they were about as fragile as a china doll. But, the fact that you hadn’t heard about it the moment it happened… that part was a little hard to grasp. “So, you’re telling me, the Jeff -Jeff the star player of the Rockbridge football team, got hit by a car and the town hasn’t turned to pitchforks and torches yet?”

“Yes!” She exclaims excitingly. “I mean, the whole team is devastated, but the people are handling it pretty good if you ask me.”

You huff, taking a bite into your food. “Well, I guess that’s a good enough excuse for you being late.”

“I’m sorry,” She exaggerates, dragging out the apology. “To make it up to you, I’ll let you choose the first ride we go on together.”

“Oh, how generous,” You tease. “But I blew all my tickets on the carnie games.”

“You serious? Why don’t you just buy more?”

“All the cash I brought was spent on food.”

She gives you a curious look, likely surprised that you, for once, came to something unprepared. For some reason you have yet to uncover, a part of you didn’t feel like telling Sylvie about the run-in with Hazel. 

“Well, lucky for you, I stole some of my stepdad’s money for tonight. So we can just buy more.”

you laugh, “I don’t think I feel comfortable using stolen step-dad money."

“Then don’t think of it like that. Think of it like I’m your super rich sugar momma, and I’m treating you to a night out.” She shoves a wad of tickets into your hands forcefully. 

“Right,” you deadpan, accepting the tickets. ”Step-dad’s money it is.”

“Great,” She cheers, playfully putting an arm around your shoulder.  

The rest of the night was spent using all of Sylvie's remaining tickets for eating overtly sweet foods, riding unnecessarily fast rides, and throwing up in grotesque smelling trash cans. Or in other words, the night was spent perfectly. You and Sylvie stuck around til closing and ended the night sleeping over at your place, which is always the go-to spot for the both of you since Sylvie absolutely despises her stepdad. Come to think of it, you’ve probably only been to her house once, way back when her parents were still together. These days, it’s your house and your house only. You never minded the company.

But, as the early morning came and the first day of school had arrived, you began to regret this decision.

Body aching, stomach wrenching, and head sagging like a block of cement, all the decisions of last night finally caught up to you. You felt like shit, and you weren’t the only one. Next to you, Sylvie groaned, dragging her hands down her face as she sat up from the air mattress on the floor. 

“I think I’m dying,” She complains.

You hum in agreement, pulling yourself from under the covers and throwing your legs off the bedside. “Do we have to go? It’s our last year, it doesn't really matter if we skip anymore, right?"

“I mean… I’d be down to skip if you are. We can rot in bed and watch movies all day and pretend it’s still summer and that school never started.” 

Staring at her with a stoic expression, you hop off the bed and begin to make your way towards the closet. “You’re supposed to convince me to go, not enable me.”

She shrugs, putting her hands up in surrender. “I never said I was a good influence. You decided that on your own.”

You huff, pulling off random pieces of clothing from the drawers and off the hook. “Yeah, well,” You sigh, throwing the clothes on the bed. “I’m going to need all the influence I can get to leave this house before eight. And by influence, I mean caffeine and ibuprofen.”

“Oh!” She exclaims shooting up from the bed. “I’ll get the ibuprofen.”

“Please don’t grab the wrong thing like you did last time.”

A wide grin plasters on her face. “You mean the laxative incident? That was hilarious.”

“No, no it wasn’t.” The last time Sylvie was in charge of grabbing ibuprofen was the night of the Junior and Senior prom. You developed a monster headache from all the cologne clouding the gymnasium air, and when Sylvie somehow came back with laxatives instead of a pain reliever, you were too absorbed in the pain to notice any difference. “I had to leave prom early because all the fucking bathrooms were full with orgies and stoners.” 

“Yeah, that was awesome,” She giggles. 

“Just please grab the right stuff this time.” 

“Yeah, yeah. I can handle it.” And with that, she walks out the room and towards the kitchen where the pharmaceuticals are stored. This time, hopefully, she will come back with the right medicine. You dind't want this sudden luck of yours to continue any longer.  

[giggly-squiggily]

Yay requests! I've been waiting for this

Lee!Gojo getting destroyed by Ler!Nanami for constantly bothering him!

{Requests are closed! This one's an older one <3}

AHHH I LOVE IT! Nanami as a Ler is so GOOD? And Lee!Gojo my beloved! I've gotcha covered, anon! :3

CW: Swearing

Cloud 9 (Taglist Peeps):

@thatbigbisexual29 @duckymcdoorknob @gladdygirl18 @baby-tickles2022 @rachi-roo @mystwrites @chibisstuff @riisada @sp1racle @

Nanami was going to kill him.

“Nanana-NAMI!” Gojo sang out to him in the tune of that one Rihanna song, doing a little jig as he came up to him. “Nanana-NAMI! Nami! Nami-” “WHAT..do you want, Gojo?” Twisting on his heels, he glared at the shorter man, finding himself eye to eye with him. Well- eye to blindfold anyway.

“Heeeeeey.” Gojo grinned, bouncing on his heels. “I got a question for you.”

Nanami closed his eyes, seeking patience. “What is it?”

“What’s a fast zombie?”

….Nanami stared at him. Then, with some reluctance, he accepted his fate. “What?”

“Guess!” Gojo insisted, waving his hands.

“I don’t know-”

“A Zoombie!” Gojo cried in glee, laughing hysterically. Nanami felt a vein pop.

“Gojo…” He went for his tie..and stopped. A better idea came to mind. He narrowed his eyes, activating his ability.

The world was green, Gojo’s silhouette before him as he scanned him from head to toe. Then, it was revealed- white dashed lines across his lowest set of ribs. Perfect.

“G-Get it? A Zoom-BEEEH!” Gojo’s giggles were cut off with a sharp squeal when Nanami jabbed at his waist, going right for the spot he saw. Silence filled the area soon after- Gojo gaping at him with flushed cheeks as Nanami blinked.

“Ah..still ticklish I presume?”

“N-Nanami hold on now..you don’t want to do this-” Gojo was running now, his body flailing like a muppet as he made a mad dash for safety. Nanami merely walked after him.

“D-Don’t! Don’t you dahahahre- wahahit slow doohhown!” Gojo cried out with a laugh when he made it to the dorms. No one was home- the kids had gone out to a movie or something. This was both a blessing and a curse for the pale sorcerer- he had no one to witness his downfall, but also no one to sacrifice for the greater good. “Cohohome on, Nanami! Spa-ARE-”

His legs hit the couch, sending him tumbling over it cartoonishly. Nanami didn’t speed up, merely walking around the couch and climbing on top of him. “Nahahahnami pleahahhahse!”

“Please what?” He rolled up his sleeves, cracking his knuckles.

“Doohohon’t do thihihihs!”

“You want me to.” He didn’t need to elaborate. The fact Gojo ran instead of using his ability spoke for itself. Gojo fell silent upon realizing this 

Another tense pause. Nanami raised a brow as Gojo weighed his options.

“Um…is it too late now to say sorry?” He asked.

“Yes.” Nanami didn’t hesitate, fingers flying across Gojo’s torso with reckless abandon. Beneath him, Gojo arched with a loud squawk, full body spasming as he dissolved into laughter.

“Nahahhahaha! Nahahanah-nahahahahhahanahhahahamihiihhihiiiiiiiii!” He cried, shoving at the older man’s hands as they tapped along his ribs. “Wahahhahait I cahhahahan’t! Geahahahahhaa, hohohohohld ohohohohon!”

“I highly doubt that. You’re rather known for your stamina- at least that’s what you like to brag about.” Nanami moved his hands up to Gojo’s upper ribs, a smaller spot he saw with his 7:3 technique. Gojo nearly flew off the couch when he pinched there. “Is it all a lie?”

“Hehehehehell nohohohoho! I’ve gohohohohot stahhahaaminahahhaha for dahahhahys! Whahahait- thahhahat ihhihihiihsn’t an ihihihihiihnvihihih-EHEHEHEHEHEHE!”

“Sounded like one to me. Let's see how long you can go, shall we?” The blonde clicked his tongue as he dropped his hands to Gojo’s lower ribs.

“GEHAHAHHA!” Gojo’s squirms and laughter increased by tenfold at the touch, turning him into a thrashing bull beneath Nanami’s strong hands. “NOHOHOHOOH NOHOHOHT THEHEHEHEHRE!” His cheeks were on fire, smile was big and goofy and all so nostalgic. Nanami could recall numerous times where Suguru and Shoko tickled him like this. It was one of the happier times of their youth.

The thought made him somewhat sad. When was the last time Gojo truly laughed like this? He always seemed to find things funny, but it all felt so forced- like he was overdoing it to hide how he really felt. This, however? This felt natural- just like before.

“TAHAHAKE THIS!” Hands suddenly grabbed his hips, squeezing with such a rapid pace Nanami jumped several feet back. “Hehehheahaha..gohohotcha nohohohow!” Gojo groaned as he sat up, blindfold crooked as one blue eye gleamed at his friend. “Yoohohu had your fun…and nohohow it’s time for mine!”

~~~

“Heh…hehehe..hehehehheeeeh…” An exhausted Gojo laid across the tatami mats, huffing and puffing as he wrapped his arms around himself. Despite his bold claim, he was no match for Nanami. “I fohohohrgot yohohou’re so gohohohood at thihihs..”

“Hm.” The blonde hummed, walking back over with two cups of tea before sitting beside him. “I doubt it’s anything I did. You just refused to use your limitless ability.”

The number one thing that would have saved Gojo, and he refused to turn it back on. The pale haired man laughed as he sat up, taking the tea and draining most of it with one clean gulp. “Wouldn’t be as fun if I did.” He grew quiet, side by side with Nanami as he sipped his drink. “Hey…thanks, by the way.”

“I did nothing to warrant it.”

“No, you did. You always do. You put up with my bullshit like no other, and you willingly entertain me.” Gojo smiled in his cup, his voice unusually soft. “I haven’t had anyone like that in a long time. It’s..nice. Really nice.”

Nanami raised a brow but didn’t turn to look at him, knowing Gojo needed a second. Instead, he sipped his drink, watching the shadows of the room dance as the sun shifted. “I suppose you’re not nearly as annoying as you act.”

“Oo, a compliment from my beloved!” Gojo gushed, throwing himself at the blonde and making fake kissy noises. “Now shut up and kiss me!”

“Get out of here!” Nanami pushed him back, watching him tip over in a fit of giggles. That smile was like the one before, easing something tight in his chest.

He supposed he could get used to this.

Thanks for reading!

[arealtrashact]

The moment I saw episode 4 I knew I had to check in on your blog and see your thoughts lmao. I'm curious tho, what do you think of Homelander's end game, or like what would you want to see happen to him? I'm currently on team "depower him" cause I desperately need to see the pillar of his hubris come crashing down.

Well, what I want to happen to him and what I think will happen to him are two entirely different things. I'll limit myself to talking about what I'd like.

Dreams and delusions under the cut

I'm a fan of the 'depowered' idea. I think we can all agree that it would be a fate worse than death for Homelander. ( and I selfishly want to see him bumble around as a frail mud-person. The casual wear wasn't enough. I want to see him struggle to open a jar of pickles. I want to see him eat. )

I actually had a dream shortly after binging the first three episodes of season four where Ryan inherited Soldier Boy's belly blast ( the same way one might inherit a mutated gene from a grandparent ). I guess I was subconsciously thinking about how Starlight developed photokinetic flight. Anyways, in my dream he accidentally fried Homelander during an argument fueled by teen angst and suddenly the dynamic was flipped on its head. I have to say, I was mildly disappointed when I woke up and it was over.

I forgot what I was talking about . . . Oh yeah, predictions.

I would like his downfall to come at the hands of Ryan. Perhaps on purpose, perhaps on accident ( à la Becca ). I'm a sucker for painfully sad endings and nothing sounds quite as torturous as the 'I'm always going to love you, no matter what you do' line coming back to bite Homelander in the ass.

[saphira-approves]

Okay no I’m not done talking about swords, and their names, because sword names are IMPORTANT okay and they MEAN THINGS—

I rambled in the tags of this post about Eragon and Murtagh naming/renaming their swords to be positive, compared to their fathers’ respective negative sword names, but I want to go further into it.

First is the obvious one, Morzan’s Zar’roc, Misery, and Murtagh’s Ithring, Freedom. I’m almost certain Morzan names his sword as an offensive measure—and I don’t mean offensive as in insulting, I mean it in the combat sense. It’s a curse, almost, upon his enemies: any opponent he faces with this blade will be struck by misery, literally. But one thing we know about Morzan: he’s not particularly wise, and even his best works backfire on him. We see it with Selena, and his confidence that she loves him too much to betray him, so he never warded against her. He named his sword Misery, and Misery is all it brought him: he joined Galbatorix, brought the downfall of the Order, and lost his dragon to nameless madness; he killed Brom’s dragon, making an enemy of the man who once had idolized him and sealing his own demise by Brom’s hand; he threw Misery at his own child and pushed his wife to betray him, which ultimately led to the downfall of everything he had ever worked for. Talk about a curse. He upheld Misery, and Misery came right back to bite him in the ass.

And then Brom took Misery from him, and sequestered it away, and eventually gave it to Eragon without telling him its meaning; and Eragon wielded it without knowing its meaning or history, trying his best to do good with it, and even when he did learn its history and its name he resolved to work to give it a better legacy. After all, a good sword is a good sword. But Murtagh, Morzan’s son and heir, was not done with Misery, bore too painful a scar from Misery to let it go—he took Misery from Eragon and claimed it as his own, claiming his birthright, yes… but taking Misery away from Eragon, in the very same moment that he also protected Eragon from capture and forced servitude, the fate that had befallen Murtagh himself. Complicated as feelings all around may have been, intentional as the act itself may or may not have been, Murtagh here is very much intentionally shouldering that burden. He fully believed that Eragon was another son of Morzan, he could have easily justified rejecting that part of his history and his father’s legacy and offloading it on his younger brother, and yet he didn’t. He took it for himself and declared it his own.

And then he called it Freedom.

After enduring torture and enslavement and a hundred other humiliations, he took Misery in hand and said, no. I do not uphold you. I do not fight for you. I fight for Freedom, for my own and my loved ones’, and for the Freedom of all. He looked at the horror of his past and refused to let it define him. He looked at his father’s mistakes and refused to be bound to them. He took a name of offense, of attack and hostility, and changed it to a name of preservation, of defense, of peace.

And then there’s Eragon, with Brisingr, Fire, and Brom’s mysterious Undbitr, Void-biter. At first glance it may seem that they have absolutely nothing to do with each other, but I would not be here if I wasn’t going to loudly and fervently declare otherwise.

My guess for Brom’s reasoning of naming his sword Undbitr would be somewhere between edgelord teenager antics (look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn’t have wanted a sword name Void Biter at twelve years old) and his admiration for Morzan, who named his sword the simple yet devastatingly clever Misery. Void-biter, bite of death, the bite that would send his opponents to the void. To darkness, to nothingness, to anti-life and anti-hope. A sword lost after his dragon’s death, never seen again, and yet Brom himself succumbs to the bite of his own personal void: he dedicates himself to vengeance, throws everything he has of himself into orchestrating Morzan’s downfall, and the downfall of Galbatorix and the rest of the Forsworn for good measure. It’s implied, from Brom’s own admission of fearing his son would hate him and Oromis’s discussion of his near-suicidal madness after Saphira’s death, that revenge is all Brom lived for until he met Selena—and even after he met her and fell in love with her, I suspect his need for vengeance is what ultimately decided the events leading both to Morzan’s death and Selena’s doomed reunion with Murtagh. Brom may have lost Void-biter, but the void consumed him anyway.

And then there’s Eragon. Yes I’ve said that already but if anything can sum up these books, it’s And then there’s Eragon. The first spell he learns is fire. A dangerous force, certainly, one that can easily break control and wreak untold havoc and destruction, but what force of nature doesn’t fall into that category? He could easily have learned, and thus be represented by, wind or ice or lightning, or even just pain or break. But he didn’t, and he’s not. He wields fire. A force of nature, a destructive weapon… but also the foundation of a home, fire in the hearth; the fuel of invention, to shape metal and glass; and most importantly, a light in the dark, the hope of dawn in the long cold night. Eragon names his sword Brisingr, and it’s not merely a weapon: it is a beacon. His father was consumed by darkness, but Eragon is the one who guided him back to the light, who gave him something to live for after he had defeated his enemy and lost his love; Eragon was the figurehead of the rebellion, the spark that drove a passive resistance into the blaze of true revolution; and now Eragon builds the new hearth of the Dragon Riders, to tend and defend it for future generations.

What a change from misery and the void.

Fire, and freedom. Hope, and peace. Family, and love.

I think Selena would be very proud of her sons.

[shyvioletcat]

ROWAELIN MONTH: Day 7 - All Dressed up

@rowaelinscourt

A/N: Well, well, well. Look what came back? If you need a bit of a refresher, the masterlist in below.

The Sweetest Promise Masterlist

~~~~

It had been nearly two weeks since Aelin had seen Rowan and she was officially freaking out. She was definitely questioning her reckless decision to ruin their friendship because she had lacked the sense to think with her big brain. Because obviously that is what had happened. There was no other explanation for the radio silence. Not only had Rowan cancelled any dates but he hadn’t replied to any of her messages either and that was damning. The only reassurance Aelin had was that Rowan’s regular payments had come through. 

But considering the situation, was it all that reassuring?

Aelin couldn’t figure it out, didn’t know where to begin with unravelling the situation. Not for the first time she was questioning her actions on that fateful afternoon. The opportunity had been there and Aelin had barely hesitated before she took it. The fact that it had only taken a few touches to get Rowan riled up had amused her but had also got her going too. You’d have to be blind not to realise how incredibly good looking he was, and he had snuck into Aelin’s mind more than once when she was scratching that itch herself, alone in her bed at night. She had been curious what it would be like to fuck him in real life.

In reality it had been beyond anything she could ever imagine. It was such a shame that it had become her downfall. The main issue Aelin kept landing on was that she had charged him the sex fee. When she had set up her profile on Sweet As Sugar she had filled in that section as a joke to herself. Aelin had never planned to use it. But clearly her horny self couldn’t be contained and she had. Rowan would have read her contract and would have known that stipulation was there. And considering what they were before they were friends she was owed… oh holy gods what had she done?

Before Aelin could stop herself she was out her door and knocking on the one that was almost perfectly opposite hers. It was a weekday and just after lunch, so there was a good chance that Kaltain would be home. And sure enough it wasn’t too long before the door opened.

“Good afternoon,” Kaltain said, she was dressed down in some legging and an oversized t-shirt. Aelin didn’t think she’d ever seen the woman look this casual. 

“Can I come in?”

Kaltain stepped back and opened the door wider. “Sure.”

Aelin walked into the apartment, trying not to act like she wanted to pace just to do something. “I think I fucked up.”

“How so?” Kaltain asked from the little kitchen. 

“Well, I… I guess the best way to say it is that I fucked my client.”

Kaltian froze, jug of water pausing midair, eyes rising to where Aelin was standing. “Did he hurt you?”

Aelin shook her head. “No.”

Kaltain relaxed a little at that and poured out a glass of water. “You get pregnant?”

“What, no!” Aelin nearly yelled. “I didn’t fuck up that bad.”

“So it was bad then, and he wants to do it again?” Kaltain rattled off.

Aelin swallowed, memories of how good it actually was flitting through her mind at high speed. “No, but I have concerns about the second part.”

Kaltain slid a glass of water across the bench. “Alright, explain.”

Aelin succinctly went over the situation, leaving out the finer, more intimate details. When she was finished she sighed heavily. “I think I ruined the friendship and charging him for sex is going to make him ditch me. Considering the whole entire situation I didn’t have anyone else to talk to about it.”

“Well, the continuing payments are promising,” Kaltain said. “If you had offended him or whatever he would have cut you off completely. You charging the fee shouldn’t have come as a shock.”

“But, like…” Aelin didn’t drink, she just spun the glass slowly between her fingers. “This is just a weird development for me.”

“I think your mistake was becoming his friend,” Kaltain said matter of factly. “You’ve become too emotionally involved.”

“I guess you’re right,” Aelin admitted. Damn Rowan and his surly likeability. 

“The best advice I can give you is to let the money keep coming in and if you want to be his friend just keep reaching out if you decide.”

“What about the sex stuff?” Aelin asked. 

Kaltain shrugged. “It was in your contract. He signed it. No big deal. And if it was good, and I’m assuming it was good, all it out and by all means keep fucking around and finding out.”

Aelin snorted at that. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Kaltain said.

Wandering back to her apartment Aelin felt a little better about the situation. Not much, but at least a little. The money that routinely entered her account wasn’t a bad thing. And if Rowan ever talked to her again, maybe they could work this out. But that was going to have to be up to him. 

It took another three days of Aelin pretending not to stress before the silence was broken. She was editing a particularly arduous paragraph when her phone buzzed beside her on the bed. Assuming it was a social media notification Aelin just gave it a quick glance before her brain registered exactly what app it had come from. She tapped on it, quickly diving into the text thread. 

Rowan: Hi Aelin. I’m so sorry about all the missed messages. I’ll just get straight into it. 

While the three little dots danced at the bottom of her screen Aelin’s stomach was a mess of butterflies. Some anxiety, some dread, all of them making her want to vomit. 

Rowan: My mother ended up in hospital with pneumonia. I was helping look after her and my parent’s place and all that and didn’t get a moment to myself. Mam, as you might have gathered, is incredibly nosey and I had to delete the app off my phone just in case. So anyway, I’m back. How are you?

Aelin felt pretty stupid right now. He was off being a knight in shining armour and she thought he was sulking. 

Aelin: How’s your mum?

Rowan: She’s fine now, completely on the mend. 

Aelin: Thank the gods

Rowan: I certainly do.

Aelin looked at her phone for a solid minute before she decided to bite the bullet. 

Aelin: I have to admit I thought you were put out because of the extra sex charge

Aelin: I just now realised my horrible choice of words there

Rowan: Okay

Aelin: Okay?

Rowan: I didn’t know what else to say.

This was going from bad to worse. 

Aelin: I enjoyed it, but I didn’t do it for the money just so we’re clear

Rowan: So, like me, you did it for fun?

Aelin: Yes. Fun.

Rowan: And the sex was so good you charged me for it?

Aelin sat up staring at the message. He was making a joke, she was sure of it. She could do this. 

Aelin: Maybe it was supposed to be taken as a compliment. 

Rowan: By that reasoning, shouldn’t you be paying me?

Aelin: Do you want a refund?

Rowan: I’m… I’m not sure at this point.

Aelin: Good, because I already spent the money

Laughing, Aelin laid back down. If they could joke about it, the situation mustn’t be as dire as she thought. 

Aelin: So, just so we’re clear. It’s not a big deal?

Rowan: Contract. Lawyer. It’s fine, Aelin. 

Aelin sighed out of relief. She usually wasn’t one to overreact and she'd really outdone herself this time. They were fine and it turned out he had a pretty good reason for his silence. She really did feel awful about Rowan’s mother. Iris had seemed so kind and genuine when they’d met at the markets. And she had to commend Rowan for looking after her so well. 

Rowan: Are we good for Friday night?

Aelin: Absolutely.

Rowan: Great. Wear something nice. 

~~~~~

Rowan stood outside the restaurant, waiting for Aelin. He had offered to pick her up but she had declined, letting him know that she was coming from the University rather than home so she’d just book an Uber. Of course he’d offered to get her from there and they’d gone back and forth until he relented. Aelin really knew how to wear him down. 

Even after their discussion he was a little nervous about seeing her again. Their last date… well, it had really been something. He’d been so embarrassed. Touch starved and horny, once he had been sure Aelin wanted to fuck him as badly as he wanted to fuck her, all he could say was yes. The sex had been mind blowing and had left him reeling for days. Rowan would be at work and at the most inconvenient times he’d remember how she looked riding him, the sounds she had made, the way she had made him feel. Even now, he tried not to think too hard about it unless he was left with uncomfortably tight pants in public—again. 

He meant what he said to Aelin about the extra fee. The charge had been a little unexpected, but he’d read over the contract carefully and he knew about that stipulation. Rowan had just never imagined himself as the kind of man that paid for sex. They were friends, but the sex thing was spinning things at a new angle. Would they do it again? Or was it just a one time thing? He certainly wanted to and he wanted to keep seeing Aelin, even if it was through their continued arrangement. 

Rowan checked his watch, it was just after seven, the time he’d made the reservation for. Aelin shouldn’t be too long then. A nondescript white care pulled into the drop off zone at the curb and a familiar figure emerged from it. Rowan smiled, stepping forward, but then what she wore had him stopping in his tracks. 

It was a gold number, made of a slinky, shimmering gold fabric that clung to every one of her remarkable curves. She held a small black clutch in her hand that matched the high black heels on her feet. What drew his attention were the thin gem studded straps that led to a low, curved, draped neckline. Everything was on display with her hair pulled back in an elegant bun— neck, collarbones, her breasts. He felt like a teenager the way he had a hard time looking away from the cleavage. Rowan knew what they looked like beneath all that fabric, what they felt like, tasted like. 

“Evening,” Aelin said, snapping him out of his thoughts. 

“You look amazing,” were the first words out of his mouth. 

“Thank you,” Aelin said, coming to stand beside him. “Sorry I’m a little late, and I forgot a jacket too. Do you mind if we go straight in?”

Rowan shook his head. “Not at all.”

He offered her his arm, and Aelin’s slender hand gripped his elbow. Rowan led them into the restaurant, gave his name and minutes later they were being taken to his table. The lighting in here was dark and a bit moody, almost an old Hollywood look. He had read about this place and thought Aelin would like it, that’s why he’d book here. When they got to the table he helped Aelin into her chair, her head swivelling around as she took in the room. 

“This place is very nice,” Aelin said. “I like it.”

“Good,” Rowan replied, tucking into his own seat. “I thought you might.”

Aelin gave him a bright smile. “You spoil me.”

With her sitting across from him looking like an old time movie starlet, she was spoiling him. They ordered and ate and chatted, conversation straying far away from the awkward topic that was looming between them. Rowan was happy to ignore it and enjoy her company instead. One thing that kept his attention was the way one of the glimmering straps kept slipping off her shoulder. Every time Aelin would pull it back up. He tried not to notice how far down it pulled the fabric of the gown. And failed. It happened again and Aelin let out a sound of frustration. 

“This dress is my friend’s and she threw it into my suitcase as I was packing ‘just in case’,” Aelin said, reaching forward for her wine glass. “She’s better endowed than me and I was worried about this thing staying up, especially considering I'm not wearing anything underneath it.”

Rowan’s knee hit the table, making all the contents rattle dangerously. She’d said it so casually that it had taken him by surprise. Aelin sat there, an amused smirk on her lips, her hand still holding the wineglass steady. 

“You okay there?”

Rowan answered her question with one of his own. “You can’t be serious?” 

“You saw this dress, every line and wrinkle would show,” she said, finally taking a sip of her wine. 

Rowan shook his head, wanting to laugh but also feeling a little warm. Knowing something like that was not helping the overall situation.

“You’re blushing, Rowan,” Aelin whispered conspiratorially across the table.

“Can you blame me?” He asked, just as quietly. 

Aelin shook her head, grinning now. “I like it.” 

Thankfully, the rest of dinner passed without Rowan embarrassing himself. For dessert Aelin had a fancy looking individual cake to herself that oozed a liquid chocolate when she scooped her spoon through it. Rowan enjoyed a smooth whiskey instead. When they were done and the bill was paid they were back on the sidewalk, waiting while the valet brought Rowan’s car around. 

“Let me drive you home,” Rowan said. 

Aelin was inching herself closer to him, leeching his warmth. To ease the chill Rowan rubbed his palms over her biceps which only brought her closer. 

“Mmm, I suppose so,” Aelin relented quickly. 

Ever the gentleman his mother taught him to be, when his car arrived Rowan held the door open and helped Aelin in with the other hand. She thanked him and he didn't miss the way her dress rose up her thighs as she sat. He needed to stop, he was torturing himself. Or rather she was unknowingly torturing him. 

The drive home was comfortably quiet. Everyone once and a while Rowan would hear Aelin humming along to the radio, but other than that they didn’t speak much. She’d typed in her address when Rowan had handed her his phone and it wasn’t long before he was parking in front of her apartment building. 

“You don’t have to walk me to my door. I’m a big girl, I can do it myself,” Aelin said. 

“No chance, my mother would be appalled,” Rowan said, already getting out of the car. He was sure he heard the echo of Aelin’s laughter when he did.

“Thank you, kind sir,” Aelin said, accepting the hand he offered to get out of the car. Once again, Rowan took a moment to appreciate how good Aelin looked and she caught him. “Big fan of this dress too?”

Rowan’s laugh was slightly nervous thanks to being busted. “It’s my favourite colour.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Aelin replied. 

They walked together to the lobby door and Aelin’s hand hovered over the keypad where she would enter her passcode. Rowan wondered at her hesitation, but then she turned around to face him, her expression uncertain. 

“I have to address the elephant in the room, or entryway,” she said, gesturing around them. 

“Okay,” Rowan stepped closer, knowing that she’d only get colder the longer they stayed out here. 

“We had sex, great sex. We’re both adults and can acknowledge that. I just wanted to clear up where we went from here,” Aelin said, the words coming out quickly. “Like, are we really all good about this?”

There was a harsh breeze, Rowan angle himself so that he blocked Aelin from most of it. “I am, are you?” 

Aelin nodded. “And, well… do we do it again or will that ruin everything?”

Her bright eyes stared up at him, trying to read him, watching for his reaction. Emboldened by the whisky, or maybe it was just Aelin, he crowded her a little closer to the wall. She backed up a step, standing up a little bit straighter. 

“The way I see it,” Rowan said, leaning in, “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”

He indulged himself with a slow perusal of the beautiful woman in front of him, no restraint on matching the vision that she was tonight with the one that had been living in his mind. Aelin’s hand landed on his side, her fist clenching a handful of his shirt. She was breathing heavily, the tension simmering between them affecting her as well. 

“And I hope you haven’t either. And, I would very much like to do it again,” he all but whispered. Aelin’s breath caught as he leaned in closer as she waited for his next move. Rowan pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek, maybe lingering longer than he should have. “I guess we’ll see what happens. Good night, Aelin.”

As Rowan pulled back she replied with a breathless goodnight of her own. He knew his smirk was cocky, more than happy with himself with the way he was able to rile her up after he’s made a mess of him the last two weeks. More than that, the cards were on the table now. Air sufficiently cleared. Taking their relationship to a friends-with-benefits level wouldn’t be the worst thing that ever happened to him. Rowan hoped Aelin felt the same.

~~~~~

Not gonna lie, I was a little nervous coming back to this and dealing with *that* whole situation. I think I did okay, though. Time for the real fun to start I guess *smirk*

[veliseraptor]

i was wondering if you have any thoughts about why hua cheng decided to challenge the 33 gods + feng xin and mu qing instead of just killing them. i was thinking about how hua cheng's MO for violence seems to hinge a lot on the victims choosing their fate (e.g., running the gambler's den where gamblers set their own stakes, and the duals with the gods) and i was trying to figure out why he might operate this way instead of just killing the gods outright. like, i can understand mq and fx potentially being exceptions because their relationship with xie lian (and thus their betrayal) is more personal, but why not just kill the 33 gods? why toy with them? i guess choosing your own fate/doom is a big theme in the novel as a whole, but is there another reason why it is such an integral part of hua cheng's revenge?

sorry to bother, and no pressure to respond! this question has just been rolling around in my head today and you always have great analyses so i figured i should send it your way

ooh interesting ask, thank you for sending! not a bother at all.

Metatextually I think you're right about part of it being about people choosing their own fate - and that being something that Hua Cheng does seem to believe in particularly when it comes to people damning themselves. But I also think in-text it has to do with that the defeat of the 33 gods instead of killing them is very much not just about wanting the gods in question dead or destroyed but about wanting them humiliated, the same way that they humiliated Xie Lian.

He sets things up not just so that they will choose their way into losing, but specifically to maximize the impact of their downfall, to destroy them not just as individuals but to destroy their identity as a god itself. He doesn't just want them dead, he wants them demolished, the godhood that made them think themselves superior to Xie Lian taken away. If he kills them, then they're gods murdered in their power by a Ghost King, which still grants them a certain amount of dignity. But if they're gods defeated by a Ghost King on their own turf, then they lose face and therefore lose believers and therefore fade into obscurity before they die.

The same obscurity, incidentally, that Xie Lian was supposed to fade into, and only didn't because of the strength of Hua Cheng's belief/worship.

or at least that's my thoughts on it.

[butterflydm]

more cr103

The fact that the group that has the least exposure to the gods and the least understanding about them is the one that is sorta incidentally saving them while doing something else is... I guess a vibe, lol. But I really do hope that at least some of them take advantage of being in Vasselheim to do some godtalking and at least get even a fraction of the understanding and knowledge that VM or MN had about the gods.

It isn't necessarily all that important for the plot - 'Stop Ludinus' is the plan whether or not you give a shit about the gods, and that motive has been baked into Orym's backstory since day one - but it just feels weird that the party that knows the least about the gods is the one given the most power over their fates.

So it seems like we could end cr3 with a few different possibilities:

a. Bells Hells succeeds; Ludinus is defeated and things go back mostly to normal

b. Bells Hells fails; Ludinus succeeds to a certain extent and we end up with another calamity and cr4 is a post-apocalyptic campaign in some fashion, with the gods either eaten or chased away (Chetney brought this up in the episode, iirc)

c. Bells Hells succeeds but only after the Divine Gate gets torn down for some reason (either by Ludinus or by the gods to fight Predathos), thus leading to a world that is more like the one pre-Divergence (honestly, this one would be kinda funny if only because of how much Ashton would hate it).

I do think that the recording wouldn't have as much of an impact on faith in the gods as Ludinus thinks that it would -- everyone who knows about the Calamity already knows that 'the gods destroyed Aeor', or at least I believe that's part of the established history/lore of the series; and we see two of the gods (Everlight & Dawnfather) actively seeking to not have to destroy the city the entire time that they're there.

It would make some people lose faith, but it would also endear the gods more to others (like it has done for Launda). I just... given how wide-spread faith is irl without anything like the pluses that faith-based people get in Exandria, I would just find it unlikely that the orb would have the impact that Ludinus wants. We've seen that the only people it really 'convinced' were people who were already inclined to be unhappy with the gods (Ludinus himself, Dorian, and maybe Ashton, but I think Ashton just dislikes any kind of authority/structure and I'm not sure if the orb actually had an impact on that one way or the other)

But, of course, if the world doesn't immediately agree with him, that only gives Ludinus more reason to invade and conquer and destroy, because now his pride will be hurt over the fact that people aren't listening to him ("I am talking!").

As someone who isn't a believer irl, my main feeling about fantasy gods tends to run along the lines of "are they more helpful or more harmful?" and the Exandria gods as a whole have shown themselves to be more helpful than harmful over the course of the three campaigns (*cough* defeating Vecna *cough*), so I'd like them to stick around (since they've shown that they can mostly keep the betrayers in check with the Divine Gate in place). There are fantasy worlds where Ludinus might well be doing something heroic by wanting to take out the gods... but I don't think Exandria is one of those worlds.

Exandria is a world where the prime gods were willing to take a hard look at the consequences of their actions and do something to prevent more harm in the future, even at the cost of losing something incredibly important to them. As far as fantasy gods go, they're pretty nice! Especially the ones we met in Downfall, I feel very fond of them.

[applebyss-snakybite]

Heya! I have this Sonic AU that I made a few years ago. (Back when I was, like, 12-13?) I've never shared it because I held myself from posting anything online until I was eighteen, but I thought I might as well share it now. If some people get interested in it, that'd be a plus for me because I love drawing stuff from this AU.

It's not a very original AU. It's a swap AU. But, the characters stay more or less the same... It's more of a Swap Fate AU. I may have a tough time explaining it, but I'll do my best. I'll use my favourite two as an example:

Shadow and Eggman are swapped. Eggman is NOT the ultimate lifeform. He's still a genius scientist. However, Shadow is the villain, and Eggman is more of an anti-hero. Shadow did not have a friend like Maria at his side and only remembered the worst lessons he got from Gerald Robotnik. Gerald became crazy and wanted to get rid of humanity. Thus, Shadow wanted to pursue the crazed wish of his mentor by trying to take over the world. He has all his ultimate lifeform abilities, but he does value the use of weapons more than over his power. Because he's greedy and egocentric in this AU, he thinks he doesn't need to do physical efforts that much because of his high IQ (lower than Eggman, but still high) and his status as the ultimate life form. So, if he had a boss battle, he would teleport around and stop in place to shoot with one of his handmade guns, and that would be the moment to attack him.

Eggman (he goes by Robotnik in this, but he can still be nicknamed Eggman, idc) was living on the ARK. He was friends with the commander GUN (he doesn't have an official name, why? He's not part of GUN in this AU, sooo... I need to find him a name) and Maria. However, the creation of Shadow ruined his life (because then the Ark got destroyed, the way it did in canon). He doesn't really blame Shadow for what happened (he blames Gerald and Black doom more), and he would tolerate Shadow if only the latter had not chosen the path of evil. Also, Eggman is edgy because he lost his best friend in the destruction of the Ark. He saw everything crumbling in front of him and was traumatized because of that.

Shadow is not traumatized by the downfall of the ARK because, unlike in canon, Shadow was not allowed to just wander into the ARK and didn't have the opportunity to become friends with Maria: Gerald was overprotective of him, and Shadow quickly grew more attached to him and his ideology more than anyone else. He considers him like his father. He didn't have the time to discover proper love and empathy because Gerald wasn't exactly the best father figure... However, he learned a lot about science with him because, as the ultimate life form, he has an excellent IQ that rivals with Eggman. He does have a bit of Gerald genes inside of him because, of course, Gerald wanted to make his creation extremely intelligent just like him.

Now that I've written all of this, I believe fate swap could fit as the main idea of this AU. The characters changed places because their backstory got altered and brought them in a different position. Their brains did not change. Their experiences did... I guess just random swap AU works, too.

[moondal514]

A multi-fandom selection of some of my fave 2nd person pov fics cuz I’m a huge fan of 2nd person (see: all these 2nd person pov fics I’ve written lol) and I want more people to appreciate it

Fandom: Haikyuu!!

WINTERSTORY: OR HOW THE BOY KING FISHED THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY by perennials

Kageyama Tobio, re-examined.

My personal fave of my fave genre of Haikyuu fic (2nd person pov Kageyama character studies examining his relationship with volleyball and his family, with bonus KageHina)

Fandom: All For the Game

leftovers by orionauriga/ @orionauriga

They drive you home, every time, both of them. You leave the leftover scraps of their love, the intimacy loaned to you, in the backseat when you get out to kiss them goodnight.

Gorgeous fic inspired by Sue Hyon Bae’s poem “after the threesome, they both take you home”

Fandom: Star Wars

Triptych by antistar_e/ @kaikamahine

The master trains the apprentice. The apprentice kills the master and takes their place. The master takes an apprentice. It is the cycle of things, and the way all those like him do, your Supreme Leader creates his own downfall. He cultivates it, covets it, and it kills him.

It's not you. Of course it's not you.

I don’t actually care about Kylo Ren, but goddamn this fic made me care about him so much

Fandom: Six of Crows

minuet in d major by demigodbeautiies/ @jackwolfes

You wake up on a hot summer day in your tiny, shitty, childhood bedroom, and you realise that it’s here.

Your soulmate just turned twenty.

-

Soulmark Au

Made this face 🥺 the entire time I read this one

Fandom: Tian Guan Ci Fu

fortune tellers tell no truths by atomicmuffin

Love, like fate, ask for no man’s permission, may they be priests, princes, of gods. Guessing which path it will take cannot stop either of them from doing whatever they want.

You know this, and yet you try.

I treasure every excellent JunMei fic I find but this one is a particular special gem

Fandom: Mo Dao Zu Shi

bet Qin Su doesn't know her husband is committing infidelity by quigonejinn

Then, the carriage is stopped. Words are exchanged.

The best take on Qin Su I’ve encountered so far in this fandom

Fandom: Good Omens

empty, save you and i by ripeteeth/ @ripeteeth

“Please,” you say, and he likes it when you say it. Crowley, you wretch, you’ve known this forever. You’ve known this all your life.

Beautifully written, absolute poetry, every sentence goes so hard it’s insane

Fandom: Dungeon Meshi

A Body by murg

Laios wants to fly.

A beautiful and visceral fic that I want to eat (appropriate for Dungeon Meshi right 😂)

[tubbytarchia]

hello!! it’s me smallidarity crane wives song anon again :) !

i have come with angst and my interpretation of scars with their dynamic

first verse is very jimmy perspective coded in my mind, with the first lines “i’m not the person who i thought i was” being jimmy reflecting on how much he has lost in the life series and how, despite all of his best efforts and attempts, he is always destined to fall apart. this then leads to the “ache” of being stuck as a pawn in a game where fate itself orders jimmy to keep losing. the storm could be a sense of grief and anguish, the disdain for what feels inevitable, and the bitter shift of jimmy allowing these feelings to fester and of him allowing himself to become more accustomed to the chaos and bloodshed, even if his acts of bloodshed are unintentional and easily avoided/thwarted.

the next part is what ties joel in, with him trying to “build the bridge” of allyship and trust with jimmy, like in limited life. as you said, joel’s inactions and inability to help jimmy leaves him to toil with that guilt, and it leads him to try and help and bridge the gap. i guess the last two lines of that verse “no i couldn’t let you build it, but god knows you tried” being applicable for both limited life and wild life; joel was too slow to act on his plan of sacrificing himself and jimmy’s curse was too quick to take him in limlife, and in wild life, jimmy seems dead set on going after joel, despite joel wanting to help him and wanting to see him survive.

you hit the nail on the head for the chorus and the aspect of inevitability!!

then with the next verse, it’s told in the perspective of joel. the “i’m not the person that i thought i was” in this verse could tie in joel straying from his loneliness and embracing the vulnerability (and pain) that comes with allyships in the games, but it could also be internal conflict with him being too slow to act to save the people he cherishes (in this case, jimmy). him being betrayed by jimmy in the latest episode of wild life is him trying to come to terms with what’s happened, and it is caused by jimmy’s self-destructive tendencies once he’s reached red. joel’s pride is his constant downfall, as well as what prevents him from sacrificing himself for jimmy, which is what establishes the guilt he feels towards jimmy, and that pride is what will inevitably lead to his own end.

the guilt is echoed in the repetition of “nothing could have been done”, because it feels like a half-hearted attempt to silence the internal guilt and conflict of joel being too slow to act. he tells himself that “nothing could have been done”, both due to fate, but also because he’s still in denial of his own inaction.

i apologize for the novel-length analysis delivered to your ask box, and i hope this all makes some sort of sense!!

WOOOOOOOO YEAHHHHHHHHHH one thing: I'm not sure Jimmy becomes self-destructive necessarily once he's red in my opinion, he has the capability to do well and excel, it's just that he gets tunnel visioned incredibly easily and his often emotional responses to things spur that on (as do the responses from the people around him). It's always like that, to me it just seems that he gets more nervous (understandably so) the closer he is to a perma-death and becomes restless (which, granted, can lead to some self-destructive behavior) but he's just about as clumsy as he usually is, things tend to speed up in the late game carnage regardless

The thing about Jimmy going after Joel in Wild Life is also that Jimmy totally deserves to do that and I'm rooting him on because things need to get worse before they get better (for him mostly but for smallidarity too). Joel can recognize that he's gotten away with playing Jimmy like a fiddle in the past at several points and to drastic degrees, but he doesn't want to dwell on that, denial is his favorite thing ever. So he still questions what he'd done to deserve this; he was better to him and tried to help him, didn't he? He hadn't done anything to Jimmy yet during this game, hadn't he? Joel's so susceptible to heat of the moment frustration where his emotions spike and he often runs on that like fuel before inevitably getting himself killed, rationality be damned. He can't allow himself to become vulnerable as soon as he tries to be understood or god forbid understand himself

All that is to say that just. That whole bit about Jimmy putting him into emotional turmoil for trying to kill him on top of the guilt (and fear) Joel's been harbouring hurts me all the more. The lyrical bit about him trying to build the bridge and then concluding that nothing could have been done, but he tried, didn't he? In the face of his denial of his inability to have done more

But oughh ogh. yeah you're right I don't know what else to say (well there is a lot to say but I'm shit at that so I'm cutting it off here but) damn. yeah Into the smallidarity playlist it goes

[dg-outlaw]

'The Penguin - Episode 1: After Hours' Review/Thoughts

** Mild Spoilers Ahead **

So I'll start off by saying, I'm not a big fan of mobster/drug lord movies and shows. Same goes for the rich people/corporate shows like Succession or Billions. Basically, if the general premise is; these people are rich and/or powerful, come watch them betray, kill, and/or be assholes to other people and one another to achieve and maintain that wealth or power, and there's likely to be no justice had... then yeah, not for me. If anything, watching Netflix's The Fall of the House of Usher (2023) was more about catharsis than entertainment for me. IYKYK.

Obviously, I know there's more nuance than that when it comes to many of these shows and movies as there's also outstanding performances and interesting storylines, but something about them reminding me of the injustices and/or corporate greed of the real world just puts me off most of the time. If I'm going to watch media like that then I usually have to be in a certain mood for it or I'm hooked by the characters.

Early previews of The Penguin gave me the same mobster vibe as many crime shows. There will be no heroes, no Batman, and likely no real justice, but being in the Batman and Matt Reeves Bat-verse, I wanted to give it a shot.

Is The Penguin different from other mobster crime shows? Yes and no. No, in that it still has all the mobster show flavor and if it weren't in the Batman world, I'd maybe give it a pass, but because it is Batman and Gotham, then yes, there's enough interesting flavor here to keep me wanting to see what happens next.

If you're not aware, this series takes place soon after the events of Matt Reeves' The Batman (2022). Carmine Falcone is dead, Gotham is still recovering from the flood caused by The Riddler, though it seems the parts of Gotham mostly affected and still in disarray are the lower-income areas, and Batman is... probably napping? IDK, but it'll be interesting to see how Batman gets interwoven into this series or is generally not present.

Colin Farrell returns as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin... or as he's referenced in the series, Oz Cobb, and he's looking to make a name for himself.

Without getting into the details (as there are likely a million legit summary reviews of Episode 1 online now), Oz quickly sets things in motion that starts a series of dominoes falling that may or may not result in his downfall before he even begins his climb to the top of the crime world, and I guess this is where the show finds its intrigue. In my mind, it's very Breaking Bad in the sense that you keep watching just to see what happens next. Will our protagonist get caught and meet a horrible fate or will they actually get away with it and achieve their goals... and at what cost? And why am I rooting for the bad guy? But instead of just fumbling down into the depths of the crime world like Walter White, Oz wants this, he wants to be on top, but the question is, has he bitten off more than he can chew or will he finally take hold of the brass ring?

Ultimately, I think it's the Gotham world and characters that has me wanting to see more and to see how it all plays out. This is not to say that the performances aren't great or the characters aren't intriguing, and Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone is definitely scary, even if she's not comically accurate as a some giant mountain of a woman, but again, part of this is knowing the characters from comics and other media depictions. I don't need the full Penguin backstory or to know all about the Falcones and Maronis, the comics and other media have done that setup already, but it does help with investment IMO.

Also, I love the grime of this Gotham and also how it's contrasted with the wealth and cleanliness of other parts of Gotham, especially outside of downtown. The creators understood the assignment for this show and it definitely plays a part when it comes to motivations. This Gotham isn't one note and I'm glad that it doesn't look like some clean set that takes you out of the world and reminds you that you're watching a TV show, like so many streaming shows and movies do nowadays. Yes, there's violence and language and Farrell, once again, disappears into the role of Penguin, but there's also some humor in this show. The humor fits and doesn't feel forced, but it also allows the audience to breathe for a moment and enjoy the experience.

So, I think if you're a Batman fan, you know these characters a little bit, and you want to go into a show that is likely to not have Batman or any other heroes, I say, jump in and enjoy. But if you're not as familiar or are a casual fan, and you're not really into crime/mobster shows, then this might not be for you.

Also, new canon (I think?) that The Penguin is a fan of Dolly Parton or at least has a mix CD of 'Go out there and get it' songs, is so fun. I still HC that Parton's "9 to 5" is a Duke Thomas song he plays every morning before getting ready for patrol, but having that little extra character note for The Penguin was a nice touch and gave a new character, Victor, a little more insight into his new boss.